The girl’s fearlessness pleased the prefect, for Constantius Chlorus was a humane and gentle man, fierce enough in fight, but seeking never to needlessly wound an enemy or lose a friend.
“And what are thy terms, fair envoy of Britain?” he demanded.
“These, O Prefect,” replied Helena, “If but thou wilt remove thy cohorts to Londinium, I pledge my father’s faith and mine, that he will, within five days, deliver to thee as hostage for his fealty, myself and twenty children of his councillors and captains. And further, I, Helena the princess, will bind myself to deliver up to thee, with the hostages, the chief rebel in this revolt, and the one to whose counselling this strife with Rome is due.”
Both the matter and the manner of the offered terms still further pleased the prefect, and he said: “Be it so, Princess.” Then summoning his lieutenant, he said: “Conduct the envoy of Coel of Britain with all courtesy to the gates of the the city,” and with a herald’s escort the girl returned to her father.
Again the old king rebelled at the terms his daughter had made.
“I know the ways of Rome,” he said. “I know what their mercy meaneth. Thou shalt never go as hostage for my faith, O daughter, nor carry out this hazardous plan.”
“I have pledged my word and thine, O King,” said Helena. “Surely a Briton’s pledge should be as binding as a Roman’s.”
So she carried her point, and, in five days’ time, she, with twenty of the boys and girls of Camalodunum, went as hostages to the Roman camp in London.
“Here be thy hostages, fair Princess,” said Constantius the prefect as he received the children; “and this is well. But remember the rest of thy compact. Deliver to me now, according to thy promise, the chief rebel against Rome.”
“She is here, O Prefect,” said the intrepid girl. “I am that rebel—Helena of Britain!”