☽

                     𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐔𝐍𝐀,      with honeyed eyes that narrow at his words,       whispers :       ❛    you wish to be adored,      yet you rule through fear.     ❜       the people on the streets strave but instead geta has adorned yet another circus for them to attend,      &      though he’s draped it in gilded promises for the greatness of rome,   for the sanctity of its empire  —   all fortuna could think is that he sounds foolish to sing his songs as she,   the hostage,   stands against the column.      ❛     you know the people bow to you out of fear.     not out of love.      ❜       —      &      as she turns away from him,      the faint scent of his wine stronger than his conviction,   fortuna curls her fingers       &      her mind ablaze at why he’d care for her opinion as if it mattered at all to him.            ❛      —   you’re a fool to think otherwise.   ❜       @goldengeta

             torture would be preferable to this.      she thinks as she sits across from him;   monkey leaning against her arm.     the creature could be cute,      perhaps even a fondful antic of the roman prince had she actually cared.        𝙸𝙽𝚂𝚃𝙴𝙰𝙳 𝙷𝙴'𝚂 𝙰𝙽𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁 𝙲𝙾𝙻𝙻𝙰𝚁 𝚃𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃𝙴𝙽𝙴𝙳 𝙰𝙻𝙾𝙽𝙶 𝙷𝙴𝚁 𝙽𝙴𝙲𝙺,      the pharaoh’s daughter now another statue meant to be adored in roman’s golden connection,          &        while some prisons are cages of stone,   others are draped in finery placed in front of the great emperor as entertainment.        she would rather be anywhere than here,        anywhere        rather than listening to his complaints about how watered the wine is,   how boring the gladiators are,       &       whatever fake axe caracalla has to throw against his empire today.           ❛     my prince,    may i ask why you called for me ?  i was in the gardens     when your attendings came for me.   ❜   @empcalla

                                     ❛     𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 ,     you shouldn’t have come all the way here,      it’s late.    your husband has just returned from war,   you shouldn’t have come to see me.   you should celebrate.      ❜       the woman of great sorrow:    𝙵𝙾𝚁𝚃𝚄𝙽𝙰 𝙲𝙾𝚄𝙻𝙳 𝙽𝙴𝚅𝙴𝚁 𝚃𝚄𝚁𝙽 𝙰𝚆𝙰𝚈        &        𝙽𝙾𝚁 𝙲𝙾𝚄𝙻𝙳 𝚂𝙷𝙴 𝙸𝙽𝙲𝚄𝚁𝙴 𝙶𝙴𝚃𝙰'𝚂 𝙰𝙽𝙶𝙴𝚁 𝙰𝚃 𝙷𝙴𝚁.     her face neutral as she takes a grape from the plate,      the calm of the night as they continue their conversation in whispers       &        far away from the ears of the senatorials attempting to curry more favor with the emperors.      the last time they had spoke was weeks ago,    far before the triumph of rome in africa  —  far before,      the hunger grew heavier.               &        now instead,  they sit across from each other with the weight of another war.   another conquest.     ❛     i find myself remembering  —   what you said all those years ago.     when i first came here.     ❜     @luc1llas

                                              ❛     checkmate,      here i thought you were paying attention to our game lady yue?    ❜       fortuna lounges against the seat,   taking a grape in hand as she stares at the other.    winter has painted rome in white,  leaving the two of them to melt under heavy fur cloaks.    though,    yue does seem more at home here than she does during the warmth of the roman summer.        perhaps an old reminder of life before,      two relics of fallen kingdoms,    two daughters to once great kings       &        now self-preservation has them sitting as visitors when really they are nothing but gilded hostages  &        so she stares,   propping up her hands on her elbows.         ❛     you’re doing that thing again.      thinking of home.    ❜          @lunarduties

i am going to murder ridley scott