We made it to 30 chapters, y'all! I will be making the chapters much longer from here on out because there's just so much to cover so I hope y'all enjoy that lol. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Chapter 30
Constantinople
Khagana Arielle. The one person Justinian didn't expect to claim the deceased Avar Empress' throne. He expected more from Jiulu after all he had done for her. Over the years he had hope that the Huns wouldn't make their way back into Scythia but that hope was washed away. Justinian relished the control over Christian Scythia but now that posed quite a problem since Arielle was the new ruler of that area.
He lay dormant as his enemy's empire slowly fell apart. Ever since he came to know that Eksama conquered Pannonia his chances to weasel his way into the broken Hun Empire was wide open. He could rush into Banat and Dalmatia and take everything if he wanted to but instead he waited. His desire to wait and see how things were going to play out between the daughter of Attila and the rest of the clan overcame him.
Recently, he sent his wife, Theodora, to search Scythia and get in touch with the head Bishop of the renowned cathedral in Scythia. He waited for her arrival any moment now.
The wait had not lasted long as his wife walked into the room. He turned with a smile and set down a goblet of wine he'd been sipping on for more than an hour.
"Theodora," he greeted her with a kiss to each cheek. "How was your trip to Scythia? I trust you have news for me."
"Not good news I'm afraid," she relays and his eyes twitched. "As you know, the Hun princess is the Empress of the Avar Empire. I fear that she will not abide by the agreement we previously had with Khagana Jiulu."
Justinian rubbed his beard pensively. "Yes, I'm aware that the Huns are not our greatest allies at the moment. When have I ever been friendly with them?" he laughs lightly. "I've sparred them a great deal of hurt. They have their hands full with Eksama and the Persians, I hear."
"Their empire is fractured," she rejoices with the emperor. "But not entirely."
"Because of the new Hun empress," he murmured. He turned to the window, overlooking the Black Sea and sighed heavily. "Theodora, I want to make a pact with the new empress."
She frowns at the idea and approached her husband. Laying a gentle but firm hand on his shoulder, Justinian spun around to face her irate gaze.
"I'm in no position to question you but…I don't understand why you'd want to ally with our greatest enemy," she tells him vehemently.
"If she's smart she will listen to reason to prevent an all out war against her own kind. You can't take the Hun out of anyone no matter what empire they rule over."
"But she's a pagan!" she screeched.
Justinian narrows his eyes and his wife quickly composed herself, straightening her posture and rolling her shoulders back and met his gaze with a calmer demeanor.
"We'll see how much she cares about her people when I offer her a deal." He took a step closer and pinched Theodora's chin. "It's simple, dear wife. She allies with us or I will make a pact with Eksama and wipe out the entire Hun Empire –every single tribe will be swept clean." He smiles at his plan.
XXXXXX
This humidity did absolutely nothing to help her recover even days after the injury. Xena cursed under her breath as she shifted on the floor. She wrapped a blanket around her body and tried not to make hard movements with her left shoulder. She expected Gabrielle to reprimand her for deliberately riding into the heat of danger but so far she received nothing but kindness.
Her body was not immune to arrow or blade wounds yet she hadn't gotten that through her thick skull yet even after all the years of experience she had on the field. She came to the realization that her body was not the same as it used to be. Yes, she was in impeccable shape and maintained her figure and she wasn't riddled with disease or illness but she wasn't thirty anymore.
An arrow wound could've killed her and she was lucky to be alive right now. As much as she liked being on the field, riding on horseback, sword in hand, decked in armor, she knew that she just wasn't able to do it anymore. Gabrielle, ten years younger than she, told her this several times before but she refused to listen.
Now, she wishes she would've.
Arielle walked into the tent wearing a dark backless dress that showcased all of her tattoos that her father despised. After Xena finished fidgeting with the blanket she gazed at her granddaughter's slender bare arms covered in dark tribal ink.
She never was one for ink markings on the skin even though it was common among the tribes. Ebnedzar had several as did Oran. She even came to find out Csaba had a few hidden. She wondered if Anastasia knew about that.
"It's nice of you to grace me with your presence," Xena smiled with tight lips. "It's been three days since I've seen your face."
"Sorry about that," Arielle shies away. "Mother told me you were doing well so I didn't feel the need to bother you."
Xena blinked. "Nice to know that you care," she remarks.
"It's not like that, grandma!" she laughs. "Anyway, you asked for me? What did you want to talk about?"
This discussion had been planned out ever since Xena laid eyes on her daughter when she appeared on the battlefield. She warned Arielle about behaving recklessly and making haste decisions but no matter what she said, Arielle never listened. She didn't appreciate that she wasn't consulted on Anastasia's sudden arrival. It irked her to no end. Anastasia was no child but a woman with several years experience as a queen and warrior on the field, but she would still always be Xena's little girl in her eyes.
She decides to rival Arielle and toy with her for a moment to see her reaction to what she was about to say.
"I wrote Ku and told her to bring Aurora here," she says.
All color drained from Arielle's face.
"Since you're such an important person now I figured Aurora should get used to the field. It's in her blood after all." Xena waited for the eruption.
Arielle clenched her fists. "How could you do that?" her heart sank. "She's only five years old! She's a little girl! She shouldn't be anywhere near a warzone! Why didn't you consult me about this? How dare you –"
"How dare I?" Xena interjects with a sly grin. "Relax, tatli kiz." She reclined on the pillows. "Aurora isn't coming here."
"…what?"
"I know this must be a hard thing for you to grasp but I'm not just your grandmother," her voice firm yet gentle. "Your mother is my daughter just like Aurora is your daughter."
Arielle licked her dry lips and tipped her head downward, unsure of where this conversation was going.
"You put my daughter in imminent danger. She can barely see for god's sake, Arielle!" she snapped, causing the young empress to flinch.
"Oh…I see now," she whispered. "I didn't think about it like that. I should've told you first, I know."
Xena raised her chin. "I'm not really in a position to argue with you anymore, Arielle. You're no longer beneath me as a princess and I'm really one for hierarchy but you're an empress now. I'll be there to help you as much as you need but you –" she paused.
Arielle didn't feel like an empress right now. She felt like the fifteen year old princess she used to be. The idea of being a ruler of a huge empire had yet to sink in even after a few months since her reign began.
"Can I advise you?"
"Please do."
