We're approaching a big change that will affect the empire. The pace is picking up in this chapter. Stay tuned ;)
Also, I can't fix these line breaks so I'm going to improvise lol
Chapter 17 –A Heavy Burden: Part II
Gepid Kingdom
Navaz and Oran sat on the floor inside of the huge Gepid fortress. A few male servants set down three silver platters filled with food, loaves of bread, dessert and tea. Oran eyed the servants and they paid no mind to him. He and the White Hun king stared at the room filled with cages of exotic birds. Navaz had no plan to stick around this place for long but he also knew he wouldn't escape easily with all the soldiers standing outside.
Eksama walked in and pulled her braided auburn hair behind her shoulders and sat down opposite the Huns. She smiled at them and crossed her legs. She was trying to read their faces but they both had stoic and unreadable expressions.
She gestured to the spread of food.
"Eat please," she told them.
They stared at the food and she reached across then ate out of their separate trays with a spoon. Oran arched an eyebrow and then decided to eat some of the bread only to be polite.
"I'm not going to poison you two. I wouldn't dare poison Huns in my own home." She drank some of the tea. "So, your queen sent you here, right?"
Navaz cleared his throat gruffly. "We're traveling. I wasn't aware that the Gepids occupied Visigoth land now. You look too young to be a grandmother," he tried to shift the conversation.
"Oh, so kind of you," she feigned innocence. "I'm not one to play games, Hun. I know you're not travelers given by your clothing and weapons tied at your belt. So let's stop with the games and tell me why you're here."
Oran tossed the bread onto the plate and answered the queen, "A woman was found dead at the Pannonia camp. She was said to have been sent by King Alaric. We were asked by Anastasia Khatun to search the Goth areas."
Navaz sent a glare to the young khan and then turned to Eksama who had an eerie smile on her lips.
"Khatun, huh?" she chortled. "I see many things have changed in the last few years. I do hope that your khatun is well."
"Why would you ask that?" Navaz asked.
"I am only concerned for her health. Do you suspect that the Goth king has something to do with the woman's death?"
The Hun king narrowed his eyes. "I believe we should be on our way, your highness."
Eksama stood up with them and folded her arms. "You aren't leaving my camp, Huns. Guards!"
Her men rushed into the room and surrounded the Huns. Navaz inhaled deeply and Oran was ready to draw his sword but Navaz grabbed onto his arm to prevent him from doing so.
"I'd like to meet Anastasia Khatun and you're going to take me," she ordered.
Oran spat, "I don't know what you're planning but we aren't taking you anywhere near Hun territory!"
"Is that so? Who are you to talk to me that way?"
"I am the grandson of Attila and son to Ebnedzar!"
Navaz growled, "Oran! Sus!"
Eksama's eyes grew and she clicked her tongue against her cheek. "Grandson of Attila. What a coincidence! I too have Attila's blood among me."
The two frowned and looked at each other confusedly.
"Austraia!" she yelled.
The young redheaded woman, who accosted the king and khan outside, ran into the room and approached the queen. She stared at the two Huns and smiled at Oran. Eksama grabbed hold of her shoulder and pushed her forward.
"My granddaughter, Princess Austraia, is the great granddaughter of Attila. You two are cousins."
Oran's jaw dropped and Navaz gawked at the girl. Eksama stepped in between her men and met face to face with Navaz.
"You will take me to your khatun and for reassurance of my safety, I will keep the grandson of Attila in my home," she said firmly.
XXXXXX
Aurora sat on the khatun's bed in the clinic, listening to several stories that Anastasia told her over the last half hour. She was so invested in the stories and watched her grandmother's hands animate the tales with exaggeration.
"And then what happened? Did the Romans leave?"
Ana held up her hand. "Almost but they came back with a horde of horses…"
The princess gasped. Xena stood off to the side and smiled at the girl's enthusiasm. It was the only thing to keep Aurora's mind off the chaos around here and with Arielle's continual absence in the field, this was the perfect distraction.
"Destur! Csaba ekselanslari!"
Aurora whipped her head around and stood on the bed with her arms stretched outward. Csaba smiled at her and wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug. He looked at his mother in bed with a forlorn face. He couldn't see her face beneath the veil and only received the news of what happened upon arrival.
Xena grabbed Aurora's hand. "Go to your room with Ku-Ilm."
"But I wanna stay!"
"You can see Csaba later. Go on." She nudged her head to Ku and the maid ran over to grab Aurora then ushered her out of the clinic.
