Hello everyone! Here is a new chapter.

I have bad news. I am really busy with work this week because I have to finish a lot of things before to go on holliday (in France, Pyrénées), so, I don't think I will be able to publish a new chapter before the second week of July.

Chapter 24: How she made a mistake.

"Netherlands? What are you doing?"

The Dutch nation hid his pipe in his jacket. His sister did not approve of his new habits and he was certain that if the Spanish idiot saw him smoking, he would report it to Belgium.

"That's none of your business. Go away."

But the Spanish guy joined him in the garden, smiling. That stupid smile was one of the things that irritated the most Netherlands. He told him once again to leave before he becomes violent.

"Please, why don't we do something together, between grown men…?"

"Why are you so annoying today? Weren't you reading the story with the kids and my sister?"

"Well, I think we are going to stop for a while. Roma was quite shocked with Aduatuca's bloodbath."

"That's not a bloodbath, it is a battle." Netherlands corrected him.

"Please, Rome's soldiers were disarmed and totally unprepared. It remembers me of the Nochte Triste when Aztec tried to sacrifice me at the top of one of his pyramids. That was the scariest moment of my life."

Netherlands raised an eyebrow. That was a story he had never heard before. Spain never talked about the battles he had in the new world. He just talked about their food and strange customs. Did he hide something from them? Well, of course Netherlands was sure that the moron had created a huge mess there. How can a man who can't control himself in front of gold not do something stupid to a country were you can find the precious metal in rivers' bed? He sighed. The idiot was definitively having his own "Gallic wars" in the new world. Spain needed to talk and even if the Dutch nation hated his voice, he let him talk because he started thinking he might learn something interesting. Who knows? Maybe he could try to go to the New World or the Spice Islands all by himself in the future.

And during the next hour, Spain talked about New World's folks. He declared most of them were really primitive, for not calling them barbarians. There was only one true nation in that area. The other tribes had young and weak representative who were too scared to fight against the fearsome Aztec nation. They were people who were wandering half naked and they were afraid of horses. But the scariest part of all was that all of them were still doing human sacrifices. Spain was convicted he had the holly mission to put an end to those barbarian customs. Netherlands sighed once again. The moron was exactly as Rome during his Gallic Wars; he was convinced that it was his duty to bring them civilisation, although Aztec did not seem interested in his enlightenment. Spain thought it was normal to educate the natives by making them his servants and taking away their resources.

So, Netherlands wasn't surprised to hear Aztec had tried to capture Spain and his conquistadors in his capital by destroying the bridges that the Spanish might have use to escape. But the most stupid thing in that event was that the Spanish had tried to run away with the gold they had stole and that most of them drowned themselves in the lagoon because they were too heavy. The only noticeable difference with the Aduatuca's battle of his grandmother was that if Belgica brought her victims a quick and "almost" painless death, Aztec had a far much creepier idea. He was planning to capture the most conquistadors a possible and bring them to his pyramid for his bloody sacrifices. Spain had been caught up but one of his men saved him by scarifying himself. That night seemed to have traumatize Spain as he called it the "Noche Triste".

"And when did it happen? Why didn't you tell us about it?"

"It was in 1520, so, ten years ago. I didn't want to scare neither Belgium nor Romano. Belgium hates violence and Luxembourg and Romano are yet so innocent."

Netherlands needed a lot of self control for avoiding strangling Spain. That was what he hated the most about him. That idiot was always persuaded the Benelux countries were weaklings who needed his protection. He used that excuse to take most of the decisions by himself… He took a deep breath. He needed to know what had happened to Aztec after that famous night. If Spain really behaved in the New World like Rome did with Belgica and the other rebels, he was worried for that Aztec guy, even if he had debatable religious practices.

But just as he asked the question, a bell announced lunch time.

"Great!" Spain smiled. "I can't wait to make you discover all the funny food I brought back from the New World!"

"Come back here, je ruk! For once you had something interesting to say."

I was running through a dark forest. I was scared. I needed light. I wanted to find an exit or, at least, a clearing. En then, I finally found one. I ran to it… And I opened my eyes.

I immediately realised I had an awful headache and that my shoulder, my left hand and calf were hurting. And I remembered what happened to me. I had been booby-trapped as a beginner by Belgica. One of her tribes' leaders had told me she was preparing a rebellion but that he didn't want to be part of it. He suggested we moved to another camp in order to join our forces. But it was a lie. He was the one leading the rebellion and he trapped us in a ravine. I remember seeing my soldiers falling one after another… Wait? Where was I? Why as I still alive? How did it end?

I noticed I was lying in a wagon and that wagon was moving. My first thought was to think that somehow, we were rescued and that my saviours were carrying me with care. But then, I realised that I was tied up and that the people around me were speaking Gallic languages. I was a prisoner. A few moments later, someone jumped into the chariot.

"Is my dear conqueror going well?"

"Belgica…" I recognised the traitor. She was dressed for the fight. So, all that disaster wasn't a dream. I was her prisoner. She examined my wounds and changed my bandages.

"What are you doing? Didn't you want to torture me?"

"It is all part of my plan." She answered quietly.

