Sorry for the delay. This took awhile to write. Hope you all enjoy :)

Chapter 20 –Eksama the Terrible: Part I

"What do you plan to do with all the wealth you accumulated over the years?" asked the governor.

Xena sat in front of her vanity set and stared at her wife's reflection in the mirror. She continued to inspect her raven hair with a wide tooth comb. She separated her hair into sections and gasped loudly.

Gabrielle blinked and held a pastry close to her mouth. She paused and set down the pastry. "What is it?"

"I found a few strands of grey hair!"

The petite blonde laughed. "Why are you so surprised? It was only a matter of time. I'm surprised you didn't get any years ago when Arielle was younger. You always swore she'd be the first to give you grey hair."

Xena spun around and glared at her wife. "You think this is funny?"

"Kind of. It's not like you're super young, Xena!"

"Are you saying that I am old? I am in perfect health, thank you very much."

Gabrielle put up her hands in defense. "I know you are. Touchy subject. Look at Kreka. Her hair was a silvery grey right before she passed! It happened almost overnight."

The khanum snarled and turned around to continue to part her hair with the comb. She uttered some inaudible words beneath her breath. She sectioned off the silver streak in her hair and narrowed her eyes.

"This is Arielle's fault. That child is going to kill me."

And speaking of the loud mouth queen, Arielle barged into the bedroom and threw her kozak onto the bed and groaned. She clenched her fists and plopped down onto the floor and snatched the pastry from Gabrielle's clutch and chomped it in half.

Gabrielle stared at her empty hand with her mouth ajar. She had been trying to eat that pastry for the last few minutes and now it had been taken from her in less than five seconds.

Xena turned in her chair and saw the fuming eyes of her granddaughter. "You were in Xerxes' room for a long time. You didn't have sex with him, did you?"

"Sex!" Arielle shouted. "What sex! He wouldn't even touch me much less look at me!" she spat with her mouth half full. "I must be really hideous or he likes men," she scoffed.

Bitterly, Gabrielle grabbed another pastry and glared at the queen. "He refused you? Looking like that?" she spoke of the revealing burgundy dress. "He's definitely hiding something. If I were him I wouldn't be able to keep my eyes off you."

"Thanks Gabrielle, but you're not helping," she sighed and threw the pastry onto the tray. "Am I ugly? Am I really that repulsive to him?"

Xena smirked. "You are far from ugly, Arielle. Xerxes must respect you highly. He's not a weak man obviously but I have no doubt in my mind that he likes you."

Arielle lifted her eyebrows. "He does?"

"I'm sure and that's why you're going to remain very close to him. Break down his wall and find out what he is hiding. He can't be that hard to crack. He's still a man after all."

The queen nodded and licked her sugar coated fingers. "I am going to enjoy these missions."

Xena frowned and smacked the queen on the back of her head.

XXXXXX

Oran set foot on Pannonia soil and smiled when he laid eyes on the Adame. He never knew how much he'd miss this place until everything was taken away from him. He almost wanted to drop to his knees and kiss the grass. Austraia was hesitant the moment they passed through the gates. Oran convinced the gatemen to allow her inside the encampment and it wasn't easy.

He tried to explain to her that Eksama was an enemy of the empire but Austraia was different than her grandmother. She wanted nothing to do with the queen's quest to topple the empire and claim the throne as her own. He saw that from the beginning when he first met her.

Throughout this journey of being held captive he grew close to the princess but he had his suspicions. The last time the empire allowed an enemy asylum, mothers of princes, grandmothers, queens and princesses were murdered right under their noses. He didn't want that to happen again.

Oran grabbed her hand and guided her up the stairs leading into the wooden palace. Austraia's jaw dropped as she kept staring at the towers on either side of the entrance. The palace must have extended at least half a mile in width and length.

"Prepare to be questioned. I will talk to my cousin and make sure that you aren't harmed," he whispered.

"Will I be beaten?" she feared.

He smiled. "Like I said, I'll talk to him."

They entered the foyer and Ernak stood with Csaba. Guards immediately surrounded Oran and the formidable and unfamiliar guest behind him. The teenage princess frantically glanced at the weapons pointed at her.

Csaba smiled. "Oran!" he ran over and the two embraced. "Everyone was so worried about you! How did you manage to escape the Gepid kingdom?"

Oran turned and pointed to the frightened princess.