Csaba sat on the bed and kissed his mother's hand. He tried to remove the veil and she grabbed his wrist firmly. He sighed and kissed her hand once more. Moments later, Ernak and Gabrielle entered the room. Ernak gaped at the khatun and it saddened him to see her in such a state. She was his childhood friend and brother's wife. Now she would never be the same person she once was.
"Anastasia, I am sorry that this happened to you," Ernak spoke.
She smiled and nodded her head. "I am fine and lucky to have several people here to run the empire without me there," she gave a nod to her mother.
"Mother, we will find out who did this to you. I swear they will pay for what happened," Csaba promised.
"Your grandmother has that covered but enough about me. Tell me about Japan."
The two kings happily smiled and stared at the women in the room. Ernak bowed his head and snapped his fingers to the men who trailed behind him. They walked up and dropped a heavy bag onto the floor and Xena frowned, staring at the bag.
"We have the head of Prince Senka. His wife was also killed by my blade," he told everyone.
Gabrielle cringed in disgust and could smell the rotting decapitated head from afar. She hid behind her wife and covered her mouth.
"Cera will be glad to hear that," Xena said. "But I sense you have more news to tell us."
Csaba nodded and said, "Emperor Liu came to see Prince Senka. They have allied together and will attack us. I don't know when but the prince's death will delay his attack. He is probably forming an army as we speak. He would have been notified of Senka's death not long after we left the palace. China is also no longer allies with Persia."
Ana exhaled deeply. "Excellent. We have Persia on our side now and they have a huge army. Gabrielle, write Shah Kavad and tell him we need him to fight the Chinese."
Xena interjected, "But we have another problem. Alaric is dead. The entire base in Ravenna was destroyed. Ebnedzar is stationed there and he arrived after the fact. He is scouting the area to find out who attacked the Goths."
Ernak frowned and rubbed his beard. "This is not good. We are losing allies left and right. But it is good that Persia is on our side. If the shah helps us with China then we can focus on the west."
"There's one more thing."
She pulled out the necklace from her pocket and Ernak looked at it confusedly. She dropped it into his palm and he studied it. His face had confusion and doubt written all over it.
"That was found in Alaric's mouth after he was killed. Whoever ransacked Ravenna belongs to your father's clan."
He inspected it to make sure it wasn't a fake pendant. He then pulled out the necklace from beneath his blouse and compared the two. Shaking his head he turned to Xena who stared at him sadly.
"My father has another heir?" he says in disbelief.
XXXXXX
Estakhr, Persia
Kawus stood in the royal gardens enjoying the scenery surrounding him. A messenger dressed in all black robes with a mask covering his face, approached him. He smiled and the messenger knelt down on one knee and presented a letter encased inside a metal tube.
He thanked the messenger and popped open the metal case and pulled out the parchment. He read over the letter and then stormed back into the palace with his two guards following behind. Making his way into the large tiled palace he halted at the women's wing and waved his hand at the guards.
They stayed behind and he entered through the large double doors and marched down the long hallway to the very end. He was met with two female servants guarding the doors and they bowed their heads. He knocked on the doors and the servants opened them slowly.
Kawus entered and bowed his head. "Mother."
The Persian queen, also known as Shabanu Sambice, sat at her vanity and turned around at her son's presence. She grinned and stood slowly and flicked her long wavy raven hair behind her shoulders.
"Shehzade," she greeted and held out her hand.
He pecked her hand and then handed the letter to her. "A message from Xerxes. He writes that Anastasia Khatun is partially blind due to an attack in the Hun palace. She remains in the clinic for almost two months now. Her mother is in charge of the empire. They've also invited the House of Karen to Pannonia for a gathering."
Sambice raised an eyebrow and walked over to a candle then held the letter over the flame. She watched the parchment burn slowly and dropped it into a silver bowl.
"Pity," she says unconvincingly. "I am not sure we can trust Xerxes. Your father is keen on keeping a peaceful relationship with the barbarians and we all know Xerxes is his favorite son."
Kawus thought the same as his mother. "Xerxes has agreed to be on our side, mother. When the time is right we will overthrow father and I will take his place."
"One can only hope, shehzade." She turned and cupped his cheek. "As much as it pains me to say, you are not your father's favorite son. He has three other sons to take your place and Xerxes is the first choice despite him being younger than you. Consider asking for forgiveness and earn his trust."
"One can only hope, shahbanu," he said icily.
XXXXXX
Arielle walked to the east side of the Adame and it was very quiet here. Nobody lived in this section apart from guests and politicians. Yana and Safiya resided in this area secluded from everyone else but they were allowed to roam the Adame freely due to their status in the family.
