Things are beginning to unfold…
Chapter 13
Arielle, Farah and Xerxes rounded up their belongings and soldiers they were to bring with them on their journey to Persia. Navaz waited in front of the Adame to bid them all farewell. Csaba had taken an early leave with Ernak to Mongolia and they'd send word back in a few weeks once they reached their destination.
Xerxes met with the White Hun king while Arielle was off to the side arguing with Farah. "Your highness, I thank you for signing a treaty ahead of time. My father will is going to appreciate your alliance with the House of Sassan."
"We will see how the rest of the negotiation goes. You take care of my daughter or I will personally –"
"Dad!" Arielle shouted and bumped his arm. "Don't scare him," she whispered.
Xerxes remained composed and tried not to smile or make a sound that resembled laughter. "I will make sure she is well taken care of, sir."
"Destur! Khanum senin huzurunda!"
All turned around at Xena who descended down the stairs. She grabbed the soldier who announced her arrival to the entire square and shoved him into the wall. Gabrielle rolled her eyes and slapped her cheek as her wife accosted the poor boy.
"Stop saying that!" she hissed.
"Xena, he is just doing his job," Gabrielle reminded her.
"He doesn't need to announce my arrival every single time." She released him and he cowered in fear of her and backed away then ran into the Adame.
Arielle ran over while she left Xerxes alone with her father and Farah. "Grandma, you know what to do when Sarnai arrives?"
Xena swiped the veil of her headdress away from her face, frustrated by every tiny thing this morning. "Yes, I got it. Don't smoke anything while you're in Persia."
"Like opium? You know I don't like that stuff."
"You've never tried it before and I know they have several dens in Persia. Don't let Farah out of your sight either. I don't want a disastrous report when you return."
Arielle folded her arms. "I'll make sure to keep the beauty queen close to me at all times. I have to go now. We have a long journey ahead of us."
Gabrielle waltzed over to Navaz after she said her goodbyes to Arielle and Farah. She stifled a laugh at his serious expression as he eyed the Persian prince trot away with the two women. He had his eye firmly on the prince and his daughter.
"Are you going to leave so soon?" she startled him.
Navaz turned with a smile. "I will leave in a few days. I asked Arielle if I could take Aurora with me back to Balaam. She's never been and Safiya wants to meet her."
"Well…she's had plenty of chances to meet her."
He grumbled. "Yes. She does not like Anastasia for whatever reason. I've tried to ask both of them but they refuse to tell me what's going on. I don't understand. Safiya didn't have a problem with Ana before but now she does."
Gabrielle swayed back on her heels and puckered her lips. "I'm sure they'll work it out eventually," she said and he sent her a glare. "I mean, whatever it is, I'm sure they can fix it if there is a problem."
"You know what's going on with them?"
Xena walked in just in time and interrupted their conversation to which Gabrielle was grateful. "Navaz, I hear you're taking Aurora with you. Make sure you take care of her."
"Are you implying that I will not take care of my own granddaughter, khanum?" he teased her. "Besides, Ku-Ilm is coming with us. It was Aurora's request."
"I trust you but anything can happen. You're lucky Aurora isn't very adventurous like Arielle." She said and slapped a hand on her wife's shoulder. "Well, Gabrielle and I are going to the outskirts of Pannonia."
"Oh? For what?"
"Just go on about your business, Navaz," she turned and Gabrielle quickly followed behind.
An hour's walk to the outskirts and Xena stood on a huge empty open field. Gabrielle wandered around, observing the lack of trees and abundance of dirt. There was hardly any grass or stalk because of the winter season. Living in the Matra Hills was a lot different than living in Southern Pannonia. The winters destroyed a lot of crops and soil. The only good thing about Assyria and Arielle's connection was the amount of grain and food supply that was sent to Pannonia during the winter.
Gabrielle stepped on the soil and breathed in the fresh mountain air then looked back at her wife who was testing the soil with her bare hands.
"What are we doing here exactly?"
