Chapter 29

Ellac stayed up with Anastasia all night and together they talked about everything that happened in the last eleven years. She told him about the siege in Pannonia and their great escape to Armenia and within the first few months she married Navaz out of necessity to survive and also Kreka was pressuring her to do so. He was beginning to understand why she was so confused. Navaz was a good man and he cared for her.

She also told him that she said she loved Navaz, but it was different. They hadn't really known each other very long and the only thing that was special to them both was Arielle. She was the key to keeping their relationship stable. This wasn't the case with her relationship with Ellac all those years ago. Their relationship was special because they spent their entire childhood and teen years together as friends and later lovers then as parents. Unfortunately, they were never able to get married due to her mother's stubbornness, although Kreka wasn't too keen on the idea either.

Ellac wasn't able to spend time with his brothers and stepmother until the morning. Even though he hadn't had much sleep he felt like he was on a high and was able to stay awake. The following morning he was able to meet his son again. He hadn't seen Csaba since he was two years old and that was probably the highlight of his life.

Anastasia stood by the entrance of the Adame and watched Ellac sitting with Csaba, talking together, catching up on many lost years that they were never able to get back. She smiled tiredly, watching for the last couple of hours.

Xena walked up behind her daughter and oversaw the entire land outside. She witnessed Csaba and Ellac talking and her grandson had a big smile on his face as he was describing something. Probably his new bow he got for his birthday, she guessed. She took a step closer to her daughter and realized Anastasia was too fixated on her son and Ellac to notice her.

"Ana," she spoke softly and her daughter turned, a bit startled. "Did you two talk?" she asked.

Anastasia nodded. "Yes, we did. All night, actually." She cocked her head and her smile grew, watching her son interact with his father excitedly. "They're getting along really well, aren't they?"

Xena sighed and grabbed her daughter's hand, pulling her away from the beautiful scene outside. "Anastasia. What are your feelings for him? What about Navaz?"

This was something she didn't want to talk about. She still felt so conflicted about the idea of having Ellac and Navaz in her life. She couldn't make a decision right on the spot, but Ellac was very understanding, just like he always was. He hadn't changed much except for his looks. She still felt the same connection she had with him so long ago. It was like time stood still and they could revert back to their old behavior and habits together despite everything that happened to them.

"I do love him. I've always loved him," she began and Xena waited patiently for the 'but' coming up. "But I love Navaz too. I can't decide. I don't want to push Navaz aside. That would be cruel of me and he really cares a lot about me. We have a child together too but I've missed out on so much with Ellac and Csaba grew up without a father. I can't...I –"

Xena nodded and held her daughter's hands firmly. "You don't have to make a decision right now. Navaz said you should stay in Pannonia and if you want to come back to Balaam you can."

Ana blinked several times. "He said that?" Now, she was really feeling guilty for having these conflicting thoughts over these two men in her life.

"He knows that you love Ellac. He cares about you and wants you to be happy. So, do what makes you happy, Anastasia."

Her daughter dipped her head and let go of Xena's hands. "If I decide to leave Navaz then I won't be a queen anymore."

"I see you've already thought about this..." Xena lifted her daughter's chin and cast a big smile. "You still have a child with him and Arielle is a princess you know. If you decide to denounce your position as queen, he will not be gone from your life completely."

Anastasia nodded. "I know I've thought about it. I'm not sure what to do yet. I need more time." She folded her arms and saw Csaba coming inside the Adame with Ellac. "I wish women could have several husbands like the men have many wives." She joked.

"That would be something to see," Xena teased.

"Mom!" Csaba ran over to her and Anastasia smiled. "I was just showing my bow that Navaz gave me to...father," he said a bit awkwardly and Ellac placed his hands on the boy's shoulders. "Are we staying here? I want to stay in Pannonia."

Xena folded her arms and eyed her daughter. Ana sighed, "we'll see."

Kreka walked through the hall and saw Csaba with Ellac and grinned seeing them both together. She hated to interrupt but cleared her throat and Anastasia turned her head. "Arielle needs you."

Ana nodded and ruffled her son's hair then briskly walked to the women's quarters to tend to her daughter. Ellac watched her round the corner and Xena raised an eyebrow. Obviously he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. Nothing had changed despite all these years apart.

Csaba turned and looked into his father's eyes. "Can we go practice outside with the bow?"

Ellac looked down and smiled. "Yeah, sure." He wrapped his arm around his son's shoulder and walked out of the Adame together.

Kreka folded her arms and stood beside Xena watching her stepson saunter off with Csaba. "He still loves her," said the khatun.

"I know," Xena answered softly.

"This is a problem. What did Navaz say?"

Xena frowned. "He said he wants Anastasia to be happy."

"Looks like he knew what was going to happen."

"He knew what was going to happen the moment he found out Ellac was alive." Xena turned and shared a solemn stare with the khatun.