Xerxes on the other hand was not given such freedom. Outside his suite he had guards posted and Hun soldiers were posted at either end of the hallway as well. Arielle approached the doors and knocked rapidly. She took a step back and stared at the Persian guards intensely.
The prince opened the door and then gave a grand smile and bowed his head.
"Princess, this is a surprise to see you."
"There's a meeting we have to attend. My brother and grandmother are in charge of the meeting. I thought you should be there because you're our ambassador."
He disappeared into his room and came out wearing a black turban with a veil. Arielle raised her eyebrow and stared at his empty holster.
"Aren't you forgetting something?"
Xerxes frowned and inspected himself. His hands roamed down his chest and hips.
"Your sword, Persian."
His cheeks flushed and he ran back in to retrieve his sword. He then returned and shut the doors behind him. Chuckling softly, Arielle shook her head and walked down the hallway with haste. He caught up to her and held the turban with a hand as he ran towards her.
"I trust that you mended things between you and the khanum?"
"You mean like apologize? She doesn't hand those out like candy."
"Then maybe you should take the first step and apologize. Be the bigger person, princess."
XXXXXX
Gabrielle stood outside the Adame as soon as she was notified of Yana's brother's arrival. She waited with Badr by her side and watched the Nezak trot through the gates. She saw a figure out of the corner of her eye and turned slightly and gaped as Chieftess Yana walked across the field.
She made eye contact with her younger brother and inhaled deeply. She hated to meet with him tried to avoid it but sometimes it was inevitable. She folded her arms and felt herself trembling lightly.
"What is the khanum going to do with him?"
Gabrielle awkwardly scratched her arm and then pulled the chieftess aside. "Xena told me to take him to the armory. After that, he's in her hands."
Yana's light eyes widened in fear. "Is she…she going to kill him?"
"I wouldn't go near that room if I was you, Yana, and I can't guarantee his safety either. If you want to change your mind I could –"
"No," she replied firmly and raised her chin. "She can do what she wants to him. Just make sure that Mirac doesn't see him. I don't want him to know that Sanzhar is here."
Gabrielle nodded and waved her hand to Badr. He walked over to the Nezak on horseback and yanked him off and threw him to the ground. Yana crinkled her eyebrows and turned away as her brother tried to wiggle his way out from the soldiers' holds.
Sanzhar growled and punched a soldier in the face and drew his sword. He gaped at his elder sister for aid.
"Yana! Why do you stand there idly?!"
The governor grimaced. "Cooperate with us and no harm will be done to you."
He was kicked down to his knees and the sword knocked from his palm. Badr tied his arms behind his back and still, he struggled. Yana turned her back and hastily walked back to the Adame.
"I have done nothing wrong!" he spat. "Yana! Kardeşim!"
She stopped in the middle of the stairs, listening to his cries and pleas. She looked over her shoulder with teary eyes and locked eyes with her brother. At that moment she knew she wasn't going to see her brother after today.
XXXXXX
Csaba began the meeting with the problem in China and Japan. He was told that Gabrielle delivered the letter to the shah several days ago and it would possibly arrive within a couple of weeks. Due to Arielle's attack on the imperial city in China there was no way the emperor could've recovered in such a short amount of time, but China was a large place with many resources at hand.
"Alright, from the conversation between Liu and Senka, they spoke about Prince Houfei who has control over the Tibet kingdom. Emperor Liu is clearly fearful of his son taking over the empire and wants him gone."
Xena raised an eyebrow and saw discomfort on Xerxes' face. He didn't even try to hide it.
"Xerxes, will your father be able to combat the Chinese? I know you have a large army," Csaba said.
The Persian prince raised his head and eyed the khanum briefly. "Yes, my father will send troops to China. My brother, Jamasp is standing in my place as general. He will lead the army during my absence."
"Good," Csaba smiled and directed his attention to Arielle. "Little sister…"
Arielle grinned. "Yes?"
"I know you are anxious to be in the field fighting with the Persians but I want you to stay in Pannonia. Since mother is out of commission you will be in charge under the khanum."
Xena and Arielle whipped their heads towards the king.
"What?" Arielle alleged.
"You aren't just a commander. You're a princess too and since you're the oldest you are second in charge if something happens to mother. Looks like you didn't pay attention while Gabrielle and grandma were mentoring you to be queen," he chuckled.
