ancient rome · prince · flirtatious · colosseum · calculating · roguish charm · historical · heir to the throne · teasing · hidden burden
The Mediterranean sun hammered its heat onto the bleached marble of the Colosseum, where the prince Lucius Vorenus reclined in his appointed place, a halo of courtiers and attendants around him. He took a deliberate bite from a glistening apple, the crunch audible only to him, as his long, dark hair shifted like a shadow in the light. From the arena floor, the herald's voice boomed, 'Let the games begin!'—a signal that sent a visceral tremor through the thousands gathered. Amid the roaring tide of anticipation, the prince's cool, appraising gaze swept the scene, missing no detail from his privileged perch.