"And I will protect you, my love. Alone we seem but half a person; only together are we whole."

He was comforted by her words, for he seemed to need the comfort more than she. She smiled with the thought that where she was weak he was strong, but where he was weak she was strong. After a long moment Marcus spoke again, saying, 'Tell me what else Tacitus said."

"He said that the senate needed reassurances, which, I realized, meant that they wished to know if I was indeed pregnant as Aurelian kept insisting. He said that, given those assurances, I might be granted my freedom entirely. I, of course, told him I am not pregnant. I offered my women to the senate for questioning, and myself for examination by a physician of the senate's choice.

"Why would they want such knowledge if they were not planning to assassinate Aurelian? They would kill me as quickly as Aurelian if they thought there was any chance I was bearing his child. Since he has no other heirs, and poor Ulpia will shortly be dead herself, they seek to tie up all the loose ends. I wonder who will be the next emperor? Are there any generals who stand out in your mind?"

"None," he answered her.

"Then why kill Aurelian? Why-without someone else to take his place-destabilize the government?"

"Aurelian has offended enough men," Marcus explained, "that it matters not to them what happens to the government as long as their own interests are protected. And rest assured, my love, the interests of the conspirators will be safe. The powerful will find a new emperor. And when he offends them…" Marcus made a slicing motion across his throat with his finger.

"Then surely the time is right for us to flee, my love! Now, while they are involved with their plots."

"Yes, beloved, it is time for us to flee. I have spent these last days planning our escape. I have bought a ship, Zenobia, a Roman merchantman, only two years old. If we are to live on an island we shall need transportation between our new home and the mainland."

"A merchantman? Then you mean to trade?"

"I am not a farmer or a herdsman, beloved."

"Will you leave me then in this strange land that you are taking me to, Marcus. Leave me to pursue your business?"

"No, beloved, I will never leave you again, but my ship will trade for me, and I will have an interest."

She squirmed about in his lap, and looked up at him. "What will I do?" she wondered aloud. "I am a queen without a kingdom, a general without an army. What on earth am I to do, Marcus?"

"You will be a good Roman wife, beloved," he answered, and Zenobia laughed.

"No, Marcus, I should be bored to death. For me there must be something else. Perhaps I shall make this island of ours the new kingdom over which I reign. I must think on it."

"You think too much," he chuckled, falling back upon the bed, still clutching her within his arms. "Come, and be my good Roman wife," he teased, repositioning her to lie in the curve of his arm beneath him as if she were a child's toy. "I think that you should begin by kissing me, wife," and he lowered his head to brush her lips with his own. "My wife," he murmured against her mouth. "My beautiful wife, my sweet wife, my adorable wife."

Her smile was deceptively sweet. "I have only been upon the sea once, when Aurelian brought me from Macedonia to Brindisi. I liked it, and I believe that I shall learn to navigate this ship of yours. One may use the stars in the heavens upon the sea as easily as upon the desert."

He grinned down at her. "Had I wanted to marry a sailor…" He waggled his eyebrows wickedly at her so that she giggled. "I wanted a woman, beloved, and I married woman incarnate." His hand drew her robe open to bare her beautiful breasts to him, and he leaned forward to brush them with his rough cheek. Her scent arose from the warmth of her lovely body to taunt and assail him. "Oh, Zenobia," he said softly, and she reached out to draw him against her breasts.

They lay together in tender embrace, enjoying the simple pleasure of being together without fear of discovery. She threaded her fingers through his thick chestnut-colored hair, noticing a silver strand here and there. Suddenly she realized that he had fallen asleep upon her breasts, and again she chuckled as she shifted to cradle him more comfortably. There had never before been a time when he hadn't made love to her. Their separation had taken its toll on him, for he was obviously exhausted.

When morning came and he awoke, Marcus was much chagrined. "You were so tired, my darling," an amused Zenobia comforted him.

"But I wanted you!" he protested.

Zenobia laughed. "And I wanted you," she said, "but you were tired and you fell asleep." Then she roused him up, for it was necessary that he return to the city that morning. "When are we to leave?" she asked as she helped him to dress in his freshened clothes.

"We will sail from Ostia in three days' time," he answered.

"Are we to sail the entire way, my darling?" She looked a little nervous.

