Chapter 28 –War upon War: Part I
A month passed since Arielle moved to her new palace in the capital of Scythia and most of her time was spent signing documents, talking with Kuba about political meetings in the future and charity work. While she was kept busy in the throne chamber, Aurora grew restless.
To take the princess' mind off of confinement she was escorted around the city by her guardians. She adjusted pretty well to her new environment, better than her mother that's for sure. Taking a stroll around the city, Gabrielle held the princess' hand as they leisurely made their way to every merchant.
Xena pressed that their identities were to be hidden in public. She didn't want to cause concern for the Scythians but also, she desired to scope the city out for her own curiosity. She intentionally ignored Aurora's talkative nature and kept focus on the people surrounding them.
Gabrielle watched as Aurora picked up every single necklace in a shop. Her eyes drifted back to her wife's skeptical temperament. After Aurora decided she what necklace she wanted, they bought it from the merchant and gathered outside the shop with Xena.
"Grandma Khanum, look what I got!" she held up the necklace with sapphire stones.
The corner of her lips turned upward. "That will look very pretty on you." She ran her hand over Aurora's burgundy veil. "Don't call me 'khanum' in public," she whispered.
"Why not?"
Gabrielle knelt down and pulled the child's burgundy cape to a close. "We're incognito."
The princess' lips were brought to a thin line. "What does in-cog-nito mean?"
"It means that we're hiding in plain sight." Gabrielle leans in close. "We don't want anyone to know who we are." She poked the girl's nose.
Aurora giggled. "Oh, I get it. It's a secret."
"That's right." Gabrielle rose from one knee and couldn't help but stare at her wife.
Those azure eyes she grew to learn signals from were wide and alert. That subtle twitch on the corner of her mouth, the curling of her fingers and noticeably tight jaw muscles, was an indication that something was ticking in her mind and it couldn't have been good either.
"Xena, do you see something?" she tried not to cause alarm to Aurora who wasn't listening anyhow.
The brunette flipped the hood over her head and walked ahead, distancing herself from Gabrielle and Aurora. She hid behind a tall stone building and gaped at the cathedral up ahead. Not only did she recognize the woman standing outside conversing with clergymen, she knew exactly why the woman was here.
Empress Theodora from Constantinople was here in Scythia. A coincidence, I think not, Xena thought. The Byzantine Empress normally dressed in colorful gowns and robes, wore a black gown with a thick veil over her head. She wasn't even trying to hide herself with that massive crown on her head. She wanted everyone to know she was here and the clergymen were very fervent to speak with her. They adored her.
Xena retreated and regrouped with her wife and great granddaughter. Gabrielle had no problem distracting the little girl. It was a good thing they were both talkative otherwise it would've been a very tedious day for Xena if she was left to watch Aurora alone.
"I think it's best we go back to the palace now," she says. Her wife clued in that the situation was important.
Aurora pouted. "But I wanted to explore some more!"
"Another time, tatli kiz," Xena paddled the child's head. "This is your home now. Wouldn't want to explore everything in one day, right?"
The girl sighed. "Okay, but can we go in-cog-nito again?" her eyes had a certain glint to them.
The older women smiled and guided the princess down the path towards the palace. Gabrielle held onto Aurora's swinging hand and quietly observed her wife's subdued nature. She knew Xena saw something but it wasn't to be discussed in front of Aurora and she certainly wasn't going to ask until they were in a place of safety and security.
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Ku lingered in the khagana's bedroom, admiring the stone walls, columns and tapestries of deceased Avar rulers. She was fooling herself when she convinced herself to admire the room when she was truly admiring Arielle from afar. She was in the room for quite some time and her eyes focused on Arielle sitting on the balcony.
She'd like to think that Arielle was a very good friend and hope that wouldn't change since Arielle's hierarchy distanced them even further than before. In the short time adjusting to life in Scythia she was quickly reminded she was a handmaid to Arielle and nothing more. There were several maids in the palace and Ku felt different than the rest. She never truly related to the other maids back in Pannonia either.
Arielle brushed a large section of her straightened hair behind her shoulder. Ku preferred the empress' hair to remain in its natural form and hated to press a hot iron to the uniform spiral curls. Arielle's straightened hair also reminded her of Anastasia Khatun and that wasn't very appealing since she secretly feared the woman from the moment she met her.
Ku thought she lingered far too long and cleared her throat, standing behind the empress. Arielle turned in the chair and smiled brightly.
"Ku, have you been lurking?" her tone was a bit playful at best.
"I…have a few letters for you." She presented the three scrolls. "A letter from your parents, King Ernak and one from," she hesitated, "Shehzade Xerxes."
Arielle quickly leapt from the chair and hurried over to retrieve the letters. She opened Xerxes' letter first which did not go unnoticed by Ku's keen eye. War was approaching in Lake Thospia and she knew that was very close to Balaam but that wasn't dire information to her. A poem from Xerxes was written especially for her at the end.
