Warning: This chapter touches on a rather sensitive subject. This is a pretty heavy chapter.
Chapter 31 –The Shah: Part I
Cera stirred awake in a pool of her own sweat. She moaned softly and a couple of maids dabbed her neck and forehead. Barely able to get a hold of her senses she shifted in the bed and there her mother was sitting beside the bed, sleeping sitting upright. She reached over and grabbed her mother's hand.
Anastasia jumped and smiled at her daughter's touch. She returned the firm grip and caressed the princess' face, tears swelling in her eyes. Cera arched an eyebrow at her mother's distress then felt a stabbing pain in her lower abdomen.
She placed a hand over her semi-flat stomach and she panicked. She ripped the sheets off her body and her fingers grazed the gown, drenched in sweat and blood. Breathing heavily, she started to hyperventilate.
Ana heard her daughter's hard breaths and moved to sit on the bed. She wrapped her arms around her daughter and squeezed tightly as she felt some resistance.
"Cera," she held her squirming daughter. "Cera, tatli kiz," she tried to calm her and the princess wailed, tears streaming down her cheeks. She kissed Cera's temple and struggled to keep her close.
She dug her fingernails into her mother's arms and tried to push her away, hitting her chest and shoulders repeatedly.
Ana grunted and her cheek was hit by Cera's elbow. "Yana!"
The chieftess ran into the room and witnessed the princess swinging her arms, kicking her legs and drenched in tears.
"Sedate her!" she ordered before getting whacked in the mouth.
"Khatun!" Yana ran to aid her and Anastasia put a hand over her bloody lip and stood up, shaking her head.
"Take care of her first," she mumbled and walked off, wiping the blood with the backside of her hand she cursed quietly.
XXXXXX
Anastasia left the room and closed the door, leaning her back against it. She exhaled shakily and hated to see her daughter that way and not being able to completely see her reaction was probably a blessing in disguise. After spending over a day in that room was torture enough and she knew that once Cera woke up that all hell was going to break loose. She never knew that thin girl had such strength.
Gaining her composure she wiped her teary eyes and proceeded down the hall. Mirac met her halfway and she halted. She didn't have to see to know who it was that stood before her.
"Khatun," he greeted, looking over her shoulder at the bedroom Cera was in. "How is she? I haven't heard anything. I stayed up all night."
How could she tell her daughter's husband that he was no longer going to be a father? The news was going to crush him and perhaps he might go into a rage much like Cera just did. She didn't know how he was going to react and took a step back, evading a situation she hated to address.
"Mirac," she sighs heavily, "I'm very sorry," her voice cracked and she rubbed her throat. "We tried everything."
He got the gist of what she was saying and she was trying to be vague but he knew. He knew exactly what she was talking about. His head hung and he felt heaviness in his chest upon hearing the news. At this point he was more focused on his wife.
He sniffled and raised his chin. "Cera? Is she okay?"
Ana smiled weakly. "Yes. Your sister is in there with her."
"May I go see her?"
"Of course." She gripped his shoulder and went on her way down the dark hallway.
XXXXXX
Navaz quietly entered the queen's chambers and found Ana curled up on the bed. He knew he'd find her here as she liked to seclude herself in order to hide her feelings and emotions. He imagined that she'd shed enough tears since this morning but not enough to disturb the maids, Cera and Yana. As she aged, she slowly turned into her mother and built a shield around her at all times.
He was not known to convey his emotional distress in front of his subjects or family. It was probably why he and Anastasia fought so much when they were married. He guarded his feelings carefully and he also had his overbearing mother over him for so long. She was in charge of Balaam until he was old enough to take the crown. He knew that his mother put a strain on his marriage with Anastasia and later, Fairuza.
The king approached the bed and climbed over the thick wool blanket and Ana quickly wiped her eyes. He draped his arm over her and encircled her slender waist into his large arm.
"I…didn't hear you come in," she said softly.
His nestled his chin in her hair and kissed her cheek. "You don't need to hide from me, Anastasia."
She laced her fingers in his and shakily exhaled to calm her nerves. She spooned her body against his and toyed with his thumb as she kept replaying the event from last night in her head over and over. And this morning, she didn't expect Cera to react silently but she was surprised at her daughter's rage that overcame her.
"What was it?" he whispered.
She faltered, "What?"
"The baby. What was it?"
She swallowed the lump in her throat. "A girl."
He gave her hand a firm squeeze and kissed the top of her head. She nestled in his hold and kept picking at his fingers to ease her nerves. He didn't pull away and instead laid his head on the pillow, staring up at the ceiling in silence. Somehow, he didn't know what to say in this situation or if he should say anything at all.
"I didn't think I'd have to go through this again," she admitted.
Navaz cinched his thick eyebrows and lifted off the pillows. "What do you mean again?"
Her inner cheeks went sour and paled as she realized she spilled too much information. She gripped his hand tightly and tried to ignore the stare from behind.
"Nothing."
He rolled her onto her back and stared into her pastel eyes. "Tell me, Ana."
"There's…there's no point in bringing it up. It was a long time ago."
He didn't so much as bat an eye as he kept the staring contest going. It was apparent to her that he was not going to stop or release her until she spoke of the truth she swore to keep a secret.
"Arielle," she began, looking up into his dark eyes, "was…carrying a child before Aurora. She –she got rid of it and I found out…after the fact."
Navaz raised his eyebrows and snarled. "Why didn't you tell me?" his voice calm yet stern. The anger boiling inside him was on the surface of erupting.
"I promised her I wouldn't tell anyone but I told my mother and Kreka knew and so did Ursula. They knew before I did! Navaz, don't be angry. That was over five years ago."
