#and like have played no small part in the fact that I’ve made it this long and it got me here!! screaming with jd!!

[bonelessghoul]

In the Shadows of Chains |2|

Pairing: Marcus Acacius x female!OC

Words: 3.3k

Warnings: not many I don’t think, just twisted ways of the Emperors and drinking heavily

Summary: In the wake of the Emperor’s interest, Julia downplays its intensity as another festivity pulls in the attendance of Romes elite. But here where distractions are meant to be embraced, Julia finds herself out of her General’s protection and the lions den of the twins.

Note: I hope everyone liked the first part! I’ve had some good response but I’m about just keeping it rolling and letting my thoughts run rampant here so pls keep the feedback and reblogs coming <3

Part One

The intimate gathering was a stark contrast to the prior night. Here, in the heart of Rome’s elite at the top of the hill, the air was heavy with wine and intrigue, a quieter but no less dangerous battlefield. The twins, Geta and Caracalla, lounged at the forefront of the room, their every move commanding attention as women and men alike swarmed their sides. Laughter rippled through the hall, but Julia’s focus remained on the goblet in her hand as it did the night before.

She had welcomed herself to more wine than she ought to, but the buzzing warmth in her chest dulled the edges of her despair. Among the other ladies of status—some already wed, some still entertaining suitors—she found a reprieve from the suffocating gazes of the men who filled the room as they lounged in a small corner.

“And what of the Emperor, Julia?” said Lady Claudia, pulling her attention back into the conversation.

The question cut through the laughter like a blade. Julia froze, her goblet poised halfway to her lips. She realized her friends looked upon her with envy at this and not caution for her safety.

Her friend grinned as she edged on, “Rumor has it his gaze hasn’t left you since the games. Surely that must excite you?”

Julia forced a light laugh, tilting her head with feigned indifference.

“Excite me? No. Terrify me? Perhaps.”

The ladies tittered, but her closest friend, Aurelia, gave her a knowing glance. Julia felt her cheeks warm, and not from the wine, but the simple fact that she should not have said something so bold in the open.

A woman with curls coiled down to her shoulders, Lady Cassia, was the next to entertain their banter as she eagerly leaned forward.

“Oh, come now, Julia. To be chosen by the Emperor himself is an honor few would deny. Or have you already set your sights elsewhere?”

Cassia was married to the son of the Quaestor and had no qualms with her life other than that of the Quaestor himself who made no secret in his admiration for young women. But she wouldn’t bring it up now as the thought of it lingered on the rim of her wine.

Julia’s fingers tightened around the goblet.

“I have. My heart lies with another.”

The declaration silenced the group, their wide eyes flicking to each other. Only Aurelia remained unshaken, a soft smile tugging at her lips.

“Who?” Claudia pressed with a gasp, leaning forward.

Julia smiled coyly, taking another sip of wine that bitterly sunk down. “A story for another time, perhaps.”

The ladies groaned in unison, but Aurelia looped her arm through Julia’s, steering the conversation away by putting her head on her dear friends shoulder.

“Leave her be, you vultures. A woman’s heart is her own, after all.” Aurelia chided.

The tension eased, and the group dissolved into laughter once more. Together, they concocted small, playful schemes to amuse themselves: tipping the servants to pour more wine into the goblets of certain guests, rearranging the seating to spark rivalries among the young men, and whispering half-truths to redirect attention toward the other single ladies. It was what they did on nights like these, stemming from the games they played as children.

For a while, Julia felt light—free, even—as though her troubles could be drowned in laughter and wine if she focused on her friends enough. She could still feel the lingering gaze of the Emperor but she later low, staying close to her friends and weaving herself into the folds of their mischief as they scoured the party.

At times, even the General himself fell victim to her strikes. In these more intimate gatherings where not a soul was coherent and there was no talk of politics for once, Julia had a little bit more freedom to grab his hand or steal his own goblet to entice a chase. It was easily unnoticed in the myriad of tunics and curtains drawn about.

Maybe a part of her wanted to test what could be noticed.

But her Marcus resisted and she returned to Aurelia’s side. One minute she’d press a soft kiss to his behind a drape and the other she’d appear on the other end with her arms linked with Aurelia. For once, it felt like old times when her person went unnoticed.

But it wasn’t enough.

