The first thing that you notice is that you're mounted on a horse, approaching the settlement at the walk up a beaten track that leads from a wood. Beside you ride three Roman officers. Twisting around in your saddle a column of marching legionaries is directly behind you with small groups of auxiliary cavalry on their flanks.
"Hah, here we are Africanus. This is the shithole Boudicca lives in." A voice beside you announces. "You should enjoy this. When she hears Gaius's proclamation it should take the ginger bitch down a peg or two."
You realise that the comment was addressed to you and turn to the speaker. From his uniform the man is a legatus, a legion commander. You remember that there were four legions in Britannia at the time of the revolt and in this area it was the IX Hispana which would make the legate Quintus Petillius Cerialis.
"As you say Quintus Petillius." You reply, finding you can speak fluent latin.
You look down at your own uniform for clues on your identity. You wear the garb of an auxiliary cavalry officer, a decurian to be precise. Presumably that means you command the Numidian horsemen you saw. You look at your hands and see that they are a deep brown so you must be Numidian yourself. That fits with the name Quintus addressed you by, so you're a Romanised north African tribesman called Africanus.
To one side a light celtic chariot has halted near the entrance to Boudicca's settlement. The occupants were interrupted during javelin practice. You peer at them curiously as you trot past. Two girls stand in the chariot, a blonde of perhaps twenty with long hair and short spiky haired redhead a year or two her junior. Both surprisingly wear clothes more fitting for celtic boys and each have golden torcs around their slender necks. They scowl at your troop, undoubtably these must be Boudicca's daughters.
"Hah, an eye for the girls eh Africanus?" Quintus remarks. "These Iceni sluts can be a real handful. If you like a rough fuck with biting and scratching it's exhilerating to chase one down. You'll need a strong hand mind to slap some submission into the vicious little whores."
You wheel your horses off the track as the legionaires enter the village through it's main gate and with military precision split into two lines. They march directly into the open space at the centre of the village before turning in unison and marching outwards, effectively and firmly clearing the open space of curious Iceni. The Britons themselves though muttering and angry make no move to oppose the entry of the Romans or the clearing of the open space. You recall at this time the Iceni is considered a client kingdom of Rome and though affronted by the Roman intrusion are unaware of the Romans change in stance to the Iceni. The Britons outnumber the Romans at least two to one, but scarcely a quarter of that number are men of fighting age and of these only a handful are armed.
Once the foot troops have cleared an open space you follow Quintus into the village. The legatus, yourself and two other Roman officers line up facing the largest of the thatched huts and your Numidian cavalry fall into formation just behind you.
After a pause the door of the hut is pushed open and a tall woman emerges backed by a handful of Iceni warriors. The woman is in her mid thirties and strikingly beautiful, she walks forward tall and proud with a regal air. Her hair is a gingery blonde shade and falls in thick braids to her wide hips. She wears a long crimson dress held up at the shoulder by big golden brooches and a finely worked torc of bright gold is around her neck.
"Boudicca?" You ask Quintus and he grunts and gives a curt nod in response.
"Hail legate Quintus Petillius Cerialis." Boudicca calls loudly as she halts a dozen paces in fron of the your party. "How pleasent that our Roman friends have chosen to visit us. I wish that you had sent a rider ahead so that I could have slaughtered cattle in your honour and prepared a banquet."
"Hail." Quintus replies in a bored and offhand manner, omitting both Boudicca's name and rank. "It pleases Rome that you value our friendship so highly. Since this is the case I bring you news that will cause you to rejoice."
"Really, and what is this joyous news Quintus?" Boudicca asks, her voice tinged with suspicion.
The legate pulls a scroll from a saddlebag and clears his throat noisily before loudly reading a proclamation in Latin.
"By order of Caus Decianus, procurator of the province of Britannia. It is with sadness that we are informed of the death of Rome's dear friend and valued ally Prasutagus, king of the Iceni Magna. As is the custom in these cases, with Prasutagus dying without legitimate issue the treaty granting client kingdom status to the Iceni is hereby ended. Iceni lands are forthwith to be incorporated into the province of Britannia and the citizen's dwelling within said lands subject to Roman law and protection."
Quintus rolls up the scroll and sits back on his horse, smiling at Boudicca as though he expects her to burst into applause.
"Of course all Iceni of sufficient rank such as yourself will be afforded full Roman citizenship." Quintus adds. "I hope for a short while you'll continue to play an important role as we appoint officials and audit Iceni lands to allow accurate taxation to commence." |