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Chapters (76)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. I
  4. II
  5. III
  6. I - INVADER AD 43-70
  7. I
  8. II
  9. III
  10. IV
  11. V
  12. VI
  13. VII
  14. VIII
  15. IX
  16. X
  17. XI
  18. XII
  19. XIII
  20. XIV
  21. XV
  22. XVI
  23. XVII
  24. XVIII
  25. XIX
  26. XX
  27. XXI
  28. XXII
  29. XXIII
  30. XXIV
  31. XXV
  32. XXVI
  33. II - BUILDER AD 122-138
  34. I
  35. II
  36. III
  37. IV
  38. V
  39. VI
  40. VII
  41. VIII
  42. IX
  43. X
  44. XI
  45. XII
  46. XIII
  47. XIV
  48. XV
  49. XVI
  50. XVII
  51. XVIII
  52. XIX
  53. XX
  54. XXI
  55. III - EMPEROR AD 314—337
  56. I
  57. II
  58. III
  59. IV
  60. V
  61. VI
  62. VII
  63. VIII
  64. IX
  65. X
  66. XI
  67. XII
  68. XIII
  69. XIV
  70. XV
  71. EPILOGUE
  72. I
  73. II
  74. III
  75. IV
  76. Afterword

It paid to tell an emperor what he wanted to hear, but she saw no point in concealing what must be obvious. ‘We’ve grown apart.’

‘But you loved Cunedda!’

‘I did. But—’But the vast dislocation of the invasion had overwhelmed their petty human plans, and the death of her brother seemed to have aged Agrippina prematurely. ‘I think I simply grew out of him.’

He studied her. ‘I do understand, I think. But tell me: if you are no longer in love, what are your plans now?’

‘Plans?’ She frowned. ‘You make the plans.’

Claudius looked irritated. ‘Well, then, tell me your dreams.’

‘Cunedda is a potter, like his father before him. I think he would like to go home. Back to Britain. And to begin building up his family’s business once more.’

Claudius nodded. ‘A shrewd choice. Believe me, now that you are part of Rome there will be a market for his pots!’ He tapped his teeth. ‘I see no reason to keep the boy here - not past the triumph next year, anyway. I will talk to Narcissus about it.’

She nodded. ‘Thank you.’

‘And what of you?’

‘I would like to stay here in Rome,’ she said firmly. ‘As you said I am a Roman now. I believe I have wits. Perhaps I could be a clerk, a chronicler.’

‘Oh, you may do better than that. I see promise in you. As a barbarian, indeed as a non-Roman, you will face prejudice; I wouldn’t hide that. But you could support a suitable husband in an appropriate profession: a lawyer, perhaps, or a moneylender.’

‘Or I might just make my own way,’ she said.

He raised his thick eyebrows. ‘You are ambitious indeed.’

More than even you know, she thought to herself. After all she had already come far. She had survived the storm of invasion. She had plotted the assassination of an emperor, and survived that too. Now here she was, a woman from the edge of the world at the centre of everything.

And, though her hatred of Rome had become meaningless so complete was its victory over her, she still clutched one dark ambition to her heart.

Claudius was immersed once more in his books and parchments. He had probably already forgotten she was here. With a bow she backed out of his presence and left the room.

XXIV

XXIV

It was when the Romans began to use their siege weapons in earnest, when a cloud of iron-tipped projectiles came sailing over the burning walls of the hill fort to penetrate the bare skulls of posturing Durotriges warriors, that Nectovelin knew the war was lost, and that Britain would not be rid of Romans in his lifetime. And when a bolt penetrated his leg - he could feel his kneecap shatter like a bit of smashed pottery - he knew his own battle was over.