Chapter Fifteen, Now We Are Free.
"THE EMPRESS OF ROME!"

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What would you do if you knew this was your last day on Earth?

The question lingered like a wasp waiting to stick its stinger in someone else's flesh and fill their blood with sickly venom. It pricked at your skin and rendered you powerless against knowledge so harrowing that it made you want to scream until your lungs gave out. To know there was a chance your life would be snuffed out of you after believing a future could be attained in the palm of your precious hand. To imagine the pain that would strike you the second the sword fell, the sight of the light leaving her eyes, and the unmeasurable feeling of hopelessness that plagued your brain in your final moments as your body grew limp and your soul floated into the air, lost and confused.

     The most important part of all, who would be waiting for you on the other side?

Octavia Amulius continued to ask herself the same taunting question as she stood in silence, in front of a mirror reflecting her very existence straight back at her, breathing shakily and slowly as Augusta tied the corset tightly around her small figure. Octavia held her hands close to her stomach, an uneasy feeling growing in the pit of her stomach as the uncertainty of her fate still hanged in the balance. The knowledge that Macrinus intended for both her and Lucius to die, and the knowledge that she would have to watch both him and Lucilla die in the colosseum hours from now left her body trembling when she stood. She believed she could be secure in herself, and even put on a brave face.

But it felt almost impossible when she was terrified of the prospect of death when she was so close to her happy ending.

She had once believed killing Geta after all the pain and anguish he put her through would be the end of her suffering. The second she stuck that dagger into his heart, she had every reason to believe she would be free. However, soon after she escaped one cage, she soon found herself trapped in another, and this time, her cage came with an expiration date. She felt foolish, knowing that she played into someone else's hands. She was a piece in someone else's game and she fell for it. Octavia father's always taught her to be smart, strategic, and now she would be executed because she found it in herself to open up her heart to love.

     Did she regret falling in love? She regretted a lot of things, but falling in love with Lucius wasn't one of them.

     She just wished there was an alternative outcome for them both.

     Suddenly, Octavia was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a quiet sniffle coming from behind her. She lifted her gaze to see Augusta was looking down as she continued to tighten the corset around her body, a few stray tears rolling down her tanned cheeks. Octavia's eyes seemed to soften upon hearing her friend's quiet cries, watching as Augusta did everything in her power to remain strong in the face of so much uncertainty of the future. This caused for the woman to let out a sigh, allowing Augusta to tie in the last strap of the corset before Octavia turned around to face her friend, a weak smile ghosting across her lips.

"There is no need for your tears, Augusta," Octavia told her, reaching out and wiping away a tear underneath the woman's eye.

"My apologies," Augusta replied, sniffling as she lifted her teary eyes to meet Octavia's gaze. "So much has happened. Caius, Acacius, and soon everyone that makes this city good will be gone. Macrinus has no clue on how to run an empire. The city I love will burn and the only friend I ever truly had will go with it," She explained, her voice beginning to shake.

     Octavia's sad eyes continued to stare at the woman before she reached out and grabbed ahold of Augusta's hands, holding onto them with a gentle and reassuring touch. "I wish things would've turned out different. If I had been more careful, maybe there would've been a better outcome for us that are left," She elaborated earnestly, looking down at her hands holding onto Augusta's, guilt and shame creeping in, believing this was all her fault.

"I know that look," Augusta pointed out, causing for Octavia to lift her gaze once again. Augusta allowed a small and sad smile to find its way to her lips. "You have no reason to blame yourself for what's happened. We all made our choices. The plot, it existed long before you became a part of the plan. The decision to try and get you as far away from Geta as possible was to protect you. I know you didn't ask for our protection, and you never had to. Friends help each other. We were all just trying to give you a better life than the one you agreed to by force."

"And what about my affair?" Octavia questioned, her voice barely above a whisper.

Augusta's smile grew slightly, a twinkle beginning to glint in her dark eyes. "You fell in love with a good and honourable man, who I know would lay down his life for you. There is no shame in something as beautiful and as honest as true unconditional love," She reassured.