The smile on her lips grew while reading every line. Ku-Ilm's eyebrow rose at the unsubtle giddy look on her friend's face.
"Any news on the Persians?" she knocked Arielle out of her dreamland.
Arielle rolled the parchment and set it aside. "Kawus has his army stationed at Lake Thospia."
The lack of concern and severity of the situation was prevalent in Arielle's voice. Ku didn't like that Arielle was so complacent when it came to any mention of Xerxes. She wanted her friend to be happy and god knows that she was incredibly depressed, angry and hurt when she finally divorced Bayan. Any man in Arielle's life was not only a concern to her family but also to Ku.
"That's all he said?" the Assyrian's uncertainty was laid bare.
Arielle detected a hint of spite in her tone. "What's with the attitude?"
Ku snubbed her and raised her chin. "I don't have an attitude. I just don't think you should focus so much of your attention on Shehzade Xerxes."
"I like him a lot, Ku. You know I do."
"Yes and I think you should be more careful around him."
Arielle folded her arms. "And why's that? I already am aware that he is a Persian Prince and our people have clashed since the creation of the Hun Empire. But he's different, Ku."
The fair haired Assyrian arched her eyebrow suspiciously. "You've only been with one other man, Arielle and look how that turned out. You can't have sex with every man you find enticing and think they're the best thing for you."
Arielle's jaw dropped. "Who are you to talk to me that way?" She stepped forward, closing the distance between them. "Are you jealous?"
"I'm your friend! How could you think I would be jealous?" her tone indicated she was very hurt by Arielle's accusative words.
Xena and Gabrielle walked into the middle of a heated conversation that was about to erupt into an argument. They were glad they sent Aurora off to the servants before entering the throne chamber. Ku and Arielle turned their backs to one another when the elder women were present.
"Is everything alright in here?" asked the governor.
Ku inclined her head to the women. "I'm going to check on the princess."
Gabrielle and Xena followed the chambermaid's abrupt departure then eyed a very obvious disturbed khagana. Gabrielle jabbed her thumb over her shoulder, pointing to the doors.
"What happened between you two?"
"Nothing."
Arielle dismissed the topic and opened the letters from Ernak and her parents. The last thing she wanted to read about was Bayan's inclusive opinion in Banat concerning Eksama. The divorce was final last year but her wounds were still fresh. This would be a good time to act on all her years of royal grooming to put aside her personal relationships with everyone and treat them like foreign monarchs seeking aid, she reminded herself.
She felt the four eyes upon her, watching every move she made. It grew more and more difficult to hide her overly expressive face and eyes especially with her grandmother's constant staring.
"My father wants me to assist in commanding my army to fight against Kawus and the Karens. The Persians already set up their camp in Lake Thospia."
Xena eyed the other letter in the khagana's hand. "And the other message?"
"Bayan is in Banat with the Harran army. Ernak said that Eksama's army is at the border of Pannonia and Banat, ready to attack them at any moment. I've already told Kuba to send a portion of the Avar treasury to Ernak."
"I see." Xena briefly looked at her wife's disconcerted face. "Not that Kawus isn't important, but I've discovered something that could potentially lead to a bigger problem if it isn't addressed."
"Such as?"
Xena sighed. "I saw Empress Theodora today talking to a group of clergymen outside the main cathedral. She's not here by sheer chance, Arielle. Justinian controls all of the churches in this area and I know without a doubt that someone reported that you are the Avar Empress."
"Justinian isn't a high priority right now," Arielle waved her hand. "I want to focus on Kawus. I will leave to go to Balaam in a few days. I trust you two will be by my side." she grabbed all of the letters and stalked off angrily.
Gabrielle traced a finger along her lips and then crossed her arms. "Are you going to find out what she and Ku were arguing about?"
"I thought I'd leave that up to you." Xena smiled.
"Or we could split it. You take Arielle and I take Ku. Sound fair?"
"I don't like talking to Arielle. She talks back to me like a little princess."
The governor lazily shrugged her shoulders. "Well I think Ku is afraid of you so it seems logical that I would be the one to talk to her. You're so good at making Arielle cry anyway."
"I don't make her cry…" Xena mutters.
"It was a joke!"
The khanum pinched her wife's arm longer than usual and Gabrielle gasped loudly, tensing her entire body. "Your jokes aren't very fitting for the moment, Gabrielle."
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The bow glided along the taut strings of the kamancheh and it made a subtle creaking, scraping noise. Cera cringed at the horrible noise and Pamira chuckled softly at the princess' efforts. Soran fulfilled his promise and was able to get a kamancheh delivered to Balaam within a month or so. Now it was up to Pamira to teach Cera how to use it. So far, the lessons were going well.
"You don't have to press so hard, princess. Use light pressure against the strings," she advised.
