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ROMAN SHORT FICTION
The Misguided Lover
The Fall of Marcus Antonius
October, Anno DCCXIV Ab Urbe Condita (A.U.C.)
October, 30 BCE
The scent of jasmine lingered in the air, mingling with the salt breeze drifting in from the Mediterranean. In Alexandria, the palace stood shimmering beneath the late sun β a monument to excess and decadence that belied the desperation that had settled in its golden halls.
Marcus Antonius, known to history as Marc Antony, stood on the balcony, staring out over the glittering sea. Cleopatra, his beloved Queen, was inside, preparing for another of her evening rites β a ritual she claimed would bring them victory against their enemies. There was an unspoken fear of something lurking behind these acts, something Marcus could not yet understand. But Marcus had his doubts.
The once-bold warrior had grown wary. His instincts, the instincts that had saved him countless times on the battlefield, were gnawing at him, warning him that something was wrong. He turned, looking into the dimβ¦