The commander's face paled. "But I thought Farah would be in charge? She's your wife. Doesn't that mean she will take mother's place?"
"She is my wife but she's not related to us by blood. You're next in line to be queen, Arielle. Did you forget that?"
"Sikme!" she shouted.
"Watch your mouth, Arielle," the khanum warned. "Looks like you and I will be spending a lot of time together," she said with a shimmering smile.
Arielle groaned. "What about the army? Who will train them?"
Csaba stretched out his hand to the Persian. "Xerxes will be in charge of our army. He is a general and is very experienced. I'm sure you don't have a problem with that do you, Xerxes?"
The prince bowed. "No, your highness. I will do anything you command. I am honored to be in charge of your army."
"Bu saçmalık," the commander uttered under her breath.
Xerxes smirked at the princess' foul mouth and nudged her arm. She nudged him back and hid her smile. Xena watched the two interact with one another but Csaba remained oblivious. She narrowed her eyes at the way the two behaved around each other and how often they spent time together. For someone who was so hardheaded Arielle was taking this shift in power very well.
"We will wait for Oran's and Navaz's report about the areas they're scouting. You're dismissed," the king told his sister and Persian prince.
Gabrielle entered the room just as the two exited. She briefly acknowledged Csaba and then hurried over to her wife. She rose on the toes of her boots and whispered into her ear.
Xena smiled and casually adjusted the veil on her kozak and turned to her grandson.
"I have some business to take care of. Make sure to visit your mother. She missed you a lot when you were away."
"I visit her every day. I hope she will recover."
She pinched his chin. "It is unlikely, Csaba and she knows that."
XXXXXX
Xena swung the doors open to her bedroom and threw her kozak onto the bed then went to her wardrobe. Gabrielle closed the doors and stood behind, watching her wife strip herself of her heavy black robes and put on her corset dressed with silver chains.
She dug deep into the wardrobe and pulled out her kozak that she wore religiously as a commander. With a big smile she set it on her head gently and turned around to the nervous governor.
"How do I look?"
"Terrifying," she says flatly. "I am used to you dressing like a noblewoman now. You look different in your commander attire."
"I wore this in China. It hasn't been that long."
"But you aren't a commander anymore. Why are you dressing like this?"
Xena pulled out her sword and inspected it. She figured it needed sharpening so she sat on the bed and grabbed a stone from her bedside table. Of course only she would have that nearby, the blonde thought.
"I want Sanzhar to be scared of me. I don't look scary in my khanum robes and veil."
Gabrielle sat down beside her. "I disagree. You are a different kind of scary," she jests. "You have a lot of power now! The clothes only add to that."
She paused and listened to the stone ride against the dulled blade.
"Yana was outside when her brother arrived. She looked very…disturbed and sad even."
"He's her brother. Of course she's going to have an emotional attachment to him but she's been protecting him for too long. None of her brothers or sister knows what happened to her. I'm sure he has raped other girls. People like him don't deserve to live in peace and prosperity."
Gabrielle let out a heavy. "You can't kill all of the rapists in the world, Xena."
"But I can kill the ones I find. Yana deserves to have peace. You agree?"
"Yes, of course."
"Good then you won't have a problem when I kill her brother. Don't let anyone into the armory, especially Arielle. She has a key."
XXXXXX
Mirac entered his wife's room and Cera looked up as she was painting on a large parchment whilst sitting on the floor. He knelt down and kissed the top of her head then looked to the balcony where Yana sat alone.
He sat down beside the princess and kept staring at his silent sister.
"What's wrong with her?" he whispered.
Cera lifted her hands and signed, "She's been that way for hours. I tried to talk to her but she wasn't responsive."
"That's unlike her. I hope nothing is wrong," he said quietly more to himself. "What are you working on?"
"You will see." She winked and dipped the paintbrush into the ink well.
He thought watching her paint was very soothing and missed seeing her smiling face after being apart for awhile. When he read that report his sister gave him he was devastated but he knew that he shouldn't bring up the topic unless Cera did first. He grew anxious the longer he stayed in Pannonia and was eager to get back to his tribe. Staying here for a couple of months was very stressful and he longed to see the mountains of his homeland.
"Cera, I wanted to ask you this but ever since the accident with your mother…" he trailed off and she set the brush down, listening attentively. "I was wondering when we will be able to go back to Kazakhstan."
"I will not leave until my grandmother says so. My family needs me here," she said with a sad smile.
He sighed and nodded. "Alright, I will stay here with you until we are able to leave." He tried to touch her hand and she flinched slightly. "Cera, why do you shy away from me? I won't ever hurt you. I love you."
