Chapter 53

Estakhr, Persia

Sambice strolled through the gardens outside of the women's wing of the palace. She had her maids following behind as she breathed in the much needed fresh air. It'd been many months since she left her quarters. After her son was executed by Shah Kavad, she couldn't look anyone in the eye. Sambice was incensed when she saw Xerxes walk into the palace to see Kawus' execution.

Humiliated is what she felt. She couldn't bear to talk to any of the women, especially Nousha. She didn't dare see her husband, either. Their relationship had been strained for many years now, but after her son's death, she wanted nothing to do with Shah Kavad.

As she passed by a row of rose bushes, a messenger hurried down the rock path. She flipped the veil over her face. The messenger huffed and puffed, scurrying along. Sambice stepped into the middle of the trail, and the messenger bowed.

"Shahbanu," he greeted.

She laced her fingers together, eyeing the metal canister in the messenger's hands. "Is that for the Shah?" she inquired.

"Yes, your highness," he lifted his eyes briefly, staring at her veiled face. "It is urgent. I must pass, Shahbanu."

"Who is it from?"

"Sh...Shehzade Xerxes."

Sambice's lip twitched. She held out her hand, wiggling her fingers, and said, "give it to me."

"But, your highness…" he hesitated and immediately lowered his head, handing over the metal canister encased with the message.

She snatched the tube from the messenger and popped the top open. The letter slid out into her hand, and she gave the empty canister back to the anxious young man. She read over Xerxes' request, and a devious smile formed on her lips. She rolled the parchment up quickly and clutched it to her chest.

"I will personally deliver the message to the Shah," she said.

"I…I was given direct orders from the Shehzade to deliver it myself, Shahbanu."

"Don't make me repeat myself," she flicked her wrist. "I will deliver it. You may go now."

The messenger looked up at the queen and scurried off. Sambice turned around and flipped the veil over her head, tapping the letter against her palm. There were so many options that were before her now. She could take the message to Kavad, or she could keep it to herself for a little while, and use it as a tool against Nousha. She wanted to go with the latter.

Heading right in her direction was the Shah's older sister, Esther. She tucked the message beneath her black robes and put on a face for the unexpected guest.

Esther stopped a few feet from Sambice, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Shehzada," she inclined her head, smiling.

"Sambice," she noticed the queen's change of mood. Earlier, Sambice looked like she was going to keel over from the weight of the dark cloud she carried with her everywhere.

"I didn't know you were still here. Will you be staying a while longer before you head back to Babylon?"

Esther raised an eyebrow. "I have some more things to discuss with my brother before I leave. I shouldn't stay too long, perhaps three days or so."

"Oh, that's too bad. We don't nearly spend enough time together. You should come to my room, and we can have tea," said Sambice, a little too enthusiastic.

"I might take you up on your offer," Esther said with a crinkled brow. "Excuse me for saying this, but you looked like you were knocking on death's door yesterday, yet this morning you look positively…glowing. What changed?"

Sambice shrugged, "it is a very lovely day, Esther. The flowers are finally in bloom."

She studied the Shahbanu's exuberant expression, suspicious as to what was the cause of that dishonest smirk.

"Enjoy the flowers," Esther said, slipping a wary smile. "Perhaps, I will come to your room later this evening." She said her final word and sauntered off on the garden's trail.

In the few short weeks that Nasrin had been living in Pannonia, she was kept very busy tending to Farah's needs. Back in the harem, she would hardly do anything but sew, read, and attend school. But despite her busy schedule, she did enjoy living here, and she was glad to have Shehzade Xerxes here. At least there was a small bit of familiarity around her.

Nasrin hurried into the queen's bedroom, carrying a long flat box beneath her arm. She closed the door behind her, running towards the side of the bed, smiling at the queen.

Farah yawned, tired from being awake for most of the night. She wearily smiled at her youthful chambermaid, running a hand over her large abdomen.

"Good afternoon, your highness, did you have a nice rest?" Nasrin asked.

"As nice as it could be," Farah eyed the box. "What's that?"

"The king asked me to give this to you." Nasrin opened the box and pulled out a black gown with red lace trim. "He wants you to wear it tonight."

Farah straightened her posture, rubbing her aching lower back. She extended her arm, touching the fabric of the dress. She was surprised that Csaba had a dress made for her and wondered what the reason behind it was. It was probably the most extravagant dress she had seen in a while.

"Güzel," she mumbled, admiring the gift. "What is tonight?"

"He said it is a surprise, your highness. Would you like to try it on now?"

Farah nodded and stood up slowly. She stripped off her nightgown, and Nasrin pulled the dress over her head. She stood in front of the mirror while the laces were tied on the back of the gown. Farah smiled, grazing her fingers over the beautifully etched lace on the collar. She felt like a very spoiled wife, and that was saying a lot coming from her.