"I advise you to keep me informed of everything you do and plan to do," Xena touched her left shoulder and winced. "I'm supposed to be your ambassador and I don't like being clueless so please, next time inform me of your plans."
"I will. Thank you," the khagana smiled and her grandmother returned the gesture. "I'm so used to you telling me what to do that now…I'm not sure what to do. I'm an empress!" she cheers excitedly. "But you're still my family and I don't want that to change."
Xena nodded. "Just remember not to show any favoritism with your fellow allies. That includes me, Gabrielle, your mother, father and yes, that also includes Farah, Csaba and Ernak. They're your family but they're also monarchs just like you."
She thought of all the times she had continuous arguments with Arielle since she was a child and what Gabrielle told her. She was hard on her but for good reason but now that Arielle was older, she could no longer treat her the way she used to. She also realized she never gave her any compliments and only focused on the negatives.
"You did a very good job knocking down the siege towers," she says.
At that, Arielle's face lit up. "You think so? I thought the execution could've been better."
"Yeah and maybe I could've been more careful," she eyed her shoulder wound.
XXXXXX
Even though the Persians were in dangerously close proximity, the two warring sides regrouped, gathered the wounded and dead from the field. Everything was quiet on the field and both camps were visible to one another.
Gabrielle still had to act as governor for the empire and that meant documenting every detail that occurred during the siege. While she tended to Xena's injury that set her back a bit and she unfortunately had to leave her side and find a quiet place to write.
She stationed her desk underneath a canopy outside so she could enjoy the fresh air while she wrote. She just finished writing about the desecration of the Persian siege towers and set the parchment aside. She noticed Anastasia walking by herself and struggling a bit, unsure of her whereabouts.
"Ana!" she called out, alarming the khatun.
She set the quill in the ink well and hurried over to hook arms with Anastasia and lead her to the canopy. It was strange to see Ana in this state. She'd known the khatun since she was thirteen years old and now approaching middle age, she never imagined Ana would have three children, become the queen mother of the empire and have her sight taken from her.
"Sit with me. I was just finishing up my work," says Gabrielle and offered Ana her chair.
"You don't have to baby me, Gabrielle." She did gladly take the offered chair though. "I can get around better than you think."
The governor smiled and organized her work into a leather folder. "I know you're capable of taking care of yourself, Ana. You always have been. But you should give me and your mother at least some credit."
"Oh," the khatun smiles and waved her hand. "I would be lost without you two and quite literally now," she joked. "I know my mother isn't happy that I'm here but she doesn't have to worry for much longer because Navaz is forcing me to go back to Balaam today."
"A wise man," Gabrielle alleged.
Ana turned her head to the tent across the field. Her other senses heightened after she lost nearly all of her sight and she still wasn't used to it. She didn't like hearing quiet conversations from afar although sometimes it was useful. She could hear Arielle talking with her mother and creased her eyebrows.
Gabrielle packed the folder into her satchel and stared at the khatun's curious face. She eyed the tent and slung the satchel strap over her shoulder.
"Arielle is doing fine in Scythia," she assured the worried khatun. "It was a tough adjustment at first but I think she's doing much better now. Aurora loves the new palace. I'm sure she's bossing around those maids right now."
Anastasia's lips twisted into a smile. "I do miss her. She was very unhappy in Banat."
"Maybe…you could stop by?" she suggested and Ana's eyes amplified. "You could bring Cera too. Scythia isn't that far from Balaam."
Being a proper woman that she was now, Ana had a hard time containing her emotions but her smile did nothing but expose the ecstatic feeling she had inside.
"Well," she regained her poise, "I do miss being surrounded by children. I was very spoiled in Pannonia and Banat when I had all of the children around me. And I'm sure Cera would love to see Aurora and…the palace of course."
Gabrielle chuckled at Ana putting on her stern queen exterior.
An Avar soldier dressed in his crimson armor and robes approached the governor. He inclined his head and held out two metal tubes, holding very important letters.
"Governor, I have a message from Sukhra Karen and another from Advisor Kuba."
She side-eyed Anastasia then grabbed both messages, thanking the messenger soldier. She set down the letter from Kuba and held Sukhra's in her palms. The metal tube was beautifully decorated with gold leaves etched on the case. Persians and their obsession with gold.
She screwed off the top of the tube and set it aside and pulled the scroll out with a finger. She could almost hear the Persian's severity in the words written in the message as she read silently. She figured that the subject of Pamira Karen was going to turn up sooner or later but she didn't expect it to be during a war.
"I have to take this to Arielle," she said after finishing reading.
Ana gripped the chair's arms. "What did it say?"
"Sukhra demands his daughter be returned to him. Arielle is going to have to talk to him personally because as of now…" she paused, looking out at the Persian camp across the lake. "Pamira belongs to the Hun Empire."
"I knew it was a bad idea to let Soran marry that girl but who knows? Maybe the House of Karen will become our ally now that Pamira is part of our tribe."
Gabrielle raised an eyebrow and smiled knowingly at the khatun. "She's part of Navaz's tribe," she corrected.
"That's –that's what I meant."
"You said our tribe, meaning you and Navaz."
Anastasia shifted uncomfortably and pulled the dark veil over her face to hide her well known emotions.
"I'm still in charge of the empire, Gabrielle. I control Navaz's kingdom even though my own tribe is scattered. I just meant that Pamira is part of our family now."
She tried to fix whatever mixed message she was trying to convey and she did it so poorly that Gabrielle's smile inflated at the khatun's disposition.
XXXXXX
The attack a few days prior put an immense amount of stress on the ballistic weapons legion. Navaz was not normally in charge of ballistic weapons but since all of the catapults belonged to him he made sure that necessary repairs were made. As he stood off to the side, making sure the machines were properly tended to he couldn't help but shake his head.
Arielle was an excellent ballistic weapons commander and she's proven that several times but he wished she was more careful with the catapults. They were fired several times during the attack and at least three out of six were damaged. He wasn't sure if any of them could be repaired if Kawus was to attack again.
Also, more than fifty bows were beyond repair and even Arielle almost ruined her infamous bow during the attack. Navaz put a note in the back of his mind to commission a new bow for her with a stronger pull. He couldn't fathom that a woman of her weight pulling a bow more than fifty pounds but apparently she was stronger than she appeared to be.
