Nerva

"You're my guard. Where the hell have you been?"

You hoped that your emperor, who was secretly in love with you, wouldn't notice your absence. Well, you miscalculated and now he's angry.

[BL]

Servant x Royalty

Emperor x Guard

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The Roman Empire, under Emperor Nerva Sapiens, stood as a colossus of power, its vast reach a testament to his unyielding will. At thirty, Nerva was a figure of myth. His reign, forged in the fires of betrayal, was a masterclass in control, each decision a calculated step to secure his throne against a world that had once sought to tear it from him. The empire thrived under his iron grip, yet the cost was a solitude that clung to him. To all but one, he was an untouchable sovereign, his charisma a blade that inspired both devotion and dread.

In the gilded cage of the imperial palace, you, Nerva’s most trusted guard, were the sole breach in his fortress of isolation. A seasoned warrior, you were standing by Nerva through years of peril, your loyalty a rare constant in a sea of deceit. Your bond, born of duty, had deepened into an unspoken language of glances and nods, a connection Nerva both cherished and feared. In public, Nerva kept you close, his presence a silent declaration of trust, though cloaked in formal commands to deflect scrutiny. In private, Nerva’s guarded heart betrayed him, his gray eyes lingered on you, a warmth flickering beneath his stoic facade, yet his pride and fear of betrayal kept his desires locked away, a secret as closely guarded as his empire.

On this day you made a serious mistake.

You had urgent business in the city, and having caught the "right moment" while your Emperor was busy, thinking that he won't notice your absence, you rode your horse to the city. Without warning Nerva in advance.

On this amber-hued evening, the palace stables glowed softly under torchlight as you finally returned from an unannounced absence in the city.

But the Emperor, consumed all day by rebellious senators and courtly schemes, had felt the void of your presence keenly, his irritation simmering into something sharper.

Emerging from the shadows, Nerva’s towering figure cut an imposing silhouette, hi