Chapter Seven: Hidden in Plain Sight

Another strange city in another strange place. Varinia learned so much from traveling across the channel towards Edirne. First, she thought of how much different Edirne was from Abydos. For one, everyone looked different here, and it was a landlocked city, which meant there weren't hundreds of merchants everywhere. She had yet to see any type of market since she arrived.

She hoped later to explore the city some more, but she had one mission: to speak with Xena. If only she could get around the city without sounding like a lost girl. But for now, she stayed in this woman's home, which was very nice. The villa was large, had two floors, several rooms, and plenty of servants. There must have been one on every corner of every hallway.

Just arriving last night, Varinia was so exhausted she immediately fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillows. In the morning, she was bombarded with several servants that came into her room. She was told to take a bath and wash her hair, although the women insisted on doing it for her, which she didn't object to.

After the intensity of the morning bathing experience, Varinia walked down the long staircase, wearing a dress that was probably more worth more than a month's earnings back home. She pulled the collar down on her chest and scratched her arms, not accustomed to the long sleeves.

She paused at the bottom of the stairs, watching several chests being carried from one side of the villa to another. She crinkled her eyebrows and then heard that woman's voice. Oh, her voice. It was so loud, and it was so early.

Eylül rounded the corner and smiled at the Syrian. "Look at you," she walked around Varinia, inspecting the burgundy dress. "Very nice, and what gorgeous hair you have!"

Varinia's cheeks tinged pink, and she touched her curls, twisting them around her wrist. Eylül began talking and walking away, and that was Varinia's cue to follow. She sprinted across the villa, trailing behind, and Eylül spun around, bumping into Varinia.

"Must you be so close?"

"I'm sorry," Varinia mumbled with a sheepish smile. "Listen, ah, Miss Eylel."

"It's Eylül."

Trying to uncinate, Varinia rolled her tongue, "Ey…lool."

"Eylül," she repeated. Before the girl could speak again, she rolled her eyes, flicking her wrist. "Just never mind. What was it that you were going to say?"

"I…really appreciate you bringing me to Edirne, but I need to find Xena's home. I would like to speak to her."

Just then, Bastillia laughed, "she doesn't speak to just anyone. Why do you want to speak to her so badly? Are you related to her?"

"No…I…"

"Then you can write her a letter. I'm sure she'll respond to you, or she'll most likely send Erva to speak to you."

Varinia scrunched her nose with a distorted expression, "Erva? Who is she?"

"She handles everything for Xena. You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say Erva is Xena herself. I've never seen or met Xena before, and I've lived in Edirne for most of my life!" she said, turning and walked off, snapping her fingers at the men carrying the chests.

Varinia tapped her cheek, thinking this entire situation was incredibly odd. She knew that people in Abydos were reluctant to talk about Xena or even say her name, but here this woman said that she'd never even seen Xena before. Varinia didn't know whether to believe Eylül or not. She hadn't known her for very long, and she was smart enough to know not to trust someone she barely knew.

A couple of men whistled at her, and she took a step back, allowing the men to pass. Varinia, paying no mind to the men or Eylül's voice from afar, watched the heavy chests pass by her. She made her way back to the stairs and then whipped her head around. Her eyes immediately fixated on the emblem on top of the chests.

She thought she saw things, and then as two more chests were carried by her, she knew she wasn't crazy. She recognized that emblem all too well. It was Roman. That made sense. She thought of the Roman ship that was docked at the port.

Varinia narrowed her eyes, staring at Bastillia, signing a few papers to relinquish the chests to her. Varinia wiped the scornful expression from her face as soon as Eylül approached. She put on a smile, suddenly very wary.

"I'd like you to stay for a party I'm hosting next week. I'll take you to buy fabric for a dress."

Gabrielle stood in silence for much longer than she wanted to. She held the folded parchment in her hand, turning it around with her fingers, while those piercing blue eyes burned right through her flesh. She could feel beads of sweat dripping down her lower back.

"You don't have to be embarrassed."

Xena clicked her nails together and said smoothly, "nobody said I was embarrassed."

"Well…you're not saying anything, so if you're not embarrassed, then you must be angry." Gabrielle grinned, trying to lighten the mood, which was ultimately failing by the second.

Suddenly, a question that Gabrielle did not expect was asked.

