Alone With You Inside My Mind - Part 3 (Yandere!Commodus x Reader)
Word Count: 2,038
A/N: Hi, everyone! A huge thank you to everyone for your patience. I know that I promised to release this chapter at the end of September and I haven't been able to deliver. My apologies. I sincerely thank you for putting up with me. I hope to write some more Commodus in the future, since he will always be one of my favorite movie characters. Thanks again for all of your patience and support! I couldn't do this without you :)
Summary: Three days after the banquet at the palace, you cannot stop wondering why Commodus chose to approach you. And the rumors of Commodus's madness have not made things better, both inside and outside of the palace. Lucilla and Emperor Marcus Aurelius are convinced that something must be done about the prince, but what can they do before things get out of their hand?
Warnings: reader doesn’t have the best/supportive parents, yandere/obsessive behavior, death threats, coersion into marriage
Read Part Two here
It had been three days since the incident at the palace with you and the Emperor's son. You'd never thought that out of all the men in Rome, you would catch the eye of Prince Commodus, the only living son of Caesar Marcus Aurelius. You would be lying to yourself if you said that you did not find him handsome, but…why did he come to you? The prince could have any maiden he wanted, even though for years it was rumored that he only favored the company of his sister.
Yet that night, in front of the entire Senate and the whole of the nobility of Rome, he claimed to want you.
"Don't you remember?" He asked, "You came to me, night after night. The gods sent you."
What was he even talking about? You had never been to the palace within the past year, let alone the past night. The only time that you were even near the palace was for the funeral of one of Marcus Aurelius's daughters
"The gods sent you to me," Commodus repeated, his voice light and airy as if trying to comfort you. "Don't you see it? Let me help you remember." Commodus brought your hand to his lips, a sinister twinkle in his peridot eyes.
He called you his dearest and insisted upon taking you to his chambers in the middle of the banquet, not caring one bit about decorum.
A chill ran down your spine even at the memory of his intense gaze upon you, his strong grip on your wrist.
Perhaps the whole thing was a prank, some sort of public spectacle meant to amuse the guests at the banquet. Or it was merely the prince acting out of boredom - weren't most princes always fooling around before marriage?
Thank the gods you fled before things could get worse. You could not even bring yourself to imagine what he might have done had he brought you to his intimate quarters…and what would people think of you.
Unfortunately, that didn't stop rumors of various kinds from circulating through the city. Some thought that you were a witch who cast a spell upon Commodus, causing him to lose his obsessive feelings for his sister. Others believed that Commodus, the son of Marcus Aurelius, was truly on the path to insanity. That if crowned, Rome would have another Mad Emperor sitting upon the throne.
And when the rumors reached the ear of your father, he was furious. He even scolded you last night, for the tenth time, for running away at the worst moment possible. That if you had quietly stayed until the end of the banquet, no one would suspend a thing. But then your mother argued that all damage had been done the moment that Commodus pushed a servant aside, and made a scene before all the guests.
Still, you wondered, why you?
"My child?" Your mother interrupted your rumination with a gentle nudge. The two of you were walking in the public markets, carrying freshly-baked bread, cheese made from goats' milk, fruit, and vegetables needed for the week. "Where are you?"
"What?"
She tutted under her breath and led you away from the crowds of sellers hawking their wares. "Your mind is somewhere else. What happened?"
Swallowing, you confessed your thoughts as concisely as possible.
"You should be vigilant of your surroundings. Don't think of such things," she chastised you. "Anyway, all of that is in the past."
"But Father is still upset with me for leaving the banq- "
"He gets angry about things like this, and then he forgets. You just focus on what needs to be done."
And what does need to be done, Mother? You wanted to ask her, but by that time, she had already found one of her friends and began making small talk about the weather.
——
Bedsheets left in disarray, robes scattered across the floor, wine spilled on the rug, and a bruised servant…the young prince's room had never been in such a state before. According to the servant, the prince had flew into a blind rage since the banquet, refusing to eat anything, physically punishing any of the servants who deigned to bring him food. He was rumored to be taking out his rage in his swordplay lessons and exerting his emotions on his personal possessions, crying out your name all the while.
Lucilla sighed to herself as she picked up a small pot of lavender cream from the floor. Luckily the container was immune to breakage otherwise its contents would've stained some of the expensive silk garments tailored for her brother. Her father Marcus Aurelius merely surveyed the chamber from a distance with his arms behind his back, the look on his face a mixture of disappointment and shock.
"I did this to him." The aging emperor finally spoke after a long silence.
Lucilla winced. "I don't understand."
"It was my faults as a father that made him this way." Marcus ambled towards her and glanced at the shreds from a pillow at the foot of the bed. "I…have failed in some way, and now…now he has become his own man."
"You will always be our father," Lucilla assured him before assuming a more serious tone. "But we must do something about this. Commodus has gone too far this time." She continues, "He has made a mockery of our family and the family of a noble girl in the presence of the people. He needs to be stopped before he can do anything else like this." "And what would you suggest?"
"Make him your co-emperor. Make him imperator."