"Even if we both die in the end?" Octavia inquired further, feeling defeated by the recent events that plagued her very existence.

     Octavia had told Augusta all about Lucius' promises to her yesterday, how he would stop at nothing until she was free, and if they didn't, he would find her in the next life, because no matter what happened next, he would always crawl home to her. Augusta knew she had to try and keep that hope alive in the midst of her own fears and uncertainties of the great unknown. Because if there was no one to keep that hope alive, then Octavia was already dead. And Augusta wasn't ready to lose her friend just yet. Not when she had so much still to live for. Augusta knew that no matter what happened next, she had to keep Octavia looking ahead into the future instead of being lost in the present.

     Sighing quietly, Augusta let go of Octavia's hands and placed one of her own on the woman's arm. "Then at least you both died for the most important thing in the world...love," She told her.

     It grew silent between the two women for a short and brief moment before Octavia nodded her head, a thought crossing her mind as she parted her lips to speak. "If I die today..."

     "Let's not think about that, My Lady—"

     "If I die..." Octavia paused, swallowing thickly as she looked back at Augusta. "Upon news of my death, I made plans of my own to ensure your safety and your family's safety. Macrinus will harm anyone who threatens his ambitions, and I won't have you caught in the crossfire. If I die, Augusta, come back to this room, in the draw by my bed, there is plenty of gold and jewellery you can trade to get yourself and your family out of Rome safely."

Augusta shakes her head, shocked by the woman's declaration. "Octavia, you do not have to do that," She retorted.

"I want to do it," Octavia corrected. "You have never judged me, and stuck by my side through everything. You were even willing to die for me. In the wake of my death, the least I can do is make sure you and your son are safe. You have been my dearest friend through some of the most harrowing experiences of my life. This isn't something I have to do, I know. I want to do it because if I can still do some good with the time I have left, I want to ensure you can return home to Felix and you can get out of this burning city together."

Augusta didn't say anything else in response. She simply looked back at Octavia, her bottom lip starting to quiver before she reached out and wrapped her arms around the woman, pulling her into her embrace. Octavia reciprocated the hug in just a matter of seconds, a gentle and shaky breath leaving her lips as she rested her chin on Augusta's shoulder, holding onto her friend with all the strength she could muster in that very moment. Augusta allowed a few tears to roll down from her eyes and into Octavia's silky black hair, holding onto the woman with all the gratitude and respect in the world. And in that moment, it felt like a goodbye.

Now all they could do was hope and pray that the gods would protect them on this harrowing day.

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     The rumbling of the colosseum floor beneath her feet made Octavia Amulius tremble where she stood, her hands bound together by rope, a guard on either side of her to keep her secure, a reminder to the people that she was now their enemy. While Octavia knew the people would never turn against her, Macrinus told Caracalla that it was all for good measure. Octavia sighed heavily as she looked ahead, her eyes finding Caracalla standing several feet away from where she stood. A part of her wanted to plead to him, to convince this man plagued by madness to stop the violence that was spreading across the city, to make one last attempt to save Rome and the people in it.

However, with Macrinus stood beside him, pouring dirty lies into his ear, she knew she didn't stand a chance to try and appeal to Caracalla's humanity (if he still had any).

Octavia then watched as Caracalla began to make his way up the steps leading to the royal box, meaning the games were moments from starting. She swallowed thickly as Macrinus turned around to face her, a sickly grin ghosting across his lips in the process, before he decided to approach her, nodding towards the guard, signalling that they were relieved of their duties to keep guard of the woman. Octavia wanted to take a step back, to keep some distance between her and the man responsible for her execution. But she remained still, standing her ground as Macrinus began to circle around her, caging her like an animal.

     Then Macrinus came to a stop, standing beside her for a moment as he parted his lips to speak. "I hope you enjoy the show," He whispered to her, sending chills down the woman's spine.

     "You won't win," Octavia retorted viciously, shaking her head as she turned her to look up at Macrinus.

