For the Sake of an Empire Ch. 03

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Death & betrayal set the stage for the race for the throne.
4.2k words
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Part 3 of the 9 part series

Updated 09/22/2022
Created 01/01/2006
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The following is a complete work of fiction inspired by Roman history, with a strong fantasy aspect for the use of artistic license. The original story which was previously posted on Literotica has been completely revamped, so the folks who have been following the story might want to go back and re-read from Chapter 1. The idea of intrigue, betrayal and a power struggle are the still the same. However, entire new passages and parts have been added and some omitted. What was once Chapter 3 is now broken up and will be Chapter 4. Complicated but I think better. Changing to a fantasy setting (upon suggestion by my editor Rogue Lurker who is FABULOUS even though we work together on a sporadic basis due to scheduling differences) allowed me to play more with the idea of pagan magic and other aspects that I found were limited in a historically accurate Roman setting. Hopefully if you enjoyed the original, you will still enjoy this one. For those who wrote to me about this series regarding its lack of overly explicit sexual content, I will state for your peace of mind that it is NOT a stroke story. If that interests you, you'd be better off reading something else.

Disclaimer:

The following story may contain erotic situations between consenting adults. If it is illegal for you to read this please leave now. Please do not copy or distribute the story without the author's permission.

Important -

Please feel free to send any feedback or comments through PM or you email me. I appreciate you taking two seconds to vote or leave a comment. And a quick fun fact for those who email me asking who I imagine when I think of Portia, I modeled her loosely after Angelina Jolie in terms of appearance. Marcus is modeled after dreamy Russell Crowe. Hope that clarifies.

Thanks all.

- - -

Portia slowly entered into the room where everyone waited to begin the funeral procession. the scent of incense assaulted her nostrils, her stomach coiling as she resisted the urge to gag/ her eyes met Commodus's from across the room and he moved towards her to meet her halfway. He bowed from the waist and she gently inclined her head.

"Are we ready, Excellency?"

"Upon your indication, Your Highness."

Portia nodded, feeling as if she was moving in a fog. She had orchestrated every detail of this day carefully so that she could go through the motions without thought. Her mind was too heavy with other things to be weighed down with trivialities.

She and her entourage would follow the senators and guards who would carry her father's cloaked body on the carved ivory stretcher adorned in the finest of silk fabrics in the royal colors of gold and lapis lazuli. The procession would wind around the streets to give everyone their chance to offer up prayers to the gods and goddesses as their King passed from this world into the next

Portia could not see her father's face beneath the silks shrouding him, yet for a moment she imagined that the dead man would sit up to chastise her for her treachery. She didn't realize that she was holding her breath until she heard the priest's voice by her ear to rouse her from her thoughts.

"We shall proceed then."

Portia's expression was hidden by the shadows of her veil and she welcomed the anonymity it offered. Today she needed her masks more than she would ever have acknowledged.

The soldiers grasped the handles of the stretcher and moved out of the room out into the streets of Celaenia. It was a slow, solemn parade. The streets were lined with mourners who tossed flowers into their path. Portia met their gazes beneath the silk of her veil and her breath caught when she saw the sadness in so many eyes. She reached for Commodus's arms to brace herself, ignoring the glance he offered her. Her hold tightened when the funeral procession gathered high upon the hill. The stretcher was placed upon the funeral pyre and she felt the world swim around her.

Think of Celaenia. What was done cannot be undone.

It took a few moments before she pulled herself together enough to take the offered torch and climb the ladder to her father's form. A shaky hand slipped beneath his shroud to adjust the coins upon his eyes, before she bent over to press her lips upon his forehead.

"Forgive me, father," she murmured. "You once told me that all great rulers must be willing to do whatever is necessary to guarantee the health and happiness of their people. I have traded my soul for thier fate. May the gods forgive me."

She pulled back, tears warm on her cheeks as she dropped the torch.

Commodus helped her step down as the kindling caught. Portia watched the flames licking along the wood and gradually up to the old King's body. She dropped her gaze when his body began to smoke. The voices of the senators and priests droned on in her ears as they spoke of the greatness of their late King.