The soil crumbled in the khanum's hands and she shook her head. "Ana wants to build a church. I told her I'd find a good place but this soil is for shit."
The governor snorted. "Maybe we could find a place near the woods? It's closer to the camp anyway."
"Nah, that's too close to the Adame. We need this church built in a secluded area but close enough so people could walk to it. We need to keep looking."
They head further south along the outskirts, far enough away from West Pannonia where all the merchants were. Xena scanned the area and kept digging the heel of her boot in the soil to find solid ground. This area was all marsh and not suitable for building a large structure at all.
Gabrielle was further behind and was too busy admiring the nature around her to notice her wife's cursing and muffled words and grunts. She walked towards a path leading to the markets and paused when she saw Ana's handmaid, Diana, coming out of the thick woods.
She back tracked and waited for the handmaid to be aware of her surroundings. She made sure that Xena was far enough so she wouldn't interrupt her spying. Narrowing her eyes, she hid behind a large tree and waited for the handmaid to come out of the forest.
"Diana!" she yelled.
Zelda jumped and spun around to the sneaky governor. "You scared me."
Gabrielle circled the handmaid. "What are you doing all the way out here? Aren't you supposed to be with Anastasia?"
Zelda nodded. "Yes, governor. I was sent by Ursula to the market. I needed to…buy myrrh."
"Myrrh? What does Ursula want with that? Is the khatun sick?"
"No, governor. Ursula wanted it for Queen Yeter."
Gabrielle tapped the hilt of her sword and studied the handmaid's uneasy mannerisms. "If Ursula wanted an herb why didn't she send one of her shamans to get it for her? Why would she send you?"
Zelda smiled nervously. "I…I do not question. I just do what I am told."
After Xena realized that she was ditched by her wife she head backwards, annoyed and agitated. She stopped in front of Diana and Gabrielle. Zelda bowed her head and Xena briefly smiled at the young blonde woman then grabbed her wife's arm.
"What're you doing? I think I found a spot and you left me."
"Diana was buying myrrh in the market for Ursula."
"And? Let the girl do her duties, Gabrielle. We have work to do."
Gabrielle nudged her head at the handmaid and Zelda quickly left to head back to the Adame. She turned and watched the woman leave and then was left by her wife again. She gasped and ran after Xena.
"I think this will be a great spot. It's right in the middle of our camp and the market. This area will bring in travelers from the market square up ahead. What do you think?" Xena said with positivity.
The governor was too distracted and replied, "sounds great, Xena."
"You didn't even look at it!"
"Sorry. Don't you think that was strange?"
Xena eyed the handmaid drifting further and further away from the area. "Diana? No, I don't think it's strange. She follows orders easily."
Gabrielle frowned. "Hmm. But Ursula never asks handmaids to buy herbs for her."
"You're over thinking it, Gabrielle. We should head back and tell Ana that we found a spot for the church. When Farah returns from Persia she will design it but I was thinking that you could help with the design. You've seen a lot of churches in Greece and it's been a really long time since I was in that area. You will know the correct architecture," she concluded and began walking back.
"Gabrielle? Are you listening to me?"
The blonde skipped ahead to catch up with her wife. "Yes; construction of the church. I'd love to help but you know how Farah can be."
"Ah yes," Xena chuckled. "She is a purist. I hope that she will do Ana justice in Persia."
Oran sat with his mother in her room to have an early lunch together. She kept smiling at him and he was more interested in finishing his food so he could prepare to leave to go back to his palace in the Caucasus Mountains in Armenia.
Ursula took her time eating and placed a hand on her son's knee. "I know you are leaving next month but I would like for Yeter to stay here. Both of her pregnancies were difficult and I don't think this one will be any different. She should be with me in case something happens."
He let out a sigh of relief. "Thank god."
His mother slapped his thigh and he hissed then scooted away from her. Now he was more eager to leave. He didn't have time to deal with his grumpy wife and now he upset his mother. He wiped his hands on a cloth and finished chewing his food.
