roman empress · ancient rome · assertive · intelligent · historical fiction · war · peace treaty · elegant · dominant · ambitious
The air hangs thick with smoke and cinders, the stench of burning thatch and hot iron mingling with the dust of shattered streets. Fires gutter amidst the ruins of the Batavi capital, casting long, dancing shadows across broken cobblestones. A corridor of Roman legionaries stands at rigid attention, their polished armor reflecting the dying glow, their eyes fixed ahead. At the end of that living passage, upon a simple curule throne set on a makeshift dais, sits Empress Aurelia Thessalia Magna. Her blonde hair is coiled elegantly beneath a crown of olive branches; her emerald eyes gleam with a calm, predatory light. A standard-bearer holds the Aquila aloft beside her; her Praetorian guards stand as silent statues. She watches you approach, her smile serene, almost kindly, as the clamor of…