The Lieutenant Part III

The Avar Invasions and Conquests

Constantinople

Empress Theodora stood on the far side of the throne chamber, watching her husband throw a childish tantrum. When she received word that the Huns had reneged on their alliance, she wasn't shocked. She expected this from the tribal people. Justinian's plans were not entirely ruined and she just had to convince him of that.

"Justinian," she set a hand on his shoulder. "You have contact with the Lombard King and Antes Chieftain. They are willing to do everything you say. What is stopping you from acting?"

He grumbled and shoved his wife's arm. He stood on the balcony and hung his head, taking in deep breaths which did nothing to calm him. He hated being outsmarted. It worse than losing but he hadn't lost anything but an entire legion of soldiers. He wasn't going to let Huns take anything else from him.

"I want Alduin to go to the Banat Kingdom."

Theodora took her place beside the emperor on the balcony. "And what will you do?"

"Turn it into a pile of rubble," he formed his hand into a fist, glaring out at the Black Sea. "Banat will be nothing but ruins. After that, Alduin will march into lower Pannonia and claim it for himself and so then the Huns will have no choice but to fight for their land."

She smirked and placed her hand on top of his. "You are forgetting that the former princess of Pannonia is now Empress of the Avars. They combined their empires."

"Leave the Avars to Mezamir. I have complete faith that he will destroy the Avars but that will take time," he relaxed his tense hand. "I need to speak with General Coutzes. He will lead all of the attacks on Pannonia."

Scythia

A month passed since the war in the Caucasus Mountains and enemies all around mysteriously fell silent. From experience, Xena knew that silent enemies weren't something to celebrate. Arielle had grown from being an incredibly spoiled and entitled princess to a very forgiving and kind empress. Xena liked to think that was due to age but only a year ago, Arielle was just as stubborn and outspoken when she was five years old.

This was a different time. She no longer had to worry about Arielle spouting off in fits of rage but she did worry for her safety. She made a promise to Anastasia to stay away from the field from now on but she could at least work behind the scenes to help. She hated to admit it but she was far too tired to work on the field anymore.

As much as she loved being on the battlefield, her body nor her mind could serve the army justice. She sounded naïve when she told Gabrielle that she never realized how much she used to do. She used to be the only military leader in the entire empire. She had the weight of the empire on her shoulders for so long and now there were several hands to help. She didn't have help for a long time.

Xena used to complain about the size of the clan. There were so many bodies, adults and children, but many of the children weren't children anymore; Csaba, Cera and Arielle, to name a few. Each one of them was capable of contributing to the military in some way.

And then there was Eksama. That woman was hated by many and loved by few. With her recent injury she was held up in the palace for a month now. She did receive several visits from the medical staff but none from anyone else. Xena herself was starting to feel a twinge of pain for the way Eksama was ignored by everybody.

Today was a normal day and Xena sat at a table in the conference room listening to Arielle spell out every detail she wanted for the next few weeks. Anastasia was allowed to present this time and so was Xerxes. Gabrielle took notes during the meeting as per usual. Xena sat, half listening and half daydreaming.

Arielle cleared her throat. "Grandma."

Xena fluttered her eyes and looked around the table at the many eyes staring at her. She was absentmindedly playing with the beads on her headdress which sat simply on the table. She rubbed her lips together and sat back in the chair, drumming her fingers on the table.

"Yes?" she answered politely.

"You're in charge of everything my army does. You will send a squad to districts of Scythia that I think need to be looked at more closely. You'll also be in charge of the Pannonia division. You'll be corresponding with General Zolten in Balaam."

Anastasia intervened, "but she won't go into the field," she pressed.

"No, mother. No field work," Arielle reassured her. "Grandma, do you understand your duties?"

Xena raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I understand but if I'm not a commander then how will the army listen to me? I can't make them call me 'khanum'," she mocked the very title she was bestowed.

"I'm so glad you asked!" Arielle pulled out a stack of documents and slammed them on the table. The weight of it caused Gabrielle to smear ink across the page to which she cursed quietly. "I'm giving you a new title because you're very special to me and everyone here. Csaba should've never given you the title of lieutenant. It was well below your former rank."

An embarrassment is what that was. Xena never wanted to take orders from Arielle in China at the time but she put up with Csaba's decision. She was almost afraid of what title she was supposed to be given next. She couldn't very well take Eksama's title anymore.

The suspense flourished and Arielle grinned and finally said, "I'm assigning you the title of Lieutenant…" she paused, "General," she said. "Had you all going for a minute there, didn't I?"

Gabrielle's jaw dropped. "Wow Lieutenant General," she nudged her wife's arm. "That's the highest rank we've had in our military."

"I've already signed everything and Kuba wrote down every detail. I have a copy of all your documents here," Arielle added, pointing to the stack of doom in front of her. "Aren't you going to thank me?"

Anastasia creased her eyebrows. "Arielle…" she leaned over to her mother who sat beside her. "This is really great, mother. You finally get the recognition you deserve."

Xena set her headdress on her head and stood up abruptly. "Yes, and it only took me forty years," she snapped and Arielle's face paled. "Thank you. If you all don't mind, I'm going to excuse myself from this meeting."