He shut his eyes and breathed deeply through his nostrils. "You told your mother but not me?"
"Navaz…"
"I really hate that man," he thought of his hands wrapped around Bayan's neck. He decided not to displace his anger unto her and smiled, kissing her hand. "Shall I send a letter to your mother about Cera?"
Anastasia nodded, surprised at his sudden change of mood.
XXXXXX
"Be careful!" Xena griped while her shoulder was being wrapped by Gabrielle.
Annoyed at the fact that her wife still couldn't sit still for a simple bandage-wrapping session, she pulled the gauze tightly only to annoy her further. She got a mean look, knowing what was to follow –a slap or a punch. She did remind Xena several times of all the occasions when she was hit by her playfully and otherwise. Now that she was keeping track, she noticed that Xena held in the urge to smack her because there was definitely going to be some retaliation after the wound healed.
She tied a knot on the back of Xena's shoulder and bit the remainder of the gauze off with her teeth. She dug her fingers into her wife's dark hair and playfully ruffled her locks. She was going to enjoy annoying her until her shoulder was mobile again.
"Next time, leave the battlefield to Arielle. I would appreciate it if you stopped hurting yourself otherwise we're going to have another session like this one."
Xena mocked her wife, muttering words under her breath. She rubbed her dull achy shoulder and sat back against a mound of pillows against the wall.
"I don't want Arielle to get injured."
Gabrielle scoffed. "So you would rather injure yourself? Great plan, Xena. You're too…" she trailed off as her spouse turned her head slowly with a cynical gaze.
"You were about to say old, weren't you?"
Gabrielle cheekily grinned. "No…I wouldn't dare."
She raised her hand, ready to smack her until she thought of the tallies Gabrielle had been keeping for months. She retracted the hand and instead lightly punched the wall behind her to satiate her desire to hit something rather than someone.
Picking at the food leisurely, Xena picked off a handful of grapes from the vines and popped three into her mouth. She eyed Gabrielle and a devious smile formed with her mouth full. She threw one grape at the governor's face and it bounced off her nose. If she couldn't hit her at least she had some ammunition at her disposal.
Gabrielle huffed and picked the grape out of her rice and set it aside, glaring at her wife. "Really? We're going to resort to this kind of behavior?"
Xena shrugged her shoulder and slowly chewed the grapes then threw another one, hitting the governor in the middle of her eyes. She cackled and ducked down as soon as Gabrielle sent three grapes flying her way in retaliation. She hid her face behind a pillow.
Advisor Kuba entered the living area and paused at a sight of grapes being thrown back and forth between the two women. He cleared his throat and they stopped their little game. Gabrielle set down the spoon filled with rice, ready to fling at Xena and reddened in the face from embarrassment.
Xena chuckled and cautiously lowered the pillow. "Good afternoon, Kuba," she greeted and took notice of the letter in his hand. "Arielle is in the gardens practicing archery with Aurora if you're looking for her."
"Thank you for letting me know khanum, but this letter is for you." He stepped closer and presented said letter. "It's from Anastasia Khatun."
"Ana?" her eyes widened with delight and snatched the letter from his hand.
Reading the letter she expected some joyful news from her daughter but instead she read the most horrible news. As her eyes scanned through the words, her smile dissipated and turned into an apparent frown, causing Gabrielle alarm. Puckering her brows, tears swelled once she finished reading the dreadful letter. She held the parchment in her lap and gaped at the far wall, speechless.
Gabrielle nodded to Kuba so he could leave. He took his cue and retreated from the living area. She brushed the bread dust off her palms and expected a verbal reaction from her wife. Silence was never a good sign. Surely Anastasia's letter couldn't be about Xerxes since she didn't think Xena would shed a tear over any Persian even if she took a liking to the prince.
"What did Ana say?" she asked.
Xena passed the letter over in silence and Gabrielle carefully took it from her hand. She began reading silently to herself. Now she understood why the khanum was so silent. She covered her mouth and read the letter more than twice to make sure what she read was indeed true.
Arielle and Aurora came in, talking loudly, or more like Aurora was doing most of the talking. Her animated voice and whooshing sounds coming from her mouth, alarmed the women. Xena wiped her eyes and smiled at the princess who came rushing towards her.
"Did you have a good lesson?" Xena asked, holding Aurora settled in her lap.
The princess nodded. "Yeah! Prince Xerxes promised to help me make a bow. Mommy said he's in Balaam. Can we go there soon? I want to see my horse too and Soran, and grandma khatun," she went over the list of people, counting on her fingers. "And Teyze Cera, Mirac, grandpa…" she trailed off. "Am I forgetting anyone?"
Xena faintly grinned and kissed the girl's forehead. Meanwhile, Gabrielle was sulking at the table, holding the letter in her hands. She eyed her and caught Aurora staring into her teary eyes. She ignored her inner feelings and pinched the girl's tiny waist, causing Aurora to giggle and squirm.
Arielle scrunched her face and noticed some odd behavior coming from both her mentors. "Aurora and I decided on the perfect gift for Cera. I'm going to have a mahogany cradle embedded with pearls made for her. What do you think?"
The women shared a forlorn look and lifted their chins to Arielle. It was the silence that bothered the empress the most. Gabrielle stood from the floor and passed on the letter to Arielle.
"A letter from mother?" she rejoiced. She wasn't as skilful at hiding her emotions and not even halfway through reading the letter she broke out into tears. Frantically, she dug her nails into her hair and crumpled the letter and threw it into the lit fireplace.