One of General Zolten's officers stayed to oversee the repairs and Navaz whistled, drawing his attention to come talk. Hayk ran over but kept an eye on the soldiers.
"Yes, your majesty?" he bowed.
"Tell Gabrielle that I want a bow commissioned for my daughter," said Navaz.
Hayk nodded and quickly walked over to the tents. Shehzade Xerxes overheard the conversation between Hayk and the king. He casually sauntered over to the White Hun King and stood beside him. Navaz caught the Persian out of the corner of his eye and frowned.
"Shehzade," he greeted sourly.
"I heard you are going to have a bow made for Khagana Arielle."
Navaz grunted as a response and refused to look at the prince.
Xerxes smiled knowing that he was not well liked by the king at all. "I have an excellent bowman back in Persia. I would be honored if you allowed me to have a traditional Persian recurve bow made for her."
The king smoothed his thumb and forefinger along his mustache and exhaled deeply.
"We use only the best materials. She seemed to really like my bow a lot," said Xerxes, continuing to talk while he was being blatantly ignored. "I even promised Princess Aurora to help her design and make a bow."
Navaz's eyes widened and he turned to the prince. "You stay away from my granddaughter, Shehzade," he growled. "And while you're at it, stay away from my daughter too."
"I'm not like my brother, your highness," Xerxes chose his words wisely. "I'm not Bayan either. If Arielle allowed it I would make sure that Bayan was no longer a lingering problem for her or your family."
Navaz creased his eyebrows and rubbed his lips together, glaring at the Persian. His temper somewhat simmered down after Xerxes made a threatening comment about Bayan. He really hated that man and he was glad to know that Bayan was disliked by a Persian as well.
"Arielle is very special to me," he said. "Her being an empress does nothing to change the fact that she's my most prized possession."
The prince gathered that from his first meeting with Arielle's father. Certainly, he was very protective of the women in his family.
"I like your daughter very much."
"I know…" Navaz mumbled. "Do you have a wife back in Persia, Shehzade?"
"No…your highness."
Navaz smiles at the prince and pats his shoulder. He walked closer to the catapults to get a closer look of the repairs. "You may commission the bow to be made," he called out. "Tell Hayk to give the order to Gabrielle. I will pay for the labor and materials."
XXXXXX
"Hmm."
Arielle went back and forth between both letters she received. She hoped that this wouldn't come to light until much later but it was obvious that it was unavoidable. Her grandmother was right about Empress Theodora sticking her nose where it didn't belong.
"Hmm," she says aloud again.
Xena drummed her fingers on her knee impatiently. "Are you going to stare at the letters all day or make a decision?" she griped.
"I'm thinking!"
Gabrielle offered a suggestion. "Why don't you go back to Scythia and speak with the clergy? I could go speak to Sukhra Karen with your father."
"I guess I could do that." Arielle deduced and looked back at her grandmother. "What do you think I should do?"
"Let Gabrielle handle Sukhra. She's much better with political affairs," Xena complimented her wife and sent a smile her way. "As for the clergy…I want to go back with you. Those so called men of God are going to rip you apart. They work for Justinian not for the church."
"Xena, I don't think you should be traveling," Gabrielle interrupted before Arielle could get a word in.
"I'll be fine," Xena replied sharply. "Scythia's only a few days ride from here."
Arielle was caught in the middle of her mentors and raised her hand to speak.
"Well, I was –"
"You're hurt! You shouldn't be riding anywhere. What if your stitches open and you start bleeding out? Or you get a fever?"
Xena groaned and scratched her scalp anxiously. "Gabrielle, I appreciate the concern but I've had worse injuries than an arrow to the shoulder."
Arielle clapped her hands several times to grab the women's attention. They finally stopped bickering and she huffed, eyes darting from side to side, frowning at the two women.
"Thank you," she released a deep breath. "Gabrielle, I'll take care of grandma. Nothing will happen to her."
"I'm not a child," Xena barked.
"No but you're as stubborn as a mule," Arielle combated. "Just because I've had several years of training doesn't mean I'm skilled in conducting political meetings. I would really like grandma's help so I'm going to take her back to Scythia with me."
Xena smiled smugly at her wife. "You hear that, Gabrielle? She needs my skills."
"I'd pay to see you negotiate with clergymen," Gabrielle teased.
"Governor! Officer Hayk here. Might I have a word with you?" he called from outside the tent.
This may have been one of the busiest days she had in awhile. Gabrielle stepped outside to the officer with his back turned. She remembered that the men here weren't permitted to look at any of the women in Navaz's family.
"What is it? More news from Kawus?"
"No, governor. The king is commissioning a Persian bow for Khagana Arielle. All costs will be covered by the king and paid to Shehzade Xerxes."
Gabrielle's mouth parted and she was speechless.
"Okay…" she rocked back and forth on her heels. "Can I ask why?"
"The king deems it appropriate, governor."
"Hmm, alright. I need to speak with Navaz. Tell him I will meet with him soon. We're going to speak with Sukhra Karen."
Hayk bowed and ran back to the other side of the camp, leaving her in utter shock and confused.
She walked back into the tent with two pairs of eyes waiting for her to spill. Startled by their mirrored expressions she felt cornered by the blue eyed women.
Xena narrowed her eyes, zeroing in on her wife's bemusement. "What was that about?"
"Navaz…is having a bow made for Arielle," she relays and looked to Arielle's happy grinning face. "It's a gift from Xerxes."
Arielle emits a pearly white grin. "Wow! A bow? For me?"
Xena's eyes dart from Arielle then to Gabrielle. "Your father sure knows how to spoil you. Where can I find someone like that?"
"Do you want a bow too?" chided Gabrielle.
XXXXXX
Sukhra was informed that he was going to meet with the Hun king. He waited in his tent for the king's arrival. He didn't expect a private meeting with the Hun king and was advised by Shehzade Kawus to be overly cautious during the meeting.
Navaz and Gabrielle were escorted through the tent's entrance and Sukhra sat up on the cushioned bench on which he sat. Navaz took a step forward and swords were pointed at him and his accompanied guest.
"I recommend your men put down their weapons, Sukhra," said Navaz. "We don't want this meeting to get off to a bad start."
The Karen nobleman nodded to his men to stand down. "To what do I owe this visit, Hun king? Did you get my letter about my daughter?"
"That's why I'm here. I brought my governor to record our conversation. I hope you don't mind."
