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The marble floors lit up in flashing waves. The hanging torches ignited the chambers with astute precision, cascading the emperor's eyes in a sheen, orange glow.
He was upset; veins popped up angrily upon the man’s pale head, winding their way across the expansion of his temple.
You sat there, precariously upon the bed, unable to move, to say a word of comfort.
For the emperor was furious; what was to ease his ever rising temper?
Certainly not you. You learned from your mistakes. Still feeling the tingle and scratch his rings made on your cheekbone.
The last attempt you made— a month ago? You couldn’t tell, Time was ever lost on you as of late.
You remembered Reaching out a hand, wanting to shush his worries, the incessant scratching of his knuckles.
But he had turned too quick— too fast. you could do nothing but watch and wait.
Watch as the maroon ring crashes down upon the side of your face. Head swinging to the side, cold blood ran down your cheek, dribbling just past your chin. Staining the white and gold lace that had adorned your frame comfortably.
It was your favorite piece
It lay in ashes now. Burnt just the night after, permanently ruined by the invasion of blood that seeped into its cloth.
He had said nothing. No apology, no look of remorse.
He only spit in your direction, yelled at how foolish—useless you were to the crown. To him.
“To think I married such a whore.” He sneered, shaking off the blood that dotted across the back of his hand.
Tears stuck upon your lashes, until they sank down, wetting the pink and bloody patches with ease.
Noticing the tears the emperor let out a cruel laugh. His lips twisted back in a way that scared you; unable to recognize such a hateful display upon your husband.
Blatantly laughing at your very being.
His hand grabbed your cheeks, squishing them together with a terrible force until the bones in your jaw popped with the pressure.
“Look at you,” he tutted. His darkened eyes seeped across your trembling form, watching as your hands came up to his flexed one, weakly pushing at his jeweled fingers.
“Tell me to stop.” Crazed eyes looked into your scared ones, unable to procure the man from houlting his assault on your cheeks, your smaller hands gave up their hold, and swung down back at the sides.
“Tell me!” The emperor demanded.
It was a trap, you knew it was. For no one could tell Emperor Geta what he would do.
What he couldn’t do.
So you said nothing. You let the man squeeze and pull at your face— scratching it here and there with the beds of his nails.
“Pathetic.” Shoving you away, the bottom of your dress caught between your feet, sweeping your form off the ground in a solid, single moment.
You remembered looking up at him— vision blurry and wobbly from the vast amount of liquid pouring down your eyes.
He looked monstrous— truly the epitome of a villainous emperor. You wished for different tidings. Different outcomes.
Not to be here, sullying your reputation in some grandiose temple, with a man who could care less about your health.
Suddenly— movement dashed across your sight. Breaking you from the past thoughts that plagued your mind.
“Wife,” Geta called out. His form slack, sitting by the edge of the bed with his head slumped between his shoulders.
You hummed back, not wanting to displease him so early in the night.
“Am I not… worthy?”
You stared.
“Worthy… of what, dear husband?”
Confusion etched upon your brow, a crease formed between them.
Geta’s hand came up, idly swinging and gesturing to the expansion of the room.
“Everything. Anything.”
“You’re the emperor. Of course you-”
“No! Without my title, without my wealth, am I worthy?”
His fist gripped onto the porcelain sheets, tightly winding them into his hold until blue veins sprouted out upon the pale flesh.
You didn't understand- was this another trick, another ruse?
“You… Are an honorable man, a husband-
“Just a husband?” a deep chuckle left the man's lips, it was harsh and short.
“Not just a husband. My husband, my emperor.” His gaze lifted to meet yours, form now stiff and straightened from the tensing muscles.
“I've abused you, belittled you.”
A shuddering breath escaped you, a bead of sweat formed upon the side of your head.
“Yes,”
“I've ashamed you.”
A pause. The tension was thick, it molded across the room in waves like a pulsing heat.
“You’ve hurt me, shut me out, made me look like a fool in front of the people.”
What were you doing, shut up, shut up, shut-
“And have made me question my intentions… my life.”
His eyes never left your form, he watched as your fingers shook, how they absentmindedly played with the loose strings upon the cotton covers.
“But,”
“But?” he jutted in. You realized then just how desperate he looked. How the look of longing passed between the cover of anger and contempt.
“But, you're my husband. I have sworn my body, my soul to you. Through it all, even if the senate- the citizens were to turn their back upon you, I would be there- here, with you.”
He wanted to burst out laughing at such a loving display. In a way, he despised how easily his wife could ease him so, just by letting out a few poetic lines to scrape by his mind.
But another part of him wanted, no, needed to hear such prattling over his being.
He wanted to be loved, not just for being an emperor.
But for being him.
He wanted to be honored.
To be worthy.
Like you.
He despised it, envied it.
Loved it.
You saw how his eyes lit up once more, a fiery auburn rose inside the retna’s and you knew then it was time for silence. His walls were lifted up again, shoving you as far as he possibly could.
“Seek slumber, dear wife.” His armor clattered with his sudden movement. He walked towards the stone walkway, leading out towards the chambers.
You were so close, so close to getting to him. You saw how he slackened with each sweetened word. How his eyes relaxed on your form with comfortability. It wouldn't end like this, not when you were near a new level with him.
“Geta?”
The words fluttered from your mouth. A desperate chill ran across your body, crawling up your spine until it met with the back of your neck.
The emperor stood still, his armor rang out no more as his movement halted with the desperation seized upon your voice.
The way you spoke his name.
Gods.
The man began tightening his fist, over and over so his fingers tensed with pressure.
“What?”
“I love you.”
The man hadn’t meant to flinch, back bending with a subconscious twitch of surprise. He wanted to make you eat those words- shove his ringed fingers down your throat until bile burned the tips of his flesh.
But,
In a way, it was nice hearing those words fall effortlessly from someone as loving as you. Without forcing, demanding them to spill from your pretty pink lips.
A groan spilled from his mouth- low and barely audible. He turned quickly to drown it out.
“Of course you do,” a teasing, mean smile lit up his face. His lips raised, white teeth gleamed against the light.
Wasting no more time, the emperor resumed his exit, leaving you alone, to mull over the affections of a broken lord.