"How did you know?"

This was it. This was the moment where she could expose Erva. But if she did that, then she'd probably have an even worse relationship with that woman than she did already. And if she kept it a secret, that would just be enabling the entire relationship between them. Or, maybe Xena would get mad at Erva. Any scenario Gabrielle could think of, she was at the back end.

"It…wasn't hard to figure out," she admitted. "I realized something was off when you wouldn't read any of the messages. Plus, Erva writes everything for you."

As if to hide, Xena turned her cheek, continuing to pick at her wound.

Gabrielle approached with caution and sat on the bed. "I can teach you. I taught myself how to read and write when I came to Rome. It's not so hard."

She inched closer and noticed Xena stop picking at the chest wound.

"How come Erva didn't teach you?"

"It was easier for her to do all the work."

Another unexpected response, and quick too, but Gabrielle was not surprised. Erva did more than wield a sword and clean linens. Xena relies far too much on Erva for every little thing, even when it comes to picking out clothes. This woman is feared by many, but Gabrielle could see right through Xena at times. This woman was probably fearsome when she needed to be, but she probably feared herself most of all.

"We can read this together," Gabrielle suggested, lifting the message. "Do you trust me?"

Xena locked eyes, then drifted her gaze to the note. She held her breath when Gabrielle unfolded the letter bit by bit. Something inside her wanted to snatch the note and crumple it up, but she withheld and allowed Gabrielle to read the letter with her, copying the pronunciation exactly. As they went through each letter, Xena recognized what was being said aloud, and the mention of Xian's name struck Gabrielle. There was a twitch in her eye that caught Xena's attention.

That name again. Gabrielle tried to keep a straight face but knew she failed. Her facial expression gave her away.

"Is Xian someone you're spying on? Whoever this is lives in Abydos. Is that far from here?"

Xena finally exhaled the breath she held in. "Abydos is not close by."

"Is this 'Xian' another spy? Is he trying to kill you too?"

That wasn't too far from the truth, Xena thought. "He…is someone I keep a close eye on."

Gabrielle decided to lay that topic to rest, knowing not to push her luck. "That wasn't so bad," she gestured to the reading aloud. "We can do this every day. You'll pick it up quickly!"

"I've always admired your optimism."

Following the soldier all throughout the night was bad enough, but Erva made a choice to follow him back into the common area of the city as well. She contemplated if it was wise to follow the soldier or follow the messenger on the border. If she kept an eye on the soldier, he could possibly send more messages, and that's when she'd trap him. For now, she concluded that it was the best choice of action.

The soldier walked back into the square, and Erva expected him to return to the villa after the long night he had, but he didn't. He went entirely in the opposite direction and headed further into the market square, where crowds began to form. She was beyond exhausted from walking all night and most of the morning.

Many of the citizens knew what she looked like and knew her identity. A blessing and a curse. She was as much of a target as Xena was sometimes. Everyone knew that she did Xena's biddings and sent out information. To conceal her face, she flipped the hood of her cloak over her head and weaved in and out of the crowd.

So oblivious, even still, Erva thought. The young soldier was heading towards a large building that was situated behind a carpet merchant's shop. She squeezed by a group of women eyeing fabric, bumping shoulders with someone. She brushed by, touching the shoulder she brushed by and hurried along.

Varinia turned around, grabbing her shoulder, and frowned. She searched the crowd to see who bumped into her, but there were so many people here that it could've been anyone. She heard Eylül calling for her, and she whipped her head around, walking towards the table filled with dozens of various fabrics.

"What's your favorite color?"

Varinia hummed quietly, scanning the numerous options she could choose from. "I like purple. A lot of women back in…" she stopped herself, "in…Syria, wear purple gowns."

Eylül mumbled under her breath, picked out a yard of red fabric, and held it up to Varinia's thin frame. "You would look so much better in red. It really brings out your green eyes and the color of your skin."

"I'm fine with red," Varinia agreed, nodding her head.

She saw several yards of fabric placed on top of the horse's saddle and instantly regretted ever agreeing to come shopping with this woman. She panicked and put her hand on Bastillia's shoulder.

"You don't need to buy all of that. I…I don't have enough to pay you back."

Eylül grinned from ear to ear. "You don't need to repay me. It's a gift from me to you."

