Chapter 55 –Plague of Justinian
She wanted to be there for her daughter, and she was also thrilled that Arielle was marrying someone she truly loved, but deep inside, she didn't want to endure the painful conversations to come. Anastasia arrived in Pannonia with Navaz, Cera, Mirac, Soran, Pamira, and the two princesses. She expected nothing less when she saw her entire family waiting outside in front of the circle of Adames to greet everybody.
Although she was surprised to see Xerxes' relatives also standing by the clan. She dismounted the horse, flicking her long braid behind her shoulder, and immediately hugged her mother. That was the first and foremost mistake, as her mother crushed every part of her body in the embrace.
"Mom, I was just here not too long ago," she protested, barely able to breathe.
"Just let me do this," said Xena. She released Ana and kissed her cheeks. "You look thin. You've been eating alright, I hope…and not smoking, you know what," she whispered.
She was mildly insulted that her mother even asked that question and was more insulted when her mother leaned in to smell her clothing.
"Mother!" she yelped, giving Xena's shoulder a light slap. "I did not smoke opium. Get away from me," she flicked her wrist.
She brushed by her mother and instantly smiled at Gabrielle, whom she gave a much warmer welcome. Kissing both of the governor's cheeks, they rejoiced in holding hands.
"How've you been?" asked Gabrielle.
"Better now that I'm here, but I don't see Arielle," she murmured, scanning the family.
"She's doing some campaign work with Eksama in the west. She should return this evening."
Ana hummed, then turned to see Nisa holding one of her daughters. She smiled, greeting Ernak's little family and spotted Austraia standing lonesome behind everybody. She gently made her way through, and the teenager shyly grinned, instantly bowing her head.
"Don't do that," she said, gripping Austraia's shoulders to stand up straight.
Just as she was about to speak, a loud explosion sounded in the west, causing all of the children to scream loudly. Anastasia lifted her head, eyeing the tops of the trees catch fire from afar. She whipped her head around to her mother, who was smiling.
"What was that?"
Xena began to slowly make herself scarce from the family. "Arielle is testing out some…new ballistic weapons…"
Ana rolled her eyes. It was too casual. Every single time she saw her mother make that all-knowing face, nothing good could come from it. While everyone was seemingly worried about the trees catching fire, Anastasia spotted the gaggle of Persian women, dressed all in dark robes.
The only woman she had a clear sight of was Nousha. She smiled, making her way over, and Nousha raised an eyebrow, almost trying to back out. While both Esther and Sambice had their faces covered, Nousha was unable to hide the apparent hatred.
Anastasia extended her hand, glaring at the petite Persian woman. Esther shared a confused glance with Sambice, watching the two women interact. Their silence was worth a thousand words.
Tentatively, Nousha stepped forward and took in a deep breath. She grabbed hold of Ana's hand and kissed the top of her hand, all while making eye contact with Anastasia the entire time.
"It's so good to see you again, Nousha. I do hope we can talk sometime. I hear that we have a lot to discuss."
"Looking forward to it," she said through a clenched smile.
Esther walked forward, smiling beneath the veil, and kissed Ana's cheek. "Khatun, I'm excited to finally meet you. I am Shehzade Xerxes' aunt and the older sister of Shah Kavad."
"Very nice to meet you," said Ana sincerely, then she peered over at Sambice.
Sambice narrowed her eyes and inclined her head. "Shahbanu Sambice," she introduced herself. "We will see a lot more of each other from here on out, Khatun."
While testing the Persian ballistic weapons, Arielle was held up in her tent, writing down the various ways this weapon could be used in the campaign. Mumbling to herself, she heard someone walk into the tent. Lifting her eyes briefly, she waved at Eksama, then continued writing and shuffling through the documents.
Eksama placed a hand on her hip. "Arielle, what are you still doing here?"
"What do you mean? I'm testing weapons like my grandma told me to."
"It's not like I don't want to work with you, but your parents are arriving today. They're probably already here. You should be with them, not with me, testing weapons."
The last place she wanted to be was with Xerxes' family, and as the weeks passed by, more than a hundred Persians swarmed Pannonia. Arielle was, unfortunately, housing all of the women, and her home was very crowded. With the wedding ceremony approaching very soon, she had no desire to be in the same room as her family and Sambice.
