Plautius grunted. ‘I’m sure you’re right, Vespasian; it is very frustrating for all of us but that’s how it is. It won’t do to have discord amongst us so we’ll say no more about it, will we, Corvinus?’
Corvinus jutted his jaw out but then clearly thought better of continuing the argument. ‘No, sir.’
‘Good. The supply ships have all been loaded and moved out of the harbour. We begin the embarkation of the army at midday tomorrow; the men will spend the night on the ships and then we’ll sail with the tide an hour after midnight. Any questions?’
The four legates shook their heads.
‘Have your legions and attached auxiliaries parade in full gear, and with seventeen days’ rations issued, in front of the camps at noon tomorrow. Dismiss, gentlemen.’
Vespasian saluted along with the other three legates and turned to march smartly out next to Sabinus; Corvinus followed with Geta.
‘What are you playing at, bumpkin?’ Corvinus drawled in Vespasian’s ear as a slave closed the reception room doors behind them. ‘I would have thought that it would delight you and your cuckolded brother to see Plautius try and remove me from my command.’
Sabinus spun around, grabbing Corvinus by the throat, slamming him against the corridor wall. ‘What did you call me?’
Corvinus brought his right arm cracking up onto Sabinus’, breaking his grip. ‘Just what you are.’
Vespasian grabbed his brother by the shoulders as Geta stepped in front of Corvinus. ‘Leave him, brother! Come away.’ Sabinus struggled for a few moments as Vespasian pulled him back.
Corvinus smirked over Geta’s shoulder. ‘The truth hurts, doesn’t it?’
Sabinus seethed. ‘I will have you one day, you arrogant cunt; I’ll bring you down.’
‘I find that most unlikely with my sister in the Emperor’s bed.’
‘She won’t be there forever, she-’
‘Sabinus!’ Vespasian shouted.
Corvinus scoffed. ‘And just who is going to drag her out? You?’ He abruptly stopped and then smiled knowingly. ‘Or Narcissus? Is that what he kept you behind to discuss the other day? Is that why your bumpkin brother supported me just now? That was quite out of character. Why else would you want me to remain in my command unless it was to give the impression that everything was normal? That oily Greek is moving against my sister and you two are part of it.’
‘Don’t be so stupid, Corvinus,’ Vespasian said, pushing his brother behind him. ‘Why would he do that? He has the Emperor’s best interests at heart.’
Corvinus raised both eyebrows. ‘Really? I suppose that’s true insofar as they coincide with his own; after that, I doubt it. Good evening, gentlemen; thank you for this little chat, it has been most enlightening.’ He walked away; Geta followed him with a scowl at the brothers.
Vespasian turned on Sabinus. ‘That was very-’
‘Don’t tell me, you little shit; I’m well aware of how stupid that was.’
Vespasian woke just before dawn to the sound of men striking camp. He felt Caenis’ warm body nestled in the crook of his arm and spent a few moments listening to her soft breathing, knowing that it would be a long time before they would share such intimacy again; that night would be spent aboard the ship waiting to take them to the savage island across the sea.
Nuzzling his face into her hair he breathed in her scent and kissed her tenderly before easing his arm out from under her and slipping out of bed.
‘Is it time to go, my love?’ Caenis asked sleepily as he fastened his loincloth.
‘My officers are reporting to me soon and then I’ll be busy the rest of the day getting my men aboard.’
‘Then we had better say goodbye now. Narcissus wants me to travel back to Rome, with his personal despatches for the Emperor, as soon as you have embarked.’
Vespasian sat back down on the bed and took her in his arms.
‘Will it be a very long time, Vespasian?’
‘At least two years, probably more.’
‘Little Domitilla will be three or four before she meets her father.’
‘That’s assuming that some clay-covered savage doesn’t do for me first.’
‘Don’t talk like that, my love, it brings bad luck. You’ll be fine, I know it.’
‘I’ve got letters for Flavia, mother and Gaius for you to take back to Rome, if that’s all right.’
Caenis kissed his cheek. ‘Of course it is. Flavia and I are on very good terms, much to your mother’s confusion; she even has little Titus address me as aunty. Although every time he does so I wish he was calling me mother instead.’
Vespasian held her tight, unable to reply. He was only too aware of just how much Caenis had sacrificed to be with him. ‘Stay safe in Rome, try and keep away from the palace as much as possible. I imagine that Narcissus’ scheming will escalate now that Sabinus has been so indiscreet.’
‘I can’t, I have to be there every day now that I’m working for him, even though he’s remaining here. But even if he and Messalina are openly at war, she wouldn’t be able to bring him down; Claudius relies on him too much.’
‘She might try to have him murdered.’
‘Narcissus is a very cautious man; he even has a slave taste his food. But even if she was successful I wouldn’t be harmed because I’m no threat to her. And anyway, because I stayed hidden for so long during Caligula’s reign, I doubt that she even knows my name.’
‘Let’s hope that is the case.’
‘I’m sure it is. The person who should be worried is Sabinus; Narcissus was not at all pleased.’
‘That is an understatement,’ Vespasian said, thinking of the brothers’ interview with Narcissus shortly after Sabinus’ indiscretion with Corvinus. Narcissus had flown into a rage, which had expressed itself with a hardening of the eyes into an icy glare and his voice becoming very quiet and clipped as he tore into Sabinus. The humiliation of being so spoken to by a mere freedman had almost been too much for Sabinus to bear and Vespasian had had to place a calming hand on his brother’s shoulder at the point when Narcissus called him incompetent and threatened to relieve him of his command. It was not until Vespasian had pointed out that Corvinus had absolutely no proof of his suspicions, which were based purely on assumption, that Narcissus calmed down and called for a Praetorian centurion to organise the interception of any courier leaving Corvinus’ camp that night. It was, however, only a temporary measure and they all knew that Corvinus would find a way of alerting his sister to what he suspected. Narcissus had dismissed them with a curt warning that if he had not managed to get rid of Messalina by the time that they got back to Rome then they would find themselves choosing between the options of suicide or murdering the Empress and then being executed for the crime.
‘You should go, my love,’ Caenis said, kissing his lips. ‘I can’t bear long-drawn-out goodbyes.’
‘Nor me.’ Vespasian stood and slipped his tunic on over his head.
‘Sir! Sir!’ Magnus’ voice shouted from the living area of the tent.
‘I know, I’m coming.’
Magnus popped his head through the curtains dividing off the sleeping area. ‘No, you don’t know. Mucianus sent me to get you; we’ve got a massive problem: the lads are refusing to strike the camp.’
‘What? That’s mutiny. Who are the ringleaders?’
‘That’s just it, sir, there don’t appear to be any; you see it’s not just the Second Augusta, it’s all four legions and all the auxiliaries. They’re united. They realised that when they were ordered to strike camp that meant that it was the real thing, not training, and they don’t like it. They say the island is watched over by powerful gods and full of strange spirits and they won’t go. As the old saying goes, they have no desire for the unknown. The whole army has refused to embark; they won’t go to Britannia.’
‘I suggest that you assemble the army and speak to them immediately, general, or I’ll see you going back to Rome in chains,’ Narcissus threatened without any preamble, barging into Plautius’ briefing room, his voice as brittle as ice. ‘And yours is not the only career that will be curtailed.’ He looked menacingly around the assembled legates, auxiliary prefects, tribunes and camp prefects of the army.