Xena raised an eyebrow. It was expected to see Arielle's reaction to be far worse than her own but she didn't expect anything like that. When it came to Arielle's emotions she went all the way, exuding overly passionate reactions to almost anything when something didn't go her way or upset her.
She stormed out of the room and pushed the doors open. Gabrielle and Xena sat, listening to the boots march up the stone staircase.
"What do you think she's going to do?" asked Gabrielle.
"I hope not break everything in her room," mumbled Xena and wrapped an arm around the concerned princess.
Aurora toyed with the khanum's long hair and wrapped a large portion of it around her cheeks, framing her face. "Why's she so upset?" she asked the women.
Gabrielle sat down in front of the princess and thought of the best way to explain this. She knew that Xena wasn't going to be very good at this type of conversation. It became customary for her to speak to all the children during hard times and difficult situations. She didn't mind and it would've been too hard of a task for Xena to explain to the child as tears were already forming in those blue eyes of hers.
"Your grandmother sent a letter about Cera," she said.
Aurora beamed. "Teyze Cera?!"
"That's right." Her eyes drifted over to Xena who turned her cheek, hiding her welled eyes. "So…your aunt isn't going to have a baby anymore."
The girl contorted her face in confusion. "Why not?"
"Ah, because…the baby decided not to come. It changed its mind," she put it as lightly as she could and Aurora nodded, seeming to understand.
"Why did it change its mind?"
Gabrielle smiled. "I'm not sure. Do you understand what I'm saying, Aurora?"
The princess bobbed her head. "So, Teyze Cera will be sad now? Because the baby isn't coming anymore, right?"
"Right." She inhaled deeply and eyed Xena who smiled softly at the girl's comprehension.
Arielle reappeared in a completely different outfit with Ku chasing after her. She threw her cloak on and adjusted the rabbit fur collar, marching towards the doors. A wave of her hand signaled the guards to open the doors for her as she had no intention of stopping for anybody.
Xena picked up Aurora and set her on the pillow. "Arielle!" she stood up steadily and winced at her shoulder. "Where are you going?"
The empress halted and spun around. "I'm going to see my sister. She needs me. She was there for me so I am going to be there for her."
Gabrielle gently slapped her wife's injured arm repeatedly and whispered, "Xerxes!" the urgency in her voice apparent and Xena briskly walked over to her granddaughter and pulled back with a hard yank of the arm.
"Arielle, let us come with you," she offered. "I'm sure…" she looked back at Gabrielle who was panicking slightly. "I'm sure Aurora would love to see everyone. Your mother misses her. It might cheer her up."
Arielle frowned and peered over at her smiling daughter. "You can come but I'm leaving now. I'm not going to wait for you." She stalked off. "Ku!"
The Assyrian ran ahead, barely able to keep up. While keeping stride with Arielle she went over the necessities that were needed such as clothing. She didn't even have a moment's notice to pack anything other than the coat on her back.
"Xena!" the governor hissed. "What are we going to do when she finds out Xerxes is on his death bed?" she grabbed hold of her wife's arms and shook her. "She's going to go into a rage and blame us for lying!"
"Wouldn't be the first time," Xena murmured and then recognized the severity of the situation at hand. "We'll figure it out when we get there." She turned to the princess. "Aurora! Come on, we're going to Balaam."
Aurora got up quickly and raced over to the women. She wedged herself in between them and grabbed hold of their hands, marching towards the doors eagerly. She started rambling about her horse that she missed so much. She swung their arms as they descended down the stairs outside together. She named all of the things she wanted to do when she arrived in Balaam. It started with a couple of events and then progressed to five, seven and ten as she kept babbling.
XXXXXX
Since the invasion against the Huns, Kawus' army was thwarted by his two younger brothers arriving to help the Huns. He was forcefully taken back to Estakhr, Persia and imprisoned in the large Sassanian palace. He counted each day he was left in the cell and thought what he was going to do when he was released. Arrogantly, he knew that his father couldn't keep him locked away forever, although he had several disadvantages at the moment.
The Karens now sided with the White Huns and were considered allies. Despite their loyalty to Kawus, their ties were broken once Navaz forced Sukhra Karen to sign a marriage alliance treaty between the two Houses. He might've lost the House of Karen but there were five other royal Houses that could help him out of this bind.
He sat on the stone bench, throwing rocks at the wall to pass the time by. At the other end of the hallway he heard a door open and footsteps coming his way. He tossed the tiny pebbles aside and stood to the sight of his younger brothers, Khosrow and Jamasp standing on the opposite side of the bars.
"I see what side you stand on now," Kawus addressed his siblings.
Khosrow smoothed down his long dark hair and shook his head. "Release him," he ordered the guards.
Kawus stood with massive confusion written all over his face. The door was let open and two guards grabbed his arms, forcing him out of the cell. His wrists were then shackled and he smiled. What he thought was too good to be true, turned out to be right. He was being betrayed by not one brother, but all three.
"Am I going to be strangled to death?" he asked, chuckling lightly.
Jamasp pushed his elder brother forward. "We're taking you to father's throne chamber."
"Are you really going to feed your brother to the wolves?" Kawus growled, glaring at his brothers who walked on either side of him. "I'm the oldest brother! It is my right to have the crown," he spat in their faces.
XXXXXX
Shah Kavad, along with his entire council and politicians represented from each House in Persia were present. His glared at his son with disappointment. So far his reign as ruler of Persia had been chaotic and he began to reprimand his son for not only betraying the entire empire but attacking the Huns who were now fully fledged allies of the entire Persian state.
