Babies. Babies everywhere. Lmao I'm sorry everyone. Just trying to follow the timeline here.

Chapter 23 –Carry Me

Kazakhstan

The news of Eksama's takeover of Pannonia brought not only sadness but fear and anger in Cera's heart. Being so far away from her family was painful enough at times but now that her home was ravaged she knew that her family's life would never be the same. As soon as her mother's letter was held in her hands, she sobbed for hours which then lead to days.

Cera took solace with Mirac's sisters and they were very helpful in trying to ease her worries. Yana was the most helpful and she insisted on staying in her father's tribe for awhile longer instead of returning to hers in the mountains. Cera told the chieftess she could leave at any time but Yana being the stubborn woman she is, she didn't have any intention of leaving anytime soon.

When she first arrived in Mirac's tribe she felt a bit out of place and alone. That changed the longer she lived among her husband's family. They were very welcoming towards her and all of the children were very eager to see her. They had never seen a princess before and when they laid eyes on her they were in awe.

Now there were hardly any children in the tribe left. It wasn't the same since the Alps invaded. Cera hoped to return to Pannonia with Mirac and Inzhu but now she couldn't. She was grateful that her family was safe in Banat but that safety was not explicit.

Yana sat on the floor of her brother's yurt and went through the large chests of clothes sent from Banat. She pulled out several small boxes full of jewelry. There were also several silk dresses, veils and headdress decorated with jewels and beads.

She held a burgundy kozak with a three foot veil and her eyes drifted to Cera who stood on the opposite side of the yurt, staring at the wall.

"This kozak would look very nice on you, Cera," she said. "It was very generous of Farah to send you all of these gowns."

The princess slowly spun around and gazed at all of the gorgeous dresses sprawled out on the rug. She faintly smiled at Yana. She wanted to appreciate the gifts but she couldn't. Even though Yana was her sister in law she felt like Yana was more like a mother in law to her. Yana was the same age as Anastasia and assumed the role as the matriarch of the family so it was easy to see her as a mother figure.

Yana sighed and set the kozak back into the chest. Staring at Cera's eyes full of emotion and silence she hated to see the sorrowful princess this way.

"Cera, you should eat something. You have hardly eaten anything in days. Mirac is still out hunting with Maxim and Aybek so they won't be back for a few more days. I can make food for you and I'll invite Inzhu. We can all eat together. Would you like that?"

The redheaded princess twisted her long hair around her fingers, hardly listening to the woman.

"Everyone is safe," Yana says, finally grabbing Cera's attention. "Your mother said not to worry. Don't look at me with those sad doe eyes. I can't stand it any longer."

She stood up and grabbed Cera's hand and pointed to the large pillow on the floor. Cera twisted her mouth and Yana's light eyes were so intense that she didn't argue but sat down.

"You are going to eat. I will make you whatever you want," Yana says with a smile.

Cera signed, "I'm not hungry. I don't feel very good."

"That's because you haven't eaten in days!" she knelt down and touched Cera's forehead. "No fever so you're not sick."

"No, I really don't want to eat anything," says Cera. "I can't even look at food right now. Please…"

Yana frowned and stood. "I'll get our physician if you really are as ill as you say you are. I'll return promptly but in the meantime you should eat. It's probably why you feel weak and sickly, Cera."

The princess nodded and watched the chieftess leave the yurt. She exhaled and looked over at the dresses on the floor. Smiling, she picked up a green silk dress and rubbed the soft fabric against her cheek.

XXXXXX

Banat

Xerxes drew a map of Hamadan, Persia where the House of Karen was. He knew the area very well and since he did, he was very worried to go on this raid as Arielle called it. Being in Persia was going to be a challenge not to mention extremely dangerous for him especially.

He was afraid that if someone caught him with a group of Huns that he'd be executed. Kawus was a wild card and knowing him he lied to their father about what really happened in Pannonia. Xerxes had no doubt in his mind that his brother had slandered him all over the kingdom by now.

Xena and Gabrielle looked at the map, tilting their heads, examining all of the entries and exits of the Karen palace. They knew each other so well that they needn't speak to each other but pointed to various spots on the map and nodded silently.

The prince stood by and watched them whisper in mumbles. He wanted to interrupt but he thought it best to stay quiet. He waited and waited until Gabrielle lifted her head and he smiled.

"How far away is your palace from Hamadan?" she asked.

"Not very far, governor. Maybe about half a day's walk."

She looked at her wife and they nodded at each other. "We're thinking that us four will go to Hamadan and raid the House of Karen with disguises. There's no need to give ourselves away. We're both aware that you will be a target in Persia."

He awkwardly laughed. "Four?"

