Page 146 of Cleopatra

He reached for my waist, slipping his hand around me. “We will.”

“And if we don’t?”

His smile dropped and he looked to the distance where the sweltering heat beat down on the armour of our soldiers.

“If we don’t, then we will be immortalised like Isis and Dionysus before us. We will be remembered as the lovers who fought for justice, who stood tall in the face of tyranny.”

I thought of the rumours that bloomed in Rome, the petals scattered across the world by the winds of fate, and I grew doubtful.

“It is our tyranny the Romans speak on.”

“Rome is not the world. Octavian’s empire will be lost in history.[*] You are Egypt.”

I was still unsure. I sensed the mould of my legend had already been carved. Though it would take years, centuries, for the cast to set.

Antonius saw my lips turn down and reached for my cheek. “We will not be forgotten, and so we will live on.”

If only the tales spoke of Antonius’s kindness, and not his capricious moods, and told stories of my tenacity and not my sexual prowess.

“Imperator, my queen, we have had news from our commander in Methone,” Dellius said behind us.

I turned to him. Once a Roman emissary, he had become a trusted general in Antonius’s army. I had disliked him from the moment he had arrived in Alexandria all those years before and summoned me to Tarsus.

“What do they say?” I asked impatiently.

Dellius’s eyes flickered briefly over to me, but then he answered as if Antonius had asked the question.

“Octavian has taken Methone.”

Antonius swore and began pacing. “He’s going after our supply routes.”

“Let us come away from the railing,” I said. “I do not wish our soldiers to see our disquiet.”

He seemed as though he might argue, but then he looked back at the infantry and the sea of soldiers who stood waiting to take our orders.

“Yes, come, let us move into the ship’s heart.” He strode away, Dellius falling into step behind him before I could follow. I scowled at the general’s back.

When we were comfortably seated in the room we had chosen as our war council, I spoke again: “We were waiting on those supplies from Methone to feed the troops. They will now hunger.”

“Yes, though I have a solution,” Dellius said with a hint of arrogance.

“Go on.”

“Herod is abandoning Actium; we can trade for his supplies.”

“Another ally is leaving us?” I said. “Why was I not told of this?”

Antonius frowned. “I told you to inform the Pharaoh yesterday, Dellius.”

“I thought bringing you the news was sufficient.” Dellius pushed out his chest.

“I grow tired of his insubordination,” I said, as if Dellius was not there.

“Dellius, please remember that the Pharaoh is my partner in all things,” Antonius said sharply.

Dellius’s bow was stiff, and still he faced Antonius, not me. “Yes, Imperator.”

I dragged my gaze from him and back to Antonius. “We must lure Octavian onto land. His blockade will be the death of us if we cannot supply food to our fleet. Herod’s supplies will not last long.”