While he rudely scolded his son in front of his court, Jamasp looked at the soldiers posted at every corner of the room. He gave them affirmative head nods to enclose his father. The soldiers crept up behind the Shah, armed with spears and swords. Jamasp casually walked around, pretending to pace to calm his nerves, and brushed a finger against his nose, directing the signal to the councilmen.
Jamasp sauntered over to his brother, Khosrow, who stood behind Kawus, knelt on the floor, receiving a brutal verbal beat down from their father. Kawus lifted his head and noticed the councilmen retreating from their huddled circle and soldiers closing in on the Shah.
Shah Kavad stepped off his throne dais and stood a foot away from his son, looming over him. Oblivious to the soldiers around him he looked to his left and swords were pointed at him. His head darted to the right and more weapons inched closer and closer to him.
"I order you all to stand down!" Kavad yelled at the soldiers.
Jamasp stepped forward and folded his arms. "They don't obey your orders, father. They are Xerxes' soldiers who now belong to me."
The Shah's blood boiled beneath his skin and he was about to lash out at his second heir to the throne until one soldier put him in a choke hold from behind. A sword was held to his throat and he breathed heavily.
"Jamasp, what are you doing?!"
"The Houses of Persia have expressed their concerns of the changes you made to our empire. This includes the recent alliance with the Huns, the reforms you've made to our religious doctrine and shunning the noble House of Ispahbudhan from participating in your court."
Shah Kavad's jaw dropped and then he was coiled in a leather rope by a soldier, constricting him and thus preventing him from getting out of this political and physical bind. He growled and was restrained by a cloth being stuffed in his mouth.
Jamasp walked up to his father, standing at equal height. "I'm imprisoning you to Anosbord where you will serve your sentence and the rest of your reign in solitude with the other traitorous politicians and clergymen."
He watched as his father was taken out of the throne chamber and turned to his elder brother. He nodded to the guards to release Kawus from his shackles. He grabbed Kawus by the collar and rammed him into a nearby wall.
"You're scum," he hissed. "You tried to dethrone father without any concrete evidence. I have the evidence and he is going to be imprisoned for life!" he spat in Kawus' face.
Kawus shoved his little brother and wiped the saliva out of his eyes. "What will you do now, brother? Are you going to be the new Shah? I'm the oldest."
"So you keep reminding everyone!" Jamasp sneered. "The crown is mine, brother. I'm appointing you as Governor of Tabaristan. You will obey all my orders and do as I say. God help us all if you decide to join a religious revolt like father then you shall see yourself rotting in Anosbord as well."
He sat on his father's throne and ran his palms down the heavy gold plated armrests. He eyed his brothers and all the councilmen who were now at his service.
"I want Sukhra Karen brought to me."
XXXXXX
Upon arrival Arielle didn't bother to greet her parents and headed straight for the room where Cera stayed in. she wasn't greeted at the door by both her parents, only her father, who she adored. She was always given a warm welcome from him but this time, her mind was focused on her little sister.
Aurora had an inclination of what happened to her aunt but didn't fully understand what happened and she wasn't going to question it as she was too excited to her grandfather. She was immediately scooped up into Navaz's arms and she nestled her head into his chest.
Navaz searched the wander in Xena's eyes and knew exactly what she was thinking. She wasn't physically here and by the looks of her sunken eyes and pale skin, he knew she probably had taken the news worse than her own daughter did more than a week ago.
"She's in her bedroom," he read her mind.
Xena looked to him then with a tight reassuring squeeze of her hand from Gabrielle, she smiled. She left and walked through the foyer in search of her daughter to console. Now, Gabrielle was left in the foyer alone with Navaz and Aurora. She gave a warm smile to the king and pinched the princess' cheek.
"Why don't we go see Soran? I think he'll be very pleased to see you," Navaz suggested to his granddaughter.
Aurora nodded. "I missed him! Can he take me riding sometime? Is my horse still here?"
"Of course, princess," he strolled through the halls with Gabrielle by his side. "You'll finally get to meet Soran's wife."
"Soran got married?!" the princess gasped. "Wow, I missed everything…"
XXXXXX
Just what she thought; Anastasia was hiding and secluding herself from everyone in the household. By the array of clothes sprawled across the chairs and couches she deduced that Ana hadn't left this room in a long while. There was a tray of food on a table. None of it was touched or even picked at. She tiptoed close to the bed where her daughter laid beneath the blankets, sobbing.
She wondered how many days her daughter had shed tears only to be left alone, refusing any physical touch by anyone, even Navaz. She sat on the edge of the bed and Anastasia curled her legs to her chest, wiping her nose with a cloth.
"I don't want the food. You can take it away," she said just above a whisper.
She thinks I'm a maid, Xena inwardly chuckled. A gentle hand caressed her daughter's hip and Ana lifted onto her elbows, narrowing her eyes to get a clearer look at who invaded her personal space.
"You always liked to be alone when you're upset."
"Mother?" the khatun sprung forth and embraced her mother tightly. She buried her face into her mother's hair, tears flowing freely.
Xena released a warm smile and wrapped a hand around her daughter's silken hair. She felt her daughter trembling in her hold and closed her eyes, exhaling deeply. Though she was not one to show emotions, she learned that she passed that down to Anastasia in a way. It wasn't right.
"Anastasia," she pried her daughter off her and wiped the tears with her thumbs. "How long have you been in here?"
The khatun's breaths shortened and her shoulders slumped. "I…I," she was on the verge of weeping again and her mother put a finger to her mouth.
"Alright, okay," Xena tried a different approach. "Have you spoken to Cera at all or are you going to lock yourself in this room for an eternity?"