"Austraia helped me. She is Eksama's granddaughter."

Ernak raised his eyebrow and then with a wave of his hand the soldiers lowered their weapons and dispersed. He approached the timid redheaded teenager and touched her curly hair.

"So, you are my crazy sister's granddaughter," he stated. "Did she send you here to spy on us?"

"No, your highness! I came here on my own accord. I wanted Oran to be with his family. I tried to convince my grandmother to free him but she didn't allow it. She knows I've escaped."

"I should expect her men at any moment then."

She nodded.

"Perfect," the king grinned. "Since you're associated with an enemy of the empire I need to have you locked in a room but since you are…my niece," he said sourly, "I will give you a suite in the princess' wing but there will be guards posted outside your room."

Austraia smiled and dropped to her knees. "You don't have to worry, your highness. I will cooperate."

"Good. I'll send our governor to your room to question you. If you do anything to harm my family I will make sure to send your head back to my sister. Understand?"

She swallowed and looked up at him with fear in her doe eyes.

XXXXXX

Farah strode down the hallway with a satchel filled with paperwork that she brought to Gabrielle earlier to sign. She never realized how many documents she had until she had to spread them out on the floor. That process took over two hours.

Now she head back to the treasury and halted at the sight of a young redheaded girl who was being escorted by two soldiers. She held up her hand they stopped at her command.

"Who's this?"

"Queen Farah," the soldier greeted, "we were ordered by the king to take Princess Austraia to the princess wing."

Austraia couldn't keep her eyes off the Szekely queen and she bowed her head.

"You're very beautiful, your highness."

Farah frowned and inspected the princess as she knew exactly who she was. Indeed, she had a resemblance to the Gepid Queen and that of Princess Cera as well. All three had auburn hair and brown eyes.

"Why wasn't I notified? I am in charge of incoming guests. I am supposed to assign rooms."

The soldiers lowered their gaze. "Our king thought it appropriate to assign her the suite, Queen Farah."

"Hmm. I see." She stared at the doe eyed princess once more. "I will assign you a few maids to stay with you in your room. I'm sure your grandmother did not provide such a luxurious room for Oran in her fortress."

Austraia's cheeks reddened. "Thank you. That's kind of you."

Farah forced a smile. "Welcome to Pannonia, princess."

XXXXXX

Anastasia shared a meal with her mother in the clinic. They sat on the floor and Ursula brought them a tray of almond soup, a huge plate of rice with dried fruit, flat bread and a small bowl of curdled cheese. Anastasia slowly sipped the thick soup and could feel her mother's eyes on her.

"Csaba told me that Princess Austraia brought Oran back. Yeter is going to be very happy to see him. I was beginning to worry about her being locked in her room for so long. It's not good for her or her baby."

Xena nodded. "She will be in a better mood now. Gabrielle is questioning the princess right now."

The khatun arched an eyebrow. "I'm surprised you're not in the room with her applying your excellent interrogation skills."

"I wanted to spend time with you, tatli kiz," she reached over and squeezed her daughter's knee. "I know you are tired of staying in this clinic. Your room is almost finished being remodeled but I thought you could move into my room and Gabrielle and I will take your room upstairs."

Ana smiled at her mother's considerate offer. She hadn't even thought of going up and down the stairs. A task that used to be so simple now seemed so difficult. Luckily she no longer needed her walking cane to get around as her legs and arms healed just fine but she used the cane just feel the ground beneath her when she jaunted around the Adame.

"What else is new that I don't know about? I recall you and Gabrielle asked Arielle to do something last week. I've yet to hear about it…"

Xena licked her lips and set down the spoon in the half eaten saucer of soup. She was thankful that her daughter could not see the apprehensive expression on her face. Although, Anastasia had grown accustom to sensing people's feelings and auras with the loss of her sight.

"I don't like your silence, mother."

"Well," the khanum clears her throat, "I have a hunch that Xerxes is withholding something from us so I asked Arielle to investigate. She's keeping a close eye on him and I asked her to be around him at all times."

Ana set the bread down onto the tray and glared at her mother. She was disappointed that she couldn't make out her mother's facial expression but she had an idea of what it would be: cunning and mischievous.

"What is it with you trying to hook up my children with Persians?"

"I told her not to have sex with him! I made that very clear, Anastasia. This is just business."

