The follow-up of Gaius Tracchus' account:
'The Queen bravely got up on her legs and rested her head against the post, closing her eyes.
The scourge fell on the center of of her back again. She moaned loudly and bucked in the bonds, her head snapping back, her muscles tightening. She was shaking, sweat and blood coursing off her, pressing herself against the post, as she was waiting for the pain to subside a little.
As the scourge whistled in the air again, she tensed involuntarily. It landed across the top of her back, the tips biting into her left shoulder, on a spot where the skin had already been beaten away. Her head threw back and she yelled. 'Twenty-one'
The next lash landed across the middle of her back, booming against her ribs. Once again we were gratified by the now familiar dance - head back, chest forward, muscles taut and then, gradually, relaxation as the pain was becoming more bearable. Her breasts were sore now, not just from the lashes, but from being repeatedly rammed into the wood. 'Twenty-two'
The next blow was punctuated by a high-pitched wailing and it seemed that she had lost her breath. After a few seconds, she gulped in air. She couldn't stop shivering, now, and was staring at the wood and the oppidum wall beyond, her hands clutched to the chains above the manacles.
The lash crashed into her just above her left hip. The knots whipped round the soft skin beneath her ribs and bit into her stomach. Her legs gave way. She slithered down the post, her breasts rubbing against the rough wood. She hung, sweat and blood dripping off her, a constant wailing coming from her mouth.'Twenty-four', the lictor announced.
She shrieked and spasmed as the next blow struck her, trying to pull off her blood-stained feet from their bonds. Then, to our complete amazement, she somehow found a standing position again. 'Twenty-five'
The scourge was once again dipped into the salt water bucket. Then, the lash whistled and landed across her already flayed left shoulder blade. There was a spray of blood as she crashed into the post, head flying back, stomach and hips thrusting forward as a full scream left her lips. 'Twenty-six'
The lictor was now obviously enjoying the sensous whip-dance of his royal victim, and a bulge was clearly visible underneath his short tunic. He lashed her again, across the middle of her back, the knots sinking deep into the wounds left by the previous blows. This time, a thick spray of blood flew up, her whole body spasmed and she began retching, violent shudders passing through her. She coughed and bit her upper arm, her beautiful face now a mask of disbelief and pain. 'Twenty-seven'