Xena smugly grinned at the prince's bemusement. "Arielle is coming with us too. Did you forget?"

"Oh, no khanum I didn't forget. I didn't think that she liked clandestine raids. She's very hands on."

"Indeed she is but we can't always do things her way. If you haven't noticed, Arielle doesn't like to follow rules. She's been like that since before she could walk."

He noticed and he couldn't forget how brash she could be at times. He was being ignored by her and before she was following him around in Pannonia. Now she avoided him at all costs. She even went as far as to walk the other way so she couldn't face him.

"But we will bring soldiers with us?" he asked.

Gabrielle answered, "yes but we will do the raid ourselves. We can prepare to leave next week if that's alright with you?"

He blushed. "Of course, governor. I'll do anything you say. I'm at your service as always."

"You're in charge, Xerxes," reminded Xena. "Anything you say we have to follow, including Arielle. I wish you the best of luck."

He rolled up the map and tucked it beneath his arm. The khanum's smile made him feel uneasy and quite unsure of himself. He didn't know if she was joking or not but knowing her, she was probably serious.

"I'll tell Queen Arielle the plan. With your permission," he curtly bowed then exited the room.

Gabrielle slapped her wife's chest gently. "You're making him nervous on purpose."

"I like to see Arielle argue with him. It's entertaining. When she and Bayan fight it makes me want to drive a pike through his body. Did Csaba receive a response from him yet?"

"Not that I know of. I don't know how Arielle is going to gather an army big enough to fight Eksama. She said that the Gepid army was all of the Hun tribe armies combined."

The khanum's nostrils flared and she tapped her fingertips together. "Whatever Arielle wants, Arielle gets. I know she'll do what needs to be done to get rid of Eksama."

"You have faith in her now? Where was that attitude eight months ago?"

"Hey, I've always had faith in her."

Gabrielle rolled her eyes. "Could've fooled me."

"Just sharpen your sword, Gabrielle. Maybe it'll come in handy during the raid unless you know…it happens to slip and fall out of your hand…" she teased.

"One time! I drop my sword one time and you won't let me forget it. You had me in an impossible position, Xena. You played dirty."

"Remember; we both sleep in the same bed. I'd hate for you to wake up with a black eye."

The petite wife of the two dismissed the khanum's words with a wave of her hand and a snarky snort of a laugh.

"Whatever Xena. I'm tired of your threats. Let's see how well you do in the field. It's been awhile, you might've lost your touch." She saunters away with a bit of a sway to her hips.

Xena gasped and put a hand to her chest. "I have not lost my touch!"

XXXXXX

Navaz read over a few documents that Farah sent to his room earlier this morning. He finally got around to reading them and he graced the documents with his signature. He willingly gave a sum of his treasury due to Eksama's takeover of Pannonia.

He hadn't realized that Farah transferred almost half of the Adame's treasury to Banat months ago when she became treasurer. He flipped through the pages making sure he didn't miss anything. He held a bar of wax over a candle and then allowed the melted wax to drip on the parchment.

He took the ring from his finger and stamped it into the hot wax and blew against the wet ink. He sighed and then arms were suddenly wrapped around his neck from behind.

"Good afternoon daddy," Arielle said sweetly and kissed his cheek.

The king creased his eyebrows together and grabbed her hands. "What do you want, Arielle?"

She rounded the desk and hopped on top of it, smiling at him. "What makes you think I want something?"

He leaned back in the chair and folded his arms. His dark eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"You haven't called me 'daddy' since you were thirteen. So, what do you want?"

"Well…" she traced her finger on the tabletop. "You know about the campaign I'm leading. And you know that our army is in the hands of crazy Eksama," she began.

"Mhm…" he waited in anticipation.

"I was wondering if you could give me a legion of your soldiers. I plan to go to Scythia and claim the territory and since I don't have an army it would be really nice of you if you could…let me borrow your men."

Navaz's eyebrow raised and he saw a woman before him but right now he saw a little girl –his princess. He grinned and rose from the chair, adjusting his robes.

"I will give you a legion of three hundred men." He kissed her forehead and waltzed off.

Her jaw dropped. "Really?"

"Yes but I'm only doing this because your mother asked me to."

She rolled her eyes. She thought she was able to coax her father by herself but she was duped. He probably knew that she was going to come to him and ask for men. Her mind wandered and she thought of Csaba. He probably said something to mother, she thought.

"I'm going to kill him!" she screeched.

Navaz swung around and looked to her with surprise and confusion. Her face softened and she hopped off the desk with a sugary smile.

"Thank you, father. I appreciate your help."