Cera inhaled heavily and tried again while pressing her fingers on the tips of the strings at the head of the instrument's neck. Focusing, she slides the bow gently across the strings and for once it didn't sound like a screeching noise to bust eardrums.
"Perfect!" Pamira encouraged. "I will teach you four easy notes. They're essential to playing almost any song."
While the music lesson continued, Yana came into the bedroom, hoping not to disturb the two. She arrived in Balaam a couple of weeks ago after she squared things in her tribe with her stepdaughter. The two weeks since her arrival were very busy and she did no such attempt to avoid Anastasia.
In fact, Yana was almost sure she was going to have an argument with the khatun over Cera. Neither one of them were younger or older than the other which made the situation tense.
Pamira caught Yana putting away clothes from the corner of her eye. She smiled and kept instructing Cera how to properly play the stringed instrument. She kept adjusting the princess' hand placement and bow on the strings.
"Chieftess Yana would you like to sit awhile and listen?" she offered.
The clothes would have to wait. Yana sat on the floor and Cera's cheeks flushed. She could tell Cera was nervous to practice around an audience other than Pamira. To ease the girl's nerves, she pretended like she wasn't paying much attention during the lesson.
Pamira nods her head continuously, watching every move of the princess' fingers pressing against the tautly strung strings. "Maybe in a few months you can show everyone how much you've learned by playing a song!"
Cera's doe eyes widen in fear. She shook her head and Yana touched her shoulder gently.
"You're doing great so far, Cera. I'm sure you'll be able to play something in a couple of months," said Yana. "I've actually been meaning to talk to you about your…party."
Pamira got the hint and advised that was enough practice for the day. She gently grabbed the instrument from Cera and walked over to set it back into its leather case for tomorrow or possibly later in the evening.
Yana's eyes followed the Persian teen and grinned at Cera. "As you might have guessed, your mother and I don't exactly see eye to eye on everything concerning you."
Cera nods regrettably. "She is very adamant when she wants things done her way."
"I'm trying my best not to overstep my boundaries around your mother." She leaned over, "she is my superior after all," she whispered.
Cera put a hand over her mouth, hiding her smile.
"With the impending war between the Persians I don't think your mother will allow a slew of guests inside this Adame but I think I can convince her to allow all of my brothers and Inzhu to come to your party," she says and Cera shrugged a shoulder.
She added, "I'm not familiar with senliks but I want to incorporate some Nezak traditions. I hope your mother won't mind. I haven't spoken to her about it yet."
Cera exhaled and ran a hand down the small swell of her abdomen. She wanted to avoid a fight at all costs between her mother and Yana. She also knew that Navaz was busy preparing to war with the Persians so he was going to be virtually no help at all to quell her mother's overbearing viewpoint on a number of topics.
This was nothing like she imagined it would be. In reality, she wanted to be surrounded by her entire family. She missed her brother and nephews the most. She even missed Farah's presence sometimes because she enjoyed listening to the queen spout off on tangents from time to time. At least Mirac had several siblings that cared about her.
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A month living in this monstrosity of a palace and Gabrielle still managed to get lost in the labyrinth. She finally located Ku-Ilm after an embarrassing hour of wandering around. She waited outside Aurora's bedroom until the chambermaid exited.
Ku stepped out and closed the doors quietly then jumped at the quiet governor leaned up against the wall. She put a hand to her throbbing heart.
"Governor," she inclined her head, "you scared me."
"I didn't mean to," Gabrielle chortled. "You're not an easy woman to track down, although I should be kicking myself because I didn't think to check Aurora's room," she jokes.
Ku blinked several times.
Gabrielle rubbed the back of her neck and laughed awkwardly. "I wanted to speak with you about the argument you had with Arielle. I don't like to see you two argue and it's rare to see you both at odds."
She immediately tried to avoid the question and descended down the corridor. "It was nothing, governor. Really," she assures.
Not convinced, she followed Ku and grabbed her arm, pulling her aside. "Ku, you don't have to be afraid of Arielle." She gazed firmly into the Assyrian's honey pooled eyes.
"I –I'm not afraid of her."
"Then tell me why Arielle was in your face. I'm a great keeper of secrets," she enticed the young maid.
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Xena braced herself for the conversation she was going to have and she cursed Gabrielle for coming up with the idea. She had been cordial with Arielle for awhile now and enjoyed helping her as much as she could but she hated confrontation when it came to the women in her life. Anastasia was somewhat easier to deal with except when she was in one of her "my way or else" attitudes. She didn't have that luxury with Arielle.
"Why can't you be like Cera?" she mutters to herself while strolling through the palace.
She came to a halt as a melodious voice trickled into the corridor. She followed the singing and peeked through Arielle's bedroom doors that were left slightly ajar. Xena did a double-take, whipping her head left to right, wondering if what she was hearing was true to the ear.
