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bxm-1012 · 28 days ago

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Smooth Is The Descent

All your father did was talk of rest, but the emperors didn't take that well. Punishing your father didn't do much, so you were punished instead. It's a shame the champion gladiator they gave you too has no interest in being anything but sweet to you

Lucius Verus x reader (general Acacius's daughter)

Warnings: sa (not explicitly written but heavily implied), Canon typical violence, use of the name whore (let me know if I've forgotten anything)

You were never supposed to bear the weight of his words. You hadn't been the one to say them, to let such blasphemies leave your lips. Yet here you were, facing the punishment for them.

"No!" Your father cried when Geta turned his attention to you. "Emperor Geta, please! The words were mine! Do not punish my daughter for them!"

But the general was ignored and you were taken away.

For such punishment, you would have thought it treason your father had spoken. But no, he only spoke of rest, of spending some time at home with his wife and his daughter. His wife, Lucilla. She was not your mother, but you respected her still. The woman your father had chosen to marry after your mother's tragic end.

No more details of your punishment were given to General Acacius. The twin emperors, with sickening smiles on their painted faces, sent your father away before you could utter a word to him, before you could assure him that you would be okay, that you were strong.

Of course, if he knew the true nature of your punishment, he would have stormed the Palace to get you back. He would have taken on every man that stood between him and the twin emperors, slain them then and there.

Whatever your fate was, you knew no harm would befall you. Well, no lasting damage, nothing that would send you to the afterlife. For the moment your hand was placed in Death and you allowed her to lead you to a forever slumber, their control over your father would have been lost.

But it was still a punishment.

With your wrists shackled together, you were led away. Emperor Geta had controlled his men with nothing but the flick of his wrist and you realised that your punishment had been preplanned, prepared for the moment your father stepped out of line.

You had no idea what awaited you. Lashings, beatings. Maybe Caracalla would have you dance for them, for their entire court, the senate, and your father, wearing nothing. That had happened before. Your face had burned with humiliation and your father had been unable to look at you.

Instead, you were taken from the Palace. The control the twin emperors had over your father was no secret, the reason why their hold over him was so strong was no secret.

You. It was all because of you.

"Feed her to the barbarians," the man pushing you out of the Palace had said once you'd made it to the Colosseum.

Feed her to the barbarians.

Suddenly, you struggled. "No!" You cried as you tried to twist out of their hold. "No, you can't!" Barbarians. Once slaves from conquered nations, now gladiators, fighting for their freedom.

Your father had been the one to conquer their lands, the one to take them prisoner. There was no telling what would happen once they found out who you were.

"Please," you cried, tears rolling down your cheeks. "Please, they'll kill me! Once they find out who I am, they'll kill me." Clutching the soldiers armours, you dropped to your knees, still sobbing. "Please," you cried. "Please."

He kicked you away, his sandal hitting your chest. It knocked the very wind from your lungs, left you struggling for breath as you tried to get up. "I suggest you keep your mouth shut," he spat.

The men outside of the Colosseum, the ones that had watched you pathetically sob, grabbed you and hauled you to your feet. You couldn't help they way you cried, your feet dragging and the gravel digging into your skin.

They carried you into the darkness, the only light source being the flicking lanterns along the walls. When you were far enough into the labyrinth beneath the Colosseum, they let you go and pushed you to your knees. The dirt and the gravel bit into your palms as you were pushed forward.

"Come and get your fill," one of the men that had dragged you called, but they weren't talking to you.

One hulking gladiator stepped forward. The very ground shook with every step he took towards you. He crouched in front of you, fingers beneath your chin forcing you to look at him, to look into your eyes. He took in the finery of your clothing, the gold atop your head and the bracelets around your wrists. A girl of status, that was clear.

When he smiled, you saw mostly gums. The smile was ghastly, twisted and evil. The sort of smile you had only seen the twin emperors wear. "She'll do," he said and dragged you to your feet.