XXXXXX

Kazakhstan

Inzhu and Yana waited in a corner of the yurt while the physician examined the princess. They were beginning to worry since the woman was taking so long. What seemed like an eternity later, the female physician got up from the bed and gathered her supplies.

Cera fixed her dress and brushed her hair away from her face. The physician walked over to the Nezak sisters and huddled in a circle together, talking in hushed tones. Cera frowned and tried to listen to their conversation but couldn't hear from afar.

Yana grinned and thanked the physician for stopping by. She and her little sister approached the bed and sat down, facing the puzzled redhead. Yana placed her hand on Cera's knee and met eyes with her.

"Good news is that you're not ill, just as I suspected," she says dryly and Cera turned her cheek. "But I have even better news."

Inzhu nodded and crawled onto the bed to sit next to the princess. Cera glanced at her and anxiously rubbed her arm, suddenly feeling itchy as the pairs of eyes were on her.

"You're pregnant," Yana announces and all color drained from Cera's face. "You'll have the first Nezak prince or princess. When Mirac returns we will tell the entire tribe and several gifts will be brought to you."

"And we can write your mother. She will be very happy to hear the news!" Inzhu said and wrapped an arm around the frozen princess.

Cera burst into tears and buried her face in her hands. The sisters' beaming faces faded and they looked at one another. Yana scooted closer to the wailing princess and squeezed her knee.

"I hope those are tears of joy…" she alleged. "Cera, why are you crying? This is supposed to be happy news."

Inzhu looked hopelessly at her sister and ran her fingers through Cera's auburn hair. "We'll take care of you, Cera! You don't have to worry about anything. We'll throw you a huge party!" she tried to cheer her up but it wasn't working in the least.

Yana frowned sadly and grabbed Cera's hands and pulled them away from her teary eyes. "Are you upset because you're not with your family?" she asked and Cera breathed in short spurts. "We're your family too. Inzhu and I will take very good care of you."

"You won't have to lift a finger," said Inzhu. "You Pannonian women are mad; fighting wars with a baby in one arm and a sword in the other," she lightly jested.

Cera cracked a smile at the joke. Yana grinned and kissed both of her cheeks and lifted her chin.

"I will tell the messenger to wait so you can write a letter to your mother."

She got up and began making her way out. Turning around she hoped to see her sister behind her but that wasn't the case. Inzhu was already fawning all over Cera.

"Inzhu!" she hissed.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!"

XXXXXX

Pannonia

The land once ruled by the clan of Attila had now been taken over by the Gepid army. Eksama was feared among the remaining Huns living in the state. The capital once flourished with travelers from all over the Hunnic tribes had ceased to exist. The Hun army was left in the hands of the Gepids and whoever went against Eksama was executed without question. She left it up to Samtas to execute anyone who spoke ill of her.

In the outskirts right outside the border of Pannonia, the sons of Ebnedzar, Talat and Tolan, were the only members of the clan that were left behind. The older teenage brothers crept behind some bushes and witnessed a row of Hun soldiers lined up on their knees. Gepid soldiers stood behind them with ropes in their hands.

Talat squinted his eyes and then Queen Eksama came down the steps of the Adame. He'd never seen her face before until now and what a striking resemblance of Cera there was shared between them. Eksama had the same stature and body of the princess and the long auburn hair to match.

He nudged his brother's ribs. "What is she doing?" he whispered.

Tolan lifted his head out from behind the bush and could barely see anything aside from the row of soldiers. Eksama spoke loudly but not enough for him and his brother to hear her coherently.

"She's going to execute the soldiers I think," he answered. "What a horrible to way to die! At least chop their heads off instead of strangling them to death." He shook his head in shame.

"We need to get inside the Adame," Talat said.

"Where the hell has your mind gone, brother? We'll never get inside there! Everyone left Pannonia and we have no idea where they went. Surely, you want to die by strangulation."

"I want to see what that bitch is doing in there! We can sneak in through the women's quarters."

Tolan smacked a hand to his forehead. "You're insane. I am not going in there."

"Why not? Eksama has the entire place to herself. She doesn't know all of the ins and outs of the Adame. Only we do!" he grinned and slapped his brother on the shoulder. "It'll be fun!"

"What if we get caught?"

"We won't. Come on, we need to find out what she's planning then we can ride out to Ravenna to tell father everything."

Tolan sighed and looked back at all of the Hun soldiers who had already fallen to the ground, red in the face, ropes tied around their necks. Eksama retreated back into the Adame with Samtas trailing behind her.

"I can't believe we're related to her," he mumbled.

"How do you think father feels? That's his sister." He stood and ruffled his brother's dark hair. "We'll wait until the right time to sneak into the Adame."