Her yearning for materialistic items withered away as she grew older, but she still enjoyed receiving lavish gifts, especially if Csaba gave them to her. After Nasrin finished lacing the dress, she couldn't stop looking at her reflection. Ogling the new dress, she saw Csaba come into the room, and she spun around.

Csaba smiled, seeing the dress on Farah. He came around the bed and kissed his wife's forehead.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

"It's a gorgeous dress, Csaba. Thank you," Farah pecked his lips. "But what is it for?"

"Didn't Nasrin tell you? It's a surprise."

Farah pursed her mouth. She wasn't sure if she wanted another surprise. She's had enough surprises this last year. Wrapped in her husband's arms, she felt a heavy twinge in her lower abdomen. She pulled away from Csaba and peered down at her stomach.

Csaba took notice of her perplexed face. "Something wrong?"

She shook her head, cupping her belly, "no, I'm alright."

"Good," he grasped her shoulders. "Nasrin is going to help you get ready for your surprise. I think you're really going to like it."

"You aren't going to tell me what it is, are you?"

"Be patient," he kissed Farah's forehead. "I'll come back in a few hours."

Gabrielle thought she could avoid therapy today, and she managed to for the first few hours of the day, but she ultimately was trapped by Xena's rough hands in the end. Once she finished her painful physical therapy, she was getting ready for tonight's festivities. She was anxious to celebrate something joyous instead of talking about battles or wounds.

She picked out a dress to wear, and she knew better than to pick her wife's attire. She did try to coax Xena into wearing a dress, but after spending years trying to force her wife to wear dresses, she finally gave up this time.

While Gabrielle sat in front of the mirror, combing her hair, she caught a shimmer from her peripheral view. She turned and gasped at her wife, wearing a black and gold robe over pants and a tunic.

"You look great," she said.

Xena turned around, brushing her hand over her backside, examining herself in the mirror. "I would've thought you'd say something about me not wearing a dress."

"That looks equally as good as a dress," Gabrielle teased.

"Well, that means a lot coming from you."

Xena lightly kicked her spouse's leg and went to grab her Kozak. She jumped at the doors swinging open and frowned at Arielle waltzing in uninvited. She sat down, dressing her head with the Kozak.

"What do you want, Arielle?" she asked.

"I am freaking out!" the Khagana collapsed onto the bed, gawking at the ceiling.

"What's troubling you now?" asked Gabrielle. "Is it the party preparations?"

"No, I have everything handled," Arielle said, rolling onto her stomach. "It's about this wedding."

Xena grumbled, tired of hearing about her granddaughter's endless worries and concerns about this impending wedding. She pinned her hair beneath the elaborate headdress, combing the veil with her fingers.

"You've been worried about that for over a month. What else is new?" Xena mumbled.

"Xerxes explained that there are tons of special rules I have to abide by before we get married. Oh, but it doesn't stop there!" she scoffed and added, "there are rules after the marriage too!"

She let out an exasperated sigh, causing the pair to chuckle around her.

"For example, I have to go through like…seven rituals before the marriage! And afterward, there are rules about sex too."

Xena's face contorted in disgust, "I don't want to hear it."

Gabrielle chuckled and chimed in, "you're putting too much pressure on yourself, Arielle. Just relax. Have you received a response from the Shah yet?"

"Not yet," she sighed. "What if he really does exile Xerxes? What if I can't marry him? What if he doesn't let Xerxes divorce his…wife?" she growled. "What if –"

"Enough with the "what-if's," girl," Xena barked. "Shah Kavad is very reasonable. I don't think you'll have any issues. So, stop worrying. You're giving me a headache."

Arielle sat up, gnawing her lip.

"Alright, I'll stop for now. I have to make sure everything is in order for tonight. I hope Farah loves her surprise party!"

Gabrielle swiveled around in the chair. "She's going to love it. You're very kind to do this for her."

That evening, Csaba escorted Farah towards the front of their home, holding her hand. Farah nervously fidgeted her fingers as they approached the foyer. When they abruptly stopped in front of the doors, she turned to Csaba, who held a scarf in his hand.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

He wrapped the scarf over her eyes and tied it behind her head. "Don't worry."

"Csaba, what's going on?"

Farah gripped his hand tightly as she was led blindly through the foyer. She heard the doors open, and she hooked her arm around Csaba, clinging to him. They walked outside, and she flinched at the eruption of clapping and women calling a native chant. Her heart raced, and she hesitantly stepped forward, clasping a hand over Csaba's chest.

"I'm not going to let you fall," he chuckled.

"What…what is going on? Dammit, Csaba!"

He pulled the blindfold off her eyes, and she blinked rapidly, staring at the entire tribe surrounding their home. She furrowed her eyebrows and eyed her husband, searching for answers.