Ana gasped. "Tanrı bana yardım et!" she lashed out. "Mother, you are insane! Xerxes is a gorgeous man. If I were younger I wouldn't hesitate to get to know him. I'm sure Arielle is enjoying this little escapade you've sent her on."

Xena raised an eyebrow with a sly smile on her lips. "Oh she is." She sipped the warm cider and her daughter slapped her arm. "Anastasia!"

"What am I going to do with you? I can't leave you alone for one minute."

"I like Xerxes. He and Arielle have good chemistry but he is a gentleman. He refuses to touch her."

Ana nods curtly. "Good. I can't believe you like a Persian, a Persian prince no less!"

"That's exactly what Gabrielle said. Are you two confiding with each other again?" she suspected.

"Mom…"

"Just checking," she chuckled. "I trust him, Ana. He's not like the other Persians. He doesn't make me want to puke when I'm around him," she raised her glass and her daughter let out a heavy sigh.

XXXXXX

Ravenna, Italia

Queen Eksama strolled into the Roman military fortress with such confidence. She immediately spotted her eldest half brother, Ebnedzar, at the front of the throne room. She remembered this room all too well because it was where she killed King Alaric.

She halted just a few feet in front of him with the desk in between them. She stared at his tall and strong physique and he was everything she thought he'd be. Long dark hair pulled into a ponytail, thick beard and honest brown eyes. He and Oran were definitely son and father.

"Ebnedzar," she greets with a charming toothy grin. "I see where Oran gets his good looks from. I have a handsome brother. I wonder if my other brother who still lives, is just as handsome."

He rounded the desk and folded his arms across his broad chest. They stood at almost equal height and he glared into her brown eyes that resembled Cera's so much.

Xena always said that Cera looked a lot like her grandmother, Attila's first wife, but it looked like she got a lot of her genes from Attila himself. Eksama had a similar face structure, eyes and auburn hair like Cera did. They were both tall with slender frames. Their bodies had a lankiness to them but they were strong physically.

"Eksama, I had the pleasure of meeting your son. I was told that you kept my son as a hostage."

She snorted. "He escaped with the help of my granddaughter. They are probably in Pannonia by now." She sighs deeply. "I have no intention of killing you or my brother or nephews."

"Yet you threatened Anastasia. You threaten her; you threaten the entire empire."

She smiles and takes a step closer. "She's not from the line of Attila. I just want what is mine, brother."

"She was my late brother's wife and mother to King Csaba. She has been with the tribe since she was born. You were never part of the tribe from birth, Eksama. Kreka Khatun gave her title of khatun to Anastasia. She has the right to remain the Queen Mother of the empire. You do not."

"And what of my rights?" she hissed. "I am Attila's daughter and by law I am allowed to take what is mine. You could have been a king but instead you chose not to take the throne. Why would you do that?"

Ebnedzar bit his cheek and gave a terse smile to his little sister. "I didn't want it. The title was offered to me and I refused. Ernak is the right choice to rule the empire. I am happy with what I have."

"The empire has a mountain of queens when there should be only one."

He chuckled. "Instead of threatening to invade Pannonia you could have had a reasonable relationship with us. Anastasia may have been willing to give you a respected title and rule alongside her but that is out of the question now especially since you tried to assassinate her."

"Mark my words, brother, I will take Pannonia. I will wipe out all of the queens and princesses. I could rule the empire with my brothers and my son by my side but I can see you aren't on my side."

"You may be my sister by blood but I don't know you, Eksama. And I don't want to get to know you. Reconsider attacking Pannonia and perhaps we can offer a plea deal."

The Gepid queen backed away slowly and grinned.

"Tell our family they should be cautious from now on, brother."

XXXXXX

Two hours of questioning Austraia and the governor had several pages of recorded conversation. She pieced together a very thorough interview and was pleasantly surprised by how honest and giving the princess was. She gave so much information about Eksama's kingdom and who was in charge and who was not.

Now it was up to Gabrielle to compile the documents and present them to Ernak and Csaba. It was late in the afternoon, just an hour before dinner, she remained in her office, logging and recording when and where the conversation took place in her log journal.

Xena entered the office and she sat down in the chair on the opposite side of the desk. Her wife lifted her eyes and then went back to writing.

"How'd the interview go?"

The governor glanced at the sprawled parchments covering her desktop. "It went really well. Austraia gave me an answer for all the questions I asked. Her father, Prince Elemund, is Eksama's son. We now know he's Attila's grandson obviously. Her mother died of a disease when Austraia was a baby. Eksama's been more like a mother figure to her than a grandmother."

