The sacred fire of the Queen

VI The Revelation

VI The Revelation

             The next day, when the cock crowed at dawn, Antonius arose. Gently blowing on the tired fire, which was sleeping under the ashes, he revived it. Then he added some dry twigs, which burned quickly. After he had milled a handful of wheat, he kneaded it with water taken from a clay jar placed next to the fire. He divided the dough into small cakes on a plank then spread these cakes on a stone heated by the flame to cook it. The delicious aroma had filled the house and Camilla woke up. “Is it you, father? ”

“ Daughter, be ready! We must go.”

“Where, father? What is it?”

“Do not worry. Let us go and you will see.”

They consumed some fruit and two hot cakes then they put the other in the sack. They walked in a good pace to the south, amongst the oaks, accompanied by the chirping of birds. They walked in silence along the east side of the last of Ausonian mountains.

Camilla was a good walker, and she was walking ahead of her father. She was tall for her age, slender and had long black hair down to her shoulders. She was wearing a tunic, which had become short on her now. She was growing rapidly.

Thanks to the outdoor life assigned her, and thanks to the children’s games and her predilection for the run, she showed muscles well outlined, strong arms and a steady hand. After traveling a couple of miles, they deviated to the east. At the foot of the mountain, they quenched their thirst with spring waters from a stream. After a short pause, they began to rise. Montenero mountain was not very high, and after another mile or so, the rise began to flatten. So they entered a forest of tall oaks. The forest was dense and strangely silent. Sometimes some rock was sticking out of the ground, moist and rich in humus. They walked south for about a stadium’s distance and, carefully crossed a stretch of stony ground, void of vegetation. The stones emerged from the ground as if they had been planted by the cutting side. They were sharp and dangerous, and did not yield to the passage. They were part of a single massive rocky formation that wind and rain had eroded into an odd sculpture.

At the end of the rock formation they found themselves in a strange clearing. The trees were placed around in a circle at the same distance from each other. At the center of the clearing was a large squared rock about eight feet long, one foot wide and high. The huge rock table was perched on another squared rock that was sticking straight out of the ground. On the large stone there was a carcass of a slaughtered animal, its guts had been pulled out of the womb. At further examination, there were traces of a large bonfire, and, on the ground under the altar, there were statues of clay which represented the goddess Artume. This was the name that numerous Etruscan traders in nearby Fregellae attributed to Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, called Diana by the Latins. Other tiny statues were scattered on the ground. They represented deer, dogs, and other votive figures.

Upon seeing this strange location Camilla said,

“Father, where are we? Is this our destination? ”

Antonius nodded.

“This is the temple of the goddess Diana. The time has come, you need to know very important facts about your childhood.”

He told her the whole truth about her origins, then said:

“Do you see that altar of stone? It is dedicated to Diana, goddess of the woods and your protector, to whom your real father has consecrated you. I'm sure she protected and helped you in the battle with the boar. Mind you, this is not to belittle your merits, but rather to charge you of your responsibility. You must always pay tribute to the goddess, and be grateful to her.”

But Camilla's attention was not addressed to Artemis.

“Father, I do not know this king Metabo, and I don’t want to know him. You are my father and you and my mother are my family, I do not want another one!”

Sitting on stones placed around the altar, they talked for a long time. With great gentleness and patience, Antonius convinced Camilla that every person has their own destiny and to rebel against it never leads to anything positive. If it had been necessary for her to become Queen away from the Little Well, it should be accepted. In particular, members of the family should diligently cooperate to ensure that the future of the young girl will be full of honor and glory. Moreover, Camilla, was aware of her own ability to command and to fight.

This argumentation opened a breach through the obstinacy of the young girl, who did not want to meet her real father. Insisting on this subject, Antonius tried to convince her that because Metabo was a noble warrior, he could teach her more of the art of weaponry and hunting, rather than a humble shepherd like himself was. He made this speech sick at heart, hiding his sadness, but he felt the day of detachment was approaching and he did not want that day to take Camilla unprepared, making her suffer more than was necessary.