Page 128 of Boudicca

“Queen Cartimandua, beside me are Iceni allies, the chiefs of the Trinovantes, Dobunni, and Catuvellauni.” Before I could introduce each man separately, Cartimandua spoke.

“Yes, I recognize you, Comux.” She nodded to him and he jerked his head in response. “And you as well, Leofric, though I did not know you called yourself chief of the Catuvellauni. I had not heard of the death of Togodumnus.”

At his cousin’s name, Leofric clenched his jaw. Through his teeth he said, “I am chief of the Catuvellauni who have not whored themselves to Rome. My brother is no chief. He is a traitor.”

“Ah, I see.” Cartimandua was completely unruffled by his anger. She simply turned her gaze to Mailcun. A frown creased her forehead. “But you, chief of the Trinovantes, I do not recognize.”

“Addedomaros died midwinter. I am Mailcun, named chief by the tribe and sanctified by the high Druid.”

“Ah, yes. Addedomaros’s shield. I do recognize you now. I am sorry for the loss of Addedomaros. He was a mighty warrior,” said Cartimandua.

Wulffaed and her daughters began serving wine as I took control of the conversation. “Queen Cartimandua, why have you journeyed so far to speak with me?”

“So we’ll get right to it.” She nodded in approval. “Good. I abhor useless chatter. I propose an alliance between Tribe Brigantes and the Iceni.”

The room was utterly silent.

I sipped my wine before answering with a question of my own. “How did you know where to find me?”

The queen smiled. “Oh, I have eyes and ears everywhere.”

“Roman eyes and ears?” I asked.

She blew out a short derisive breath. “Romans rarely know what is happening beneath their own noses. No, Queen Boudicca, Rome did not hear the whispers of our people that spoke of a great army wintering in the safety of Tribe Ordovices’s mighty mountains.”

“And by ‘our people,’exactly who do you mean?” asked Leofric.

“Britons!” Cartimandua brought her fist down on the table.

“For many years Tribe Brigantes has embraced Rome—not Britain.” Leofric almost spat the words.

Cartimandua’s eyes met mine. “I did what allowed me to survive, as would any wise queen.”

“And there is my problem.” I spoke conversationally, with none of the anger Leofric showed. “How do I trust an alliance with a queen who is willing to do anything soshewill survive? You did not say you did what you had to for yourtribe’ssurvival, only your own.”

Cartimandua lifted her chin. “When you have been queen for as long as I have been, you will understand that what is good for you isalso good for your people—and what is good for your people is good for you. I cannot be separated from the Brigantes.I am the Brigantes.”

Rhan tilted her head and studied Cartimandua as she asked, “Why have you suddenly decided to change your allegiance from Rome to the Iceni?”

“It was not a sudden decision, High Druid,” said Cartimandua. “It has been brewing since the Romans attacked Boudicca at Tasceni. Until then I’d believed what was best for the Brigantes was to ally with Rome—weather their storm so that when they finally tired of attempting to subjugate Britain, my tribe would be whole, thriving and prosperous, and ready to rule in their absence.” She laughed at the outrage on the faces of the chiefs beside me. “Oh, don’t pretend shock. Which one of you wouldn’t want to rule all of Britain?” Her fox gaze returned to me. “You understand. You’ve united more tribes than have ever allied before. At this moment, were there to be a queen of Britain named, it would be Boudicca.”

“I would not sell myself to the Romans for any title,” I said. “And, once again, you make it difficult to trust you knowing that your ultimate wish is to rule us all.”

“It is because I am open about my desire to rule that it should be easy for you to trust me. I don’t hide anything. You know me. You know my motives.”

“I know you divorced your husband and had his family, my kinsmen and -women, killed.” I shot the words at her.

Her brows lifted. “Yes, I did. Tell me, how doyouhandle traitors?”

“There are no traitors to Queen Boudicca in this camp.” Cadoc’s deep voice rumbled.

“Then your queen is fortunate, but she has only been queen for one year. I have ruled for two decades. I choose to kill traitors. Venutius knew that and fled when I discovered his betrayal, so I was left with no choice but to flush out the traitors he left behind and end them. Judge me after you have been betrayed, Queen Boudicca, and not before.”

“And by ‘betrayed’ you mean your husband’s refusal to ally with Rome,” I said.

“Yes.” She nodded. “I am queen of the Brigantes. I made the decision for my tribe, much like Prasutagus chose to sign a co-regent treaty with Rome shortly before his death. Did you agree with that, Boudicca?”

“That was the chief of the Iceni’s decision,” I prevaricated. I had agreed with Prasutagus, but only because he’d purposely misinterpreted the signs from Andraste to make it seem the goddess’s will.