"No!" You cried again, screaming in his face as your struggled against your grip. But he pulled you against his chest, arms wrapping around you as he dragged you away.

A night of torture. That was what it was, nothing more. Torture that never seemed to end. Gladiators that never grew weary, gladiators that kept your torture going through the night. Torture that kept you from the reprieve of sleep.

The sun might has risen, but you weren't to know. It was only when soldiers came to fetch you, threw you a cloak to hide your tattered clothing and your broken state, that you allowed yourself to breathe.

Breathe without the foul scent of gladiator surrounding you. Breathe without tasting death.

Your body ached as you were again shackled and taken back to the twin emperors. Geta and Caracalla revelled in pain and torture, this you knew. Even as General Acacius's daughter, you were not exempt.

You were dragged before the twin emperors, cloak pulled from your body. Geta grinned at the sight of you, at the bruises marring your skin, at the way your legs trembled in exhaustion. At the way your clothing hung in tatters, showing too much of you. It was nothing they hadn't seen before, again down to your punishment.

"A fitting reminder to your father of what will happen should he dare to question me again," Geta said and held out his hand. You couldn't help but tremble as you took it and kissed his ring.

He pushed you away with a demand to clean up before the games. They were in your father's honour, after all. Sick and barbaric games, all for the pleasure of the emperors. Games meant to be in your father's honour, yes, but you knew how much he hated this.

Your horse walked slowly, as if he was aware of just how much pain your body was in. Your patted his neck in appreciation as you rode towards your home. The gates opened as you approached and you rode through. You were slow as you jumped from his back and handed his reins off to your groom.

Holding your cloak closer to your body, you headed inside. As much as you didn't want your father seeing you like this, as much as you wanted to run to the baths before your father or Lucilla could catch sight of you, you couldn't avoid it.

There your father was, dressed all in white. Ready for the games, you realised. He wore concern on his face when he took in your appearance. "Oh, my daughter." General Acacius couldn't hide the sadness from his voice as he strode towards you. "I swear they'll pay for this." When his hands touched you, touched the bruises you were trying to keep hidden, you hissed and pulled away from him.

"Do not speak such things, father," you said as you stepped away from him. "I will be ready for the games shortly."

You bathed as quickly as you could, desperate not to make your father late. God, you could only imagine the anger on Geta and Caracalla if you made him late, could only imagine the punishment that would be placed onto you. Lucillas staff helped you to dress, helped replace the jewellery the gladiators had stolen from you and helped you to fix your hair.

Gathering your skirts, you joined your father and Lucilla. Things were quiet, you refusing to speak on your way to the games. Games, what a silly word for it. What a silly word for men fighting each other for the pleasure and amusement of other men.

You sat silently, head bowed as you rode towards the games. Your father said nothing, you said nothing to him. It was better that way, better if you didn't talk about it. The less he knew, the better. The better for the both of you.

At the Colosseum, you were led to your seats. Led to the Emperors box. Geta and Caracalla stood, observing the crowd as the games announcer announced your father. The crowd roared as your father stepped towards them at the request of Emperor Geta. A request he answered when Geta looked to you in silent threat. They cheered his name and clapped their hands.

"Speak to them," said Emperor Geta as your father turned to return to you and Lucilla. Another request your father couldn't deny, another silent threat made towards you.

It was hard to listen to your father as the Colosseum surrounded you. Mere hours before, you had been here, you had been tortured beneath her walls. The men that would come and fight in the name of your father had been your tormentors through the night. Your eyes stung with fresh, hot tears, but you didn't let them fall.

You were all too aware of the man sitting behind you. Macrinus, the gladiator king. The title did not come from his ability to fight, you knew, but his ability to choose. Choose the best fighters, the one that would win him the most coin. These were his fighters, you realised as your father finished speaking. He came and took his seat between yourself and Lucilla. The crowd was still cheering his name, showing him more love and loyalty than they showed their emperors.

