A/N: A Swan Queen AU fic set in Ancient Rome. Indeed. I have no idea where this came from. Well, Emma as a gladiator, that's what sparked this whole thing. While I want to be as historically accurate as possible, I obviously need to take some liberties in order to get our heroines together. For the history buffs out there, the story kicks off in the year 80AD.

A big thank you to kayryn for the fanart (it is GORGEOUS and omg, SO HOT) and the endless chats regarding the miniscule details of the fic, as well as to mrswoman for the wonderful beta.

PART ONE: Victory Favours the Brave

Chapter 1

The crowd parted abruptly, uttering whispers of excitement and surprise as the two-wheeled carriage made its way slowly along the busy market road. It was preceded by a lictor, a bodyguard of the highest rank, and a clear indication of the preciousness of the carriage's cargo. The murmuring only increased when the crowd got a better look at the sole occupant of the vehicle, though the woman in question simply stared ahead, a look of boredom and indifference etched on her face.

"It's Priestess Regina!" a young girl said, apparently a little too loudly, because the woman they were all doting at slowly glanced at the girl, her posture as regal as ever. The child quickly clamped a hand over her mouth in panic, her cheeks reddening at getting caught by the eminent Vestal. The only indication of the mirth Regina felt at witnessing the girl's moment of self-embarrassment was the way the corner of her mouth twitched, just barely, as she concentrated on the road ahead of her again.

Vestal Regina was known in all of Rome and even beyond; her beauty was legendary, and the air of power and elegance about her the inspiration of a thousand tales. Although she wasn't actually the highest priestess, the chief Vestal, in the eyes of the people she was still the most prominent member of the group; a group that was essentially in charge of the continuance and security of the entire empire. She was both feared and adored, and absolutely everyone knew who she was.

"Move it! Clear the road! Don't you know that the Vestals have the right-of-way!" the bodyguard bellowed as people scurried out of the way with their baskets and carts, bowing their heads in respect as the carriage passed them.

"Peasants," Regina muttered under her breath. They made a turn, and she sighed in relief as the Temple of Vesta was finally standing tall in front of them.

The temple was a breathtaking sight. Large marble columns lined the circular structure, giving it an air of grandiosity that wasn't matched by many other buildings in the city. At the centre of the temple was the podium, one of the most sacred places in all the empire. The podium housed the eternal fire which was to never go out – otherwise, Rome would be doomed. Seeing the smoke of the flames that reached out towards the sky filled Regina with a sense of relief, but also, inexplicably, dread; being one of the few who guarded and cultivated the fire and, thus, the entire fate of the civilised world, was a responsibility not to be taken lightly.

Shaking her head in order to rid herself of the anxious thoughts, Regina felt the carriage slow down and, finally, it came to a halt in front of the House of the Vestals. These personal quarters of the six Vestals were located behind the actual temple, so that it was as uncomplicated as possible for them to do their duty of tending the eternal fire. Stepping inside the building, Regina spotted another Vestal, Kathryn, sitting on a bench on the other side of the cella, the centre foyer.

"How was the ceremony?" Kathryn asked, offering a sympathetic smile.

"Ridiculous. Pointless. A waste of time." Regina snorted, appreciating the interest Kathryn was expressing in her day. Of all the people in Regina's life, the other Vestal was the only person she considered as more than a colleague, and although she would never say it out loud, that one relationship was the spark of normalcy that she sometimes clung to in order to keep her sanity.

As a Vestal, Regina was different: while the other five had been introduced to their duty like most Vestals, long before the formative years of becoming a woman, Regina had been only a few years shy of 25 when she had replaced a Vestal who had suddenly passed away. That had automatically put her in a different category than the others who found it odd that she had once actually had a life outside the temple. And when she had suddenly gained the admiration and interest of the public as well, she had permanently alienated herself from the rest of her 'sisters'; that is, all except Kathryn.

"All those nouveau riche people, they think it boosts their image if they have a Vestal present in every damn celebration of utter insignificance," Regina grumbled as Kathryn stood up and joined her. The two made their way towards the bedrooms at the back of the building.

"Oh, don't I know it." Kathryn chuckled and pulled her white mantle tighter around her against the draught.

"The chief is simply trying to punish me with all these ridiculous outings." Regina sighed, feeling the dull pain of an upcoming headache at her temples.

"You can't really blame her, Regina." At Regina's displeased glare, Kathryn quickly continued: "I mean, you are the most well-known of us, and the emperor favours you as well, you know that. Of course everyone wants you."

