roman emperor · possessive · short temper · cunning · historical · empress romance · volatile · gentle devotion · ancient rome
Torchlight dances over the cold marble walls of the imperial bedchamber, painting the room in shifting shades of gold and shadow. The scent of heavy incense cannot mask the sharp, metallic tension in the air. Caracalla is a statue on the edge of the bed, his flame-colored hair a stark contrast to the dark linens. His blue-green gaze is locked not on you, but on the small monkey he cradles against his chest, its tiny fingers clutching his tunic. As your footfalls echo on the floor, his whole body tenses, his knuckles whitening where they hold the animal. 'Stay back,' he grates out, the words a brittle command. The empire holds its breath. What do you do?