Veranilda was a great-grandchild of Amalafrida, the sister of King
Theodoric, being born of the daughter of King Theodahad; and her
father was that Ebrimut, whose treachery at the beginning of the
great war delivered Rhegium into the hands of the Greeks. Her
mother, Theodenantha, a woman of noble spirit, scorned the unworthy
Goth, and besought the conqueror to let her remain in Italy, even as
a slave, rather than share with such a husband the honours of the
Byzantine court. She won this grace from Belisarius, and was
permitted to keep with her the little maiden, just growing out of
childhood. But shame and grief had broken her heart; after a few
months of imprisonment at Cumae she died. And Veranilda passed into
the care of the daughter of Maximus.
'For I too was a captive,' said Aurelia, 'and of the same religion
as the orphan child. By happy hazard I had become a friend of her
mother, in those days of sorrow; and with careless scorn our
conquerors permitted me to take Veranilda into my house. As the
years went by, she was all but forgotten; there came a new
governor--this thievish Hun--who paid no heed to us.
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