Chapter Text
The first memory you can recall is the sound of waves crashing. A constant in your life since infancy, the loud roar of the sea against both cliff sides and ships alike reminded you more of your purpose than anything. A captain, no, a queen. A leader who shepherded your humble city state into a flourishing trade port who rivaled kingdoms and empires far larger with longer histories and, as their generals and kings claim, gods on their sides.
A successful port did not come without dire challengers. It was hard, contending with politicians who come dripping their poison in your ear, speaking of the benefits of bending the knee to vicious twin emperors in the west.
”We offer you protection,” one ambitious man clad in white robes and carrying the sigil of Rome claimed at your diner table one night, “The Roman army is unrivaled throughout the world. We can protect your city with the might of the gods.”
”And all I must do,” you replied, eyes narrowing, “Is surrender my people to the same tyrants who enslaved those who we once broke bread with.”
When offers of riches and the protection of five thousand Roman soldiers did not work, the empire decided that conquering you was the only response. You knew this of course, sending away their diplomats would draw the eye of the empire. They did not suffer from free city states for long.
Their first attempt shattered the eastern wall of your city and left thousands dead, but you held. You commanded your forces to retreat further into the city feigning defeat, allowing the roman forces to enter the outskirts. Once the bulk of the Romans entered, you diverted the canals surrounding your city, flooding the area and drowning the heavily armored soldiers. The strategy came with great cost, destroying part of your city. But your people remained free, and a Roman general was sent back to his home disgraced.
In their second attempt, you met the Roman ships in battle in the stormy sea. Their ships were fierce and formidable, but your port was a treacherous one for those who did not know it. Your ships were fast and light, easily able to navigate the reef lines and thundering waves of the great storm that threatened to capsize even experienced captains. It was on the decks of your ship that you first crossed blades with the Roman soldiers yourself. Their shields rattled your teeth and their blades cut through your flesh but still, you held. And it was with Roman ships sinking beneath the waves that their second attempt failed. You were victorious, but you were bleeding.
You knew your city would not survive their third attempt.
So, instead of building the walls again and sharpening blades, you called your council.
"We have defeated them twice," your brother said, still covered in salt and blood from the previous battle, "We can hold against them again".
You shook your head, "Even if we are victorious again, how long until our supplies run dry? The empire controls nearly every trade route on the continent. Our people will starve before we topple the Roman Empire. We must think of them first. It is our duty."
"So, what? We surrender? Become Roman citizens? Or slaves?" One of your generals spat, "Submit to the tyrants we pledged to protect our city from?"
"No,” you assure, meeting his gaze, “the only chance we have is if the emperors themselves die. Perhaps if there was another at the head of the empire then-"
"They will not die soon enough, my queen." He counters.
"Not unless we have a hand in it. I have heard of whispers in the capital itself. There are those who want the same as us."
"Kill the twin emperors?" Your brother looked at you incredulously, "You cannot mean-"
"I will let the next Roman general who attacks our city capture me." You reply, "And when they bring me to the capital for trial, I will end this. For all of the world. For our city."
"How do you know this general will not simply kill you? How can you be so sure that they will bring you to the capital?" He asks, hands grasping yours.
"I do not know. But it is our only hope of ever being safe from Roman rule." You answer.
"And what of our people? How many will die when you lose against the Roman force?"
"They will not be here when the Romans come through our gates." You assure, "It will take time for the Romans to plan their next attack.” You stand, looking out the window of what remained of your city, “They will not wish to lose a third time. During then, move our people out of the city inland to our mother’s homeland. The mountains surrounding will protect them. Take our riches and use them to provide for our people. I will destroy our port. We will leave nothing for the Romans to pillage."
Your council was silent, contemplating your plan.
"If you are successful," one member said, hesitation clear, "the Romans will kill you. They will not allow the foreigner who murdered their leaders walk free, even if they too wished them dead."
"I know," you replied, "It is a great honor to die for the future of my people. A free people."
And so the decision was made.
The third attack came weeks later.
