Free Claudia, Wife of Pontius Pilate: A Novel by Diana Wallis Taylor Page B

suddenly constricted her heart. “Can I not go with you, wherever you are assigned?”
    His eyes widened in surprise. “Most Roman women prefer to remain in the city if their husbands are in the army and assigned to a distant outpost.”
    “I don’t care. I want to go with you if it is at all possible. Please, Lucius.” She looked up at him, feeling the tears behind her eyes and hating the pleading sound of her voice. She could not tell him she wanted to be as far from Rome, the emperor, and Sejanus as she could get.
    He reached up and brushed a tear from her cheek with his thumb. “I too desire you with me. Let us discover my assignment and discuss it then.”
    She nodded. Then another thought occurred to her. “I would like to bring my servant, Hotep. She has been mine since I came to the palace and I depend on her.” How could she say they had become friends and she feared for the girl if left behind?
    “If that is your wish, she may come with you. Who shall be your bridesmaid?”
    She shook her head slowly. “I have no one here in the palace.”
    He rubbed his chin with one hand and his brows were knit together in thought. “The prefect has a young daughter, Junilla, who is eight or nine years old, I believe. Perhaps she could attend you. I believe that would also please the prefect.”
    Claudia had met Junilla once and found her to be a sweet girl, taking much after her mother.
    “If the prefect allows her, I would not mind Junilla.” She wouldhave liked Hotep, but it was not proper for a slave to be part of a wedding ceremony.
    She and Lucius agreed that her clothing and personal property would be sent with Hotep to the Villa Ponti the morning of their wedding.
    He ran a finger down her cheek and his eyes left no doubt of his feelings. “With great anticipation I look forward to our wedding.”
    She felt the warmth rise in her body and spread to her face. “I also look forward to our wedding, Lucius.” Her eyes met his unflinchingly.
    He took her hand and held it a long moment and then reluctantly took his leave of her.

    She thought the month of Juno would never arrive. Since she had no home to be married in, Tiberius chose the temple of Jupiter. The high priest there would officiate.
    To her delight, her grandmother sent word that she would dress Claudia on her wedding day—usually a mother’s task.
    Before her grandmother arrived, Claudia ate what little breakfast she could manage. Anticipation and excitement had dimmed her appetite. She looked down at the engagement ring on her left hand that Lucius had given her—a single jewel that caught the light and sparkled. He’d given her the ring and then held her a long moment, and she felt his heart beating against hers. With great restraint he had put her from him and once again, touching her cheek, bid her goodbye until the wedding.
    There was a knock on the door and her grandmother entered, followed by a very shy Junilla. Sejanus had been pleased at the request for his daughter as a bridesmaid and made sure she was brought to the palace at once.
    Junilla stared at Claudia. “You look so pretty.” She perched on a chair to watch the proceedings, her eyes alight with anticipation.
    Hotep had anointed Claudia’s body with oil and perfume andslipped the undergarment of soft, sheer cotton over her head before Junilla and Scribonia arrived.
    A stola of soft, sheer white wool came next. Scribonia stepped forward and, with a golden belt, tied the “knot of Hercules” in it—the knot only to be untied by Claudia’s husband at their wedding couch. Finally a flame-colored veil was settled over her head. Then her feet were slipped into her gold sandals.
    Hotep divided Claudia’s hair into six locks as was traditional. The locks were coiled and held in position on top of her head with ribbons. A wreath of flowers was placed on top of the veil.
    Claudia rose and went to fetch her small box of treasures, which she offered to the statue of Venus in her room,