So she doesn't know, Julia thought. Am I the only one who sees that he loves her? Then she said, "It is not a woman, Zenobia, but his business that is his wife, his mistress, his everything."

"Oh." To her puzzlement, Zenobia found herself rather relieved that Marcus Alexander had no lover.

Julia smiled. "Do not fret yourself, Zenobia. I am not being forced into this marriage."

"I still believe that you could do better," Zenobia said.

Now Julia laughed. "No, I could not." She paused for a moment as if debating with herself, then she said, "Most important of all, my dearest friend… I shall be loved."

"Loved?" Zenobia looked puzzled.

"Yes, loved. Only when I accepted his proposal did Antonius admit that he loved me. He said he had loved me since I was a child, but that he dared not speak until he was sure that my heart was not engaged elsewhere, for he did fret in his mind over the vast difference in our ages."

"But what of children, Julia? Will you be able to have them?"

"It will be as the gods allow," came the reply.

"No, no! I mean-well, do you think he can?"

"Can what?" Then Julia's face grew pink. "Oh!" she said.

"Can he?" Zenobia repeated.

"I expect so," Julia said slowly. "My father still does, and for that matter so does your father. Age, I have been told, is no deterrent."

"Deterrent to what?" Marcus Alexander Britainus entered the room.

The two women giggled, and Zenobia, catching her breath, said, "Nothing that should concern you, Marcus, but come and wish Julia good fortune, for she is to be married."

"Indeed?" He came forward, and smilingly planted a kiss upon Julia's blushing cheek. "And who is the fortunate man if I may ask?"

"It is I who am fortunate, Marcus Alexander. I am to wed with Antonius Porcius."

"I will not be corrected in this, Julia Tullio. It is Antonius Porcius who is the lucky one," Marcus said firmly. "May the gods smile upon you both, and I hope that I am to be invited to the wedding."

Julia colored prettily again, and said breathlessly, "But of course you are to be invited, Marcus Alexander." She then turned to Zenobia. "I must go now. I have already stayed overlong, and I only came to tell you my news." She rose, as did Zenobia, and the two women embraced before Julia hurried out the door.

Zenobia watched her go, and then, turning back to Marcus, said, "I pray the gods she will be happy. He is so much older than she is, and if they have children she will spend all her time nursing her babes and her elderly husband."

"You do not think that a husband should be older than his wife, Highness?"

"Older, yes, but not thirty-two years older! Julia's father is his contemporary."

"And how does Julia feel?"

"She says he loves her, and that she cares for him."

"Then you should not worry, Highness."

Suddenly the door opened, and Deliciae hurried in, followed by Bab. "Al-Zena is coming," Deliciae said, "and she has the king with her. She wants to make trouble between you, and has told him that you are alone with Marcus Alexander."

"Why on earth should that matter?" Zenobia demanded, but Marcus instantly understood, and nodded at Deliciae who then said:

"Bab and I have been with you the whole time, Highness!"

"Julia Tullio is to marry Antonius Porcius," Zenobia said, quickly comprehending the urgency of their mission if not the reason behind it.

The two other women had barely settled themselves in a corner when the door to the room again opened and Al-Zena hurried in, followed by Odsnathus.

"There!" She pointed a long, bony finger at Zenobia. "Did I not tell you, my son!? Did I not say it was so!? This wicked creature is alone with another man! It is as I have suspected all along. She is betraying you!"

Before either Odenathus or Zenobia could say a word, old Bab sprang from her comer seat. "How dare you accuse my innocent mistress of such perfidy!" she shrieked. "It is you who is the wicked creature!"

"Really, Al-Zena," came Deliciae's amused voice from another part of the room, and they all turned to look at her. "Your obsession is beginning to do strange things to you. Ah, well, 'tis but a sign of age, I expect."

Al-Zena's mouth fell open in surprise. "She was alone, I tell you! The Tullio girl left, and she was alone with him! Ala, my maid, told me she was alone with him, and she would not lie to me!"

"Perhaps she was not aware that both Bab and the lady Deliciae were in the room with her Highness when I arrived," Marcus said, finally finding his voice. Al-Zena's viciousness had surprised him.

Odenathus's mother looked for someone to attack, and as Bab was too far beneath her she chose Deliciae. "If you were here as you say you were," she snarled, "then what did you speak of, tell me that!"

"We spoke of Julia's forthcoming marriage," Deliciae said sweetly. "She is shortly to marry Antonius Porcius."

"I think, Mother, that this must be the end of it. You have made an error, and you owe both my wife and my friend, Marcus Alexander, an apology."

"Never!” Her face contorted with fury, Al-Zena stormed from the room.

"I will leave you to your lessons, Zenobia," the king said. "I must return to the council from which I was dragged." He bowed to her, turned, and left the room.

For a moment a heavy silence hung in the room, and then Marcus said quietly, "Am I to be told what this is all about?"

"Al-Zena is angry because she is not to be known as Queen of Palmyra. She simply seeks to make trouble," Zenobia said wearily.

"She accused us of being lovers, Highness. A dangerous accusation for you-and for me."

"An untruth from the mouth of a bitter woman. It is as noisy bird chatter."

"Do not underestimate her hatred, Zenobia," Deliciae said. "Had I not overheard that old bitch, Ala, chortling her story, you would have indeed been alone with Marcus Alexander, and even if the king had believed you, a suspicion would always exist in some dark corner of his mind."

"Odenathus would never distrust me, Deliciae."

"Odenathus is simply a mortal man, Zenobia."