Ana frowned. "Mother! I was with her the entire time. You weren't there! It was horrible…it was…" she sighed and wiped her wet cheeks. "She was so small," she held out her palms, as if to remember holding the child. "She fit in my palms perfectly."
Xena pinched the bridge of her nose, slightly disturbed by the details she didn't wish to hear. Hearing the news and coming here was dreadful enough. Nervously, she scratched her scalp and wasn't sure what to say. She thought Anastasia might feel the same way and that was the reason for her seclusion.
"It was a girl?" she asked and her daughter nodded. "Ana, you need to talk to your daughter. Cera's been through a lot for someone her age. She's probably feeling very alone right now and you're not helping by sitting in bed, wasting away…," she lifted her daughter's thin arm.
"What…what am I supposed to say? I don't know what to say!"
Xena cupped her daughter's cheek. "Sometimes you don't have to say anything."
XXXXXX
In the bedroom, Cera lay on her side, staring at the wall. She refused to communicate with Mirac and Yana even though they were most helpful. Mirac sat beside the bed, watching her and giving her anything she wanted. He tried his best to help her but he felt helpless in a situation such as this. No matter what he said it didn't seem to make a difference. He was just as distraught as she was but it was hard to convey that to her when she wouldn't speak to him.
He continued his daily ritual of sitting by the bed as she stared at the wall in silence, refusing to move. He lifted his head and saw Arielle in the doorway. He stood up and turned his attention to Cera who sighed heavily and was in her own little world, not caring who entered the room at all.
Mirac left his wife's side and bowed to Arielle as he slipped out with the maids following. Arielle waited in the doorway for a few minutes before walking over to greet her sister. A silent prayer crossed her mind and she almost forced herself to approach the bed.
"Little sister…" she waved a hand over the princess' view.
Cera's daze broke and she sat up, gaping at her sister. Arielle smiled with underlying hint of grief and took a seat on the bed. Cera broke into a fit of tears and hugged her sister tightly.
"I'm sorry, Cera. I know you were looking forward to that child," she said and heard her sister's soft sobs. "But you're still a mother," she pulled her sister back and smiled. "Nobody loved that baby more than you!" she jabbed her finger in her sister's chest.
Cera faintly grinned for the first time in a week. "I…don't understand what I did wrong?" she slowly signed with her weak hands.
Arielle lowered her head and grabbed her sister's hands. "You did nothing wrong. This isn't your fault. It's not anyone's fault."
The younger sister nodded, although she felt like losing her child was somewhat her fault. She heard Mirac tell her relentlessly that she had no fault in the matter but it was hard not to put the blame on herself.
"Don't worry; the gods will bless you with another baby in the future!" Arielle tried to cheer up her sorrowful sister. "Any child would be lucky to have you as a mother. Hell, I might give you my daughter. She's become quite the talker these days," she jests and finally got a giggle out of her sister.
"No, seriously, do you want her? You can have her."
Cera rolled her eyes at her sister's attempt to be humorous but it did cause a muffled laugh which brought a smile to Arielle's lips.
XXXXXX
Dinner was brought to everyone's respected rooms and all Xena could do was stare at the food. She had no appetite whatsoever and decided to spend the rest of the early evening in bed. Traveling all the way to Balaam wasn't very taxing on her body but with the recent events she felt herself drained and exhausted.
She lay, staring up at the wooden beams above her. She felt the bed shift and Gabrielle crawled up next to her, taking awhile to get situated, she cuddled underneath the warm blankets. Xena kept rubbing her fingers together to distract herself from today. She wanted today to be over with but it would never end.
Gabrielle looked over at silent partner and rubbed her lips together, thinking of making light conversation to ease the tension in the room. She hated for Xena to go to sleep with a wandering mind and uneasy thoughts. That only led to restlessness which was never good for a person like Xena.
"I think Aurora has taken a liking to Pamira. They spent the entire afternoon together," she relayed and her wife hummed softly.
Her fingers gently glided along the dark gown Xena wore. Swirling her finger around the silk fabric she sighed heavily. Normally she was the talkative one out of the pair but she didn't know what to say or if she should say anything at all.
"Anastasia and Arielle are asleep in Cera's bed."
Xena blinked, not acknowledging anything her wife said beside her.
Her fingers trailed upward to Xena's neck and then to her injured shoulder, careful of her gentle touch. She laid her head against her chest, soothed by the low rhythm of a heartbeat.
"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, hoping for an answer this time instead of agonizing silence.
A long moment passed until a heavy exhale escaped the khanum's lips.
"The baby was a girl. Ana told me."
Gabrielle lifted her head and finally their eyes met. "A princess." She rests her head back down on her wife's chest. "Kreka would've been so jealous!"
Xena cracked a smile. "Yes, she would've been." She brought her hand to rest beneath her mass of hair on the pillow. "You shouldn't mention the dragon lady before bed, Gabrielle. She might invade my dreams again."
Gabrielle chortled at the light hearted response. "Are you…tired?"
With a heavy sigh, she answered, "No."
XXXXXX
Awoken early in the morning by General Zolten, Xena was called to the courtyard in front of the Adame. Sleep did not come to her last night and she had to work with what little sleep she had. After she dressed in her black robes, pants and boots, she swiftly walked down the hallway with Gabrielle. Both were adjusting their headdresses on their heads as they were so rudely awoken before anyone else.
They stepped outside to a group of Persians on the field, holding the House of Sassan flag. There were two soldiers holding up a large burgundy rug in their arms, struggling to hold the weight of it. Xena looked around and tucked her bangs underneath her headdress and placed her hands on her hips.
"What's this?" she asked Zolten.
