The Emperor's Guardian {Spamano}

Chapter 1

Dear my husband-to-be, Lovi,

I miss you so much. Why did you have to station me all the way up here, so far away from you? It is rather cold over here in the winter, so cold that a pair of icicles could grow on my nose!

I can see you plucking them off and threatening to stab me with them, but I would just laugh and tackle you with a bear hug! Then, we would cuddle all night in your tent because your tent is... much more private if you know what I mean, and it's probably bigger than mine too! Gods, just thinking about your adorable little red face pressed into my shoulder as we sleep together gets me so pumped that I feel I could take on Lord Jupiter himself! Haha, that is what you do to me, Lovi, as well as a bunch of other things (if you catch my drift).

Anyway, onto more serious matters (as much as I wanna keep talking about us, especially you!).

Lovi, you need to come over here. The chieftain of the Franks wants to see you for some reason. He says he knows about our troubles keeping up all the borders to keep the barbarians out, and is proposing an alliance, but he wants to talk things out with you first. Get over here as fast as you can! I will be waiting for you.

                                Your little soldier,
                                              ~Antonio

Lovino had reread that brief letter thousands of times as he and a regiment of his own forces trekked to Antonio's position. While he found some parts of the letter, namely the beginning, to be slightly humorous and predominantly embarrassing as fuck, he couldn't help but feel apprehensive about meeting with the chieftain of the notorious Franks. They were the ruffians who had given some of the most trouble to Rome for the past couple of years, along with a plethora of other Germanic groups. They were one of the mongrels who kept draining all the revenue the empire made just to keep them out. If Lovino could put a stop to all these invasions in any way, then he would, for the citizens of his empire.

So they trudged on, some on horses, most on foot.

They had left Rome about several days previously and it was only a matter of hours before they would reach their destination. Lovino had written back to Antonio that he would get there soon, and that he was a sappy and disgusting bastard for talking about them the way he did in his message, as well as how he addressed him. That silly and dumb jerk...

And while Lovino may have wanted to eventually get married to Antonio, he wasn't sure it was likely. Sure, homosexual relations between men were allowed, but it was only accepted between a man who was a patrician and a male "entertainer," slave, or perhaps another male plebeian who held some other job that didn't pay too well—men of the lower class or those who may not have the best morals with their professions were accepted in general. They would lose face every time they had intercourse with another man if they were the bottom, and sadly, Lovino was that bottom, even if he absolutely hated to admit it and never would (out loud anyway).

He was the emperor of Rome, and Antonio was one of his generals; both were patricians. Because of this, their relationship was invalid, wrong, erring. Neither cared though, even if the goofy bastard got to dominate the most powerful person in the entire empire, albeit Lovino was upset that he was the one who supposedly lost his masculinity and reputation (virtually nobody knew about them though, so that was great). Despite that, all either of them wanted was to stay together forever, and they planned on keeping it that way for as long as they could.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

They reached their destination at nightfall.

As they approached the camp that anyone could've seen a mile away due to all the torches foolishly ablaze near the tents, some of the men that inhabited the camp and were on watch left their posts, presumably to tell Antonio they'd arrived. It wasn't too long before said general appeared as well, and welcomed them with open arms—very open and welcome arms had Lovino not stepped off his chariot and twisted to the side.