Her avoidance became so evident that even Eksama clued into it. She'd been out on the field for the last week, avoiding all contact with her soon to be in-laws. She even went as far as to avoid Xerxes at times, which she was sure that annoyed him.
"I'm almost finished."
Eksama sighed. "Is something wrong? You don't seem very excited to be marrying the love of your life," she jested.
Arielle shifted awkwardly in the chair. The will to keep writing faded as her mind was focused entirely on the ceremony up ahead. She only had a few days to prepare, and she wasn't sure if she was ready to commit her life to the Sassanians. This would be so much easier if she didn't have to worry about marrying into Xerxes' family.
She also felt trapped. She had nobody to confide in as she would risk losing all trust with Xerxes' family if she told anybody what happened between her and Sambice in the bath chamber. Ku tried to pry information out of her, but Arielle couldn't even talk to her. She felt more alone than ever, despite being surrounded by her entire family.
"Sambice…threatened me a while back."
Eksama's eyes widened, and she sat down in a nearby chair. "Have you told anyone?"
Arielle wagged her head. "I didn't want to cause trouble."
"But if the Shahbanu threatened you, I think you need to tell someone."
"Please don't say anything. My grandmother would have a field day with this."
Eksama rubbed her chin, feeling somewhat wedged into a tight spot. On the one hand, she was glad that Arielle was confiding in her. On the other hand, she didn't like to keep secrets from the family as that never ended well for her.
"What did she say to you?"
Arielle said under her breath, "she said I should know my place and that I'll never be accepted into the family. She also said she'll be watching every step I take."
"I really think you need to tell someone about this. I mean, someone other than me."
"I can't!" she cried. "I want everything to go smoothly!"
Eksama flinched. "I understand, but…you're going to have to be around Sambice for a long time. I think this needs to be addressed." She reached for Arielle's hand. "But I won't say anything if you don't want me to."
She let out a sigh of relief. "I should finish up and head home, huh?"
Eksama nodded, patting Arielle's hand. "I think you've hidden long enough. I can take over from here."
"You aren't coming back with me?"
"Hey, I'm not the one marrying into the Sassanian family. That's your problem," she jested and winked.
Arielle chuckled and stood from the chair, gathering her belongings. Before she exited the tent, she turned over her shoulder, staring at Eksama, who began organizing the desk space.
"Eksama," she called.
The redhead spun around, wide-eyed.
"Thanks for listening to me."
Since Arielle's home was swarming with Persians, everyone else who arrived had to stay with Csaba and Farah. Xena even petitioned to stay with them because she hated mingling with Xerxes' people. The women were so talkative, and they loved to stay up late, drinking coffee, which Xena was almost positive that the coffee had some stimulant in it.
Sitting in a circle, Xena held Emese in her lap while talking to Anastasia about the upcoming changes in the empire. The toddler kept pulling on the various beads dangling from Xena's headdress. Intrigued by all the new faces, Emese was mostly enthralled with the long locks of hair near her.
"I was surprised to hear from Yana when she said soldiers came to construct an Adame in Kazakhstan," said Anastasia.
Gabrielle held Mahfiruze in her lap, occasionally toying with the toddler's dress. "I think Arielle just wants a safe place for Cera and Mirac's family."
She peered over at her wife, who struggled to keep Emese from tugging on her clothes and hair. She chuckled softly when Emese grabbed Xena's mouth. She thought to switch children, but she rather enjoyed watching Xena suffer just for a little bit.
Xena lifted up the squirming toddler into the air. "What is wrong with this child?" she asked, almost annoyed.
"She likes you!" Gabrielle said, laughing. "How is Cera doing communication-wise with her daughter anyway?" she directed towards Ana.
Anastasia sighed heavily and said, "she's very patient most days, but sometimes she gets frustrated, which is to be expected."
Gabrielle nodded, smiling sadly.
"That's it." Xena stood up, carrying the giggling toddler.
She waltzed over to the circle of children and placed Emese in between Aurora and Edemen. The toddler smiled, biting one of her fingers, and looked around at all of the unfamiliar faces. Edemen grinned, nudging the princess' arm gently.
"You watch her," she ordered, hurrying back to sit with her daughter and Gabrielle.
When she sat back down, she huffed, crossing her legs. She fixed her headdress and adjusted herself. As she was just getting settled, Gabrielle looked over her shoulder and chuckled, watching Emese run back over towards them.