"If he loves her then he will let her go," Kreka said with a small grin then walked off to go see the training session between Csaba and Ellac. She took the words right out of Xena's mouth. A tough woman she claimed to be, but she has a soft heart despite what others think of her.


Two Months Later

Winter slowly was beginning to fade and turn to spring. Although in Armenia winter was still very prevalent and Gabrielle for one, was grateful that they weren't in Balaam anymore. She really hated the blizzards and harsh weather there. Pannonia was more tolerable and certainly less frigid. She was really enjoying living in Pannonia again and for once, there was no war to worry about and nobody was attacking them as of yet. As long as Anastasius stayed on their side, they would be safe.

As per tradition, when spring approached, the men were off on a wild boar hunt in the forests surrounding Pannonia. Xena offered to accompany Ellac and Ernak on the hunt. She coaxed Gabrielle into coming with her as she had never been on a hunt before.

Ellac and Ernak teamed up and made a bet with Xena and Gabrielle. Whoever caught the boar first would have to face the punishment of gutting the animal. Xena, being more competitive than everyone, was not going to lose. She already set her mind to it. Although, Gabrielle was unsure if they were going to win, considering the two men were very skilled hunters and she wasn't.

In the depths of the forest Xena and Gabrielle crept around silently and steadily. Xena held her bow close to her, ready to strike at moment. Gabrielle held a javelin and she felt her hands shaking as she trailed behind the warrior.

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Gabrielle whispered.

"Shh!" Xena held up her hand and her ears picked up a small sound. She turned around swiftly and pulled her bow back, aiming at the moving bushes from afar. "Got you," she grinned and inched closer to the bushes and then released the arrow.

She heard a loud squeal from the animal and ran towards the bushes. Gabrielle sighed and reluctantly followed. Xena pulled back the bushes and saw a coyote with an arrow pierced through its heart. "Dammit," she cursed under her breath, then stood. "It's not the boar."

"What was it?" the blonde asked, though she wasn't sure if she wanted to know.

"A coyote." Xena frowned and heard a loud squealing sound from afar but close enough. A devious smile came to her and she ran through the thick forest. Gabrielle gasped in horror when she saw the coyote lying dead in the brush.

She looked up to see Xena running through the tall trees. "Wait for me!" she ran and nearly tripped over a tree branch. She obviously was not a hunter, but she knew that this was more than about food, Xena was playing a game.

Ellac and Ernak held their bows at the boar running through the trees and then Xena jumped out of the bushes and the two men glared at her. "This is ours, Xena! Back off!" Ernak yelled.

Xena grinned and grabbed an arrow, focusing on the frantic wild animal. "You said whoever kills the animal first wins, not whoever found it first." She laughed and pulled back her bow tautly, focusing on the boar.

"Xena, come on! Be fair," Ellac whined and squinted an eye, following the direction of the animal.

Xena smirked and then knelt down, releasing the arrow and the boar cried out in agony then fell over on its side. She stood and Gabrielle heaved heavily, finally catching up with her. "I win."

Ernak rolled his eyes and threw his bow on the ground. "Nice job, brother," he folded his arms and Ellac groaned. "We definitely had him! Why didn't you shoot?!"

"I couldn't get a clear shot, okay!" Ellac griped.

Gabrielle chuckled lightly at the bickering brothers. Xena sighed and threw her bow over her shoulder. "Looks like you two will be doing the cleaning. Make sure to skin the hide. I need a new rug," she winked and then walked off. "Come on Gabrielle."

"Fuck this," Ernak muttered. "This is your fault, I hope you know that."

Ellac gasped. "My fault?! I'm not the only person with a weapon!" he shoved his younger brother and Ernak growled and shoved him back.


A couple hours after the victorious hunt, Xena and Gabrielle went inside the women's bath house together. Gabrielle was nervous to enter but at least she wouldn't have to worry about Kreka or Tuya coming in like last time. That was embarrassing a very awkward. There were hardly any women here and most of them minded their own business.

Xena slipped into the steaming water and saw the blonde's wandering eyes. "Kreka isn't coming in here," she teased.

"I know that..." Gabrielle cast a mocking smile and quickly slipped in the water. "I haven't seen you this relaxed in awhile."

"No Zeno. No Tomiri. Peroz and Hormizd off our backs. What's more relaxing than that?" Xena grinned and dipped her long locks in the water.

Gabrielle couldn't disagree with that. She waded in the water and lathered her arm with scented oil. "Have you told everyone about your plan?" she asked and Xena eyed her with a bemused look. "About you not wanting to be a commander anymore?"

"Oh, that plan." Xena nodded. "Not yet. I am enjoying living in Pannonia. No need to ruin everyone's fun, right?"

"But you're going to eventually tell them, right?"

"Yes, Gabrielle," Xena mocked in a snide tone. "What's the rush?"