Xena furrowed her eyebrows and laced her hands in her lap.

"She's a very young grandmother and she's a year younger than Ernak at least. She must have had her son when she was a teenager."

The blonde raised her eyebrows and pulled out one of the pages and held it outward. Her wife took the parchment and began to read over the Latin words.

"Eksama was married to the Gepid Prince when she was thirteen. She had her son at fourteen."

Xena looked at the parchment and then back at her wife confusedly. "That doesn't make sense."

"What do you mean?"

"Ernak is only five years younger than Anastasia. If Eksama had her son at fourteen that would mean her son is younger than Csaba. There's no way he could've fathered a child as old as Austraia. She'd be a lot younger than she is now. She's fifteen, right?"

Gabrielle scurried through the documents and hadn't caught that little mistake. She felt foolish for not catching that during the interview process. She huffed and leaned back in the chair, completely mystified.

"Is Austraia lying?"

"Someone's lying." Xena tossed the paper onto the desk. "There's no way her son has a fifteen year old daughter. He's not even thirty years old if Eksama really did give birth to him at fourteen."

Gabrielle scratched her head. "But why would Eksama lie about that? Do you think Austraia is aware of this lie? I see now that the math doesn't add up."

"I think Eksama told Austraia a huge lie and that's all she's known her whole life."

"Could it be that Austraia isn't related to her at all?"

Xena shook her head. "They look too much alike. They're related but Austraia is not Eksama's granddaughter. Come on, we need to tell Ernak about this."

XXXXXX

Ernak sat in his room on the floor as he took his time reading over the recorded interview. He held his infant daughter Maria in one arm while he read the documents. She kept touching his beard and toying with his long hair.

Xena smiled at the baby, completely distracting herself from the situation at hand. Kreka longed for granddaughters once her sons married and she was lucky enough to have Dengi's daughter Giselle with her for a few years before she tragically died. Cera and Arielle were the closest things she'd have to granddaughters at the time.

Now, a year after her death she had a granddaughter that she never had the chance to meet. Xena did see that the princess had the late khatun's distinctive hazel eyes that neither Ernak nor Nisa possessed.

Ernak finished reading the documents and looked up at the khanum and governor.

"Good eye. I'm glad you both caught that small detail. I have no doubt Eksama is my sister. She and Cera look too much alike for them not to be related. I want Austraia to be monitored closely."

"I believe she's innocent in all of this," said Gabrielle. "I know you're hesitant about her staying here but I don't think she has malicious intent. She told me that Eksama isn't very kind to her and it's been that way since she was a child."

He frowned. "I am ashamed to call that woman my sister. I want to grant Austraia asylum here but I need her to be watched at all times to make sure she isn't working as a spy. The Karens will be staying here for a couple of months so the Adame is going to be heavily occupied for awhile."

He sighed and looked up at the khanum who was in a daze. "Xena, I want you to be in charge of watching Austraia."

Xena blinked. "What?"

Ernak grinned and then peered over at his daughter sitting in his lap. "Would you like to hold her?"

She nodded and sat down in front of him. She eagerly stretched out her arms and Ernak handed over his daughter to her. Princess Maria gazed into the khanum's blue eyes in awe and her gurgling and giggling stopped instantly.

Gabrielle always enjoyed seeing her wife holding babies or being around children in general. For such a fierce warrior and leader she was very soft around children and always had been. Much to her wife's annoyance, all of the children loved her even when they bothered her at times. She was patient with them or as patient as she could be.

"You will watch Austraia?" he asked again.

Xena looked at him. "Yes, I will. Nothing will go unnoticed, Ernak," she answered and then grabbed Maria's tiny hand and produced a big smile. "She has your mother's eyes."

He stared at his daughter and faintly grinned. "I miss my mother. I wish she was here. She would've been so happy to see Maria."

"She's always with you, Ernak. She's definitely watching over you. As you can see, she gifted you this adorable creature," she widened her eyes at the infant princess.

XXXXXX

One Month Later

Austraia was confined to the suite she was given for the last month. She was in seclusion and only saw the khanum and governor in the mornings and evenings every other day. The maids that served her gave her everything she wanted and more.