"Xena, you have a visitor."
Xena lifted her head and turned to see the princess standing beside her. She groaned, causing everyone to laugh under their breaths. She raised an eyebrow, staring down at the little princess, but broke focus when Emese gave a big grin.
"I'm not going to get rid of you, am I?"
"Emese!" Aurora yelled, running across the room. "Excuse me, ladies." She grabbed her cousin's hand. "You shouldn't run off like that," she whispered, wagging her finger.
Anastasia, amused by the interaction, kept smiling as Aurora kept chastising her baby cousin from afar. She let out a large sigh then turned her attention back to the two women sitting in front of her.
"So, how's it been with Nousha and her crew?"
Gabrielle ran her fingers through Mahfiruze's dark hair and broke the tense silence. "I don't think Nousha's going to be the problem anymore. Sambice is the one you should watch out for."
"Why? What has she done?"
"She exists," Xena mumbled, receiving a slap from her wife. "What? It's true. She's got everybody on edge around here! Nasrin is too afraid to come out of the Adame, and Nousha avoids her all the time. She's rotten."
Anastasia tapped her chin, looking around the room. "Has she threatened anyone, specifically Arielle?"
Gabrielle shook her head, "not to our knowledge. Although Arielle has been distant lately. Where is she anyway? She should've come back by now."
"I can go check," said Xena, eager to leave this room overrun with children and women alike.
Gabrielle put a stop to that by shoving the toddler into her wife's lap. "I will go check," she thumbed her chest. "You can be the babysitter since the children seem to love you so much," she teased.
Disgruntled, Xena looked down at Soran and Pamira's daughter, who gawked at her with wide brown eyes. She was now going to be stuck here until Gabrielle's return, which could take a while. Knowing Gabrielle, and she knew her so well, she could go off wandering and wind up talking for a long time. Xena hoped that wouldn't happen this time around.
"Tell me the truth, mother. What's been going on?"
"Like Gabrielle said, Arielle has been very stressed since the Persians came. She had to go through several rituals for the wedding. She still has a few left to do."
Ana hummed softly. "Has Nousha been kind to her? Do I need to have a talk with her?"
"Nousha has surprisingly been on her best behavior," she said, noting the skeptical look her daughter gave. "I'm serious! Would I lie to you?" she scoffed. "Don't respond to that."
"Mhm. I'd love to help with the rituals. I'm sorry that I wasn't here for Arielle."
"I filled in for you," Xena said with mild disdain.
"Thank you. I know I can always count on you to be such a good sport," Ana bumped her mother's chin with a knuckle.
"You're lucky I have a child in my lap, Anastasia."
"Oh, threats so early in the visit? I'm shocked."
Gabrielle exited the Adame, suddenly realizing it was very stuffy in there, now that she could feel the cool summer breeze. She walked down the steps and dreaded entering the Adame across the way. Too many Persians in there for her liking.
It didn't take her long in her search for Arielle. She saw the Khagana sitting on the grass with Navaz right beside her. She thought to approach since Anastasia wanted to see Arielle, but she decided to leave the two alone. It appeared, even from afar, that they were having an earnest conversation together.
"Why didn't you say something sooner?" asked Navaz.
Arielle shrugged. "I don't know."
He sighed, raking his fingers through his beard. He peered over at his teary-eyed daughter. "You don't need to cry," he said, wiping her cheek. "Just because someone is family doesn't mean you have to like them. Xena hated my mother, but they learned to get along."
Arielle smiled, wiping her nose.
"Sometimes. They learned to get along sometimes," Navaz muttered. "You should stick up for yourself. You need to stand up to Sambice."
She shook her head, vehemently.
"Arielle, she isn't going anywhere. You can't live in fear of her. I know the Persians do things differently than we do, but you're the one who is marrying Xerxes, not anyone else."
"I have been very reasonable, and I did everything they asked of me," Arielle said, realizing all the work she'd done so far. "Without complaining too."
Navaz smiled.
"I should incorporate our traditions too." She looked to her father for approval. "Right?"
"If that's what you want."
Two days until the ceremony, and everyone was scrambling. Gabrielle walked briskly down the corridor towards Arielle's room. Several Persians passed her by, carrying clothing, silver platters filled with ornate glasses, and other essential items for weddings. Gabrielle couldn't remember a wedding so expansive as this one. Csaba and Farah's wedding was quite large and expensive compared to many others, but the Persians certainly had their own way of doing things. Or perhaps, this wedding was different because it was a royal wedding and unlike others.
