Beloved

Then, together, they went aboard the Sea Nymph to be warmly greeted by Captain Paulus. Charmian took Mavia off to see the ship, and the others settled themselves while Zenobia and Marcus spoke with the captain.

'The next tide is two hours after midday, sir,' the captain said. 'With your permission we can sail then.'

'Is there a reason to stay longer, my love?' Marcus asked.

'No,' she replied. 'I am willing to sail this day.'

'So be it then!' Marcus looked to the captain, who nodded his agreement.

'We've all our supplies aboard, and plenty of fresh water, sir. If you, my lady, need any extras you would be wise to purchase them now. I can have one of my men escort you to the harbor shops.'

'I do not think that I lack for anything,' Zenobia replied, 'but I shall call my servants and visit the shops you suggest. Mayhap in the looking we will see something we need. Your escort will be most welcome.'

Zenobia sought out Dagian and Adria, and the three women spent the next hour shopping in the company of two brawny sailors. As they returned to the Sea Nymph Zenobia's heart lurched as she saw a familiar figure standing upon the deck with her husband. The three women climbed the gangway, and while Adria hurried to store away their few purchases Dagian and Zenobia came forward to meet Marcus and his guest.

'Gaius Cicero, it is good to see you,' Dagian said cordially.

The tribune bowed from the waist, and replied, 'And as always, Lady Dagian, it is good to see you. You are well?'

'I am. How is Clodia? And your children?'

'They thrive.'

There was a short awkward silence, and then Dagian said, 'Come, Zenobia, let us see to Mavia.'

'No.' Marcus looked to his wife. 'You go, Mother. I would like Zenobia to stay here with us for a few moments. You will keep Mavia occupied for us.'

Dagian withdrew, and Zenobia looked at the two men. 'Well,' she said, 'what is it? I can tell that all is not right.'

'I have an order for your return to Rome, Majesty.'

'Never!'

Both men were startled by the vehemence in her reply, and in an effort to calm her Marcus put a hand on her arm, but she shook it off angrily.

'I would the before I would return to Rome, Gaius Cicero. I am tired of wars, and I am tired of politics! My only wish now is to live my life in peace. If I cannot then take your sword and kill me, for I will not return to Rome!' She looked to her husband. 'Have you told him?'

Marcus shook his head.

'Tell him!' she commanded.

'Tell me what?' Gaius Cicero looked puzzled.

'Zenobia and I have been married for two months now, Gaius. We have witnesses-my mother and Zenobia's two freedwomen.'

'By the gods,' the tribune said in a low voice, 'you are leaving Italy!'

'We are.'

'I cannot let you, Marcus. The senate must be informed of Queen Zenobia's marriage to you. They will, of course, set the marriage aside, for with a mate the queen becomes dangerous once more to Rome. I'm sorry, but I cannot let you go.' He looked honestly regretful.

'You owe me!' Zenobia snarled, and suddenly she was once again all queen. She drew herself up to her full height, and looking Gaius Cicero directly in the eye, her gaze was proud. He remembered the first time he had seen her standing in ah her queenly array atop the walls of Palmyra, defying the mighty Roman Empire. 'I warned you of Aurehan's impending fall so that your wife need not mourn your death, so that your children both born and unborn would not lose their father. Gaius Cicero, I gave you your life! Now give me mine!'

'Majesty, if it were my decision I would wish you Neptune's own luck wherever you went. But it is not my decision. I am only a servant of the empire, but I am a good servant. I will not betray my people.'

'We do not ask you to betray Rome, Gaius,' Marcus said quietly. 'Zenobia and I have nothing to do with Rome. We are nothing more but a man and his wife trying to begin anew amid the ruins of our old lives. Palmyra is gone. It will never again arise from the destruction that Rome inflicted upon it. Its young king lives in exile with his family, its younger prince is lost in time. There is no longer a Queen of Palmyra, there is only Zenobia, the wife of Marcus Alexander, the mother, the woman. Let her go, Gaius.'

During his impassioned speech Zenobia found herself pressing close to her husband. They were at last a family, she and Marcus and Mavia. This time when he put his arm around her, she melted back into the embrace with pride, for she was proud to be his wife.

Gaius Cicero looked at them, and knew in that instant that they would not be separated. He knew that they would die first, or that his old friend, Marcus Alexander Britainus, would even set their long friendship aside and slit his throat before he would let Gaius take her back to Rome. He didn't know why the senate had changed their minds, but, he reasoned, how important could it be? Aurelian's execution was a certainty, and Zenobia was fleeing the empire. He could see that she posed no danger.

'I came ahead of my soldiers,' he said. 'There is no one to know that I saw you. Who will contradict me when I say that your ship had already sailed when I reached Portus?'

'Thank you, my friend,' Marcus said gratefully.

'What course do you set?'

'Cyprus,' came the answer.

Gaius Cicero's face said that he did not believe for a minute that Cyprus was actually their destination. 'I have no order to follow you,' he said. 'I shall ascertain your destination from the harbor master and return to Rome with my information.' Then he smiled at them. 'May the gods speed your journey, my friends, and bring you to safety.'

The two men clasped arms in the old Roman fashion, then Gaius Cicero turned abruptly and left the ship, walking away into the bustle upon the dock.

Marcus turned and spoke to a nearby sailor. 'Is everyone aboard?'

'Yes, sir!' was the reply.

'Then take the gangway up,' the ship's owner commanded. Giving Zenobia a quick kiss on the forehead, he hurried off to find Captain Paulus. The captain was on the helmsman's deck. 'I have ordered the gangway drawn up,' Marcus told him. 'Is not the tide turning now?'

'Yes, sir,' was the reply. 'I am just now giving orders to get underway.'

'Change your course,' Marcus said.

'Change my course? For where, sir?'

'For Massalia, Captain Paulus.'

'If we are to catch this tide, sir, there is no time for me to inform the harbor master.'

'That is indeed unfortunate, Captain Paulus,' Marcus said thoughtfully, 'for I do want to depart now.'

'What harm can it do, sir,' the captain replied. 'We are only transporting our new owner, and his family, and their goods and chattel. It can be of little import to the mighty Roman Empire.' So saying, the captain began to give orders, and the ship slowly got underway, taking its place amid the vessels catching this tide.

Marcus Alexander Britainus returned to the main deck below, and stood with Zenobia at the rail, watching the activity of the harbor as Sea Nymph's sails caught the afternoon wind and began to move gradually out into the open sea.

'I remember,' he said, and he caught at her hand, 'the day that we arrived here from Britain those long years ago. How different it was from my homeland. I never loved Rome the way I love Britain, nor did I love Rome the way I loved Palmyra.' He sighed. 'I wonder,' he said, 'if I shall still love Britain. It can be a harsh place, Zenobia. You are not used to chill weather, and Britain can be cold.'

'You have told me that the climate is mild on the island where we shall make our home. You have told me that palm trees grow on our island. Palms cannot exist in a harsh climate. As long as the palms thrive, then so shall I, my love.'