She refused to look him in the eye and he said, "I know what happened to you in Japan."
She paused and lifted her eyes to gape at him. Mirac emit a warm smile and grabbed her hand.
"I just want you to know that I'll always be here for you and if anyone ever hurts you I'll make sure they won't live to see the next day. If it was up to me I would've gone to Japan with your brother to kill Prince Senka myself."
Tears streamed down her cheeks and she smiled and kissed his hand. Mirac wiped the tears from her face with his thumb and cupped her cheek.
"My sister Inzhu lost all of her children when the Alps attacked our camp," he told her and Cera's mouth parted. "Do you think I could invite her to Pannonia? I'm sure she'd love to spend time with all of the children here. I don't want her to fall into a deep depression."
Cera nodded and signed, "Your family is my family and they're always welcome here."
XXXXXX
Xena slapped Sanzhar across the face and blood spat out from his mouth. His head lolled backward and she cocked her head, staring at his beaten face; blood trickling down his neck and bare chest. He coughed and spat out a molar.
She grinned and looked at the variety of weapons surrounding her. It had been a very long time since she tortured someone and she did it without notifying both the kings and khatun. But now that she didn't have to report to anyone she had free will to do what she pleased.
She grabbed a large scimitar and Sanzhar was barely able to lift his head. He heaved and stared up at her with one eye, the other swollen shut. She grabbed him by the hair and reared his head backward.
"Are you ready to apologize?"
He grit his teeth and licked his bloody swollen lips. "W –why should I? You'll kill me anyway."
"Maybe not. I am not the woman I once was, Sanzhar," she emit a frightening smile and held the blade to his throat. "You aren't willing to apologize for what you did to your sister?"
He spat in her face and she closed her eyes for a brief moment. She inhaled heavily and wiped the saliva off her cheek and eyebrow with the back of her hand.
"Alright have it your way," she muttered.
She took a step back and let go of his hair. He glared at her and she stood silently then raised the blade in the air and she let out a loud cry then swiped the blade downward and chopped off his left hand. Sanzhar screamed in agony and tears were flowing freely down his face.
The retired commander felt a surge of energy through her body and her heart raced seeing the man in such pain. Her eyes grew wildly and she picked up his decapitated hand and set it on his lap.
"Are you…ready to apologize now?" she hissed. "I can do this all day. I will chop you up into little pieces but you will live. What will it be?"
Sanzhar sobbed and his entire arm shook. He stared at the stubbed limb and then his own hand in his lap. He remained quiet for too long and Xena raised her sword to chop off the other hand.
"Stop!"
She lowered the sword.
"I…I will apologize to Yana…" he says breathlessly.
"An apology means nothing if you aren't able to recognize what you did was wrong. Do you believe what you did was wrong?"
He slowly lifted his chin and relaxed into the chair and had a hideous smirk on his lips.
XXXXXX
Gabrielle waited outside the armory patiently. She heard the door open and backed away. Xena walked out and took her gloves off and slipped them into her belt. Gabrielle clamped her hands together, dreading the worst.
"Tell Badr to get rid of his body. He will not be missed on this earth," she instructed.
The governor's eyebrows lifted and her eyes widened.
"Are you…going to tell Ana about this?"
"I will. I gave him plenty of chances, Gabrielle," she set a hand on her wife's shoulder for reassurance. "He was not apologetic but I did my best to make him repent."
The governor sighed lightly. "Yana will be more at peace now I suppose. How are we going to explain his death to her father? He will find out eventually."
"I'll leave that up to you," Xena said with a smile. "Make something up. You're good at that and your writing skills are impeccable." She paused seeing the solemn face her wife bore. "I really tried, Gabrielle. He's not worth dwelling over."
"I…I'm just thinking about Yana's family. They will never know the truth."
"Maybe it's better that they don't."
XXXXXX
Arielle leaned up against the side of the Adame, picking at a wheat stalk she picked earlier. Xerxes stood with her and they didn't speak for awhile. He had a smug of a grin on his face and she elbowed his arm.
"Why are you grinning like an idiot?" she mused.
"I get to be in charge of your army," he teased. "And you get to be queen of your mother's empire. Isn't that what you always wanted?"
She shrugged a shoulder. "This is not exactly how I imagined it would be. Usually you have to wait until queens die to take their place. It feels wrong to be in her shoes when she's very much alive."
"Your system of queens is very confusing, princess," he went on, "In my empire we only have one queen. She is called Shahbanu. Our current shahbanu is my father's wife, Sambice."