Gabrielle smiled at the Persian and pulled out her notepad and feather pen. She was given a place to sit at a small table and dipped the quill in the ink, ready to write. She and Navaz were given harsh glares from Shehzade Kawus when they entered the camp. If they were smart they wouldn't harm them as the Hun camp was just across the lake, armed and vigilant.
"My Khanum kidnapped your daughter," began Navaz. "I didn't order her to do that. That order came directly from my daughter who is now the ruler of the Avar Empire."
Sukhra was chomping at the bits and bobbed his leg up and down, glaring at the Hun king.
"You must understand that the only reason your daughter was taken was to spite you for attacking Pannonia. You held the entire clan hostage for the sake of obeying Shehzade Kawus' orders."
"I want my daughter, Hun king!" Sukhra yelled, slamming his fist on the bench.
"I do feel your frustration, Sukhra. I have a daughter of my own. I don't wish any harm to come to your daughter. She's well taken care of at my home in Balaam."
Gabrielle lifted her head and saw the tension between the two men. Navaz took a long pause before speaking again.
"I can't give your daughter back to you because she's been married to my son, Prince Soran."
Sukhra's lip quivered and he stood up angrily. "Married?!"
Navaz smiled and nodded. "Yes, she belongs to the Hun Empire. You are bound to me now. Your House is tied to mine through your daughter's marriage. This being said…your allegiance to Shehzade Kawus and his rebellion is void."
Not long after the discussion Sukhra was forced to submit to Navaz. He didn't put up much of a fight to argue but sent menacing glares. Gabrielle quickly wrote a treaty which should have been signed months ago when Soran married Pamira.
She blew on the wet ink and presented the document on the table. Navaz and Sukhra stood at either end of the table and stared at the foreboding marriage alliance treaty.
"I need both of your signatures." She held out two quill pens. "Once this is signed you forfeit your allegiance to Shehzade Kawus and fight on our side. Do you agree?"
Sukhra grunted and snatched the pen out of her hand. "I do," he hissed.
The names were signed and Gabrielle took the treaty and gently placed it into a folder. She took a step back, wondering what was going to happen next. This was probably the most amenable meeting she ever had in her entire life as a scribe.
Navaz grinned triumphantly. He held out his hand to the Persian.
"I look forward to our families merging as one. My son is very pleased to be married to your daughter. May our children live happily and give us several grandchildren in the future!"
Sukhra firmly gripped the Hun king's hand, staring intensely into the dark eyes opposite him.
Gabrielle and Navaz left the Persian's tent, walking out of the Persian camp escorted by Avar soldiers to ensure their safety. She released a sigh of relief and smiled up at the king.
"That went better than expected!"
"I wouldn't celebrate too soon, Gabrielle. I am expecting Kawus to retaliate once he finds out his main ally has abandoned him. We should get back to the camp immediately before we're attacked."
She looked over her shoulder to see Sukhra walking towards Kawus' tent.
"Good thinking." She quickened her pace.
XXXXXX
If she would've known that she'd have to attend classes with private tutor she would've stayed back in Banat. Aurora loved being in a new palace and the best part was that she could ask the maids to do whatever she wanted. Most of the servants were Scythian and very few were Avar.
Kuba assigned a tutor to the princess and every day she sat on the floor, learning how to read and write in the ancient Scythian language. She was previously schooled in Pannonia to learn Latin, Syriac, the Hunnic language spoken all across the empire and now she had to learn Scythian.
Aurora sighed heavily and dropped the quill into the ink well and stared up at her female tutor.
"I'm tired of learning for today, Tabiti."
Tabiti chuckled and tapped her finger on the desk. "We're almost finished, princess. Don't you want to be a great and smart ruler one day?"
"I just said I was tired!"
Ku came by to check on Aurora's studies and her arrival disrupted the session which irritated the tutor. Aurora gasped and jumped off the floor and ran to her caretaker.
"Ku-Ilm!" she hugged the maid's legs. "Can you tell Tabiti that I don't want to study anymore? My head hurts."
Ku eyed the dark haired Scythian woman and smiled nervously. "Ah, well maybe you should finish your lesson for the day."
"But my head hurts…"
Ku knelt down on a knee and brushed the girl's hair behind her ears. "I think you should mind Tabiti. She's a very good teacher. Once you finish your studies I will take you to meet your mother. She just arrived not too long ago."
Aurora grinned from ear to ear. "Mommy is here?!"
She darted out of the room and Ku stood, smiling at the princess' overexcited nature. She turned to Tabiti with apologetic eyes and bowed her head, lowering her gaze. She knew that many of the servants didn't like her because of the close relationship she had with Arielle and Aurora. She had much of the same issue when she was in Pannonia and Banat.
The only person that showed her an ounce of kindness was Kuba. She knew she had a hierarchical status among the other maids because she tended to Aurora and Arielle constantly. She thought she might tell Arielle about her problems but would she listen? She didn't know if Arielle had the time to pay attention to her troubles these days.
XXXXXX
In Arielle's absence her entire room was redecorated by Kuba's orders. All of the tables and chairs were removed and replaced with low couches and round tables to eat off. He also had several rugs brought in from the market square in the city.
She was very surprised to see a little bit of her home brought to her. She hoped that she didn't insult Kuba when she kept remarking at the odd furniture but apparently he wasn't offended at all. She didn't expect him to do any of this for her.
An early dinner was served inside Arielle's bedroom. She and her grandmother were so glad to take much needed baths and wear anything but armor. Xena sat on the low sofa with Aurora on her lap.
She tore a piece of bread and dipped it into a saucer of broth and fed Aurora, smiling at the little princess. Aurora chewed quickly and eyed the bandages on Xena's shoulder.
"What happened?" she pointed to the gauze.
"I…was hit with an arrow." Xena thought no reason to lie to the girl.
Aurora gasped. "Does it hurt a lot?"
"Not so much anymore. Gabrielle helped me."
The princess nodded and wiped her mouth of the crumbs. "Where's Gabby anyway? How come she didn't come with you?"
Xena toyed with the girl's long silky hair. "She has some business to take care of. She should be here in a few days but enough about that. Ku told us that you've been learning Scythian." She poked Aurora's chest. "How is that going?"
Aurora rolled her eyes. "I've had enough of school talk today, grandma khanum." She hopped off Xena's lap and sat on the floor to grab more bread. "You're gonna give me a headache."