"I did not ask for this," Regina huffed, her lips pressing into a thin line.

"I know." Kathryn's tone was understanding. "Oh! You're going to the games with me next week, right?" she suddenly exclaimed, the excitement in her voice overflowing. Her blonde curls bounced as she walked.

"Ugh, watching men beat each other with various sharp objects, charming." They reached Regina's living quarters and stood outside the door.

"Regina, it's supposed to be fun! Entertainment! You have to go with me; it's the grand opening of the new arena." As Regina still seemed hesitant, Kathryn played the Vestal card: "You know people will talk if all of us aren't there; we were invited, after all. You can't miss it."

"I'll think about it. Frankly, I have better things to do than watch people butcher each other all day."

"Like attending the parties of the nouveau riche?" Kathryn asked sweetly.

"Go away," Regina grunted, opening her door and shutting it behind her. She could hear Kathryn's laughter through the door as the other woman made her way towards her own room. Despite the annoyance she felt at Kathryn's silly joke, she couldn't help the small smile that spread on her lips.

Yes, Kathryn definitely helped her forget for a while. Because what the people of the city of Rome didn't know was that the woman who, from the outside, looked like the epitome of orderliness, beauty and power, was in many ways lonely and powerless on the inside. The trick was to never let people see that the woman they admired was very much alone and lost. No, no one would ever breach the walls she had put up around herself; she would make sure of that.

Before she had time to get too lost in her thoughts, there was a small knock at the door. Swinging it open, she came face to face with the chief. The chief Vestal was the most important one of Rome's high priestesses, and everyone respected her greatly. She was an older woman—significantly older than any of the priestesses under her—with gray hair and piercing eyes, which is why she was called "Granny" behind her back. Though, everyone knew that she was aware of it. Immediately bowing her head, Regina waited for her to begin talking before looking up again.

"A messenger just brought word that the emperor requests your presence at the palace as soon as possible." While it was said politely and with tact, Regina could hear the slight mistrust in the chief Vestal's voice. The chief's conduct was never unfair, however; she was simply sceptical about Regina's motives now that the brunette had influence. Regina understood that. She was, after all, the only one of the Vestals who'd had a life before joining their ranks, and no matter how passionately one wanted to fill her duty, the experiences of a life outside the temple were hard to shake.

"Of course, I'll go right away." When Granny remained standing at the door, quiet, Regina raised a questioning eyebrow. "Is there anything else I can do, Gr-, your Grace?"

"I simply want you to be careful," she said, studying Regina's face intently.

"I peg your pardon?"

"The city is full of snakes, Priestess, and they can be found in surprising places. I wouldn't want to see any of my girls getting bitten by one." Without elaborating further, she was gone, leaving a confused Regina standing at the doorway.

What in Jupiter's name was that?

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Regina was shielding her eyes from the afternoon sun, watching children run around in the courtyard as she waited for the emperor to join her. Standing on the balcony of the imperial palace, she followed as two girls played hide-and-seek just below her, their laughter and giggling filling the air. While others might've found the chipper noise joyful and wonderful, Regina only felt bitterness and woefulness.

"Claudia!" she heard someone call out for one of the girls, and soon a woman in her twenties strolled out into the yard. The little girl sprinted towards her, and the woman scooped her up in her arms, both laughing happily.

An odd sensation overcame Regina then as she watched the scene in front of her. It was a feeling of nostalgia, but how could she feel nostalgia over something that she'd never experienced in the first place? Fleetingly, she wondered how life might've been different if her mother had cared for her like this woman obviously cared for Claudia.

Her moody thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the emperor Titus. She bowed reverently and followed him as they walked in a leisurely pace along the outside corridor. Regina visited the palace fairly often in her role as a Vestal; it was well-known that the emperor favoured Regina when it came to imperial functions and ceremonies that required the presence of a Vestal priestess. The invitation, therefore, wasn't a surprise, but the way the emperor simply kept on walking without saying a word gave Regina pause.

Finally, after they had walked several minutes in silence, Titus glanced at his bodyguards and signalled them to give them space. "I need you to do something for me, Priestess."

"Your Eminence?" Regina frowned. She had expected to be asked to take part in yet another consecration of a temple, or to sacrifice a lamb in honour of Mars at the palace, which is why the serious tone somewhat startled her.

