Screams echoed through the settlement based round the hill fort near Camulodunum in the Heptarchy of East Seaxe home to the descendants of the Celtic Trinovantes who years before had migrated to the South East of what was now known as Britannia. Wynflaeth was again in the throes of her labour supported by the other women of the village her buxom body covered in perspiration which held her blonde hair close to her agonised forehead. She had already given her husband Worden five healthy sons but the three still born children that sprang from her womb had been daughters. Yet she longed to have at least one healthy daughter so she could honour a pledge given during her childhood.
That childhood was lived shortly after the Romans had sent reinforcements to the area. As a little girl she had become close to Zelda, the daughter of a Germanic slave who was more like a sister to her than a friend. When both girls were seven Zelda's mother was sold by her master and sent back to Rome leaving her daughter to fend for herself. Surely she would have starved had not Wynflaeth's family taken responsibility for her welfare and upbringing. When Wynflaeth was twelve years old fire ravaged through the village killing Wynflaeth's parents along with her two brothers. Wynflaeth herself was rescued by the swift action of Zelda who was so badly burned beating back the flames she had no chance of survival. As Zelda's lay dying Wynflaeth promised that if she ever had a daughter she would name her after her. Orphaned at such an early age Wynflaeth was raised within the community by local women until she reached her eighteenth birthday.
On that day Wynflaeth married Worden as was the custom of her tribe. She had no choice in the matter; she was simply claimed by Worden on her seventeenth birthday and given a year to prepare for the marriage. She had been a faithful hardworking wife since her wedding day on her eighteenth birthday and had raised her children and cared for her husband without question. In return she had received the love and protection that she duly expected. It was difficult being a member of a conquered race but her community had not experienced many unreasonable demands from the Romans apart from the tax which the whole tribe paid regularly and on time. In return their ancient customs and religion was respected and most knew that if the Romans didn't bother them then they didn't bother the Romans.
Exhausted Wynflaeth felt the need to push and took a deep breath as she heard a cry of delight from her husband's sister. "It's coming ... I can see a head ... one more push ... ONE MORE PUSH!" Wynflaeth pushed again and felt the pressure begin to ease as she reached the verge of unconsciousness. Just before she lapsed into sleep Wynflaeth heard a baby cry and the shout of triumph "IT'S A GIRL! AND SHE IS ALIVE!"
The local women spent the next few hours nursing both mother and daughter as Worden celebrated with the men. Childbirth was very risky in those days and Wynflaeth had experienced a very difficult labour losing way too much blood. Worden's celebrations were cut short when the Chieftain's wife called for him and gave him the news every father dreaded. Wynflaeth was so weak after giving everything to the task of producing her daughter she would not see another morning.
Entering the family unit Worden noticed his wife had regained consciousness and he laid the little girl in his wife's arms. "You've done it my beloved" he said through the tears "at last ... at last we have a daughter. We've already decided what we will call her haven't we?"
Looking at her husband she kissed the baby's little head before saying with her dying breath "Zelda ... please ... call her Z ... Zel ... call her Zelda." After a final kiss Wynflaeth took a deep breath before exhaling her spirit through her mouth.
Worden kept his wife's promise to her childhood friend and named his daughter Zelda. But being raised in an all-male family meant that Zelda was totally unfeminine. She wore boy's clothes, played boy's games and was a young brother in everything apart from what was missing between her thighs. Throughout childhood the girls in the village wanted to play "Mummies and Daddies", or as later generations would call the game "House" while the boys fought with wooden swords in games of "Britons and Romans". Zelda preferred to play with the boys and in that fantasy world she was a Briton who in the children's games always defeated their enemy.
Zelda's love for boy's games increased as she got older and by the time she was twelve she was leading the 'Britons' in their mock fights. Much to her father's discomfort Zelda spent the rest of her spare time learning carpentry, building and hunting rather than the domestic science she should have been practicing in preparation for the day she would marry the man of his choice. Yet Worden was proud of what Zelda achieved with a bow while hunting game. Having made her own bow and crafting her own arrows she was able not only to hit the target, she could also dispatch instant death to her prey as any trained male hunter should. The Britons of Zelda's time respected their environment and believed it to be against the will of the gods to cause unnecessary suffering to the animals they hunted. An animal left to die in agony would bring the wrath of the gods onto those who ate it. Worden also admired his daughter's capacity to learn from others. A Roman living in Camulodunum enjoyed the services of a slave he had brought with him from Judea. Zelda became friends with her daughter Hannah who taught the young Briton how to make and use a sling and stone. As when using arrows Zelda's aim was straight, true and deadly. Worden regretted that his daughter would never be able to use these skills once she was married and raising a family of her own.
