blood runs an empire,, a lucius verus fic by korey
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" is it not an honor to die for the roman empire ! "

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font,, georgia
background,, white
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ROME HAS FALLEN !

Where there was promise in those vast and prosperous lands, now rot away with the poison that seeped into the heart of Rome – a land now taken by blackened hearts that only want for power riches.

Lucius Verus Aurelius wanted for neither.

He'd lost much; his life lost before Lucius could even become a man. His father dead and buried, and his mother a distant memory, any semblance of a childhood shattered as he was forced to flee Rome. Virgil still played through is mind, leeching onto his memories like a vice, the dreams of his grandfather dreamt ever present.

A Rome for the people, what a beautiful sentiment.

Life as Hanno was easier to live. Without weight of a predestined crown, or fear of an ever-looming threat against his life, a life shared with Accalia.

Beautiful, kind and vibrant Accalia, how cruel was the world to take you so soon. Her curls glowed gold under the setting sun, her eyes a delicate shade of hazel that turned into pools of ambrosia – an elixir for the God's.

Perhaps that was why Accalia was taken from him; she was meant only for Olympus.

And yet Hanno still waited.

Despite what everyone said, despite the survivors claiming she was gone – Hanno still held onto some semblance of hope that his wife would return. But as weeks turned into months, and months kept going until a year had passed, Hanno slowly lost hope that Accalia would return to him once more.

🏛️

Helena's body was not her own.

A concubine in the eyes of Rome – never to be seen as human, only as a beautiful face. Everything could be hers, expensive fabrics wrapped along her body, illustrious jewels donned her head and collar, honey dipped fruits bleed from her lips – everything a girl could want, need. And yet Helena wanted nothing more than to live an easier, simpler life.

She was bound to every whim of Rome's emperor's - Geta and Caracalla. On paranoid, a conniving and manipulative, the other vindictive and temperamental – quick to upset and even quicker to anger. Attached to the hip since birth, neither Geta nor Caracalla could escape one another – but one could never survive without the other.

They grew obsessive over Helena, declaring her as their favorite – always vying for her attention, never allowing one to receive more. There was a possessiveness in the way they kept Helena, a flower ripped from its soil and forced to survive with only the water of a foreign land. She was a conquest, a prize won through blood shed.

At night she dreamt of vibrant blue eyes, ones that shine brighter than Neptune's vast seas, and a smile that warmed her soul. His voice was rich, a deep baritone that rumbled from deep within his chest. And, though she could never see his face, his features were strong – Roman.

She mourned for who this man was, but how can one mourn what cannot be remembered?

When a new gladiator graces the colosseum, calling to Helena, a primal thing that she felt deep within her gut. Most odd, he screamed for her, in a tongue that tugged at her mind and begged her to remember, paired with a name that had never been Helena's.

But it felt more like home than Helena ever did.

He looked strong, broad in his shoulders and tall in his stature. His eyes, a startling blue, his voice an earth shattering baritone. He looked every ounce a Roman, sans the dull garb he adorned and the shackles about his wrists. But most odd, was that Helena recognized him, she just could not remember how — oh how she wished to remember him.
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hanno and helena meet ╱ by me

starring... the desert flower !
HELENA╱ACCALIA AURELIUS ♱ ZENDAYA
❝ vivamus, moriendum est ! ❞

deliver us,, ofra haza & eden riegel

ACCALIA: I do not even
know your name, young
gladiator, how can I
possibly be yours?

( she furrows her brows,
peering up at him )

LUCIUS: Because even
if you cannot remember
mine, yours will forever
be branded into my soul.

( he whispers for only
her to hear )

with... the barbarian !
HANNO╱LUCIUS AURELIUS ♱ PAUL MESCAL
❝ alea iacta est ! ❞

southern messiah,, hans zimmer

( supporting cast ! )
pedro pascal ... GENERAL MARCUS ACACIUS
connie nielsen ... LUCILLA
joseph quinn ... EMPEROR GETA
fred hechinger ... EMPEROR CARACALLA
denzel washington ... MACRINUS
alexander karim ... RAVI

( soundtrack ! )

oo1. Deliver Us Ofra Haza & Eden Riegel
oo2. Southern Messiah Hans Zimmer
oo3. Gwen & Arthur Rob Lane
oo4. Goodbye Brother Ramin Djawdi
oo5. Galadriel Bear McCreary

( MORE TO BE ADDED ! )

( warnings ! )
    details of violence & blood. description's of gruesome deaths and past trauma's. mental illness such as depression & OCD will be delved into. themes around concubines, swearing and adult situations/themes will be present and explored.

( inspired & dedicated to ! )
quinzelmurdock  caramelitodemieel p0ltergiiest @DIAL-DRUNK @star_keys iadymcbth hazzawckd honeyrots

( disclaimer ! )
    I do not own the Gladiator/Gladiator II universe and or franchise, that right goes strictly to Ridley Scott. I only own Helena/Accalia and any plot points that exist around and about her. I do not condone or endorse any plagiarism for my work and will take action against it. My graphics are also my own, unless explicitly stated otherwise, and ones that I spent hours on. It is work that I am proud of, not for you to take and pass off as your own for 15 minutes of fame - have some decorum!

It's here!! I saw Gladiator II on Tuesday and have been working my ass off to make this! It's such an amazing movie (though with its flaws) I defined recommend it! The moment I watched it (and came up with this fic idea), I immediately tried finding any and all medias for it (fics, TikTok's etc.) and I'm so proud to present this! Hope y'all are ready!!

Hope y'all enjoy