Gabrielle watched her wife exit the room and tapped the quill pen on her notes repeatedly. She thought Xena was very quiet during the meeting but with that little snide comeback, she could tell there was something wrong. She looked around the table and closed her journal. Quietly, she also excused herself as it was obvious this conference was over. She hurried out of the chamber to catch up with Xena and hopefully talk to her.

Arielle sat back and shared a confused look with Xerxes. "Did I say something to upset her? I thought she would be happy about this."

"Xena! Wait!" she cried.

With large strides, she was finally able to catch up to Xena but her lungs couldn't catch up. She heaved and grabbed Xena's hand and led them both to sit down in the atrium in the center of the palace. It was a quiet place and nobody was around. It was the perfect spot to talk, assuming that Xena was willing to.

Gabrielle situated her satchel on her lap and admired the greenery climbing around the stone pillars. Sunlight shone down from the ring of windows. It was a nice little touch of nature without ever having to leave the palace.

"What was that back there? I thought you would've been overjoyed by the opportunity."

Xena rubbed her knuckles together. "I am."

"Could've fooled me." She received a glare from Xena. "I know you well enough to see something's bothering you. If you want to talk about it I'll just sit here with you until you want to talk." She whistled, glancing around the room.

Xena, amused by Gabrielle's unsubtle way of approaching conversations, laughed lightly. Gabrielle's whistling ceased and she smiled, satisfied she was able to get a laugh out of her partner.

"I know this may be hard for you to believe but I am finally…realizing that I'm not the same person I was thirty, or even twenty years ago," Xena spoke the truth from within. She'd been holding that in for some time now.

Gabrielle nodded her head. "Neither am I. None of us are what we used to be."

Xena took her wife's hands in her own, giving a firm squeeze. "Gabrielle, I don't want to wither away like Kreka did. With each passing day I'm reminded that I won't be here forever. Kreka was so ill that she could barely stand. One day she was fine and then the next she was gone. I don't want to be like that."

Hearing those words made Gabrielle's stomach flip. She didn't ever stop to think that death was ever an issue between them. Internally, the thought crossed her mind but she never brought it up because she didn't see a reason to but now she saw that Xena was very fearful of death. What an unusual sight to see; Xena afraid of something.

"You…you won't be like that," she told her. "There's nothing wrong with you. You haven't gotten sick in years. Is that what you're worried about?"

"But Kreka was younger than me." Xena's eyes dipped to the floor. "I thought she would outlive me. I used to be the youngest in the clan until Kreka arrived and now they're all gone, except me."

Gabrielle realized her wife might've felt more alone now despite the amount of people around her. She scooted along the bench and lifted Xena's chin with a gentle finger.

"You have me. I didn't know you felt like this." She pecked her on the lips. "You're still the same person I first met," she said and Xena's eyebrow twitched. "Alright, not like that, but you know what I mean."

Xena looked down at her hair splayed across her vest. "Except for this nuisance." She picked up the silvery raven strands, glaring intensely.

"I like your hair!" Gabrielle marveled and ran her fingers through her spouse's locks. "It's just hair. You'll get no complaints from me." She released a heavy sigh. "Feel better now?"

"Thank you," Xena wore a weary smile.

"Don't hesitate to talk to me. I know how hard that is for you but I'm not just a good talker, I'm a good listener too!" she raised her finger and hopped off the bench, extending her hand. "You're going to be the Lieutenant General, right? Do I really need to convince you?"

Xena grabbed her wife's hand and was brought to her feet. "Oh, I'm taking the position," she scoffed. "As if I'd miss a chance to have the highest rank in the army. Please…" she playfully rolled her eyes.

"Great! Now, let's get to work." She pulled Xena out of the atrium. "I was thinking we could send some scouts to western Scythia. We should also keep an eye on the churches too because Justinian oversees them." She went on and on, going down the list of topics in her journal.

Pannonia

Csaba had been in Pannonia for a little under two weeks since the war. He stayed behind by himself until Tegin Irkin arrived in the mountains to retrieve Jamasp and take him back to Persia. Since he arrived home he was very eager to see his sons and Farah. He didn't like that his family was split among three places but he was grateful to know everyone was where they needed to be and they were safe.

While all of his children were in the women's quarters he shared a meal with Ernak in a quiet room together. It was strange now that it was just the two of them. Two kings surrounded by several children and two women. Once this place was crawling with women, which sometimes could cause problems especially when Yeter was here.

Csaba took a sip of wine and eyed his uncle. "I received a letter from Arielle. She said that Shah Kavad is back on the throne. I believe he is going to execute his son."

Ernak scoffed. "He should execute all of his sons. They all betrayed him."

"Except Xerxes."

"Right," he nodded. "Except him. Is he really courting Arielle?" he asked and Csaba gave a curt nod. "I'm surprised you haven't threatened him yet," he snorted.

Csaba tapered his eyes. "Soran told me that Xerxes has been very nice to Arielle. If my mother and Navaz allowed his courtship then I shouldn't have to worry."

