Chapter 10

Nezak Territory, Kazakhstan

She could avoid the conversation no longer and had to leave soon. She had obligations in Pannonia, just as she knew Xerxes did back in Persia. Though she hadn't planned on making this trip, she ended up being very happy she did.

Anastasia thought to bring Mirac and Cera into the guest suite for a private conversation. Since this proposal concerned her, Mirac, and their daughter, she didn't want to have a private conversation with Cera alone. Even though she was worried about what her son-in-law would think, Yana was right; she had to come clean with Cera.

The prospect of confronting her own daughter should not make her feel uneasy. But it did. It was also possible that she dreaded seeing her daughter's hurt expression the most.

"I'll be going back to Persia in the morning and I wanted to talk to you both," she began. "First, I want to say how proud I am of you two for taking over the tribe after the chieftain's death." She gave Mirac a small smile, which he returned.

"Thank you, Khatun. We're still figuring things out, but we'll get better with more experience," said Mirac.

"I know you will." She patted his knee. "And I'd like to help with that."

Cera and Mirac looked at each other, confused by her statement.

"I need to say something that's been on my mind for many years. It's about you, Cera."

Mirac's face tinged pink, looking at his wife. "Should I leave?"

"No, Mirac, stay. I want you to hear what I have to say," Ana said, staring at her daughter's mystified expression. "I made a terrible decision by taking the right to rule away from you, Cera. I made sure you were well-educated, made sure you could read, write, and use a sword. But I never taught you how to rule because," she stopped, breathing in deeply.

Cera drew her eyebrows in, glaring at her mother. Her fingers curled into fists, and Mirac clasped his hand over hers.

"Because I never thought you could, and I never wanted you to," she said, a shiver traveling up her spine. "I thought I was protecting you but I realize now that me protecting you, hurt you. I'm sorry."

Cera's eyes started to fill with tears. It looked like she wanted to scream, and if she could, she probably would have. Instead, she let out a small, guttural growl. This was the only noise she could make. Years ago, when she was really upset, she let out a piercing scream, but ever since then, she hadn't uttered a sound even if she wanted to.

"You never thought I could be queen one day?" Cera asked.

Ana answered honestly. "No. But I'm willing to help you now. I don't expect you to—"

Cera picked up the water glass from the ground and threw it over her mother's head. Anastasia yelped and ducked, then put her hands on her head. Cera got off the floor with an exasperated sigh and stomped away.

"Cera, come back!" yelled Mirac. "Khatun, I'm sorry. She's had a bad temper lately."

"It's alright. Let her go. She has a right to be angry." She breathed out shakily and fixed the beads on her sleeve, mindlessly.

Yana was walking through the halls, and the irascible princess was headed in her direction. She reasoned that Anastasia must have said something to her to provoke such holy wrath. She whirled around as Cera stalked by, yelling her name.

"Stop!" she yelled once more. "Cera, goddammit, stop!" she shrieked.

The princess had reached the end of the corridor and had decided to stop. She hadn't even begun to allow her breath to catch up to her. Yana strolled up to her and stood there. She doubted she would have stopped if it had been her own mother shouting, but she felt compelled to do so for Yana.

"I gather your mother spoke to you," Yana said. Hurt displayed in Cera's misty green eyes. "I asked her to talk to you. She was hurting and she told me everything. She was trying to protect you."

"You agree with her?" said Cera, her breath quickening.

"Did I say that?" she combatted. "She shouldn't have coddled you all your life, but I'm not in a place to say that to your mother, Cera. She's still my superior."

Cera wiped the stray tear on her cheek. "She gave my brother and sister everything, but she didn't do the same for me. I didn't realize that until...just now."

Yana smiled softly. "You proved her wrong, and that's eating at her. I haven't known your mother for a long time, but she's done so much for the empire to protect you and your family. She does love you. You know that's true, don't you?"

Cera nodded.

Yana grabbed her hands. "And that's why you're going back to Pannonia with her. Mirac and Emese will be going, as well. She's going to train you to lead an army."

Cera's eyes widened, and she shook her head. She was so caught up in her own wrath that she hadn't given her mother a chance to finish her conversation earlier. Was this the point of the discussion? She was hesitant to return to her motherland and abandon her tribe. There was a mountain of work waiting for her. The last thing she wanted was to embarrass herself in front of her troops and return home to her mother.

"This is a good thing, Cera. I've already packed your things for tomorrow's trip." She felt Cera resisting and she tightened her grip. "You're going."

Elam, Persia

When Arielle finally opened her eyes, she was relieved to see friendly faces all around. She had been unconscious for two days and could not recall how she had returned to Elam. But she was happy to be home again. Her grandmother stayed by her side, but as soon as she woke up, Xena left to visit with Adarmahan. It had come down to just her and Gabrielle.