Either way, Gabrielle was curious to see how this was all going to play out. For now, she was more focused on Arielle's well being. Ever since the rest of the family arrived a couple of days ago, Arielle became a recluse. She didn't know how Arielle was coping with all of this. Not to mention she could only have minimal contact with Xerxes until after the ceremony was complete.
She let herself into the Khagana's bedroom and was stunned to see Arielle wearing a traditional Hun wedding dress. It was definitely not the ornate black and gold dress that Nousha and several others spent hours sewing.
"Um, Arielle, what is going on?"
Gabrielle came forward, inspecting the pieces of fabric scattered across the floor. Ku was busy pinning several parts of the gown while Arielle stood in front of a mirror with her arms held outward.
Arielle smiled, turning around slowly. "I'm incorporating some of my culture."
"But…what…what about the dress Nousha made? Aren't you supposed to wear that one?"
"I thought about it and…I'm not a Persian. I shouldn't have to wear a Persian wedding dress," she said proudly, while Gabrielle's mouth was agape.
This wasn't going to bode well for anybody, Gabrielle foresaw. It was clear that Arielle had decided this in the spur of the moment. There were going to be some outraged women up ahead, although the shouting would probably be from Xerxes' side of the family.
Calmly, Gabrielle asked, "and what made you decide to do this two days before the ceremony?"
"I think my input matters, and I should be allowed to celebrate my culture and traditions too. I've done everything Sambice asked of me. I think I should be permitted to wear my own dress, don't you think?"
Gabrielle gnawed on her lip. "it is your wedding after all…"
"See! My father said the same exact thing!"
Somehow, Gabrielle didn't think that Navaz knew his daughter was going to take him so literally. He was going to be blamed for this indefinitely. Before, Gabrielle was anxious to see this ceremony, but now, she wanted to run and hide. The Persian monarchs were going to throw massive tantrums over this enormous change in their structured plans.
Xena leered outside the doorway that led into the women's quarters. She had her eyes fixated on Sambice, who was ordering people around to decorate the room accordingly. Xena chewed on her nail, thinking of her next move. The conversation she had with Navaz earlier this morning was not something she expected.
She assumed that Ana was oblivious to the threats Sambice inflicted upon on Arielle. So far, Xena was patient with the overbearing women crowding Pannonia, but she wasn't going to allow Sambice to walk over anyone. She didn't care if the woman was a queen or wife of the Shah.
Since Navaz was so preoccupied with other affairs after his brief talk with Xena, he could not catch her before she stormed off. He was too busy dealing with Anastasia's worries and concerns for the last few hours. Once he was able to calm his irrational wife, he searched the Adame for the wanted woman.
He finally found Xena standing outside the women's quarters. She was contemplating and brewing a plan. He saw it in her eyes.
"Xena!" he flagged her down. "Xena, don't go in there. Don't approach Sambice."
She spun around, spitting her nail on the ground. "Why ever not?" she growled. "She can't talk like that to Arielle! She's your daughter, Navaz!"
"I know," he breathed deeply, "but I told Arielle that she needs to be the one who confronts Sambice."
"The hell she will," Xena marched into the room.
Navaz grunted, knowing that he couldn't enter the room without permission. He smacked a hand to his forehead, his heart rapidly beating in his chest. He could just see it now; two women ensued in a massive argument echoing throughout the home. This wasn't going to go well, he thought.
"Shahbanu!"
Sambice turned at the abrupt and lurid voice calling her. She smiled, stepping away from interrogating her servants.
"Khanum, I hope you won't take up too much of my time. I'm quite busy, as you can see."
Xena glanced at the servants. "I need to have a word with you."
"I'm all ears," she laced her fingers in front of her body, clearly impatient.
"Alone, without any prying ears."
"Whatever you say can be said around my maids."
Xena smiled, "oh, I don't think they would want to hear this," she said lowly, almost hostile.
Sambice's eyebrows wrinkled, and she walked off to the side with Xena trailing behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and then came to a small room adjoining the quarters. Spinning around, her eyes widened when Xena closed the door, locking it. Suddenly, she felt very nervous being in a space with a heavily armed woman. Her eyes instantly went to the sword attached to Xena's hip.