She enjoyed having this large room to herself which also included a marble bath attached to it. She wanted to meet the rest of her cousins and the other queens. She knew that there was a khatun and she hadn't seen her either. The only thing that was constant was these four walls staring at her and the maids who tended to her.

She sat on the bed with her legs crossed, gazing at the wall. She heard the door unlock from the other side and she quickly hopped off the bed and fixed her curly hair.

Xena opened the door and the princess bowed her head. She gathered the girl was not pleased to see her.

"Good morning, princess. Put on your boots. We're going to the market today."

The girl's face lit up. "Really? I can leave?"

"The governor and I will be escorting you. My daughter wants you to pick out some fabric. Clothing will be made for you. I know you didn't bring anything with you."

Austraia hurried to put on her boots. "That's very kind of Anastasia Khatun. Will I get to meet her soon? I'd like to express my thanks to her."

Xena impatiently stood in the doorway. "We'll see. Come on, girl, I don't have all day to wait for you."

XXXXXX

Zarmihr gazed out the window of the politician wing he stayed in. his view overlooked the grassy plains of the Pannonia encampment. He saw the khanum and governor walking with the Gepid princess. There were a few soldiers accompanying them as well.

Xerxes approached the Persian nobleman and Zarmihr briefly acknowledged him with a smile.

"Shehzade, this is the first time I've seen you since the party. Busy with Hun affairs?"

"You told me to come talk to you and here I am. What do you want?"

Zarmihr scoffed. "Quick tongue, shehzade. My father convinced King Ernak to stay for awhile longer but he sent my youngest brother and sister and the other women back to Persia. This gives us a chance to talk more," he hinted. "I hope you don't mind. Kawus is counting on you to rise up against the Huns."

The prince turned his cheek. He went into this alliance knowing that his elder brother wanted to overthrow their father and take over the Hun Empire. This clandestine mission became increasingly more difficult as time went by spent with the Huns.

He couldn't understand why his family never had good relations with these people. They were excellent hunters, soldiers, politicians as well as family oriented. He didn't have the same thoughts about the Huns that his brother had. There was the matter of his father who wanted an honest alliance but Kawus won't allow it.

"If you're expecting to attack them while you're visiting, I would advise against it, Zarmihr."

"Shehzade, the entire House of Karen sides with Kawus. Your father was a fool to ever sign a treaty with these barbaric people!"

Arielle interrupted the conversation and the two Persians turned and bowed their heads in her presence. She stared at Zarmihr and saw he was a bit heated. He refused to look her in the eye. Xerxes was also a bit startled given the rise and fall of his chest.

"Good morning," she greeted.

Zarmihr forcefully smiled. "Queen Arielle. With your permission."

He walked off with two of his brutes following behind him. Arielle put a hand on her hip and then whipped her head towards Xerxes.

"What were you two talking about?"

The prince turned to her and adjusted his posture. "Nothing important, your highness. What are you doing on this side of the Adame?"

He hoped this conversation wouldn't last long. She was constantly around him, asking questions with that bright smile of hers. She was obviously distracting him and he knew this had something to do with the khanum. He remembered that little interrogation session he had with her.

"You promised to write some poetry for me. Don't you remember?"

He laughs awkwardly. "Oh yes. If you're not busy right now I could invite you to my room."

She hooked arms with him and touched her hip against his. He tensed immediately.

"Do you enjoy my company, Xerxes?"

He hid his wandering eyes and focused on walking the halls to his quarters. But he did answer her in the most polite way he could think of.

"I'm always elated by your presence, Queen Arielle."

XXXXXX

Austraia walked ahead with two soldiers standing by at a distance. She ran up to several merchants who sold fabric and she inspected the fine silks, cotton and wool on display. Many of the merchants were eager to show her their sets of fabric.

Xena and Gabrielle walked a few feet away from the Gepid princess, keeping their pace slow. They watched the girl try to talk to the merchants with an excited voice. Austraia truly was a teenager and it showed. It was hard to believe that a well mannered girl could be related to Eksama. They were nothing alike aside from the similar features they shared.

As they strode through the market, Gabrielle had a keener eye on the citizens. She noticed that everyone was whispering when they walked by. Eyes were upon them, gruesome frowns and grimaces went their way.

She turned to her wife who was more preoccupied with watching the princess to notice the ugly looks and glances they were receiving.

"Xena, people are gawking at us," the governor whispered.