The barbarians from Numidia. That was what the games announcer had called them. You watched, none of their faces those of your tormentors, they they strode into the middle of the Colosseum. Their armour was minimal, some carrying swords, some carrying a sword and shield. Some pointed at the crowd tried to get their attention, tried to elicit cheers, and the rest were more concerned with what was to come.

And one looked towards the Emperors. At least, you thought he was looking towards the Emperors. But Lucilla stilled, and polite smile dropping from her face. "What is it, my love?" Your father asked her, but she could not bring herself to answer.

The rhino and its rider. You knew the face of it's rider, the face of the man that had taken you first the night before. Your blood ran cold as you watched. For the first time, your support when to the barbarians, to Macrinus.

The rider pulled a weapon, something sharp and deadly. The crowd around you cheered for him. Your focus was for the Numidian front and centre, instructing the other gladiators. Unable to hear what he was saying, you sat forward in your seat.

The rhino charged and the gladiators broke, running for the wall. The Beast kicked up sand, preventing you a clear picture of what was happening. "Do not watch the brutality, my daughter," your father whispered, but you couldn't help yourself.

Violence and death didn't fascinate you like it did men. But to see the rider of the rhino brought to his knees? You weren't looking away for one second.

But there was a reason he was undefeated.

You watched the Numidian pick up the gravel and sand in his hands. The rider was focused on him, you realised. He charged but the gladiator stood there, unyielding. He was going to get himself killed.

At the last moment, he threw the sand and it spread out around him, blocking him from view. The rhino still blindly charged, but the Numidian man leapt out of the way. Suddenly, hope soared within you. If anybody could bring down the rider...

With its horn smashed and its rider no longer on its back, the rhino sat in pain. But the two gladiators were on their feet, racing towards the sword. You held your breath as the Numidian grabbed it first, repeatedly used its hilt to hit your tormentor in the head.

But then your tormentor twisted in his hold and grabbed the sword. He kicked the Numidian until he was on the floor and then roared to the crowd.

No.

"The gates of hell are open night and day," Geta said with a grin as he looked down at the Numidian man. "Smooth is the..." He pinched the bridge of his nose, unable to remember the rest of it.

"Sooth of the descent, easy is the way."

You tore your eyes away from the Numidian man as Lucilla stood.

But the fight was still happening and you were entranced by it. The Numidian was given a shield to aid in his fight. You couldn't help but watch him, eyes roaming over every inch of muscle as he fought back. He was strong, but so was the rider. An even match, the end result came down to skill.

But the Numidian was on the floor and the crowd was chanting. "Mercy! Mercy!" You heard them chant again and again.

"Blood," Caracalla said to his brother wearing a twisted grin. Caracalla always wanted blood.

Geta turned his attention to you. "What shall we do? Shall we show the barbarian Mercy?" No matter your answer, Geta was going to do what he liked.

"Mercy," Lucilla said suddenly, before you could give your own answer.

Geta brought his hand down, channelling the Gods. It was a farce, your God's wouldn't allow this. He clenched his fist, his thumb sticking out. As he did so, the crowd fell silent, waiting with trepidation.

His thumb raised. Mercy. The Numidian man was to stay living, and so was your tormentor. Your breath caught in your throat from the unfairness, the injustice. If the Gods were out there, how could they le this happen?

"No mercy!" The Numidian man shouted as he got to his feet.

"Your life has been spared by the Gods-"

"I would sooner face your blade than accept Roman mercy!" The Numidian shouted, interrupting Emperor Geta. Foolish, foolish man.

But the fight resumed. The Numidian man dodged out of the way. He picked up his own sword, and the fight truly began.

It wasn't long until his blade went through the stomach of the rider. Undefeated, yet all it took was a man from another land to end his life. As he sat there, on his knees, the Numidian man took his head from his body with a mighty shout.

He was dead. The man that had taken you so forcefully last night was dead. Many of your tormentors were still alive down there, but not for much longer, not with this barbarian around.

You released a choked sob as the barbarian gladiator walked away.