The horns of the Roman force announced their arrival, and you met them in the throne room spear in hand. You had planned on being captured, yes, but you would make them work for it. You had not counted the number of Romans you had cut through, but they overwhelmed you and eventually you were bloody and kneeling in front of the commanding general of the force.
“From the stories I had heard, I had expected an army of savage soldiers to meet us at the gates.” he knelt to your eye level, taking your chin in his hands and forcing you to look him in the eyes, “A single woman left to defend the entire city? That is a strategy I am not familiar with.”
You narrowed your eyes at him, but did not answer. You did not care who this man was, you would give him nothing. The sigil on his chest told you enough, he was not only a general but a celebrated one. How many cities like yours had he enslaved in the name of his tyrants? Perhaps it is not just the twin emperors you should strike against given the chance.
“Not just a woman General Acacius,” came a venom filled voice from behind, “she was the queen of this vile place. She killed General Eclessius in the second battle.”
General Acacius’ facial expression shifted for a split second before settling back into the cold indifference it had been previously.
“I see,” he replied evenly before standing, “then you are an enemy of Rome.” He motioned and two soldiers pulled you up to your feet harshly.
“Emperor Caracalla and Emperor Geta, in their mercy, have ordered you to be brought to the capital to be punished for your crimes.” he said as the soldiers fastened chains around your wrists. He turned and barked orders to those around you, the soldiers milling through the streets of the city. You smiled, they would find nothing of value.
“General!” you heard one shout as he made his way towards you.
“What of the treasury and palace?” General Acacius asked.
“There is-” he started, glancing at you warily, “There is nothing, sir.”
General Acacius stopped short and turned to the soldier.
“What do you mean nothing?”
“The treasury is empty sir. There is nothing here except the buildings themselves and small remnants of what was here previously.”
The general turned to you, his expression unreadable as he narrowed his eyes at you.
“Where did you hide them?” he asked with a contemptuous glare. You said nothing in reply, only meeting his gaze with your own. The soldier holding you suddenly raised his hand and cracked his gauntlet across your face. Pain bloomed across your cheek and blood clouded your vision.
Suddenly the soldier cried out in pain. You saw General Acacius’ hand raised and the soldier’s own cheek had been marred with a wound matching your own.
“Did I order you to harm the prisoner?” he growled at the soldier. You did not hear the soldier's choked reply.
“Bring her to the cells in the galley. We depart for the capital in the morning.” he shouted before looking at you and whispering lowly so that only you could hear, “If you attempt to escape or harm my soldiers in any way, I will kill you. The only reason you are alive now is because the emperors wish it so.” You studied him as he pinned you with a sharp glare. Despite his words, his face did not carry the edge of a man who would strike someone down for an insult. Protecting a prisoner, especially one who caused the deaths of thousands of soldiers, was not an action you expected from a feared general.
You were dragged away quickly through the city that was once your home. The streets you had played in, the people you had known and pledged to protect, the city you had built, nurtured, and bleed for now bore the roman sigil over its walls. You let out a shallow breath, careful not to disturb the painful injury on your face. General Acacius’ victory would not last. You will kill the emperors and free your city once more. Or you will die trying.
You awoke to the sound of waves beating against the side of the galley hours later. The cell you were in was small, but surprisingly clean. A soldier with contempt in his eyes delivered you a small bowl of a…difficult to identify soup that tasted of salt water and old meat. It didn’t matter, your appetite had fled long before you were chained to the wall of the galley and departed for the capital. There were the usual sounds of activity throughout the ship, the sound of the sea that usually brought you comfort now only served as a reminder of your situation.
How were you going to get close enough to the emperors to strike? They already knew you as an enemy of Rome. Perhaps you could play the scared, helpless queen? No, they knew that it was you who struck down General Eclessius and threw him into the sea. Perhaps seduction? You shuddered at the thought. Gods no, that was a line even you wouldn’t cross. The sound of heavy footsteps brought you out of your racing thoughts.
General Acacius stood at the door of your cell, quietly observing you. Your skin prickled at his gaze. Had he decided to interrogate you after all? Or perhaps he’d simply throw you into the sea and be done with it. The two of you sat there looking at each other for what felt like hours before he finally spoke.