Keeping her distance, she pressed her ear against the door, listening to Arielle sing a heavy-hearted song quietly as if trying to keep the curious ears away from finding out her little secret. Xena's lips curled into a smile and arched an eyebrow.
"Yeni bir yüz gösterecek, üzülerek biraz," Arielle carried the tune while polishing an Avar sword. "Yok olmaz erken daha, biraz geç kalın ne olur…"
She swiped the oil along the blade, inhaling deeply. "Ne olur baharlarımı, bırakın bir süre daha."
Arielle finished cleaning her new weapon and stared at her own reflection in the shiny blade. She pulled a strand of hair behind her ear and frowned.
"Tanıdık değil bana güz," her voice trailed off. "Güz…" she sighed and lowered the sword.
"That's a nice little hidden talent you got there," Xena appeared a mere few feet away.
Arielle gasped and touched her heated cheeks. "Grandma," she fumbled and set down the blade. "I…I didn't know you were standing there."
"Oh I wasn't. I was listening at the door," she snickered. "I didn't know you could sing, Arielle. Is there anything you can't do?"
"Be a good friend, apparently," she mumbled. "I was so mean to Ku earlier. I'm sure you and Gabrielle heard us."
Xena took a seat next to her and laced her fingers over her knee. "I don't know what you two were fighting about but Ku was very upset. I don't normally see that sweet girl with such an angry face."
There was no point in masking her rude behavior so she decided to blurt it out. "I accused Ku of being jealous of my relationship with Xerxes."
"Arielle," she wide eyed her ashamed granddaughter, "I told you that girl's in love with you and don't you deny it." She pointed a finger in the khagana's face. "How could you say that about her? She loves you and takes care of Aurora. She's probably the most doting maid I've ever seen."
"I know," she admits, "I don't deserve her. She's the most kind and forgiving person I know. But what she said to me stung like an open wound." She turned to Xena with conflicted eyes. "I really like Xerxes a lot, but Ku doesn't want me to get close to him."
Xena reared back against the pillows, studying the empress' face. "I like him too but I think Ku is trying to look out for you. She doesn't want to see you get hurt again."
"I understand." Arielle lolled her head from side to side. "I'll go apologize to her before we leave to Balaam."
"Good."
"Oh and grandma…"
Xena's eyebrows rose. "Yes?"
"Don't you dare tell anyone that I know how to sing."
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Beneath the large Scythian cathedral, Empress Theodora gathered with the clergymen at a long table to converse the sudden rupture in their Christian world. The subject of the Hun-Avar ruler was the topic held in all of the churches in Scythia and soon to reach the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople before Theodora's return.
Bishop Salman twirled the large crucifix hung from a chain around his neck and gave a terse smile to the Byzantine Empress.
"It is an honor to have you here, Empress," he spoke for everyone.
She appreciated his gratitude and put a stop to the tense table full of clergymen. "I thought it was my duty to pay a visit to one of the most important churches in Scythia especially since you have a new ruler."
"We are equally as distressed as you, Empress. I imagine the Avar Empire is going to undergo several changes with the pagan Hun ruling Scythia."
Theodora didn't try to hide her disgust. "I'm very familiar with the Hun woman," her upper lip twitched, reminding her of how she was spied on several years ago. "It is a shame that Khagana Jiulu passed so suddenly. She gave the churches a large portion of her wealth every month. We cannot count on Khagana Arielle to be so generous."
The gruff bishop smoothed down his grey long beard, pondering what was to come of his cathedral and all the Christians in the city.
"Do you know for a fact that this pagan woman is tolerant of Christians, Empress?" he asked.
She turned her nose up at the question, a bit insulted he'd ask it in the first place. "Khagana Arielle and her people have been at war with my husband's empire for a long time. I don't expect that to change anytime soon. I also don't expect her to give charity to the church either."
"What do you suggest we should do your highness?" Bishop Salman creased his thick eyebrows together.
She smiles maliciously. "Request a meeting with her and plead your concerns. We do not want to appear hostile. Not yet anyway."
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Such arrogance, Xerxes thought. He was ashamed that he went along with his brother's plan in the beginning. That seemed like a lifetime ago now. A little over a year passed since he left Persia and served under the Huns as their ambassador and now commander. Despite his hidden deceit, they allowed him to stay and live among them as one of their own.
He overlooked Lake Thospia and on the other side of the water laid his elder brother's camp with an abundance of soldiers. He never thought it would come to this; fighting his own sibling for the sake of saving the entire Hun Empire and his father's life.
Navaz trotted up to him into the sweltering field. "My daughter has arrived with her soldiers."
The prince did nothing to hide his luminescent face. "I will discuss battle plans with her then." He turned on his heel.
"Shehzade," the king barked and Xerxes froze. "You will do no such thing," he smiles deviously. "My daughter has appointed her grandmother as the overseer for strategic warfare. You will be working with Xena."
