PROLOGUE.
a golden cage is still a cage

     Children were born to suffer from their parent's mistakes.

     Octavia Amulius became all too familiar with the saying than she would have liked. In the end, it became her sickening reality. There she stood, on the balcony of her new living quarters, overlooking the breathtaking idle landscape of the city, otherwise known as Rome. The warm spring breeze brushed freely through her dark curls as her sorrowful eyes full of mourning watched as the sun began to set, creating a beautiful contrast of yellow mixed with a bright orange hue. Octavia sighed, realising that not even the most beautiful image of life and nature could erase the undeniable weight of grief hanging over her. It was suffocating, like she was being dragged under the ocean wave and forced to choke on the bitter taste of salt water until her lungs exploded and the life left her eyes.

In that very moment, it almost felt like it did.

     When Octavia pictured her future, she saw herself standing with her husband, surrounded by their children while they lived their life together in peace. Peace. That's all she wanted in life, not this — To be the wife of a mad man. A man responsible for the senseless and cruel tyranny that spread across the empire like a plague. To be pranced around like she was an object for his subjects to look at, to be used as nothing more than a plaything for pleasure, and a pretty girl to please his spectators. It was formidable, the kind of fear that stirred a sense of dread, and that dread left a harrowing feeling rumbling in the pit of her stomach. Almost like she was going to hunch over the balcony railing, and throw up her stomach contents from the last night's dinner before her father was taken by the Roman guards.

What was she thinking?

     Truth is, Octavia didn't know what she was thinking when she accepted Emperor Geta's offer for a trade — her freedom for her father's life. It was an easy decision at the time. Despite how sick she felt when the Emperor presented the offer to her, she hadn't even hesitated to accept what he was presenting to her at the time. Her father would've been executed in front of the entire city, and she would've been alone again. After losing her mother, she couldn't afford to bear the weight of another death. That kind of pain was unfathomable, and Octavia believed she wouldn't have survived it. So, although she would never see her father again after today, at least he would be alive on the outskirts of the city, all while she was trapped under the harsh rule of her future husband.

     It was her cross to bear, and that would be her sacrifice.

And now all she had to do was say goodbye to the only person she had left. . . Forever.

Suddenly, there was a gentle, yet assertive knock at the door to her new living quarters. Octavia had asked Emperor Geta for one thing, and that was the chance to bid her father farewell and give him more than enough closure to let her go. That way, he would no longer be a bother to the Emperor's, and most importantly, he would remain safe from their wrath. A quiet sigh slipped past Octavia's lips as she let go of the railing and stepped back from the balcony before she turned around and stepped back inside her room. Once she was facing the door, Octavia waited for a few seconds before the door opened, and in came her assigned guard at the orders of her betrothed, and behind him, she caught a glimpse of her father, dressed in the rags the Emperors put him in when he was arrested.

"Florian Amulius, My Lady," Her guard, Caius, announced as he bowed his head to her. Octavia wanted to laugh in amusement, knowing she had been there for only a few hours and was being treated with all the respect the daughter of a traitor should not be allowed. She had not earned his respect, however, she was being rewarded it with ease.

     Caius then stepped aside to allow Florian Amulius to step into the room. Octavia felt the weight lift from her shoulders the second her eyes met the same eyes as her father, but she kept herself composed and her father chose to do the same. But the second Caius nodded and left the room, closing the door shut behind him, Octavia and Florian didn't hesitant before running into each other's arms. The second Octavia felt her father's arms wrap securely around her trembling body, all her past thoughts and notions seemed to completely dissipate, almost like it didn't matter. In that moment, it was just her, her father, and the deep familial connection they've shared since the day she was born. It was a feeling Octavia never wanted to say goodbye too. And, yet, she was quickly reminded that's exactly what her father was here for, to say goodbye.

"Thank the Gods, you're okay," Florian Amulius breathed a sweet sigh of relief as Octavia rested her chin on his shoulder. The man stroked the back of the woman's head, his fingers combing softly through her raven, black locks before he pulled away from her. "The Emperors showed me mercy, dear daughter. I did not even think they were capable of such an act. Now, come on, we must leave before they change their minds."