The petite blonde shrugged a shoulder. "No rush. It just sounded like you wanted to pack up and leave as soon as possible."

"I don't want to leave just yet, besides, I'm sure Kreka is going to make me stay for Dengi's wedding with Leila." She rolled her eyes and Gabrielle swam over, sitting on the ledge in the bath.

"You know, I've never been to a wedding in Pannonia. After all these years I finally get to witness one!" Gabrielle beamed and Xena groaned. "Come on, Xena, don't be a grumpy old lady," she splashed some water in her face.

The warrior gasped and splashed her partner back. "Stop calling me an old lady!"

"Then quit acting like one," she teased.

"I'll work on it..." Xena smirked and rubbed the back of her sore neck. Gabrielle swam up behind her and began massaging her shoulders. She relaxed her tense muscles and lowered deeper in the water.

Gabrielle creased her eyebrows and as she was rubbing through the knots on Xena's back, she couldn't help but ask, "how come Kreka never married anyone else?"

Xena's eyes shot open and frowned. "Why would you ask something like that?"

"I'm just curious. She chose to stay in Pannonia instead of going back to her tribe to marry someone else. Is that normal?"

Xena pursed her lips and now the relaxation was gone. "She is still queen of Pannonia. It is her duty to rule over her land. Besides, who would want to marry someone else after being married to the king of the entire Hun Empire?" she scoffed.

"Fair point..." the blonde smiled. "How come you didn't let Anastasia marry Ellac all those years ago? She would have been queen of Pannonia."

"Because I...was stupid," Xena finally admitted aloud. She had thought about that more recently since Ellac was back. She felt responsible for a lot of the pain that happened to Anastasia. She remained unmarried to Ellac even after Csaba was born. "I didn't want her to get married because then she wouldn't be mine anymore. Sounds silly, I know."

Gabrielle grinned coyly. She really liked seeing the softer side of the commander every now and then. "It's not silly. She's your only daughter. It's only natural that you want to keep her safe."

Xena looked over her shoulder. "How come everything becomes so obvious when you say it?"

"I'm just gifted," the blonde gloated. "I don't think you have to worry about Anastasia. She's a strong woman now."

Xena sighed. "She and I are nothing alike. She's soft like her father."

"I beg to differ!" said Gabrielle. "She is a lot like you, Xena, you just don't see it. I'm not talking about the eyes that you two share or the warm smile. She is strong like you and when she sees something she wants, she takes it."

Xena scoffed, "you make it sound like we don't take 'no' for an answer."

"Well...you don't," Gabrielle teased. "It's not a bad thing, Xena. You were always so hard on her when she was growing up."

"Is that bad?" the warrior asked.

"It made her a stronger person and besides, she still runs to you for help all the time. She admires you, Xena. A lot of people do. I know I do," she grinned and Xena turned with a bemused expression. "Don't look at me like that."

Xena chuckled. "You always have nice things to say about me."

"You're a good person, Xena. I wish you would see that for yourself."

"One day..." the commander said in a soft tone.


After Anastasia finished a long teaching session with the foreign women she decided to check on her daughter that she left with Leila. As she tread down the hallway she was stopped by an Egyptian woman. "Üm Anastasia," she bowed her head and pulled out a letter. "For you."

Ana smiled briefly. "Thank you Amira," she said and opened the letter. She instantly recognized the handwriting and knew it was from Navaz. She regretted not writing him at least since she opted to stay in Pannonia for the last couple of months. She stayed longer than intended but she hadn't realized how time flew by when she was here. It was like time stood still and she never left her homeland. Everyone important was here with her. Everything that she could want was right in front of her. She almost felt complete, but something was definitely missing.

She showcased a small smile as she read the letter. It was a long letter and the more she read, the more her smile faded. She folded up the letter and held it close to her chest. Navaz wrote that he wanted to divorce her and it wasn't because he didn't love her or hate her. He merely said that he wanted her to be happy and he wasn't the person for that task. She knew exactly what he was talking about but didn't want to admit it herself.

She spent these last two months distancing herself from Ellac when they were caught alone together. She kept reminding herself that she was married and he knew that. Of course, he respected her wishes and left her alone. But now, Navaz was asking for a mutual divorce and she wasn't sure what to do. She needed to talk to someone. Her mother was the first person who came to her mind.

First, she needed to check on her daughter and then she would find her mother to tell her about the letter. Anastasia came to the women's quarters and heard a male voice inside. She frowned, knowing that no males were allowed in this area of the Adame except children and her own son of course. She opened the door and saw Ellac leaning over her bed, playing a game with Arielle.

She raised an eyebrow and heard the small giggles from her daughter. She rolled up the letter and stuffed it inside of her belt and folded her arms. "What are you doing in here?" she asked.