     And Macrinus only continued to smile, coughing up a haunting chuckle as he leaned closer towards the woman's ear. "What remains of the Aurelius' will die in the arena, and Caracalla has ordered your execution. It will take place this evening. By the sounds of it, I already have," He explained, flashing Octavia one last smirk before he walked away from her, making his way into the royal box after Caracalla.

Octavia let out a shaky breath, looking down at her bound hands and catching a glimpse of the ring on her finger, the same one giving to her by Lucius. She peered down at the emerald green jewel in the centre of the gold band. She was able to trace her finger over the ring, her eyes fluttering shut as she pictured Lucius' face, bringing the woman a slight moment of peace, and in light of recent events, she needed these moments of tranquility in her darkest hours. It gave her hope in Lucius, and hope in herself, that they could all survive this. She believed it couldn't be over. And if it was, at least she would die knowing she found the love she dreamed of since she was a little girl, and even if she died for that love in the end, at least it was real.

     When Octavia opened her eyes again, she inhaled sharply as she began to make her way up the steps and into the royal box. She looked around for a moment, her breath soon hitching in the back of her throat when she saw Lucilla stood on a platform in the centre of the arena, her arms bound around a tall pillar. It made her feel sick to her stomach, leaving her to pray to the gods above that they would shield and protect the woman against those who wished her dead. Octavia released another breath past her quivering lips before she took a seat behind Macrinus, while Caracalla resumed his right as the sole emperor and took Geta's old chair, and Macrinus, he was now seated beside Caracalla, acting as his strongest ally, when in reality, Macrinus was his greatest enemy.

     And now Octavia Amulius was left with no other choice than to wait for the games to begin.

As the Master of Ceremonies explained the meaning behind the games on this treacherous day, Octavia continued to look down at Lucilla with dread flooding her ribcage, moulding itself around her beating heart and causing for it to race. Lucilla had done so much for her in the last few weeks. Octavia knew she would always be indebted to the woman for her endless kindness and strength. So, to hear someone call her a traitor to the city and the emperor, it made her feel sick to her stomach. And as she looked around the arena, she could see the people were watching in disgust at the sight of Lucilla being used for their entertainment. It was clear they wanted to see Lucilla freed from this fate just as much as Octavia did.

"Let it not be said that the emperor is not merciful. The queen will be granted a single gladiator to defend her against the Praetorian Guard," Octavia felt her heart skip a beat upon hearing Lucius' introduction into the arena, waiting with anticipation to see him, but there was no denying the fear she felt, knowing his life was on the line once again, and this time the odds were stacked against him. "The champion, Hanno!"

As the fraudulent name fell from the man's lips, Octavia sat up straighter than before, watching as Lucius stepped out into the arena, dressed in new armour, holding a sword with pride as he approached the platform where his mother stood. However, the closer Lucius went towards where Lucilla was, the closer the Praetorian Guard began to close in on them, a roar of boos stemming from the crowd echoing loudly through the air. It wasn't fair. Octavia knew Macrinus' intention for them both to die was becoming more apparent when it was ordered that the fighting grounds were more condensed than the previous games.

Lucius then stopped in his tracks, his blue eyes scouring the crowd until his gaze found Octavia's in the royal box. Octavia felt her heart skip a single beat, a ghost of a smile, one full of hope, finding its way to her lips as she looked to Lucius and nodded her head, as if to tell him she believed in him. Lucius nodded back in return, drawing in a deep breath before he turned back around, facing his mother once again, before he raised his sword high.

And that was when chaos ensued.

All of a sudden, other gladiators (who must have been freed from their cages) stormed into the arena, dressed head to toe in armour with their swords raised high with the intention of spilling Praetorian blood, a loud chorus of battle cries bellowing violently within the arena walls. Octavia stood from her chair in surprise, watching as Lucius began to fight the Praetorian guard in an attempt to save his mother from her fate. She believed Lucius would come up with some sort of plan, and he did. And as the Praetorian were being cut down left and right, it gave Lucius the opportunity to make a clean break towards Lucilla.