"What…what's this?"

"You said there weren't enough funds for a senlik, so Arielle gathered money from the entire tribe and threw you one."

Farah's jaw dropped. Overwhelmed by the attention and gratitude, she sobbed, clapping her hands over her face. Everyone below stared at her with bemused looks, and Csaba smiled nervously. He wrapped an arm around her tenderly.

"What's the matter?" he whispered. "Are you not happy?"

She lifted her head from her hands, wiping her eyes. A warm and big smile encompassed her face, relieving Csaba's anxiety.

"I am very happy! I am just…a little surprised that Arielle would do this for me."

"Ah," he nodded, "my sister has moments of kindness. Come, I'll help you down the stairs."

Hours into the evening, Farah was given several gifts from the citizens, which she accepted graciously. As the night went on, Farah felt the twinges of pain in her pelvis and lower back become more prevalent. She sat underneath a canopy, observing the tribe singing, dancing, and playing games.

Anastasia sat beside her, clapping her hands to the music, and glanced over at Farah, noting the disgruntled expression. She stopped clapping and reached over, grabbing Farah's arm.

"Everything alright?" she asked.

Farah smiled apprehensively, massaging her lower abdomen. "Yes…"

"You're sure?"

Farah nodded.

Anastasia frowned, not convinced that her daughter-in-law was telling the truth. She kept a watchful eye on her and smiled at a few women who came by to greet her. Her hand was kissed by many women who came by. Farah greeted the women with a simple head nod, and each pecked her hand, bestowing gifts.

A half-hour passed by, and Ana kept looking over at Farah, who looked very preoccupied. She tried not to call attention to it, keeping her mind focused on the celebration. Throughout the evening, she had yet to see her mother or Arielle. Somehow, she knew those two were up to no good.

Farah curled her lips back, trying to ignore the lingering pain. She wiped the sweat off her brow, trying to enjoy herself, but that proved increasingly difficult as the hours passed by. She looked down at her belly, cursing inwardly. There was no way she could sit here for the rest of the night. Her child wasn't going to wait that long.

"Where are the boys? I haven't seen them since this party began," said Anastasia, searching the field. "Farah?"

She looked over and heard Farah hissing under her breath. She crawled across the rug and cupped Farah's cheek, then placed her hand on Farah's belly and gasped.

"Farah!" she griped, "you're in labor? Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't know it was going to progress so quickly," she admitted modestly, "I'm fine, really."

Anastasia rolled her eyes and called out, "Navaz!"

He ran over immediately, halting his conversation with a soldier, and stood in front of his wife and Farah.

"Can you carry Farah to her room?"

"Oh, no, I can walk. I am–"

Navaz didn't hesitate and scooped Farah into his arms. She yelped and wrapped her arms around his neck, peering at all the prying eyes. She sighed as she was being carried back to the Adame.

"I'll have someone find Csaba," said Anastasia, walking briskly back to the field.

"So, what you're saying is that you have machines that can project javelins?"

Xerxes nodded, taking a swig of wine.

"And you brought some of these siege weapons with you?" Xena asked.

"I could show them to you tomorrow if you'd like," he wriggled his eyebrows.

She smiled, drinking a large helping of wine. An arm wrapped around her neck from behind, and she peered upward to see none other than Gabrielle. She grabbed Gabrielle's arm and brought her around to sit down on the grass.

"Xerxes has siege weapons that can shoot six javelins at a time," she said, barely able to contain her enthusiasm. "He said he will demonstrate how to use them tomorrow."

Gabrielle sighed, stealing her wife's cup of wine. "You shouldn't have told her that, Xerxes. Now, she's going to have new toys to play with."

"You're invited to the showing too, Gabrielle."

Xerxes chuckled, amused by the banter. As he took another sip of the wine, Xena slapped his knee, and he spewed some wine onto his robes. Wiping the wine off his robe, he looked at the odd glint in her eye.

"Arielle tells me that she has a lot of rules to follow before the wedding. I assume you also have similar rules?" Xena asked, not even trying to hide her smug grin.

"Um," his eyes darted back and forth between the women. "No, I, um, the rules are for women only."

"Did you hear that, Gabrielle?"

"I did."

Xerxes had an urge to scratch every inch of his body. "Don't take it the wrong way," he said, almost pleading. "My culture is different than yours, after all. I don't make the rules."

"And you wouldn't mind telling us these rules?" Gabrielle asked.

"Spare us the details about the sex rules," Xena quickly added, raising her hand.

Xerxes' face drained of all color. There was no place to run or hide. He had no choice but to answer their questions. There wasn't a way for him to slyly evade the questions either as he was pretty sure Xena could disarm and immobilize him.

Just as he was about to pour his soul out, Aurora saved him from further embarrassment and interrupted their conversation. She came running from across the field, waving her arm.