"It has come to my attention that there are people conspiring against me," Titus continued, seemingly unfazed by the information. "Now, there are always people who would rather condemn me to be thrown off the Tarpeian Rock than see me as their emperor, but most of them wouldn't dare do anything about it. This time, however, is different."

"How do you mean, your Eminence?"

"There are rumours about people in high places, maybe even as high as the Senate, wanting to dethrone me, or at least compromise my position as the rightful leader." Regina remained silent, sensing that Titus wasn't done. "It's not a surprise I have many enemies, we all do; it simply needs to be determined who the culprits are, and that is where you come in, Priestess."

"Your Highness?"

"I need you to be my eyes and ears around the city. People talk, they gossip. Because of your role as a Vestal and the influence you have, you get to hear that gossip. I need you to report back to me if you hear anything relevant."

"I see," Regina said, non-committed. Granny's earlier words about snakes suddenly popped into her head. She really didn't want to get in the middle of state politics, and she wasn't even entirely sure why Titus would think she was reliable enough. He knew full well about her past.

The emperor stopped, turning to look at Regina. "Now, you're probably wondering why I trust you. The truth of the matter is that I don't." Regina subconsciously stood up taller, her lips pressing into a thin line. "Everyone, absolutely everyone, has an agenda, and, thus, I distrust everyone by default. But I do trust the Vestal side of you, because it ought to prevent you from acting against Rome's best interests." He took a step closer. "And the stability of the empire would suffer greatly if there was a struggle for power at this time."

"I will do my best, your Excellence, to make sure the empire thrives." Regina bowed her head, unable to do anything but surrender under a power far greater than her own – no matter how much it irked her.

"That is what I wanted to hear." Titus nodded with finality, making it clear that their meeting was coming to an end. "Oh, I expect to see you at the games next week. I want the Vestals to be present and extend the protection of Vesta to the new amphitheatre as well, since it is finally opened." His tone didn't leave any room for objections.

"I wouldn't miss it." Again, there was nothing else she could've said.

The emperor nodded curtly and gestured his bodyguards to join him again. With one final look at Regina, he continued his stroll, leaving the Vestal standing alone once more. She turned towards the yard, mulling over what had just transpired. Scheming and plotting Regina understood; there was no way to avoid it anywhere in Rome, really. But somehow, she had once again been put in the middle of someone else's plan and forced to do other people's bidding, which she absolutely loathed.

Suddenly feeling anger bubble at the pit of her stomach, Regina wondered again how her life would've turned out if she had actually ever truly mattered to anyone.

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It was a scorching hot day when Regina and Kathryn made their way towards the arena in the Vestal carriages. Regina cursed inwardly as she felt the beads of sweat slip down her back, sticking the stola she was wearing to her skin. As they reached the arena, the bodyguards led them quickly through the winding hallways, past the booths selling food and people promoting different gladiators.

There were people everywhere, filling the amphitheatre to the brim. Taking their seats in the special box reserved for the Vestals—in all honesty, there's no way Regina would have ever turned up at the games if she had to sit with the commoners—they admired their surroundings. The arena truly was impressive, and Regina understood full well why the emperor Titus wanted to celebrate the new monument for all that it was worth. All in all, there would be a hundred days of celebration – it was an event like never before.

"Celadus is battling today, right after the noon break, I think I might bet on him," Kathryn mused as she eyed through the programme they had been provided before taking their seats. "Oh, the closing battle will be massive."

"How so?" Regina glanced over at the programme impassively.

"It's Cresces versus Urbicus." Regina nodded in recognition; everyone in Rome knew the two popular gladiators. "They've both won their last ten battles, so it's going to be a full on fight to the death."

Kathryn was going to comment on the issue some more, but didn't have the chance as the audience suddenly roared, seeing the first venatores and bestiarii, animal fighters, enter the arena. They walked straight to the emperor and saluted him, after which any conversation within the amphitheatre was practically impossible as the space was filled with the shouts and cheering of the crowd. The enthusiasm within the amphitheatre was incredible, and Regina, reluctantly, soon found herself rather enjoying the games along with the other spectators – certainly, there were worse ways to spend a day. Like the parties of those annoying social climbers, Regina thought with glee.

The atmosphere in the arena grew even more celebratory after the break at noon, because that meant the battles everyone was waiting for—the battles for which everyone was actually there—were just around the corner. The gladiators, the real gladiators, were about to take the stage and fight each other to the death. People were making bets, writing curses and well-wishes on their wish boards for the fighters, and buying food to last for the entire afternoon – no one wanted to miss a minute of the most important part of the day.