She sat up in bed and lapped up the warm broth. She yearned for solid foods, but the broth was doing its job after days of an upset stomach. She listened as Gabrielle explained what had occurred and how she had been rescued from the woods. To her dismay, she had no recollection of any of it. Nonetheless, she distinctly recalled that she had hurt her leg and arm during the escape. The occasional twinge of discomfort was a cruel reminder of her clumsiness.

"Khosrow made a peace treaty with Justin and Sophia," she said, her lip curling inward. "I was...so angry that I felt sick and left the palace. Then my entire caravan was attacked. Those must've been the rebels you mentioned."

Gabrielle affirmed her question with a head nod. "Xena is working with Adarmahan to figure out what's going on. I don't want to bombard you with questions but...," she paused. "I have questions."

Arielle smiled. "I'm all ears."

"I found a journal full of expenses spent over the last year. Everything was signed off by you." she debated whether or not to tell her that Farah looked at the journal illegally. "I...found that all the expenses were put into a treasury here in Elam. The money isn't being spent on war or supplies, so I was wondering what it's being spent on."

Arielle crinkled her nose. "Do you know how many documents I sign daily, Gabrielle? I'm going to need to see this journal."

She was fortunate to have the journal on hand. She was astute enough to remove every single page of Farah's notes. In the midst of her reading, Arielle made a few unsettling expressions and flipped through the pages. Gabrielle hoped it would be simple to explain the costs, but Arielle's shifting expressions made her uncomfortable.

"Where did you get this?"

"The archive library."

Arielle lifted her eyes. "And why do you have it?"

"Ah, for the investigation in the spy division," Gabrielle explained. "Is there something wrong?"

"Yes," murmured Arielle. She clapped the journal shut and smoothed her hand over the leather. "I didn't authorize any of these payments."

"Your grandmother had a feeling that was the case," Gabrielle muttered. "Could you give me a list of everyone who's in charge of the treasury?"

Arielle tossed the journal to the other side of the bed. "Khosrow's treasurer is in charge. He collects my documents and sends them to Estakhr to be approved."

"And what's the treasurer's name?" Gabrielle opened her journal, ready to write some notes.

"Zal Pasha."

"Zal...Pasha," she repeated, scribbling down the name. "Do you know how often he comes here?"

Arielle groaned, rubbing her head. "I don't know! Xerxes is in charge of that."

Gabrielle closed her journal. "I'll ask him when he comes back. I'm sorry for asking you all these questions. I know you need to rest."

"It's fine. Sorry I snapped at you."

"I'm here to help. Don't worry, we'll sort this out." She smiled, grabbing Arielle's hand.

When Nousha cracked the door open and peered inside, she attracted immediate attention. She entered, her hand still firmly grasping the door's handle. "I hope you're feeling better."

"I am," said Arielle. Then she heard a cluster of giggling and raised a questioning brow. "What is that?"

Nousha apologetically grinned. "The girls want to see you. I've held them off as long as I could."

With a wave of her hand, Arielle sat up and signaled for Nousha to open the door. Her three daughters hurriedly entered the room. Aurora perched herself on the edge of the bed as Boran and Abbaseh jumped onto it. With a bright grin, Arielle encircled her two youngest children in an embrace and extended a hand to Aurora in a warm greeting.

Gabrielle gathered the journals and slowly backed away. "I'll come back later."

Boran inspected the bandages critically. "What happened to your arm?" she asked, looking up at her mother.

"Just a few scratches."

Aurora grimaced. "Is it really just scratches?"

Arielle's eyes flared, and her daughter frowned, signaling that she should stop asking questions. She knew Aurora knew more than she should have, but now that Boran and Abbaseh were present, she couldn't risk them learning how severely she had been hurt.

"Did you get into a fight?" asked Abbaseh.

"Yeah, mom, did you?" Aurora said, her voice laced with pestering annoyance.

She would make sure that her daughter be checked on her tone later. "I fell, that's all. Nothing to be worried about. Anyway, tell me what you three have been up to."

Adarmahan slapped his hand on a map and pointed to the districts he monitored regularly. "I have sent spies to the eastern and western districts. We've been tracking these rebels for a year," he explained.

Xena rubbed her chin, and pointed to Estakhr; the source of all their problems lately. "You say that the rebels want to dethrone Khosrow. Are these people connected to an older Shah? Perhaps Hormizd or Peroz?"

He eyed her questionably. "You sure know your history, Khanum."

She ghosted a sly smile. "I've lived through the reign of five Shahs—six if you count Khosrow. Kings don't seem to live that long around here."

He chuckled. "You're showing your age."

Xena shrugged, smiling at him. She drew her attention back to the map and asked, "So, how many spies have you got in these districts? Persia's a big area to cover."

"Not many. I have four groups of ten men in each district. I want to make sure nobody can trace us back to Khosrow."