Xena groaned, "go away, child. We're having a conversation that you don't need to hear."

"But, I have news!"

Gabrielle placated the princess, "what's the news?"

"Farah's having the baby!" she cheered. "I'm excited."

Xerxes lifted his cup with what little wine he had left. "That is outstanding news, princess." He finished off the alcohol. "I need more wine."

He attempted to get up, and Xena pulled a short sword on him. He slowly lowered himself to the grass, and Xena smiled. Gabrielle casually sipped the wine while Aurora watched, shaking her head.

"Grandma Khanum," the princess said in a calm, yet firm tenor.

"Yes?"

"That's not nice to point weapons at people."

"I'm interrogating right now, Aurora. Run along."

Aurora gasped, "you can't do that. He's Xerxes!"

"Go. Away."

Gabrielle smirked and grabbed the princess's arm. "You better do as she says," she whispered.

"Okay, but you're not going to hurt him, right?"

"Maybe," Xena muttered, then eyed the nervous girl. "No, I won't hurt him, I promise. Now, please leave," she said through a clenched smile.

Mid-morning rolled in, and Farah was confined to her bedroom, missing the entirety of her party. This wasn't the first time this happened, though. She wasn't expecting to go into labor so soon. She thought for sure she had a couple more weeks.

Enduring the waves of contractions, Farah lay on her side in bed, inhaling and exhaling slowly. Csaba sat behind her, trying to be as helpful as possible. He continuously rubbed her back and kissed her shoulder occasionally. He quickly realized that his talking wasn't helping at all, so he stayed by her side in silence for several hours.

After a few more hours passed, the midwife came to check the progress, and so far, nothing was progressing quickly like either of them hoped. Farah moved from the bed and walked from one end of the room to the other. She focused on taking in deep, steady breaths.

Csaba sat on the bed, watching his wife pace back and forth. "You're doing great so far, Farah."

She let out a long exhale, groaning shortly afterward.

Anastasia entered the room, smiling briefly at her son. "How's it going?" she asked.

Csaba rushed over to his mother, pulling her aside. "Nowhere. Mother, is there something wrong? This is taking a very long time."

"I was told there was nothing wrong. Not all deliveries are the same," she said, grazing Csaba's cheek. "Farah, how are you feeling right now?"

Farah clapped a hand over her eyes. "I don't want to do this anymore," she said, beginning to weep.

Ana crinkled her eyebrows at the cracking in Farah's tired voice. That wasn't a response she wanted to hear, and it definitely wasn't Farah being overdramatic either. Those weren't tears of panic but of exhaustion.

"It'll be over soon, tatli kiz."

Farah continued her ritual of pacing across the floor. She wiped her nose, trying to stop herself from shedding any more tears. In less than a minute, tears surfaced, and she sobbed, placing a hand to her forehead. Her reaction caused Csaba to panic, and he instantly turned to his mother to intervene.

Anastasia rubbed her lips together. "Ah, Farah, why don't I warm a bath for you?"

"A bath? Mother, what…"

"It will help relax her. She's a ball of nerves, Csaba!" she whispered. "Farah, come with me," she extended her hand.

"Remind me to slap Xerxes today," said Xena, buttoning the cufflinks of her blouse.

Gabrielle rolled over in bed, moaning from the small headache she acquired from staying up too late last night. She didn't even know what time they went to bed, but it had to have been really late because she thought she remembered seeing sunrise before her head hit the pillows.

Xena turned, grabbing her headdress, gawking at the half-awake blonde. "Are you coming or what?"

"Where?"

"To the field," Xena motioned to get out of bed. "Xerxes is going to show me how the siege weapons work. I was thinking we could definitely use those against Mezamir, but I need to make sure they're not just fancy trinkets, and that they actually work."

Gabrielle slammed her face back onto the pillow, turning the other way. "Do you ever stop thinking about war?"

"Sure, I do, but I just really want to see how these weapons work. Persians have all of these ballistic machines, yet they hardly use them! So, are you coming or are you going to wallow in bed all day?"

"I think…I'm going to wallow for a 'lil longer."

Xena rolled her eyes, hurrying out of the room. She held her Kozak beneath her arm and exited the Adame quickly. She saw that nearly the entire tribe was still reeling from last night. She imagined that many were either passed out or retching outside their yurts right about now. Either way, it was late afternoon, and she saw Xerxes on the field with Ernak.

As she strolled towards the training field, she saw Arielle sprinting like a gazelle. She halted, waiting until Arielle passed by.

"Where are you going?" she called out.

Arielle yelled back, "gonna go see Farah!"

"I need to talk to you later!" Xena said, and she received a nonverbal response but a wave instead. "God help me," she muttered, placing the Kozak on her head.

