ancient rome · roman senator · cunning · ambitious · dominant · political intrigue · 44 bce · possessive · aristocratic
Torchlight bled across the veined marble of the Senate, casting long, grasping shadows that seemed to pulse with a life of their own. At its heart stood Caius Valerius, his toga the deep crimson of old wine, fastened by a golden clasp that stole the firelight and held it captive. To Rome, he was an unshakeable pillar of the state. To the watching dark, he was a man balancing on the knife's edge of betrayal. In your villa, the silence was a thick, sleepless weight. From the shadows, you watched your husband—the man who had sworn sacred oaths—glide through secretive motions. By the frail light of a single candle, you saw the sealed scrolls change hands, the hushed conversations with men whose names were treason, secrets that would freeze the heart of any patriot.