XXXXXX

Banat

There wasn't much to prepare for the journey to Persia since it was such a small group. Xerxes was in charge of gathering ten soldiers and supplies. The only thing that was needed was compliance from everyone and that was an easy task for Xena and Gabrielle but not for Arielle.

Gabrielle took it upon herself to help train Farah's youngest sons how to use swords in combat. She stood outside in the gardens, instructing the twin princes how to wield the wooden swords but she quickly realized that the princes were equally as terrible as their mother.

They inherited every trait from her apparently: her beauty, brains and lack of skill with weapons of any sort. The governor covered her eyes a couple of times during the spar lesson. There was bound to be screaming sooner or later with the way this was going.

She intervened and snatched the swords out of their hands. "Okay, enough for today. You two really have…outdone yourselves."

Aman frowned. "But we were just getting started!"

"Yeah Gabby! We can practice some more!" encouraged Aladar.

Gabrielle smiled at the boys and discreetly hid the swords behind her back.

"I think that's enough practicing for today, boys. Maybe your father can teach you." She hoped that she'd never have to teach these boys again. Teaching Farah was hard enough.

They hugged her legs then raced back to the palace. Xena walked towards the gardens and quickly evaded the princes running passed her. They apologized but picked up speed. She kept walking and heard a couple of maids scream and a loud crash inside the palace.

She was glad to be leaving in a few days. The Banat palace was large but not large enough since there was a child at every corner she turned. She smiled at the sight of the blonde and surprised her with a soothing voice.

"Teaching the boys?" she whispers.

Gabrielle jumped and turned to her sneaky wife. She held up the wooden swords. "I'm never volunteering to do that again. Xena…they're so bad!"

"They're just children."

"No, I mean, they're like Farah. They can't wield a sword to save their life! I think Aurora could take them."

"I'm sure she could," the khanum mused. "Do you have everything packed and ready to go?"

"I think so," Gabrielle was unsure of herself. "I'll have to double-check."

Arielle stormed out of the palace with Xerxes following her. He waved the map of Persia in the air as he yelled from afar. Xena and Gabrielle smiled at each other then slowly slipped away to hide behind one of the large ivy covered walls in the garden.

Xerxes threw the map on the ground and ran after the fuming queen. Grabbing her arm he halted her and Arielle snarled.

"Take your hand off me, Persian!"

"I'm trying to talk to you and can you please stop calling me that? I have a name," he tells her in a firm voice.

She looked into his eyes then bit his hand. He released her and clenched his teeth and held his hand close to his chest.

"Did you just bite me?!" he yelled then chased after her again. "Stop! I said stop, Arielle!"

She ignored him and then he grabbed her arms and pushed her against a wall. He pinned her down and breathed heavily after running across the gardens to catch her. She struggled and attempted to stomp on his boot but he placed both boots on top of hers.

"Holding me against my will, Xerxes? I wonder what will happen if I scream? My father and brother are inside and if they see you manhandling me I know for a fact you won't have a head by tomorrow morning."

He raised an eyebrow at her arrogant attitude. "I haven't harmed you in any way, Arielle. I was trying to talk to you about the plans for Persia and you won't talk to me. How are we supposed to work together if you keep avoiding me?"

"I don't have to listen to you," she spat.

Xerxes huffed. "You want to be in charge everywhere don't you? The battlefield, the army, the bedroom. Nothing stops you."

On the other side of the ivy wall Gabrielle gasped and covered her mouth with a hand. Xena widened her eyes and she was about to make her way around the wall until her wife stopped her.

"Xena, no!" she whispered. She grabbed her wife's arms and pushed her against the wall. "Don't…"

"I told her not to have sex with him!" she spits angrily. She regretted eavesdropping on this conversation.

"Shh…" Gabrielle listened to the silence while trying to keep the khanum stabilized against the wall.

Arielle licked her lips and smiled at the Persian prince. "It's not like you refused me."

"Let's get one thing straight; you came into my room and took off my clothes. I didn't do that, you did."

Xena shut her eyes and inhaled deeply. "I'm going to puke."

"This is what you get for spying. Live with the consequences, Xena," she teased.

Xerxes took his hands off the queen and stepped back. He never knew how difficult she could be and now understood why her grandmother was wishing him luck. He'd need more than luck to deal with Arielle.

"You know, Arielle, I would never hurt you and I do like you. I'm willing to be patient and wait for you. I'd never take you away from your family and I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do. Don't compare me to Bayan. I'm not like him." He bowed and sauntered off.

Arielle had heard those words before directly from Bayan's mouth but in the end, he did hurt her in the most horrible as possible. She thought that she'd be married to him forever but for whatever reason she just wasn't enough for him. Xerxes' words stung and as she watched him drift further away the heaviness in her chest lingered.

