The two girls wept silently as they watched thier father die. Prasutagus, my husband, was lying on his bed peacefully with his eyes closed. His hands were folded across his chest as if he was merely sleeping. My daughters, Heanua and Lannosea, were crouched next to his bed quietly weeping. I turned away and wiped the tears from my own eyes, now was not the time to be weak. i walked to the window and took a breath of fresh air. The village looked so peaceful and quiet, no one yet knew of Prasutagus's death. I was pulled out of my thoughts when I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Mother, there are some men here to see you," Heanua whispered in my ear. "Very well," I replied , "bring them to the dining hall. I will be there momentarily." Heanua nodded and hurried off to do as I had told her.

I walked through the halls of my house slowly after preparing myself for guests. When I entered the dining room I gazed upon an entire escort of Roman soldiers. They looked like a personal guard os some kind. I approached them cautiously and stopped several feet away from the closest soldier. "Announce yourselves," I said coldly. "I am Catus Decianus", replied a man in royal dress. He wore a red cape over his shoulder and it was fastened there by a golden brooch with Romes insignia upon it. He was a large man with short, black, curly hair and small, beady brown eyes. "I have come for the will of Prasutagus," Catus declared. " You do not need it," I replied," It declares that I will continue to rule and my two daughters will be my successors." "Patetico donna, in realtà lei pensava di poter regola," Catus snickered to the soldier next to him. The soldier laughed and advanced several steps toward me. "According to roman law and tradition," Catus laughed, " A woman can not rule, therefore these lands are now the property of Rome." "NO!" I yelled. "You can not do this you have no right!" Catus turned around to look at me, he was smiling. He disgusted me. I leaned forward and spit in his face. " You will pay for that," Catus mumbled under his breath as he wiped the spit from his face. "Beat her," Catus ordered as he walked away.

Two soldiers grabbed me and pulled me outside.I tried to claw my way out of their grip ,but their grip was too strong. They dragged me across the village until they came upon a large wooden post. They tied me to the pole, the bonds were so tight that I couldnt even turn my hands without scraping off the skin. A soldier behind me pulled a whip from his belt and cracked it in the air. The first time that the whip cracjed against my skin I winced in pain. After a while I lost track of how many times the whip had sliced across my back. Eleven, twelve, thirteen, maybe fourteen times. When the whip finally stopped I lay against the wooden post for an etenity crying until i heard a scream. I jumped to my feet, that was Heanua. I started running in the directions of the screams. They became louder and louder as I got closer. They were inside somewhere, I could hear them.
I burst through the door and collapsed as a sudden burst of pain shot up my spine. Heanua and Lannosea were laying on the ground, surrounded by a pool of blood. They looked up when they saw me and they started to cry. "Mother I'm so sorry," Heanua wailed. "It's alright girls, It wasn't your fault," I whispered to them. I held them in my arms until they stopped crying. "Mother," Heanua whispered," Promise me that you will make them pay." "I promise," I Replied quietly.

Throughout the next week my time was spent in rebuilding the village that the Romans had destroyed. They would pay for this. Half of the village was burned to the ground and the other half had been looted so the families there had nothing left. My people have been raped, murdered, beaten, and stolen from and the romans expected us to keep our pety alliance with them?

" Queen Boudica," Drustan whispered, " I know you are planning on fighting the Romans, bu-" "What are you suggesting Drustan?" I interrupted. "We can not fight the Romans alone," Drustan whispered, "We must ask the other tribes for aid." I nodded, Drustan's suggestion was a good one and Prasutagus had always asked him for advice about war. Drustan himself had led the Iceni's armies into war once before. " Drustan, we will go to the Trinovantes and ask them for aid. They too have been oppressed by the Romans." I ordered. " When will we leave," Drustan asked. " Tonight, under the cover of darkness. I don't want the Romans to suspect that we are up to something." "Yes my queen," Drustan whispered as he bowed and left my house.

That night Drustan and I left and rode our horses until we reached the Trinovante's tribe. It was obvious that they were living under worse conditions than that of my people. They were living in tents with holes in the sides and their fields were barren. A man dressed in rags approached us from the side of a tent. " Who are you and what do you want?" He demanded in a gruff voice. " I am Boudica, Queen of the Iceni," I stated proudly." I have come to see your king." " You are looking at him, I am Addedomarus, king of the Trinovantes. What have you come to speak to me about?" The man aswered grimly. " The Romans," Drustan replied bitterly. " What about the Romans?" Addedomarus replied angrily." They take our land and crops all to feed their great city." " We are going to war with the Roamns", I explained, " But we alone do not have enough men to fight them. We ask for the aid of your people." Addedomarus laughed, " Our aid? We have no army to even protect ourselves from the Romans. How would we help you fight them?" A crowd that had formed around us laughed in retaliation to Addedomarus's words. " Our armies fighting together would be a force that not even the Romans could fight!" Drustan urged. Addedomarus stood silently as if thinking. I watched him until I had an idea. " I will make a deal with you Addedomarus, If we rid your land of the Romans willl you help me with my revenge?" Addedomarus stood looking at me for a long time before he replied. " You will destroy Camulodunum to the very last stone?" He asked. " Every building in the city will be burned, I promise you," I replied. " Then the Trinovantes are your allies," Addedomarus yelled. All of the men around him began to yell as well and soon a bonfire was raging in the village with many sacrifices to Andraste. " Come back here with your army in three days," Addedomarus plotted," and we will march on Camulodunum."