"It's not that I don't care about Yeter, it's just…she's very mean when she's pregnant. She cussed me out in her language last night! I didn't even know what she was saying and she yelled at me for ten minutes straight!"
Ursula grimaced at her son. "She's carrying your child, tatli cocuk. You should be nice to her."
"I try my best to be nice to her, mother. I am very grateful that she is giving me another child. I know having children is hard on her but she's in good hands with you," he assures his mother of his true feelings and Ursula grinned.
Gabrielle entered the room interrupting their lunch. Ursula stood up as did Oran. She felt like she was intruding and attempted to leave.
"I can come back another time..."
Oran gripped her shoulder. "I was just leaving, Gabrielle." he acknowledged his mother and said his goodbyes then left the room. Ursula walked over to her after he left.
"I just got the report that Ebnedzar will leave next month and so will Oran. I have the documents if that's what you've come for."
"Actually I didn't come for those," Gabrielle said with unease. "Xena and I were in the outskirts awhile ago. I saw Diana coming from the market square. She told me that you sent her to buy myrrh for Yeter."
The shamaness frowned. "I didn't send her to buy herbs."
Gabrielle's suspicions about the handmaid had been confirmed and she put on a false smile for the khatun's advisor. "Well, it's not important. Yeter's servants must have sent her."
Ursula was skeptical of that possibility and creased her eyebrows together.
"I hear congratulations are in order," the governor quickly changed the subject. "You are to be a grandmother again."
"Yes," Ursula's face beamed with glee. "Ebnedzar and I are very excited. We will pass out gifts to everyone before Oran leaves."
Gabrielle smiled. "I look forward to it."
After her brief discussion with Ursula she decided to take action and investigate Diana's trip to the market in West Pannonia. She went outside the Adame where Badr kept guard at the entrance. She made sure no one was watching, especially Xena.
She tapped his shoulder and he greeted her with a curt nod. "Governor, good afternoon."
"I need you to do something for me but this will stay between us. The khatun and khanum will not know about it. Understand?"
"Yes, governor."
She pulled out a bag of coin and subtly slipped it into his coat pocket.
"You will send someone to follow Anastasia's handmaid, Diana, around. I want to know her every move and if something is suspicious I want it reported to me. Remember, only I will know about this."
Badr nodded. "As you command, governor."
Anastasia knelt in front of her granddaughter and fixed the fur collar of her coat. Aurora moaned as she was being coddled by her grandmother. Ku-Ilm stood by to take Aurora to the caravan. Aside from the khatun's worries about the princess leaving, Aurora was very excited to leave Pannonia.
"Grandma, please, I look fine!" she whined.
Ana smiled and cupped the princess' cheeks. "It is a long journey to Balaam. Make sure you stay with Ku, Soran or your grandfather when you get there. Don't wander off by yourself."
Aurora sighed. "Okay…"
"And be very respectful to Safiya. I think she will really like you. You will follow her orders like they're directly from my lips."
"Okay, I get it!" she emits frustration. She reached out and put her tiny hands on her grandmother's face. "Listen to me grandma, everything will be okay! I'll be back soon."
Anastasia smiled and kissed the girl's palms. "Right. You should go. They're waiting for you."
Aurora nodded and Ku grabbed her hand to walk her outside. Ana stood up shakily and waited until Aurora and Ku climbed into the caravan and Navaz passed by them on his horse. She wrapped her arms around her trembling body. Thoughts of her own daughter at that age being sent off to Balaam for the first time rushed in. Arielle too, had no worries and was anxious to go to her other family's home.
She didn't know that she would feel the same way when Arielle left at sixteen and now those same feelings returned when Aurora left her side. Aurora had been with her since birth and it was difficult to let her go back to Harran with Bayan every other month. But this was different. Balaam was far and she'd spend a couple of months there at least.
Tears streaming down her face, she turned and bumped into her mother. She picked up her heavy robes and darted up the stairs, brushing past her mother.
"Ana!" Xena called out and stood at the bottom of the staircase.