Erva arrived back at the villa with a sense of urgency. She ran up the stairs, intent on relaying the information she discovered. As she came closer to the bedroom, she heard voices, a bit of laughing from Gabrielle. She grimaced, and took a step closer, and listened at the door. Xena could be heard reciting letters of the Latin alphabet, and Erva's breath hitched.

She pushed open the door with her boot, and the door slowly creaked open, then the room fell silent. Xena licked her lips and straightened her back, staring at the brunette with unkempt hair and circles beneath her almond eyes.

"Where have you been?" asked Xena in a flat tone.

Erva's nostrils flared slightly, and her focus darted to the blonde, who tried her best to shield her face with a weft of locks.

"I went for a walk."

Xena scanned the dirty clothes Erva wore and skeptically added, "must have been some walk. Find anything interesting along the way?"

With a bit of hesitation, she answered, "no. Nothing interesting at all." She cleared her throat, "did any messages come?"

"Yes," Xena reached for the crumpled parchment beside her thigh. "Xian…is still in Abydos. He works at a carpentry shop."

Erva's jaw clenched at that, but she watched the nonverbal cues that Xena gave. The narrowing of the eyes, the fidgety fingers, and that was when she knew that Gabrielle had no idea who Xian was. But, she was surprised that Xena allowed this girl, this artist, this mercenary—a poorly skilled one at that—to read the message aloud with no context, yet all the context given at the same time.

"I see."

Gabrielle, seemingly avoiding eye contact, brushed a strand of hair over her ear. She tapped the quill pen on her knee, anxiously waiting for Erva to stop glaring at her. she could feel those eyes. She didn't need to look. She didn't want to look.

"I'm going to take a bath," Erva said, then abruptly left the room without closing the door behind her.

Xena flashed a look at the entrance and then heard the blonde heavily exhale. She positioned her body in a more relaxed stance and smiled softly.

"We can continue."

Gabrielle lifted her eyes. "She seemed a little irritated that I'm in here…with you."

"Erva is hard to please. Anything sets her off. You aren't special," Xena winked. "Can we continue, or have I tired you out?"

"No, no," Gabrielle eagerly set the parchment on the bed once more. "Now, where were we…"

Soner leaned against an apartment building situated across from Yunus' shop. He made his rounds around the city, signing documents from merchants who brought in goods shipped from Edirne and other ports around the provinces. He flipped a coin in the air several times while he kept an eye on the shop. Over the last week, he watched Evander leave the shop and go back to his villa every day. Evander left his home at dawn and left the shop after the sun went down.

This day was different. Evander was late.

Bastillia kicked himself off the building and tucked the coin into his pocket. Sauntering over to the carpentry shop, he smiled at the shopkeeper who came out from the back. Yunus organized large pieces of wood and laid out his tools for the day. Already, the area began to crowd with merchants to set up their stations.

"Morning," Soner greeted.

Yunus put on a bright smile. "First customer of the day! What can I get for you? Another…special request?"

Soner chuckled, leaning an elbow on the table. "Nah, no special requests today. Hey, you have a young man that works here, right?"

"Oh, yeah, Evander. He's a great worker. Always shows up on time. Does excellent work. I've never met such a hard-working boy before," Yunus said, sharpening his tools with a stone.

"Evander, huh," he clicked his tongue against his cheek. That definitely wasn't the name he was told. "Go ahead and put me down for a new holster. My old one doesn't hold enough arrows."

Yunus gave a curt nod.

He got a late start this morning. It was difficult to sleep lately, not knowing where Varinia was, and the thing that disturbed him the most was that she left. She didn't even leave a note for him, which he thought was very strange. Varinia loved communication, yet she up and left without notice. Evander blamed himself for ignoring her since they came to Abydos. He was just trying to occupy himself until they were fit to live on their own.

And that was the problem. He only thought of himself. He wasn't thinking of her and how she felt. He didn't realize this until a few days after he discovered her escape. Evander wasn't sure where she would go. Varinia didn't know anybody here.

He had an itch to go to Edirne and ask for Xena's help, but that would require him to take leave at the shop and make the trek across the sea. That could be an option to consider, but that also meant he would have to face Xena again, and he didn't know if he had the strength to do that. Xena's men were just as clueless as he was, which was no help at all.

