Pagan Princess

It is the year 50 AD; Roman invaders had set up enclaves throughout the southern lands of Briton. They had met with fierce Pagan Kings who fought bitterly against them and also showed the same aggression toward their neighbouring counterparts.

One of these Kings was Alfred who had spawned two children, a boy and a girl. His son who was every bit as fierce as his father perished at the hands of the Romans in one of the bloodiest of battles ever to have raged on the south coast of Briton. The experienced Romans quickly took control of the southern lands, sacking villages and exterminating all resistance that stood in their way. Soon many of the communities found themselves devoid of their young men who had perished at Roman hands.

Alfred's grief knew no bounds as he looked upon his remaining offspring, his daughter Melissia. At this time she was just 18 years old, she was a tall slim girl with deep red chestnut hair and large brown eyes. Eyes that could melt a man from twenty paces and what is more had inherited her mother's beauty. He watched her as she hacked at a sack that she had strung from a tree.

"What game are you playing daughter," he said wearily but with an amused smile.

"I am killing those people that took my brothers life," she replied puffing out her chest pretending to be a warrior.

"What you do Melissia is commendable but you are no match for those invaders from Rome, now put down your sword and help your mother prepare supper."

"Bah! All I ever do is woman's work, I want to fight father, to kill Romans." She gave a mock frown and squared her jaw.

Alfred put his hand on his daughters shoulder.

"Melissia your bravery knows no bounds but you know little of these people that you hate so much. They fight differently from us, they speak a language that is unknown to us, what can you hope to do against them?"

"Father I want to learn how to fight them, I want to learn their language, I want to know everything about them and most importantly of all I want to avenge your son, my brother."

Alfred's eyes moistened as he gazed at the determination of his daughter.

"I do not want you to become a warrior my little princess but by all means learn their language. I know of a learned man that can teach you but he lives far from here, are you prepared to go to this man for the knowledge you require?" He gazed into her doe like eyes hoping that leaving home would dissuade her.

"Yes I want to learn all there is about Romans, how they think, how they fight, everything." There was an immense eagerness in her eyes that disturbed the old King.

"Melissia please, first things first, I will arrange for you to go to the man Arnold who speaks Latin the Roman tongue. It is a difficult language but your mind is quick, I think you will learn fast."

She hugged her father and ran off to tell the good news to her frail mother. Alfred bowed his head in thought and wondered what he had started.

The man Arnold was not only a wise scholar but also an accomplished swordsman and he felt sure his daughter would flash those wondrous eyes at him to extract this skill from him. No one could resist Melissia's pleading look, she could twist a man around her little finger.

Oh! Thought Alfred, what have I inflicted on poor Arnold? The old King turned and slowly walked back to his fortress bracing himself for the tongue lashing that would surely come from Melissia's mother.

Nearly two years had passed and Melissia was returning to her father's fortress in South Downland, she reflected on her past years under Arnold's tuition.

Arnolds home was an old monastery that was very befitting for the scholar he was. Alfred had warned him in a letter about his daughter and of her ambitions for revenge on the Romans. In it he wrote, "Teach her Latin and any other tongues she wishes to learn but please omit the sword play she will surely crave." The Kings words had a pleading note to them and Arnold resolved himself to obey them.

When Melissia arrived at his door Arnold was totally smitten by her. She moved with the grace of a gazelle and had the dark soft brown eyes of a baby deer. Her body was almost fully developed and it was obvious to him that she kept herself exceedingly fit. She had strong firm breasts leading down to a flat muscular stomach; her legs were lean with a well-defined muscle structure, peculiar to those of an athlete. When she smiled she revealed a perfect set of pearly white teeth. "By the gods!" thought Arnold "I have a goddess in my house."

As time passed at the monastery Melissia soaked up knowledge like a sponge, Latin became a second language to her, she also became fluent in French and German. Arnold found it increasingly difficult to keep up with her thirst for learning. Soon the dreaded question arose.

"Dear Arnold, will you teach me how to use a sword?" She said it with that look that made him melt on the spot.