As the games finally resumed, Regina was swept away by the excitement, and although Celadus actually lost his battle—and, subsequently, his life—even Kathryn wasn't disappointed because of it for long. The afternoon was excellent, and as the final battle between Cresces and Urbicus was drawing nearer, everyone expected it to crown the perfect day.

The crowd was on their feet and the bellowing grew into overwhelming dimensions when Cresces eventually appeared on the arena, but the roaring severely toned down when the audience realised that the gladiator following him wasn't, in fact, Urbicus. The booing was instantaneous as the people felt cheated out of the battle of the year, and the ruckus relentlessly continued as the two gladiators made their way to stand in front of the emperor. He raised his hand and the stadium quieted.

"Morituri te salutant!" the gladiators shouted as they reached the emperor's private box. Those about to die salute you! An involuntary shiver went down Regina's spine. Despite seeing them as nothing but savages, she did respect the utter lack of fear the gladiators showed before each battle.

From the corner of her eye, Regina watched as someone from the emperor's retinue bowed down to whisper something in his ear, and after a moment, the emperor stood up. The noise in the arena died instantaneously.

"It has come to my attention that Urbicus is unable to battle today." A gasp of disappointment and rage went round the arena, and the emperor himself didn't look too pleased about the situation. It was unacceptable that the first day of the most incredible celebration would not be crowned with a first class battle between champions. "However," he continued after raising his hand and effectively quieting down the crowds once more, "Another gladiator will take Urbicus' place. Because of this hindrance, we will have double the number of champion battles for the next seven days!"

The crowd wasn't pleased with the situation at all, Regina could sense it all around her, but no one would have dared to cross the emperor who was so high above them all, so everyone let out a half-hearted cheer.

As the fighters took their places in the middle of the arena, Regina finally took a good look at Cresces' opponent. He was definitely less robust than Cresces, and shorter, too. He was wearing a leather armour which covered his torso (definitely in order to give him even a little leverage against a significantly better opponent), and a leathery loincloth type of thing that fell to mid-thigh. His shins were also covered, only with metal, and a helmet shielded his head and face, while only the ends of his long, blonde curls were visible. Just like Cresces, his weapon of choice was a traditional sword, which was odd, since usually gladiators with a different fighting styles fought against each other. Regina mentally rolled her eyes, everyone knew that Cresces was a master of the sword; his opponent didn't have a snowball's chance in the underworld of surviving more than a few blows.

"This is absolutely ridiculous," Regina heard Kathryn mutter next to her.

The emperor finally signalled the battle to begin, and the two gladiators slowly began circling each other; the crowd yelled for Cresces to slaughter his opponent at the spot. Indeed, Cresces was the first one to lunge at the other gladiator, but with surprising grace the latter easily blocked the move with his shield, causing the crowd to waver in its insults. Regina had nearly been out of her seat, ready to head out of the arena, but seeing the skilful defence of the underdog, she hesitated. When the same situation, the new gladiator blocking Cresces' attacks, was repeated several times more, an incredulous murmur went around the arena like wildfire. Regina sat down again, intrigued.

She couldn't help it; she found herself at the edge of her seat as she followed this mysterious gladiator's every move on the centre stage. When he eventually made his first, lightning-fast attack on Cresces, the latter was barely able to step away from the line of fire, and Regina could feel the opinion in the arena starting to turn against the star fighter. The two fought with such skill that Regina doubted she had ever seen anything like it. Amazingly, Cresces was the underdog from the beginning, and when his opponent finally delivered a blow that actually made contact with skin and caused a deep wound in Cresces' thigh, the audience was completely on the side of their new hero.

It was flawless. The newcomer wielded his sword with such precision and ease that it was almost as if the weapon was simply an extension of his arm. The fight neared its end, and Regina actually found herself holding her breath when the decisive blow came, cutting Cresces to his left calf so that he wasn't able to stay up on his feet anymore. The once celebrated gladiator was forced to raise his forefinger as a sign for asking for mercy. The crowd went wild as the favourite went down, and the unknown gladiator remained standing without a single wound or injury inflicted upon his body. This was precisely the reason why people had come to the games in the first place: unexpectedness had the best entertainment value.