At the age of thirteen Zelda was aware of changes taking place in her body as her breasts began to swell, her nipples became tender and hair began to grow around her sex. After she began to experience violent cramps in her abdomen one of the village women gently took her to one side and explained what was happening to her. She gave her three old rags and told her how to use and wash them once bleeding began. Three months before her fourteenth birthday Zelda experienced her first period as her body persisted adapting to its feminine nature. Despite this Zelda continued practicing with wooden swords and hunting with the men. Every day she would bring home meat for the village which was cooked by the other women.
As well as hunting wild beasts for food the community kept domestic animals which they used for milk, manure and meat. Zelda often watched as the male adult would mount the female and plant his seed in her womb to produce the next generation. She knew that one day a man would claim her for his wife and she herself would be mounted and impregnated with child. Many of her friends had older sisters who were married and much folklore and rumour circulated in the young minds as to what actually happened between man and woman at night. Like most girls her age Zelda knew what body parts were involved and that it caused pain to the woman at first for some indescribable pleasure could result at the moment of deflowering. But unlike many girls her age she was not curious or eager to find out. She didn't know that even this attitude made her an object of desire among the male population and that many a young man dreamed of taking her innocence and transforming her from tomboy to woman.
On her seventeenth birthday Elvin the Chieftain summoned Zelda to his hut where she was met by the chieftain and the chieftain's son Dax. Zelda knew that her days as a tomboy were now definitely numbered as Dax was about to pronounce, in the presence of the tribal elders including her own father the words of betrothal in a Celtic ceremony older than the tribe itself. "When the sun is next in this position" Dax said in front of the witnesses "on your eighteenth birthday I shall stand before the village and claim you as my wife. We will seal our marriage in the 'mating tent' where I shall impregnate you with my seed." Under the law of the day Zelda had no right of appeal so she held out her right hand to receive a bronze ring onto her third finger. She would be expected to wear it until her eighteenth birthday when after the consummation of her marriage it would be removed by her husband and placed on the third finger of her left hand where it would remain even after death. The only time she would be allowed to remove it would be if her betrothed died before the wedding day.
Zelda knew she would have to abandon her 'boyish' pursuits in preparation for the marriage but Dax made it clear he was in no hurry for Zelda to learn domestic science. As the heir to the chieftain he would be entitled to a cook and a servant who would carry out domestic chores. And in his mind there was a challenge in Zelda. Every man in the village knew what lay beneath those boy's clothes and longed to be the one to awaken her feminine side. Dax knew he would be the man to do this and he also knew he would not have to wait long.
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Further North was the Iceni Tribe which like the Trinovantes had migrated down from the Caledonia region before the Romans landed. A strong warrior people with a Celtic zeal they were ruled by their King Prasutagus. In Celtic society, women held positions of prestige and power and many took prominent roles in political, religious, and artistic life. They owned land and could choose their spouses and even initiate divorce. It strengthened the tribes when Prasutagus married the Warrior Princess Boadicea from the neighbouring Trinovantes Tribe. Their daughters Tassa and Promyse were the very centre of their lives and reign and the people knew that on the death of Prasutagus and Boadicea the Kingdom would be ruled by the two girls whose whole lives had been spent preparing for their expected role. As Druid Princesses they were taught the Old Religion and under a pact made with Priests were expected to remain chaste and pure until they were given in marriage. Their purity was signified by the floral garland each wore on their heads which would only be cut by their husbands following the consummation of their marriages.
The Tribe had remained passive and watched while the Roman Emperor Claudius and his army conquered large parts of Britain. They realized they wouldn't remain independent forever from Roman domination and in an attempt to avoid conflict King Prasutagus went to the city of Camulodunum to become a client-king. Although technically they submitted to the Roman ruling class in effect it enabled both the tribe and their culture to remain relatively unfettered.
The Iceni tribe was plunged into mourning when Prasutagus died. His death coincided with the arrival of a young tribune Titus Claudius Novanus. A son of a senator he sought to impress not only his father but more important the Emperor Nero. While the Roman governor, Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, was leading a campaign on the island of Anglesey Titus was left in charge of Camulodunum.