Florian made an attempt to turn, holding onto his daughter's hand with a tight grip as he tried to tug her forward with him, however, Octavia did not follow. She couldn't. No matter how much her limbs screamed at her to make a run for it, she knew her father and her wouldn't even make it out the door before they were captured, and this time, it would be both of their heads. So, she stayed put, causing for Florian to turn around and face her once again, his hand still holding tightly onto her own as confusion washed over his dark features. The man wondered why his daughter wasn't following him. It was only when he saw the tears forming in the corners of her eyes, that there was something she wasn't telling him, as if he didn't know the whole story.

     Octavia swallowed the thick lump lodged in the back of her throat, an excruciating feeling burning her throat, like she was swallowing a handful of dry sand. "I cannot go with you, father," She managed to get out, her voice shaky, just like her trembling hand as her father let her go, his grip slipping from hers in a mix of puzzled bewilderment.

     "What is the meaning of this?" Florian questioned, taking a step closer to his daughter. He was trying to make sense of the unknown, but Octavia knew her father, and he was no fool. Instead he was just a man who chose to hold onto too much hope instead of accepting reality. That reality being that his freedom had to have come at a mighty price.

     "I begged the Emperors to spare you. Emperor Geta told me him and his brother could make an exception, but he needed something else in return," Octavia paused when she saw her father shake his head profusely, like he was going into a state of denial. "Emperor Geta needs a wife, and he needs an heir. His brother will not be able to provide one. So the responsibility falls onto him, and now it falls onto me. When the time comes, we will marry, and then I shall provide the Emperor with an heir, and I—"

     "No. No, I do not give my blessing," Florian snapped at his daughter, causing for Octavia to bow her head, avoiding his gaze. "I will not allow you to marry a mad man!" He exclaimed, raising his voice slightly, in which Octavia urgently shushed him in return. "You cannot marry him. If this is the price for my freedom, then I don't want you to pay it."

     "I have to," Octavia argued back, her voice barely above a whisper. "This was my choice. It's not the choice I wanted to make, but it was either I marry the Emperor and you live, or I don't and you die. I already lost mother. I watched as the disease eating away at her lung consumed her very being. I will not watch you be executed in front of the city. I will not lose you, too. So, you have to let me go, whether you like it or not. I fought for your life to be spared and you were graciously punished with nothing more than banishment from the city. Take that and go," She explained, her voice beginning to crack as a stray tear rolled down her cheek.

Florian stared at his daughter, his eyes softening as he reached out and cupped her face in his hands, a gentle breath leaving his lips. "I will find a way to free you from this prison. I swear it," He reassures her, using his thumb to wipe away another tear falling from her eye.

Octavia forced a weak smile in return and placed a gentle kiss on her father's cheek. "Goodbye, father," was the last thing she said to him before the doors flew open once again, and Caius announced it was time to part ways. Octavia and Florian quickly turned back to each other, and embraced one another one last time, before he was pulled away from the woman and was escorted back out of the room.

Once the woman knew she was alone again, Octavia Amulius turned around and leaned her entire weight into a tall marble pillar, a quiet sob leaving her lips as her knees buckled and she collapsed to the ground beneath her. Salty tears streamed down Octavia's cheeks as she pulled her knees closer to her chest, keeping herself as safe and as secure as she could possibly be in that very moment, as she knew it was a feeling that wouldn't last very long in the ancient city of Rome. Especially under the company of the mad and ruthless Emperor Geta. She would have to give him everything; her loyalty, her strength, her body, and even her spirit. Her very being would soon become his property. He owned her, like a white dove trapped in a gilded cage.

     And there was no escape. No hope for a sorrowful woman like her.

     She was completely and utterly alone.

━━━━━━━━

authors note.
I went and saw gladiator 2 again yesterday so I thought I should get this prologue posted ASAP and hopefully it was worth the small wait. And omg this story is about to get crazy guys, but just warning you now there will be lots of au/filler chapters in between actual stuff from the movie so I can just build character relationships and establish Octavia's arc.

But until then I hope you guys enjoyed this little intro and I'll post the first chapter very soon...maybe later this week just before christmas? 🤭