Emperor Caracalla turned to you, still wearing a sick smile. "Perhaps we should give our new champion a prize," he said, lounging back in his seat. "An insensitive to keep winning."

"You know, brother? I think you are right," Geta agreed and looked back to you. "A fitting prize for our new champion, wouldn't you say?"

Hands gripped your arms and pulled you from your seat. "No!" Your father cried. "Emperors, please! You have no reason to punish her! We have done nothing wrong!"

Emperor Geta levelled your father with a vicious, horrible look in his eye. "If you care about her life, Acacius, you will stay quiet." Geta snapped his fingers and you were dragged away, unable to look your father in the eye. If there were Gods, why weren't they helping you?

They dragged you to the baths and pushed you inside. You fell to your knees in front of the baths and the guards backed away from you, locking you inside.

There he was, already in the water. His eyes tracked you as you stood up and brushed the dirt from your clothes. If you could stand to look at him, you would have seen just how beautiful those eyes were.

"You don't belong down here," he said,

You held your hands in fists by your sides as you watched him, waiting for him to move in some way. But he was completely still, watching you. Waiting for you to move, just as you were waiting for him.

"You're right," you said, holding your chin up high. "I don't belong down here."

He stood, water dripping from his skin as he stepped out of the baths. You looked at your sandals, unable to properly gaze upon, to see how much of a man he really was.

The gladiator laughed when you averted your gaze. But he got dressed, bothering with everything but his shirt. That you could look upon. The defined muscles of his chest, his thick arms. He was beautiful, you realised.

"You don't belong down here, yet you are here. Why?" He asked as he stood before you. You couldn't help but shrink under his gaze as he took another step.

You couldn't press yourself any closer to the wall. But you raised your chin, as if in defiance. "I am here as punishment."

His fingers touched your chin, face close to yours. Even after his bath, he still smelt like the Colosseum. "What did a little thing like you do to deserve punishment?"

Finally, you tore your eyes away from his intense, blue stare. "My father spoke of rest," you spat as you stepped away from him, arms crossed over your chest. "Rome is hungry, she must be fed."

The gladiator released a laugh, bitter and sad all at the same time. "Tell your emperors I don't want the general's whore." He walked away, leaving you in the baths.

Again, you were alone in the Colosseum. If last night was any indicator, it wouldn't be for long. You released a sob as you sat there and desperately wiped at your eyes. 'The general's whore.' The gladiator had no idea who he was talking to. Good.

Footsteps, sandals against the stone floor of the baths. You looked up, your eyed looking into the stormy blue of the handsome gladiator. "Come on," he offered you his hand.

Swallowing, trying to act like you hadn't just been crying, you placed your hand in his. His arm settled around your shoulders, holding you against him as he walked you through the Colosseum. The other gladiators stared at you, their eyes hungry. But you looked away, kept your focus on the gladiator holding you. "Why are you doing this?" You whispered.

"You wouldn't survive a night wandering around down here," he murmured as the door to his cell was pulled open.

You swallowed as you walked in. The door was shut behind you as the gladiator walked in. "Sit," he said and gestured to the bed.

You did what you were best at and obeyed. Sitting on the bed, you looked as he sat before you, his hands clasped together. He wouldn't touch you, not in the way the emperors intended for him to. That much was clear.

"What is your name, gladiator?"

He stared at you, unspeaking for a good long moment. It was unnerving, the way he just stared. His stormy eyes focused on you. "Hanno," he answered and turned away from you. "I was taken from my home by the general whose bed you warm."

"I do not warm his bed!" You shouted, suddenly on your feet. The notion had bile ready to rise in your throat.

Hanno laughed. "Yet you enjoy his company. You sit with him while you watch us, get sick pleasure from watching us maim each other.”

"I was there by order of Emperor Geta!" You challenged, standing up. "You act as if I have a choice, as if I want to sit there and watch men get slaughtered. No, I hate it! I don't see why you have to fight!"