Xena and Arielle stifled laughs. While the princess kept nibbling at several saucers on the silver platter, Arielle sighed deeply and sipped the almond sherbet.
"If you're worried about the meeting with the clergymen, don't be." Xena reassured her granddaughter, setting a hand on her knee.
Arielle presented a weak smile. "I'm just worried what they'll think of me. What if they hate me?"
The khanum scoffed. "They definitely hate you," she muttered, sipping some water. "Be kind but firm. Don't let them walk all over you. Remember, these men work for Justinian. They're going to attempt to get a rise out of you."
"Kind but firm," Arielle repeated. "Mother told me the same thing." She shifted on the couch and leaned an elbow on a pillow. "Was mother a good negotiator with the Romans?"
What a loaded question, Xena thought. "She learned quickly how to be a queen, very quickly. She didn't have years of training like you did. She had to learn as she went. She was thrown into the role of being queen as soon as she married your father. I wasn't there to help her for a long time," she recollected on those hard times. She tried to bury those thoughts deep, deep in her mind, never to resurface.
"But anyway," she digressed. "Your mother was very good at speaking with Romans but not without help. Gabrielle coached her how to speak with emperors and ambassadors."
Arielle creased her eyebrows and nodded. "I see. And you and Gabrielle don't mind helping me, right?"
Xena smiled warmly and gripped the empress' hand. "I'll always be here for you."
"Thanks." Arielle blushed.
"I do have to say that your mother was not easy to deal with when assumed her role as Queen of Balaam. Actually, she was sometimes impossible to talk to. She was always in a horrible mood and never liked what I had to say. I guess one could say…that was partially your fault." She snickered.
Arielle's lips thinned. "How is that my fault?"
"Because she was pregnant with you!" Xena roared in laughter, alarming Aurora.
"Very funny, grandma," the khagana rumbled. "Speaking of babies…I'd like to give Cera a wonderful gift for her party."
Aurora's ears perked up. "Teyze Cera's having a party?"
"Farah didn't tell you? Cera's having a baby soon."
"Ooo, a baby!" Aurora cooed. "Can I come to the party?"
Xena smoothed a hand over the girl's hair. "Everyone is invited, tatli kiz. You'll have some time to come up with a gift."
Aurora quirked her mouth and tapped her cheek. "A gift," she whispers. "How do you pick a gift for a baby anyway?"
XXXXXX
Kawus did not take the news of his only ally in the war being taken away from him lightly. Days after the treaty was signed, Sukhra took his sons and troops from the Persian camp and regrouped with the Huns across the lake. Navaz expected retaliation and he got one no later than four days after the Karens left.
Gabrielle's wish to leave was cut short as soon as the first catapult was fired towards their camp. She was held up in her tent, devising a plan that Navaz and Xerxes could use to combat Kawus. She'd been at war with Shah Peroz and Hormizd before and they were for the most part, predictable but Kawus wasn't.
His ruthless tactics reminded her of the infamous Sabir Queen Boareks. That woman was the master of trickery and even though she didn't have a massive army she certainly left her mark everywhere she went. She desecrated several tribes in a span of half a year and did it so well that everyone feared her.
Kawus had a similar strategy in his attacks. His endless supplies of ballistic machines were detrimental to the Hun and Avar armies. Navaz's army was mostly comprised of archers and they were very skilled in their craft but arrows weren't going to stop nine catapults in the field.
The ground shook and Gabrielle grabbed the ink well that nearly tipped over on her desk. Despite the camp being attacked she was rather calm and kept drawing up a plan on a map. If only Arielle hadn't destroyed those catapults last week this battle would've gone a lot smoother and quicker to end.
Navaz ran into the tent and slammed his palm on the desk. "We are getting killed out there, Gabrielle!" he growled. "I only have two working catapults!"
"You didn't bring any other explosives with you?"
The corner of his mouth twitched.
"I'll take that as a no," she sighs and pushed the map towards the angry king. "You need to take out Kawus' catapults somehow. You might have to use ground soldiers and ride into the field."
"But if we do that we're going to lose three hundred or more…"
She tightened her jaw. "Would you rather lose your entire kingdom or a few hundred men?"
XXXXXX
Day five.
Kawus continued attacking but after five out of nine catapults were destroyed he was forced to use ground reinforcements. Since he knew his traitorous little brother's strategy in war he thought it would've been easy to fight against Xerxes.
After the sixth day he figured out that Xerxes wasn't using any Persian tactics in war at all. In fact, he recognized some of the tactics were Roman. He paced around in the camp, glaring at the Hun king opposite the lake. He kept his eye on the Hun Governor who was apparently instructing Xerxes and the Hun king the entire time.
In Arielle's absence, Gabrielle took it upon herself to instruct the archers. She walked behind a few rows of archers and gave the command to fire at the Persians for the third time in a row. The clusters of arrows rained down on the field and only hit a small group of Persians.
She grunted and ordered them to keep firing nonstop until she said otherwise. While the chaos ensued she walked over to Navaz who was overseeing the battle.
"I sent a letter to Shah Kavad days ago. He should've received it by now."
Navaz raised an eyebrow, keeping his head forward. "And why did you do that?"
"Kawus isn't going stop until every single Hun and Avar soldier is dead. He's going to run out of ammunition by then!"
"So let him!"
"Navaz, I've known you for a long time. You've always been clear and level headed during a battle but this time is different. You're clouded by your own anger and you aren't thinking straight!"
He spun around to the petite governor. "I don't pay you to get inside my head, Gabrielle."
"You don't pay me! Your wife does!" she shouted and then her eyes widened at the word vomit.
He too had a look of shock and surprise. His hard features softened.
She cleared her throat. "Anastasia –Anastasia pays me," she quietly corrected herself. "And money isn't the issue here, it's you. I had to write the Shah. Let's hope he responds promptly and by god, hopefully provides a solution!"
XXXXXX
"I'm proud of you, tatli kiz. You have managed not to throw up before this meeting." Xena snickered, standing beside Arielle seated on a cushioned bench.
That was far from the truth. Arielle's stomach felt like it had been punched several times as she lay in wait inside the audience chamber. She didn't have much time to prepare for this meeting with the Bishop. She kept going over the things her mother and grandmother told her.
Kind but firm.
Eloquent not threatening.
Attentive but not passive.
