Claudia, Wife of Pontius Pilate: A Novel (4 page)

She faced a new life. What would the days ahead hold? Then, remembering Felix, her heart quickened. Would she really see her dog again? She hurried after the servant.

 6 

M
ilo stopped and opened an ornate golden door, sweeping his hand for her to precede him into the room. “Your quarters, Dominilla.”

Dominilla. Young mistress
, as Medina called her. She entered the room and immediately a small furry head appeared over the edge of her basket. With a glad cry, Claudia ran to sweep her little dog into her arms. Felix wiggled with happiness and licked her face over and over, making small whimpers. “Oh Felix, they have let me keep you.”

“The room is agreeable, Dominilla?”

She looked around at the walls, painted with more frescos, birds, and flowers. There was a sleeping couch, an ornate polished wooden chest for her clothing, a cupboard, a small table with an olive oil pottery lamp by the couch, and in front of the window, a small desk and chair. Walking over to look out the window, she observed green plants, a small, tinkling fountain, and an area of soil with flowers. A place to take Felix when the need arose.

“It is a beautiful room. I didn’t expect anything like this.”

Just then a slender young woman entered and bowed to Claudia. She appeared only a little older than Claudia, with ebony hair cut to her shoulders. She regarded Claudia with expressive dark eyes.

“This is Hotep. She is to be your personal slave, Dominilla. She will see to your needs and acquaint you with life in the palace.”

Hotep’s smile was tentative and Claudia bravely smiled back.

“Thank you, Milo.”

He turned to Hotep. “Have her ready this evening. She will be dining with the emperor and his guests.” In a moment he was gone and the door closed behind him.

Claudia’s thoughts raced. She’d never had a slave of her own. How was she to begin? She hesitated. “What does Hotep mean? It is a beautiful name.”

“It means peace, Dominilla, and a safe place.”

Hotep was aptly named, for that was the one thing Claudia needed above all others.

“Let me prepare your bath, Dominilla. You have been traveling long and you must be tired. After the bath, will you desire rest? It will prepare you for the evening ahead.”

What could prepare her for the evening ahead? She must appear to be submissive to the man she hated.

Hotep opened a drawer and pulled out a small linen undergarment, a soft white linen stola
,
a silver belt, silver sandals, and a scarf of soft, fine blue linen.

Claudia ran her hands over the finely woven garment, so soft to the touch.

Then Hotep opened the cupboard and produced Claudia’s small wooden chest.

“Oh, it’s safe.” With a sigh of relief, Claudia opened it, and Hotep came closer to look at the contents: a rag doll, a feather, a leather ball, and small wooden blocks with letters on the sides.

The chain and ring slipped outside of Claudia’s tunic.

Hotep’s eyes grew wide when she saw them. “This is very beautiful.”

“It was a gift . . . from my mother.” She unclasped the chain and reluctantly placed it in the chest, under the doll. It would be safer there.

Hotep opened a panel in the wall to reveal a room with a mosaic
tile bath and white, thick linen by the steaming water, then helped her out of her travel garments.

As she luxuriated in the warm bath, Claudia realized that the emperor had provided all this for her comfort. She was to become his ward and he would arrange a marriage for her. She tried to feel grateful, but sorrow filled her heart. Could she ever forgive him for what he had done?

After a brief time of rest, she rose to prepare for dinner. When she was dressed to Hotep’s satisfaction, she sat at a dressing table in the same room. Hotep not only arranged her hair so it beautifully framed her face, but added a small tiara.

“You are beautiful. The emperor shall be pleased.”

Embarrassed, Claudia changed the subject. “When did you become a slave, Hotep?”

The girl seemed startled by the question. Perhaps no one ever asked. She closed her eyes a moment before answering. “I was taken from my parents in Egypt when I was eight. My mother and brothers were somewhere on the ship, but I never saw them again. I think my father is dead.”

Claudia looked toward the window, the pain still so fresh. “I was taken from my mother too. She was dying.”

“But you are not a slave.”

“No, but my life will be controlled by the emperor. He will marry me off to the man he chooses to favor and I will have no say.”

“Ah.”

Claudia turned and regarded her servant earnestly. “I have never had a friend, Hotep, and I am in need of one.”

“I belong to you, Dominilla, but if it is your wish, I shall be your friend.” She sighed. “One needs friends in this palace of shadows.”

Someone knocked at the door and Hotep hurried to open it. Claudia expected Milo to be waiting to take her to the emperor’s dining room. Felix leaped from his bed, barking furiously and snarling at the intruder. It was Sejanus.

Felix had never attacked anyone before. The eyes of the prefect flashed with anger. He kicked out with his foot, but Felix was too quick. He jumped out of his way.

“Take this animal away, now!”

Hotep grabbed the dog and retreated to the back of the room, trying her best to still the barking.

Sejanus took Claudia’s arm, none too gently, pulling her into the hall and firmly closing the door.

Claudia’s heart pounded. The last thing she wanted to do was anger Sejanus.

 7 

H
e stalked down the hall and she had to hurry to keep up with him. Finally he stopped and studied her. He was a formidable figure due to his height and build. He looked almost regal in his formal white toga with a border of purple denoting his high rank.

“Quite a transformation,” he finally said. “Not a child, a woman. The emperor will be pleased.”