He stood, too, towering over you once again. "I fight for my freedom." His voice was so low, dangerous, even. "I fight because my home was taken from me by your general. My home, my wife, taken from me because, what? Because Rome was hungry. Do not lecture me on choice."

You sat back down, tears in your eyes. You knew what your father did, but being told such details was something else. "I'm sorry," you sobbed as you pulled your knees up to your chest. "On behalf of Rome, of the general, I truly am sorry."

A sigh left his lips as he sat beside you. "It's not your place to apologise for what the general has done," he said and leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. "Rome has been a corrupt place, long before you came along."

You blinked up at him, tears resting on your lashes. "What was your home like?" You asked and turned your head towards him.

He told you everything, told you about his wife, his home. The chickens he chased away from the crops and the harvest. The conversation always steered back to his wife.

You didn't ask what happened, didn't force him to relive the trauma so soon. But you couldn't hide your yawns, or the way your eyes were drooping. "Rest now," he said as he stood from his cot. "I will not disturb you."

You laid down, but you didn't sleep, not immediately. Your eyes were shut, but you weren't asleep. Every time Hanno moved, you opened your eyes to watch him, to make sure he wasn't going to use you. Not that you could stop him. But he didn't. He never laid a hand on you.

Eventually, you drifted off, eyes shut and breathing steady. Hanno watched you for a moment. It wasn’t your fault, what Rome had done to his land, to his home. It wasn’t your fault, what the general had done, and he wouldn't take it out on you.

a/n: definitely more parts to come! I won't lie I didn't mean to find Paul hot but his charms have bewitched me

#lucius versus x reader #lucius verus imagine #lucius verus x fem!reader #lucius verus aurelius

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bxm-1012 · 28 days ago

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A Teacup and a Crown

Summary - On the day of his wedding, Nikolai has some fears.

Author's Notes - Gn!Reader. Rule of Wolves *spoilers* These characters and places belong to Leigh Bardugo, happy reading. As always, don't copy my work or translate my work without my express approval. Mention of blood. 1.2k words.

🦊☕️👑

Nikolai looked at himself in the mirror. Medals of honor adorning his blue sash, ending at his pocket. It almost felt silly, getting married this way. In all his royal garb, to someone he met on the high seas, on the brink of death. If Nikolai had it his way you’d be naked in the sheets of his bed together whispering your vows with nobody but the fire to hear your words. But alas, he was a king with people to please. Not that he wanted to be a king. Kings signed papers, made choices. Had to follow more definitive laws.

Now privateers. Privateers didn’t need to consult a group of wannabes on matters, privateers didn’t have to smile at their spouse from across a stupidly long banquet table. Privateers could invade slaver ships, bring supplies, act as spies. If he thought about it any longer Nikolai was convinced he might just abdicate the throne, hand it over to Zoya as he had so heavily considered. The Nazyalensky Dynasty had a nice ring to it. Then he could take you away from the maddening chaos of Ravkan royalty, and onto a ship with his most trusted friends, though he wasn’t sure he could convince Tamar to leave her wife behind. Or perhaps a new crew, to leave the others behind, trust Ravka in their hands. Nikolai looked down at his hands once more before looking up. He wondered, for only a moment, what might happen if the monster saw itself in the mirror, how it might respond. The king could feel it, stirring, always waiting to be set free. Though with no threat of battle or blood in the immediate future it seemed less eager. As long as the Darkling so too would the demon inside him. You had convinced him that everyone had demons, his was just more physically present than others the day he learned it would be with him until death.

“So long as he lives, so does the monster,” Nikolai said.

“Yes. But even if he dies you still have demons to face,” you shrugged. “We all have demons to face.”

“Well, yours doesn’t come out for a visit with fangs and wings every so often does it?” Nikolai countered, as his fingers skimmed up your spine.

“Think of it as a bonus. An upgraded version,” you offered with a smile and laugh before leaning forward to kiss him.

“How easily you distract me with those pretty eyes and even prettier lips,” he responded. “It’s a shame, really. You could secretly run this entire kingdom by smiling and kissing me.”