Ellac gasped and turned with a big smile on his face. "I am watching Arielle. Leila had to step out for awhile so I am covering for her."

Ana nodded and walked over. She saw the beaming smile on her daughter's face. "You...don't have to do that. She's not even your child."

He shrugged. "I know that but she is a part of you," he said and smiled down at the gurgling baby on the bed. "Besides, who can resist that adorable face."

She smiled and then he turned to look into her eyes. She suddenly felt self conscious and looked away. "Listen, Ellac..." she grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the bed. "You know that I care a lot about you." She said and he nodded. "And I care a lot about Navaz too."

He stared at her intensely and she exhaled deeply. "If I had known you were alive I would have never married Navaz."

Ellac cupped her cheeks. "You don't have to explain yourself to me, Anastasia. I don't blame you for marrying him. He's a good person and you deserve the best. When I told you that I didn't want to marry anyone else but you, I meant that and I still do. In another life perhaps." He smiled and kissed her forehead.

She lowered her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself. Now she truly understood Ellac's feelings for her. And the worst part of it all was that he was being so nice and so patient. He was probably the most patient person that she had ever known. Of course spending a decade in a Scythia prison was probably the reason behind his abundance of patience.

"I have to go to a meeting with Dengizich and Ernak in a little bit. If you see Csaba could you tell him that I'm going to take him scouting tomorrow?" he asked.

Her eyes widened. "Scouting?"

He nodded. "I'm going to teach him how to scout. I promised I would." He smiled. "I just don't want him to think that I forgot. You'll tell him, right?"

Anastasia furrowed her eyebrows and lowered her gaze. "Yes, yes. I'll tell him."

"Thanks," he pat her shoulder then left the room. She slumped into a chair and buried her face in her hands.


Gabrielle pointed to the map and set her wine glass down. "I think we should go to the Maghreb first!" she suggested and circled her finger around the west side of Africa. Xena frowned and leaned over, observing the vast amount of land that was called the 'Maghreb'.

"That's a big area," said Xena.

"Exactly. We could explore all of it!"

"It's a big pile of sand. What could be there?" Xena scoffed and sipped her wine. "I heard there are pirates near Tunis," she smiled sneakily and Gabrielle didn't like that look. "We should definitely hang around them for awhile."

Gabrielle gasped. "Xena! Pirates are criminals and thieves!"

"According to who?" Xena snickered. "People call us savages and barbarians all the time because we don't fit in their society. What makes those pirates so different?"

"Well...I...I..." the blonde groaned. "You got me there. But, I don't think we should hang around pirates, Xena. I've heard they're very dangerous."

"Aren't I dangerous?" the commander wriggled her eyebrows and Gabrielle crossed her arms. "Alright, fine. We'll see what's it like when we get there." She surveyed the rest of the map of Africa and pointed to the east, focused near the Red Sea. "What about here? We could go to the sea. I've never been near a sea before."

Gabrielle arched an eyebrow. "But didn't you used to live near the Caspian Sea?"

"That's not even a real sea, Gabrielle! It's so small. Besides, this will be different." Xena grinned. "Looks like we'll have to pass through Egypt to get there..." she grumbled, reminded immediately of the Roman occupation in north Africa. She didn't want to have any contact with Odoacer's men.

"Hello?" Anastasia walked into the yurt, holding Arielle in her arms. She crept through the yurt and entered her mother's room. She remembered this yurt all too well and her room was just across the way. She smiled seeing Gabrielle and her mother sitting on the floor. Then she saw the map.

"What's going on?" she asked, now a bit concerned.

Gabrielle eyed Xena briefly and looked at Ana. "Nothing, we're just looking." She said and eyed Arielle. "You brought my favorite person," she beamed.

Xena extended her arms and smiled up at her daughter. Ana sighed and handed off Arielle to her mother and sat down beside her. Xena looked into Arielle's blue eyes and poked her nose. The infant laughed loudly and Xena grinned from ear to ear. She set her granddaughter on the floor and fixed her green and gold dress.

"Well, don't you look pretty," she said and Arielle stretched her arms over her head, yawning. "Tired, huh? Me too." She smiled and Gabrielle shook her head. Arielle began fussing and tried to turn over on her side. Xena picked her up and rolled her over onto her stomach. Arielle grinned and looked up at Gabrielle, she attempted to crawl towards her and Gabrielle leaned forward, extending her arms out on the floor.

Anastasia gave a crooked smile and then turned to her mother who was completely enraptured with Arielle. "Mother...I got a letter from Navaz."

"Uh huh, and..." Xena said and smiled, watching Arielle crawling over to Gabrielle slowly.

"He wants a divorce," she said and Xena whipped her head around with her mouth agape. "What should I do?" she pleaded.

Xena sighed and ran her fingers through her hair then looked over at Arielle. "Seems like a yes or no answer to me, Ana."

"But it's not that simple!"