Zolten brought his hand outward, gesturing for the Persians to approach the stairs. They did as commanded and dropped the rug on the grass and unrolled it by kicking their boots. As the rug unrolled it revealed the corpse of Sukhra Karen, clearly impaled in several parts of his body.
Gabrielle covered her mouth at the mutilated body. It was barely recognizable.
"God almighty," uttered Xena. "Can't I just have a moment of peace in my life?" she sighed. "What is this supposed to signify?" she yelled at the Persians.
One of the flag holders addressed her from afar. "By decree of Shah Jamasp, the House of Karen and all of its decedents are hereby enemies of the Persian Empire!" his voice echoed across the field, drawing unwanted attention.
"Did he just say Jamasp?" Gabrielle whispered to her wife.
"What the hell is going on!" screamed Xena.
"Shehzade Jamasp has claimed his rightful place as Shah of the Persian Empire and imprisoned dethroned Shah Kavad for crimes against the empire!" the soldier continued. "Shah Jamasp declares the entire Hun Nation an enemy from here on out!"
Xena marched down the steps and took Zolten's sword from its holster. She stalked towards the Persian and plunged the sword into the messenger's chest. Kicking the man to the ground she spun around to the other Persians who surrounded her with their blades.
Gabrielle gasped. "Xena! God, what are you doing…" she massaged her temples.
Smiling, she eyed the five men and waved the sword in their faces. "Take him back to your Shah," she hissed. She shoved the sword into Zolten's chest and made her way back up the steps to her horrified wife's face.
"And this is why you never ally with Persians," she growled and entered the Adame.
Zolten gathered his men and forced the Persians to leave the territory unless they all wanted to end up the same way as their messenger. Gabrielle shook her head and balled her fists, fuming inside. She ran inside the Adame after her impulsive wife.
"Hey!" she shouted and Xena halted. "What was that?" she pointed outside.
"I got the new 'Shah's message'," she air quoted. "Kavad was obviously too weak of a ruler to keep his people in line. He was dethroned by his own son! And it's not even the son we were fighting against!"
"I think you've made the situation ten times worse, Xena. Now, Kavad's son is going to declare war against us."
Xena threw her hands in the air. "We were already dealing with a fractured Persian alliance anyway! And look at us –our land was taken from us and we're split into three different territories because of Eksama."
The governor slapped her forehead and grunted. "What now? What are we going to do now? Since you know, you basically made a declaration of war out there."
XXXXXX
"Have you lost your goddamn mind?!" Navaz slammed his fist on the table.
Xena waved her hand nonchalantly as if what she did had no relevance to the impending threat upon them. While she sat at one end of the table she couldn't help but notice the shocked expression on Arielle's face. So much for telling her granddaughter not to act impulsively and recklessly.
"Mother's right. You are insane," said Arielle. "Father," she placed her hand on his clenched fist. "The Persians were going to rebel against us sooner or later. Kawus has been pitting the members of his family against each other for more than a year ago since Xerxes acted as the Hun ambassador. He's been planning this from the beginning."
Xena smiled. "See, Navaz, listen to your intelligent daughter. After all, I'm the crazy one," she rolled her eyes.
Arielle put a stop to a fight that was soon to erupt between her father and grandmother. She stood and cleared her throat, ready to speak her mind. She kindly asked her father to sit down and listen to what she had to say. Out of all people at the meeting table, Gabrielle was the only person taking notes, as per usual.
"Get your pen ready, Gabrielle," she said.
The governor lifted her eyes anxiously and dipped the quill in the ink. She braced herself for what was to come out of Arielle's mouth. Truthfully, she wasn't ready at all. An argument was brewing, she could feel it.
"As Empress of the Avar Empire, I am an ally of my own people and I want to put an offer on the table." She eyed her cohorts. "I want to take the entire Hun Empire under my wing. I want to join both empires together to create a huge empire that not even Justinian or the Persians can rival."
Gabrielle stopped writing mid-sentence and slowly turned her head towards Xena who had a big gaping mouth. Everyone at the meeting table, aside from Anastasia's absence, sat in silence at Arielle's bold proposal.
"You will be allowed to govern your own kingdoms but will pay a tax to me," she stated nervously eyeing her father. "I will write a letter to Ernak and ask him to…submit to me or all our people will perish by the hands of the Justinian, Eksama and Shah Jamasp."
She concluded her speech and sat down, waiting for a response from anyone willing to speak up.
Gabrielle broke the ice. "How long…have you been thinking of doing this, Arielle?"
"Ever since Kawus invaded Lake Thospia. I asked Kuba to write a few treaties for me before I left to help with the war. I have them stored in the archive at the Scythian palace," she answered quickly.
"Did you say pay a tax?" asked Navaz, astonished at his daughter's abrasiveness. "I would be paying taxes to my own daughter?" he voice laced with irritation.
The empress laughed nervously. "Father, I'm your daughter but I'm also a ruler now. So, what do you say?" she asked the group.
Xena drummed her fingers on the table and smiled. "I'm not opposed to it. What about you, Navaz? Come now, don't let that pride cloud your mind."
"Xena!" his cheeks puffed red.
After he cooled down he settled in the chair, making eye contact with his anxious daughter.
"I'll have to talk to your mother about this. This isn't going to be an easy decision, Arielle. If we agree to do this then you'll be the sole ruler, overseeing everybody."
She nodded. "I understand, father. I can do it."
"That's a tall order and a lot of pressure."
"Dad!" she grew frustrated as he danced around the topic. "I'm not a little girl. I can do this. I don't think Ernak or Csaba are going to oppose this idea."