"If…you harm me, there will be consequences."
"I'm not going to hurt you, even though I probably should," said Xena in a calm tone. "I've been told that you threatened Arielle, and don't even try to deny it."
Sambice arched her eyebrow, now mute to the subject.
"If I ever find out that you've threatened Arielle again, I promise you that I won't be very nice in my delivery next time." Xena rested a hand on her sword hilt. "Are we clear?"
Sambice lifted her chin, acknowledging the apparent threat. She let a smile slip, trying not to express any unease or fear.
"Very good," Xena grinned, unlocking the door. "You're free to go back to your decorating."
The Persian hesitated for a moment, then walked by Xena, never breaking eye contact while entering the main room.
Preparing for this special day was the equivalent of walking on hot coals. Now that it was finally here, Arielle wanted to be done and over with it. She had her entire family with her on her wedding day, and she regretted pushing them away when she was younger. She could've celebrated her first wedding with her family, but that ended so disastrously.
She had her sister, mother, grandmother, and several other important women with her today. Her stomach was in knots as the hours flew by. Impatiently, Arielle sat in front of a mirror while her mother and Ku were busy finalizing the small touches to her wardrobe.
As her lips were painted, she stared at the women in the reflection of the mirror. They were all so calm. She envied them at this very moment and wished she could be just as calm as they were.
Cera came around with a big smile, signing, "you look gorgeous."
Arielle tried to smile and muttered, "thank you, Cera."
"Don't move your mouth!" Ku reprimanded, and Arielle rolled her eyes, trying to be still. "Great, now I'm going to have to start over."
Gabrielle sat on the bed, watching the women interact. She smiled as Xena took a seat beside her. Leaning in, she whispered, "I heard you gave Sambice a talking to."
"Let's hope she keeps herself in line."
"You didn't use any weapons, right?"
Xena scoffed, "I think you know me better than that, Gabrielle."
"I do, and that's why I'm asking," she tapped her wife's sword.
"Words only," Xena said, raising two fingers. She received a doubtful stare at that. "I promise."
"Hmm." Gabrielle grinned. "Does Anastasia know about the one-on-one Sambice had with Arielle?"
"What she doesn't know won't hurt her," Xena cheekily smiled.
Entering the room, Nousha gasped, causing everyone to fall silent and turn her way. She marched over to her son's soon to be wife, grimacing at the gown that was most certainly not the gown that she had made for Arielle.
"What in god's name are you wearing?" she said aghast. "This is not the gown I made! You can't wear that!"
Anastasia protectively gripped her daughter's shoulders. "She's wearing it."
"She is not! Where is the gown I made?" Nousha waved her hand to the maids to search for the dress. "Change out of that thing this instant."
Xena rose from the bed, and Arielle saw her approaching. Arielle stood from the chair, holding up a hand, and Xena stepped backward only by the grace of Gabrielle's hand guiding her. Arielle frowned, towering over her future mother-in-law. Nousha had no intention of backing down and instead challenged her by folding her arms defensively.
"Xerxes said I should incorporate my traditions too. I want to wear this dress, and you can't make me take it off."
Nousha's eyebrows lifted. "Is that so?"
"Yes. It's my wedding. I've completed all of your rituals and abided by all of your rules." Arielle took Nousha's hand. "I want to do this for me, and I'm not asking for permission."
Nousha looked around the room, clearly outnumbered by all the Hun women. She sighed, making peace with the fact she wasn't going to be able to win this fight.
"I shall wait for you outside then. I will tell everybody you're almost ready," Nousha said finally, which rendered a smile from her new daughter-in-law.
Aurora rushed into the room, clad in the Persian dress. Her jaw dropped. "Wow, mother, you look so nice!" she complimented, then grabbed Nousha's hand. "Are you ready to go?" she beamed, clinging very close.
Xena nudged Gabrielle, who was chuckling at the discomfort radiating off of Nousha's face. If it wasn't painfully obvious, Aurora visibly adopted Nousha as her other grandmother. Nousha didn't sign up for such a duty with high responsibility.
"Looks like you're her biggest fan now, Nousha," said Xena, winking.
Nousha frowned, then peered down at the light-eyed princess. Choosing not to make a scene, she sauntered to the exit with Aurora swinging her arm back and forth, chatting away.