She smoothed down her sleeves and head back to the palace with her head hung and shoulders slouched.

The two eavesdroppers stepped out from behind the ivy wall with the same forlorn expressions. Their eyes followed the defeated queen's path across the gardens and sighed in unison.

Gabrielle folded her arms and leaned against the wall. "He's a sweet man but I don't think he knows what he got himself into. Arielle is a tough nut."

"Yeah," Xena remained lost in thought, "she is."

"But he gets points from us! He also hates Bayan just like you!" she lightly punched her wife's arm. She expected the punch to be returned but all she got was a blank stare and silence. "Xena?"

The brunette crookedly smiled. "We should get some rest. We're leaving soon."

XXXXXX

Kazakhstan

Cera stayed in bed for days waiting for her husband to return from hunting. The soldiers that Arielle sent over were overbearing at times but they came in handy recently. She told them to guard her yurt and not let anyone in, including Yana and Inzhu. She knew that she wasn't going to have any peace with those two around but until Mirac returned she wanted to be by herself.

She lay on her side, picking at the tassels of the large pillows beside her. She kept forgetting that she was no longer alone and had to remind herself to drink water and eat what little food that her body could handle.

Her waiting came to an end one late afternoon when Mirac walked into the yurt. She sat up in bed and he carried in his dirty clothes and boots. He wore nothing but his black pants and sandals. His hair was dripping wet which meant he probably came from the bathhouse nearby.

He smiled at her and dumped his dirty clothes into a basket beside the entrance. How oblivious you are, she thought. He knelt down and cupped her face and kissed her forehead.

"Cera, gülüm," he charmed her with his flattery. "How are you? Sorry I was gone for so long. We didn't expect to stay an extra day."

She felt her emotions whirling inside and tears welling. She forced a smile. "Did you have a good time with your brothers?" she signs while looking into his light blue eyes.

"Just the usual. Aybek loves to hunt deer but to be honest he's not very good at it," he says and sits down on the floor with his knee bent close to his chin. He traced his finger along her thin fair skinned arm. "Is something the matter? You seem distant."

Uncontrollably the tears were flowing freely and Mirac lifted his eyebrows. He scooted close to her and wiped the tears off her cheeks.

"Why are you crying? What's the matter?" his voice filled with concern. "I'll go get Yana."

She pulled on his arm and shook her head. She took a couple of moments to calm herself and he kept gawking at her with puzzled and concerned eyes. She took in a deep breath and grabbed his hand.

He furrows his eyebrows, unsure of what was happening. She placed his hand on her flat abdomen and his eyes drifted downward then up to her brown eyes several times.

"Pregnant? You're pregnant?" he says and she nods her head. His face broke out into a smile. "Really? I'm going to be a father?"

She smiles faintly and wiped her cheek.

He jumped up and laughed. Cera's smile grew, watching how excited he got. She didn't think that everyone got that reaction, certainly her brother didn't react like that nor did Bayan. At least she didn't think so.

"You've made me very happy, Cera." He sat back down and couldn't wipe the smile off his face. "Yet I see you aren't very happy. What's wrong?"

She sighed and said, "I promised my mother I'd be with her when I'd have a baby but I can't go to Pannonia again. My family lost everything and I don't know…" she covered her face and sobbed.

Mirac sat beside her and kissed her shoulder. "We'll write a letter to her. I don't know if she will want you to travel all the way to Banat knowing that Pannonia is occupied."

Her hands slid down her face and she wiped her nose then looked over at her giddy husband. She chuckled lightly and rolled her eyes.

"Hey but, my sisters will take excellent care of you, especially Yana. She'll be like a mother to you." He reassured his wife and kissed her hand.

XXXXXX

Estakhr, Persia

These cold four walls were the same thing Nousha had seen for nearly a month. She lost track of time in the dark cell she was confined to. Her mind was not focused on herself but on Xerxes. She never believed a word that came out of the Shahbanu's mouth.

From the first day she arrived in the palace she was hated by Sambice and she knew it. Kavad, a shehzade at the time, was immediately captivated by her beauty. She was his second concubine to give him a son and that child was favored among all of the princes. The day Xerxes was born was the day Sambice made her life a living hell. It seems it never stopped.

Nousha lay down on the stone floor, sleeping her life away, refusing all food. In the midst of her slumber two guards unlocked the cell door. She awoke to the men grabbing her by the arms. She frantically started pulling away and yelling.

"Let go! I am a member of the Sassanian Dynasty!" she screeched.

The guards dragged her out of the cell and Shahbanu Sambice stood in the hallway. Nousha breathed heavily and glared at the veiled woman.

