Preparations for the departure of Palmyra's king and young queen moved quickly forward. Aurelian was determined to stop Prince Demetrius and his Brotherhood of the Palm by removing Vaballathus and Flavia as swiftly as possible. As long as the young monarch and his wife remained in the city there lived the possibility of rebellion. Gone, they offered no hope. The people of Palmyra were not going to rise up and retrieve their ruler from distant Cyrene.
Zenobia knew that the journey for her eldest son and his family would begin at night, for Aurelian wanted no one to see their departure lest someone try to take them from Roman custody. He dreaded that a popular demonstration would be started by the sight of the young couple, the lovely girlish queen pregnant with Palmyra's heir. At dawn their departure would be a cold, hard fact.
The queen sent Adria for Demetrius. The servant girl slipped through the secret gate in the wall and hurried through the busy streets to the house of the late Cassius Longinus. The haughty servant who opened the door sought to shoo her away, hardly giving her time to state her business.
"Fool!" Adria hissed. "I am the queen's messenger."
"You?" The man looked down his long nose, then again attempted to shut the door in her face.
"Very well," Adria said. "I shall return to Queen Zenobia and tell her that I was sent from the house of Oppian Longinus without even being allowed to state my business to the master. My mistress does not suffer fools at all, and you are a fool!"
"Oh come in, come in!" the major-domo sniffed, "but if I find you've lied to gain entry to this noble house, I shall beat you through the streets myself."
"What is all this noise? How can I compose my poetry when a constant cacophony reigns within my own house." Oppian Longinus came forth from his garden, his long pale-peach silk robes swaying.
"Greetings, Oppian, adopted son of Cassius Longinus," Adria said politely. "I am Adria, second waiting woman to Queen Zenobia. I have a message for Prince Demetrius."
Instantly a wary look came into Oppian's eyes. "I cannot imagine why you have come here then," he said nervously. "I have no idea where Prince Demetrius is. I am sorry." He turned to go, but Adria's voice stopped him.
"No one accuses you of anything, Oppian Longinus. The queen, having met here with her younger son several weeks ago, believes that you might be able to pass along a message. It is very urgent."
"Well," Oppian Longinus reconsidered, "there is a faint possibility that I might see the prince tonight. Give me the message."
Adria smiled. "The queen wishes Prince Demetrius to know that his brother Vaballathus and his wife will shortly be leaving forCyrene. If Prince Demetrius wishes to bid the king and the young queen farewell he is to come to the secret gate in the queen's garden at midnight tonight. They and the queen will be waiting for him. He must not be late, for the emperor will be returning from a dinner shortly after midnight, and expects Queen Zenobia's company when he does. Please tell the prince, Oppian Longinus."
"I will tell him," Oppian Longinus said, and then with a rather incautious curiosity he asked, "Is it true that the queen sleeps with Rome's emperor?"
Adria laughed scornfully. "For a man with the instinct for survival that you possess, Oppian Longinus, you are bold to question the queen's actions. I shall tell my mistress that you will pass her message on to the prince," and with a swish of her skirts Adria left the house of Oppian Longinus.
They could not be sure that he would come, but a few minutes before midnight Zenobia, Vaba, and Flavia all waited in the darkness by the queen's secret gate. It was Flavia who first heard the soft scratching, and unlocked the little door to admit Prince Demetrius.
"Brother," she said softly, kissing him on the cheek.
"Flavia, you bloom," was his answer.
In the faint light from the garden torches they looked at each other, and then Demi said, "Mother, Vaba. How are you both?"
"We are all well, my brother, but we fear for your safety. I feel fortunate that we are all still alive."
"I wonder if you will feel glad to be alive after a year in Cyrene," Demi said.
"As long as I am alive, as long as Flavia lives, and our children beginning with this baby, there is hope, Demi. Mother is right. Why can you not be patient, my brother? Go with Mother and Mavia to Rome. I need you there to look after them."
"Look after Mother?" His voice was bitter. "Mother does not need looking after. She does quite well by herself, and as long as she does Mavia is safe."
"I will need someone in Rome who can travel back and forth between Mother and me," Vaballathus entreated. "Who better can I trust but you, Demi?"
"I remain in Palmyra. At least there will be one of King Odenathus's sons here."
"If the Romans capture you, Demi, you will be killed," Zenobia said. "Aurelian will allow you your life if you come with us."
"There is no one in Palmyra who will betray me," was the proud reply.
"There is always someone who will betray you, you young fool!" said Zenobia impatiently. "If it is not for gold, then it will be for Roman favor; but mark my words, Demi, someone will betray you, and it will be he whom you least expect."
There was a rustle among the bushes, and Adria appeared. "The emperor is just returning, Majesty. He is already in the outer courtyard."
"Demetrius!" Zenobia's voice was impassioned and pleading. "I beg of you, please, my son, come with us!" She pulled him so that he faced her in the dim light.
For a brief moment Demi softened. "Mother, I must stay," he said quietly. "As long as I remain in Palmyra our people have hope. They will know we have not deserted them. If I am your son then I am my father's son, too. Please try to understand."
"You will throw your life away needlessly," she said brokenly. Where was her power now? This was but one more thing she had to thank the Romans for! She huddled in her son's arms for a long minute, alternating between anger and despair; and then she stood straight. "Demetrius, Prince of Palmyra, may the gods go with you, my son, and keep you safe until we meet again." Pulling his head down, she kissed him on the forehead. "Farewell, my son."
"Farewell, my Mother," he answered her.
She looked at him a long minute, committing his face to memory, then she turned and hurried back to the palace.
"You have hurt her terribly," Vaba said quietly.
"She will survive, my brother."
Vaba realized that there was to be no reasoning with his younger brother. The king knew that every minute they now remained in Zenobia's garden brought them closer to discovery, and so he said, "We must go, Demi. You have Mother's blessing, and I give you mine also. I think that you are wrong, but your sacrifice is a great one. The gods go with you, brother." He embraced his sibling a final time.
Flavia hugged him also, saying in her gentle voice, "Mars protect you, dearest brother; and Athena give you wisdom."
"The gods go with you both also," Demi said softly. He kissed her tenderly upon her lips, then saluting his older brother a final time slipped through the little wall door and into the darkness of the sleeping city.
Slowly they closed the door, locked it, and carefully replaced the key. Then together Vaba and Flavia returned to the palace.
In Zenobia's bedchamber the emperor lay back looking up at her. "You are sad tonight, goddess. Have you seen your younger son?"
"Yes," she said.
"He persists in his foolishness?"
She nodded. "You will have to kill him," Zenobia said low, and a single bright tear rolled down her cheek.
Gently he brushed it away with one finger, and reaching up gathered her into his arms. "Perhaps we shall catch him before he does something too unforgivable, goddess. I will give orders, I promise you."
"How can you be so kind on one hand, so cruel on the other?" she asked.