Victoria raked a pile of live coals together and set a trivet over them. She put a pot of water and grains on to boil a puls. The men were spending a day to rest and cook rations. Someone had slaughtered a sheep and Victoria laid some mutton chops on the grate of the campstove, then began a simple dough for bread. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see one of her Uncle Artaxis' couriers standing behind her, a tablet in his hand.
"Is this what I think it is?" Victoria asked as she broke the seal.
"I'm afraid so, Lady," he said.
"I'll give this to Prefect Lucius and get you a response," she said. "Feel free to use the fire and cook your food if you have any."
"Thank you, Lady," he said.
Victoria entered Lucius' tent and caught his eye. He stepped aside with her, along with Prince Alexion of Emessa, Eleni's oldest brother, and two other allied commanders. Victoria read her Uncle's hurried writing and translated as she did so.
...By the time you receive this, Artaxata will have fallen. I am hoping to link with Juba any day but doubt we can hold out till then. Sent Young Marcus back to Juba yesterday with a plan to slow Tigranes' advance which I hope he wiill adopt, but not counting on it. We will have to run and fight...
Victoria read through the letter, her frustration mounting.
"He doesn't say what they're planning," she said.
"I can guess," Lucius said. "The Parthians almost brought Grandfather to grief by cutting his supply lines. Artaxis and Juba are trying to turn the tables by doing the same, this time around."
"To late to save Artaxata," Victoria said.
"Armenia may be overrun," Lucius said. "But we have to find a place to force them to battle on our terms."
"Father's done it before," Victoria said.
Lucius conferred with Alexion and the others and dictated a response, which Victoria translated, wrote, and handed to Lucius for his signature. She sealed the tablet with Mark Antony's lion head emblem. Artaxis would understand that though Lucius had written it, it had General Marcus' approval, as well. She handed the tablet to the Armenian courier along with a full canteen of water.
"Can he at least eat before he goes?" Victoria asked.
"Quickly," Lucius said.
Victoria ladled some pulse into a bowl. The man gulped it down, took the canteen and tablet, and left. Lucius and Alexion also ate as another courier galloped into camp and dropped down from his saddle. Thin, bearded, filthy with trail dust, Bolt approached his uncle and brother-in-law and they spoke together for several minutes before Bolt sat down by the fire, pulled his helmet off his head, and took the bowl Victoria handed him. He used a griddle cake to shovel the puls in his mouth.
"Eleni had the baby," Victoria said.
Bolt nodded.
"Can you do me a favor?" he asked between bites. "Write to her. I don't even have time to do that much. Tell her I love her and miss her. Tell her I can't wait to see him. At least he has a cousin to grow up with. Tell her about all our favorite places and-"
He drew a sharp breath and bit his lip.
"Just tell her everything, Victory," he said.
Victoria took his hand.
"Victory and Bolt, Marillus and Marcellus," she said. "Gens Antonii rides and will ride again."
He smiled, his eyes glistening.
YOU ARE READING
Domina Victrix
Historical FictionDescendants of Triumvir Mark Antony through his little-known first wife, young cousins, Victoria and Marcus, have always known they were heirs to a mixed-blessing heritage. Roman men were expected to brutally dominate their families and the world a...