"I...I..." Arnold stammered, taken aback by the directness of her question.

"Well Arnold, will you?" She went on, cupping her delightful chin in her hands and flashing those eyes.

"Oh Princess, I promised your father that I would not teach you such things." He replied with a look that said, "Please don't ask me again."

Over the next few weeks, having used her charisma and charms to their maximum, Melissia had made Arnold relent and so began her training, which she took too with an even greater relish than that for language. Arnold also taught her good manners, etiquette, and civility and over the following months Melissia's hatred for the Romans began to mellow. Even so, she still managed to glean every tiny bit of Arnold's fighting knowledge from him. As the months wore on he felt deeply guilty as to what he was teaching Alfred's daughter. He had broken every promise he had made to his King and he was truly ashamed of himself. Melissia had charmed him like no other could; he could not resist the power she had over him, he was like soft clay in her hands and his love for her knew no bounds

Melissia snapped herself out of her reminiscences as she neared her father's fortress. She pulled her horse up at the top of the downs and looked down into the valley. Her heart froze as she surveyed the smouldering ruins that were once her home. In a terrible frenzy she rode full gallop toward the ruined fortress, as she rode she could see many mounds of freshly dug earth. An old man was tending two of the mounds as Melissia pulled up her mount beside him.

"What has happened here, tell me old man?" she screamed stricken with panic.

"It was the Romans little lady, they came on yesterday's dawn and murdered everyone." He bowed his head in tearful grief, pushing at the fresh earth.

"My Father my Mother what news of them?" She looked at him utter dread filling her eyes.

"And who may they be?" Asked the old man wearily.

"Why Alfred and Serena, the King & Queen of South Downland, I am Melissia their daughter have you forgotten me already?"

He looked up at the flame haired woman who addressed him. "Melissia is it really you? May the gods be praised, you have returned." The old man was truly pleased to see her.

Then his smile faded, "Melissia the news is as grave as it can be, the Romans have been systematically killing our leaders. Your Mother and Father were put to the sword, their bodies lie under these very mounds I tend." With that he bowed his head and sobbed.

Melissia dismounted and flew to his side. "Dead!" My parents are Dead?"

She grabbed some of the soil and held it to her chest.

"Old man tell me all you know of these vile killers, I had forgiveness in my heart but now I see nothing but blood and hate. MY HATE, THEIR BLOOD!"

******

Melissia rode deep into the forest her emotions filled with both grief and anger. Coming upon a clearing next to a babbling stream she dismounted from her horse and knelt down to take a drink from the cold clear water. Having drank she sat back on her haunches and surveyed the surrounding forest, everything seemed so very quiet, there was just the faintest sound of the wind rustling the trees.

Unknown to Melissia eyes were upon her, the eyes belonged to a girl named Helena. She was about the same age as Melissia with thick brunette coloured hair and olive skin. She too had a lithe healthy body thanks to healthy eating and clean living. Helena's eyes drank in the sight of the woman in the clearing; she noted the deep redness of her hair, the regal look, and she seemed to have all the prowess of a hunter. The scantiness of her attire stirred her, the soft leather loincloth around her nether regions and the small piece of material that covered her breasts. She wondered at the girls golden skin colour that she showed so much of. In addition she appeared to be some kind of warrior, for she carried a great sword and other some fearsome looking weapons.

Helena's eagerness to see more of her quarry caused her to tread on some twigs that alerted Melissia who unsheathed the deadly looking sword she kept at her side.

"Who's there show yourself?" Melissia shouted through clenched teeth

Helena stepped out of her hiding place holding her hands in front her to show she was unarmed. "Please I mean you no harm, don't hurt me."

"And who may you be?" countered the bristling Melissia.

"My name is Helena daughter of Seth and Mary." Replied the quivering girl.

Melissia lowered her sword realising the girl was a Briton and of no threat to her.

"What is it you seek Helena?" Asked Melissia as she sheathed her sword.

"Oh I was here in the clearing and I saw you arrive, clearly you are not from here and your weapons intimidated me." Said Helena hoping that the warrior woman's sword would remain where it was.

