I waved him away but he still stood there, something obviously on his mind.
‘Is there anything else?’
For once Surena was hesitant. He looked at Gallia, who frowned at him. ‘I would like to ask the queen something.’
She regarded him coolly. ‘Spit it out, then.’
‘I would like to ask your permission to marry Viper.’
Domitus rolled his eyes and Praxima laughed. Godarz shook his head while Nergal nodded approvingly.
‘To ask for the hand of an Amazon is no small thing,’ replied Gallia.
‘I realise that, majesty.’ Surena was certainly trying his best to please her.
‘I wish to know what Viper has to say about this,’ said Gallia.
‘Is that really necessary?’ I asked, my question being met by a steely blue-eyed stare. ‘Very well, very well. Guard, go and fetch Viper.’
He bowed and left. I just hoped that the Amazons were not on the training fields otherwise we could be here for hours. Surena stood like a statue, staring ahead.
‘Sit down, Surena,’ I told him, ‘you are making me feel uncomfortable.’
He perched on the end of a chair. Now he looked like a sitting statue.
‘Good job he’s not as nervous as this in battle,’ remarked Domitus, ‘otherwise Pacorus would be having his bones picked clean by buzzards by now.’
Some ten minutes later Viper arrived, with short-cut hair and her shirt clinging to her girlish figure. It was hard to believe that she was one of my wife’s most accomplished killers. I had to admit that she had a certain beauty. Her skin was flawless and she had large brown eyes with a small nose and chin. Surena stood up when she entered and stood by her side, Viper smiling at him.
‘Viper,’ snapped Gallia. ‘You know that I love you and the Amazons like sisters.’
‘Yes, majesty,’ even Viper’s voice was like that of a young girl.
‘And you know that you will always have a home here, at Dura.’
Viper smiled at Gallia and nodded. I began to see why Surena was so attracted to her. She was certainly disarming.
‘Marriage is a union of equals,’ continued Gallia, ‘not the possession of a woman by a man. You must not feel that you are being coerced into anything.’
‘I would never…’ protested Surena.
‘Silence!’ barked Gallia.
‘We love each other, majesty, we truly do,’ said Viper.
Gallia sighed and then walked over to Viper and embraced her. ‘Then you have my blessing. May you both be happy.’
She waved them away. They both bowed and then left us, arms round each other and their laughter filling the air. Later, when we were alone, I asked Gallia why she had been so opposed to their union.
‘I was being selfish, I suppose. This will be the beginning.’
‘The beginning?’
‘Viper’s marriage will be like a small stone that starts a rockslide. Soon more of the Amazons will wish to marry.’ She suddenly looked sad. ‘I suppose that I wanted things to stand still, that is all. Time moves on relentlessly and I sometimes think … it doesn’t matter.’
I pulled her close. ‘Alas, my love, only the gods have the power to make time stand still. But you must admit that Surena and Viper are happy. And I think he will make a good husband.’
She kissed me on the cheek. ‘You are probably right.’
Another group of individuals who were also happy were the Roman engineers that we had captured the previous year. At first they had been confined to a large house in the west of the city that had belonged to one of Mithridates’ cronies during his brief reign in the city. They had been placed under guard and their siege engines had been placed in a secure warehouse on the other side of the city as a precaution against them being sabotaged by their former owners. At first the Romans were surly and uncooperative, but after a few weeks, when it became clear that they were not going to be abused or sold into slavery, their attitude slowly improved. Domitus and Godarz visited them frequently and gained their trust, and after a while they were permitted to leave their lodgings and venture into the city. During my time away in Gordyene they had frequently dined with Godarz in his house, talking about Rome and Italy no doubt, and gradually they came to accept their situation more readily. As the months passed their guards were reduced and then removed altogether and they were even allowed outside the city. During the recent siege they had worked their engines to destroy the Mesenian siege towers that had assaulted Dura. This had turned them into heroes in the city, and afterwards they had been deluged with invitations to banquets and had been sent many gifts from a grateful populace.
A week after all the kings had departed I went to see them. They now came and went as they chose, and because they were not part of the army their time was largely their own. The first thing I noticed when I walked down to their accommodation with Domitus was how they had all put on a few pounds in weight, more than a few pounds in some cases. Their leader was a man named Marcus Sutonius, the same individual I had spoken to directly after the defeat of Lucius Furius all those months ago. Then he had been lean and surly, today he was stockier and much more agreeable. The rest of his men gathered behind him as I spoke to them in the courtyard that fronted their living quarters. Their home was surrounded by a high wall with a large gate directly opposite the house’s main entrance, with its stables and store rooms along the walls either side of the courtyard. Its security had made it an ideal prison, but now the gate was open and there were no guards. I stood next to the fountain that was in the middle of the courtyard.
‘I wanted to thank you all for your help during the recent siege,’ I said.
‘Just doing our job, sir,’ replied Marcus. ‘Lucky you had that Eastern liquid. We just poured it in some clay pots, sealed them and tied rags doused in pitch round the tops, which we then lit. When they shattered it burned nicely. No wonder you keep it under lock and key.’
‘Indeed. Well, your actions helped to save the city and my daughter, so I have come to tell you that you are all free to leave Dura. I had desired that you aid me in another venture, but in all conscience I cannot hold you here any longer after what you have all done.’
Marcus turned and looked at his men, who all seemed remarkably underwhelmed that they were now free men. One or two looked almost distraught. Marcus cleared his throat.
‘Thank you for your kindness, sir, but the fact is that me and the lads, well, we wouldn’t mind staying around for a while longer if you have a use for us. Like you said.’
There were murmurs of agreement behind him and his men were nodding to each other. Clearly their pleasant confinement at Dura was more agreeable than service in the Roman army.
I looked at Domitus, whose face betrayed no emotion.
‘Well,’ I said, ‘your offer is gladly accepted. Your services will be indispensible for the coming campaign, so I thank you.’
‘Thank you, sir, we won’t let you down,’ replied Marcus.
Afterwards, as we were walking back to the Citadel, Domitus questioned me.
‘The first I’ve heard of any campaign.’
‘That’s because it is the first time that I have mentioned it.’
I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was unhappy. ‘If you are planning a war you should have told me and you should also have persuaded the kings to stay at Dura.’
‘We do not need them, Domitus. What I have in mind will not take long and Dura’s army will be more than sufficient.’
He was still far from happy. ‘May I ask the nature of this new campaign?’
I smiled. ‘All will be revealed at the meeting of the war council.’
Chapter 20
I summoned the council that afternoon and it convened on the palace balcony five hours after midday. It had been nearly two months since we had defeated Chosroes outside the city wall and my leg had now healed fully, though I had a nasty scar where the wound had been, as had my arm. Fortunately I also had no limp, though Alcaeus informed me that I still might develop one in later life — something to look forward to in my old age!