“It does not matter if I please him.” In spite of her resolve to hold her tongue, the words from her heart slipped out.

Sejanus stopped suddenly and she quailed inside at the anger in his face.

“Beware of what you say, Claudia Procula. The walls have ears for treasonous words. Do not presume to speak your mind when you feel like it. It is dangerous.”

His eyes glittered and bore into hers, causing her to shudder. She had spoken foolishly. “I—I’m sorry, my lord. The emperor made me leave my home and my mother—and she is dying. I don’t understand how the emperor could do such a thing.”

He stepped back, judging the sincerity of her words. “The emperor can do what he pleases and he does not have to give a reason. You will be forgiven this time, for you are no doubt weary from your travels. Be grateful you are here. The emperor has chosen to be kind to you as the granddaughter of Augustus.”

“I thought my grandfather didn’t know I existed.”

“He had eyes and ears everywhere, as does Tiberius. He knew when you were born. It was Julia he was angry with.”

They continued walking the long hall. “Did he know who my father was?”

He halted his steps again. “Why do you ask?”

“There was one my mother spoke of occasionally, but he was sent away. The African coast I think.”

“Sent away?” He paused a moment. “Ah, Gracchus. He was fortunate only to be exiled these many years. The others were forced to commit suicide.” At her quick intake of breath, he laughed. “Have you been told he is your father?”

She lowered her eyes. “I suspected, because of some things my mother said, but I don’t know.”

“Waste no more time on that foolish imagination of yours. Gracchus is dead.”

Claudia felt like someone had suddenly punched her in the stomach. “He is dead?”

“The emperor received word that the noble centurion has died. A disease of some kind. Come, we are almost there.”

As Claudia entered with Sejanus, she was aware of eyes suddenly turned on her.

Six people, as well as the emperor, were arranged around the huge dining table set with graceful glassware. Claudia was led to a covered chair near Tiberius. The women did not recline as did the men. Tiberius waved a hand in the air magnanimously.

“Ah, my esteemed guests, here is Claudia, the granddaughter of Augustus. Since she has no living male relative, I have claimed paterfamilias over her. She will be as my own daughter.”

She wanted to run but remembered her grandmother’s words to act like the granddaughter of an emperor. She smiled shyly at the guests and sank down on her chair.

“She is lovely.”

“Julia’s child . . .”

She felt the men’s open appraisal and glanced around at the women. They smiled graciously, but their eyes were more guarded.

Fighting the anger that rose up once more, she vowed that while she had no choice over her life now, one day she would be free and live far from the emperor.

Tiberius introduced his guests—Apicata, the wife of Sejanus; Levilla, the emperor’s widowed daughter-in-law; and two senators and their wives. She couldn’t remember all their names so merely nodded her head in acknowledgment. There was one empty chair and she realized that they were waiting for one more female guest.

Suddenly a woman swept into the room, elegantly dressed, her chin uplifted, her manner arrogant. She was slender and had kept herself well, but her face betrayed her age. Deep lines had formed on either side of her mouth. It was evident she smiled little. She was an old woman, but somehow important, for Tiberius merely growled, “You are late, Livia.”

Claudia’s eyes widened. This was the stepmother who had made her mother’s life miserable as a child.

“Nonsense, Tiberius,” Livia murmured. “An empress is never late.”

He did not respond but glared at her and nodded toward Claudia. “Your charge, madam.”

Bearing the perusal of the empress with patience, Claudia waited for her response. The empress gave a slight shrug and turned her attention to another guest.

Claudia shrank inside. What was ahead for her in this place?

The emperor murmured to his steward, Milo, and servants appeared quickly to remove the sandals of the guests. Then they passed around basins of water and linen cloths so the guests could wash their hands.

A stream of servants came with huge platters of food—succulent pork cooked with grape leaves, black olives in a relish sauce, stuffed pigeon, artichoke hearts and fresh asparagus steamed with carrots, chopped walnuts and fennel, platters of various goat cheeses, and small loaves of white bread, crisp on the outside and soft inside.

Claudia had never seen so much food. Watching and listening had gained Claudia much information growing up. Now she let her eyes rest on the other guests. Levilla seemed nervous and from time to time would glance across the table at Apicata when she thought no one was looking. Sejanus watched Levilla covertly under his bushy brows.

When the table had been cleared of all the main dishes and wiped carefully with a cloth, water and towels were again passed to the guests to cleanse their fingers from the main meal.

Then there was a lengthy silence while Tiberius made the accepted offerings of wine, salt, and meal to the
Lares
, the gods that watched over the household.

Tiberius deferred to the gods out of custom, but there was no reverence in his face. When he had finished, the servants came again, this time with platters of sliced pears in a honey sauce and bowls of fresh cherries and apricots.

Full of rich food, Claudia tried to hide a yawn as she felt the weariness of her journey. Tiberius had obviously been observing her, for with a wave of his hand, he excused her.

Hotep appeared at her elbow and said quietly, “Let me lead you to your room, Dominilla.”

The Empress looked across the table. “You are to come to my quarters after the midday meal, Claudia. We will discuss your education.”

“Yes, your Majesty.” She bowed her head to Tiberius and acknowledged the other guests before following Hotep. She glanced back at Sejanus, but he was not looking at Claudia.

His eyes were on Hotep, and his mouth was curved in a slight smile.