This is the story of the last Queen of the Brigante, Cartimandua who is rescued by a Roman cavalry unit. The story follows the fortunes of the leader of the cavalry, Ulpius Felix and his indomitable troopers. The murder of the Queen and the revolt by her people puts the Roman hold on Britannia in danger. It is only after great deeds of bravery and monumental battles that the revolt is put down and the province is saved.
Excerpt
Decurion Ulpius Felix rubbed his unshaven face as he peered through the spindly branches of the elder copse. He idly pulled a bunch of elderberries to strip them from the stalk, letting the rich black juice rundown his chin. It reminded him of the hill country around his vici in Ad Mures; it was a place he barely remembered having been taken there as a captive when he was but four. Still he remembered it, remembered the first taste of elderberries strong and heavy in his young mouth. He remembered the woodland, he remembered the woods and he remembered berries but he could not remember his name before the Roman times. He mentally cursed Aulus Plautius who had been governor of Pannonia who had decided to bring the Pannonians with him to the edge of the world, Britannia. As the alternative posting was the warmth of Judea he would have preferred that to the capricious climate of this little northern outpost. He would have preferred the evenly monotonous days with warm nights and hot days to the uncertainty of snow in early summer and bright sunshine in midwinter. He would have preferred the rich wines of the middle sea to the weak beer and honey laced drinks of this northern sea.