Finally, the brunette turned her head and she finally saw the hundreds of eyes glaring at her. Even children were staring at her as they passed by a few vegetable and grain stalls.

"Badr," she whispered, "get the princess. We're leaving."

"Yes, khanum." He ran ahead of them and tapped the soldiers on their shoulders.

Gabrielle put a hand on the hilt of her sword and circled around then touched her wife's arm, clinging close. She noticed the citizens were closing in on them gradually.

Out of nowhere, a half eaten pomegranate was thrown at Xena. She spun around and drew her sword. The soldiers also pulled out their weapons and scanned the crowd.

"Who threw that?!" she shouted.

"Deceivers!" a man's voice loomed in the crowd.

Gabrielle turned and her eyes frantically searched for the voice. A few apple cores were thrown at her and she lifted her arm to block her face. She stuck close to the khanum and drew her sword, pointing it at the sea of people.

"What is going on?" she asked her wife.

Badr brought the princess and stood in front of Xena. "Stand back," he warned her.

"I know how to fend for myself," Xena snapped.

A young man climbed on top of his wagon and shouted so everyone could hear. "Anastasia Khatun refuses to show her face to the public!"

Xena raised her eyebrows and looked for the man. She spotted him standing atop of a wagon. "Get him off of there!" she ordered the soldiers but they remained boot to soil. "I said, get him!"

"Khanum, we cannot leave. We are here to protect you," Badr whispered.

"They are deceiving you all!" the man continued. "They send Princess Arielle in her place to fool us all!"

Whispers and murmurs soared in the crowd. Gabrielle gasped and grabbed her wife's hand. "Xena…what is this? They're revolting!" she hissed.

"Let it be known! The clan of Attila makes a mockery of the empire! It is said Anastasia Khatun has lost her sight! She is no longer fit to be the Queen Mother of our people's empire!" he yelled.

The crowd began shouting and then throwing old fruit, vegetables, grain and anything they could get their hands on, at the soldiers circled around the governor, khanum and Gepid princess.

"They have befriended the Sassanian Persians; our enemy since the reign of King Rua and those before him!"

Xena put an arm over her head as objects kept being thrown at her. The crowd was closing in on them. Badr and the other five soldiers pushed people, kicked them, smacked them across the face to hold them back.

The citizens resorted to using more sturdy objects and began throwing small stones at the group. Gabrielle hissed as a rock hit her arm and upper thigh. She mistakenly lifted her head to oversee the chaos and ducked as soon as rocks soared towards her.

"Xena, how are we going to get out of here? They're throwing rocks at us!"

XXXXXX

Zarmihr stood with his two brothers just outside of the foyer. They watched the riot unfold in the market not too far from the Adame. The rioting spread outside the market and others began to join in whether they knew what was happening or not.

The eldest brother cocked his head, amused by the situation. "The fall of the Hun Empire is upon us, brothers."

Karia smiled at the crowd inching closer and closer to the Hun household. "What should we do now? The citizens are bound to attack the Adame."

Bozorgmehr slapped a hand on the two brothers' shoulders. "We should alert Xerxes so he can help us. This is a perfect opportunity to seize the royal family. Their people are doing most of the work for us."

"No," Zarmihr growled. "Shehzade Xerxes is no longer on our side. He is a traitor to his brother's mission and rebellion. We will do things our way from here on out."

He turned around and his brothers were very anxious to get the ball rolling.

"Go to every single occupied room in the Adame and get rid of the guards posted. Lock all of the doors. Nobody escapes this Adame. Remain discreet. Kill anyone who comes in your path. Nobody comes in, nobody comes out."

XXXXXX

Samtas surveyed the riots in the square which now engulfed the entirety of the encampment. He kicked his horse and rode back into the forests towards West Pannonia. Galloping up the hill he waved his hand to Eksama.

She dismounted her horse and approached her trusted soldier. She was not alone. More than half her army accompanied her to Pannonia and they waited in the woods until the news of the rebellion began.

"Samtas, how does it look out there?" she asked.

He caught his breath and put a hand over his chest. "Queen Eksama, the boy you asked to spread your message publically has been successful."

"I knew that my plan would work. This seed has been sprouting for weeks. I only spoke the truth. There's no harm in that," she snickered.

"The citizens were heading towards the Adame when I left. What do you want to do next, your majesty?"

