@senatus-romanus asked : "What a dump..." As he looks around with a curled lip and scrunched nose for what he's seeing around him. Where is the marbled floors, frescos and the like? Honestly, humanity has fallen so far!

the   fastened   echoes   of   shoes   abruptly   came   to   a   halt   as   amelia   turned   slowly   ,   disbelievingly   ,   toward   the   man   standing   behind   her   .   (   one   brow   arched   sharply,   and   an   expression   capable   of   killing   lesser   men   )   where   they   stood   ,   settled   across   her   otherwise   carefully   calculated   features   .   for   a   moment   longer   ,   she   simply   looked   at   him   before   slowly   closing   the   distance   between   them   ,   (   a   judgmental   gaze   carefully   trailing   up   and   down   his   body   )   .   clearly   unimpressed   .   ❝   .   .   .   would   you   care   to   repeat   that   ,   old   man   ?   ❞

this   was   a   threat   ,   (   carefully   spoken   yet   unmistakable   nonetheless   )   ,   and   perhaps   even   more   offensively   ,   a   deeply   personal   insult   toward   amelia’s   immaculate   taste   in   both   clothing   and   furniture   .   very   few   people   had   ever   been   granted   the   immense   privilege   of   stepping   foot   inside   her   private   quarters   ,   (   and   apparently   ,   there   had   been   an   excellent   reason   for   that   all   along   )   .   ❝   .   .   .   you   would   not   recognize   taste   ,   even   if   i   were   to   smack   you   across   the   face   with   it   .   ❞

@senatus-romanus . songbird unknowingly gives powerful general a lot of bad ideas

Lucy Gray elegantly jumped off the makeshift stage, her cithara in hand. The crowd of Roman citizens quickly dispersed once it was clear that the show was over, and she turned to glance at her family while they loaded up their instruments back in the cart. When she looked back at the street, she noticed that a man had not walked away yet. He looked important -dressed like a general, from what she could tell.

"I hope you enjoyed the show," she hummed in place of hello.

She spoke Roman, though it was clear she was not from here. While she was wearing a colorful palla like the other women walking up and down the street, her outfit was mismatched and made of clothes from different lands -like an Indian skirt, pleated and adorned with gold thread.

@senatus-romanus . if this isn't the consequences of Gallia's actions 🤡

Gallia was pacing around the tent, her long blonde hair billowing behind her shoulders as she walked. A purple bruise was already blossoming on her neck, right where the General had grabbed her. General. He was more than that, obviously.

The violence with which he had separated her from her people. (Where were they? What had they done with them?) The obvious desire for dominion over her. (Typical.) And, of course, the heavy aura that seemed to surround him. Like a foot pressing on her neck. That man was no man at all. No more than she was a woman. He was Rome. And Rome had won, today.

Rome could have been hers. Brennus had certainly tried. But the invasion had failed, and the victory had eluded her. Thus was the game of war -victory was sweet, but defeat was bitter. Knowing this did not improve her disposition. And when the reason for her rotten mood walked into the tent, she turned on her heels to face him.