Yana rounded the corner and looked in the direction of the khanum's eyes. She approached slowly without Xena noticing and she peered up and saw Anastasia heading to her bedroom.
"She loves the princess very much."
Xena gasped and Yana smiled and gave a curt bow of her head. "Yes…she does. Aurora is in good hands with Navaz. I trust him."
"As do I. His wife was very helpful when she came to Kazakhstan to find Cera."
She took a few steps closer and laced her fingers together. Xena sized up the tall woman and she felt somewhat intimidated by her and it was not easy for her to be intimidated by anyone. She hadn't had a chance to catch up with Yana since she arrived with Mirac last week but from what Anastasia said, Yana was an assertive woman with a sharp mind and tongue.
"My brother told me that Cera has been acting very odd since we arrived. She won't let him touch her as if he has a disease," she smiles eerily and Xena raised an eyebrow. "Now, khanum, what is going on? I know you are all hiding something."
Xena held her breath and kept staring into the chieftess' penetrating eyes.
Gabrielle scratched her head while looking over the documents sent by Anastasia. She was racked with a headache for a couple of hours and she even thought of quitting and working on the documents tomorrow. There was no way any of this made any sense.
She threw her pen across the desk and glared at the document specifically written by the khatun herself. She exhaled heavily and then the door to her office opened. Badr hurried inside and he waited until the doors were closed before he spoke.
"I sent someone to follow the handmaid like you said, governor."
She sat up and folded her hands together.
"Did you find out anything?"
Badr regretfully gazed at the floor. "She went to the market to buy supplies for the khatun. But governor, I think she knows she's being watched. She is being very careful and avoids the other maids in the Adame."
She growled and leaned back. "Keep your distance from her. I still want to know when she leaves the Adame."
"Yes, governor."
Xena and Yana came inside and Gabrielle waved her hand at the soldier and he retreated. Xena glared at the elite soldier and turned to her wife with utmost suspicion. She decided to let that slide and she allowed Yana to walk forward to the governor's desk.
Gabrielle gazed upon on the Nezak Chieftess confusedly and Xena stood behind her.
"Show Yana the Japan report," Xena ordered.
The blonde's face paled. "All of it?"
"All of it, Gabrielle."
Eksama paced back and forth in her tent and whacked the dagger against her palm. One of her soldiers briskly walked in and she twirled the dagger in her hand and he clicked his heels together and bowed from the waist.
"Your highness, I have received word that Prince Elemund has set course. He will arrive in Italia in three weeks."
She smiled. "Good. Ebnedzar will arrive a week or so afterwards. The Goths will be crying out for help and the Huns will not be there to aid them. Have you seen Zelda? She has not come to me for her weekly report."
"No, my queen. I did see her in the market yesterday."
Eksama rubbed her chin. "I will be patient although I must say, patience is not on my side lately, Samtas," she chuckled then stabbed the dagger through the wooden desk. "When my son reaches Italia I will return to my home with or without Zelda's report."
He nodded. "What do you want to do with Zelda when we leave?"
Yana took a few days to digest what was read in the Japan report. She remained secluded in the guest suite to think about what to do with this information. At first when she read what Cera wrote she was sick to her core and the following day anger set in. Now four days later she felt guilt, shame and sorrow all at once.
She could feel the princess' pain from afar. She understood exactly how Cera felt as she experienced something similar except it was too close to home. Cera had family to protect her while Yana did not have the same luxury at that particular time in her life.
She stared at the report as she sat a vanity set then her eyes slowly drifted to the mirror before her. She glared at her exhausted reflection and couldn't help but see her teenage face staring back at her. It was explained to her that Cera hid this information from her entire family, all but her older sister. Now, Yana had wished she confided in someone so long ago.
At least Cera would never have to see the person who defiled her again. Yana closed her eyes and took off her headdress and threw it across the room then buried her face in her hands. Unfortunately, she was not so lucky. She had to see that person year after year even if she tried to avoid it, he was there.
Mirac came at his sister's command and stood behind her. "Yana, you wanted to see me."