Struggling to get out of the villa, Evander finally dressed and grabbed his supplies to head to the shop. He stepped outside, locking the door, and then went on down the road. He stopped as soon as he saw Soner Bastillia chatting with Xena's soldiers. Evander drew his eyebrows together and marched over.

Soner smiled, turning around, waving his hand. "Good afternoon."

"Afternoon," Evander eyed the soldiers who were now walking in the opposite direction. "You sure you're not following me?"

Soner took a step closer. "Are you sure you're not the one who is following me?" he raised an eyebrow. "Evander…"

The look on his face only made Soner chuckle. Clearly, he was amused by the chalked cheeks of this young man.

"A man with two names. How fascinating is that, hm?" Soner winked and looked over his shoulder. "Those men don't belong here. They're definitely the Edirne Conqueror's men. What's your connection with them?"

Evander fumbled, "I…I don't know them. I don't…have a connection. I don't…"

"Yeah, okay, listen," Soner grabbed Evander's shoulder and pulled him into an alleyway. "I know you saw me pass on the arrow. You know the one? The peacock feather arrow."

Evander felt his throat numb and sweat droplets forming on his forehead. He couldn't run, and if he did, he might be stalked, or worse, killed. He didn't think he could pretend anymore. This man had been watching him the entire time. Evander immediately cursed himself for being so incompetent. Xena was right. He was not a good mercenary, nor a good spy.

"So, you got two choices: work for me, or your body ends up at the bottom of the Bosporus."

Tonight was the night that had been talked about for weeks. Gabrielle wasn't exactly thrilled about going to a party, and she especially didn't want to attend with Erva. Over the last week, their relationship was very strained. She tried to ignore the side-eyed glares every now and then. The only good thing that happened this week was that she was able to spend ample time with Xena. Alone.

They went over the alphabet several times this week, and just as Gabrielle suspected, Xena was a quick learner. Xena knew more than she let on. Perhaps, Gabrielle thought, this was due to stubbornness, but then she realized it was because of her constant reliance on Erva's help. This wasn't going to change unless it was pointed out to both of them. Gabrielle didn't want to be more intrusive than she already was. Small steps.

She was given a gown to wear, which Erva had to take in quite a bit and hem the bottom of the dress. They went through the plan altogether last night, and Gabrielle would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous. This party wasn't just a social event. Erva was going in Xena's place, which meant they were possible targets. From what Gabrielle remembered about Eylül Bastillia, that woman was very wealthy, spoiled, outspoken, and bold. She was almost a carbon copy of Sabina, except more cunning. There was something off about Eylül, but what that was, Gabrielle didn't know yet.

Gabrielle finished dressing herself and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She didn't feel like herself in this outfit, but she wasn't in a position to argue about clothing, or anything really. She grabbed the black veil she was supposed to wear tonight and a mask. From what the next message said, this party was no ordinary party. Everyone was instructed to wear masks. Great plan, Bastillia.

She sighed, setting the veil over her hair, and tucked her hair back into a tight bun that rested on the nape of her neck. She wanted to go over the plan just one last time before they departed. Making her way up the stairs, she mumbled to herself, uncomfortable in the thick gown. She was already sweating, and she hadn't even done any strenuous activity. This was going to be a very long night.

Just as she was about to open the door, she heard Erva inside Xena's bedroom. She pressed her ear against the door, listening to their conversation.

"What is so special about her? Why is she staying here?" Erva whispered.

"I don't understand your attitude with her, Erva. She's done nothing to you."

Erva huffed, "she's younger than you. She—she doesn't even know you like I do!"

A long silence passed, then Xena spoke softly, under her breath, "I do care about you, and I appreciate what you do for me. I am not very…good at saying that very often, but I appreciate you."

"I was there for you when you needed me most! I…I helped you when you were pregnant. I delivered your son!" Erva barked.

Gabrielle clapped a hand over her mouth as she continued to listen on the other side of the door.

"I've been with you when you were wounded, sick…" Erva trailed off. "Yet, you open up to that girl, and I can't even get you to talk to me!"

Xena rubbed her lips together, "you're taking this too personally."

Gabrielle slowly backed away from the door. She ran and hid behind a wall, and suddenly Erva left the room, stalking down the stairs. Gabrielle stepped out from the shadows and peered over the balcony, digging her nails into the wood railing.