Chapter Text
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Merely a magistrate under the reign of emperor Marcus Aurelius and already having been married for three years; Lucius Septimius Severus and his wife yearned with their whole being for a child and prayed for anyone of the gods to grant their hearts desire at any cost. Through divine power, their prayers had been answered by the Goddess of wisdom, warfare, and handicraft, the goddess Minerva, yet it would come at costly leniency toward the child's heartfelt desires. That night they were both visited by the goddess within the dream-realm.
*****
“I beseech any of the gods to answer my prayers and bless me with a child!” the woman tearfully pleads out into the open abyss surrounding her.
“Wipe away your tears child, your prayers have been answered...” a firm feminine voice utters out from above her.
Tearful gaze raising upward, the woman gasps out in realization that she was now in the presence of the goddess Minerva, “my Goddess!”, her head dips back down in respect.
“Lift your head up, child”, the goddess commands.
“You honor me, my Goddess” the woman raises her head.
“You have suffered greatly in your quest for a child...” the goddess stares at her sympathetically.
“My Goddess, I-”
“Hush now, child” the goddess cuts her off. “It is done. You shall have the child which you yearn for.”
“Praise be to you, my Goddess!” the woman cries out in joy, dropping back down to bow.
“It will come at a price though” the goddess utters then.
“Anything!” the woman eagerly agrees, “anything you ask for, my goddess!”
“This child shall not be like any other mortal” the goddess explains, “the child shall be gifted in many ways, therefore its potential shall not be hindered, no matter the circumstance.”
“As you command, my goddess” the woman bows in agreement.
*****
“What is this place?!” Septimius scans the open abyss in confusion.
“Cease your hysteria, mortal!” the goddess Minerva appears in front of him.
“My Goddess!” Septimius abruptly drops to his knees.
“Arise so I may directly address you, mortal”, the goddess commands and he does as told. “I have granted the prayers of yours. There shall be a child born unto you and your wife.”
“I thank you, my Goddess!” Septimius drops into a bow again.
“You may not be so grateful, as it will come at a price”, the goddess remarks.
“Speak it and it shall be done, my Goddess...” Septimius instantly agrees as she continues explaining.
“The child shall be extraordinary, far more than any mortal ever, a master strategist and exceptional warrior.”
“That is more than I could ever ask for, thank you Goddess...” Septimius ecstatically responds.
“You shall swear an oath; that the child’s potential shall be fulfilled, that nothing nor no one shall hinder it.”
“As you command, my Goddess”, Septimius submits, “I swear upon my life.”
“Your life is meaningless to me” the goddess remarks. “Should you break your oath; your entire bloodline shall be abolished though.”
“I swear to uphold the oath, regardless of all circumstances” Septimius responds.
“Excellent” the goddess nods, a glint of satisfaction passing her eyes. “Now return to the waking-realm. Your child awaits you...”
*****
“She should be preparing for marriage, not warfare”, your mother mutters in disapproval.
“You know as well as I, that is not a matter of importance” your father responds as he proudly observed your training in the courtyard.
Your mother scoffs in response, “how is she to find a husband if she is marred with battle scars?!”
Turning around, your father shoots her a warning glare. “We made an oath. Should we not uphold it; then our entire bloodline shall be eradicated!”
Your mother opens her mouth to speak but it cuts her short. “Enough! Valeria shall do as she pleases. We are merely here to nurture and guide her through the path that she chooses.”
“As you wish” your mother mutters under her breath, tilting her chin upward in dissatisfaction. “I, however, refuse to stand here and witness my only daughter becoming scarred and disfigured!”
“You underestimate my girl, woman!” your father scoff’s. “She has already outwitted and conquered all her mentors and yet there is still room for improvement.”
“What do mean?”
“The emperor has heard of our daughter's abilities and has sent for a military commander to assess her.”
Your mother’s eyes widen in shocked, “who?”
“The newly appointed, General Acacius.”
“Him?!” your mother screech's, “he is a harsh man and even more merciless warrior.”
“Which makes him perfect!” your father excitedly exclaims. “Acacius is also the only one closer in age to her.”
“I would hardly call a man in his thirties being close in age to a sixteen-year-old girl!”
“He will have more patience with her than the elder generals” your father attempts to sooth her fears. “They might even fall in love... you do wish for her to find a husband after all.”
“The situation suddenly no longer seems as horrible...” you mother remarks, deep in thought.
“Precisely!” your father grins in response, “he would be a great advantage to our family.”
“Acacius might be the only man capable of taming our Valeria...” your mother agrees.
“Yes, that may all be well and good, but we cannot force it” your father reminds her, “it must be Valeria’s own decision.”
“Very well” your mother nods in agreement, “yet, I shall nonetheless pray to the gods for it.”
“As you should...” your father matter-of-factly state, turning back toward watching you train.
******
“So, this the girl I am here for...?” General Acacius stood scrutinizing your fight against your latest mentor.
“That is my daughter, Valeria, yes” your father comments proudly. “She is everything you would desire for a skilled warrior.”
“Except for the fact that she is a girl”, Acacius remarks.
“Skill is skill, regardless of one’s sex” your father scoffs, “she is a formidable force when it comes to fighting.”
“I would not boast so loudly if I were you”, Acacius warns your father, “the emperor might come with the idea to thrust her into the gladiator fights.”
“I have already steered him away from those thoughts” your father assures him. “I thank you for your concerns though.”
“Then he has considered it?” Acacius’ eyes widen in shock and your father snorts in amusement.
“A young, beautiful woman, with the skill and power she possesses...? Of course, he would. It would be of great entertainment to watch her rip apart the gladiators one after the other.”
For a split second, Acacius felt his cock twitch at the vision described to him. Awkwardly clearing his throat, nodding toward the courtyard then. “Let us begin.”
******
“Come now Caius, that cannot be all you have to offer...” you playfully taunt your mentor, who was breathing harshly whilst you had barely broken a sweat.
“That mouth of yours will wind you up in trouble one day, little one” he warns, a smirk spreading across his face when noticing the general and your father approaching from behind you.
You scoff in amusement at his word, “you are only bitter because you could not outbest me!”
Caius’ smirk spreads to a full-blown grin as he taps a finger against his temple. “In time, little one...”
You were about to retort, when Caius’ suddenly bows and then silently proceeds to walk off.
“Caius where are you going?!”, you frown at his retreating form, taking a step forward. “Caius?! Wher-” you were cut off by a harsh tug of your braid. A large hand winds the braid tighter around it, tugging you backward against a hard chest.
“Your number one weakness when in the battlefield...”, a harsh male voice snarls into your ear.
Basic instinct instantly kicking; you throw your head backward full force into his face, driving your elbow into his gut thereafter as you rip loose from his grip.
“Valeria!!!”, your father bellows out as you whirl around to face them with your sword held up. You silently stared as he rushes toward the whizzing man, doubled over, “General Acacius?!”
The man pushes your father aside as he stood up and silently glared at you. With a mocking arched brow and a head tilt; you reach back for the tail of your braid, pulling it taut as you lift the sword up to cut it off. “Issue solved”, you remark, tossing the braid at his feet.
“My apologies, General”, your father splutters out, “my daughter has a tendency to act before thinking.”
“I thought about my action before executing them”, you comment, refusing to back down.
“Valeria!” your father scolds you, turning toward Acacius to apologize yet again but the general pays him no attention. His lips twitching in silent amusement at your antics.
“Feisty... I like it.”