“Shut up and kiss me,” you respond.

He leaned forward. Cheek, nose, lips, jaw. “You see how easy it is?”

“I’ll keep this in mind the next time I want something.”

Nikolai’s eyes fell to his bed, your smell still clinging in the sheets. Sheets that were void of you last night. Genya had so rudely insisted you not share a bed the night before your wedding. Tradition is the word she used. Ironic, now she cared about it. Perhaps he would get his vengeance by declaring before the entire wedding party that he would be giving up his crown. He’d kept count. Five times since he woke up had the king thought about it. To stand up when he’s meant to give a formal toast at the reception, to celebrate Ravka and his new spouse, but instead declare a new monarch. Would Zoya turn the dragon on him if Nikolai called her to the throne instead? It was an almost entertaining thought––one cut off by a servant entering with that morning’s array of tea. The king quickly pretended to be fixing his wedding attire.

“ Moi tsar ,” the servant said with a mild bow of his head, placing down the tea tray. A tray with more biscuits than tea on it.

“Thank you,” Nikolai responded, before the servant slipped back out of the king’s chambers. The king stared at the tea before him. Perhaps an entire cup of tea would do his nerves some good. Nikolai sat down, lifting the cup to his lips slowly. He paused, before placing the fragile cup back down. He noticed the smallest bit of paint missing on it. The cup, like Ravka, was in a fragile place. Handled with care, it could support much. But the smallest wrong move, the smallest crack, could be the start of further disaster.

After some time of staring at the cup Nikolai stood, pacing about his chambers anxiously. How long will the acceptance of Nikolai as king go on? Would people regret their choices? Could Ravka accept a Grisha queen? General Zoya Nazyalensky, or Queen Zoya Nazyalensky.

You are Ravka’s leader , the king told himself. You watched your friend die, you have faced the Darkling many times. A part of him lives with you, forever. A teacup will not be your undoing .

Before Nikolai could follow his trail of thought farther another knock came at the door before opening. David. The king let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“My wife wishes to inquire as to how you’re enjoying the tea,” David asked, sitting down in front of Nikolai. He was frank about matters when he felt they were appropriate.

“You can inform her that I haven’t had any yet,” Nikolai responded, more sharply than he meant to.

Silence filled the air for a few moments before David spoke up. “I spend a lot of time creating with you, Nikolai. Contraptions, weapons.” A pause, before David met Nikolai’s gaze. “ Things that go boom .” Another pause. “It’s been my experience that the things we take the most risk with, often have the most beautiful rewards. The risks I was willing to take gave me my wife. My family.”

Did David know what his king had been considering? Nikolai, for all his wit and charm, couldn't manage a response. His eyes fell to the teacup.

David, ever the noticer, followed Nikolai’s gaze before indicating the carefully shaped porcelain. “May I?”

Nikolai nodded, not entirely sure where this was going.

David lifted it, examing the anterior of it before sniffing at the contents and placing it down. “Genya informs me that this is your soon-to-be-spouse’s favorite tea.”

Your favorite tea. It would seem, Genya Safin had requested tea she knew you liked. No doubt knowing how it might calm some part of her king. An apology for making him sleep without you for one night.

David stood and Nikolais’ gaze followed.

“Thank you, David,” Nikolai said seriously.

His comrad only smiled slightly before nodding his head and exiting the king’s chambers.

The moment he was gone the teacup was in Nikolai’s hand. The liquid went from it in an instant. It tasted like you, felt like you. The boy king could taste your lips. How many times had he kissed you, the tea flavor lingering on your lips from a morning meal? He wanted you, he needed you, like a boat needs air to sail. The teacup was quickly left on the tray before Nikolai was rushing out the door to go find you. Screw tradition and what Genya had to say about it.

#nikolai lantsov x reader #nikolai lantsov x gn!reader #david kostyk x genya safin #zoya nazyalensky #nikolai lantsov #rule of wolves spoilers #leigh bardguo #fluff

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