Victoria splashed water in a basin to wash her face, thinking back over her life the past few weeks. King Ptolemy and his Roman wife Urania had welcomed them. The King was delighted with Little Ptolemy, who soon bonded with him in the absence of Bolt and Lucius. Victoria had the use of Queen Selene's reading room, which made a pleasant office, and she quickly had no end of charities and projects.
Juba, too, was flourishing at home. He was on leave from the Roman Army, and appointed as head of the cavalry in his brother's provincial forces. He was letting his hair grow into the traditional braids worn by Numidian horsemen, and wore a Massyli tunic with a turban and neck scarf, instead of garrison dress. He walked into Victoria's dressing room as she finished wrapping her hair and found her shawl and basket of medical instruments.
"Ready, Love," she said and wound her arm through his.
The morning walk to work was a pleasant highlight. Caesarensis was nowhere near Rome, Antioch, or Alexandra, with a population of several thousand compared to the hundreds of thousands in other cities, yet it boasted the same amenities, paved streets, an aqueduct for running water, seperate castra for the Roman and Provincial garrisons, each with its own vici.
"Where to, today?" Juba asked.
"I have several cases with III, so sick call there, then over to the vicus," Victoria said.
"Very well," he said. "I'm so proud of you and the way people are accepting you."
"Legate Bricius was eager to have a physician," she said. "Did you know his brother is Father's Broad Stripe back home."
"Small world," Juba said.
He walked her to the gate of the castrum and kissed her goodbye before leaving. She greeted the sentries by name and made her way along the Via Principalis to the medical office. The Legate, a towering Gaul with red-gold hair and piercing blue eyes crossed her path.
"Good morning, Sir," she said.
"Good morning, Princess. Do you know Prince Juba's schedule?"
"He's at the Provincial castrum all day," she said. "I think something's going on."
"In more ways than one," he said. "I'm glad you're a hardy traveler, because you're going to need it. I'll leave it at that."
He moved on and Victoria opened the infirmary as a line formed on the porch. She wondered which of the desert tribes was acting up now and called her first patient forward.
....
Senator Julius sat down to breakfast, wondering why Beaky had not joined him, as he always did. He sent a servant to fetch him. The houseman soon returned.
"The Tribune says he's not hungry and asks to be excused."
"That boy is always hungry," Julius said to Canidius.
"I think we're all still a little shaken up," Canidius said.
"I wish someone would tell me what went on," Julius said.
"That makes all of us," Gaius said as he came in and sat down at the work table in Julius' office. Claudius followed him.
"I need news of my son and nobody's talking," he said.
"Can I speak freely?" Canidius said.
"Please do, Legate," Claudius said.
"I'm an outsider," Canidius said. "All I know of your family is what I've seen so far, good, hardworking, upstanding people. I've never been around royalty other than Prince Juba or Princess Eleni, who are polite and decent enough. What I saw on Capri is a world away."
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...