"The army of Acacius is advancing just outside of Rome," Octavia heard ever so abruptly, causing for the woman to turn her head to see the commander of the Praetorian guard, now standing beside Macrinus, who had risen to his feet without her even realising.

Acacius' army was on their way from Ostia. It meant there was still hope to hold onto.

As Macrinus barks orders for all the soldiers Rome still had to meet with Acacius' army and prevent their siege of the city, Octavia knew deep down she had to fight back too. The woman sat back down into her chair, looking down at the rope binding her hands together, before she begins to make her attempt to free herself from the bounds on her wrists, wriggling her hands in all different kinds of directions in hopes of finding a loose end that could easily free her. If she could get free from the ropes tied around her wrists, then she could run and hope no one catches her.

In fact, she was so distracted by the idea of freeing herself that as she loosened the ropes slightly, by the time she looked up from her bound wrists, she saw Macrinus towering over a frightened Caracalla from behind. Octavia could predict what was going to happen before the events even took place. She watched with wide eyes as Macrinus pulled a sharp needle from the sleeve of his robe, before he wrapped one arm around Caracalla, locking him in a chokehold, and forcing the sharpest point of the needle through his ear, killing him almost instantly as his body grew limp in the chair.

Caracalla was dead.

One more obstacle in the way of the throne was now eliminated in a cruel and heartless manner.

And while Octavia knew she would never mourn Caracalla's death, she knew he was just another pawn in someone else's game.

Madman or not, he didn't deserve that.

Octavia only gave herself a brief second to reconcile with that had happened before she returned her attention back to the rope tying her wrists together. She knew had to free herself now before it was too late. Octavia lifted her gaze for a millisecond to see Lucius was now standing on the platform with Lucilla, kicking down a guard who tried to stop him from succeeding in saving his mother. Octavia breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that soon both her and Lucilla would be free, and they could find a way to stop Macrinus together.

"Give me the bow."

Upon hearing the order fall from Macrinus' lips, Octavia realised he was determined to make sure Lucilla didn't make it out of the colosseum alive. Urgency filled the woman's veins as she struggled against the rope around her wrists, worry and fear plaguing her mind, fearing the worse would happen if she didn't try and stop it. Octavia noticed Macrinus raise the bow high, aiming the arrow directly at Lucilla in the centre of the arena. And just as Octavia managed to free herself from the bonds that tied her hands together, pulling the ropes off her body and throwing them to the ground, she rushed forward to stop Macrinus from succeeding.

     But it was too late.

     Macrinus released the arrow, the deadly pointed weapon flying through the air before is struck Lucilla through the chest, causing for Octavia to drop to her knees as a strangled cry fell from her lips, a sharp pain hitting her in the chest all at once. The cry could be heard from all directions. Even in a state of shock and grief, Lucius had heard the sadness and despair in the woman's voice, his eyes full of denial staring into his mother's as she parted her lips to speak.

     "Lucius...you have...you have to save her."

     As the life drained from his mother's eyes, Lucius turned around, looking up into the royal box to see Macrinus now had ahold of Octavia in his arms, a sword held to her throat as she struggled against his strength, watching as she was pulled from the royal box by him. Lucius felt that fear cloud his mind, the same kind he felt before the fight where he lost Arishat. And as he turned to look back at his mother, who had now succumbed to her fate, he realised he couldn't. . . He wouldn't lose anyone else he loved.

     And he knew if he lost Octavia, he would lose everything.

     Macrinus pressed the knife harder against Octavia's throat as he marched out into the open, the streets flooded with chaos as the Praetorian Guard fought against civilians in the streets. "Horse!" He instructed, and as soon as the order was given, a horse was presented to him.

     "Get on," Macrinus ordered harshly, removing the sword from her throat, gesturing for Octavia to mount herself onto the steed.

     Octavia turned around to face him, "I'm not going anywhere with you!"

     Macrinus' expression tightened with a look of determination and rage as he pressed the serrated edge of the blade against her throat once again, the sharpness of the metal carving into her flesh and spilling blood, causing for the woman to wince. "If you don't get on the horse, I will slit your throat," He threatened, speaking through gritted teeth.

