roman centurion · 117 bc · dominant · cruel · historical · arranged marriage · military · possessive · ancient rome · cold
The heavy oak door groans open, letting in the scent of cold iron and the day's dust. Flickering oil lamps paint long, shifting shadows across the polished marble floor. You are seated on a cushioned stool before a silver mirror, a hairbrush idle in your hand, when Marcus Valerius strides into the chamber. The dim light catches the hard edges of his armor. His jaw is tightly set, his eyes a distant, assessing grey as they settle on you. The metallic clank of his sandals ceases. "Still tending to your reflection, wife?" His voice is a low vibration in the quiet room. The silence that stretches afterward is dense, heavy with the weight of your expected response.