The lump in his throat was ever present. He didn't want to appear weak in front of the king. A simple bow of his head sufficed before he sauntered off back to the campsite.
Navaz ran his fingers through his groomed dark beard speckled with bits of silver and sniggered. Any person would've expressed a level of fear working with Xena and relaying that message but he was smug about it all. He made it clear to Anastasia that he didn't want Xerxes near their daughter. What worried him was the lackluster reaction from Ana whenever he spoke of Xerxes. She wasn't the least bit concerned.
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"Alright Xerxes, this is how it's going to go," Xena began, "I'm in charge of battle plans and everything I say will be reiterated to the Hun and Avar armies. I've fought against your family for a very, very long time so I know all of their tactics. If you have any extra information Gabrielle will record it in her notes and we'll work together. Any questions?"
Xerxes stood before her and the governor inside the large tent, flabbergasted and at a loss for words. He nearly forgot all of his manners until the governor gave a hideous glare.
"N-no," his voice cracked. He rubbed his Adam's apple. "No, khanum."
"Great." She slapped a hand on his shoulder and walked to the desk with a map sprawled out. "Let's get started then."
He spun around and watched the two women get to work and whispering to each other while they examined the map of Lake Thospia.
"If you're overseeing the army then what is Arielle, I mean, Khagana Arielle, going to do?"
Xena guffawed. "Aren't you curious? She's in charge of archery and ballistic weapons line."
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Two Weeks Later
Two armies. Two siblings. Two borders. Ernak sat on his horse on the front line facing opposite of his sister. He didn't want to do this and he rather wouldn't. He'd been in several wars throughout his life and this was the first time he felt nervous. The Szekely soldiers weren't the best fighters and truthfully he'd never seen them in a war at all.
Bayan's army brought him mild comfort but right now he didn't need comfort, he needed confirmation of a victorious battle. The field was eerily quiet as Ernak stared at his sister sitting atop her brunette horse dead center in front of her massive Gepid army. She had five times the man power than he did but as his father, mother and Xena told him countless times: quality over quantity.
Eksama galloped to the center of the field alone. With her eyes clearly set on her brother, she hopped off the horse and drew her sword, raised it high into the air and then drove it in the ground.
Csaba furrows his brows and turned to his uncle. "What is she doing?"
"Don't let your guard down," Ernak growled and trotted downward to meet with her.
"Uncle! What are you doing?! Are you insane?!"
Csaba nervously clenched his jaw and held onto the horse's reins. He caught a certain someone glaring in his direction from the corner of his eye. He kept trying to keep his focus forward on the exchange between Ernak and Eksama.
"Don't look at me, Bayan."
"I am here only for the battle, Csaba," he snidely replies with a light laugh.
Ernak met with Eksama in between the armies and dismounted the horse. He pulled out his sword and stuck it in the ground and approached her but kept a reasonable distance between them. He hated to see his little niece's face bear any resemblance to this woman.
This entire war was wrong and he knew it. He wondered what his father felt when he drove his blade through Bleda's chest so long ago. Did he feel any remorse? Would he remember his brother as a vile and horrible being that he was? Or did he remember the good qualities of the brother?
"It doesn't have to be like this, Eksama."
She flicked her long auburn braid over her shoulder. "You don't want to fight me?" she placed her hands on her hips.
"No."
"I've already taken Pannonia because you refused to comply with my rules. I gave you a choice and you refused to take it. I'd love nothing more than to rule with my brothers by my side."
Ernak emits a cynical smile. "Yet you tried to assassinate our khatun and threatened to kill every female heir in the clan. I'm happy to say that your daughter has assimilated quite well in the family."
The arrogance across her face quickly disappeared.
"Yes, I have Austraia and she's alive and well. I don't know much about the Gepids but I do know they're very similar to the Visigoths. They kill female infants and children. I suppose you have some compassion in that black heart of yours since you hid your daughter so well."
Heat rose to the Gepid Queen's freckled cheeks and she lifted her chin proudly. "Using my daughter as a tool isn't going to deter me from taking Banat, Ernak."
He silently retreated and climbed onto his horse and pulled the sword from the ground.
"I'm not going to let you take Banat."
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Prince Edemen stood in front of a full length mirror while he was being fitted for a new leather vest. He was tired of standing and occasionally being poked by multiple pins. He lifted his arms so his mother could pin the long sleeves to be hemmed at a later time.
"Why can't I be in the field with father?" he asked her.
Farah hesitated and pinned her son's sleeve. "You're not old enough yet." She calmly explained but truthfully she was worried about Csaba and tried her best to hide it from her sons.
"I'm going to be twelve soon, mother. I'm not a little boy! Aman and Aladar are little but I am old enough to go to war."
"You are not!" she poked his arm with a needle. "Kurt is three years older than you and he's not in the field. You should be praying that your father returns safely instead of fantasizing about war."