As the evening deepened, Geta’s piercing gaze found her, as unyielding as a predator stalking its prey. She pretended not to notice, ducking behind Lady Claudia to refill her goblet. Aurelia nudged her gently.

“Careful, Julia. You’ll only anger him more by hiding.”

“Better his anger than his affections.”

But she wasn’t fast enough. A sharp clap echoed through the hall as Geta stood, silencing the room.

“I fear they may be one in the same.”

The Emperor stood, eyes smeared with the haze of his signature look and fair colored locks damp across his forehead from the heat of alcohol. His clothes barely clung to him from hungry guests but he never failed to keep the valor of his status front and center. He looked sickeningly vile but sluggishly so.

“My dear guests,” he announced, his voice smooth yet sharp, “what is a gathering without entertainment?”

A ripple of unease passed through the room but everyone was focused on him. Everyone knew the kind of entertainment the twins favored. Julia felt her stomach twist as Geta’s eyes landed on her. His lips contorted into an attempt at a smile.

“Lady Julia,” he called, his tone dripping with mockery, “would you do us the honor of assisting in tonight’s amusements since you did so well earlier today?”

The room fell silent. Every eye turned to her. Julia’s breath caught, and her goblet trembled in her hand but she clutched it tight, letting the heat rise to her ears. She could faint? No, she was hardly convincing enough.

“Your Grace,” she began, her voice measured, “I’m afraid I am not well-suited for such a role.”

Geta’s smile widened, the corners of his mouth curling with cruelty like an animals lips peeling back before it pounced its prey. It was a smile that would break at any resistance.

“Nonsense. Surely Rome’s fairest rose would not deny us this simple pleasure?”

She glanced around, her heart pounding. Aurelia reached for her hand, but it was too late. A servant stepped forward, gesturing for her to follow. Reluctantly, Julia rose, forcing her trembling legs to carry her to the center of the room.

Caracalla, who could barely stand straight let alone keep his eyes open, gestured to a nearby soldier, who stepped forward with a tray. On it lay a single dagger, its blade gleaming under the flickering torchlight.

“A simple test of skill,” Caracalla said, picking up the dagger, swinging it back to her with its point nearly brushing her chest. “The lady shall aim for the target at the far wall.”

A murmur swept through the crowd. Julia’s mouth went dry as she glanced at the target—a crude wooden circle painted red had been rolled out from a shadow of the room and she half thought she was dreaming. Geta then appeared in front of her, putting himself between her and the wood with the dagger held out to her.

“And if I miss?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Geta chuckled, his laughter as cold as the blade he extended toward her. “Then the consequences shall entertain us all.”

The room erupted in polite laughter, but the tension was palpable through Caracalla’s unsettling and shrill laugh. Julia swallowed hard, her eyes darting to Aurelia, who shook her head ever so slightly. Her eyes scanned the crowd for Marcus in one swift sweep but she could not find him.

With but no choice to follow, Julia stepped forward and took the dagger. Its weight was unfamiliar in her hand, but she steadied her grip, raising it toward the target. The room held its breath as she drew back her arm and threw.

The blade struck the wall, just shy of the target’s edge.

Geta’s laughter rang out, sharp and triumphant. “So close, yet so far,” he mused.

Before Julia could retreat, he gestured to the soldier again. Another dagger was brought forward, but this time, Geta’s smirk deepened

“Let us raise the stakes. Shall we?”

From the shadows, a small cage was brought forward. Inside, a trembling hare cowered. Julia’s stomach lurched.

“No,” she breathed, shaking her head. But at her refusal, his hand swiftly caught her jaw with a gentle yet stunning force that made her freeze. The clammy fingers that grasped her revolted her and she couldn’t even retreat.

“Come now, Lady Julia. Do you not wish to redeem yourself?” he asked, fingers tracing her jaw.

Her mind raced.

She could hear Aurelia’s voice urging her to refuse, feeling Marcus’s absence like a hollow ache in her chest. But what could she do?

The room was against her, the Emperor’s eyes burning into hers as she watched his pupils swallow his eyes whole with darkness. Even in her drunken state, her heart pulsed with the soul of defiance and she knew she would not hurt an animal. She’d sooner throw the dagger at another person.

But even as she challenged the Emperor, knowing she stood to face even worse consequences, he took his dagger back and tapped it in the air as he turned away.