It made her sick. His early greatness was all his own, but when they spoke of deeds done in his later life, resentment pricked her soul. Those acts had been hers and they could never be acknowledged.

She pressed both hands tightly over her heart and looked up at the sky as the flames crackled. He was the past and it was dead. Celaenia's future was a blank canvas and it would soon be etched with her name...

Long live Celaenia. - - - - - - - - -

Mmmmm lower."

Portia's tone eased lazily from between plush lips as Captain Sirrus's strong, rough hands continued to work the muscles of her lower spine. He gently lowered the silk sheets another few inches so the curve of her shapely backside was revealed. Portia sighed and relaxed beneath his confident touch.

Sirrus was the Captain of the home based Royal Guard. He was loyal, handsome and adored her, a trait that mattered more than any other because it could easily be exploited.

Portia had a way with men. She had learned early on that many of them were like children. With a little guidance, they could be molded into whatever form was of the most use to her. She used the arrogance of men against them, making them believe they made her heart beat when her true desires lay in the heart of Celaenia.

"You have the hands of a god."

"One of my better qualities though other parts of me have been rumored more godly."

Amusement flickered in Portia's eyes as she glanced back over her shoulder. "Is that so?"

"Mmm hmm. I can show you if you like. There are other ways to relieve tension that are much more..."

He trailed off abruptly and Portia followed his gaze to the door. Thena stood there awkwardly. She met Portia's eyes for a moment and then quickly bowed low to the floor. Portia's amusement deepened as the slender woman flushed.

"My apologies my lady. I did not know that you were..."

"Enjoying my nap," Portia interrupted smoothly. "I asked not to be disturbed."

"Yes my lady, but there is news about your cousin."

Portia stiffened. She impatiently pushed Sirrus's hands away so that she could prop up on her elbows to look at the frazzled woman, her long hair curling carelessly over her breasts.

"Tell me. "

"General Aurelius and his troops should be within Celaenia's walls within a day or two, my lady. "

"Well, we will have to celebrate their return. It will give the people something to rejoice after all this mourning. "

She lay back down, gesturing for Sirrus to continue as her eyes closed.

"Close the public baths and have them prepared for our soldiers use, Thena. Make sure the water is warmed and soap and clean towels await them. I want their return to be a comfortable one. They have been away from Celaenian walls for too long."

She shifted and turned over onto her back, lifting her hand so fingers could brush over the line of muscle along Sirrus's chest. His eyes narrowed in question, but Portia simply continued as if Thena was not in the room.

"We shall have a feast to celebrate their return. We will hold it in the main hall. Tell the musicians to prepare and get the women and dancers ready. Advise the cooks I wish enough food to feed the entire village."

She smiled when Sirrus's body tensed beneath her touch. Her nails raked gently over his skin to his hip and his eyes began to darken with desire.

"Ready Marcus's room. Make sure he has fresh water in the basin and anything else he may need. He is as much a lord of this house as I am a lady." She paused a moment in thought as her hand slid up and curled behind the captain's neck. "You shall later prepare his bed with the linens I lay upon."

She smiled as she gave the order. Marcus may have earned himself legends but there was 'land' he would never conquer.

"Yes my lady."

"You are excused."

"Thank you."

She scuttled out of the room and Portia's lips brushed along the exposed line of his throat. His groan vibrated in his throat against the scrape of her teeth and she smiled when she lay back.

"What was all that about?"

I don't know what you mean."

"Of course you do."

"It is nothing. Simply a game. I must find my amusements when I can."

"You seem to be playing many games lately."

Gray eyes narrowed as his hand tangled gently in her hair on either side of her head. He held her beneath him, dark eyes searching hers. "He is your cousin Portia, and yet you tempt him like you would any other man."

"He is just like any other man." She paused, defiance sparking in her eyes as his hand tightened. "I was advised to marry him as the law allows. I am considering it."

Sirrus's eyes darkened. "You would marry him after what we share?"

"You always knew that I would eventually have to marry."

"You have always told me you in intended to rule alone."

"Intentions are not written in stone, Sirrus. The High Council opposes my sole rule as Queen. I need a consort and I do not know Marius of Syantix. Marcus is a hero of the people. With him at my side, the opposition will be silenced."