     Upon hearing the deadly threat, Octavia did as she was told and climbed into the horse, sitting on the animals back with a heavy breath leaving her lips when the horse paced suddenly out of fear due to the overwhelming amount of chaos in the streets. Macrinus then climbed onto the steed along with her, seated on the horse behind her before he sheathed his sword, grabbing ahold of the reigns and steering the horse through the city, the animal galloping forward, passing his army in the process as they reached outside city perimeters.

Octavia lifted her worried gaze to see Acacius' army in the distance, and leading his men was none other than her father, Florian Amulius, and beside him mounted on another horse was Ravi. There was a sense of relief that burned through her bones upon seeing her father again after over a year of separation and endless suffering. She even felt a smile twinge at the corners of her lips, however, that feeling of relief was quickly overshadowed by the dire situation she currently found herself in the centre of.

Macrinus was quick to halt the horse, the animal stopping in its tracks, now stuck between two armies. And when the horse turned back, allowing Macrinus to look into the direction where he came from, he saw Lucius approaching on a galloping horse of his own. This caused for the man to jump down from the horse before he grabbed ahold of Octavia's wrist, gripping her lower arm tight before he pulled her off from the steed, her body colliding with the hard ground. Octavia let out a groan of pain, and before she even had the chance to make sense of what was going on, a sword was placed firmly against her neck once again, making it virtually impossible for anyone to kill him where he stood for even thinking to harm the empress.

As Lucius pulled on the reign of the horse, forcing the animal to stop in its tracks, Macrinus let out a bitter chuckle. "Will nothing kill this barbarian?" He questioned in a rhetorical manner.

Lucius jumped down from the horse, his sword still in hand. "My name is Lucius Verus Aurelius..." The familiar name forced both armies on either side to stop in their tracks. "And I am ordering you to let her go," He soon added, his voice beginning to shake, showing weakness in the face of such uncertainty.

"Her? You mean your lover?" Macrinus taunted, pressing the blade harder against her throat, making Octavia scared to breathe incase the sword would carve into her neck again. "And why would I listen to you?"

Lucius' eyes moved from Macrinus, and towards Octavia, slowly taking another step forward with his sword lowered, his breath catching in his throat when he saw the streaks of blood running down her neck. Lucius knew he had to find a way to talk Macrinus down before it was too late. "Because we both know that killing her now, in front of all these people, will be the biggest mistake you can make," He answered truthfully.

"How so?" Macrinus pushed curiously.

"You can blame my mother's death on Caracalla. But if you kill Octavia in front of these two armies, one that only came here to save her, you will be signing your own death sentence in the process. You can't kill the Realm's Delight and not expect consequences," Lucius explained, pausing for a moment when he slowly saw Macrinus' grip around the woman loosen slightly. "Come on, Macrinus. You have worked too hard to let your claim for power be destroyed by something as foolish as killing the most beloved figure in Rome."

     Suddenly, Octavia felt Macrinus remove the sword from her neck before he pushed her towards Lucius. The second she knew Macrinus couldn't get his hands on her, she ran into Lucius' arms, throwing her arms around him and holding onto him for dear life. "I've got you. It's okay, I've got you." Lucius wrapped his strong arms around the woman and lifted her feet from the ground, turning around so his back was now facing Macrinus, and if he was going to harm anyone in that very moment, it would be him and not her.

     Lucius pulled away from Octavia, looking into her eyes with concern. "Are you okay?" He asked worriedly, his hand caressing her cheek as his gaze darted down to the cut carved into her neck.

Octavia parted her lips to speak, but before she had a chance to respond, something else caught her attention. The second she saw Macrinus running towards Lucius with his sword raised, her eyes grew wide in horror, her lips parting to speak again, "Lucius, look out!"