Persuasive not manipulative.
Bishop Salman was shown into the chamber by Kuba and a couple of guards. Two clergymen followed in after him. Arielle smiled tersely at the men and waved her hand for the soldiers to leave them be. Bishop Salman stepped forward and dropped to a knee.
He kissed the hem of her dress and then stood with a bowed head until he was far enough away from her. He and the clergymen raised their heads.
"We are honored that you're our new Khagana," he says politely.
Arielle grinned. "I'm glad to be given this position. I hope to achieve great things as your ruler. Xena Khanum will be sitting in for our meeting. I hope you don't mind?"
The Bishop eyed the tall Hun woman dressed in black robes, willowy pants and pointed boots that curled at the toe. Nervously he inclined his head towards her while her face remained expressionless.
"Xena," his voice cracked, "mother of Anastasia Khatun. What an honor it is to…finally meet you in the flesh." He clenched his teeth.
Xena finally smiled and with a curt yet slow incline of her head, the beads on her headdress clinked against one another. "Likewise…"
After a long pause Arielle decided to address the issue at hand. "Bishop, you expressed some concerns about your church's funds in the letter I received."
"Yes, khagana," his eyes averted from Xena. "Khagana Jiulu previously gave our churches in Scythia a large sum of her treasury. We used the money for construction, charity and a portion was given to the Hagia Sophia. I have the documents to prove –"
"That's not necessary, Bishop. I believe you," she interrupted. "I have no problem giving money to your churches but I will not give any coin to the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. As you may know Emperor Justinian is not an ally of mine."
The Bishop chuckled. "I'm not sure how the people will react when they find out charity has been dispersed by an infidel."
Arielle's eyes amplified at the outright insult and she was about to lunge forward until Xena put a hand on her shoulder, gripping firmly. It was a signal to calm her from lashing out.
"Bishop Salman," she breathed in sharply. "I'm tolerant of all religions. My advisor will record the amount you require and it will be given to you. You're dismissed."
"Your highness…"
"Dismissed!"
She snapped her fingers to the guards to escort the clergymen out. Her chest rose and fell heavily as she gawked at the group of churchmen leaving the audience chamber.
Xena folded her arms and peered over at her steaming granddaughter. "If I wasn't here you would've attacked him. You must learn to control your temper, Arielle."
"That arrogant fuck!"
"Hey, hey."
"Did you not hear what he called me?" Arielle sprung up and paced in a circle. "Infidel," she mocked. "You tell me to control my temper yet you would've ripped that man to shreds!"
Xena frowned. "I don't want you to be like me, Arielle. Learn from my mistakes."
Kuba interrupted their conversation which was about to become heated by the looks of the khagana's face. He held out two letters, one for each of the women. Arielle snatched the letter and ripped the wax seal furiously.
Xena kindly took the letter with a smile and carefully unrolled her letter. It wasn't something she wanted to read at all especially since Gabrielle wrote that Kawus continued to attack not even a few days after her departure with Arielle.
As she kept reading she noted that Xerxes was severely injured during the attack. She quickly rolled up the letter and firmly gripped it with her hands then turned her attention to Arielle.
"Who is that from?" she asked.
Arielle sighed. "It's from Ernak. He, Bayan and Ebnedzar were able to push Eksama out of Banat but Csaba has been unconscious for a few weeks. I better not tell mother this or she's going to be super depressed."
Xena nodded in silence.
Arielle eyed the letter her grandmother was hiding. "And who's that letter from?"
"Ah…it's from Gabrielle. The Persians attacked not long after we left the camp," she concluded with no desire to specify any further details.
Arielle noted her grandmother's perturbed face. She wasn't convinced of the khanum's short answer and tried to swipe the letter from her. Xena speedily rounded her arms and held the letter behind her back.
"What else was written?"
"I just told you; Kawus attacked. That's all."
XXXXXX
Thankfully Xerxes was able to put a stop to the catapults firing at the camp but in result was impaled by one of his brother's soldiers. Gabrielle tended to the wounded prince inside her tent. She applied pressure to the most severe wound on his right shoulder.
She gaped at her wet bloody hands and panicked. The blood just kept pouring out no matter what she did. She crawled on her knees to a basket filled with medic supplies and ripped a bandage with her teeth and then wrapped it over Xerxes' wound.
"Still breathing," she whispers breathily. "Okay…"
She huffed and tied the bandage tightly around underneath his arm. She was barely able to get his armor off in time and now he lay with his dirty undergarments on. She ripped his blouse and tore the sleeves off to get a better look at his various other wounds.
It'd been a long time since Gabrielle had seen a male's body in the flesh and the sight of muscular arms and abdomen was enough to make her mind wander. She raised her eyebrows at the gashes ridden all over broad chest, ribcage and navel.
She took a bit too long ogling his chiseled physique and began washing the wounds with a damp clean cloth. Once the gashes were cleaned she applied some medicinal herbs to seal the wounds. Some of the gashes would definitely need stitches but she was more concerned about the shoulder.
"Oh Arielle, I see why you like him…" her fingers laced with medicine gently slid across his defined pectorals.
Navaz rushed into the tent to see a nearly naked prince and Gabrielle knelt over him. He raised an eyebrow and Gabrielle turned with a bowl of medicine in one hand.
"The Shah sent his younger sons to push Kawus' men back," he told her. "Is he going to pull through?"
She nodded. "Hopefully. I wrote Xena and told her what happened and I specifically told her not to tell Arielle about this," she implied Xerxes' condition.
He eyed the bloody cloths sprawled across the floor. He watched as a blade went straight through Xerxes' upper half and it was the most gruesome thing he'd seen in a long while. As much as he didn't care for the prince he wanted Xerxes to recover. He also didn't want to be the bearer of bad news if Xerxes didn't recover.
"Let me know if his condition changes," he looked Gabrielle in the eye and she smiled faintly.
XXXXXX
Oran was held up in the infirmary, completely immobile since the war. His leg was shattered and had to remain in a splint for a few months until healed. He grew tired of waiting in bed and although he could get up when he wanted to, the physicians were strict and refused to let him out of the infirmary much less the bed.
Since he couldn't go anywhere he had periodic visits from his sons and Yeter even brought their infant son, Taspar. After his older sons came to visit he was enjoying the sight of his wife nursing their small son. He had a big smile on his face and Yeter weakly grinned in response.