Her hands slid down her face and she turned her little brother and pushed the documents towards him.
He frowned and looked at the parchment. "What's this?"
She inhaled sharply. "I want you to read this."
He took the several pages into his hands and watched his sister leave his side. He flipped through the pages briefly and caught a few words about Japan. His mouth parted and Yana grabbed her robe and slipped her arms through the sleeves.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"To speak with the khanum."
Xena looked over the document pertaining to Madhiya's demands and requests. She licked her fingers and shook her head then handed the parchment over to her wife who sat opposite her. She was speechless but she was not surprised that the widow of Bleda was as demanding as she was.
"She's insane, right? There's no way that Ana will agree to those terms."
Xena bit into the fried bread and nodded. "I agree but you do know that I have to approve everything that Ana does."
Gabrielle smiled. "I didn't forget. What do you think should be done about Madhiya's demands?"
"Well," she dipped the bread into a cheese spread before continuing, "I think she should've been killed as soon as Attila killed Bleda but what do I know?" she joked. "She is younger than me you know."
"Really? How is that possible?"
"It's possible because she married Bleda when she was fourteen. I was twenty when I came to Pannonia. He was ten years older than I was." she looked at her wife's disgusted face and raised her eyebrows. "He was one sick bastard."
Gabrielle cringed at the thought of a grown man marrying a girl. That would've been like Anastasia marrying someone Attila's age when she was fifteen. It was too gross to think about but obviously Madhiya has not been affected by it at all.
"And then she was widowed at fifteen," she added.
Gabrielle shuddered and lost her appetite. "She's been the Yakut governor since she was fourteen?"
"Apparently." She wiped her hands on her pants. "Anyway, I think Madhiya should contribute to the empire and that means she needs to show her allegiance to us. She will have to appear before me and Ana in Pannonia. Write her a letter and tell her to come here."
Two quiet raps on the door from the other side interrupted their dinner conversation.
Xena paused and stared at her wife. "News at this hour?" she muttered. "Come in."
To their surprise Yana stepped inside. She closed her robe and folded her arms. "Forgive me for intruding during your dinner."
Gabrielle weakly smiled. "Come sit with us. We have plenty of food." She grabbed an extra floor pillow and set in between herself and Xena.
"No thank you," she put up a hand. "I finished reading the report."
Xena lowered her eyes.
"I gave the report to Mirac so he could read it. I imagine this news will upset him but he should know."
The three were silent for a few moments.
"I…know that the two kings are on their way to Japan. I trust that everyone involved will be dealt with."
The khanum spoke softly but firmly, "I assure you that Csaba and Ernak will do what is necessary. I have complete faith in them."
Yana felt somewhat relieved to hear that but it wasn't enough. She shifted uncomfortably as she awkwardly stood in front of the large doors. She held in her suffering long enough and now that the same thing happened to her sister in law she couldn't keep her secrets hidden any longer.
"My father married me off to a man much older than me. I was a few years younger than Cera is now," she began. "I remained married to him for over thirty years. He treated me like chattel and when I wasn't able to bear him any children he married another woman. She was very young –a girl."
Gabrielle shifted and wrapped an arm around her torso and Xena bit the inside of her cheek, already seeing where this story was heading.
"She gave birth to a girl and named her Nadia. My husband was so upset that she bore him a daughter." She licked her dry lips. "And one night he beat her in a fit of rage. He killed her."
Gabrielle closed her eyes and Xena turned her cheek at the imagery.
"I decided to raise Nadia as if she were my own. I was able to subdue his temper for several years. Over the course of five years, I poisoned him slowly. I made his people believe he was ill and one day, he breathed his last."
She paused briefly.
"But my suffering did not start when I married that man. My brother, who is a year younger than me, accosted me. He cornered me in my yurt and repeatedly had his way with me for several nights until I was married off."
Xena wiped her nose and let out a deep exhale, unsure of what to say. She could tell her wife was more disturbed than her and hid her teary eyes listening to Yana's story.