"I would like to, Zenobia, as there is less chance of our being caught; but the sea is so dangerous. We will follow the coast closely as far as Massilia. From Massilia we will take the tin route up across Gaul to the coast facing Britain. It is a very small piece of water, beloved. The ship will meet us there, having gone through the Pillars of Hercules out into the great sea, and around the coast of Gaul. Our ship will then take us across to Britain."

"Not to our own home?"

"No. First we must take my mother to Aulus and his family. Only then can we seek our own place, Zenobia. Besides, I think it is only polite that I ask Aulus for his island before we take it over." His deep-blue eyes were twinkling at her.

She laughed. "How the times have changed, my darling. I pray your brother will be generous."

"He is a good man, Zenobia."

"You must take some of the slaves with you today," she said. "I cannot leave Tivoli discreetly with a large train."

"How many people do you have?"

"You need not worry about the women," Zenobia said. "They can come with me when I go to Rome to meet you, but you must take Tiro, my charioteer, and Otho the gardener. They are the only men with me, and I prefer they go with you today."

"Very well," he answered. "How many women do you have besides old Bab, Adria, and Charmian?"

"Just two slave girls for cleaning, and Lenis, the cook, who is Tiro's wife."

"You'll attract no attention with so small a retinue," he said. "Have your women pack most of your goods and send them with Tiro and Otho to my house in Rome. Then you may travel easily and in comfort."

He left her to return to Rome, and Zenobia spent the rest of her day overseeing the packing. By nightfall all was in readiness. She had instructed both Tiro and Otho that they were to leave before morning in order to be through the town before everyone was up.

In the hour before the dawn she awakened and heard the carts lumbering from the villa courtyard. With a sigh of relief Zenobia turned over and went back to sleep. She was awakened some time later by old Bab, who shook her frantically.

"Wake up, my baby! Wake up!"

"What is it, Bab?" It was a monumental effort to keep her eyes open.

"Gaius Cicero is here, and he is demanding to see you. You must get up and receive him!"

Instantly Zenobia was awake, her mind racing with curiosity. Gaius Cicero was Aurelian's personal aide as well as the emperor's favorite. He had gone with his master to Byzantium. What was he doing back in Tivoli? Was Aurelian in Rome? Had he learned of the plot against him? She rose from her bed, her body gleaming through her sleeping robe. "Get me a tunic, old woman. Where is Gaius Cicero now?"

"He waits in the atrium, my baby," Bab replied, pulling a light white wool tunica over Zenobia and belting it with a length of red leather. "Adria! The sandals, quickly!"

Zenobia slid her feet into her sandals, and hurried from her bedchamber, down the stairs of the house, and into the atrium. There, she saw Gaius Cicero pacing. "Greetings, Gaius Cicero," she called to him, "I thought you with the emperor."

"I was, Majesty. He has sent me back for you."

"What?" She was astounded.

"I am to bring you to the emperor, Majesty. He says…" the soldier in Gaius Cicero flushed, "he says he cannot bear to be without you, and I am to bring you to him."

"Have you come alone, Gaius Cicero?" she asked him.

"Yes, it was thought I might travel more quickly. We can pick up an escort in Rome."

"Very well, Gaius Cicero, if the emperor insists then who am I to argue? It will take several days, however, for my things to be packed. I was planning on going into Rome today, and so I shall ask you to accompany me; but first I will give my servants orders to pack." with a smile she turned and retraced her steps back to her bedchamber, where she explained Gaius Cicero's presence to both Bab and Adria.

“What will you do, my baby?"

"I will go into Rome now with Gaius Cicero, and I shall let Marcus handle this. He and Gaius Cicero are friends. Perhaps we should warn him of the possible plot against Aurelian. If he does not return to the emperor then he may be saved. I do not know his wife, but I have heard it said that Clodia Cicero is a good woman, and they have several children. If he returns to the emperor he will surely suffer Aurelian's fate. That, however, must be up to my husband. I will not return here, Bab, and so tomorrow you must bring Mavia and the rest of the servants to me in Rome."

"It will be as you command, my baby," Bab said. "Be careful, Majesty, lest Gaius Cicero suspect anything before you reach Marcus Alexander." She then helped Zenobia to dress for her journey into Rome.