Edemen hung his head. "I just want to help."
Farah warmly smiled and cupped her son's face. "There will be plenty of time for that when you're older but for now, let me enjoy spending as much time with you as possible."
She pulled him into a tight embrace and kissed the top of his head, never to let go. Edemen groaned with his cheek smashed up against her breast.
"Mother!" he protests. "Let go of me!"
The sounds of swords, horse hooves and yelling caught his ear. He gently pushed his mother away and ran onto the balcony. Two seas of tiny ants from afar joined into one mass of confusion and chaos. Edemen's mouth parted as he watched the armies conjoined and became one.
Hope of Ernak stopping the war before it began was long gone now. Farah clasped her hands together, closed her eyes and prayed that everyone was to return alive and unharmed.
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The Hun and Avar armies were divided into teams. Xena, Xerxes and Gabrielle were in charge of the front lines while Navaz had the backup legions and Arielle was solely in charge of archery. Each team had shifts every few days to keep an eye on the Persians across the lake.
Arielle kept herself awake for three days straight until she nearly passed out on her horse. She was given time to rest and without anyone noticing, especially her father, Xerxes snuck into her tent. Without being able to keep her eyes open to converse with him for more than a few minutes, she fell into a deep sleep.
Xerxes had an arm wrapped over her bare chest, sleeping soundly with her body spooned against his. Her long tresses sprawled across the pillows with Xerxes' fingers entangled in the strands.
During their sound slumber Gabrielle rushed into the tent urgently. She frowned at the two cuddled on the animal skins. She grabbed Arielle's sword and whacked the khagana's hip and took the opportunity to smack the Persian's hand resting on Arielle's hip.
Arielle jolted awake and gasped at the governor's raging eyes. She scooped the blanket and covered her bare breasts. "Gabrielle…I…what's going on?" she ran a hand through her hair.
"We are being attacked!" she yells and threw the sword onto the bedroll. "Get up and get dressed before someone sees you two." She angrily pushed through the tent flaps and left.
Arielle hurriedly grabbed her armor and boots. Looking over her shoulder, she smiled at Xerxes' muscular backside while he scrambled to lace his boots.
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In the middle of the night Kawus decided to attack. He sat idly for two weeks and the Huns watched him closely and carefully but they weren't expecting an attack at night when the camp wasn't prepared. Xena watched from the camp as the first legion of soldiers ran onto the dark field. She knew the first fleets of soldiers were going to die. They signed their death wish moments earlier when she gave the command.
She heard footsteps approach and kept her eyes forward, focusing on the battle.
"Where is she?"
Gabrielle huffed and took a moment to catch her breath. "In bed with Xerxes."
The khanum fluttered her eyes and she released a throaty growl. "I need archers. I won't send out another legion to their deaths. We'll lose all of our main fighters."
Hun and Avar soldiers ran amuck in the camp, scurrying to grab weapons and their horses. A midst of the cries of agony on the field, Navaz was heard from afar, berating the soldiers for their lack of preparation. Galloping through the back of the camp, he finally saw Arielle riding across the field, waving her hand at the archers located on the far left side. Shaking his head, he grabbed one of his own men and threw him on the ground to quell his frustration.
Xerxes ran with disheveled hair and half his armor on his body. He breathed out heavily and joined the governor and khanum. A feeling of guilt washed over him as he surveyed the bloody field. His brother was the cause and he wore half of that blood.
"Having sex with my granddaughter again, Xerxes?" inquired Xena in a calm tone.
He recoiled like a small boy. "No, I, no, khanum. We fell asleep."
"Hmm. Don't let my lack of emotion deceive you. I'm furious." She sauntered across the field with her hands behind her back, observing the massive damage already done to the first two fleets she sent out.
Xerxes eyed Gabrielle and smiled faintly. "Should I –"
"Absolutely not." She folded her arms. "Kawus doesn't attack like a regular Persian. Are you sure you told me everything about your brother?"
"Yes, governor. I swear. What can I do to help?"
"Do your job as commander and stay away from Xena."
XXXXXX
As Arielle quickly found out, arrows weren't helping to keep the Persians away. In fact, the Persians weren't the main problem at all. It was the lake itself. They were separated by the body of water which meant Kawus' men would have to make their way either across the lake or go around it to get the Hun encampment.
She expected a full on lecture from her grandmother after this surge was over and done with. Xerxes was in charge of commanding the army and she kept him from the field. Her thoughts swarmed all over, thinking of not only ridding themselves of Kawus but also what Ku said to her back in Scythia. She was too reliant on Xerxes.
Dawn was approaching slowly and Arielle sent another wave of arrows to rain on the Persians filling the field. She raised her hand and called out the command and eyed the arrows soar across the dim-lit sky.
Her eyes drifted to her grandmother who didn't look very happy about the sudden attack or the outcome of this raid either. Xena stood with hands on her hips, eyes narrowed and a pursed mouth.