"Please don't be afraid of me Helena, I am just passing through, here, come sit with me." Melissia sat down and patted the grass beside her.

An hour passed while Melissia gave the girl a brief resume of her life story, she told her of her tuition under Arnold and the death of her parents and brother. Helena's story was much the same regarding her parents; they too had died at the hands of the Romans, she too was very bitter toward the invaders.

"Then like me you have no family to speak of, would you like to join me?" Melissia put a pleading hand on Helena's shoulder. She went on, "I seek like minded women to join my band, I will hone them into fearsome warriors have no doubt about that, are you with me girl?"

Helena had been mesmerised by Melissia's eyes, the sheer look of determination in them was incredible and she knew the answer had to be yes. To be just a small part of Melissia's army would indeed be a great honour, even then Helena felt she could lay down her life for her and her cause.

"Then come Helena, from this very day you will be my first lieutenant, let us seek out others who have suffered the same fate. We will become a great thorn in the side of Rome."

With that the two women mounted Melissia's horse and rode ever deeper into the forest to seek out what would be the most formidable guerrilla army ever to have roamed Britons lands.

For the next six months Melissia and Helena visited all the towns and villages gathering recruits as they went. Finally they had amassed an army of would be warrior women. Melissia trained five of the toughest women personally, then sent those out to train another fifty each in the art of combat and swordsmanship. The women learned quickly for they all had a consuming hatred of the Romans.

Helena had introduced Melissia to Rebecca daughter of the late blacksmith of Storrings Town. The Romans too had murdered him but before his untimely death his daughter had acquired her late fathers skills at the forge. It was Rebecca's task to forge the initial crude weapons the women would need. Melissia insisted that the armour should be minimal, just enough to cover vital organs, shoulders, forearms, and thighs. This attire would not be appropriate she said but it would give them the utmost agility.

Rebecca had expressed her concerns to Melissia regarding the amount of weapons needed plus all the horses and body armour required. Melissia allayed her fears by describing how she would systematically relieve the Roman patrols of theirs.

And so the slaughter started, the Roman invaders were spread very thin in southern Briton and were easy pickings for the marauding women. Indeed the invaders had thought they had contained any would be threat by either killing or enslaving all the young men from the towns and villages. They had not made any allowances regarding an uprising by mere women.

Soon Melissia and her army of warrior women had all the weapons, horses and armour they needed. They had attacked food supply columns, this helped boost their own supplies meted out by loyal towns folk and villagers. Within a year the women had slaughtered every patrol they had encountered and had set up strongholds in all the villages in South Downland. In all that time not one Roman soldier had been spared, the women had vowed to take no prisoners.

Meanwhile back at the old forge in Storrings Town Melissia and Helena reflected on the past months. Melissia was removing her body armour by the fireside; Helena was seated at a nearby trestle table.

"We have done well thanks to you Melissia." Helena gazed at Melissia as she removed her breastplate.

"Yes, I am extremely pleased at our success so far, you and the other women have excelled yourselves." Melissia removed the final piece of thigh armour from her legs. Then in all innocence removed the rest of her scant clothing.

Helena stared transfixed at the scene before her; Melissia's body was illuminated from behind by the flickering fire. The sheen of her skin glowed in the golden light; Helena was totally smitten by her leaders beauty.

"Why do you stare so?" inquired Melissia as she wiped the skin that had captivated Helena so much.

"Oh I...I'm sorry." stammered the brunette, "I didn't realise I was staring." Helena looked down at her feet stunned at her leader's perception.

"Don't worry Helena, I myself have those feelings from time to time, none of us have known any kind of love for many a year." Melissia went over to Helena and cupped her face in her hands. "I too have tried to hide my feelings from you Helena and now I guess the killings have stirred deep passions within us. We have no men to quell those passions, so what else is there?" With that Melissia gave the brunette the gentlest of kisses.

"Let us go outside Helena, we shall vent some of those feelings tonight, tomorrow we both could be dead!" Melissia took Helena's hand and lead her into the forest.