He sat up in bed and ran his palm over his son's wispy dark hair. His hand traveled up to his wife and cupped her cheek.
Sighing, enjoying the sight before him, no more than ten feet over, laid his cousin, Csaba, still unconscious. Farah remained by his side every day and night, watching over him like a hawk. He felt horrible that he was far less injured than Csaba.
"She hasn't moved from that chair in three days," he whispered.
Yeter peered over at the thin queen and crinkled her eyebrows. She tried her best to get along with Farah over the years but they truly never got along or reached a mutual agreement with each other. Still, she hated to see Farah in this state.
Farah ignored her sister's pleas to leave the infirmary to eat and rest to regain her strength. She'd always been thin and no one would've ever guessed she birthed three children much less twins, by her svelte figure. But now she was withering away slowly, her eyes red, and cheeks sunken and her skin had lost all color.
Ernak waltzed in quietly and he shielded his eyes at Yeter nursing the baby prince.
"I'm sorry," his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. He quickly walked over to Csaba's bed and stared at his nephew's wife.
"Farah," he said and she looked up at him for a brief moment. "Your sister has expressed her concerns about you. She told me you haven't left this room in weeks except to tend to your sons.
She wiped her nose and kept staring at Csaba.
"I think it would be a good idea for you to take a bath, eat and get some much needed sleep," he advised. "We have the best physicians to watch over Csaba. If anything happens you'll be the first to know."
Farah growled, "No! I'm going to stay here. I want to be with him!" she snapped around, breathing heavily, glaring at the king.
He understood her pain and frustration. "Farah, don't make me use force."
She stood her ground and refused to budge. Sitting in the chair, she folded her arms and her eyes had gone dry for days now, unable to shed a single tear.
Ernak shook his head for what he was about to do. He picked up the slender queen and threw her over his shoulder then proceeded towards the doors. Farah screamed a slew of foul words in her mother tongue as she was forcefully being carried out of the infirmary.
The doors shut behind them and Oran and Yeter could still hear the foul mouthed queen's shouts echoing down the hallway. Yeter sighed and pulled her son away from her breast and fixed her dress.
"It's for her own good," she said and Oran nodded in agreement.
XXXXXX
Xena waited outside the palace gates as soon as she heard Gabrielle was returning from Lake Thospia. She spotted the blonde riding towards the gates with a horde of Avar men. She smiled; waving her hand which Gabrielle kindly returned the hand wave.
The weary governor hopped off her horse and handed the reins to an Avar guard. She immediately greeted her anxious wife with a kiss to the cheek. Then when nobody was looking, or so she thought, she pecked her lips.
Xena cringed and took a step back. "You smell like death."
"Thanks," she remarks sarcastically. "How was your trip, Gabrielle? It was good, Xena. I'm so glad you're not hurt, Gabrielle," she mocked her wife.
"I was getting to that part," Xena cocked her head with a glinting smile. "Is Xerxes…" she trailed off.
Gabrielle waned at the question. "He was taken to Balaam as soon as I left. You didn't tell Arielle…" she hoped not.
"I didn't but she's going to ask about him. What are we supposed to tell her? She's smitten with that boy –man," she corrected awkwardly.
"I can't believe I'm going to say this but," she eyed her inquisitive spouse, "we're going to lie to her."
Xena erupted in laughter. "Lie? Lie to Arielle?"
"I'm serious!" she reiterated. "He was practically impaled, Xena!" she snipped and the tall brunette's laughter simmered down. "I've never seen such a horrible injury in my entire life. If he recovers then we'll tell Arielle."
She walked up the stairs to the palace and Xena stood, star struck.
"If?"
XXXXXX
Two days after her arrival, Gabrielle slept through almost both days, completely exhausted from the events beforehand. She woke to the emptiness in her stomach and turned over to see Xena sleeping soundly on her back, a hand over her chest and mouth slightly ajar, breathing softly.
She rested her cheek on her elbow, watching her with a big smile on her lips. She traced a finger on the brunette's toned arm. Xena was not known to be a heavy sleeper and that proved right time and time again. She was careful not to wake her but Xena's keen skills of sleeping lightly did her no favor.
Gabrielle bit her bottom lip as soon as she watched those blue eyes flutter open. She apologized, "I woke you…"
"That's alright," she winced in pain at her wound, "I was going to wake up sooner or later. At least I get to wake up to your face," she looked into those jade eyes.
"Wow, you're in a good mood. Too bad I've been counting all those times you've punched me. I was contemplating hitting you in your sleep," Gabrielle teased.
Xena gasped audibly. "You would hurt me when I'm wounded? That's low, Gabrielle."
"Seventeen."
Xena snorted. "What?"
"You've hit me seventeen times this year."
"You really have been keeping count." Xena chuckled and slowly rose out of bed, stretching one arm over her head. "You know, I still have amazing reflexes and –"
Whack.
Xena spun around to glare at her smug wife who just threw a pillow at the back of her head. She tried her best to keep face and not laugh. She snatched the pillow off the floor and threw it back at the blonde.
"You're lucky I'm injured, Gabrielle," she warned.
XXXXXX
Aurora sat with her mother and Ku on the floor, eating breakfast before she had to go off to class. She reached across the table and grabbed an entire saucer of apricot jam and spread a generous helping on her flat bread.
Arielle raised an eyebrow at her daughter's ravenous appetite. While she picked at her own food and chewed on some warm bread and cheese, she kept watching Aurora fill her entire plate with jams, fruits and cheeses.
"Are you going to save some for Gabrielle and grandma khanum?" she inquired.
The princess froze and set down the knife. "I just really like this cheese."
Arielle chuckled and lifted her eyes at the latecomers. She gestured for her grandmother and Gabrielle to have a seat and they were welcomed by Aurora's quick embrace and big smile. She waited until they were situated and able to fill their plates.
She pushed around the melon on her plate and eyed them both. "Is Xerxes still at the camp?" she asked.
Gabrielle froze and felt a nudge on her thigh from Xena. "No…no he's in Balaam right now. He had to sign some documents with your father and the Karens." She lied, hoping that would suffice.
Arielle nods, unsure of whether to continue to pry for answers. She dipped the melon slice in a bowl of honey several times, unaware that the entire slice was nearly drenched. The quietness around her was unnerving and she dropped the fruit on her plate.