“Can you stand?” he asked, voice firm. You did not answer. He cleared his throat, clearly annoyed with your silence.
“I am not leaving this doorway until you answer my questions.”
“You will have a very long night then.” you spat.
“Ah, so you can speak.” he replied. You would have said that he sounded amused, but you did not think he was capable of such an emotion.
“Did you think me a mute?” you said, “Perhaps I simply have no desire to converse with tyrants and their lap dogs.”
“Which am I? The tyrant, or the lap dog?”
“Lap dog.” you stood and walked to the cell door, leaning in close to look him in the eyes, “I can quite easily imagine you at the feet of those two child emperors, wagging your tail as you pillage a city and enslave its people.” You smile at his stony expression, “Do you have a collar under that armor as well?”
Acacius frowned and stepped away from you slightly, putting distance between the two of you.
“Quite the words. But only one of us is in chains and bound for execution.”
You hummed in response.
“You are correct. But, how will your rulers react when they see that you have brought nothing from a conquered city but their disgraced queen? Maybe we will be next to each other on that platform. I heard the twin emperors are…fickle.”
Acacius opened his mouth to reply, but was cut short by the galley lurching to the side violently. You’re thrown to one side, your shoulder colliding with the western wall of the cell. You let out a groan of pain before slowly bringing yourself back upright. At first you thought the ship was under attack, but a roar from above told you differently. This was a storm.
General Acacius quickly got to his feet and left your meager cell to get above deck, shouting orders as he moved. You were left to desperately keep yourself steady as the galley was battered by waves. You knew from the sound of the boards creaking and the waves crashing that this storm would rip the ship apart. You were going to die if you didn’t get out of this cell and the chains binding your hands.
Bringing your hands high above your head you desperately attempted to snap the ring attaching you to the wall of the cell as the ship groaned. The shouting above deck grew louder and more urgent. Water had begun to fill the floor and you railed again and again against the chains. You would not die here. Your city needed you, your people needed you.You would not die.
With one final pull you finally broke free of the chains. Your hands were red and raw, but they were free. The ship swung once again and you slammed into the floor onto your shoulder. Searing pain erupted from your shoulder and you knew it would be useless. Even if you got out of the cell, how would you swim now? Still, you raged against the bars of your cell. If you were going to drown it would not be while still trapped on this ship. Water was filling the cell more rapidly now, it had reached your knees and the cell door was still firmly shut. You needed the keys, the cold metal of the bars were far too strong for you to bend or break them as you did the chains. At this realization, you did something that you had not done in a very long time.
You began to pray. You prayed to every god you knew, the kind ones, the cruel ones, the indifferent ones. Perhaps they would have mercy on you. And if they didn’t, maybe they could at least help your people. Or make sure none of the Romans survived the ship sinking. Your mind was locked in a desperate prayer to the god of the dead when you heard the door to your cell swing open and a rough hand grab your wrist. You turned and locked eyes with the familiar face of the general who captured you.
Acacius had come back for you. He pulled you through the rising water and up the stairs onto the deck of the ship. It was worse than you had thought, the other ships that were with the fleet were capsized, and the one who stood on would not last much longer.
“Stay with me!” Acacius shouted over the roar of the wind and rain, “We don’t have much time before this ship joins the others at the bottom of the sea!”
“I know!” you yell, weaving your way through the frantic sailors and soldiers following Acacius to the side of the ship with your hand firmly locked in his. As much as you wanted him dead, he was your only hope for now. Your saving grace, a small, meager lifeboat came into sight and Acacius lifted you into the vessel with a strength that did not surprise you.
“Make sure she gets to the capital!” he barked at the sailor in the boat, “Keep her alive until then.”
“Are you not coming with us?” you asked, surprised that a general was not taking the boat for himself.
“I will not leave my men behind!”
“You will die!” you shouted, “This ship is being ripped apart!”
“I do not have to explain myself to y-” Acacius was cut off by a deafening crack of lightning. Your blood froze as you watched the ship’s sails ignite and crash into the deck. The force threw you back and out of the boat.
Into the freezing water below.