When everything was contingent on the reaction of the Emperor, she felt her heart beat reverberating through her finger tips at full strength. His eyebrows twitched in thought and Caracalla drunkenly shouted his disapproval while another male servant stroked his hair. She hoped the calmness of the more twisted brother would ease Geta now.

“It seems the hare is too timid a challenge for Lady Julia. Perhaps we should aim higher.” he said to the crowd as faced them.

For a second, she released the breath she was holding in.

Sharply, he turned back around and his gaze pinned her in place, the wine coursing through her veins doing little to calm her.

“Your Grace, I—”

“You.” His voice cut through hers like a whip. “Shall be the target.”

The room gasped in unison. All eyes darted to Julia, their faces pale with unease. Even those accustomed to the twins’ cruel whims were struck by the audacity of this command.

Julia’s breath hitched. Her arms, still trembling from the earlier throw, hung uselessly at her sides in defeat. How could one escape this? The hare was looking at her in the arms of a servant, probably thinking ‘better you than me’ as her own morals took a higher ground.

“Oh, this will be fun!” Caracalla exclaimed, clapping his hands with childlike glee. “Come now, my Lady, don’t be shy!”

Then, she watched as the he took the knife from his brothers hand. Now she truly feared for her life and unfortunately, the Emperor had looked truly delighted.

“Let’s see what the Gods have in store for you, Lady Julia!”

The room buzzed with whispers, but no one dared openly object. Even the other women, bold in their earlier mischief, fell silent, their gazes cast downward.

As Julia’s legs threatened to buckle, a figure stepped forward, his voice steady and commanding. Even when she had barely made it to the wooden target, she was half tempted to run, but the servants hand still clutched her arm. As she watched her feet, vision going blurry, a hum in the air challenged her few senses and before she could register it, Julia’s head abruptly lifted to watch a gleam of silver cross her eyes and split the wood between her and the servants face.

She yelped, jumping out of the grasp of the servant, jumping from the dagger that nearly took her nose and froze in horror.

Caracalla laughed like a child, but Julia’s chest rose and fell with every breath and she looked at him wildly. If her mind had been anymore fogged she would have dug her nails into his neck herself. For a moment, she could only find peace in the dream of doing so.

But Geta merely stood and watched as his brother grabbed another dagger.

When she finally considered running, a figure with a red cape blocked her vision and she almost fell to the floor.

“Your Grace, if you must test your guests, test me.” said General Acacius, not pleading but cockily. “Let them test the very luck that has protected me through battlefields. Why waste such an entertaining moment on a woman with no victories or achievements?”

Gasps rippled through the crowd as Marcus Acacius strode into the circle, his crimson cloak trailing behind him. Julia’s heart raced as their eyes met, his expression calm but unyielding. Oh, he would pay for those words later.

“The lady is far too delicate for such a challenge. Let me take her place.” He insisted, not wavering in his arrogance.

Geta tilted his head, amusement dancing in his eyes.

“The mighty general, offering himself as a target? How noble.”

Before Marcus could reply, Aurelia stepped forward, her voice light and feigned with excitement.

“Or perhaps I should be the target! A little excitement never hurt anyone, especially when the General challenges the woman’s own victories.”

Her words, delivered with a playful smile and an unsteady balance as she held her wine, threw the room into confusion. The twins exchanged a glance, Caracalla’s glee faltering as he considered the possibilities.

“So many volunteers,” he murmured, rolling his eyes. “How tiresome.”

With a dismissive wave of his hand, the tension broke.

“Very well. The games bore me now. Lady Julia, come sit beside me.”

The crowd exhaled collectively, though unease lingered in their eyes. Julia hesitated, her legs heavy with dread but she was too tired to fight her stressor.

“Now, Lady Julia,” he commanded, his tone sharp.

Helpless, Julia moved to the dais where Geta lounged. He patted the armrest of his chair, gesturing for her to sit. She perched stiffly on the edge, her hands clutching her skirts as his fingers brushed against her chin.

“Such a delicate flower,” he mused, tilting her face toward him. His hand reached higher and stroked a strand of her hair. “Perhaps we should water you with more wine.”

He beckoned a servant, who refilled Julia’s goblet to the brim.

“Drink, my dear. You’ve earned it.”