Arielle galloped over and swiped the sweat off her forehead. "This isn't working," she alleged.
"Obviously." That curt reply hurt Arielle to the core. "We've lost fifty men in just a few hours. I sent Gabrielle to the defense lines."
"Why? We don't need defense right now! We need offense."
Xena whipped her head around. "I think you lost your right to call the shots, Arielle. I don't need the archers anymore. They're no use to us right now. The Persians are too far from us."
"Then…then I'll move my men closer."
"No."
"But I can –"
"Arielle! Do as I say!"
The khagana clenched her jaw tightly and glared at the field. Now that the battlefield was more visible she was able to see how Kawus orchestrated the attack. A glimmer in the lake caught her eye and she steered her horse forward and rode toward the center of the field.
Xena's eyes widen in horror as she watched Arielle ride out by herself. She snarled and turned to a group of Avar men waiting behind her for their next command.
"Go after her!" she ordered.
XXXXXX
The ringing in his ears clouded his mind to the point where he couldn't make out what was happening around him. Csaba's eyes shot open and he stared up at the clear blue sky, breathing sharply. He held a hand to his rib and raised his hand.
Blood. He winced and sat up, holding his palm to the gash on his ribs. He was surrounded by corpses of his men. He ripped the fur hat off his head and crawled on all fours, weaving through the field of bodies. The sound of bones shattering and spatter caused him to turn his head.
He gaped as a Gepid soldier drove a blade through one of the Assyrian soldier's chest. The kill wasn't satisfactory for the Gepid and Csaba stared in disgust as the Assyrian's heart was ripped from his chest and thrown onto the field.
He heaved and vomited on the wet bloody grass. He kept crawling until he was able to stand. He was sure some ribs were broken and his shoulder was dislocated. He couldn't recall what happened before he blacked out but he did remember Ernak yelling to keep attacking and keep the borders safe.
A wall of soldiers lined the borders to keep Eksama's army out but it was only a matter of time before that human wall was crushed. The stone wall that surrounded Banat was only a mere obstacle for the Gepids.
He kept walking, bruised and broken, until he reached Oran lying on the ground. He fell to his knees and cupped his cousin's face that he liked to call his brother.
"Oran!" he cried, slapping his cousin's cheeks. "Oran! Don't do this to me!" he screamed.
The Gokturk Khan's eyes fluttered open and he released a hefty exhale. He smiled at the green eyes above him.
"Csaba?" he croaked.
"Thank god." He kissed his cousin's forehead. Teary eyed he couldn't keep the smile off his lips.
Oran groaned at the stinging pain in his leg and tried to sit up. With Csaba's aid and an arm wrapped around his shoulder, he sat up, moaning loudly. He took a look at his shattered lower leg and sighed.
"Well, that's disappointing," he joked. "Did…we win?"
Csaba grunted and pulled his cousin up slowly. "We need to get you inside the city." They began hobbling away from the chaos.
"What about you? You don't look so good yourself, cousin."
"Don't worry about me. I'm fine."
Csaba looked back at the intense war and saw Bayan correlating all of the attacks, sending waves of men into the field. There was no sign of Ernak so far. He hated to say but he was impressed by Bayan's skills commanding an army. It was a miracle they were able to hold back the Gepids from raiding the city thus far.
XXXXXX
Gabrielle held back the soldiers on the sidelines, waiting for Xena's signal. Luckily it was daylight and she could clearly see Xena from the camp, although she was hundreds of yards away. The anticipation caused the adrenaline to course through her body the longer she waited.
Her eyes followed Arielle riding into the thick of battle and her jaw dropped. A group of Avar archers followed their empress, shooting at Persians that attempted to attack Arielle. She covered her eyes and peeked through her fingers.
It was like Arielle was a ghost riding through the field –untouchable –and void of any harm coming her way.
"Oh my god," she muttered.
Arielle lowered her body, wind whipping through her hair; she increased speed, riding for the lake ahead. As soon as she gained enough speed she steadied her balance and slowly put one boot on the saddle and stood up gradually in a crouched position.
Balancing on one leg, she rose to a full standing position and smiled at the lake. With the toe of her boot she yanked on the horse's reins and the animal skid on its hooves to a jarring halt. She jumped over her horse's head, soaring through the air, taking a straight dive for the lake.
Gabrielle gasped and put her hand up to grab her wife's attention. "Xena!" she yelled, knowing that her voice wasn't going to be heard from so far away.
Arielle landed on a hard surface beneath the water. By appearance she looked as if she were walking on water. She spotted Kawus lurking in his camp and smiled at him, looking him dead in the eye. Casually, she walked across the hard surface and kicked the water with her boot.
XXXXXX
"He built a bridge just beneath the surface of the lake," Arielle informed everyone.