Marcus Aurelius shook his head. "Commodus is not a moral man! He must not rule. Commodus must not rule."
"I know my brother." Lucilla calmly took her father's arm. "And I know the Senate as well. They will not spare my brother if he is not declared as your successor."
"I trust the Senate with the future of Rome more than I trust Commodus."
"And you love Commodus more than the Senate." Lucilla led him away from the mess surrounding Commodus's bed. "Commodus wants power. He cries for attention. I see the way he fumes when you praise the generals."
"Only Maximus," Marcus gently corrects. "He is the only one worthy of praise."
"Why don't you praise Commodus in the same way?" When Marcus doesn't answer, Lucilla continues. "If you make Commodus your co-emperor, then he will be content. So content that he won't even think of doing something utterly horrid as what he did to that girl. And she," Lucilla assumes a lighter tone, "will be free to marry someone better suited for her. Someone who will truly care for her."
Marcus looked at his daughter with a twinkle in his eye. "You care for her."
"She is a noble lady, as I am. I see it as a responsibility to ensure her safety."
He nodded in approval. "You make many fair points, my dear daughter. But I still cannot have Commodus as my heir."
"Father - " Lucilla protested.
"I will arrange for Commodus to marry her." Marcus declares, "Commodus will not be the emperor of Rome, but he will be able to live comfortably with the one he loves."
Lucilla pursed her lips, slightly angered. "Father, she is terrified of him. It is the only reason she would flee from him. Is it really worth ruining her life just to keep Commodus under your thumb and away from the Senate?"
"Rome is worth one good life." Marcus turned to the servant in bruises. "Now tell me where my son is."
"He has left the palace, imperator," the servant emotionlessly answered.
——
Carrying a loaf of bread in one hand and a basket of vegetables on the arm, you used your free hand to open the door of your home. The hot afternoon sun made your forehead bead with sweat, and the fabric of your off-white stola clung to you.
"Are you busy?" Your mother asked as you opened the door. You said that you were not, and she suggested that you help her in preparing dinner. "Of course, mother." And once you opened the door, the sight was enough to make you as still as a statue.
Inside the living room of your home was none other than Prince Commodus, who wore a full body set of heavy black and gold armor with a Tyrian purple cape wrapped around his neck. He sat across from your father, in a completely relaxed position as if he knew of the power that he possessed.
And your father, on the other hand, sat with his hands tied behind his back. Two praetorians bearing large, naked swords stood behind him on either side, frowning.
"Join us," Commodus addressed you and your mother with a strange cheerfulness in his voice. "You have come at the perfect time."
Your knees buckled, you could barely summon the strength to move a muscle, let alone sit down. Sensing this, your mother protectively placed her hand upon your arm, and led you to an empty couch between the two men. She sat down, and helped you to do the same. Then, she placed your hand in both of hers before looking up at the prince.
"I was telling your father about an offer that I would like to make." Commodus explained, "I was certainly not pleased with you leaving me that night, my dearest. Why did you do it? I called for you, and yet you did not come back like I asked you to."
"She did not know better, Your Highness. Forgive her." Your father answered before either you or your mother could say a word.
Commodus nodded with a chuckle, and then turned to you. "She will love me, as I love her. My heart will belong to her and to no one else. If you accept, then I can assure you - and your family - that you will want for nothing.
But…" Commodus straightened himself, glancing at his praetorians. "Should you choose to deny my offer, then my praetorians will have no choice. With a snap of my finger…I would rather not think of that. It would be far better for you to gain a husband than to lose a father. Wouldn't you agree?"
With heavy breaths, you slowly looked up at Commodus, your eyes tentatively meeting his. Your lip quivered and goosebumps flooded your arms.
"Tell me." Commodus urged you.
You swallowed. "I…I…why me?" You stuttered. "Why me, Highness? You're…powerful and strong and -"
Commodus stood up and cupped your cheek with his hand, causing you to look up with wide eyes. "Because I cannot live without you," he answered. "Night after night, you came to me in my dreams and offer me strength. And when I saw you, held you, it felt as if spring has come after a long, cold, and dark winter. You're more perfect than anyone I have ever met." His thumb moved across the top of your cheek. "Don't you see it? The gods have favored us. And now, I do not intend to let you away from me for another moment. You will be mine, and I will be yours forever…if you accept."
Your mother held your hand a little tighter, as if she were letting you know that you weren't alone.
Commodus snapped his fingers with his free hand, and the praetorians immediately drew their swords, lining them against your father's neck. Immediately, your mother gasped, crying out your father's name.
"Gain a husband…or lose a father." Commodus asked again. "Do you accept?"
Biting your inner cheek, you accepted.
"Then the praetorians will have your things packed. You are to stay with me in the palace, with a chamber of your own until the day of the wedding."
Your mother gathered the courage to address the prince. "Will she…will we be able to see her?"
"When she proves her love for me, then perhaps I shall give you the pleasure of seeing her." Commodus dismissed the praetorians and knelt to kiss your hand. "Do not fear, my dearest," he whispered your name, "You have made the right choice."
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