Kevin Ashman - Mortuus Virgo

Rome 54 AD

Rubria was playing with her dolly the day the soldiers came for her, completely oblivious to the muffled voices outside that would take her away for ever.

She had been a very good girl. The bed was made, the wooden rocking horse that had been so lovingly crafted by the estate carpenter was pushed into the corner, and even her clothes were stacked neatly on the shelves. She looked at her pretty dresses, not quite sure why she couldn’t take them all but mummy said she had to wear the white one, even though the pink one with the ribbons was her favourite.

‘Is it time, Maria?’ she asked, her fingers playing nervously with her dolly’s hair.

‘Not yet, sweetheart,’ answered the servant, trying her best to hold back the tears that were building up like a dammed river behind her eyes.

‘Don’t be sad, Maria,’ said Rubria, ‘Mummy said that I am going somewhere nice and am going to be a very important person.’

‘Oh, you are, Miss,’ answered Maria, reaching out to take the child’s hands in hers, ‘You are going to have such a wonderful life. Kings will seek audience with you, the people of Rome will bow their heads as you pass by and even the Emperor himself will seek your council.’

‘But I don’t know anything,’ said Rubria innocently.

Maria wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her Peplos.

‘That is why you are going, Miss,’ she said, ‘You are going to learn great and wondrous secrets, things that poor old Maria couldn’t even dream of.’

‘Will I be rich?’

‘Richer than you or I can ever imagine, with more money than you could spend in a lifetime. A hundred lifetimes, even.’

‘Do you think they will let me have a puppy?’

‘I’m not so sure about a puppy,’ said Maria, ‘You will be far too busy for that.’ She looked nervously over the girl’s shoulder towards the closed door that would open any second now.

‘Anyway,’ continued Rubria, ‘I will ask daddy for one on my next birthday. I expect I will be back by then and he always said I could have a puppy when I am nine.’

‘Oh, Miss,’ sobbed Maria as the dam finally burst and the tears came. She pulled the girl into her arms to hug her tightly, as, though she was only a slave, she had been Rubria’s nursemaid since the girl’s birth and had built up a bond as close as any mother could ever enjoy. For eight years she had spent every day pandering to the little girl’s every whim. She tucked her in at night and was the first person the child saw when she opened her beautiful blue eyes in the morning. Maria even slept in a small room next door so to be at her bedside in a moment should the night demons come. But all that that was about to end. A delegation had arrived from Rome the previous night and an entourage the like of which she had never seen before now lined up outside, waiting to take her precious little girl away from her.

Amy, another servant of the household, had described them from the window when they had arrived at dusk. First there were forty horsemen carrying Pilae, the iron tipped lances resting snugly in the tubular leather pouches attached to the left sides of their saddles. A Gladius hung from their belts on the right side, the ornamental hilts far more extravagant than the swords carried by the legions on active service, and every helmet was adorned with a plume of scarlet horse hair sweeping front to back along the crest. Their bronze Lorica Segmentata, the ceremonial armour, glistened regally in the fading sun as they reined in their mounts. for these were the Praetorian Guard, the legion posted permanently within the limits of Rome and tasked to protect the person of the Emperor and the officials of the city. Though despised by the regular legions of the army, they had total control of the eternal city and their commanders had the ear of the Emperor himself.

Behind them rode another man, advanced in years and dressed in a white ceremonial toga. Though Maria or Amy didn’t know the man’s role he had an air of authority about him and the Centurion in charge of the guard addressed him as sir. He was accompanied by a covered wagon pulled by a team of four horses and driven by two black slaves. Finally, the rear was brought up by another forty riders, completing the Century of cavalry sent for this one little girl.

Maria had not been interested; she had just sat at Rubria’s bedside watching the girl sleeping, a slight smile playing about the child’s mouth as she dreamed the dreams of children. Maria had not slept a single minute the night through as she gazed at the little girl she would never see again.

But that had been last night and finally, the day she had been dreading for weeks had arrived. The representative in the white robes had joined the Master and Mistress to break his fast, having spent the night in the guest suite and the soldiers were being given hot cereal from the Master’s kitchens by the cooks. They had bunked down in the stables with their horses and had spent the first hour this morning wiping the dust from their armour before parading in front of the villa. It was certainly an impressive sight, eighty fully armoured Praetorian Guard lined up in silence waiting for the ceremony to begin. The cart had been reversed against the veranda and the tail was lowered, enabling anyone to see within. The inside was lined with silks and the floor was covered with the finest cow’s hides. At the far end was an ornate chair draped in luxurious animal furs and at either side of the cart, to everyone’s surprise sat two old women dressed in white, their faces covered with fine veils. A knock came on the bedroom door and Maria let out a half gasp, even though it had been expected. Amy put her head around the door.

‘It’s time!’ she said simply and withdrew out of sight.

Rubria jumped of the bed and held her hand out to Maria with a sweet smile.

‘Come on, Maria,’ she said, ‘Let’s go.’

The servant knelt down in front of her.

‘You look after yourself, Miss,’ she said through her tears, fussing with the girls ribbons, ‘Don’t you forget me mind and one day, when you are all grown up and if I have earned my freedom, perhaps I’ll come by and ask for your blessing.’

‘Well, I don’t know what that is, Maria,’ said Rubria solemnly, ‘But if I’ve got any you can have one.’

The servant smiled and hugged the girl one last time and, after wiping her eyes, led her out into the Atrium of the villa.

‘Here she is,’ said her father holding out his arms and dropping to one knee. Rubria ran forward into his embrace and he swept her up into his arms. It was not often she got to see her father as he was a very important person in Rome, though she wasn’t sure what he actually done. Something to do with a Senate, whatever that was. Rubria’s mother took the child from her husband’s arms and kissed her gently on her cheek.

‘Are you ready, my dear?’ she asked and received a shy nod in return.

Maria bit her lip. She couldn’t understand how could anyone give up their daughter so easily but it was more than her life was worth to criticise the mistress. The whole family were there dressed in their finest attire, the Master and the Mistress, their two sons and their teenage daughter. Rubria was the youngest and smiled at her siblings, not quite sure of the enormity of the proceedings that were unfolding. All around the Atrium stood the servants of the household and all waited with baited breath to see the final moment that would bestow honour untold upon this household. Rubria looked at the kindly old man dressed in white and smiled as she recognised him. He was the nice old man who had picked her as his favourite when they had visited the place with the pretty ladies a few weeks ago.