Julia lifted the goblet to her lips, the sharp tang of wine burning her throat. Earned it? What could a girl do to rid her attention of the Emperor? Around her, the twins orchestrated more depraved games: slaves forced into humiliating contests, men of rank made to endure the brothers’ mockery, and the women silenced with forced laughter.

Through it all, Marcus lingered at the edge of the room, his gaze never leaving Julia. His presence was a fragile tether, keeping her grounded even as the world spun out of control.

The wine and the heat of the room conspired against her. Julia’s head swam, her vision blurring as laughter and clinking goblets blurred into a cacophony of noise.

She leaned forward slightly, her breath hitching

“Your Grace,” she murmured, her voice trembling. “I cannot—“

But before she could finish, her stomach churned violently. With a strangled gasp, she turned to the nearest plant, emptying the contents of her stomach in front of the stunned crowd.

The room fell deathly silent and she had now wished that the dagger struck her earlier.

Geta leaned back, his expression unreadable, though his fingers drummed against the armrest. Was this what it took to divert the gaze of the emperor?

“She’s unwell!” Aurelia exclaimed, rushing to Julia’s side. “I should have seen it sooner, the heat baring down upon her all day—she’s been pale all evening.”

Before Geta could respond, she felt Aurelia’s arms as frail as her own drag her away. Even though her stomach felt clearer, her mind spun faster and she was fearful that she couldn’t keep her legs beneath her as her friend pulled her away.

“Aurelia…I can’t do this.” Julia spewed out, sandals shuffling across the marble floors.

“We’re almost there, Julia. No one’s around anymore.” Her friend huffed

“I’ll see her to your chambers,” a voice said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Even with her eyes closed and the pull of her dearest friend, Julia could hear that it was Marcus who had been the distant footsteps trailing behind them. Before she could turn to see him though, the General had swiftly come behind her and lifted her into his arms. But the movement made her stomach churn.

“Marcus…don’t!” Julia groaned, wincing and squeezing her eyes shut.

The cool night air hit Julia’s face as Marcus carried her through the quiet corridors of the villas to where her closest friend resided. She buried her face against his chest, mortified and exhausted.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” she whispered in and out of sleep called upon by the wine.

Visions of what had occurred just moments ago flashed across her mind; the dagger, the wine, the grip of Geta’s fingers upon her jaw.

“You shouldn’t have drank so much wine, my love.” Marcus said, his voice playful beyond her closed eyes.

Julia grimaced, her face scrunching against his chest. “You would too if you felt the way I did.”

“Maybe your illness shied him away.” Aurelia said, her voice distant to her ears.

A hopeless grin crossed her face but it faded quickly, the rocking and sloshing movement of his arms reminiscent of the worst kind of sea sickness. The cold air was a relief but not cold enough as sweat beaded her forehead. Before she knew it though, she was in Aurelia’s private quarters judging by the scents of potent rosemary and basil. It was Aurelia’s favorite and a warm reminder of safety.

“Oh, I cannot face the next day. My father will be so embarrassed to hear what I’ve done.” Julia said, the weight of her actions rushing in on her.

The strong arms of her General disappeared beneath her was replaced by the soft sheets of her dear friends guest room. It was once her own room that she now left behind for her husbands. Her eyes opened to see their faces faintly lit by flames across the room and both looked down upon her with a subtle sadness.

Marcus brushed a strand of hair from her face, his touch lingering.

“Rest now. We’ll figure this out.”

Aurelia sat beside Julia, offering her a reassuring smile.

“You’re not alone in this, Julia. We’ll protect you.”

For the first time that evening, Julia felt a flicker of hope. Despite the darkness surrounding her, the bonds of love and friendship remained unbroken at last. Her day had been an emotionally challenging one pulling her in a new direction with every shift of the suns shadow. But her hand reached up to Marcus’s, the calluses soft against her cheeks.

“I suppose we will only find out by arriving to the next day.” Julia sighed.

Finally rested and no longer swaying in her belly, Julia could focus her attention upon a new plan. She could hardly put it together but all she could do was dream of her life with Marcus. Even as he sat next to her, determined more than she, her mind drifted to another lifetime with him.

“I will be here that day and the next.” He whispered, stroking the hair off her face.

It’s repetitiveness lulled her to sleep and she dreamt of him the whole night through.