Ignis Aurum Probat

One of Geta's hands reached up to grab her chin. His breath was in her ear as he spoke "Consider your next moves very carefully, Amira." He pulled back slightly, searching her eyes for any sign of disrespect.

"You disrespect the gods of which I am a vessel for, their will is mine and I will throw you from these grounds without hesitation if you do not comply."
Geta continued, spitting each word at her as if it were poison.

Amira's chest heaved as she glared up at him, her defiance burning bright despite the position she found herself in. The solid stone of the wall pressed against her back, while Geta's grip on her waist was unrelenting. His nearness was overwhelming, a mix of heat and fury that filled the narrow space between them. His knee rose higher between her legs and she almost faltered, but her head shook the feeling away before it could take over.

"I will not be silenced," she hissed, her voice steady despite the rapid beat of her heart. "Not by you, not by your gods. I shall be protected as I cry out from any evils you or your Empire could possibly do to me."

In the opulent halls of Rome's imperial palace, Amira, a sharp-witted princess from Judea, is thrust into a dangerous game of power and politics when she is betrothed to Emperor Geta-a man as cold as he is calculated. Determined to protect her people and secure her place in a court filled with whispers of betrayal, Amira must navigate the razor's edge between loyalty and ambition.

Cross-posted on AO3!