She crinkled her eyebrows. "Is she your mother?"
He laughed. "No, she is the mother to my eldest brother, Kawus. My mother is one of my father's concubines. My two other brothers also have different mothers. My father has a large harem in the palace."
Arielle hated hearing that word 'concubine' ever since Cera's time spent in Japan was relayed to her. She didn't like the idea of having multiple women in one household that belonged to one man. She was glad that the laws were different here and that men weren't allowed to marry several women unless they were kings and even then the queens had to agree to the wives. Kreka Khatun was the only exception as she didn't approve any of Attila's wives he married without consent.
"Did I say something to upset you?" he grabbed her hand.
She looked into his dark eyes and then slipped her hand behind her back and looked the other way.
"No. I was lost in my own thoughts," she explained with a false smile. "Do the princes also have access to the harem?"
Xerxes shifted uncomfortably. "Yes, all of the princes have their own harem."
Arielle threw the wheat stalk onto the ground and folded her arms. "Do you have a harem?"
"I…was given a harem on my sixteenth birthday," he said and noted that she seemed disturbed by that. He explained further, "the only reason the princes have harems is to produce heirs to the throne. That's all."
"I see. Do you have several sons and daughters?"
He chuckled. "No, I don't have any children but my brother, Jamasp has one son and my other brother Khosrow, has three sons. Kawus and I are without heirs so far. I don't really like spending too much time with my harem."
"That explains why the Persian Empire has a never ending line of people to take the throne," she mumbled.
"Your daughter is a beautiful girl. She resembles her mother."
She smiled at his not so subtle flirting and flattery.
XXXXXX
Anastasia sat with her mother and Gabrielle on the balcony within the clinic. She just received the news of Yana's brother and tapped her fingers on the glass of tea. The three sat in silence and waited for the khatun's response.
"I'm not going to say what you did was wrong but I will say this mother," Ana began, "that little fight you had with Arielle makes you look like a huge hypocrite. She killed Gurda because she was protecting Farah and now you go and do this without telling me."
Xena frowned. "Arielle is a commander and everything must be reported to you or me first. I am no longer a commander. I don't need to report to anyone but myself."
Ana smiled beneath her veil and nodded. "Fair enough. You win this round, mother."
"I always win."
"Mhm." She slipped the glass beneath the veil and sipped it gingerly. "Csaba told me that Arielle is taking my place. I want you to watch over her, Gabrielle," she pressed.
The governor paused and lowered the glass from her lips. "Me?"
"You know all of the laws in the empire and she listens to you more than she does with me and my mother. I will assign you to be her advisor. Ursula is loyal to me and you two will have to correlate with each other."
Xena and her wife shared a nervous glance.
"Does the khanum approve?" she asks.
"Better Gabrielle than me," Xena snickered and her wife elbowed her arm. "Gabrielle and I will oversee Arielle as regent. She does irritate me a lot of the time but I completely trust her to fill your shoes, Ana. God knows she's had plenty of training."
"Ursula told me that there's unrest in the tribe. I haven't made a public appearance in a long time and there's a rumor spreading that they think me to be dead."
Gabrielle witnessed the sadness cross her wife's face. She'd seen that face all too often over the last couple of months after the attack.
"We need to suppress the rumor immediately. If the people think their queen is dead then there could be a rebellion," Gabrielle said. "I could send out an announcement saying that you're in good health."
Xena scratched her neck anxiously and loosened the collar. "I don't think that's going to work. They need to see her in person."
Anastasia raised her hand to quell their conversation. "I will have to make rounds in the square."
The governor didn't like that idea at all. Anastasia was not in good health and it would be too noticeable if she went around the camp with a cane and her entire face covered. The public was never going to believe something like that and all her time spent in the tribe, making public appearances from time to time was vital.
When Kreka fell ill in the last few years before she died, the people were very concerned and the news of her death caused a huge disturbance as they weren't informed of her illness until it was too late. Even though the late khatun was loved by everybody, her condition remained a secret and the people almost rioted before the news of her passing because she stopped going outside. Gabrielle didn't want the same fate for her wife's daughter.
"That won't be necessary, Ana."
Xena narrowed her eyes at her wife. "And why not?"
"I have an idea."
XXXXXX
Three days later, Arielle was now sitting in a chair while several maids tended to her. She felt like she was their doll and they were having a good time dressing her up. Her eyes were focused on her grandmother and Gabrielle who stood in front of her, watching the entire process.