"Uh huh." Ernak wiped his mouth and winked at his nephew. "Xerxes may seem like a nice man and he probably is but I know that his father will not approve of the relationship. He will most likely banish Xerxes from Persia."

"Would he really do that? If my sister loves him then they should be together. You remember what Farah's father tried to do. He didn't want us to get married at all."

Ernak finished off his food and pushed the plate away. "I'm just warning you. Persians are more clannish than we are. They don't like to marry outside their culture."

The doors were swung open and Farah ran inside, tears streaming down her cheeks. Csaba immediately rose off the floor, nearly tripping over his own boots as he ran towards her. She collapsed into his arms and sobbed in his chest.

"Farah," he cradled her head. "What's wrong? Why are you crying? Did something happen to the children?"

She shook her head and lifted her chin, sniveling. "My sister…" she trailed off and then wailed loudly, burying her face in her hands. She needn't say more as Csaba understood. He wrapped his arms around her.

Ernak was stuck in between the awkward thick air. He walked by the two and mouthed to Csaba that he was to leave the room. He darted through the hallway and entered the foyer. There Rabia was laden in a soldier's arms. Her dress was scorched and face covered in black soot. It was evident by her limp arms that she was not alive.

He cautiously made his way over and checked her pulse just to make sure. He retracted his hand as if he was touching a flame itself and took in a large breath. The soldiers were not from Banat which only meant that Rabia was brought here.

"Does anyone know what happened?"

A Gepid soldier most loyal to Eksama spoke for everybody, "a tribe from the west attacked Banat, your highness. I believe they were allies with Prince Elemund."

"Were?" Ernak said questionably.

"Prince Elemund is dead, your majesty. He was killed by a tribe in Italia. His body was driven through on a stake along the borders of Italia."

The image was enough to make Ernak hurl. His stomach churned and the longer he looked at Rabia's limp body the more the bitter bile lingered in the back of his throat. With a quick wave of his hand the soldier carried the former Banat Governor away. Pannonia was going to be attacked again by another foreign tribe. Nobody was safe here and Rabia had sacrificed herself for everyone here.

Ernak thought quickly went back to his chambers where he found Csaba comforting Farah on the floor. He snapped his fingers to grab Csaba's attention and stood in the middle of the doorway. Csaba kissed Farah's forehead and then left her to sob on the floor by herself for a brief moment.

"What's going on? Is Rabia really…is she really dead?" he whispered so not to disturb his wife.

Ernak lowered his eyes, affirming his nephew's question. "Csaba," he took his hand, "Pannonia will most likely be ravaged. I don't want any of the children here. Banat has been destroyed and I don't want a repeat like last time."

"Shall we send them to Scythia? Arielle's palace can house everyone. Farah was supposed to go there for Cera's senlik anyway."

"Yes, that's a good idea." Ernak rubbed his chin, thinking of Nisa and their newborn daughter born only a few weeks ago. "I'm not sure if it will be wise for Nisa to travel so soon but I guess…she will have to."

Csaba smiled, gripping his uncle's shoulder. "Farah will take very good care of her. She'll need the distraction."

"We'll have a funeral pyre set tonight. All the women and children must leave within the next few days. It will be a very long journey to Scythia. I am counting on you to stay with me, Csaba."

The young king swallowed the lump in his throat and trapped it in his chest.

"I'll do whatever is necessary to defend my home."

Scythia

Operating behind a desk wasn't exactly the most favorite thing about war. Xena always was on the field, giving orders to men and now she was at a desk, reading until her eyes began to tire the longer she stared at the words. Every single detail that she wanted was written down and then reported to the military. She had ultimate control over the military now. Everything she said was set in stone and the best part was that she didn't have to listen to Arielle's advisement.

Gabrielle shared a large office with her and did all the writing for her. Over the last few weeks, several units of the military were divided into sections to spread across Scythia. There was an advantage to having such a large army. Xena could spread the army out into several parts of the empire and still have enough men left over to guard the center of the territory.

Xena read through the various documents that Kuba gave her and the more she saw Queen Tomiri's name the angrier she became. She wished that woman never existed. There were so many broken treaties and debts that the previous Khagana tried to relinquish from allies.

She tossed a couple of documents on the floor and Gabrielle paused her writing and peered over at her wife, throwing papers off the desk. The governor sat back and watched Xena shovel the documents around with a smile.

Xena looked over and saw the smugness all over Gabrielle's face. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Oh, no reason," said the governor. "We're not going to get any work done if you keep throwing papers around."

"This is a disaster, Gabrielle." she slammed her palms down. "This is all Tomiri's work. I thought Arielle fixed everything already. Look at this: treaty with the Magyars –violated. Treaty with the Franks –violated. Treaty with Shah Peroz and Hormizd –violated. Tomiri didn't know what the hell she was doing. It's no wonder everyone hated her."

Gabrielle chuckled and closed her journal. "Why don't we go into the city to take a look around to see if the soldiers are doing their jobs? I know you aren't going to help with Cera's party and I don't want to be around you when you get like this."

"Like what?"