Helena melted at the thought of being made love to by this flame haired temptress. Her loins burned and flooded at the thought. She followed Melissia into a forest glade.

"I would gladly die a thousand times for just this one night with you Melissia." Said Helena as her leader peeled away her garments.

"And I too." Replied Melissia. "Pleasure me lieutenant, pleasure me and believe me, I will pleasure you like no other person on this earth can!" With that the two girls locked themselves into a violent embrace.

********

At his palace in Nova Magus the Roman Consul Petronius Arius gazed toward the estuary far down in the valley of the Ems River. Petronius was a hawkish man some thirty-eight years old; he was tired of this barbaric land with its heinous Anglo Saxon's and marauding pirates from Germany and France. He lorded over some 200.000 soldiers of the Roman Empire who had been spread thinly all over the south coast of Briton. To him Briton was the most inhospitable place on Earth with its cold wet winters and temperate summers. This summer however, was exceedingly hot and humid even by Britons standards.

To add to his discomfort he had been receiving reports that food convoys and patrols were being systematically wiped out. Not one of the soldiers had lived to tell who the perpetrators were. He sent for his General Honorius Plexus who controlled all his troops south of Londinium. The General was also a battle weary soldier who longed to return to Rome. He stood before the Consul and saluted.

"Honorius, I thought we had eradicated all opposition to our troops in South Downland, by the gods man we even disposed of its errant king!" The Consul turned from the window and faced his General, a quizzical expression on his face.

"Consul I am sure we had but it seems we have a new enemy on our hands. Yet another enemy to add to the ever growing numbers." Replied the General wearily.

"This one is different Honorius, they have acquired horses, horses from our own men. Up to now Britons had little knowledge of horses and indeed little knowledge of fighting on horseback, so who are they?" The Consul slammed his fist down on the marble table in front of him.

"At this moment I have no idea, release some more troops to me Consul and I will appoint an appropriate Commander to seek them out and destroy them, whoever they are!" Replied the General sternly.

"Yes, yes Honorius, I will give orders for a legion to be released from our border with Caledonia. Things are a little quieter there now since the wall was built marking our territory but you must not fail me General, if this news gets back to Rome we will both be banished to the Siberian wastes!" Petronius sat down and unfolded a map of South Downland.

"Get your men to start their search here." The Consul tapped the map with his finger. "And General." He went on. "If it is at all possible bring the leader of this uprising to me personally." An example must be made; it must be understood that anyone leading an uprising against Rome will meet with a long lingering and terrible death!"

Honorius saluted his Consul and left to organise his counter offensive in South Downland. At his headquarters in Nova Magus he sat down and thought about whom he would appoint to lead the first sweep. The name that came to mind was Antoninus Maximus, a bright young centurion that had excelled in the destruction and capture of would be guerrilla's forces. He was a powerful young man and extremely battle hardy, the General felt he would be the man to bring these rebels to account.

During the next few weeks a legion of three thousand men arrived just south of Londinium. Honorius Plexus was there to meet them together with Antoninus Maximus. The men were tired from their long march from the north. Honorius told the captains to let their men rest and then select a cohort of three hundred men to carry on to South Downland.

Antoninus was duly promoted to Tribune and was to lead this first cohort and seek out the guerrillas, he wanted dearly to kill them all but he was ordered to bring back a special prisoner. This prisoner was to be made a supreme example of, so Rome could be appeased, so the Britons would think twice before challenging the might of Rome again!

*******

Melissia and Helena continued to seek sexual pleasure from each other over the next few weeks. Every time they killed Romans they sort refuge in each other's arms. Killing and lovemaking became entwined, they were insatiable together.

Meanwhile just to the north in a village called Middle Hurst Antoninus Maximus arrived with his cohort of soldiers. It was his intention to question the villagers as to the possible whereabouts of the guerrilla army he sort. The villagers froze as the Romans marched into their haven, they wanted to run but there was nowhere for them to go. All the young men and boys of the village had been killed or taken to the Roman galleys for a lifetime in slavery. All that remained were a handful of young girls and a smattering of very elderly men and women.