A hot hair iron was heated on a bed of coals and then Ku grabbed the iron by the handle then sectioned off parts of Arielle's hair. She ran the hot rod through the princess' curly locks and a cloud of steam released from the iron.
She shook her ankle rapidly as her nerves settled in. She kept staring at the gold and black sleeves covering her tattooed arms. This gown belonged to her mother and it was ornate and only fit for her mother and no one else. The pointed shoulder pads extended beyond her shoulders and the cape attached dragged on the floor.
Gabrielle coaxed the princess into this plan of hers, not sure if it was going to work or not. She walked over to the very nervous commander and put a hand on her knee.
"You're going to be the de facto khatun. We went over this several times, Arielle. You don't need to be nervous. We're just going to make a public appearance and you need to pretend like you are your mother."
Arielle nodded and before she could say anything, a maid stepped in front of Gabrielle and began painting Arielle's lips with a muted color of lip stain.
Xena tapped her cheek as she looked at her granddaughter who was beyond uncomfortable. "Gabrielle, I don't know if this is a good idea. People know what Arielle looks like."
"She's going to be wearing a sheer veil over her face but her eyes will be exposed. She is the same height as Ana. It's going to work as long as she doesn't give herself away. We'll be there with her when we walk around the campgrounds. You'll see."
XXXXXX
Hours of preparation on Arielle's appearance and they walked out of the Adame together. She almost retreated and ran back in until Gabrielle and Xena grabbed her arms and forced her to walk with them. Badr and two other elites followed behind them.
Everyone looked their way and Arielle tried to remain calm but all she saw were eyes, too many eyes. Her heart beat rung through her ears. She almost had to be dragged along as her legs stiffened at the amount of people surrounding her as if they were inspecting her.
"I'm going to vomit," she whispered.
Xena tightened her grip on the princess' arm. "You'll be fine. You're supposed to be the khatun," she hissed. "Act like one and stop clinging to me."
Arielle cleared her throat and finally let go of her grandmother's and Gabrielle's arms and walked forward with her hands laced together in front of her. She gave several head nods while passing by people and they didn't seem to notice that she was posing her mother as de facto khatun.
A little boy ran up to her and she stopped abruptly. He presented her with a few flowers and Arielle smiled at the boy.
"Khatun, we are happy to see you alive! My family was worried about you."
She accepted the bundle of flowers. "Teşekkür ederim. Tanrı sana parlasın," she thanked him and cupped his cheek.
Xena stuck by closely and watched everyone's reaction. She leaned in to her wife and whispered, "Surprisingly, this is working."
"I told it would. Have a little faith in me, would you?" she teased.
XXXXXX
A couple days after Arielle made an appearance as de facto khatun, Navaz arrived with Eksama in tow. He convinced the soldiers at the gates to let her through since she was his guest, which was a lie. Oran was left in the Gepid kingdom due to Eksama's orders. He was now a hostage and everything determined on how this meeting was going to go.
They made up to the Adame and Eksama eyed the large wooden palace and hopped off her horse. She began marching her way up to the grand staircase and Navaz ran over and grabbed her arm.
"You can't go in unnanounced. I will go in and alert Anastasia Khatun that you have arrived," he told her firmly.
The Gepid queen snatched her arm away and glared at the Hun household.
"Tell the khatun that I demand a private meeting with her. I won't wait outside forever."
Navaz nodded and whistled to the soldiers. Immediately they surrounded her and her horse. Eksama grimaced and tried reaching for her sword.
"No weapons allowed while talking with the khatun, your majesty," he said with a smirk then ran up the stairs.
XXXXXX
Ursula walked towards the clinic with a fresh basket of linen and the White Hun king ran after her. She turned and smiled. "Your majesty," she greeted warmly then looked over his shoulder. "Where's Oran?"
He breathed heavily, "where is Anastasia? I need to speak with her."
"She's in the clinic. Come with me, I will take you to her."
Together they hurried down the corridor and he burst through the doors. It was the first time he had seen Anastasia since he heard she was attacked. His heart stopped when he saw her in bed with a mound of pillows behind her. Her face was covered in a thin black veil and he feared that her face had been severely burned but he was glad to see she was no longer unconscious and seemed responsive.
Ana sat up in bed and stared at the dark shadowy figure. "Who is it?"
Navaz slowly approached the bed and continued staring at her with distress. He sat on the edge of the bed and Anastasia tried to make out who it was. His hand slowly came close to her face and she felt him touch her face and she pulled away.