"Where are we going?" She didn't answer. She was just checking if my injuries were healing well. After that, she forced me to drink something that had a strange sweet taste.

"It will make you feel groggy, but that will help you handle the pain."

"Why are you…" But I fell asleep right away.

When I woke up, the troop had stopped. I heard voices talking in Latin.

"…They were all dead. That guy was the only one left…"

I had an awful headache so I didn't understand what was going on. Then, the chariot moved and for some strange reason, I started feel a little better. I heard new voices.

"A German army destroyed our territory and annihilated the fourteenth legion. They left to the Southeast. I think they will target the Treviri and the legion protecting it next. I doubt they will hold for a very long time. You have to come and help us."

"Is he the only one who survived?" That voice was familiar…

"He was the only one alive when we arrived. The Germans caught us by surprise. They went directly for the Roman camps and we didn't have the time to prepare ourselves."

What was going on? It didn't happen like that at all. After a few other minutes, I realised that the man who was talking was that Ambiorix's traitor. He repeated them the same lies in order to make them leave the camp. He was trying to settle the same trap. I knew that in Nervii's area, the rivers were surrounded by huge cliffs. My soldiers wouldn't be able to escape at all. That guy was a monster. I had to warn my soldiers, but I wasn't able to move. The drug was still effective.

"… tied him up because he was too nervous. He's still in shock and tries to hurt himself."

That was Belgica's voice. What a bitch. How could she make such lies so easily?

"Thank you for your help and your warning. We will take care of the matter."

That was Quintus Cicero's voice. I was on Nervii's territory and in the camp of the seventh legion. Then, the Belgian tried to take me away. They said they had some places well known for their druids and healers. Cicero refused. He was convinced that our doctors would be more than enough. I detected some irritation in his voice. My heart raced. I had the feeling he had understood what was going on. If only I could talk…

Negotiations continued for a few minutes, but my dear Quintus Cicero kept me into the camp. At first, I felt relieved because I was sure I was safe with them. But a few minutes later, I thought of Belgica's strategy. If she couldn't force my soldiers to get out of the camp, what would she do? The answer was quite obvious to me. She would attack us.

My body was still not obeying to me. I was fully awake but I couldn't even move my lips. What kind of drink did she give to me? The soldiers moved me to a tent in order to let me rest. A healer came and checked my wounds. "They are healing very well… it is almost unbelievable. I have seen many wounded in my live but I never saw someone recovering so quickly, and from such injuries. The only one that looks bad is the one on the left hand. Your hand is completely black. If you were a normal patient, I would amputate you at once. But the boss said that… Well… that you're some kind of immortal god?" I wished I could smile and answer him, but I was still paralysed. The doctor cleaned my wounds, changed my bandages and told me to rest before leaving. I remained alone for half an hour. Then, my body started hurting again. I had a new headache and my wounds itched me once more. The pain was so unbearable I move my arm to … I could move once again! I tried to fell over. I hit the ground. I heard a scream escaping from my mouth. A few seconds later, two soldiers came into the tent.

"Lord Rome, calm down! What's wrong?"

"You should rest. Lady Belgica said you were too agitated and that you were …"

I closed my eyes and sighed. That traitor had done her job pretty well. If I tried to move a little more, my own men would tie me up, believing I had become mad. I tried to speak, but I still wasn't able to pronounce something edible. One of the men told the other to go look for Cicero. He was convinced my lieutenant would find the right words to calm me down. My heart raced once again. That smart man would definitively understand what I was trying to say. So I let the other soldier to put me back on bed.

He arrived ten minutes later and ordered his men to leave us alone. He sat next to me.

"Lord Rome, don't overdo it, please." But after seeing my face, he changed his strategy.

"You can't talk yet, but you can move. It is more than enough to communicate."

I heaved a sigh in relief.

"I am going to ask you a few questions. You will have to answer them by "yes" of by "no". For the "yes", nod your head. For the "no", just wave it. Can you do that?"

I nodded. What a smart guy! We were saved.

"I will begin. Were the German the ones who attacked you?"

"No."

"It was Belgica, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"I don't understand why she brought you back to us, then…Is she planning to trick us?"

I nodded once again.

"What is she planning to do? Is she trying to lead us in an ambush?"

I gave him a positive answer. A few minutes later, Cicero knew everything he needed to know.

"Thank you, Lord Rome. You can rest now. The sooner you recover the better. I will take measures to protect our camp and send messengers to the other legions."

And he left. I finally allowed me to sleep. I knew I could trust this guy. Belgica had made the mistake to underestimate him just as she did with my healing abilities. But I also knew the worse was yet to come. If her first plan failed, Belgica and her warriors would definitively change their strategy and besiege us.

One year ago, I read the chronicles written by Bernal Diaz del Castillo, one of the conquistadors who accompanied Hernán Cortès during his conquest of Mexico. Somehow, it really made me think of the Gallic Wars. It looked pretty much like it (warning, black humour): one civilised folk which come from very far away to bring the joys of civilisation to plenty of "barbarian folks" with weird customs, and an incalculable number of wealth which wait only for them, plus some political intrigues and some people ready to sacrifice everything and everyone in order to become the only ruler of this new land…

History repeats…