Navaz sat, perturbed, weighing the pros and cons of his daughter's proposal. So far, the alliance with
Persia hadn't been what anyone expected. He knew in the back of his mind that Persians weren't very trustworthy and they proved time and time again that they were the sludge in the bottom of a barrel. He still hadn't realized that his daughter was no longer part of the Hun Empire and had her own people now even though she was his ally. Giving Arielle full control of two empires was daunting and incredibly risky.
Arielle smiled at everyone gathered at the table. Gabrielle was busy writing furiously, trying to record everything and it was up to Navaz to call this meeting to a halt but he held everyone up by his silence.
"So, who wants to tell mother that Csaba is in a comatose state?" she blurted out.
All eyes drifted over to the governor's direction. Gabrielle set down the pen and lifted her eyes to not one, but three pairs of eyes gawking at her.
"What?"
XXXXXX
Yana sat by the bed, spoon feeding Cera rice pudding that she specifically made herself. She recently sent out letters to her siblings about Cera's condition. She tried not to talk too much around Cera as she didn't want to upset her. Instead, she offered to stay in Balaam with her as long as needed. She recalled the first time she met Cera and how curt she was with her but now that she was able to spend a lot of time with her brother's wife, she had a different opinion about her entirely.
Sure, Cera was very sweet and even though she had no voice she expressed herself with art, smiles and highly animated facial expressions to match her hand gestures. Children flocked to her wherever she went and she was able to connect with them very easily. Perhaps it was easier for her to be around children because they didn't judge her and loved watching her draw, paint and tell stories.
Cera covered her mouth and pushed the bowl of rice away, not able to stomach any more of it. Yana set down the bowl on the bedside table and smiled warmly at the princess.
"Your mother likes to hide in her room a lot," she made small talk with her.
The princess nodded. "She does that when she's upset," she signed and shrugged a shoulder. "When my brother ran away with Farah she didn't come out of her room for days," she explained. "And when they finally came home and Csaba told everyone that Farah was pregnant she secluded herself."
Yana now understood. This was a habitual thing for the khatun. She didn't understand it before and thought Anastasia being a recluse was her way of ignoring the problem but that was far from the truth. It was obvious that she cared a lot for all three of her children and whenever something happened to them, she had the weight of their problems on her shoulders.
The chieftess paddled Cera's knee. "I think I might've judged your mother too harshly."
With a furrow of her eyebrows, Cera frowned at her sister in law.
"I don't have any children of my own but I've raised Nadia since she was a baby. She's like my own daughter but I've never had to endure any of the struggles your mother has dealt with. Or yours," she quickly added. "You're stronger than you look, Cera."
The princess hid her smile, accepting the compliment graciously with a slow nod.
"But I must ask one question," Yana said seriously and leaned in close, "how does your mother maintain her long hair?" she asked with playful eyes.
Cera chuckled lightly and raised her palms and shook her head, clueless of how to answer such a frivolous question. She knew Yana was trying to distract her and not allow her mind to wander. She appreciated the kindness and now, she could say she wasn't so fearful of the stern Nezak Chieftess any longer.
XXXXXX
"Thanks for volunteering me to speak with an already frazzled queen," Gabrielle said to the group as they exited the conference hall.
Xena pulled her into a hug. "You're so much better at delivering hard to hear news, Gabrielle. Besides, I don't want her to slap me. I'm injured after all…" she placated.
Gabrielle rolled her eyes and shoved the khanum off, agitated by her wife's behavior.
Arielle walked alongside her father and got up the nerve to ask, "Where's Xerxes? I was told he was here. I thought he would've…come to greet me."
Gabrielle and Xena both stared at Navaz, wide eyed and quickly scurried way to the queen's quarters. Navaz grunted, annoyed that he was left alone with his love-stricken daughter. If it was one thing he hated to be around it was emotional women. He turned to face his daughter with a sheepish grin.
Arielle closed the space between them and noticed he was evading her gaze. "Father…" she gripped his arm. "Did something happen to Xerxes?"
"Arielle…" he cupped her cheek. "Benim güzel kizim."
She was in no mood for his sweet words and stomped her boot. "Where is he?"
XXXXXX
Anastasia held a towel to her chest just as she was about to go to the bath chamber to wash her hair. The maids were dismissed from the room after she was given the news of Csaba. She stood, frozen, crumbling inside. The loss of her daughter's child and news of Csaba's horrible condition all lumped together, crippled her emotions.
She was grateful that she wasn't in Banat to see her son. He was far beyond a child but she still saw him as her little boy that she missed playing with in the field and holding him close when he came crying to her after a nightmare he had.
Gabrielle expected a much different reaction from her and it was worse when Ana kept silent. It was nearly as frightening when Xena had nothing to say, although that was a bit more normal. Anastasia at least voiced her feelings regularly depending on the situation at hand.
"Anastasia?"
The khatun felt her legs numb as she stared blindly off into space. The towel dropped to her feet and her arms went limp, digesting the news. Opening her mouth to utter a few words, she staggered forward and then collapsed onto the floor.
Xena ran and knelt down, scooping her daughter into her arms. "Ana," she hit her cheeks lightly, "Anastasia," she pinched her cheeks together. "That's just great. She fainted!" she whipped her head to her stunned wife.
"I'll…go get the physician," Gabrielle thumbed the doors and ran off.
A few minutes later, she brought in one of the physicians and a few maids as well. The three crowded around Anastasia and held a foul smelling oil beneath her nose to wake her. Xena titled her daughter's head, cautiously watching the physician.