Arielle, dressed in her nightgown and silk robe, ran into her brother's home. She found her mother sitting on the floor with the princes. She ran into the women's quarters with disheveled hair from last night. All four of them stared at her in shock.

"Did Farah give birth yet?" she asked excitedly.

"Not yet."

"Can I go see her?"

"Sure, but don't say anything snarky," Anastasia said. "I mean it, Arielle!"

Arielle charged up the stairs, rounding two hallways, and finally entered Farah's bedroom. She walked in and saw her brother and Farah on the bed together. It definitely wasn't as tranquil as she thought as Farah was balling her eyes out. Arielle came to sit on the edge of the bed, taking Farah's hand.

"Wow, she's either in a lot of pain, or she's being dramatic."

Csaba raised an eyebrow at his sister. "She had a bath earlier, and that seemed to help, but now she won't even talk to me."

Arielle snapped her fingers in front of Farah's face. By the looks of it, Farah seemed almost incoherent. Arielle furrowed her eyebrows and took it upon herself to look underneath Farah's dress, which shocked and horrified her brother at the same time.

Her eyes widened, nodding her head. "Oh…"

"Oh? What does 'oh' mean?" asked Csaba.

Arielle looked around the room and saw a basin filled with water. She quickly grabbed the basin, cleansing her hands. Mumbling to herself, she searched for clean linens, then sat back onto the bed. She rolled up her sleeves and pulled her hair back, twisting it into a loose braid.

Csaba panicked, "what are you doing?"

Arielle smiled, "I'm going to deliver your baby," she said casually.

"Pardon me? I'm going to get the midwife."

"No!" she yelled, "it's too late for that. Just talk Farah through the process." She saw he was hesitant. "Csaba, I've had a baby before, I think I know what I'm doing, just a little bit. Do as I say, please?"

Csaba was wary of accepting his sister's help, but he didn't really have any choice. He was able to grab Farah's attention just enough so she could listen to what he told her. After he explained what was about to happen, she seemed calmer, or maybe she was panicking inside, he couldn't tell.

Arielle smiled. "Can you hear me?" she asked, and Farah nodded slowly. "Great, just do everything Csaba says. If you could give me three big pushes, then this will all be over. Can you do that for me?"

Farah raised her eyebrows, terrified. Csaba hid his smile and gripped her hand tightly. While she had Csaba talking to her softly, she periodically stared at Arielle, who kept smiling at her when their eyes met. Having her husband's sister deliver her child wasn't exactly what she planned for.

"You're doing a good job, Farah," said Arielle, raising her hand. "You're almost there!"

Farah glared at Csaba, "why is your sister delivering our baby?" she hissed.

He smiled nervously. "Just focus on the baby," he kissed her temple.

A few short minutes later, a loud cry echoed in the bedroom. Arielle grinned, cradling the small newborn in her hands. She set the baby down on the fresh linen and poured water along the new skin.

"Oh, Farah, you're going to be very happy," she said.

She placed the baby onto Farah's chest, and Csaba leaned over, grazing his fingertips on the baby's soft head. Csaba looked to Arielle for confirmation, and she kept smiling in a way he didn't like.

"Ailesine hoşgeldiniz…princess," she said aloud, and Csaba's jaw dropped. "Oh, I see much fear in your eyes, brother. I'm going to get the midwife now."

Farah smiled up at her husband, "Csaba, Csaba, we have a daughter!"

"I heard…"

Just as Arielle opened the door, a group of maids and the midwife hurried inside. Anastasia trailed in shortly after and gaped at Farah in the bed with a baby in her arms, and Arielle's robe covered in blood. She raised an eyebrow, watching the maids cleaning furiously.

"Did you deliver the baby all by yourself?"

Arielle said proudly, "yes, I did. Why didn't you have the midwife here? It's a girl, by the way. Csaba looks horrified. They should name their baby after me," she said, raising her eyebrows.

Anastasia folded her arms, clearly unimpressed.

"It's a joke!" she laughed, pinching her mother's arm. "But, Ariela does sound nice."

"Arielle."

"I'm just kidding, mother. You really need to lighten up. I'm going to change out of these clothes."

She trailed down the stairs and bumped into her two eager nephews. She guessed that they all heard the sound of the baby crying from downstairs. That explained the gaggle of women that stormed into the room.

"Is the baby here?" Aman asked.

"Yes, congratulations to you both on your new sister," she ruffled both their hair.

Aladar gasped and leaned over the railing. "Edemen, it's a girl!" he shouted below to his elder brother.

Several rounds were fired from the siege weapon in the training field, as Ernak stood alongside Xena, examining the Persian machine. They both had the same perplexed look on their faces, while Xerxes stood, waiting for instruction. So far, he was ordered to fire more than six rounds. It took the strength of four men to load and fire the weapon.

"Again," said Xena.