The chieftess grimaced and titled her chin upward. "So, khanum, I want reassurance that the Japanese prince is gotten rid of so he will not continue to defile young girls. Cera will never see his face again but I still see my brother's face."
Xena nodded, understanding the chieftess' concern.
"I will make sure that Prince Senka no longer reigns over Japan. You have my word on that."
Yana lowered her gaze and let out an unsteady breath. "Thank you." she turned and opened one of the doors.
"Oh, Yana."
She looked over her shoulder at the khanum sitting on the floor.
"Thank you for sharing your past with us. I know how hard that must have been for you. Also, I'm sorry that happened to you. A similar situation happened to my daughter when she was very young. I'm happy to say that the boy who raped her is dead. I killed him myself."
Yana's eyes widened.
"So, if you don't mind me asking…where can we find your brother?"
Sarnai arrived in the encampment and she felt like all eyes were on her. She gaped at the mass amount of soldiers, yurts and then saw a petite blonde woman waiting for her beyond the gates. Steering her horse accordingly, she trotted into the camp and halted in front of the blonde.
Gabrielle smiled at the Mongolian. "Welcome to Pannonia."
Sarnai nodded nervously and was helped off her horse and cradled her infant son in the carrier strapped around her neck. Her eyes were set on the large wooden palace up ahead and suddenly several men surrounded her horse, belongings and maids that came along with her.
"What are they doing?" she asks frantically.
"They will take your things to the Adame. You and your maids will stay there," Gabrielle tries to put her at ease. "Arielle is not here at the moment so the khanum will be standing in her place."
Sarnai raised her eyebrow and watched the soldiers carry her chests of clothes to the palace. Her maids were soon to follow but stuck close by her.
"Khanum?"
The governor chuckled. "Come with me. You don't need to be afraid. Nobody will harm you here."
Anastasia stood with her mother in the queen's chambers to meet with Sarnai. They were notified of her arrival awhile ago and now they waited. It was obvious that Ana did not want the Mongol woman anywhere near her home.
"I can't believe Arielle asked this woman to come here," Ana said.
Xena pursed her mouth and adjusted her headdress. "Arielle asked me to question Sarnai to see if she is queen material. At least she didn't order her death," she laughed lightly.
"Mother, that is not funny."
"It is –a little bit," she joked. "Yana is a very brave woman," she started to say, "I can tell that she's very protective of the ones she loves. I like her."
The khatun stared at her very puzzled. "I didn't think you knew her that well to say such nice things about her."
"She came to me a few days ago and told me about her past," Xena sighed. "I promised I'd do something for her and you're going to help me."
"Um…okay. What do you need me to do?"
"Write Sanzhar –he's Yana's brother, and tell him to come to Pannonia then you can leave the rest to me," she smiled at her daughter and Anastasia kept gaping at her.
"I'm not sure I like that face but I'm not going to ask."
Ursula walked into the room with Sarnai walking ahead of her. Xena frowned and looked over their shoulders at guards closing the doors.
"Where's Gabrielle?"
"She had other things to do, khanum. She asked me to escort Sarnai."
"Hmm. Okay fine," Xena murmured.
She stepped forward and smiled at the young Mongolian woman standing before her. She towered over the small girl and by the looks of it, Sarnai was either going to start crying or become mute before this meeting was to begin.
"Sarnai. As we say in Pannonia, hoşgeldiniz."
Badr brought the governor to the very spot that Diana disappeared to. He had a female soldier follow the woman this time instead of a man which proved to be easier because the handmaid didn't suspect a thing. Gabrielle hid behind a tree with Badr and two other soldiers behind her.
"Wait here," she whispered.
He grabbed her arm. "Governor, it may not be safe. I can't let you go alone."
"I think I can manage."
She flipped the hood over her head and crept into the woods, following Diana's footprints. She made sure not to leave prints in the same location and hid behind various trees so she wouldn't be caught. Hunkering, she slithered through the woods undetected and crawled on her knees the rest of the way. She briefly looked behind her to make sure Badr was not following her.