"And what about the Gokturks? Why were you so concerned about them being in Elam?"

He frowned. "I don't trust them. I also wanted to see if I could trust you when I was asked to work with you and the Governor."

Xena arched an eyebrow. "At least you're honest."

"The Gokturks and Huns have familial ties. Queen Yeter married one of Attila's grandsons."

"If you're worried about Oran turning against us, you're barking up the wrong tree, Adarmahan. Oran is trustworthy. Yeter is basically worthless as a ruler now, and she's our prisoner. She just wants to be with her children and that's all I can offer her."

He acknowledged the situation with a nod of his head. But he didn't want to completely alienate the Gokturks. His immediate attention had to be on the rebels; deposing Issik, the young prince, would have to wait.

Gabrielle walked into the room and dropped the expense journal on the table. "Arielle's feeling a lot better now. The girls are with her."

That news was a relief and Xena finally felt she could breathe steadily again.

"We have another problem," she stated, before eyeing Adarmahan. "Arielle...didn't authorize any of the payments in the expense journal. I asked her to look at it."

Xena slammed her fist down. "Did she say what the payments were for?"

Gabrielle shook her head.

Adarmahan grabbed the journal and started reading through it. He had the best linguistic reading ability of the three people in the room. Although he was never particularly good at math or bookkeeping, he should be able to figure out what the issue was. He read on, and saw that large sums of money had been recorded as having been deposited in Elam and Estakhr.

"This is supposed to be authorized by the Shah," he said.

Gabrielle piped in, "Yes, Arielle mentioned Zal Pasha is in charge of the treasury."

"The Shah's seal is a forgery. This money isn't for the good of Persia."

Xena rolled her eyes. "I wish I could say I'm surprised," she mumbled. "What does this mean?"

He closed the journal and handed it to Gabrielle. "Keep that in a safe place. Nobody should have access to it."

She stuffed the journal back into her satchel. "I could send it back to Pannonia? Farah will make sure it's safe."

"Good. Do that," he affirmed with a brisk nod. "In the meantime, I'd like to question all the staff in the palace."

Xena's eyes illuminated. "I could help with that."

"It's best I do this alone, Khanum. You will draw too much attention," he said, much to her disappointment. "I've heard you're quite the interrogator. Perhaps, I could take some notes from you," he added.

While a smile crept on Xena's lips, Gabrielle interrupted. "What would you like us to do? We're a team now."

His eyes darted from left to right, staring at the two. "You two have far more experience than me when it comes to warfare. How would you like to be in charge of my western spy division? It would take a load off me and I could focus on Elam and Estakhr."

Xena and Gabrielle exchanged large grins.

"We'll do it," said Gabrielle. "You can count on us."

Black Sea: Border of Byzantium and Pannonia

When Navaz awoke, a soldier was yelling at him from outside his tent. He quickly got out of bed, dressed, and left the tent. To have the camp attacked was the one thing he hadn't counted on. At first light, dozens of Byzantine soldiers rushed into the camp and began attacking the campsite.

He had to act quickly, so he gave orders to his best soldiers to guard the food and supplies. He bolted to the front lines and observed Edemen fighting like a rookie next to the other soldiers. He muttered an expletive and reached for his bow, leaving his horse behind. Navaz drew his bow tightly and let loose two arrows at the Byzantines, who were about to ram their swords into Edemen's back.

A fire broke out in the distance, and soon several tents were engulfed in flames. Several groups of Huns dispersed across the field in an effort to extinguish the brush fires before they could spread further. Navaz pranced across the battlefield while ordering his men to ignore the ablaze tents and concentrate on the Byzantines.

"I need archers!" he yelled.

Soon after assembling their team of archers, they unleashed a barrage of arrows upon the battlefield. Navaz distanced himself, yelling orders. Although he did his best to maintain composure and direct his attention to the fight, half of the camp was already in flames and more Byzantines kept storming in. While doing so, he also kept an eye on Edemen, who was fighting the Byzantines with two swords.

After turning to block an attack, Edemen stabbed a Byzantine in the chest with his sword. He dropped to one knee, panting heavily, unable to do anything but watch as a horseman rode straight for him. A spear struck his jaw as he raised his head, sending him sprawling two feet backward.

The throbbing pain in his head caused him to groan as he lay on the ground. Everything was muffled and his ears rang with a horrible white noise tune. The mounted warrior made a complete turn and charged back, whirling his spear around until its point was aimed squarely at the immobilized prince. Once Edemen noticed the shadow above him, he rolled out of the way, but not fast enough.

The spear sank into Edemen's open palm, and he screamed in pain. From his open wound, blood gushed out and soaked the grass. The prince's eyes welled up with tears. To keep from screaming, Edemen bit his tongue as the Byzantine soldier yanked the spear from his hand. He opened his eyes wide with a gasp, convinced that the end of his life was coming faster than he could blink.