Ernak rubbed his chin and said, "should we move the target? He said it only goes as far as forty yards. That isn't a great distance."

"It wouldn't make a difference if the target was moved. The shots aren't super accurate."

Xerxes yelled at his soldiers to reload the machine for the seventh time in a row. He was worried that his men were wearing out and wondered when Xena was going to give them a break. He wasn't as hard on his men as she was with hers. This is probably why the Huns remained unbeatable for several years. The Persian army was large in number but usually had poor execution in battle.

He turned to the King and Lieutenant General. "Ready to fire."

Xena raised her hand, giving a curt nod.

"Clear the field!" Ernak shouted.

Arielle walked up behind them, smiling at Xerxes. She eyed the peculiar machine. "What's going on?"

The Persians released the javelins, causing a loud bang and Arielle yelped, covering her ears. She wasn't expecting that to happen and nearly fell over from the jarring noise.

"Holy fuck!" she screeched.

Xena turned around, flashing a quick grin. "So good of you to join us," she frowned at the blood spatter on Arielle's clothes. "Did you murder someone by chance?"

Arielle rubbed her ears, not quite registering her grandmother's words right away. "Oh, no, I delivered Farah's baby!"

"Wow, look at you. Is there anything you can't do?" Xena teased. "Well, don't keep us in suspense. Is it a boy or a girl?"

"A girl," she groaned, scratching her ringing ears. "Say, what are you doing out here? And what in god's name is that contraption?" she pointed to the siege weapon.

"Maybe if you're good, your fiancé will let you use it," Xena said, winking. "We're going to use this in the campaign against the Antes. What do you think?"

Arielle sighed, "it'll definitely scare the shit out of them."

Estakhr, Persia

Nousha walked back from the gardens with a few women from the harem. Entering the main hall towards the harem, all laughed, telling jokes with each other. They stopped laughing and composed themselves when Shahbanu Sambice stood at the opposite end of the hall.

They continued walking the rest of the way in silence. Nousha made a point to keep her gaze low, and she was heading towards the harem wing when Sambice halted her, blocking the path with an extended arm. Nousha's jaw clenched, watching the other women continue on without her.

"Shahbanu," she greeted.

Taking a step back, she bowed only to show that she was at least civil. Her eyes lifted, meeting the woman's wily gaze. Nousha noted the bit of mirth in the queen's eyes, which instantly aroused her suspicion that something was on Sambice's mind, and it couldn't be good.

"Nousha, did you enjoy your walk in the gardens?"

"Yes, it's a beautiful day."

"Indeed, it is. I hear that Mera Varaz is making the long trek to the palace. I'm sure you're eager to greet her as her new mother-in-law."

Nousha grinned apprehensively. "I am looking forward to hosting her, yes."

"And what an excellent host you are," Sambice hummed a laugh.

Nousha nodded her head then continued down the hall, desperately trying to get away from Sambice. She had no desire or need to keep conversing with her superior. Their relationship hadn't been the best from the start, and over the years, it increasingly worsened. She was told by the Shah to avoid Sambice as much as possible, and who was she to disobey him?

"Oh, Nousha."

The petite concubine stopped mid-way, turning around cautiously.

"I had no idea your son was so lovesick over the Hun Khagana," she said, watching Nousha's eyes expand.

Nousha played dumb, smiling worriedly, and responded to the unsubtle attack. "I don't know what you're talking about, Shahbanu. Where did you hear that?"

Sambice pulled Xerxes' letter out from beneath her robe. She smiled, waving the message in the air as Nousha's eyes followed the motion like a cat being taunted by a string of yarn.

"Oh, I'm so glad you asked, Nousha," she unrolled the scroll. "It just so happens that I have a letter from your son. It says," and she read, "he would like to dissolve his marriage with Mera Varaz so he can be granted permission to marry Khagana Arielle."

Nousha's heart sank to her stomach. All this time, she hoped her son would've long forgotten about Arielle. Being locked away for so long, she was confident that Xerxes would drift further away from Arielle. She had a lingering doubt in the back of her mind about this when Shah Kavad allowed their son to make the trip to Pannonia. It seems that her gut intuition was correct and the worst of it all was that Sambice knew.

"Now I understand why you wanted to marry him off so quickly. You knew he loved this Hun woman, and apparently, not even you can stop this from happening. I wonder what the Shah would have to say about this?"

"Sambice…" she walked forward, her heart racing with every step. "Do not show the Shah that letter."

"I won't."

Relief crossed Nousha's face for a brief moment.

"You will." She tucked the letter back into her robes. "But I will keep this with me. I will gladly escort you to meet with the Shah."

"Sambice, please."

The Shahbanu raised her hand, "ah, no, no. According to our law, letters from all princes must go directly to the Shah. Withholding information could lead to your imprisonment. You wouldn't want to be put in prison again, would you?"