"Frustrated." Gabrielle flung the satchel's strap over her shoulder. "Come on, we can work on this later." she wiggled her fingers. "Get over here!"

Xena grumbled and snatched her headdress off the desk. "You've become very demanding. I don't know if I like that," she teased. Placing the kozak on her head, she rounded the desk and hooked arms with Gabrielle.

They exited and went out to one of the main hallways and a few servants nearly ran them over. Several maids carried baskets of linen over their heads. Guards carried in chairs and tables, blocking the entire hallway. Xena and Gabrielle watched intently as more maids came in with fabric, silver trays filled with over a dozen glasses.

Once the area was cleared, Gabrielle released a heavy sigh. "I guess Yana is having the time of her life planning this party. I'm glad Ana allowed her to help."

Xena smiled. "Anastasia isn't very good at planning parties anyway."

As long as the hall was clear they continued to walk towards the exit. Just as they were about to enter the foyer, Eksama emerged from a separate hallway. She was in a green silk dress instead of her armor. Over the last few weeks her injuries were a lot worse than she initially lead on. This past week she was finally able to leave the infirmary and walk around a bit, all while avoiding everyone here.

Xena let go of her wife's arm and walked to the frozen commander. "That's a nice dress."

Eksama peered down, forgetting her attire. "Arielle gave it to me." She ran her fingers along the emerald beads splayed across the bodice. "She told me to go help with the party."

Xena turned over her shoulder and saw Gabrielle smiling. She licked her lips and flashed narrow eyes at the redhead. "You do know that Cera cannot speak," she watched for a reaction. "She uses sign language to communicate with everybody."

Eksama felt she was being interrogated. "I can learn. I mean, I am willing to learn." She said adamantly. "I should go join everyone else."

Gabrielle gave a silent nod towards the commander and then joined Xena in the middle of the foyer. "That went well. You can tell that she's really trying. You have to give her points for that and points for Arielle too! Look at how mature she is! She actually invited Eksama to help decorate."

"Or she just wants to keep an eye on her."

"Now, why did you have to ruin a perfectly good moment?" Gabrielle huffed, rolling her eyes. "Shall we do some soldier spying? I'm kind of looking forward to this."

"Are you?"

She had been alone with him before, several times, but this was different and she didn't know why.

Arielle opened herself up to him but not without effort on his part. He tried so desperately to tap into her mind and she continually ignored him. He was so patient with her unlike any one else in her life. The ill thoughts she had of Bayan had almost completely vacated from her thought space.

She brought their lips to a close, melting her body into his. There was a hint of bitterness to his salty lips as she pulled away. His palm caressed her warm rosy cheek and shared a sensual gaze with her resting on top of him. Opening herself was the key to release all feelings within her.

Staring down into his dark eyes, she felt there wasn't words to describe the feeling within. The feeling of levitating in the air yet also trapped inside Pandora's Box, waiting to be unlocked and let go into a labyrinth. Each time he grazed her glistening skin or touched her lips, whether it is his fingertips or lips, fireworks glowed within her from the overstimulation.

She took hold of his wrist and gently kissed his palm. She intertwined her fingers with his and the dip of her pelvis fit perfectly against his like a puzzle. His free hand hugged her hip, allowing the weight of her body to press against him.

With closed eyes a cool breath escaped her lips and she could hear his rapid beat of his heart. She rested her cheek against his pectorals, smelling the sweet salt of his skin. His palm traveled to the center of her spine and with open eyes, tears welled from within. Her body trembled and tears split and flowed down her cheeks like a river with its dam wide open.

Xerxes felt the suppressed hiccups of her body and all muscles of his lower half relaxed. He toyed with her tangled hair and gently caressed her arm.

"Did I hurt you?" he whispered.

A lump formed in her chest, preventing her from answering for a moment.

"No."

She rolled off him and spread one leg over his torso. He lolled his head over to meet her teary blue eyes and smiled faintly. He wiped the tears from her cheek with a soft swipe of his thumb. Rolling over onto his side, he gripped her outer thigh.

"Tell me, Arielle." He laced his fingers with hers. "I want to understand."

She wasn't one to talk about her feelings and the fact that he asked made her feel awkward, more awkward than she was as a teenager. She could never express herself freely around Bayan as he only wanted one thing from her. She wasn't that sixteen year old girl anymore.

"I really like you," she admitted genuinely without pressure. "I've only been with one other man before. I don't want…you to think that I'm using you."

Xerxes stifled a laugh. "I don't think that." He spun a long curl of her hair around his finger. "I am still learning many things about you, empress," he winked.

"What have you learned so far?" her fingertip traced his strong jaw.

"Well," he pondered, "you don't let anyone stop you from getting what you want. It is an admirable trait but also a fatal flaw of yours."

Arielle plucked a hair from his beard at the remark.

In response, he pinched her thigh. "A bit of a violent streak but we'll work on that." He kissed the tip of her nose. "I love everything about you."

Arielle choked at that word. She heard it spoken to her before but it had no meaning. She abruptly rose from the sheets and ran her fingers through her messy hair.

"I…should go check on how the party planning is going."