Blink.

The Byzantine soldier's chest was slashed open, and he sputtered in pain. Edemen's jaw dropped as he saw the soldier tumble off the horse and land heavily on the grass below.

"Edemen, get up, we're retreating," said Navaz.

Turning around, the prince was relieved to finally see the king's face. With a grin, he grabbed Navaz's hand and climbed onto the horse.

Pannonia

Princess Aracsilla pranced around the weavers' market, running in between women, girls, boys, and men, weaving large carpets and rugs. Since both of her parents were busy with their own tasks lately, and her brothers were studying all the time, she was told to stay with Öza.

Over the last few weeks, Aracsilla had grown to really like Öza. It was a nice change to be around another person other than her mother and siblings. For the most part, Öza seemed comfortable living in the tribe and she was able to learn new things quickly. Once Farah learned this valuable skill, she immediately put Öza to work. In the market, she learned how to make rugs and tapestries, and sew patches onto armor.

All of the seamstresses and weavers smiled at Aracsilla as she ran by them, pretending to inspect their work. She often copied her mother's behavior, though facetiously. Everyone kindly played along and allowed the princess to critique their work. They also were slightly obligated to keep an eye on her, knowing she was one of Csaba and Farah's children.

Aracsilla skipped over to Öza's station, where she was weaving a large tapestry on a loom. "Very lovely," she said, rubbing her chin pensively. "I like it. What're you going to do with it?"

Öza smiled. "Your mother asked me to make a tapestry to hang inside the Adame."

"We got so many of those already," Aracsilla huffed. "When are you gonna sword spar with me? I'd really like someone to practice with!"

"Hmm, I don't think your mother would approve of that."

"She's not in charge of you!"

"She kind of is, princess."

Aracsilla flipped her auburn hair over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. "You gotta stop calling me that. Just call me Aracsilla. 'Sides, you'll be a princess soon anyway."

Öza arched an eyebrow at the comment. She didn't know exactly what Aracsilla meant by that. She made a huge assumption that Queen Farah may have been talking to King Csaba about possibly marrying her off to Edemen. That was the only logical explanation she could think of in regard to Aracsilla's comment. But, still, she shouldn't get ahead of herself. Edemen was a prince and she was a simple commoner. If she was to marry him, surely, she would've heard about it by now. And she wasn't brave enough to ask Aracsilla to elaborate on that, as it wasn't her place.

Near the front entrance of the tribe, the soldiers blasted their horns, which caused quite a ruckus among the people. Everyone began leaving their workstations to see what the commotion was up ahead. Öza stood up and saw the Hun army riding in. She gently pushed her way through the crowd and spotted Edemen riding alongside King Navaz.

Her heart palpitated at the sight of him. She smiled, happy to see he was alive and well. Yet, by his stern expression and several bandages around his arm and hand, she knew something was wrong. Everyone in the tribe also noticed and they began talking amongst themselves, worried for their prince.

When Farah and Csaba emerged from the Adame, Öza immediately hid in the crowd. She didn't want to appear overly eager to see Edemen. After all, she was used to blending in. Edemen dismounted and greeted his parents. As they continued to converse, Öza knew she wouldn't be able to see him and she slowly retreated back to her workstation.

The crowd was bustling with questions and Öza busied herself by working on the tapestry. As she pushed the wooden panel down and crossed over a few strands of yarn in the tedious pattern, she heard Princess Aracsilla yelling at her from afar.

"Öza, Öza!" she shouted. She hopped in front of the loom, grabbing Öza's wrist. "What're you doing over here? My brother's home."

Trying to seem disinterested, she merely smiled. "I saw," she said.

"And you're still here? My mom wants you to come to the Adame."

"What do you mean they just attacked the camp? Do you know how much money was spent on those supplies!" Farah shrieked.

Navaz was prepared for the queen's temper and calmly replied. "I thought it was best to leave and come back to Pannonia. There was no point in trying to save the food and supplies."

"Not only were you incapable of keeping the camp safe, but my son was nearly killed because of your negligence!"

Edemen gasped. "Mother! How could you say that? He saved me and many other soldiers from being killed."

"It's alright, I can handle her," whispered Navaz. "It's been hard for you to keep things afloat without Anastasia. I know that. When she gets back from Persia, I'm sure your duties will lessen. But as of now, you are in charge, Farah. I won't be spoken to like a common soldier. This attack is going to set us back financially, but that's better than losing an entire army."

He turned to Csaba. "Go make sure the wounded are cared for, and send scouts to guard the borders. I doubt the Byzantines will come here, but we'll need to be on high alert."