Hiding behind a large rose bush, she peeked through the thorns and saw a tent with two guards posted outside. She was amazed that a tent was pitched so close to the camp and went without notice too. As she waited she finally saw Diana leave the tent.
She dropped to the ground and rolled over to a nearby tree and leaned against it. The handmaid passed right by her and Gabrielle held her breath. Zelda halted in the center of the forest and Gabrielle put a hand on the hilt of her sword.
Zelda looked around and waited a few more moments before she went on her way.
Gabrielle exhaled and crawled back to the rose bush and stalked the tent. She looked for clues to give her inkling as to where the guards were from. They wore red and white robes and one of them had long braided blonde hair. They definitely weren't Huns by the looks of them. They looked to be Goths but she couldn't understand why Goths were hiding in Hun territory. The two parties were allies as far as she knew.
Minutes later she regrouped with Badr and the others. She brushed the leaves off her cloak and picked a few twigs out of her hair.
"There's a tent in the woods. Two guards are posted outside but there might be others."
Badr folded his arms. "That can't be one of ours. What shall we do, governor? Raid the tent?"
"No! I need to speak with Xena and Anastasia about this first. Don't follow Diana anymore and don't harm her until I figure out who is hiding in the tent."
He nodded. "Yes, governor."
Eksama stood on the hillside of the forest and eyed the governor walking back to the Hun encampment with a small entourage of soldiers. She narrowed her brown eyes and crossed her arms. She turned to her trusted soldier.
"Samtas, does Zelda know what to do?"
"Yes, my queen."
She smiled. "Good. I hope the governor saw everything. She will report it to the queen no doubt. We will be leaving by sundown. Prepare my horse, Samtas."
He bowed his head and ran off, whistling to the other soldiers waiting for orders. Eksama bit her fingernail and raised her eyebrow as she kept her eye on the governor retreating to the camp.
"You are aware that my daughter is queen of Assyria, yes?" Ana asked.
Sarnai nodded. "Yes, khatun. I lived in Harran for two years. I looked after Aurora when Bayan asked me to."
Xena rolled her eyes and didn't wish to hear about Bayan. "Since Arielle isn't here I'm filling in for her and I will make the decision if you are eligible to be queen or not. Arielle wants a divorce and our law says that if a queen divorces a king then she loses her status."
Sarnai's cheeks reddened and she couldn't look the two women in the eye.
"You are lucky that Arielle didn't behead you."
She added, "It was very kind of her to invite you into her home despite your relationship with Bayan."
The girl dropped to her knees and she clutched Xena's black robes. Ana and her mother shared a confused expression together. Sarnai buried her face in the cloth and begged.
"Don't take my son away from me," she pleaded. "I left my tribe to live in Harran. I can't go back. My father gave me to Bayan."
Xena sighed and tapped the girl's shoulder and lifted her up off the floor.
"We aren't going to take your son away from you. What do you mean your father gave you to Bayan?"
She wiped her cheeks and said, "He sold me to Bayan during a raid. I can't go back and if I do, I'll have to live somewhere else other than with my family."
Anastasia rubbed her aching temples. "Bayan failed to mention this to Arielle."
"He doesn't know about it."
Xena glared at the Mongol girl. "How do we know you're telling the truth?"
Sarnai hung her head. "I wouldn't lie to you. I have no reason to lie because I have nothing. I just have my son."
"You can go now. My daughter and I will discuss what to do with you. Ursula, take her to the guest suite downstairs."
Anastasia turned to her mother. "Well, what do you think of her?"
"I think she's a horrified child. She does seem to be telling the truth. She probably cares more about her son than Bayan," she snorted. "That's not hard to do."
"Mother, I meant about her being a queen. Would she make a good queen?"
"I'm not sure but we'll have another meeting when she isn't so terrified of us. She probably thought we were going to kill her."
Xena sat on the floor eating by herself in her room and entered Gabrielle. She smiled and slapped her hand on the pillow beside her. The governor took off her coat and threw her satchel on the chair by the doors and came over to sit beside her wife.