Her nose crinkled at the smell and her eyes fluttered open. She blinked and hadn't realized she was on the floor. Looking above, she saw her mother's obvious blue eyes gawking at her.
"Hello again," Xena said, beaming. "Are you alright? You fainted."
She sat up slowly, rubbing the back of her head. She waved her hand, dismissing the physician and servants. She curled her knees and wrapped an arm around her uneasy stomach, fearing that what she heard about Csaba was untrue.
"Why…didn't anyone tell me?" she whispered. "Is he really so injured that he hasn't woken up? Is he alive? Why didn't anyone tell me?!"
"Anastasia," Xena pulled her close. "We were going to tell you but Arielle thought it best not to trouble you." she hooked her arm underneath her daughter. "Gabrielle, help me here."
Gabrielle grabbed the khatun's other arm and aided in helping her up off the floor. "I'm sure Csaba is doing fine," she reassured her. "He has plenty of people to take care of him. Farah's there and you know she won't cut anyone any slack concerning Csaba."
XXXXXX
He had no choice but to bring Arielle to the guest quarters where Xerxes resided in. This was exactly what he was trying to avoid. As much as he didn't care for the prince, or any man that tried to come near his daughter, he hated to see her so upset. He was surprised that Xerxes was still alive after what happened to him. Hardly anyone survived a sword to the chest and shoulder or they didn't live for very long.
Arielle loomed over the bed, examining his body riddled with bruises and gashes. The most severe of them all was the gaping hole in his shoulder that had been stitched. A medicinal bandage was draped over the wound.
Her curiosity piqued and her fingers gently touched the wound and Xerxes flinched. She beamed and sat down, grabbing hold of his hand. Keeping her eyes focused on his face, she kissed his bruised knuckles.
"I'm still waiting for those poems you promised me," she said.
The corner of his mouth twitched at her soft voice and he weakly squeezed her hand. Arielle's smile amplified and she put his hand to touch her cheek. She wondered how long he'd been laying here all by himself and how long he'd been unconscious for.
She traced circles on the palm of his hand. "I expect a poem from you when you're healed. You might not know this but the women in my family never break their promises so I expect you to keep yours."
The more she spoke the more reaction she received from the subdued prince.
"Oh and by the way, your brothers are terrible," she added. "I should be grateful to have such loving brothers." She frowned, thinking of Csaba then turned to the man lying before her. Two men she cared for were severely wounded and she wasn't there for either of them.
She continued to babble, hoping to receive more subtle reactions from him. "Aurora asked about you. I think she likes you. I mean, I like you too. My father not so much," she lightly joked. "But he doesn't like anyone with male genitalia near me."
Xerxes' lips turned up into a smile, clearly listening to everything she was uttering.
XXXXXX
After a long winded day Navaz sequestered himself in his quarters, begging for this day to end. Thankfully it was the middle of the night and the entire Adame was quiet. He paid a visit to his granddaughter and spent a long time talking with her except Aurora did most of the talking while he listened.
The food that was brought to his room hours ago remained untouched. He just wanted to sit down, enjoy a glass of wine and listen to the sound of nothingness for once. He thought of visiting Anastasia but refrained once he was told that Xena and Gabrielle were kept in the room, guarding Anastasia. For what, he didn't know.
Sitting on the bed, stripped of his daily leathers and cape, now in loose dark pants and bare chest exposed, he sipped the warm wine and exhaled with satisfaction. Silence was a wonderful thing, he thought. As he brought the glass up to his lips for a second sip the doors opened and he frowned at the sight of his son.
What could it be now? More hysterical women knocking on his door? What else could possibly go wrong in the middle of the night?
"May I help you, Soran?"
The prince hesitantly stepped inside his father's room and closed the doors. "I knew you'd be awake. I couldn't sleep."
If that wasn't a lie, he didn't know what was.
"Alright," Soran held up his hands. "Zolten woke me. He didn't want to disturb you. There…are some guests waiting outside the Adame."
"Guests?"
"I…well…"
"Out with it, boy!" he growled.
"Shah Kavad's harem is outside with Tegin Irkin," Soran finally said. "Father, there must be twenty women out there! I didn't know Persians had harems that large! Oh and Nousha requests your presence."
Navaz set down the glass gingerly and stood, walking over to grab something to cover himself with. The last thing he wanted to do was deal with more women especially Nousha. He did not like that woman at all as she wasn't very kind the last time she stayed in his home. The thought of Xerxes crossed his mind and he also…didn't wish to deal with yet another angry mother.
He had another situation on his hand and that left the question: where was he going to house an entire harem?
XXXXXX
Gabrielle strolled out of the bedroom groggily and rubbed the kink in her neck. Sharing a bed between two tall women was ill advised. One woman was bad enough. She tightened the silk sash around her waist and walked through the quiet halls. Approaching the women's quarters she heard an unusual amount of chatter.
She poked her head around the corner and her eyes widened at the room filled with women. "What in god's name…"
Her eyes scanned the room and then she gasped once she laid eyes on Xerxes' mother. Her body clung to the wall and she slowly retreated, walking backwards as the chattering intensified.
She spun around and yelped. "Yana." She put a hand over her chest.
The chieftess grinned. "Good morning, Gabrielle."
"Morning, ah…" her eyes regretfully peeked over her shoulder. "What's with all the women?"
"Shah Kavad's harem was kicked out of the palace," Yana explained. "That's what I was told anyway. I was going to bring Cera some tea but I understand that those concubines," she said sourly, "are hoarding all of the tea."
Gabrielle smiled awkwardly, nodding her head. "If you do go in there…do not engage with Nousha."
"Who's Nousha?"