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A review by daydreamer45
The Gladiator's Master by Marguerite Labbe, Fae Sutherland
5.0
Beautifully developed. I love it. Not despite, but because of being a 'love conquers all' story.
Caelius’s eyes widened, then his brows knit in confusion. “What?”
“Tell me again that you love me.”
Pain filled his lover’s eyes and Gaidres memorized the sight of it. He would spend his life making up for having caused such pain with his foolishness and hard-headed fear. He knew what Caelius must be thinking, that Gaidres intended to spurn him again.
Still, Caelius spoke, his voice a bare whisper. “I love you.”
Gaidres’s free hand came up to cup Caelius’s cheek, thumb brushing his bruised cheekbone. His heart pounding.
“I love you, too. My fear ruined that moment and for that I forever beg your forgiveness. I will not allow my fear to ruin any more.” He gave Caelius’s hand a gentle squeeze. “I am yours.”
“Mine?” Caelius repeated in a daze, as if sure he had not heard correctly. “You love me?”
“I love you, Caelius,” he said again with a smile, still holding his hand. “And I’ll spend my life proving it to you.”
He lifted his hand to touch Gaidres’s face. “I knew you cared, no matter how you denied it, but I did not think that I had been so blessed to have won your heart yet. I…I thought…I was so afraid that after this…that after we found each other, you’d never risk…”
Gaidres cut him off with a shake of his head. “I am done being the fool. Just promise me that you will regain your strength quickly and never scare me like this again.”
“Do not mistake gentleness for weakness, or confuse mercy with the inability to take care of my own.”
Spoiler
Gaidres took a deep breath. “Caelius. Tell me again that you love me.”Caelius’s eyes widened, then his brows knit in confusion. “What?”
“Tell me again that you love me.”
Pain filled his lover’s eyes and Gaidres memorized the sight of it. He would spend his life making up for having caused such pain with his foolishness and hard-headed fear. He knew what Caelius must be thinking, that Gaidres intended to spurn him again.
Still, Caelius spoke, his voice a bare whisper. “I love you.”
Gaidres’s free hand came up to cup Caelius’s cheek, thumb brushing his bruised cheekbone. His heart pounding.
“I love you, too. My fear ruined that moment and for that I forever beg your forgiveness. I will not allow my fear to ruin any more.” He gave Caelius’s hand a gentle squeeze. “I am yours.”
“Mine?” Caelius repeated in a daze, as if sure he had not heard correctly. “You love me?”
“I love you, Caelius,” he said again with a smile, still holding his hand. “And I’ll spend my life proving it to you.”
He lifted his hand to touch Gaidres’s face. “I knew you cared, no matter how you denied it, but I did not think that I had been so blessed to have won your heart yet. I…I thought…I was so afraid that after this…that after we found each other, you’d never risk…”
Gaidres cut him off with a shake of his head. “I am done being the fool. Just promise me that you will regain your strength quickly and never scare me like this again.”
“Do not mistake gentleness for weakness, or confuse mercy with the inability to take care of my own.”