Xena sat with her legs propped up on the table, folded arms and dagger-like eyes.
"That was the most…irresponsible thing you've ever done!" she griped. "Who do you think you are to ride out without a command, Arielle? You got lucky that Kawus pulled back his army before you were goat meat."
Arielle grimaced but she expected this reaction. "Well, thanks to my irresponsible actions we now know how the Persians were able to cross the lake so easily."
Xena slapped a hand over her face and groaned.
Gabrielle swallowed and put a hand on the khagana's arm. "She's right, Arielle. You shouldn't have gone out in the field by yourself. You're no longer in a position to take risks like that. You're in charge of an empire. What if something happened to you?"
"It's not like she was going to listen to me anyway," she shrugged Gabrielle's hand off. "Right, grandma?"
Xena's hand slid down her face and she took a moment to breathe calmly before answering.
"You still don't get it do you?" she pushed her legs off the table. "If you told me what you planned to do and why then I would've let you go but instead you decided to be reckless. I don't like recklessness on the field, Arielle. That's what will get you killed."
"Fine. I'll tell you next time when I decide to be reckless." Arielle stormed off.
Gabrielle pinched the bridge of her nose. "She definitely takes after you."
Xena's mouth closed to a thin line. She drummed her nails on the table incessantly, trying to calm her nerves.
"Aside from her reckless behavior, you have to admit she has a keen eye. She's very smart and goes with her gut every single time. In China she smoked out the entire city with that goose feather trick."
Xena grumbled and rubbed her temples to soothe the throbbing headache.
Gabrielle bit her lip in a quirk of a smile and walked behind her wife. She massaged the tense shoulders in hopes to relieve her wife's nerves and release the stress weighing down upon her. Digging her fingers into the knots she crinkled her nose.
"By god, Xena. If I knew you were this tense…" she paused and kept squeezing her wife's shoulders. "Do they have masseuses in Scythia?" she chuckled.
"Gabrielle." She pats her blonde wife's hand and brought her around to take a seat atop of the desk. "Thank you for not pointing out that I've been reckless in the past."
The governor shied away with a sly grin. "So, you noticed I didn't say anything."
The corner of Xena's lips twitched.
"You're welcome."
"I don't want her to make irrational decisions like that without consulting me first. I won't deny that she's very good. Maybe a little too good," she mumbles. "But behavior like that is like knocking on death's door. I've been put in situations that I wished I would've never been in due to my actions."
Gabrielle set a hand on the khanum's. "We both knew what we were getting ourselves into when Ana put us in charge of grooming Arielle to be queen. Take a big helping of your own medicine, Xena. She's never going to change who she is."
"Unfortunately I must agree with you." Xena tapped her cheek and smiled warmly at the jade eyes. She kissed Gabrielle's hand.
Truly she was the grounding force in her life for as long as she could remember. She couldn't imagine her life without the poet she once stole from Athens a lifetime ago. That time in her life was exceptionally difficult mentally and physically for her. At several moments in her life she wanted to give up and it became a struggle to live day by day. She was always reminded of Gabrielle's words of wisdom from a young age that she was. Now, at a ripe age, those feelings blossomed into something more than a marriage and lifelong bond. She was never alone and it took so long for her to think that let alone say it.
XXXXXX
Arielle stormed into her tent and she flipped over the table laid with maps and battle plans. Growling she kicked the flying parchment and grabbed a candle and snatched one of the maps and held it over the flame.
Xerxes entered slowly, tiptoeing around the irate empress. A flaming parchment fell to the floor and he immediately stomped on it, putting out the fire. Arielle spun around with wiry eyes and flushed cheeks. Anger had beyond consumed her and all he could do was smile which infuriated her to no end.
She shoved him back with a forceful push of her hands. He didn't falter and so she pushed him back again. And again.
The Persian grabbed her hands and held them close to her chest. Her nostrils flared, exhaling heavily in short spurts.
"Kizgin aslanim," he uttered in her mother tongue.
Arielle stared at him with a furrowed brow. Being called an angry lioness was not a compliment in her eyes but she was too miffed by his response to lash out. Slowly, she lowered her guard around him and her breathing returned to normalcy.
"You're speechless now," he said with confidence.
"You know my language now?"
He smirked. "I am learning."
Her fists unclenched. "Why?"
"I want to hear the world as you do," he spouts off poetically.
She cocked her head, gazing into his dark eyes questionably. "What's wrong with you? Why do you like me? Can't you see that I am nearly impossible to deal with –that I disobey orders, commands, and don't care about anyone's view but my own?"
Xerxes stifled a laugh and held her hands close to his chest.
"I know," he said.
She raised an eyebrow. "You know?"
"I am very aware of who you are, Arielle, and how you operate. I know it all and I like you for you. All of you."
If anyone is curious about the song Arielle sang earlier in the chapter:
Sezen Aksu -Kurşuni Renkler