"Isn't it?" Xena frowned at her daughter. "You love Ellac. You need to stop lying to yourself. You need to ask yourself this, Anastasia. Who would you rather spend the rest of your life with? Navaz or Ellac."

When she put it in those words, the answer was so clear. "Ellac," Ana smiled shyly.

"And Navaz knows that otherwise he wouldn't have sent you that letter. Tell him that you will agree to his decree and divorce him." Xena said simply and smiled over at Arielle once more.

Gabrielle grabbed the baby and held her close. "Good job, little one," she said and Arielle grinned, reaching forward and touched Gabrielle's hair.

Anastasia sighed and anxiously scratched her arm. "But I don't want to hurt Navaz's feelings. He really cares for me."

"And that's exactly why he's letting you go," Xena said and grazed her daughter's cheek gently. "Two people that are miserable in a marriage is no way to live. You know it and so does he."

Gabrielle set down Arielle and she began crawling back towards Xena. "Yeah, that's right. Crawl back to grandma," she teased and Xena shot her a glare. "Love you..." she said with a cheeky impish smile. Xena mocked her and turned back to Anastasia.

"So...if –when –I divorce Navaz..." Ana nudged her mother's arm. "Will you let me marry Ellac for real this time?" she asked and batted her long eyelashes.

Xena raised her eyebrow and folded her arms. Ana gripped her arm and leaned her head on her shoulder. "Please?" she begged.

"Come on Xena," Gabrielle chimed in.

Xena rolled her eyes and exhaled deeply, annoyed at these two. "Fine." Anastasia wrapped her arm around her mother and kissed her cheek. Xena cringed and swatted her daughter away. "Alright, alright. That's enough."

"I must go tell Ellac," Ana reached for her daughter and Xena snatched Arielle into her arms. "Mother!" she gasped.

Xena held her granddaughter close to her and smirked. "She's mine for the afternoon." She winked over at her daughter and Anastasia grumbled. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

Anastasia stood and smoothed the wrinkles out of her dress. "I'll be back in one hour." She eyed her mother then left the yurt.

Gabrielle snickered. "She's not coming back in an hour."

"Nope." Xena sighed and Arielle tugged on her long hair. She set Arielle down on the map. "Alright, Arielle. Where should we go first? Tunis or Maghreb? Your choice." She folded her arms and the infant smiled. "Pirates or desert people, what do you think?"

"Xena!" Gabrielle griped.

Arielle crawled over the map and sat down on Tunis. Xena grinned smugly. "Pirates it is then."

"We are not letting your granddaughter decide our destination." Gabrielle sipped her wine.

"Quiet, Gabrielle. Princess Arielle has made her choice." Xena teased.

Gabrielle chuckled. "I think the princess should reconsider..." she glared at Xena.

"The princess's word is final. You shouldn't argue," Xena grabbed Arielle and placed her down in her lap. "Right?" she peered down at the baby and Arielle cooed softly. "Exactly," she eyed her consort and smiled sheepishly.

"We aren't going to Tunis." Gabrielle ordered.

Xena stood and Arielle began howling. "Look what you did, Gabrielle. Now you've upset her." She smiled and walked out of the bedroom.

The blonde gasped and hopped to her feet. "Hey, we aren't done here! Xena!" she groaned and trailed behind her.


Anastasia waited outside the king's office and heard all the brothers talking among themselves. Ernak was doing most of the talking and she occasionally heard Dengi arguing and Ellac attempting to sway his brother towards Ernak's decision, which she couldn't quite make out clearly enough.

Kreka passed by and then backed tracked when she saw Anastasia with her ear against the door. She smirked and walked forward and folded her arms. "What are you doing?"

Ana gasped and spun around, holding the letter behind her back. "Nothing." Her cheeks flushed bright red.

"Right, tatli kiz," the khatun mused. "Where's Arielle?"

"My mother is watching her. I was just waiting for their meeting to finish so I could talk to Ellac." Said Ana and she saw the smug look in Kreka's eyes, the same look that her mother gave her when she spoke of Ellac. These two women were going to be the death of her. "Where is Csaba?"

"He's off playing with some Bulgur boys. He's showing off his bow," she rolled her eyes. "What's that you have behind your back?" she hinted and Anastasia smiled.

"Oh nothing..."

The door opened and Anastasia spun with around. Ellac's eyes widened upon seeing her and both smiled at each other. Ernak pushed through his two older brothers and embraced her, picking her up off the ground. "Ernak!" she snarled and Ellac pried his brother off her and shoved him away. She exhaled heavily and fixed her dress, glaring at the young king.

"Jeez," Ernak smirked and saw his mother standing behind Anastasia. "Mother..."

Kreka raised an eyebrow and he kissed her cheek. Dengi eyed her cautiously and saw she wasn't exactly happy to see him. She narrowed her almond eyes and he slowly began slipping away. "Dengizich!" she hissed and he halted, groaning lowly.