She put on her leather gloves and drew her long sword. She touched the tip of the blade and smiled at Samtas and turned to her soldiers waiting on horseback and on foot. They were ready for her to give any command. There was no way she was going to turn back after riding all the way out here.

"We wait," she ordered loudly, speaking to her army. "We'll see how long this riot lasts. Until then, we wait here. But…" she paused, "we won't wait long."

XXXXXX

Badr ran up the stairs as he was being chased by the horde. He waved his hand to the soldiers to rush inside. Once everyone was inside, he closed the large doors and locked them.

"Seal all the doors!" he yelled to the soldiers waiting in the foyer.

Ernak, Csaba and Oran ran out of the throne chamber and heard a lot of screaming, yelling and banging on the doors. Ernak's eyes went to Xena who was being carried by one of the soldiers and Gabrielle limping behind them. She held onto Princess Austraia's shoulder.

"What the hell is going on?!"

Badr ran up to the three and bowed. "Your majesties," he breathed heavily, "the people are rioting. They were…they were saying slanderous things about Anastasia Khatun in the market and throwing stones at us."

Csaba fumed and he clenched his fists. "They dare talk ill of my mother and attack my grandmother? Who do they think they are?"

He marched over to the doors and Badr grabbed his shoulders. "Forgive me, your highness, but I can't let you go out there. It's too dangerous. There are hundreds upon hundreds outside these walls!"

"We can't stand here and do nothing!"

Ernak grimaced. "Csaba! I can't let you go outside. You will be ripped to shreds. We'll wait until this dies down. They can't continue this all day."

Badr sighed and took a step back, giving an apologetic look to the young king for laying a hand on him.

XXXXXX

The soldier carried Xena into the clinic and set her down on one of the beds. Ursula was in the middle of giving Anastasia opiate syrup and then saw the khanum on the bed. She set down the syrup and ran over to inspect.

Anastasia frowned and heard a lot of commotion coming from outside. She slowly sat up in bed and could barely make out anyone in the room. She heard Ursula whispering and muttering.

"What's going on?"

Princess Austraia aided the governor to sit on one of the beds and gaped at the infamous khatun. She had never laid eyes on any of the family members other than the ones she had seen. The only other queen she saw was Queen Farah and she was gorgeous. Now that she the chance to see the khatun in front of her she was speechless.

Hurrying over she offered a hand to the blind khatun. Anastasia frowned, not recognizing the hand that grabbed her.

"Kh –khatun, Princess Austraia," the nervous teenager introduced herself. "Let me help you."

Ursula ripped the khanum's headdress off and gasped audibly. Blood trickled down from her forehead and onto her cheek. The shamaness looked at the blood on her hands from Xena's head wound.

"Gabrielle, what happened?"

The governor grunted at the gashes and cuts on her legs. "We…we were in the market and suddenly everyone started attacking us. They threw stones at us. Xena was the main target."

Anastasia's heart sank and she tripped over the bed and pushed Austraia out of the way. Dropping to one knee, she clumsily she stood and tread to the bed. Using her hands for leverage she guided her way up to her mother's face and felt the warm blood on her hands.

"Mother…" she utters softly. "Who did this?" she snarled.

Gabrielle hobbled over and placed her hand on Ana's backside. "Everyone, Ana. The citizens attacked us."

Outside the clinic there were swords clashing, grunting, yelling and then two loud thumps hit the floor. Everyone within the clinic fell silent for a moment then they heard the doors lock from the outside.

Gabrielle painfully, marched over to the doors and tried to pull on the handles. She pulled several times and banged her fists on the doors.

"They've locked us in!"

XXXXXX

Arielle sat on the floor inside Xerxes' bedroom and he read her his poem that he worked on for the last couple of weeks. She thought he might have been jesting when he said he wrote poetry but she insisted he should write a poem for her.

She finally cut into that thick head of his and allowed him to open up a bit more. Wine was the trick and Xerxes was not one to drink wine so he told her, but he gave in when she kept insisting on it. She scooted close to him and he nervously cleared his throat before he read his poem.

"If the foot of the trees were not tied to the earth, they would be pursuing me. For I have blossomed so much, I am the envy of the gardens."

Arielle grinned and gazed into his brown eyes. "Those are beautiful words. What does it mean?"

"I –I'm not entirely sure. I just write what I feel," he awkwardly explained. "For you, your highness." He handed her the parchment.

"For me?" she says in a playful tone. "Thank you, shehzade. I will expect many more poems from you."