Xerxes crinkled his eyebrows and snatched her wrist. "I thought we could spend more time together? I'm sure the women have a handle on it."

She nodded, sweat rolling down her spine. "I just want to make sure Cera is happy with the decorations. She also has a…an appointment with the midwife this afternoon. You don't mind, do you?"

She grabbed her dress and slipped it over her head and smoothed out the fabric over her sweaty skin. With a quick comb through of her hair she saw the disappointment on Xerxes' face in the mirror's reflection.

"I don't mind," he said in a defeated voice. "Go be with your sister."

She kissed his lips, inhaling his hot breath and it swarmed in her mouth like the blistering summer heat outside. She eased off his lips and gave his bicep a squeeze.

"Thank you for being so understanding."

Together, Xena walked alongside Gabrielle through the streets, inspecting the soldiers who were supposed to be keeping an eye on the citizens. So far the men had done their jobs by slinking about the streets and standing by to watch interactions of the people surrounding them. All carried out their duties just as Xena wanted.

She didn't understand why Gabrielle was looking forward to this. There was very minimal action in Neapolis. She'd much rather spend the next few days riding around Scythia to investigate how well the army was doing regarding their positions. She eyed every single citizen and as she passed fruit vendors she was recognized by everyone.

She wasn't sure if she liked being recognized so easily. It had to be the clothes. It was the only reasonable explanation. The damned kozak that Gabrielle commissioned for her was too flashy. Gold and black jeweled beads across the hat portion made it too obvious that she was part of the royal family.

Her polished boots, tightly woven cotton pants and robe attached along her shoulders were no help either. Everything about her appearance screamed wealth. Xena grabbed Gabrielle's shoulder and forced her into an alley away from the streets.

"We stick out like sore thumbs," she whispered.

Gabrielle blinked, widening her eyes. "I didn't know you wanted to be sneaky," she hinted in a devious tone. "Why Xena, that is so unlike you." her fingers finagled with Xena's tunic.

"Stop that." She smacked her wife's hand. "What else you got on the list of yours?"

Gabrielle flipped open her journal and scanned the page with her finger. "Arielle received a letter from a priest named Theotimos at the northern cathedral. He said he's too afraid to leave the church to meet with Arielle. He didn't specify why though."

A spark ignited inside Xena. "Let's go there then." She pulled her wife along, rushing through the crowd.

The area in northern Neapolis was desolate. Only the large cathedral took precedence here. There was a chapel located beside the enormous church. Outside in the square there were children writing with a nun leading the class. Gabrielle stepped forward to observe the class. It had been awhile since she was around this many children and she missed teaching so much she forgot how good it made her feel inside.

Without saying a word to Xena, she walked over to the huddle of students and the nun looked up at her. She rose from the bench and inclined her head. Instantly, Gabrielle was recognized as someone from Arielle's court by her jade cloak and posh clothing underneath. Xena was right; they did stick out like sore thumbs.

"I didn't mean to interrupt your class," she apologized and the children giggled. "What are you all learning?"

The nun smiled nervously. "They're learning how to write Scythian."

Xena came to join in the circle and the nun lowered her gaze. She could see the light illuminating from Gabrielle's eyes, staring at the eager children. She smile faintly and grasped Gabrielle's shoulder lightly. Teaching was one of Gabrielle's passions and that had been ignored due to the past events over the last year and a half.

"Do you know where we could find a Father Theotimos around here?" she addressed the nun.

"Yes, yes." The middle-aged nun pointed to the cathedral behind her. "He should be inside. You should be able to catch him before the afternoon Mass begins."

Xena thanked the woman with a head nod. She squeezed her wife's shoulder. "Do you want to stay here? I could talk to Theotimos alone."

"You don't mind?" Gabrielle looked up at her and Xena winked then walked across the courtyard.

Now that she completely intruded on the outside classroom of little boys and girls, Gabrielle nervously approached one of the boys and inspected his writing from above. Her lips twitched into a bright grin and she moved onto the next child who gladly showed her the journal.

"You all have wonderful handwriting," she marveled.

The nun adjusted the white veil on her head and sat down on the bench. "Are you from the Khagana's court?" she asked curiously.

Gabrielle, enthralled with the fact she was standing in a class of students, registered the woman's question moments later. She took her head out of the journal and eyed the curious nun. "Yes, I work with Ari –the empress daily. The khanum and I are just scoping out the city to make sure everything is in order."

She took another glance at all of the children. "Princess Aurora is around the same age as your students," she added.

A boy tugged on her pants. "Can the princess come to our class?"

"Kazem!" the teacher reprimanded.

Gabrielle chortled. "I'm sure Princess Aurora would love to. She doesn't have any children to play with. She gets lonely sometimes." Just then all the children frowned. An idea sparked and she brought her palms together. "There's a party in a few days for the khagana's sister. Why don't you bring all the children to the palace?"

The children whispered with each other and giggled while the nun expressed steady caution and apprehension to the kind offer. She clapped her hands to settle the talkative students and spoke to Gabrielle.

"Are you sure that we won't be intruding?"

"No, not at all! You must come. It's rude to refuse," Gabrielle insisted.