"Banu Nousha," she greets with a slithery tongue. "Your confinement has come to an end."

She saw much hope in the mother of Xerxes' eyes. A pity, she thought.

"You won't ever show your face here again," she adds.

Nousha's heart sank to her stomach. "What are you saying?"

"You'll be sold in the slave market. I don't know who would pay for a woman your age but I'm sure someone will find you…amenable to their needs. You are a beauty after all," she snidely remarks and smiles beneath the black veil.

"No," she mutters. The men took her down the corridor forcefully. "No! Sambice! The Shah will wonder where I am! Sambice!"

XXXXXX

Nahavand, Persia

If there was a city where everyone in the world could travel to and trade their finest goods it would be Nahavand. Xerxes was wary of coming anywhere close to Estakhr so he completely avoided it and head straight for the nearest city to Hamadan.

He wasn't able to speak with Arielle during the journey as much as he wanted to. He felt he was being watched by the governor and khanum all the time. Each time they spoke was when they made camp twice and their conversations were brief. Being back in his homeland he felt a sense of doubt among his people.

Walking through the huge market of Nahavand, Arielle and Gabrielle were in heavy black garb. They wore veils to shield their faces with their eyes exposed. Xena and Xerxes wore black garb and Xena was glad to be back wearing pants and capes instead of the dresses she wore as khanum. Although, she hadn't ever posed as a male before and had to shield her face with a scarf as did the shehzade. He didn't want to risk exposing himself to his people.

Xerxes lead the way through the busy streets, careful to avoid bumping into others. He felt someone scrape his arm and he whipped his head. Xena walked close to him and leaned in.

"How far is Hamadan from here?"

"A couple of hours walk but we need to find a place to stay. It's best to raid the Karens' home at night," he whispered.

She nods and looks over her shoulder at the two veiled women walking behind. She chuckled at Arielle who was very angry she was dressed the way she was, but it was necessary and all part of Xerxes' plan. She couldn't forget that conversation that she and Gabrielle overheard and apparently neither could Arielle. The queen was silent the whole way to Persia.

They pushed their way through the crowd and walked by a slave market. Xerxes glanced at all of the women on dais. They were each being represented by the slaver. He turned his cheek and kept on walking until he saw a familiar face out of the corner of his eye.

He halted and Xena bumped into him. He gawked in horror staring at the fair skinned woman with long straight brown hair.

Gabrielle walked ahead and tapped her wife's shoulder. "Why did we stop?"

"I don't know. Xerxes what are you looking at?" she asks and he was unresponsive.

"My…my mother."

Gabrielle lifted her head at the row of slave women on dais. They were in poor clothing, dirty from head to toe and shackled by their ankles, barefoot and some looked to keel over at any second.

The slaver brought Nousha to the front to be bid on by the surrounding men. Xerxes made his way through, pushing and shoving everyone in his path. He ran up the steps to dais and glared at the slaver.

"Don't you touch her!" he yelled.

"You can't be up here, Bey, unless you're going to pay for this woman," the slaver says with a laugh.

Xerxes whipped out his sword, heart racing and ready to strike at any second. He grabbed his mother's arm and brought her close to his chest.

"I won't be paying anything," he says firmly. "You have plenty of young women to spare. What's it to you to lose just one? Unless…you want to lose both of your hands," he threatened.

The slaver bowed and backed away. He snapped his fingers and a couple of the Persian soldiers unlocked the shackles around Nousha's ankles. Xerxes glared at the slave merchant and grabbed his mother by the waist and helped guide her down the stairs.

He marched off, leaving his Hun entourage behind. Xena, Gabrielle and Arielle hurried to follow him, pushing through the sea of men. The five of them stopped in the middle of an alley in between two large buildings.

Xerxes unhooked the wine skin filled with water and set his mother on the ground. He knelt in front of her and tried to offer her water but she slapped his hand away. He took the scarf off his face and smiled.

"Maman, minum Xerxes," he said to her.

Nousha lifted her head and touched his face. "Xerxes…" she leapt forward and wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed against his shoulder. "I was so worried about you. They said horrible things about you! They said you betrayed the Shah and sided with the Huns."

She pulled away and noticed three pairs of eyes staring at her and frowned at them. Xerxes sighed and kissed his mother's filthy hands.

"Mother, these are women from Pannonia. Queen Arielle, Xena Khanum and Governor Gabrielle. They've allowed me to stay with them."

Gabrielle lifted the veil over her head and smiled at the Persian woman. "This will complicate things for us but we're glad to meet you."