He grabbed the veil and slowly lifted it to expose her face. He smiled when he saw her unscathed face but was a bit off put by the cloudiness of her eyes. Anastasia raised her eyebrows and blinked, trying to make out his blurry face.
She struggled and blindly extended her hand and felt his strong arms and then grabbed his large hand. Her fingertips grazed against his skin and she grinned brightly.
"Navaz."
He kissed her hand. "Güzel hanim." He kept gazing into her eyes. "I was very worried about you when I heard what happened. I wanted to come see you."
"I'm alright. If you're wondering about my eyes because I can sense you're staring –I can't see you."
His smile faded. "You're blind?"
"Not completely. Anyway," she brushed it off like it was nothing, "Why have you come? Did you find anything during your search?"
Navaz had a hard time adjusting to what she just said but he tried to ignore it and remained focus. "I…I brought someone with me. Her name is Eksama. She's Queen of the Gepids and demands an audience with you but I can see…that is not optimal."
"You will need to discuss this with my mother. I won't be any of use to this queen right now. Where's Ursula?"
"Right here, khatun," the shamaness stepped forward.
"Take him to my mother. She will explain everything to him." she ordered and squeezed his hand. "Don't worry about me, Navaz."
XXXXXX
A brief meeting was held by the court was held in Arielle's room. Gabrielle sat at a desk and wrote down everything that Navaz explained and it was quite a lot and she paused a few times while he spoke. This was not news that anyone wanted to hear.
"Eksama claims to have a granddaughter who has Attila's bloodline. The princess is supposedly the great granddaughter of Attila but I wouldn't believe her. She has no proof. She's also holding Oran hostage in her fortress as an exchange for her safety here."
Xena sighed and adjusted her kozak.
"We received a necklace with the clan's symbol engraved in it. Ebnedzar found it in Alaric's mouth," she said and he looked puzzled. "Alaric is dead and Ravenna was ravaged. This Eksama woman might be the missing piece in this puzzle. Her granddaughter is probably part of Attila's line."
Arielle nodded in agreement. "And she is probably behind the attack on mother."
Navaz narrowed his dark eyes. "That explains what she said. Oran and I were inside her fortress and she asked me how Anastasia was."
"Then she did it! She sent Diana to attack my mother!" the commander shouted. "I want to arrest her and then I will torture her."
Xena grabbed the princess' shoulder. "No, Arielle. We need to play her game. We will give her a private meeting with Ana."
"But how? Anastasia is in no condition to talk to anyone," said Navaz.
The khanum smiled deviously and looked at her heated granddaughter.
"She's not going to do it. Arielle will pose as de facto khatun."
Arielle's face chalked. "Are you fucking kidding me?! Oh no, grandma, no! I am not qualified for this. I can't do it. I nearly puked the first time. I can't. Please!"
"She doesn't know what your mother looks like! You will do this, Arielle. You wanted to be queen and now's your chance. Put your years of training to good use."
The princess looked to her father with pleading eyes, begging not to be put in such a complicated situation.
He gave a curt nod. "Listen to your grandmother, Arielle. The empire is in your hands."
XXXXXX
Eksama's weapons were confiscated before entering the Hun home. She was escorted to the throne chamber and the guards left her to stand in the center of the empty room. The doors closed and she glanced around at the high ceilings, large wooden columns and three chairs in the back of the room. She figured that each one belonged to a royal family member.
There were a few swords strapped to the wall above the thrones and she studied the shape. They were very old swords and probably hadn't been used in decades. Patiently, she waited for the khatun to make her appearance but she took it all in.
The Adame. She thought it would look different but she knew this wasn't the original home of Attila. This was built a few years ago. But that was all she knew. She longed to meet the Pannonian clan for years and it wasn't until both her husband and mother died that she could fulfill that dream.
Doors on the left side of the room opened and Eksama's eyes darted in that direction.
"Destur! Anastasia Khatun senin huzurunda!"
Arielle stood in the doorway for a couple of moments longer than she should have. She closed her eyes for a second and took in a deep breath to gather herself. Her eyes shot open and then she marched into the room, heading towards the row of thrones.
She turned to the tall auburn haired Gepid queen and smiled then sat down slowly in her mother's chair. She felt the weight of the headdress weighing her down. Everything she wore was extremely heavy or perhaps she felt like the entire empire was the weight and it all came crashing down on her.
Eksama bowed her head curtly. "Khatun," she greeted.
Arielle gripped the armrests to ease her tense body.
"Welcome to Pannonia. Hoşgeldiniz."