Csaba nodded and grimaced at his wife, then hurried off. Farah's cheeks puffed red, still seething over the aftermath of the skirmish. She also didn't like being told off in front of everybody. Her sole focus was on how much debt this empire was in due to other people's mistakes and mishaps.

Öza walked into the foyer, holding onto Aracsilla's hand. Her eyes went immediately to Edemen, and she grinned unconsciously. She completely ignored everyone else in the room, which drew attention. Everyone turned around to look at her, and Edemen caught her dewy eyes and bright smile.

He ran over to her and kissed the top of her hand.

Farah let her mouth hang open. She, deep down, knew that her son really liked Öza, but she didn't think he was going to show his affection so openly. She also noticed Öza rather enjoyed the exchange.

Navaz chuckled, amused by her reaction. "Those two have been inseparable for months," he whispered.

Elam, Persia

Many times, she had gone up against the Persians. Not once did she think she would be working with them or even have familial ties. As someone who fought against the Sassanians many times, Xena realized that she couldn't hold a grudge against these people. They were tied to the Hunnic people, not necessarily by choice, and they haven't yet figured out how to work together.

Gabrielle smacked down the map of the western district, Arsacia. "This is a pretty large territory to cover!" she said. "I say you and me go out and explore Arsacia. It'll take us about a week to travel to each corner. Just the two of us! When was the last time we scouted a new area together? Five years? Seven?"

Xena wanted to go, and she didn't want her spouse to think that she wasn't interested. In fact, she was more than interested. But the thought of taking down an entire secret group of assassins wasn't her expertise. She hadn't ever done something like this before as she wasn't used to working in the shadows. Her way of accomplishing things didn't matter here.

"Hey, I thought you would be excited?" said Gabrielle, lacing their fingers together.

"I am," she muttered.

"Could've fooled me."

She glanced at the intimidating map. "I want to go with you. I love scouting, especially with you." she gave Gabrielle's hand a gentle squeeze. "But I feel out of my element here. All my life, I've fought these people. I never knew how they operated from within. Everybody stabs each other in the back. We might be in over our heads with this, Gabrielle."

"Stab each other in the back..." Gabrielle mumbled.

In a hurry, Gabrielle ran over to the shelf where the archives were held. She pulled out several journals until she found the right one she was looking for. She flipped through the pages, furiously skimming over the words.

"What are you doing?" Xena asked, impatiently tapping her foot.

Gabrielle returned to the table with the journal. Her eyes scanned the map of the western district, Arsacia. With a big grin, she jabbed a particular region of the district with her finger.

"There!" she shouted. "The House of Mihran, and the House of Spandiyadh. They're located in Arsacia, and that's the closest district to Estakhr. Maybe the rebels are connected to those families."

Xena arched a suspicious eyebrow. "Wouldn't Adarmahan have already ruled them out?"

"Fresh eyes wouldn't hurt to take a second look."

"Well, it's a start."

Arielle managed to hobble around the lower levels of the palace. She was tired of listening to the maids begging her to get back into bed. She knew she was capable of walking around on her own. There were things to be done, and duties to be carried out, and Arielle couldn't waste another day lying in bed.

Once inside the meeting room, she seated herself on the dais. When she hurt her leg, she had to rest it by letting her legs dangle off the dais. The uncomfortable seating situation was necessary if she was going to learn anything about Adarmahan and the spy division.

Gabrielle was very helpful in explaining what had happened. While listening, however, Arielle noticed flaws in the reasoning behind sending troops to certain areas and the explanations given.

"And what's the reason for sending soldiers to Babylon and Anosbord?" asked Arielle, raising a questioning brow.

Xena felt responsible to answer, even though she was going to regret it. "I sent soldiers to investigate Anosbord because...Yeter admitted she was passing messages to Issik from a Persian soldier." She took a long pause, meeting Arielle's furious gaze. "And I sent someone to follow Bawi and Shapur to Babylon because I don't trust them."

Arielle murmured a chuckle. "You lied to me in the report," she said, glaring at Gabrielle.

"Well, we didn't lie," Xena alleged. "We just left some parts out."

"I asked you two about the interrogation with Yeter and you lied!"

"Yes!" Gabrielle barked. "Yes, we lied. It doesn't change the fact that Yeter was communicating with Issik while imprisoned and it doesn't change that soldiers are in Anosbord either."

Arielle waved away the impending fight with a flick of her wrist. There would be another time for this talk, but right now she just didn't have the mental or physical capacity for it.

"When there's more information about the traitors in Anosbord, I want to know. Since I trust you two, I won't ask for small details. In fact, don't even tell me anything until you've found something."

Gabrielle smiled. "We can definitely do that."

"Hmph. And what about Bawi and Shapur? Why don't you trust them?"

Xena spoke up. "I heard that they were going to Babylon to meet someone. They also said they weren't going to help the Assyrians as they promised."