Nousha stood up slowly with the aid of her son. "You are…Hun women?" her tone dripping with malice. "This is your fault! It's your fault I was locked away for a month or for god knows how long! I was stripped of everything!"

"Mother!" he snapped. "This isn't their fault! Stop yelling, you're drawing attention to us!" he hissed and wrapped his arms around her petite frame.

People passing by looked their way and Xena shielded her face and glared at Xerxes. "Would you shut her up? We need to get out of this area."

They continued to walk down the alleyway away from the crowds. Xerxes had a hand over his mother's mouth while forcing her to keep up with everyone's pace. They exited the alleyway and came to a circle of armed Persian soldiers.

"Fuck," Arielle said. She took the veil off her face and drew her sword.

A man with a hooded cloak approached the circle and Xerxes eyed the mysterious man. He flipped the hood off his slick raven hair and folded his arms, smiling at the prince.

"Shehzade Xerxes. Welcome back to Persia."

"Tegin Irkin. Nahavand isn't your jurisdiction. What are you doing here?"

Tegin scoffed and looked at the women surrounding the prince. "The rumors are true then? You've betrayed the Shah and allied with the Huns to overthrow your father?"

"What? No!"

"Then I'm sure you'll have no problem explaining yourself to the Shah."

Arielle drove her sword into one of the Persians which sparked the others to attack. Gabrielle reacted quickly and grabbed Nousha's hand and ran down the alleyway to take cover for safety. Xena was forced to draw her sword and swung across, slicing a Persian's throat.

She stood with her back against her granddaughter's and bit her inner cheek. "Are you trying to get us killed?!"

"I don't want any lectures from you right now, grandma."

Tegin Irkin backed away and hopped onto a horse. He looked at Xerxes one last time and rode off by himself. The prince growled and kicked a soldier to the ground and unsheathed his sword. The three fought off the twenty men. When the last soldier was thrown to the ground the three looked at each other and then Xena and Xerxes glared at Arielle.

"Where's Gabrielle?" the khanum whipped her head around frantically.

"She went this way!" Arielle waved her hand and ran in that direction with the two following them.

A Persian lifted himself off the ground and took a dagger out from his belt. Blood dripped from his mouth and he threw the dagger with poor aim. He heaved and then collapsed back onto the ground.

Arielle gasped as the dagger plunged into her back. Her mouth gaped and she halted in mid-step. Xerxes and Xena looked over their shoulder and saw the young queen fall to her knees, dropping her sword, landing with a loud clank.

Xena's eyes widened and as if watching in slow motion, Arielle fell to the ground. She saw the blade sticking out of her back. She stood motionless and Xerxes brushed by her, bumping her shoulder roughly.

The shehzade dropped to his knees and pulled the dagger out of Arielle's back and lifted her off the ground. He flipped her body over and brushed his hand against her cheek. He scooped her limp body into his arms and stood slowly. He walked forward, leaving the bloodied blade behind.

He stared at the khanum as he walked by and kept his focus and attention forward. Xena stared at the dagger lain on the ground.

Blood. That couldn't be real, she thought. Her granddaughter's blood on that dagger.

XXXXXX

Banat

Anastasia sat on a stool in her room, brushing her hair. Ursula helped as much as she could when it came to medicine and getting around the palace but brushing her hair was the one thing that Ana liked to do by herself.

She ran the boar bristles through her locks and then the brush was taken out of her hand. She spun around and narrowed her eyes at the blurry figure and smirked.

"Navaz, what are you doing in my room?" she asks coyly.

He grabbed a handful of her thick straight hair and ran the bristles through it gently. "I remember when I said you have hair like an Arabian horse and it's still true," he mused. "Although…your hair touches the floor now. It seems even when you sit idly you mark your presence everywhere," he jokes.

She rolled her eyes. "You and your charming compliments. But really, what are you doing here?" she turned and grabbed his wrist. "You don't have to stay. You've been here for a month."

"I wanted to spend more time with Aurora," he tries to cover himself.

"Navaz." She lifted an eyebrow. He sat down on her bed and she swiveled on the stool to face him. "You've always been a bad liar. I don't need you here to be with me."

"Who's lying now?" he spat back at her and her cheeks flushed in color. "I think you want me to stay. You haven't asked me to leave this entire time. Why can't you just accept the fact that I care about you and I always will?"

Anastasia rubbed her throat and turned away.

"Ellac is dead, Ana," he says flatly. "He's been gone for five years. You don't have to feel guilty anymore. I promised him that I'd take care of you."

She frowned. "I never asked for that!"

He stood, towering over her and she stood from the stool. Blue eyes met with brown and they stared into one another's eyes for more than a few moments too long. He titled her chin upward and kissed her on the lips gently.