Nousha's lip twitched.

"Do not direct your envy and anger towards me, Sambice. It is not my fault that your son is dead," she hissed.

"As if I could ever be jealous of a simple concubine like you."

It took a lot of effort for Eksama to rise from bed, and an even greater effort to make short trips to the bath chamber. She usually had help from the maids and her daughter, which she found utterly embarrassing. She didn't like relying on others for support as she'd been alone for the majority of her life.

After her bath, which took a lot of energy out of her, she made it back to her bed with Austraia's help. She sat on the bed and lifted her splinted leg over the edge of the bed, grunting in the process. Eksama moaned softly at the slightest movement and tried to sit still while her daughter combed her wet hair.

"Austraia, go do something else. You don't have to stay with me," she chided, frustrated by her immobilization.

"I want to help, mother."

As she combed through her mother's hair, she turned at the door opening. She gasped and stood up immediately when Anastasia entered the room. Eksama sighed, thinking that more maids were coming in to help her.

Eksama was about to spit a slur of nasty words and was surprised to see Anastasia. She swallowed and straightened her posture as best as she could, wrapping an arm around her sore ribs.

"Anastasia," she greeted.

"I'd like to speak with your mother alone," Ana addressed the princess.

Austraia nodded, leaving the comb on the bedside table, then scurried out of the room. Now that the two were alone, Eksama was worried that something was awry. She hadn't expected Anastasia, of all people, to come to pay her a visit.

"How are you? Recovering well?" she asked.

Eksama wavered for a moment, then slowly bobbed her head.

"I never thanked you for helping with the war effort, and I'm sorry you were injured so severely."

"I will recover eventually."

Anastasia briefly grinned. "I will be leaving for Balaam soon. I don't know when I will come back. I just wanted to check on the status of your injuries and see that you are being cared for properly."

Eksama peered down at her leg, "everyone has been very helpful, especially my daughter."

"She's a sweet girl."

Anastasia said her final words and made her way to the exit.

"Anastasia."

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry for what I did to you. I'm sorry, for…everything, for the pain I caused you and your family."

Ana said sincerely, "thank you, but I don't hate you, Eksama. I am more forgiving than my mother. I stopped hating you a long time ago, and it's our family. You are a part of the family, lest you not forget that."

Eksama felt a weight lifted off her shoulders, and she smiled genuinely for the first time in a while.

Xena sat behind her spouse, massaging the shoulder blade, upper arm, and collar bone. Gabrielle kept flinching, fidgeting, and whining the entire time. While Gabrielle felt like she was being tortured, Arielle sat opposite them, going over the list of rules and regulations given to her by Xerxes.

Gabrielle's eye twitched at the twinges in her upper shoulder blade, cursing inwardly. She had enough of Xena digging her knuckles into her body where they didn't belong. As a finger pinched one of her hard-to-reach nerves, she let out a loud gasp.

Arielle raised her chin, perplexed by the odd noises coming out of Gabrielle's mouth. She smirked, then went back to reading the long list. She had a spread of parchments scattered around her, unsure which list to focus on first.

"So, according to this, the mother-in-law is supposed to be in charge of most of the rituals. That means I'll be spending a lot of time with…Nousha."

Xena snorted, "good luck with that. Are you okay with the fact that Xerxes doesn't have any rules to abide by?"

Arielle shrugged and said, "I'm just trying to respect his culture and traditions. At least I don't have to convert to his religion," she spat, thinking of Kubrat. The threat left a sour taste in her mouth.

"Besides, he does have rules!" she added. "He can't have sex with me for seven days during the rituals."

Xena stuck her tongue out. "I told you I didn't want to know about those details."

"Right, I forgot," Arielle chortled. "There is one thing that I did ask of Xerxes. Usually, we're supposed to get married in Persia, but I asked if his family could come to Pannonia instead. He agreed."

Gabrielle winced, chiming in, "it's good that you're both compromising."

"Um, shouldn't Gabrielle see a physician for that? It looks like you're doing more harm than good."

Xena raised an eyebrow, "she's doing fine. She'll be able to move her shoulder properly in a month. Just wait."

"Uh-huh…" Arielle warily said. "I haven't talked about the subject of children with Xerxes yet. I can't read him well. He clams up every time I try to bring it up."

Gabrielle grabbed her wife's wrist firmly, gritting her teeth. "He's probably just nervous. It seems like a normal reaction. Xena, I've had enough. You're killing me."

"Alright, I'll stop." Xena snickered, popping her knuckles back into place. "My hands were cramping up anyway."

"I'll bet they were…"

Arielle huffed, crossing her arms. "Grandma, what did you do?"

"What?" Xena widened her eyes.

"When you told my grandfather about your pregnancy. What happened? Did he react badly?"

