|the sixteenth year|

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Livia lounged in her chair, adopting an image of being unbothered. She looked as if she would rather be anywhere else as she appeared boredly in front of the crowd. Jason sat at her side, eyes piercing as they stared down the people before them.

They had finally made it to the end of the trials for the traitors and those that were mere enemies of the Legion. The group before them were begging for their lives, desperate as they cried for the chance to live.

"Please," the one in front was begging. "We know not of what we were thinking." Lightning arcs off Jason's skin. He, no doubt, remembered the child that this one was assaulting when they caught him after Crius' defeat.

Her gaze lingered over the form languidly, "I did not ask what you were thinking. I do not care." She let the pressure build in the air as ropes of water pressed them into the ground. "You have shown to be unloyal to the Legion and we cannot afford to let traitors in our home. First it would be the Titans and next, you would have us fighting graecus. By the gods, you would probably lead us to our deaths fighting the gods themselves. No, we cannot take that risk."

"Praetor Grace," they cried. Jason turned his head to look at Octavian. Livia knew that they would die either way, but he was a little pragmatic. "What do the auguries decree?"

The elder blond's smile was cruel as he looked at the stuffing before him. He turned back to look at the two, "The Legion accepts no traitors." The two praetors turned back to those cowering before them. Livia's smile was cruel as she. Her voice echoed around the room, "Traitors of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata. You are hereby sentenced to die. Fluttershy could use some fresh meat in her diet." Her smile sharpened. "Off with their heads!"

The crowd cheers. Jason snorted quietly from where he stood beside her, motioning the guards forward to take the traitors back to the dungeon to prepare for execution. The three of them wait a bit longer as everyone leaves to return to their duties before they all slumped over. Reyna walked into the room with a teasing grin on her face. Her eyes were fixed firmly on Jason's, but she had a tray of food in her hand from Percival's Pizzeria.

Being praetor and auger had been a fever dream. If Livia could, she would go back and refuse it because the paperwork waiting for her was huge. Damn Jason for liking it. And Octavian made enough complaints that she had to order the people of New Rome to stop going to him to get their fortunes told. What was wrong with them? This was not a freaking circus no matter how unruly some of them could act.

"Well that's done," Octavian stated as he stood and stretched. Reyna passed him the food she had brought for him as she placed the rest in front of the praetors. Livia raised a brow, "You have plans, Tav?"

The children of storms' jaws dropped when he blushed. Reyna was even looking with wide eyes.

Livia and Jason scrambled to sit upright. "Oh my! Who?" The auger looked away, shrugging lightly. "Kalina wanted to have a picnic. Just the two of us." The younger two shared glances. They had assumed that Kalina had feelings of the sorts for Octavian, but he was either too busy training or going on "dates" with other members of the legion. Well until people thought there had been something going between him and Livia.

She knew that the dates he was going on was just Octavian building up his political power. She did something similar and then had to awkwardly explain to people that she was not interested in them and was very happy in her relationship with Jason.

Because she was happy with Jason. With Jason and Mercury.


🌪🌊🌪

Livia had been walking away from Kalina's shrub. The nymph had woven her flowers throughout the younger's hair. Livia had even been convinced to let her hair hang freely.

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