"You heard? Where did you hear this from?"

"From...a reliable source."

Arielle tapped her fingers quickly. "This is no time for secrets. Come on, spill." She then heard Gabrielle snuffling. "What's so funny?"

Xena groaned. "It was Abbaseh. She told me."

Arielle paused, her lip twitching upward. "Abbaseh. My five-year-old daughter? That's who you're getting this from?"

"It's not what you think, Arielle. She overheard them talking and she came running to me. Gabrielle was there. She can tell you. Go on, tell her." she nudged her wife.

Gabrielle visibly winced. "It's true. I was there."

"I don't want my daughter involved in this. These people are her family."

"It's not like I asked her to spy on them," Xena snapped back. "Just let us do our job and we'll update you if we find anything useful."

Arielle had to make a decision that she didn't particularly like in order to find a middle ground. It was probably for the best that she didn't know every specific detail of each mission. She already had too much on her plate, and there was still a lot to do. Fortunately for her and the other attendees, the meeting was automatically adjourned when a guard entered the room.

"Shehzade Xerxes says that he has returned safely from the Nezak region," the soldier relayed.

"Good. Is my mother okay?" asked Arielle.

"Yes, Khagana, she and the Nezak clan are safe and well."

"Nezak clan?" Arielle looked at the guard suspiciously. "Who else is here?"

Seeing her sister again after a long absence was a welcome surprise for Arielle. It was widely known that Cera had ignored her sister's letters. Given that Anastasia had trouble getting Cera to answer her questions about Arielle, she had reason to suspect as much.

In the evening, after everyone had settled in, they all sat down to a communal meal. When nobody was bothering Cera any longer, the atmosphere relaxed. A few hours later, when the main dinner was over, everyone dispersed into smaller groups for more intimate discussions. Arielle bombarded Cera with questions. It was the rare occasion when everyone got to see Arielle happy. She wouldn't shut up about her little sister, constantly asking her questions and demanding explanations.

Mirac sat next to Xerxes, engrossed in their conversation about the war, the Gokturks, and the politics of their respective tribes. Emese had been looking forward to seeing her cousins for a long time, and they were off exploring the palace together. Anastasia, her mother, and Gabrielle sat together in the room's quietest nook.

"Wow. I can't believe Cera was acting like that," Gabrielle muttered. "And I can't believe she is going back to Pannonia."

Anastasia sighed, picking at her nailbeds. "She's been difficult the whole time."

Gabrielle offered a consoling hand to her. "It's very kind of Yana to watch over the tribe."

"It is," Ana said, smiling. "She reminds me of Kreka, a little bit. Wouldn't you say so, mother?"

Hearing that name took Xena back to a different era every time. Things that had happened to her throughout her life were all vividly recalled by her. No doubt about it, Kreka played a significant role in those momentous occurrences. Their once-hostile relationship evolved into something more bearable. Xena appreciated that a lot.

She gave a reminiscent smile, flashbacks flooding from her memories. "Yeah. A little bit."

"You shouldn't have mentioned that name, Ana. Now she's going to have a ghostly visit," Gabrielle mocked, rolling her eyes.

"I think we've reached an understanding. Me and Kreka," Xena said, playing along with her wife's jesting.

"Really? You two have conversations in your dreams?" she arched an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Maybe we do."

Anastasia took a swig of wine and laughed off the jokes. Although she enjoyed her mother's playful banter with Gabrielle and the constant chatter, she was heartbroken. After she told her truths and her guilt to Cera, she was unable to take pleasure in anything.

Xena's mirthless playtime with Gabrielle's arm abruptly came to an end when she saw her daughter's smile fade. At that point, her smile vanished along with the pain in her arm from the punch.

"Anastasia, what's the matter?" she asked.

Suddenly, Gabrielle caught on and her smile wilted. She scooted closer, and grabbed Ana's thigh.

Tears ran down her cheeks as she spoke. "I told her everything."

Gabrielle looked on, helplessly. She didn't know exactly what Ana meant by that but now wasn't the time to ask for clarification. Instead, she just listened.

Xena asked, "How did she take it?"

Anastasia shook her head and stuttered as she searched for the right words to express how she felt. As her eyes welled up with tears, her red cheeks spoke volumes. As she scanned the room, eyes turned to follow her.

She wiped her eyes and stood up abruptly, though she barely kept her balance. "I'm...going to rest for a bit," she announced quietly, then briskly walked away.

Xena's fingertips grazed her daughter's as she swiftly passed by. "You know where to find me if you need me," she whispered.

"Mother!" Arielle shouted. "Mom!" she looked around, examining the concerned faces. "Where's she going? Is she alright?"

"She's tired from the trip," said Xena, flashing a smile.