     Upon hearing the woman's warning, Lucius pushed her back before he turned around, his sword clashing with Macrinus' blade with a violent and startling clang that bled into the thick and warm air. Octavia stumbled backwards, watching as Macrinus quickly gained the upper hand in the fight and brought Lucius down to his knees, kicking him down into the dirt. Lucius tried to swing his sword towards the man in an act to defend himself, but Macrinus quickly kicked burning ash into the man's eyes, blinding him long enough to kick him once again, and this time Lucius fell into the river bank.

     Octavia, feeling completely helpless, ran to the man's aid to try and stop Macrinus from killing Lucius successfully, however, she was stopped when a hand grabbed her bicep and pulled her back. When she turned, she saw her father now standing beside her, shaking his head as if to tell her to tell the gods decide who emerges from the fight victorious. Octavia wanted to protest against their beliefs to save the man she loved, but she knew no matter how much she fought, Florian would never let her get caught in the crosshairs of the fight, so she accepted defeat and stood by, knowing deep down that's what Lucius would want her to do as well.

     And just when all hope felt lost, Lucius managed to find the strength to fight back, hitting Macrinus over the head with a rock, allowing Lucius to rise back onto his feet. Octavia let out a sigh of relief as the man picked up a nearby sword and swung it towards Macrinus, severing his hand from his wrist. Everything grew still for a moment, before Lucius struck again, cutting into Macrinus' gut and killing him almost instantly as the man's body slowly disappeared beneath gentle river current, leaving Lucius as the sole victor of the battle.

     Octavia watched for a moment as Lucius dropped his sword and stepped out of the water, waiting for a moment before she ran towards him and cupped his face in her hands, droplets of water rolling down her skin of her fingers as she tilted his eyes to look back at her. "You did it," She whispered to him. "You saved us."

     Lucius smiled for a moment, pressing a quick and gentle kiss to Octavia's forehead before he pulled back, leaving her side as he began to look around at the two armies that swarmed them, every soldier looking to him to speak in the midst of so much uncertainty now that Rome had no ruler to lead them. It seemed poignant that he would lead them as an Aurelius. Octavia, however, could see the hesitant look in his bright, blue eyes as he continued to look around at the crowd of soldiers, who could still fight in light of Macrinus' death, not unless someone could convince them not to.

     "You look to me to speak. I know not what to say other than we have all known too much death. Let no more blood be spilt in the name of tyranny," Lucius raised his voice for all to hear. His gaze then found Octavia's, and the woman gave him an encouraging nod to continue. "My grandfather, Marcus Aurelius, talked of a dream that would be Rome. A dream that my father, Maximus Decimus Meridius, died for. An ideal. A city for the many, and a refuge for those in need." Lucius paused again, looking down at the ground as a chuckle escaped past his lips.

     "I know that while I share their blood, I am not the one who can keep that dream alive for the future. In the face of so much darkness, Rome needs a ruler who can lead and unite the people. To build a better Rome like my grandfather once dreamed of." Octavia furrowed her brows upon hearing those words leave Lucius' lips, a frown now plastered across her face as she continued to listen to him speak. "And who better to lead us than Octavia Amulius herself?"

     In that very moment, it felt as if all eyes were on her as she lifted her gaze to look back at Lucius, watching as he turned his attention back to her, as if she would agree to something that not even the public would agree to. A woman on the throne was unheard of. There wasn't even a single documented female Caesar in history. What chance would she even have a ruler when her gender determined where she stood in the patriarchal society?

     Lucius sensed her hesitancy, forcing him to walk back over to her as Octavia parted her lips to speak again. "What are you doing?" She asked him.

     "Rome needs a ruler who cares about the people and the city," Lucius reminded her, an earnest look burning in his eyes as he reached out and held onto her hand with a loose grip. "Someone once told me that the best kind of rulers are the ones who don't want it because they understand the weight that the responsibility carries, because they will always put the lives of the people before their own personal gain. I know you're that person, Octavia. You just need to believe it."

     "Even if that was true..." Octavia trailed off for a moment. "I am a woman. They will not listen to me."

     "Then make them listen," Lucius retorted.

