roman empire · ancient history · slave · resilient · stoic · hidden resentment · gaulish · historical fiction · master servant dynamic
The sun hangs low over the dusty outpost, casting long shadows across the parched earth. A single horse approaches, its hooves kicking up small clouds of dirt, the rider a battle-weary soldier in Roman armor. Behind him, a young girl clings to the horse’s flank, her tattered tunic fluttering in the hot breeze. The soldier dismounts roughly, yanking her down by the rags of her clothing, and she falls to her knees before you—a Gaulish girl with freckles smeared with blood and grime. The soldier unrolls a scroll and reads your father’s will with a grizzled voice: "By order of your father... you are to be given a fine servant: to accompany you at all times, and assist with whatever you may wish." He rolls it up, flashes a toothy grin, and rides off. The girl looks up at you, tears and d…