The words were bitter as she pushed his hands away and sat up. She felt his gaze on her back as she moved away from the bed and slid on a silk dressing gown. She belted it, her hair falling loosely over her shoulders.

She wanted to throw him from her room for daring to speak out against her. Like all of the other men in her life, he too was trying to rule her with his desires without consideration of hers. But she did not have the luxury of another tantrum in this moment. She had acted rashly by giving Gemella the poison, and it was a situation she would have to remedy. Marcus was too important a piece in her game to be discarded without care. If he could be turned to her desire she would not have to defy Commodus and incur his possible wrath. He was a great ally and there was too much at stake to risk burning bridges she desperately needed.

She sighed as she rubbed a slender hand over her face. Her head ached. She had to calm herself and remember the goal.

Celaenia.

The light at the end of these dark tunnels illuminated the country she had spilled blood for. It was all that mattered.

She glanced at Sirrus as he rose from the bed. The mattress creaked, relieved of his weight. He pulled on his uniform as she watched, but her hand touched his wrist gently before he could leave.

"I'm sorry, Sirrus. I do not want to argue with you. My union with Marcus will be one of necessity, not love."

When he didn't respond, she sighed and rose onto her knees. The mattress sunk sumptuously beneath her as both hands moved to his chest. Her expression softened when his jaw ticked.

"I do this for love of my country, Sirrus."

"And what of your love for me?"

"That isn't fair."

"There is nothing fair in this situation, Portia. You expect me to come when you call like a well cared for pet, yet you neglect me when it suits you."

"I have a duty to my country."

"And what of your duty to me."

"Sirrus, you know that I love you as I have never loved any other, but I cannot fulfill my own desires at the expense of Celaenia and the people. They require my service as well as yours. We must both accept our paths."

He laughed without humor. "Your path leads you to the bed of another man and you expect my joy."

"What would you have me do then? Marry you?"

"Why not? I have loved you all my life, Portia. I have served this country without questioning any order ever given to me. I would die for Celaenia and..."

He didn't finish the sentence, but it hung there between them.

He would die for you.

Just like Caius.

Just like your father.

The world is yours, Portia, if you just take it...

"Sirrus, come back to bed. It's not even noon yet." She dragged her nails over his belly with a sultry smile, but he pushed her hands away. She frowned at the uncharacteristic rejection. His anger was blinding him and leading him farther from her and her plans.

She was losing him. It should have caused her pain. She loved him in her way, but when she looked at him she felt surrounded by a white emptiness that numbed her of all feeling.

Her eyes closed, tension strumming through her body. A breath was inhaled slowly before she forced herself to slide off of the bed and walk over to him. Her knees felt stiff as she slowly knelt in front of him.

She saw his surprise when his eyes met hers. She had never prostrated herself in front of any man. It was the first time and as her knees kissed the marble, any love she had felt for him curdled like mild in the summer sun.

"Sirrus..." She pressed her cheek against his thigh, both hands curling around his knee. "I am sorry. Please...I need you now more than ever. Do not be threatened by Marcus. He is simply a means to an end; a happier time for all of Celaenia."

Her lips brushed his thigh as she looked up at him, her eyes drowning deep.

"I love you, not him. If he agrees to the marriage, he will own my body but never my mind nor my heart. Those belong only to you."

I hate you. How could I not have seen your weakness? How could I ever have thought you worthy?

He hesitated and she saw his expression soften when her eyes filled with tears. He was weakening and she felt a wave of revulsion wash over her as she won the battle. He was weak, just like Caius and her father. They allowed sentimentality to guide them in times when emotion was for the weak.

She would never allow any man to make her weak.

Celaenia's survival depended on her strength.

She would not fail.

"Do you not love me anymore?"

"Portia..."

A tear trickled down her cheek as she reached for his hand and placed it inside her shift to cup the soft flesh hidden within. Her jaw brushed over the front of his body and she felt him harden.

Such weakness. I despise you.

"Just love me, Sirrus. Please. I cannot do this on my own. I need your support and your strength."

"You mean you need the home-based legion."

