Elodie Harper

But returning to the history, so we know that

the aftermath for the Iceni was absolutely horrific.

It was incredibly brutal repression by Paulinus and the Roman forces in the east of England.

So brutal, in fact, that a change of policy and a change of command was needed to kind of then reconciliate people.

And thinking of Cogidubnus or Togidubnus in Fishbourne Roman Palace, that was another form of Roman control to show, okay, these are the benefits if you comply with

It wasn't just a personal reward for Toggy Dubness.

It's also by building this phenomenal palace in Britain for a loyal British client king as a means of saying, this is what you could have if you play nice.

And he let us take all your stuff and basically let us get on with oppressing your lands.

You can have a nice mansion.

And Cartimandua as well.

I mean, her story is absolutely fascinating in that Rome actually came and rescued her.

Some kind of Roman SWAT team took her out after there was a rebellion against her by her own people much later.

I mean, you know, significantly after the Boudiccan revolt.

So there was quite a close tie between

the Romans and the British collaborators.

And one of the things I wanted to explore in the book is the choices that Selina, as the daughter of the two historical figures of Prasutagus, the client king, and Boudicca, the British rebel, what might her personal attitude to Rome have been?

I imagined her

speaking Latin because her father has encouraged her to learn about Roman culture and Roman society.

When you see the impact of a rebellion that fails and the appalling suffering that ensues, does that make you want to seek for more vengeance?

Does it make you feel that vengeance is actually