Inhaling breathily she closed her eyes for a brief moment and when she opened her eyes again, he was still there, staring at her. She closed the space between them and traced her hands up his broad shoulders and rested the palms of her hands on the nape of his neck.

He smiled and touched foreheads with her. Anastasia's cheeks radiated and she moved in closer and felt the warmth of his lips against hers.

Ku entered the room and caught the two in the middle of a very heated kissing session. She cleared her throat and knocked on the wall. Ana pulled away and turned her back to the maid and wiped her lips. Navaz smiled and Ku stood with wide eyes.

"Yes?"

"Um. I have a letter from Cera," she informs them and walks over to the king to hand over the letter. "Ursula is busy with Yeter so she told me to deliver the letter…"

Navaz nodded and gawked at the maid, waiting for her to leave. "Thank you. You may leave now," he says nicely.

Ku backed away slowly; eyeing the queen's backside then left the room, closing the doors behind her. Navaz chuckled and Anastasia buried her face in her hands. He opened the letter and read the gist of it out loud.

"Cera says that she's glad everyone is safe in Banat and wishes she could be here with the family," he began.

"That was so embarrassing," she mutters.

He continued, "and she wants to let you know that she…" he paused.

Ana spun around, fearing the worst. "She what? Navaz!" she slapped his arm.

"That she's pregnant."

Her face lit up like a thousand suns. "Is that what she really said? Did you misread it?"

"That's what she said."

She clamped her hands together and began pacing around in a circle. "I want her with me," she immediately says.

"But I don't know if that's such a good idea with Eksama and all…" he advised.

"Then I will go to her," she decided. "And you're going to take me." She grabbed her veil off the vanity and marched towards the doors.

"Anastasia!" he tossed the letter on the bed and chased after her.

XXXXXX

Nahavand, Persia

Xerxes found a small building on the outskirts of the trading city. An elderly man owned an apothecary shop and he was kind enough to allow them inside his business and home. He had no clue that the man he allowed entry was in fact a member of the Sassanian Dynasty nor did he know that his guests were Huns.

Arielle was sprawled on a bed in the back of the shop and her clothes were removed, exposing all of her tatted flesh. Xerxes stood over the man and watched him treat the wound. Nousha stood off to the side and observed the way her son was acting and crinkled her face in a bit of disgust.

He turned to her and rubbed his beard. He gave her a menacing frown and then sat down to continue watching the man treat the Hun Queen.

Gabrielle walked over to her wife who sat in a chair on the far side of the room. She sat down beside her and offered her some water which Xena refused.

"She'll be alright," she offers some comforting and encouraging words.

"I gave her the role as commander," she says softly. "But I never thought she'd get injured. I thought she would remain untouchable. Silly, isn't it?"

Gabrielle half smiled. "It's not silly. I've seen you with far worse wounds and you pulled through. There's no reason to think she won't."

Xena sighed and picked at the leather vest she wore. "You remember when I told Ana that I didn't want to go to China?" she asks and her wife gives her a silent nod with her green eyes. "I did want to go. I wanted to make sure that nothing happened to her –that she wouldn't get hurt or killed."

"If you're going to start blaming yourself for this I don't think I can –"

"Gabrielle," she raises a hand. "I don't blame myself."

The blonde bit her bottom lip and glanced over at Xerxes hovering over Arielle.

"I was just reminded that it doesn't matter if I'm with her or not. I was standing right there and I couldn't do anything. I actually stood there and watched her fall," she smiles faintly. "I was in shock. I didn't believe what my eyes witnessed. I just stood there."

Gabrielle slid her hand down her wife's thigh and gripped her knee. "We always want to take the blame, the hurt and the anguish away from those that we love. Arielle is not invincible and neither am I, and neither are…you."

She kissed her wife's hand and Xena looked down at her with watery eyes.

"Sometimes I forget that we don't live forever. Why do I always have to remind myself to love those around me when they are ill or hurt?"

Gabrielle sighed. "Maybe because you're reminded of our mortality."

The shop keeper pulled a wool blanket over Arielle's exposed back and looked up at Xerxes. "She'll need to rest here for awhile."

"But we can't stay here."

"Bey, her wound is very serious. She shouldn't be moved under any circumstances. You're all welcome to stay here for as long as you need. Come get me if she sparks with fever." He washed his hands and hobbled out of the room.

Nousha grabbed her son's arm. "You love her."

He grimaced and refused to look her in the eye.

"She is a Hun! A Hun Queen!"

"Mother!" he gripped her shoulders firmly. His nostrils flared.

He collected himself and took a step back, forcing himself to steer clear of her in case he was to lash out. He walked off and sat on the other side of the room and folded his arms.