Xena got up the next morning before anyone else in the house. She strode confidently down the corridor in the direction of the guest rooms. Outside the door, she gathered her composure in anticipation of a cool exchange. After everyone's long trip from Kazakhstan, there was no way she could have pulled this off last night.

She rapped loudly on the door. To her relief, she didn't have to wait long before someone opened the door: a young princess. Xena gave Emese, who seemed to have been up for some time, a pleasant smile.

"Good morning."

Emese grinned, and fixed her messy hair. "Morning! What're you doing up so early?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I like to be awake before everyone else." Xena winked.

"Me too! I love mornings! And I love breakfast. Do you want to join us?"

Xena looked over the princess' head. "Your mother is awake?"

Emese joyfully announced Xena's arrival to her mom with a loud shout. A grin formed on her face as she whirled around. Xena mimicked the princess until Cera appeared in the doorway. Cera cut Emese off and told her to go back to eating before she could say anything else.

After staring blankly at her grandmother for a few moments, Cera walked out and closed the door.

Xena arched her eyebrow. "You didn't come say hello," she said bluntly, and then a smile snuck its way in.

Cera smiled with her and gave her grandmother a comforting hug. She hugged her even more tightly as tears began to fall. It wasn't until she was reunited with her loved ones that she realized how much she missed them.

"She told you everything, huh?"

Cera frowned and pulled away from the embrace.

"That's been on her mind for a while," said Xena. "I know what she said hurt you, Cera."

With a grimace, Cera folded her arms, and glared at the wall.

Xena brushed strands of hair behind Cera's ear. "You used to be such a talkative child." She weaved her fingers through Cera's hair. "Always curious about the little details. Always asking questions about things you weren't supposed to know at a young age. Always wanting to help everyone but yourself," she said, looking into Cera's teary eyes.

"That's a part of you that your mother will never see again."

Cera's gaze slowly drifted, staring into her eyes.

"She blames herself for what happened to you. She always has."

"But it wasn't her fault."

Xena nodded. "I know. She shouldn't have treated you differently than your brother and sister. But she did."

Cera cinched her eyebrows. "Why didn't you do something?"

Xena took a hard swallow. "You're right. I should've done more. I'm sorry." she brought Cera in for a hug and pressed their bodies close. When she pulled away, she smiled and tucked hair behind Cera's ear.

"I hear you're training to be a commander. It's a shame I can't train you myself," she said, pinching Cera's cheek.

Cera giggled. "You can give mother some tips."

"I might take you up on that." Her hand slid down Cera's arm. "I won't be going back to Pannonia with you and your mother."

"Why not?"

She had an inkling that what she was about to say would wound Cera even further. She had devoted much of her time over the previous two decades to aiding Arielle for a number of reasons. That said, things were different this time around.

"I have to stay here...to help Arielle."

The response confirmed her expectations. Cera's furrowed brow and clenched fist indicated that she was frustrated.

"I asked Gabrielle to tell your mother that we wouldn't be coming home." She grasped Cera's shoulder, firmly. "If I don't stay, a lot of people might die. One of those people is Arielle."

"She chose to marry a Persian Prince and she didn't think about the consequences," said Cera. "All of the bad things that have happened are because of Arielle. She roped us into the Sassanian Empire and ever since then we've had nothing but problems!" she clapped her hands together.

Xena sighed heavily. "There is a lot that you don't know, Cera. What's happening right now isn't Arielle's fault. This affects all of us."

This response had no effect whatsoever on calming Cera down at all. She turned around and saw a vase perched atop a pedestal, so she reached behind her and knocked it off its perch.

Xena stood in awe as she observed the shattered vase. The action verified everything Anastasia had said about Cera's recent rage. Her gaze narrowed as she grabbed Cera by the wrists and held on tightly. She was surprised to find herself reprimanding her youngest grandchild, a normally well-behaved person.

"You stop it," she snarled. "You can't act impulsively like that when you get angry, especially if you're commanding an army. I was like that and I learned many hard lessons," she said, her tone softened.

Mirac swung open the door and stepped out into the hallway. "What happened? I heard a crash." He looked down at the shattered vase and immediately eyed his wife. "Is everything alright out here?"

"All good," Xena said. "Behave yourself. I think you'll make a fantastic commander" she whispered in Cera's ear.

She slowly backed away while signing, 'I love you,' and a smile spread across Cera's face.

A smile twitched onto Mirac's lips. His face flushed, he looked down until he heard Xena's footsteps, and then he looked up. When he saw his wife, he walked over and took her hand.

"I'll find someone to clean that up," he said, gesturing to the broken vase.

She stepped back and raised her hand. "No, I will do it. I made the mess."

Aleppo, Assyria

Ever since Justinian attempted to attack northern Assyria, many people moved further south. Ku-Ilm found it difficult to come back to a place she didn't call home. Her family and friends migrated from Harran to Aleppo years ago. It was the first time she was able to visit a new place that her family called home.