"Well…alright," the nun relented and all of the children cheered.

Gabrielle shone a smile at the delight around her. "I'll send the Khagana's elite guard to come for you in three days."

Xena roamed around the cathedral and admired the large marble pillars that slowly curved upward to match the curvature of the dome above. She walked in circles around herself, gazing at the paintings on the ceiling decorated with glass chandeliers with an abundance of tall candles.

She entered several churches in her life but never saw one as beautiful as this cathedral. The architecture could rival the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. Even though she had several bad experiences with churches in the past she was impressed by the beauty.

In front of the large altar, a man knelt on his knees, lighting candles in front of the towering crucifix. Xena held her breath and her boots loudly echoed in the dome chamber as she briskly walked down the aisle to greet the man she hoped would be Theotimos.

Before she could speak, the cloaked man stood up and turned to face her. He was considerably young which threw her off. She expected someone to be much older but it was clear by his robes and large crucifix around his neck that he was the priest she sought after.

"Father Theotimos?" she supposed.

"In the flesh. What can I do for you, ma'am?"

Her lip quivered. She hated being called that by anyone. "I'm part of Khagana Arielle's court. You wrote her a letter and said you were too scared to leave the church so I decided to come to you."

The priest looked around at the people slowly trickling in. He guided her to a separate room where a smaller chapel was located. He closed the heavy door and locked it with an iron board. Xena raised her eyebrow at the severity of caution the man was putting forth.

"Excuse the secrecy," he apologized while checking the neighboring doors. "I am deeply pleased that you've come here," he whispered. "I was worried that my concerns were not heard by the khagana."

"I can assure you that she cares about all her people," the hairs on the back of her neck stood up like needles. Being locked in a room alone with this priest only meant there were people lurking and possibly listening, if not here, then somewhere from afar.

"I am being forced into submission," he whispered, sweat dripping down his face. "I expressed my gratitude to the Hun people and several clergymen in my church have either disappeared or have been killed."

Xena widened her eyes. This was news to her and if Arielle hadn't said anything about this then surely she was oblivious about this as well.

"Do you know who is behind this?"

Theotimos firmly gripped her arm. "Followers of Emperor Justinian. The men of Chieftain Mezamir of the Antes lurk in Scythia."

A smile crept up on her lips. Antes: the very tribe that sent someone to assassinate Arielle and failed. She had the name of the person in charge of it all.

"Where is this tribe located?" she pressed for answers.

"Near the Baltic Sea. The tribe covers a large mass of land," he nervously looked at the doors. "I must begin the afternoon Mass now."

She nodded. "Thank you and I will send soldiers to guard the church for you. If you have any information you may pass it on to the soldiers and it will be reported directly to me."

After she concluded her meeting with the priest she hurried out of the cathedral just in time for the bells to chime outside. Dozens of people crowded around the courtyard waiting to enter for their daily service. Xena tried to maneuver her way through the eager citizens and regrouped with Gabrielle who was still mingling with the small children.

In the middle of a discussion Xena stood behind the nun who was teaching the alphabet and the children gawked up at her, distracted from their lesson. Gabrielle followed the curious eyes and jumped at the sight of Xena looming behind.

Gabrielle excused herself from the group and ushered her wife aside. "Did you find out what the problem was?"

"Yes and it is a very big problem," Xena whispered. "We need to go back to the palace and inform Arielle. I can't discuss this out in the open," she indicated to the listening ears in the vicinity.

"Okay. Just let me say goodbye to the children," Gabrielle couldn't contain her excitement. "By the way I invited them to Cera's senlik!"

Xena pursed her mouth and folded her arms, waiting as Gabrielle trotted off to say her farewell to the students.

Maids bustled around preparing the palace for the senlik. There wasn't one person who sat idly waiting for a command. As soon as Arielle came into the formal living area many of the servants tried to give respect by stopping their duties but she insisted they continue and pay no mind to her with a wave of her hand.

She smiled at people passing by her and gave a curt nod to Yana and Inzhu who were in charge of all the decorations. Out of all the senliks in the family this had to be the largest and extravagant of them all. Not even Farah's party was s lavish. All of Mirac's brothers and wives were due to arrive by nightfall according to Kuba. Soon this place was going to be filled with several more bodies.

Anastasia sat, nursing a glass of tea while she watched the preparations from afar. Pamira was eager to help but because of Anastasia's persistence, Pamira was forced to share tea with the khatun. Arielle made her way across the large room and greeted her mother with a kiss to the hand.

"You're in a good mood," Ana observed.

"I am," she sat on the floor to join them both. "How are you, Pamira? Has my brother been helping you?"

The shy Persian smiled. "I'm fine, thank you for asking. Soran has been spending more time with me but I will say he is a bit…apprehensive."

Arielle sighed. "He's a little shy, but trust me he likes you a lot. Don't worry, in a couple of months you will have a party just as grand as this one." She reached over and pat Pamira's knee. "Where's Cera?"

Anastasia passed a glass of tea towards her daughter. "She's resting. She wasn't feeling well earlier so I sent her to her room."

"Is she sick? She's not in pain, is she? Did you send the midwife to check on her?"