"Where have you been? I haven't seen you all day."
Gabrielle eyed the bread and reached across the trays of assorted foods and began making herself a plate of food.
"I had duties. You know how busy I can be sometimes. How was your meeting with Sarnai?"
Xena sighed heavily. "That girl is afraid of us. I'm sure she thought she was walking into a death trap when she arrived."
"She did seem pretty scared when I escorted her from the gates."
"Speaking of that: Ursula said you had something to do. What was so important?"
Gabrielle ripped the flat bread in half. "Oh, well, you know, governor stuff."
"Stuff."
"Mhm."
"Don't lie to me, Gabrielle. What were you doing? It's unlike you to abandon your tasks and hand them off to someone else. I hope you're not planning another surprise for me," she said with a hint of malice.
Gabrielle laughed awkwardly. "I promise it's nothing like that. I'm gathering information for a case. I'll tell you about it in the morning. I want to have more information but I don't know if I'll be able to get it…"
"Ooooh, information huh? What are you planning? I love it when you spy on people other than me of course," she took a jab at her wife's secrecy about the khanum ceremony.
Anastasia complained of a constant headache and was given a serum to sleep soundly. Zelda gave her a large dose of the serum in her nightly tea. Zelda lingered over the bed and tidied the room up before she was to leave for the evening. She eyed the slumbering khatun and loosened the tassels around the curtains around the bedposts and drew them together to shield the sunlight of the morning sun.
She walked over to her bag she carried with her and pulled out a large bottle of oil. She poured the oil on the floor surrounding the khatun's bed. Being as quiet as possible she poured the last bit of oil around the perimeter of the bed and close to the large open windows as well.
Zelda stood back and grabbed a candle and dropped it onto the oily wood floor and slowly the fire spread. She took her bag and hurried out of the room and closed the doors and locked them with a spare key that was given to her once she arrived in the Adame.
She smiled at the guards who passed by in the hallway then quickly made her way down the stairs.
Edemen sleepily came out of his bedroom and he was on a mission to go to the dining hall. He lazily walked through the corridor upstairs and paused when he saw black smoke flowing out of the queen's bedroom.
He gasped and ran to the doors and grabbed onto the large handles and pulled with all his strength.
"Askerler!" he yelled. "Askerler!"
He coughed and put his foot on the doors and kept pulling on the door handles. The two guards that passed by earlier came running to the prince's side and asked him to move aside. They tried to pry the doors open and Edemen stood back, coughing from the black smoke.
The prince raced down the stairs and spotted Oran laughing as he entered the foyer with a couple of his friends.
"Oran!" he shouted.
Oran lifted his head to the pale faced prince. "Edemen, what's up pal?"
"Fire! There's –there's a fire in grandma khatun's room!"
Oran and his friends rushed upstairs to help the soldiers open the sealed doors. They group of five men repeatedly rammed their shoulders into the doors and now the entire upper floor was covered in thick black smoke.
Ursula came out of her room from the odor. She ran to Ana's room and grabbed her son's shoulder.
"What's going on? Is Anastasia inside?"
"Yes!" he grunted and tried pulling the handles once more.
She took the necklace off from around her neck and pushed the soldiers aside and unlocked the khatun's doors. Oran pulled them open and a rush of smoke poured out from the room. Everyone coughed and he along with the other men went inside the room.
Ursula grabbed the prince and wrapped an arm around his chest.
They didn't have to wait long and Oran ran out of the room with Anastasia laden in his arms. The others were already trying to put out the fire inside.
Edemen pushed the shamaness out of the way and ran to his unconscious grandmother in Oran's arms. He touched her soot covered face and sobbed softly.
"Mother, get all the children off this floor and tell Xena what happened. I'm going to take her to the physician."
Edemen tried to follow Oran and he was pulled back. "I want to go with them!"
"We don't have time for that! We need to get your brothers first." Ursula pressed and he felt conflicted but then went along with her.