"Yes. There are many who oppose me. I must present a strong and united image of Celaenia. My life and the future of our country are forfeit if Celania becomes divided by politics and civil war. The home-based legions are where this city draws its strength from and their protection guarantees our safety."

Her expression softened enticingly as she pressed her cheek against his thigh to soothe as much as incite.

He sighed heavily and she knew she had won. She nestled into his arms as he swept her up and walked with her back towards the bed. The mattress sunk beneath their combined weight and his fingers threaded into her hair as he braced himself over her.

He sighed as she turned her head to trail her lips gently over his wrist. "You could marry me, Portia. The High Council would approve. They know that I am a seasoned soldier and strategist. My soldiers are loyal to me and to you. Together we could create a strong foundation for the future."

"You know that is not possible, Sirrus. Do you not understand how feeble my hold is over the city? Marcus has always been the favorite. He was my father's first choice for the throne and now that he is returning to Celaenia the High Council will do all that they can to convince him to rule."

"Marcus Aurelius is a soldier, Portia. He has never had political aspirations."

"I know. But he is a man of honor and if the council leads him to believe that his coronation will benefit the country, I believe he will take the throne. If that happens, the only way that I can ensure my position is by marrying him."

"You don't love him."

"No more than he loves me. You know that my relationship with my cousin has always been tumultuous at best." Her hand gently touched his jaw. "It's politics, my love."

He was silent.

"Sirrus. if I marry Marcus it will be for duty, nothing more. I swear."

"Do you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Do you swear, Portia? You have my allegiance if I have yours. Swear it and I will ensure that the homeland legions will not be opposed."

His tones were urgent and Portia smiled. Words spoken were not words written. Promised murmured in passion were not the same as ones inscribed on stone tablets.

"Of course I swear. I love you, Sirrus."

He didn't answer as his mouth closed over hers with a growl that rumbled form deep in his throat. He kissed her as if he were eating her from the lips down, ravaging those lush lips. He bit her lower lip, sucking the full curve into his mouth as his hands slid possessively down her body, fingers biting into her delicate flesh. Portia arched up as his mouth broke away from hers and slid down the long column of her throat. His teeth marked their claim on skin that flushed beneath his attention.

Sirrus groaned against her skin as he palmed her supple flesh, rolling an already taut peak between his fingers. The rosy tip ached for more and he gave her everything her body wanted when his mouth closed hot and demanding over her flesh. He sucked her into his mouth, hard enough to bruise.

Sirrus had never been a demanding lover, but there was no gentleness in his features now as he tried to bring her to the brink of the same madness he found himself on. Porta's body tightened with budding pleasure. She couldn't move, held tightly in his strong hands, her body open for his enjoyment and her own. Small cries were muffled by his kiss as he repositioned his body over hers. Tingles of ecstasy made her shudder against him until she was moaning, her hands fisting in his hair trying desperately to pull him closer.

Sirrus pilled back when her eyes closed. Strong fingers tangled in her hair, tugging cruelly until those gray depths were luminous with the prick of tears.

"Look at me, Portia. I want you to see who you are with."

"I see you, Sirrus."

"You see me now but I want you to feel me every time that you lay with Marcus Aurelius. When he takes you, I want you to see my face. When you cry out, it will be my name on your lips."

His hands slid through her hair down over her shoulders and arms. He pushed them roughly over her head, pinning her slender wrists with one hand. Portia tensed at the vulnerability of the position, straining against his hold, her body arching and pressing against his chest. The bruised flesh on her thighs made her wince as she tightened her legs around his hips, urging him to take her.

Sirrus groaned as her legs slid around him with the softness of satin. Fingers tightened around her wrist as his cock slid deep into hot, wanting flesh that pulsed around him. Desire surged through him, desire for her and to posses her completely for himself. He wanted to erase any thoughts of another man from her mind. She belonged to him. She had sworn it and he would not allow anyone to take away his right. The love he felt for her burned more than the touch of her skin. It ate at him, consuming him. He wanted to be gentle, to show her how it could be between them always if she allowed it, but he knew she viewed gentleness as weakness. She understood only passion, her body writhing beneath his as she begged him to finish it.

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