“So tell me, why did you do it?” The King asked of his son. Cara and Tog looked from one to the other.
“We should take their land.” He replied almost whispering.
“What?” His Father asked.
“We should take their land Father.” He found his voice. “Are we not the stronger, the larger, most dominant tribe?” He looked at his brothers. “We aren’t all farmers, glad to work the land, rely on others to allow trade. The Regni control the coast where the goods come from Rome and Gaul. They could hold us to ransom, stop the imports, how would we live then?”
“What, what are you saying, can you hear yourself?” The King asked. “We have lived in peace with our neighbours for many years. They have never tried to stop the traders, messengers or anything else. We freely take goods to the coast to board the ships bound for Rome and elsewhere across the water, why would the Regni suddenly stop that? If they did, we would then do something about it but have they? Do they obstruct the flow of goods going either way? Is there something my son is aware of that I am not?”
“The Romans wouldn’t allow this.” Adminius said. “They wouldn’t let a lesser people dictate their commerce, their trade, who was allowed to barter with them, to reach their lands. They would crush them, so the problem didn’t exist.”
“We are not Romans Adminius, you are not Roman. For generations the different peoples of Albion fought and killed each other for land and where did it get them? I’ll tell you, nowhere, except for the borders we now see between us. Even they had to stop the fighting, the killing and slaughter eventually. In the end there was peace, no cross border attacks, no more wars and bloodshed and trade grew, peaceful co-existence, we’ve changed, we live side by side now and it is better this way. We no longer have to look to defend ourselves, trying to sleep at night wondering if we’re going to be attacked. You have never had to live like that, and for that you should be thankful, not go on about the mighty Roman way of life. Do you really believe they would let us live like we do if they came to Albion?”
“It is weak.” Adminius said. “And they aren’t as you say, you have never been there, how would you know?”
“How would I know? Did I not send you to Rome to study when you were younger?”
“Yes you did Father and I’m grateful, more so than you’ll ever know but we can’t carry on living like this. One day they’ll cross the channel with their legions and what will they find? They’ll find divided people with no unity, tribes that, as big as they are, are not one people.” Adminius said. “I’ve always said that we should be more like them and this is our chance but we have to be bigger, stronger and if we take the Regni lands and do with them as we please, the empire will respect us more so than they do now.”
The King sat shaking his head, “Where has this nonsense come from? Why now do you of all people decide that this should happen? There is no threat from Rome, why would they send their soldiers to Albion, they already trade with us.”
“Did we not send warriors to Gaul to fight against them?” Adminius asked.
“That was years ago. What relevance does that have to us now, today?” The king asked.
“Did Albion send warriors to fight against Rome in Gaul?” Adminius asked again, without waiting for a reply he continued, “The answer Father is yes and once the Gaul’s were defeated, the legions came to Albion.”
“And they were defeated.” The King said. “They were thrown back into the sea, twice they came and twice they lost, their great General, victor of Gaul, Caesar himself.”
“But Albion was not divided then as it is now, don’t you see? If we are stronger, they are more likely to be our allies, friends rather than our enemies.” Adminius said. “All we have to do is defeat the likes of the Regni and the lands all the way to the coast are ours. No longer would we have to rely on their goodwill, we would rule most of the south the most important part of the land as far as the empire is concerned. We can give them that step to the rest of the island.”
“What are you saying, give them our land? Why would we do this? Do you realise that what you’re saying isn’t real, there is no threat from Rome, there are no legions waiting to board ships and go to war, we are at peace with them.” The King repeated his frustration growing.
“No Father, the last thing I’m saying is that we should give them our lands but we can prevent them from trying to take them. Here let me show you.” Adminius said. Cunobelin bit his lip and nodded his permission as Adminius plucked a spear from the wall and began drawing in the earth.
“This is Rome,” he said sketching a long piece of land with a foot at the bottom, “here is Gaul, Germania and Hispania.” He drew a rough map of the known world. “Now years and years ago, the influence of the empire was here,” he indicated a line on the map, “but today,” he drew another, “it is here.” The drawing showed that the Roman Empire had come to their door and that only the channel and the Regni lands now separated them. For the first time that day the King was silent. He sat staring at the floor, at the rough map drawn by his son.
***
After the conversation with Adminius that day, Cunobelin became sullen and withdrawn. He had ordered that his unruly son be confined to their own borders and was not to be in the company of more than five of his friends or companions again. Still, the years passed and the events of the infringement into Regni territory were forgotten and life went on peacefully. There were no disputes with other tribes, reparations were made to the Regni King and his people and trading grew with Rome. The Catuevellauni even began minting their own coins, a lesson learned from traders and instead of bartering, many people then traded coins for goods.
In time, the restrictions on Adminius were all but forgotten as crops, herding, trading and the very chore of existing continued, life could be difficult enough as it was without keeping an eye on him. Cunobelin even began to let him meet with outsiders and to cross the border once more as the years took their toll and he began to age.
Things had never been the same between the brothers after that day years before. Adminius never forgave Tog for the death of his friend Smydion and Caratacus had just happened to be there, so he was equally blamed for undermining him. As the influence of Adminius grew, the warning signs were there for all to see except for the King, who had taken to his bed and could no longer govern effectively and so left the running of the land to his sons.
And so it was a few years later that another dispute occurred once more concerning the Regni when it was claimed that a herd of cattle had been stolen from a settlement in Catuvellauni territory and driven south. Adminius seized the opportunity to ride across the border with two hundred warriors and raised three settlements to the ground, killing those who had lived there and leaving nothing in his wake. He had returned home telling every one of his triumph and began making plans to conquer the Regni completely. Togodumnus and Caratacus were appalled by this and informed their king who was equally angered by his oldest son’s further betrayal.
Subsequently, Adminius was once again brought before his Father and King in the large hall, with his other sons present. As his eldest son tried to argue and give reasons for the attack, Cunobelin sat listening with tired eyes. When his heir was finished Cunobelin spoke.
“I have been too ill of late to keep a close watch on you as I promised I would, just a few years ago and you have betrayed me for the last time. Maybe you saw me getting frailer and reasoned that you could do as you pleased as you have once more, but I am not too old to see the evil in you.” Adminius tried to speak but his Father raised a hand silencing him.