Xena's cheeks reddened. "Oh," she averted her eyes elsewhere. "No, he didn't react horribly. To tell you the truth, Arielle, I didn't plan on having your mother. Children were not on my mind at all."

"I know how that feels," she mumbled. "I was so stupid."

"You're not stupid," said Gabrielle, smiling warmly. "Bayan should've never forced you to do that, but I think it'll be different this time. But, I do think you and Xerxes need to reach an agreement."

Arielle rubbed her chin. "Hmm, yes. I think he's afraid of what his family will do. They seem to be the root of all of our issues."

"And you thought your family had problems," Xena said and winked.

Arielle emits a chagrin. "I always knew that Xerxes could possibly give up his right to the throne, but I didn't know he could be exiled. I hope that doesn't happen. Shah Kavad hasn't responded to his letter yet!" she growled.

Gabrielle tried to rotate her shoulder and winced. "What if…he says 'no'?"

"I don't think Xerxes cares."

"Then, you better hope the Shah approves; otherwise, you might gain an unwarranted enemy out of this."

Arielle grumbled, picking at her nails. "This is all your fault, grandma."

Xena gasped, "my fault? What did I do?"

"You told me to talk to Xerxes! Now, look what happened!"

"Oh, right. It's my fault entirely. I made you have sex with him. I put a spell on you to fall in love. Yes, it's all my fault."

Estakhr, Persia

Shah Kavad sat on his dais, reading over a few budget adjustments. Even with his loan that he provided to his neighbors, he was doing well money-wise. He had his accountant draw up a new budget for the upcoming summer and fall seasons. After he came to an agreement to disburse the funds equally among his two sons, the three harems, and the public, he dismissed the accountant.

Tegin Irkin opened the door for the elderly accountant to leave. He approached the dais, bowing his head.

"Your highness, Banu Nousha, is outside. She wishes to speak with you."

Instantly, Kavad's face lit up. "Nousha? Send her in."

Tegin raised his eyebrows and opened the door. Nousha smiled briefly, then trailed inside. She looked to Tegin Irkin, who lingered by the doorway. The Shah noticed her perplexity and dismissed him so the two could be alone to talk together.

"Shah," she bowed, lowering her gaze.

"Nousha," he smiled, "what brings you in here today? I hope you aren't here to discuss harem issues. If you have an issue, you should speak to Sambice."

She tried to hold back the sheer disgust she felt for the Shahbanu. "No, nothing is wrong. I came to discuss Xerxes. There is something you…should know." She recalled the deal she made with Sambice, which she now regretted.

"Was he injured in Pannonia? I heard Chieftain Mezamir invaded."

"No…no, I," she pulled the letter out from her blouse. "He sent this letter."

Kavad took the message from her hand, noting her nervousness. He opened the letter, reading it over quickly. His eyebrows furrowed and eyed Nousha's pale complexion, then he crumpled the letter in his hand.

"What is this?" he asked of her. "He knows he is already married to Mera Varaz. Why the sudden interest in marrying the Khagana?"

Nousha took in a deep breath. "It is not sudden."

"What does that mean?"

"Xerxes…before he went into protection, was courting Khagana Arielle. He told me, but I never…told you because I knew you would disapprove."

Kavad jumped up from the sofa. "How dare you keep this from me?"

She slowly backed away, and he gripped her arms. She yelped, "Kavad!"

"He is my son! A Shehzade! And you kept this from me? Why would you do that?"

"I thought he would forget about her!"

"That changes nothing! You lied to me," he said in a low growl.

Nousha swallowed, gazing into his fierce dark eyes, standing many feet below his towering figure. She flinched when he raised his hands, but he took a few steps away, turning his back to her, which he had never done before.

"He wants to marry the Khagana," the Shah stated aloud. "A Hun and Sassanian."

"See, I knew you wouldn't approve."

"Silence!" he spat. "I see why you married him off so quickly. You feared that he would go right back to the Khagana. You've put me in quite a difficult position, Nousha."

She laced her fingers together, breathing heavily. It was evident that he was upset with her, but by his tone, she could tell he wasn't totally against the idea. This, in of itself, infuriated her.

"You can't honestly be considering it," she said, laughing awkwardly. "Kavad…this is the fate of the empire we are talking about here."

The Shah turned around, frowning down at Nousha.

"I am already allied with the Huns. This marriage would only strengthen the bond. It is a good political move, although I doubt our son sees it that way."

Her jaw dropped. "But…but, what about Mera?"

"If this is truly what Xerxes wants, then I will…break the marriage contract with the House of Varaz."

"This is going to cause an uproar in the empire," she snarled.

"You forget I am still your Shah, Nousha. Don't forget who you're speaking to. I suggest you make arrangements to travel to Pannonia. You should teach the Khagana about our customs."

Finally, right? aha