"Arielle, please. There's nothing wrong with her. She's just tired, that's all." She eased her daughter's overactive mind. "She was overwhelmed. You know how she gets when she's over stimulated."

Arielle downed the tea like it was fresh spring water and let out a hiss of a breath from the tea burning the back of her throat. "I want Cera to have the perfect senlik. I think she'll really like my gift. I had a cradle made for her. It's made of mahogany and has pearls embedded in it."

"Wow, look at you," Ana smiled, taking a sip. "Have you heard any word on Farah? She was supposed to arrive a week ago."

"No but I'm sure she'll show up soon. She's going to outdo us in the gift department," Arielle scoffed.

Pamira set down the glass on a saucer. "I am looking forward to meeting your brother's wife and the rest of the family. I hope they will like me."

"They will love you!" Arielle said enthusiastically. "You've got nothing to worry about."

Kuba interrupted their tea time and bowed to the women. "Khagana, I want to inform you that Queen Yeter and Khan Oran have arrived. Should I assign their children's rooms close to the princess?"

Arielle snapped her head to her mother and slammed the glass on the table. She leaned back and could see Yeter standing with Ursula crowded in the foyer with the three princes. Her mood soured instantly upon seeing the Gokturk family.

"You invited them?" she growled.

"Of course I did," Ana nonchalantly replied. "Assign the princes' rooms close to Aurora," she told Kuba and turned to her fuming daughter. "They are family, Arielle."

"Mother," she puffed her chest, "Yeter is going to rain all over my good mood. She is anything but pleasant."

Anastasia shrugged. "She's not going to bother you. Ursula won't allow it. She keeps Yeter in line. Behave yourself, okay?"

Arielle sulked like a heated child. "Fine."

Pamira looked at the Gokturks who lingered in the foyer. She crinkled her eyebrows at the two boys playing a game of toss with each other while the third prince was merely a baby held in a woman's arms, the woman she supposed was the one Arielle loathed.

"Who is Yeter and why don't you like her?" she asked the livid empress.

"You'll find out soon enough."

That evening Xena informed Arielle of the information she obtained from Father Theotimos. It wasn't a stretch to say that the Antes people were in Scythia but they were very good at hiding. They were very bold to attempt an assassination and they failed so of course they would have resurgence in the largest community in Scythia: the churches.

"I don't think sending groups of soldiers to protect Theotimos is going to serve a good purpose," stated Arielle.

Xena kept herself occupied by twisting the veil of her kozak around her finger. "Why not? He made it clear to me that he will die if he goes against this 'Chieftain Mezamir'. He's being watched."

Gabrielle raised her hand to interrupt and Arielle gave her a nod to speak. "I think what Arielle means is that if we send guards to the cathedral that the Antes are going to know he blabbed. They will kill him instantly once they see Avars."

"Exactly."

"Then why don't we disguise the soldiers as monks or clergymen?" suggested Xena. "We need people there to protect everybody."

"And you don't think the Antes aren't going to notice the sudden overpopulation of clergy?" Arielle raised her eyebrow at her disgruntled grandmother. "I think we should send one soldier to spy on the cathedral."

"The Antes aren't going to make themselves known. They're probably dressed as clergymen too," chided Xena.

Arielle's head throbbed. "Then we're just going to have to be careful, aren't we? I don't care if that soldier has to stay there for months to uncover the Chieftain's spies. I'm not going to go to war with someone until I know every little detail about them."

Gabrielle wrote down the conversation and eyed her slightly irritated partner. "We're already at war with them ever since they tried to assassinate you."

"Yes but I can't fight someone I can't see." She drummed her fingers on the table, staring at the silent women. "I want everyone in this palace interviewed to make sure I don't have a spy here. Grandma, can you do that for me?"

Her sour mood lightened and she smiled. "Of course I can."

Arielle wasn't sure if that was a good idea but she couldn't do it herself as it would look way too suspicious and distrustful to her own servants.

"I want this investigation to stay between us. Nobody will know, not even the servants. The conversations will be casual. That means no interrogating," she directed the comment at Xena.

"Now you've ruined the fun of it all," Xena teased. "Okay, no interrogating, just converse normally."

"Good." Arielle could breathe easier now. "Keep mother out of this. The less people that know about this, the better. Oh and, Eksama should know too. She is the commander after all."

Xena licked her lips. "If you want her to know then why isn't she present at this meeting?"

"Because I deemed it appropriate that way," Arielle concluded. "I have a method behind my madness, grandma. Let me run this empire the way I see fit. You're both dismissed unless there is something else to discuss."

Gabrielle closed her journal and waved her arm in the air. "I invited some children to the senlik. We found them outside the cathedral. A nun was conducting a class outside."

More children in the palace. Just what Arielle didn't need or want. She tried to seem enthusiastic about the abundance of guests and forced a smile. First Yeter arrives with her entire family and now this.

"Oh…that's nice, real nice, Gabrielle," she kept nodding her head. "How many children are there exactly?"

"I don't know. Ten to twelve."