"Yes?" he muttered.

"Your fiancée is getting on my last nerve. Everything I ask her to do she does it wrong," she said and Ernak snickered. "I don't see what's so amusing about this," she turned to her youngest son and he zipped his lips.

"Come on mother, don't be so hard on her. She's not from here," Ernak lamented and she shot him a glare. "Okay well, I gotta go. Hey, Ellac, remember tonight we have things to do."

Ellac nodded. "I remember."

Anastasia frowned and turned to him. "What's going on tonight?"

He smiled briefly, "I can't tell you that. So, what are you doing here? Where's Arielle?"

"She's with my mother," she said and grabbed his hand. "I have to tell you something. Come with me." She pulled him down the hall towards her bedroom in the Adame.


Anastasia pulled Ellac into her bedroom and closed the door behind them. She then sat him down on the bed and he smiled. "What's going on with you?" he asked and she sat next to him, pulling the letter out and set it in his lap. "You aren't going to make me read are you? You know I'm not very good."

"It's a letter from Navaz," she said and his smile soon faded. "He asked me to divorce him and I'm going to say yes."

His eyes widened and he set the letter aside. "Anastasia," he grabbed her hands, "I don't want you to do that if you don't want to."

"I do want to," she said with a big smile. "Ellac, I didn't marry Navaz because I loved him. I married him out of necessity. It was only because of Arielle that we were able to grow closer together but even then, we never agreed on a lot of things. So, after talking with my mother, I'm going to sign the paper he sent and then...I won't be a queen anymore," she frowned sadly.

He grinned and kissed her hands. "Only if that's what you want."

She nodded. "I already made my decision." She said and then looked into his sparkling eyes. "And I want to marry you..." she said and his face paled. Then she started to get nervous from his reaction. "If that's what you want. We don't have to, I just thought that we could finally be together, you know?" she sighed. "Say something."

He cleared his throat. "I...want to marry you, I've always wanted to but..." he stood and paced back and forth. "Your mother is going to kill me."

Is that all he was worried about, she wondered? She chuckled and he spun around. "This isn't funny, Ana!" he griped.

"I already asked her and she said it was okay." She said and he breathed out with a sigh of relief. "Well, she didn't say it was okay, she just said 'fine'." She said and he frowned.

"That is never a good answer, but I'll take it," he finally smiled. He grabbed her by the waist, hoisting her off the bed and kissed her generously. He brought her close, wrapping his hand on the small of her back and she winced. He immediately pulled away and looked at her pained face.

"What is it? Did I do something wrong?" he asked, concerned and cupped her cheeks.

She shook her head and took a step back. "No, no. I...I'm just still a bit sore," she said awkwardly and his blushed, nodding with a small grin.

"Right, of course," he took a step back and kissed her forehead instead. "I can wait," he said with a big smile and she raised an eyebrow. "What? I've waited ten years, what's another week or so, right?"

"A week? Try another month," she corrected and his jaw dropped.

"A month?!" he whined and she shot him a glare. He put up his hands. "Alright, a month it is. I can be patient."

She smirked. "And I'm sure you'll be counting the days," she teased.


A couple of days later Xena was outside with Gabrielle teaching the Bulgur young teenage boys how to use swords and a variety of weapons. Gabrielle was starting to realize that Xena was a good mentor and knew how to use all kinds of weapons. These boys on the other hand weren't exactly the best listeners.

Two teenagers, probably a couple of years older than Csaba were giggling and telling each other jokes. As Xena was helping one of the boys how to hold a javelin she spun around and smacked the boys in their shins with the staff and they both whined and dropped their swords on the grass. Gabrielle stifled a laugh but tried to keep her focus.

"Is there something funny about this training exercise, boys?" Xena asked and the teens shook their heads as they rubbed their legs. "I didn't think so," she smiled. "Now pick up your swords and be quiet."

Gabrielle held her sword in hand and carefully eyed all of the boys who were now nervous to make any subtle move. She looked on ahead and saw Peroz riding into Balaam with his royal guards. She frowned and nudged Xena's arm.

"We have guests," she whispered and the boys turned around. "Don't look at them!" she yelled and they swiftly turned back around with wide fearful eyes.

Xena grimaced, "Let's just keep practicing. Ignore them. Ernak will handle him," she whispered. "Okay," she turned to the boys. "Hold your weapon like so," she put both of her hands on the handle of the long sword and held it out in front of her. "Make sure you have a good grip on it so the enemy can't knock your weapon out of your hand." She said and the boys did as they were told.

Gabrielle walked behind the row of boys and examined all their stances and fixed a few feet and hands during her surveying. Xena briefly eyed Peroz speaking with Ernak and Anastasia. She then saw Anastasia yelling at the Shah and frowned.