Titus stood up slowly, in awe of what he had just seen, and listened to the crowd's reaction to Cresces' plea. The arena was filled with booing, and little by little, a steady mantra of "Iugula! Iugula! Kill! Kill!" grew stronger. That was enough for the emperor who calmly made his decision, altogether denying the defeated gladiator's request.

The winner, having seen Titus' hand gesture, calmly approached his opponent and came to a halt next to him. With his last ounces of strength, Cresces rose to his knees, took a hold of the winner's thigh, and exposed his neck. The new champion of the arena raised his sword, and Regina involuntarily swallowed. The crowd cheered as the lifeless body now lying on the sand was dragged away with a meat hook, and the lone gladiator still standing made his way to the emperor. He dropped on one knee in front of Titus, saluting him.

"Congratulations, Gladiator, that was quite a performance. Please, rise." Titus beamed; his games of the day had been miraculously saved. "Now, to whom should I attribute this remarkable victory? What is your name, Gladiator?"

The gladiator seemed to hesitate for a moment, but finally, he reached up to pull the helmet off his head. Regina immediately leaned forward, her mouth opening in surprise. An audible gasp could be heard around the arena, and Regina was quite sure she heard someone faint a few rows behind her.

Well, this certainly makes things interesting.

"Emma, Your Excellence. My name is Emma." The voice, or indeed the face of the person underneath the helmet, wasn't that of a man at all. Oddly spellbound, Regina watched the blonde haired woman stand confidently in front of the emperor, her chin held high, but her eyes cast to the ground in respect. She couldn't quite explain it, but Regina simply wasn't able to tear her gaze away from the sight in front of her; something in that mysterious woman in the ring made her stomach twist in nervous knots, which annoyed her greatly.

"Well, this is most unusual," Titus mused, clearly not quite knowing how to react to the surprising revelation of the victorious gladiator's identity. The audience was unusually quiet, making it impossible to determine what their will was. But, really, there was nothing the emperor could do, since the fighter had unquestionably won the battle. "Your journey shall continue in this arena. I wish you luck."

Regina watched as the woman took one final bow towards the emperor and then raised her sword, looking round the arena and at the crowd that had only moments before stood behind her. After a few seconds of silence—seconds the people seemed to need in order to make up their minds—the crowd broke out in cheering once more, giving the woman in the ring their wholehearted support. Against her better judgement, Regina found the corners of her mouth turning slightly upwards. Rome had never seen anything like that particular final battle of the day – and, in front of the applauding crowd, the look of absolute calmness and determination on the mysterious gladiator's face didn't waver an inch.

Regina was mesmerised by what she had seen, which was why, a few days later, she eagerly took up on Kathryn's offer to accompany her to the games again – much to her own surprise.

The arena was absolutely packed as word of the mysterious female gladiator had spread like wildfire around the city, and now everyone wanted to witness her in action. Unlike the first time, the mysterious woman's fight was going to be against only a semi-known gladiator, Valerius, so their battle was placed almost immediately after the noon break.

Indeed, they didn't need to wait long, because only a couple of fights in, Regina recognised the blonde gladiator walking towards the emperor's side of the arena. They saluted the emperor and then walked towards the centre of the sand field in order to start their battle. Wearing a slightly more revealing outfit than the first time around, the woman in the ring gripped her sword and shield, getting into the starting position. Her opponent was wielding a spear, and as the fight commenced, Regina could see that it was going to be very different from the one she had witnessed a few days earlier.

Similarly to her first fight, at first Emma was merely circling and observing her opponent. When he attacked, Emma easily blocked it with her shield, stepping gracefully away from his line of fire. The shield of the male gladiator was significantly smaller than Emma's, so she used that to her advantage: more than once she was able to breach her opponent's defences through his less guarded right side.

Finally, the battle gained speed as Emma delivered a blow that made contact with skin. Her opponent stumbled back slightly, and she was able to benefit from that, quickly striking back with her sword. As Valerius blocked it with his shield, Emma tripped him and he fell ungracefully to the sand. Quickly stepping over him and placing the tip of her sword under his chin, she seemed to study him for a moment, waiting out his decision. When a forefinger was raised and another victory for the female gladiator was sealed, Emma removed her helmet again, looking almost ambivalent about the situation. The crowd rose on their feet, cheering wildly. They had come to see the phenomenon everyone in Rome was talking about, and it had been more than worth it.

In awe, Regina watched the blonde work her audience, sword raised again and the, apparently, signature look of confidence on her face. After that day, there was no question who the Romans wanted to see fight the most: a surprising legend had been born.

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