Arielle let out a heavy sigh. "This place is going to be crawling with children. I guess Aurora will have plenty of children to play with." She rounded the table and slapped her hands on their shoulders. "Goodnight you two. Have fun plotting."

The room was clear and Xena leaned over, causing the chair to creak. She batted her eyelashes and Gabrielle caught a glimpse of the keen grin.

"What?" she slipped the journal in the bag.

To heighten the sensual tension between them, Xena played into it by tracing her finger along Gabrielle's sleeve. Remaining somewhat playful with her expressions she suddenly gripped Gabrielle's wrist, causing a jump from her other half.

She inched closer, drawing Gabrielle in, as if she were to say something to rouse her spouse. "We should," she held her breath, "…interview the servants during the party," she whispered in a sultry voice.

"Xena!" she growled, rolling her eyes.

"Wow, you should see the look on your face," Xena muffled a laugh.

Gabrielle threw the strap of the bag over her shoulder and stood up. "You're incorrigible."

It had been a long day even though it wasn't busy. Today was a day of planning ahead for the future. Arielle wanted to make sure that the next few days were reserved for Cera only. She didn't want any distractions taking away from her sister's party but the stress of enemies hunting her lingered in the back of her mind.

Still in her clothes from earlier she was itching to take a bath. She walked around in the same dress she had on the moment she left Xerxes in her room. Immediately upon entering her room she stripped the dress from her body and it fell to the floor. She walked over and grabbed fresh towels that were laid on her bed.

In the middle of the large bed there was a very long rectangular box. She raised an eyebrow and crawled onto the bed and held the box on her thighs. Slowly, the lid lifted and her eyes widened at the recurve bow inside. She felt like she was a child on her birthday who just received the best gift.

The bow was made of the finest wood and metal in the center. It hadn't been strung yet and she picked up the bowstring inside the cushioned box and kept admiring the craftsmanship of the bow. Any other woman probably would've loved a dress instead or a set of jewelry but she loved bows since she first saw one at the age of two.

"Do you like it?"

Arielle gasped at his sudden voice. She hopped off the bed and darted across the room, embracing Xerxes. She then looked at the bow in her hand once more and lifted her wide eyes.

"I promised to have a bow made for you. It's a little late I know."

"It's perfect!" she ran her fingers along the wood. "Are you trying to seduce me with gifts, Shehzade?"

He flushed at the question. "Is it working?"

"A little bit." She set down the bow gently on a chair beside a mirror. "Thank you." she looked down at herself and realized she was completely naked and he was not. She smiled nervously. "I…want to apologize for running off like that earlier."

He focused in on her eyes and lifted her chin. "So, I'm guessing they didn't need help decorating?" he insinuated and she had a guilty look about her. "Did I say something to offend you?"

"No!" she spat and then recoiled. "You were wonderful –you are wonderful."

"We can talk about it another time," he saw the relief in her eyes. "Do you always walk around your room like that?"

Arielle bit her bottom lip and smiled. "I was going to take a bath. You're more than welcome to join me."

He took her up on that offer and followed her into the bath chamber. He wasn't going ruin the moment and tell her that he bathed hours ago. In the heated pool, she sat on his lap with her legs wrapped around his waist. He reared his head back as water was poured over his hair.

Arielle set the silver pan aside and cleaned his shoulders and neck with a warm cloth. Their eyes crossed paths for a moment and Arielle's cheeks reddened.

"I have to go back to Estakhr. My father is giving my role back as General."

Her eyebrows rose and she tossed the cloth over his head. "You're going to come back…" she said with a hint of hopefulness.

"I will." He wrapped his arms around her. "Eventually. We can write to each other."

Xerxes didn't like the long pause between them and he panicked inside.

She spoke softly, "I was going to ask your father for some control over his empire. Since we're together I thought he would be more inclined to agree. Maybe I could come visit you in Estakhr?" she grinned.

He hesitated and pulled away. "That's not a good idea, Arielle."

"Why not? Doesn't your father know you're courting me? I thought you told him."

"No…I didn't."

She pushed herself off of his lap and swam backward, lowering herself deeper into the water. She furrowed her eyebrows, glaring at him and Xerxes desperately wanted this conversation to end before it even began.

"I don't like sneaking around, Xerxes. I tried that before and it did nothing but hurt me in the end. Why haven't you told him?"

"It's complicated."

"No, it's not!" she splashed water in his face. "My whole family knows about us! Why can't your family know too? Are you ashamed of me?"

"No, I would never be," he spat back, mildly insulted by her assumptions. "I don't want to talk about this anymore." He climbed out of the bath and snagged a towel off the bench.

She swam over to the ledge and rested her elbows on the floor. "You want to marry me without ever telling your family? Was that your plan all along?"

He remained silent and turned his back to her, wrapping the towel around his waist.

"Xerxes!"

He spun around, hands on hips, and glared at her from above.

"I'm not going to be your little secret."

"You're not."

"Then tell your father."

He let out a loaded sigh. "I can't."

She snorted and swam back to the center of the bath and dipped her hair into the water. She stood up in the water and turned her back to him.

"Arielle, you must understand –"

"I don't," she cut him off. "You may go."