Then Xena saw her daughter marching over to her with a very ugly angry face. She sheathed her sword and kept her eyes on her daughter. "Gabrielle, take over for awhile." She said.

"Alright..." Gabrielle ran to the front of the boys and smiled. "Okay so, back to swordsmanship. Once you have a good grip on the sword then you will learn how to swing it properly from side to side. Make sure that you swing it at the right angle or else you won't be able to damage your enemy. Got it?" she asked and the boys gawked at her. "Okay..." she sighed. This was going to be harder than she thought.

"Mother!" Ana snarled and grabbed her arm. "A word..." she growled and brought her to the side away from the young trainees. "Peroz tells me that you promised Csaba to his cousin. Is this true?"

Xena sighed. "Yes...it was the only way to get him to side with me against Tomiri."

Anastasia gasped and hit her mother's shoulder. Xena widened her eyes, but she was expecting a reaction like this. "How could you use my son as bargaining tool for war, mother!"

"I didn't have another choice! He doesn't have to marry her but it will keep the peace between us and the Persians if you don't agree to this deal."

Ana crossed her arms and glared at her mother. "And when were you going to tell me about this?"

"Eventually."

"Eventually," Ana nodded. "Ellac is going to be furious when he finds out about this." She said and Xena remained silent. "When he returns with Csaba from scouting, we're supposed to invite Peroz into the Adame. I would appreciate it if you were there since you're the one who caused this problem in the first place. Do you think you could do that?" she turned and walked off without allowing her mother to answer.

Xena groaned and Gabrielle ran up beside her. "What just happened?"

"The only way to get Peroz to ally with me against Tomiri was to promise Csaba's hand in marriage to his cousin. And now, he's brought his cousin..."

Gabrielle gasped. "Xena, what on earth made you do something like that?!"

"I was caught in a bit of a situation at the time!" she snarled and the blonde backed off. "Let's just finish training these kids and then we have to go in the Adame tonight."

"Sounds like fun..."


Anastasia pushed her son forward into a large room within the king's quarters and he frowned, trying to resist her. "But I don't want to sit with a girl!" he complained.

"You're going to sit next to her just for tonight and you aren't going to say a word, understand?" she said and squeezed his shoulders.

Csaba cringed. "Okay, okay!"

Ellac walked alongside Anastasia and searched around in the long hallways. "Where is your mother?" he whispered.

"I'm sure she's inside the room by now," she answered and kept pushing her son forward.

"Well, when I see her I'm going to kill her." He opened the door and allowed Ana to walk inside first with Csaba.

Gabrielle nudged Xena's arm and they both looked at Anastasia and Ellac, the same look of distain and anger written all over their faces. Csaba sat down on the floor rug in front of Peroz and his cousin. He eyed the veiled girl curiously and couldn't see her face at all, except her big brown eyes.

Xena realized that Peroz obviously wanted to get rid of his cousin and since he had no sons or daughters of his own to pawn off then of course he used the next person in line. Surely, Hormizd's daughters were too old to wed or they were already married to someone within their family.

Peroz's eyes widened and stood at the sight of Ellac. "Son of Attila," he said and Ellac folded his arms, glaring at the Persian. "I thought Queen Tomiri had lied about you being imprisoned."

"Oh, I'm sure you thought that. Xena didn't tell you?" Ellac smirked and briefly glanced over at the commander sitting beside her blonde consort. "She is full of secrets, apparently." He sat down next to his son and Ana sat on the other side. Csaba felt awkward sitting in between both of them and felt more awkward sitting across from this Persian veiled girl.

"Sit, please," he gestured to the pillow and Peroz slowly sat down, eyeing the Hun warily. "So, you want your cousin to marry my son?" he asked.

The Shah nodded. "Xena agreed. Of course they will not be married until they come of age." He smiled smugly and Xena rolled her eyes.

"And if I refuse?" Ellac asked.

"Then I will become your greatest enemy," he grinned and Ellac lowered his eyes and Csaba gawked at the Shah in horror. "I will allow my cousin to stay with you Huns in Pannonia for awhile so the two can get to know one another. To appease you, I should let you know that my uncle married a Khazar Hun woman. My cousin is half Hun and half Persian." He said and the girl looked over at Csaba, batting her big eyes.

"You want two teenagers to spend time alone together? You must have lost your mind," Ellac snarled.

Xena scoffed, "learning from your mistakes, Ellac?"

"Be quiet, Xena," Ellac turned to her and she frowned deeply. Gabrielle grabbed her arm, holding her close. "If you would have just –"

Anastasia grabbed his arm, "not here. Not now," she whispered and he sighed heavily, turning back to the arrogant Persian.