"Listen to her, my baby," Bab said urgently.

Zenobia sighed irritably. "Come, Marcus, let us get on with our lesson of the day. I apologize to you for Al-Zena's behavior. It must be her time of life."

"Humph," Bab said with a sniff. "It is her nature, and that is as sour as a lemon!"

"The old woman speaks a truth," Deliciae murmured.

Zenobia ignored them both, and looked to Marcus. He forced back a smile that threatened to turn up the corners of his mouth. "Today," he said, "we shall discuss your illustrious ancestress, Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt." Even Deliciae and Bab now turned interested faces to him, and listened as Marcus began to unfold the fascinating tale of the woman who had ruled Egypt and captured the hearts of two illustrious Romans of the day.

Zenobia, however, was not listening. There was little Marcus could tell her of Cleopatra that she did not already know. Al-Zena's unfounded accusation disturbed her in a way far different than anyone would have thought. Suddenly Zenobia found herself looking upon Marcus Alexander not just as a friend, or a Roman, or her teacher, but as a man. Had his eyes always been that blue, and the lashes so long and thick? The gods, he was so handsome! With a guilty start she lowered her eyes from his features, afraid her thoughts would be as plain to him as they were to her. What was the matter with her that her thoughts took such a path? Then the wicked worm of curiosity reared itself, and Zenobia found herself wondering what it would be like to be held tightly against his broad chest by those strong arms, to feel that mocking mouth upon her mouth. Shamed color flooded her face, and with a little cry she rose and fled from the room.

"Poor Zenobia," Deliciae said with genuine sympathy. "That wretched Al-Zena has obviously upset her greatly. I wonder the gods don't strike the old witch dead with one of their thunderbolts. It would be a great justice."

"Aye," Bab muttered. "I pray for it nightly."

He said nothing. What had caused her to flee the room he didn't know, but it was not Odenathus's mother, of that he was certain.


***

It was not in Zenobia's character to be dishonest, so that night as she and Odenathus lay side by side, fingers intertwined, sated with pleasure, she said quietly, "Ala told Al-Zena the truth today. I was alone with Marcus, but 'twas only a few minutes, my Hawk. He arrived while Julia was with me, and when she left we stood talking. It did not occur to me that we were being indiscreet. Suddenly Deliciae and Bab were there saying that your mother had set her slave to spy on me, and that you were both coming. They begged me to pretend that they had been with me the entire time. I regret that I did so, for now I have lied to you without meaning to."

He stroked the silken head that lay upon his chest, smiling to himself in the darkness. He had known that she was alone with the Roman, for he had set his own spies upon her weeks ago. It was not that he distrusted her, or that she had given him any cause to doubt her love; but his mother's barbs had set the worm of uncertainty gnawing at him in the dark part of the night when he awoke, and he was suddenly afraid of losing her. He had known there was no harm in the little time she and Marcus had been alone. He knew that the Roman treated Zenobia with great respect, and perhaps a little bit of affection; the kind of affection that one might give a younger sister. They were friends, Marcus Alexander Britainus, and his wife, and Zenobia had few friends, for who would dare to be friends with a queen. He would not spoil that friendship for her despite his mother's constant suspicion. They were simply the ravings of a sick and bitter woman.

"Thank you for telling me this, my flower," he said quietly, "but I have never doubted that your relationship with Marcus Alexander is anything more than friendship between teacher and pupil." She sighed with relief, and again he smiled to himself. Never again would his mother's words have the power to distress him. He and Zenobia were as one now, as they had ever been. "You will be regent for me when I go to war against the Persians," he said.

"When will you go?"

"Within the month," he replied. "King Shapur again harasses Antioch."

"I cannot help but notice that every time he does so he carefully bypasses Palmyra in his march to the coast," Zenobia said.

Odenathus chuckled. "He knows that I shall eventually beat him, my flower. He wishes to retain the illusion of invincibility as long as possible."

She laughed. "Neither of you lacks for pride, my Hawk."

"I shall probably miss Antonius Porcius's wedding, but you will go, and then you shall write me all about it."

"Oh," she said, "I had almost forgotten. My secretary has arrived! Just today."

"Who?"

"Dionysius Cassius Longinus. I told you that I had sent for him to come from Athens, where he has been teaching rhetoric. If I am to govern for you while you play the soldier I must have someone of my own whom I can trust. Do not forget that I have watched your council meetings, and I know how difficult your councillors can be. There is not one of them who wouldn't forward his own interests before Palmyra's. You, my Hawk, have the patience of a Christian, but I am not sure that I do."

"Speaking of the Christians, beware of my councillor, Publius. He has a serious quarrel with the Christian merchant, Paulus Quintus, and he will play the outraged moralist in order to gain his way."

"I will remember," she answered him. "Is there anything else you think I should know?"

"Only that I adore you, my flower," he said, and she murmured softly against his chest, sending tiny icy shivers up and down his spine. "I do not think I want to go off and play soldier," he said, "if it means I shall be parted from you. We have never been separated before, my flower."

"Come back either with your shield, or upon it," she teased him, quoting the saying of ancient Spartan women to their men.

"Are you so anxious for me to go?"

"You have proved yourself many times, my Hawk, but I have never been given that chance. With you away I shall rule the city in my own right, and I will at last know what I can do."

He winced. "You are as painfully honest as ever, my flower."

"Oh, Hawk!" She was instantly contrite. "I shall miss you. I shall! But I do want to know what I can do."

"I know, Zenobia, I know that. Go to sleep now, my flower. You will not get much rest once you become ruler."