She leaned in close, dangerously close, to his lips. This time after several attempts this past month, he did not pull away. She felt his warm breath against her skin and she grinned. She caressed his cheek and intertwined her fingers in his long silky dark hair.

He slipped his hand around her trim waist and looked into her crystal blue eyes.

A stone flew through the window and smashed into one of the vases. Arielle yelped and accidentally kicked the glasses of wine over, staining the rug.

Xerxes jumped up and ran to the window. "There are people attacking the Adame!"

"What?" she stood up and joined him at the window to see the entire tribe outside the walls.

He ran to the doors and pulled on the handles a couple of times. He slammed his hand on the door and turned to the queen.

"The doors are locked."

She gave her best attempt to open the doors. "Kapıyı aç!" she screamed.

Xerxes backed away from the doors and collapsed onto the ground. Arielle turned and knelt down. She grabbed his hand and saw the paleness in his cheeks.

"Are you alright?"

He knew exactly who was behind this and he didn't want to believe it but it was the only logical explanation. There's no way the Hun soldiers would lock them in a room especially since there was a rebellion going on outside.

Lifting his eyes, he licked his dry lips. "I have something to tell you."

XXXXXX

Farah spent all morning in the women's quarters drawing up a design for both Arielle and Anastasia. She was nearly finished designing the church for Anastasia and was just beginning to start on the print for the barracks that Arielle requested.

She drew up several drafts and copied what she had onto a larger parchment. She set down small weights on each corner of the rolled out parchment and used a large ruler to draw the design. While she was sketching she had a difficult time concentrating.

Yeter also shared the room with her two sons. The princes were very talkative while they played a game together. Farah eyed the boys and Yeter who was almost half asleep sitting on the sofa.

"Boys!" she barked.

Issik and Muqan ceased their laughing and loud talking.

"I am trying to focus. Could you be a little quieter?"

Muqan smiled. "Okay, Teyze Farah!"

The doors to the women's room were left open all day, every day, and there two female soldiers on either side of the entrance. Today was an exception. A couple of Persian soldiers accosted the female soldiers and fought outside.

Farah leaned over and heard a loud thump just outside the doors. She jumped up and saw the two guards on the floor. Her jaw dropped and looked into the eyes of the Persians and jolted forward to grab one of them.

They slammed the doors shut and locked them from the outside. Farah grunted and yanked on the door handles rapidly.

"Open these doors!" she yelled.

Muqan cuddled close to his mother and Issik stood up slowly. Farah kept yelling at the closed doors and pulling on the handles. Issik ran to the window and knelt on the elongated sofa that lined the wall. He gasped when he saw the army trying to push back civilians from the Adame walls.

"They're throwing rocks!" he said.

Farah heaved and went to the window, standing over the prince, to see the violent horde of Pannonian Huns surrounding the household.

She growled and walked to the center of the room and folded her arms, calculating on what to do next. She felt a tug on her dress and peered down at the little prince, Muqan.

"You'll protect my mother, right Teyze Farah?"

She glanced over at the pregnant Gokturk queen who had fear and worry written all over her face. She smiled down at the prince and cupped his face.

"Of course I will, tatli cocuk."

Yeter sat up and wrapped an arm around Issik. "Farah you –you designed this Adame. Is there another way out of this room?"

Farah tapped her cheek and racked her brain, going over the print in her mind. She smiled and looked at the back of the room.

XXXXXX

Ernak, Csaba and Oran stood in the foyer, listening to the people cause quite a ruckus outside. A few stones and other objects such as wood and fruit were thrown through the large windows. The elite soldiers stood by the doors just in case the army outside wasn't enough to keep the rioting citizens at bay.

The Karen brothers walked into the room, carrying and dragging several Hun guards. Many other Persian soldiers emerged from different hallways, also bringing in more guards.

Ernak stepped forward and stared at the corpses thrown onto the floor. He looked to the Karen brothers and drew his sword.

"Are you responsible for this riot outside?"

Zarmihr chuckled. "Fortunately, we are not but it was a great distraction, Hun king. You have no guards inside this Adame and your army outside. What will you do now?"

Ernak backed himself into a circle with Csaba and Oran. They were surrounded by Persians.

"What…are you doing, Zarmihr? I invite you into my home and you kill all my men!"

"You should've known a Persian-Hun alliance would never work."