"I fear that when my cousin comes of age nobody will wed her because of her mother's blood. She is half Hun and if I recall, the Queen of Armenia is also...half Hun, isn't that right?" Peroz eyed Anastasia. "Per my agreement with Xena I have released the Khazar Huns and decided not to tax the Nezak Huns. So all I need is your consent on this engagement with your son and my cousin. We will be allies. Do we have a deal?" he smiled.

Ana gasped and turned to her mother. "You ordered all of this?"

"Yes of course I did. I wasn't going to let anything slide in an alliance even if the ally is an enemy. Isn't that right, Peroz?" Xena narrowed her eyes and the Shah nodded.

"Correct. So are we allies or not?" he asked Ellac.

Now that Ellac was free from Tomiri's prison and everything was going so well until now. He didn't want to hand off his son to be married in a few short years just like his father did to him, but this was alliance or war. He didn't want his people to go to war with Persia and he didn't want his son to marry the Shah's cousin either, but it seems Xena had conjured quite a plan without telling anyone else, including Gabrielle, as he noted she looked just as surprised as everyone else did.

"Fine. I agree to the terms," Ellac shook the Shah's hand and stood.

Peroz grinned. "Wise choice." He took the hand of his cousin and pushed her forward gently. "This is Erzibet. I trust that you will take good care of her." He smiled then nodded at his men to leave the room and his cousin in the care of the Huns.

Csaba looked at Erzibet's brown eyes and cocked his head. She shied away and turned her eyes to the floor. Ellac marched over to Xena, brushing by Ana.

"You are insane!" he spat in her face and Xena's lip quivered. "How could you keep that from everyone, Xena? Why did you do that?"

"It wasn't the right time," she explained herself and he scoffed.

"Right, sure. Now I have to keep this alliance that you made with the entire Persian Empire! And you basically married my son off without telling me or Anastasia."

"We were in the middle of a war!" she snarled and Gabrielle stepped in between them.

"Listen, we can discuss this later." Gabrielle said. "Maybe tomorrow when everyone isn't so upset?" she suggested and Ellac shook his head then stormed off.

Csaba kept looking at Erzibet curiously. "Why do you wear that?" he asked and she lifted her eyes. "The veil," he said, "I can't see your face."

"My father said only...my husband is allowed to see my face," she answered quietly.

He nodded slowly. "I see...and where is he?"

"In Persia with my mother," she said. Anastasia sighed heavily and grabbed the girl's hand.

"You will stay with me. Csaba go to your room." She said and ushered the girl out. She looked over her shoulder and glared at her mother.

Gabrielle folded her arms and sighed. "You made a huge mess, Xena."

"I am aware, thanks Gabrielle. I wasn't thinking about the aftermath. I just wanted Tomiri's army to stop attacking us in Balaam! I didn't even think Peroz would be so quick to present his cousin to Csaba."

"You should go talk to Anastasia tomorrow. She is really upset with you. I can talk to Ellac tomorrow too, if you want?" she suggested. Xena groaned and walked out of the room, ruffling her dark hair. Gabrielle ran after her.


Kreka sat in a chair, holding Arielle as she slept soundly. She turned when she saw Anastasia enter the room. "Oh good you're back," she got out of the chair and then frowned at the guest beside her. "And you brought a Persian girl with you?" she said, a bit miffed.

"I don't want to talk about it," Ana said and pulled the girl. "Sit," she said and Erzibet sat down as instructed. She eyed Kreka glaring at her with her almond hazel eyes. The girl sunk in the chair and looked to the floor, finding it more interesting.

Anastasia walked over and grabbed her daughter from Kreka's arms and sat down on the bed. Kreka walked over to the young girl and bent over, eyeing her cautiously. Erzibet's brown eyes widened when she saw the khatun close to her face.

"And who is this girl?" Kreka asked.

"Csaba's soon to be wife," Ana answered bitterly and Kreka spun around with a shocked expression. "I told you I don't want to talk about it. It's my mother's fault."

Kreka frowned and turned back to the scared girl. She lifted up the veil and Erzibet gasped. She examined the girl's pale face, her plump lips highlighting her oval shaped face and her huge chocolate brown eyes, matching her long dark eyelashes and sculpted eyebrows.

"Well," she mused, "she is a pretty little thing," she smirked and Erzibet blinked, gawking up at Kreka.

"Her mother is a Khazar," Ana said as she held her slumbering daughter in her arms.

Kreka smirked, "a Hun. You are one of us. What is your name, tatli kiz?"

"Erzibet Sassan..." she answered in a meek voice.

"Sassan?!" Kreka stood irate. "You're Persian royalty?!" she spat and Erzibet breathed heavily, gripping the armrests. "Well..." she grinned, "I'm sure you will enjoy living with us, Erzibet."

The girl gaped. "Yes...Malika."

Kreka's upper lip quivered. "My name is Khatun here. No Persian will be spoken here, tatli kiz. You understand?" she hissed and Erzibet fretfully nodded her head.