It had been nearly six months since she had moved in with her family and friends, but she still didn't feel at ease there. Aleppo was more hectic, with noise and activity even in the city's quieter neighborhoods. She was surrounded by wonderful people, but she longed to be with Arielle and her daughters.

Before leaving for Persia, Ku-Ilm said she would sell the tapestries she made with her cousin. They loaded up a wagon with dozens of tapestries and walked to the market to deliver them to the appropriate dealer. They showed the merchant their finest tapestries for display and promptly unpacked them upon arrival.

With a brush, Sarah removed grime from one of the red tapestries. She cast a glance at her cousin, who was very intently sorting the tapestries by color. Sarah got up from the stool and folded her arms at her side as she stood next to Ku.

"Are you really going back to Persia to be a nanny again?"

Ku lifted her eyes and frowned. "I'm not a nanny."

"You take care of three children, and you're a queen's personal assistant. You also get paid. Sounds like a nanny to me."

Ku jumped up and put her hands on her hips. "You're making it sound like I have a stupid job. I like taking care of them, and I do get paid, but it isn't how you make it sound."

"So, you just enjoy doting on other people?"

"They're my family! I love Arielle!" she spat.

Sarah's eyes widened.

Ku's cheeks colored. "I love Arielle and her family. I've been with them for a long time. Can we drop this?"

Sarah shrugged. "Everyone in the family is asking why you aren't married yet. Are you going to serve those Huns forever? They aren't like us. They're pagans."

"Sarah, I said drop it."

Ku kept at it until the tapestries were neatly displayed and ready for purchase. She stood near the vendor's booth for a while, and conversations broke out amongst the small groups of onlookers. Seeing the commotion behind her, she turned around. Her eyes swept the road ahead and caught sight of two men and a veiled woman. Ku assumed that the woman was of Persian descent based on her clothing. Based on the weight of her garments and the number of bracelets she wore, it was clear that the veiled woman was a member of the Persian royal family.

The veiled woman was taken to a nearby jeweler by two soldiers. So that he wouldn't draw attention to herself, Ku tiptoed past the onlookers. Sarah pursued her and made frantic overtures to bring her back to the fabric vendor booth.

Yet Ku persisted, and soon found herself standing next to the Persian woman. The trader treated the woman with great respect, calling her 'Shehzada.' Ku pretended to look at the jewelry while secretly smiling. As the other woman was about to leave the stand, she moved closer to her.

She felt comfortable enough with her Persian language skills from her time in Elam that she decided to use them. "Shehzada Esther, I'm the Khagana's chambermaid, Ku-Ilm," she whispered.

Esther scowled at the soldiers following her and ignored them. She spoke softly as she placed her hand on top of Ku-Ilm's. "Did Arielle send you here to follow me?"

Ku frowned. "No, your highness. My family lives here."

"You should leave this place," she pleaded. "You need to get out of here."

"What?" Ku gawped. "Are you in trouble, Shehzada? Why do I need to leave?"

Esther squeezed her hand tightly. "Go to Elam. Tell Arielle that the plans have changed. This place isn't safe for you or your family."

"Shehzada, we must keep moving," Bawi announced from afar.

She looked into Ku's eyes. "Leave as quickly as you can. Please tell Arielle."

Ku silently nodded. She had yet to process the urgency in the Shehzada's voice. Whatever was going on, she was obviously concerned about it. She stayed to examine the jewels until Esther and the group moved on down the road, deeper into the market. Ku looked disapprovingly at the Persian troops. Persia, as far as she was aware, was an Assyrian ally.

Sarah caught up with her cousin, completely out of breath. "Why did you run off like that, huh?" she asked, heaving. "Did you know that woman?"

"I—I have to get to Elam," Ku said, hastening down the road.

Sarah scoffed and chased after her. "Wait, you still have a couple of weeks left here! Ku, stop!" she grabbed her arm, pulling her back. "What happened? What did that woman say to you? Ku, answer me!"

Ku growled and pulled her cousin aside. "That woman is Shehzada Esther," she hissed. "She told me Aleppo isn't safe."

"Wh—why would she tell you something like that?"

"I don't know, but I'm not going to stay here if something bad is going to happen. You should take the family to Pannonia. They'll be safe there. I need to go to Elam."

Sarah laughed nervously. "Ku, wait, this is a bit rash, even for you. I'm not going to uproot our family again."

"Sarah, I need you to trust me. Take everyone to Pannonia." She grasped her cousin's shoulders. "Do you hear me?"

"I got it. Take them to Pannonia. Yes."

Ku kissed her cousin on the cheek. "Leave as soon as possible! I'm going to pack for Elam." She turned on her heel, smiling from ear to ear, and briskly walked through the crowded street.

"What about the tapestries?!"