"Well, I was expecting a letter from him. Do you think he'll write one?"
Gabrielle paused and eyed her wife. "I –I'm sure he will. Soon, Arielle. Soon."
"Are you going to marry Xerxes?" Aurora asked casually.
Xena choked on her water and coughed. Gabrielle lends a hand and gently slapped her on the back. She regained her composure and stared with wide eyes at Arielle who also mirrored the same expression.
"Aurora…tatli kiz," Arielle smiled uneasily, "why would you ask that?"
"But daddy married Sarnai because he likes her. You like Xerxes too, right?"
Arielle snapped her head towards Ku.
"I didn't say anything! I swear!" the maid alleged with raised defensive hands.
"I'm…not going to marry Xerxes," she calmly explained to her daughter. "Who told you that your father married Sarnai?"
The princess peeled an orange and looked up at her mother. "Csaba did."
It took every bit of her not to scream in a fit of rage. She was reminded of the letter Ernak sent. Her brother was very hurt. That was the only driving force for her to remain calm. That and all eyes were on her, especially the elders across the table.
She exhaled deeply and grabbed her daughter's arm. "Aurora, I want you to know that we didn't get a divorce because of you."
The girl giggled and broke the orange apart with her hands. "I know that!" she stuffed some orange slices in her mouth. "Well, excuse me ladies but I have class. Come on, Ku!" she jumped up and ran to the doors.
Ku grumbled. "That girl, I swear."
Xena drummed her fingers on the table, matching her chewing pattern. She kept glaring at her granddaughter who wasn't paying attention to her in the slightest. Arielle finally turned her gaze away from Aurora's departure and flinched at the glare opposite of her.
"That child has you all figured out."
Arielle sneered. "I'm not going to marry Xerxes. I still don't know very much about him."
Gabrielle minded her own business and coolly sipped the sherbet, eyes darting between Xena and Arielle. It was then that she noted the glint in her spouse's eyes. That look she knew all too well and there was about to be a smart remark. She waited in anticipation for the back-talk to commence.
"You seem to know his anatomy very well," Xena chided.
There it is. You can't resist yourself, can you? Gabrielle set down the silver cup and licked her lips, smiling at the dumbstruck empress.
"Since you're so curious about my sex life, grandma," Arielle began, "I've only had sex with him three times and it was…glorious." She grinned and left the breakfast table.
Xena pushed away her plate and wiped her mouth. "I've lost my appetite."
"You asked for that," said Gabrielle. "He does have a nice body," she adds meekly.
"Gabrielle!" she reached over and slapped her thigh.
"Eighteen!"
XXXXXX
Pamira continued instructing Cera on playing the stringed instrument over the last month and a half. She was proud to say that Cera knew how to play almost an entire song. At first she had doubts that the princess would be able to play anything at all but it worked out beautifully in the end.
Cera slid the bow along the strings, emitting a melodious tune. Pressing her fingers on the neck of the kamancheh she huffed at the dull sound each time she tried the hardest note she recently learned.
"You'll get it eventually, princess," Pamira encouraged.
The redhead smiled and started over, playing the song again for the fourth time. While she played the instrument she felt her unborn child squirming within her. Her eyes lit up and she placed a hand over the active child. She pressed her palm on the side of her belly as it was one of the few ways she could effectively communicate.
Pamira leaned over with a big grin. "See, your baby likes the sound too. He or she enjoys the music."
Cera lifted her head to Pamira as her hand roamed across her stomach. She then asked, "Do you like living here with us?"
The Persian sat back and touched her hair anxiously. "Everyone is very nice here and Soran tries to impress me by showering me with gifts for every day of the week," she chuckles.
Cera nodded with a beaming smile. "Did you…" she paused, "consummate your marriage?"
Pamira's cheeks puffed bright red. She signed the marriage license months ago and although Soran was very patient with her, she knew eventually that she'd have to lay with him otherwise the marriage was considered void. She thought of several other women who were in her position back in Persia. Alliance marriages were hardly filled with love and sometimes the men would have a mistress on the side. She didn't think Soran would do that but she didn't know him well enough to make that assumption.
"Take your time," Cera quickly signed, knowing she might've made the girl nervous. "Soran is a good person plus he thinks you're really gorgeous," she rolls her eyes playfully.
"He does?"
Cera gave a knowing smile and peered down at the small swell of her abdomen. Her fingers gently tapped across her belly, attempting to stir the child. She sat for awhile and then contorted her face at the dull cramping in the crevice of her pelvis. She exhaled sharply and dug her fingers in her hips.
Pamira noticed the discomfort on the redhead's face. "Princess? Are you alright?"
The dull cramping intensified and Cera's eyes widened. If she could scream, she would. Her breaths shortened and she felt a warm liquid in between her legs. She creased her eyebrows, cradling her abdomen. She scraped her nails along the rug and moaned softly.
Pamira leaned over and saw blood stained on the princess' dress. She gasped and consoled the princess. "Yana!" she shouted. "I'm going to get help. Don't worry, princess. You'll be alright," she smiled weakly.
XXXXXX
Soran and Mirac entered the foyer of the Adame after spending most of the morning and afternoon scouting the perimeters of Balaam. Soran was glad that he had someone here his own age to talk to. He didn't mind spending time with his father when he had the time or when Safiya live there. But it was a relief to be surrounded by another male instead of the copious amount of women.
The two spoke about going to hunt since the weather was nice in the summer. Laughing together and chatting in hushed voices, they stopped at a train of women briskly walking down the hallway. Soran frowned and his eyes followed the women making their way towards the back of the Adame.
Four maids, the king's physician, Balaam's midwife, Yana and Anastasia Khatun all in a single file line turned the corner towards the bedroom wing. Soran and Mirac followed the women and then Soran spotted Pamira at the end of the line of women.
"Pamira!" he waved her down and she halted her stride. "What's going on?"
"Oh, um," she looked at Mirac. "The princess was in some distress so I told –"
"Cera? There's something wrong with Cera?" asked Mirac in a frantic tone.
He looked down the hallway and was about to dart until Soran caught his arm. He pulled away and then was wrapped into a bear hug. "Let go of me!"
"It's better if you stay away!" Soran advised. "The women aren't going to let you in there, Mirac!"
"But…she's my…wife."
Soran released his hold on the Nezak. "I know. They'll come get you if they need you."