Peter Darman - The Parthian

I turned around. ‘Hatra has come! Hatra has come!’ and jumped on Remus and kicked him forward. Many of those behind me followed, which panicked the camels, who either stood still or bolted in the opposite direction. I thundered down the slope of the hillock and raced across the plain, my cloak billowing behind me. I could see my father now, a gold crown atop his shining helmet, flanked by his bodyguard, among them the bony faced Vistaspa. I pulled Remus up sharply when I had closed to within five hundred paces of my father and vaulted from the saddle, then went down on one knee and bowed my head to my king. My father’s horsemen slowed and then halted. I heard footsteps on the parched ground and then two hands grabbed my shoulders and hauled me up. Then my father and I were locked in an embrace, as all around us cheers filled the air. I could barely see through the tears that filled my eyes and ran down my cheeks. The day that I had dreamt about for so long had finally arrived, and for several minutes I was unable to speak, so great was my joy. I saw Vistaspa greet Godarz and embrace him, and I thought I saw tears in those dark eyes as he met again a man who had ridden by his side so many years ago, but perhaps it was only my own tears that clouded my view.

‘You look older, my son.’

‘You look the same, father. How is mother?’

‘When your letter arrived, it was like magic had suddenly restored her to me, for she had been grieving terribly these past three years.’

‘And my sisters, Aliyeh and Adeleh?’

‘Older, perhaps wiser, certainly more beautiful, but eager to see their brother again.’

The rest of that day was a blur of emotions, though I remember vividly the moment when I introduced Gallia to my father. She rode up on Epona, dismounted and then walked up to him. She was in her full war gear of boots, leggings, mail shirt, sword at her hip and helmet on her head, the cheek guards closed. My father’s bodyguard was mounted behind him as he stood before her; what happened next I would remember forever. She unstrapped the cheek guards and then removed her helmet, her long blonde hair tumbling around her shoulders. The men of my father’s bodyguard gasped in admiration at this beauty before them as she bowed her head to my father. I felt ten feet tall, for they had never seen such a woman before, one who stood proud and strong but whose looks could melt the hardest heart. My father took her hands and kissed them, and then she smiled that dazzling and disarming smile, and in that instant I knew that she had conquered the kingdom of Hatra.

Six days later we rode into the city on a crystal clear day under a vivid blue sky. The whole of the garrison lined the road to the western gates, and it seemed the entire population had turned out to welcome us back. I don’t know how long it took to wind our way through the city’s streets, but it must have been hours. Eventually I gave up trying to steer Remus through the throng and dismounted and made my way to the palace on foot. Men shook my hand, women kissed me and mothers held out their babies for me to kiss, or at least I think they wanted me to kiss them. I kissed them anyway. Every one of those who had come with me from Italy was treated like a hero, and I think many of the young warriors stayed in the city that night with whatever young woman took their fancy.

Gallia walked beside me. She wore a plain blue tunic now, no mail tunic or helmet, though she still wore her sword, and many of Hatra’s citizens gaped open mouthed at her as she passed. Her pale skin, blue eyes and long blonde hair contrasted sharply with their own dark complexions and black hair. Some believed that she was a goddess and fell to their knees as we passed them, and I heard them say that only an immortal could have delivered their prince from the Romans. Others tried to touch her hair, and still more bowed their heads to this beautiful foreign woman who was among them. Eventually we reached the royal palace where the crowds were kept out and where the nobility of the city were gathered in their finery. But my eyes only saw my mother, Queen Mihri, and my sisters, Aliyeh and Adeleh. The latter had indeed turned into striking young women. I fell to my knees in front of my mother and our reunion was long and emotional, with my sisters wrapping their arms around the both of us. And then my mother greeted Gallia, who also bowed before her.

We walked to the grand temple, on the steps of which stood the grim-faced High Priest Assur and his subordinates, all of them with long black beards, hair tied in plaits behind their backs and dressed in pure white robes. We all filed into the temple where Assur conducted a rather long and tedious ceremony in which he gave thanks to Shamash for the safe return of Hatra’s heir and his companions. Halfway through, Spartacus’ son started to cry and continued to wail until the ceremony had ended.

A banquet was held several days later in our honour. It was lavish and enjoyable, mostly because I sat beside Gallia and my parents on the top table, while all those who had come with me from Italy were arranged either side of a long central table set before us. Gafarn, now the adopted son of my father and made a prince, and Diana left early to attend to the son of Spartacus.

They lived in the palace with myself and Gallia, as did the others. Nergal and Praxima had married as soon as we had arrived back at Hatra, and it would have been a double wedding except that my father insisted that my joining with Gallia should take place several weeks hence to allow invitations to be sent to all four corners of the empire. Indeed, Sinatruces himself at Ctesiphon had requested our presence at his palace. My father said it was because I had returned from the dead and he wanted to congratulate me in person, though mother insisted that the real reason was that he wanted to see Gallia. The fact that he had requested my attendance only and not my father’s could be construed as an insult, but my parents were so filled with joy at my return that they gladly consented. Only Assur grumbled that it was not proper protocol.

He told me so when I had been sitting in silence in the empty temple, staring at the Roman eagle that I had taken so long ago. It was laid at the foot of the altar to Shamash, a tribute to the god that I worshipped. I heard footsteps behind me and turned to see the stern figure of Assur looking down at me.

‘Do I disturb you, prince?’ His voice was serious and deep, and he still unnerved me as did when I was a child.

‘Not at all, sir. I was just thinking how strange is the fate of man, and how life hangs by a thin spread that can be severed at any time.’

He sat his bony frame beside me. ‘All the things that you have done, and the long journey that you have made. How can all that have been possible without Shamash looking over you?’

‘But why me and not the dozens of others, thousands of others, that died around me during my time away?’

He smiled; one of the few occasions I had seen him do so. ‘We cannot and must not question the will of god, but I believe that He has some great purpose for you yet. That is why He returned you to us.’

I nodded at the Roman eagle lying prostrate at the altar of the god I worshipped. ‘The man I followed in Italy took many of those, and yet he died, cut down in battle while I lived. One day I will have to tell his son that I saw his father die and could not save him.’

Assur laid a hand on my shoulder. ‘When the time comes you will find the words. I have heard that you fulfilled your vow to this man called Spartacus to safeguard his son. You have no reason to reproach yourself.’ And yet I did reproach myself, for I lived and Spartacus lived.

We had been in Hatra for ten days when I asked my father’s permission to ride to Nisibus to see my old friend Vata.