     Octavia was still hesitant, but if Lucius believed in her, then she had to believe in herself as she let go of his hand and looked around at the two armies facing off with each other, all looking to her in silence. Octavia did not know what to say in that very moment, and even if she did, would anyone truly listen to her and take her words to heart? Would they follow her the same way they've followed every male Caesar in the past? Would they even proclaim her as their ruler? All these questions carried unbearable weight that lingered in the back of Octavia's mind.

     "I know what you're all thinking...that I am a woman. I couldn't possibly lead us in these dark and trying times, especially when there is still so much uncertainty for the future," Octavia paused, swallowing thickly, before she continued to speak. "But I have lived under the rule of many Caesars in my lifetime, and I know that we are all standing here because of their mistakes. I will promise you now that I won't make those same mistakes. I will not put selfish gains above the people, and I will not allow Rome to burn the way they have."

     Octavia noticed raised flags were now being lowered upon hearing her words, pushing her to continue. "The dream that the late Marcus Aurelius once spoke of before his death, the same dream Maximus died for all those years ago, it is not lost. We can still make that dream a reality. I won't be easy. In fact, it will be the hardest thing we ever do. But I believe that we can do it, more than anything, and I know you can believe in it too. But we can't rebuild Rome and make it a home for the many if we kill each other first," Octavia informed, her gaze flickering between the two armies. "So, you can fight each other to the death, spill unnecessary blood if you must. Or you can lay down your swords and march back into the city together, but not as enemies, as allies. It's your choice."

     Octavia waited for what would happen next, her heart thumping hard against her chest, the racing in her chest cavity being tamed when she noticed Lucius stand beside her in support of her reign, but only if the people allowed it. That was when Florian Amulius approached his daughter, holding his sword by the hilt before he removed it from its sheath, a ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he stopped in front of both Octavia and Lucius, holding out his sword horizontally before he laid it down at his daughter's feet.

     Florian then lifted his gaze to look up at Octavia, a proud glimmer in his eyes before he raised his voice for all to hear, "The Empress of Rome!"

     Octavia let out a shaky breath as she peered downwards towards her father, holding out her hand for him to take. Florian gripped his daughter's hand and rose back to his feet, placing a gentle kiss to the roof of her hand as a sign of respect, before he let go, and hoped that others would follow in agreement.

     "The Empress of Rome!"

     It was Ravi. And while his words wouldn't carry as much weight in the eyes of many, Octavia offered him a thankful look in response.

     "The Empress of Rome!" It suddenly erupted into a chorus, spoken proudly by a crowd of people. "The Empress of Rome!" It grew louder as more soldiers joined in on the chanting, holding their swords in the air in the process "The Empress of Rome!"

     In the wake of new leadership, Octavia slowly turned to Lucius, a smile planted on her lips as the sound of two armies becoming one flooded the air, the chanting continuing as they proclaimed the woman as their ruler. And it soon became apparent she wouldn't be doing it alone. She wouldn't be alone because she had Lucius standing by her side every step of the way. Lucius then brought her in for another kiss, pressing his lips against her own as a wave of passionate ignited between them, tucking some hair behind her ear as his touch seared against her skin. It was a gentle gesture Octavia reciprocated in seconds, caressing the man's face with a warm touch of her hands, her lips moving in perfect sync with Lucius' lips for a moment before she pulled back, a breath leaving her lips as she pressed her forehead against his.

     And it made them both realise that as long as they had each other, they would never be alone again.

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authors note.
So uh...the end? Well almost, we still have the epilogue to go, but this was officially the final chapter of the tradition, and what a fucking trip it has been BUT it felt right to make Octavia become the ruler at the end of the story, mostly because I thought it would be cunty of her to kill Geta and then eventually take his throne, but it also felt fitting for her ending. And you guys really thought the ending was going to be a sad one? Come on...I can be evil, but not that evil.

Like I said the epilogue is still to come and I will be writing that as soon as possible (tomorrow) and will be posted in a few days. But I just wanted to thank everyone for reading, I hope the final chapter was worth the wait and that you all enjoyed it, and I will be back with one final update soon!!