Xena shook her head, almost feeling sorry for the woman. "You trust Nousha with your daughter?" she asked Arielle.
"She hasn't done anything to make me not trust her. Why do you ask? What have you heard? Has she done something that I'm not aware of?"
Anastasia grumbled, turning to her mother. "You're not helping."
Xena lifted her hands. "I'll shut up then."
In front of the entire clan and every citizen of Pannonia, Xerxes stood outside, waiting patiently for Arielle and her family. He didn't know why he felt so nervous about going through with this. If this wedding was conducted in Persia, there wouldn't be this many people watching him. As he waited, he kept his eye on Sambice, who stood beside Esther and the priest. He tried not to allow Sambice's presence to bother him.
To keep his hands occupied, he ran his fingers through his long straight hair. As his eyes danced around, staring at all of the hundreds of Hun people staring at him, he saw a few young girls who were giggling. He anxiously smiled at them, and they whispered to each other. He was used to the attention of young girls and women back in Persia. Apparently, that was a pattern everywhere he went.
He felt a tap on his shoulder, and he turned to his mother and Aurora. He grinned at the princess and kissed his mother's cheeks.
"Where's Arielle?" he asked.
"She's almost ready," said Nousha.
Aurora interrupted, "my mom looks really pretty, Xerxes," she wriggled her eyebrows.
He cupped her cheek, "I'm sure she does."
"You're going to be very surprised when she makes her appearance," Nousha slyly hinted with mild bitterness detected in her tone.
Xerxes was unsure of what to think of that, but he didn't have much time to respond once the flutes sounded. He turned around, grinning at the sight of Arielle walking through the crowd. He now understood what his mother meant now. Arielle was definitely not wearing the traditional Persian wedding dress.
When the Persians took their seats on the ornate rugs, the Hun people looked at each other, confused by the unfamiliar, and instead remained standing. Many of the women waved their hands at Arielle, to which she smiled, nodding her head.
Arielle came to face Xerxes, feeling her face radiate. She didn't like all of this attention on her. Although she was able to slip a malicious grin towards Sambice across the way. The woman was seething beneath that opaque veil of hers.
Mindful of the various traditions she had to adhere to, she waited until a partition was put up between them. She nervously tapped her fingers on her thighs and took a seat, copying Xerxes. She could see his face through the mesh partition. She tried her best to keep focus and listen to the priest talk loudly, orating the entire speech to everybody. Though it sounded muffled to her, nor could she understand a word the man was saying.
As the priest took a brief pause, several items were brought to the bride. The only thing Arielle was focused on was Xerxes, though she tried to keep herself from laughing at the bemused expressions of her people as the odd items were set on the grass. The items consisted of an egg, oval-shaped yellow fruit, which Arielle found were called 'anba,' a bowl of water, and a bowl of cleaned rice.
Observing nearby, Xena watched a rather strange ritual of the priest holding the egg over Xerxes's head. She rubbed her chin pensively, trying to make sense of these odd Persian traditions.
"What is that supposed to do?" she whispered to Gabrielle, who shrugged her shoulders.
Nousha pursed her mouth, then leaned in. "It's supposed to rid the groom of any evil," she whispered.
Xena raised her eyebrows, nodding her head. Somehow, she didn't think an egg would get rid of any lurking evil intent, as the very said 'evil' was sitting across from her. And that evil was, in fact, Shahbanu Sambice.
After the egg was cracked into a bowl, water was thrown onto the grass to complete the ritual. The priest lifted the partition between the two, and Arielle smiled, holding out her hand eagerly. Xerxes tried not to laugh, and he slipped a ring on her finger, and she slipped the ring on his finger shortly after.
The priest finished the ceremony by asking the witnesses around to agree to the marriage. Both Sambice and Nousha nodded their heads in silence, permitting the union. Finally, Xerxes leaned in to kiss Arielle, and a finger was pressed against his lips.
"Wait," she said aloud, alarming everybody. "I want to incorporate some of my traditions too."
Xerxes glanced around. "Alright…"
Distracted by the ceremony's oddity, Anastasia was busy talking to Navaz, and she received a slap to her arm. She snarled, turning to her mother.
"You are needed, Khatun," Xena teased.
Anastasia sprung to her feet, grabbing her sword, hurrying over to her daughter and Xerxes. She presented the blade and held it over both of their heads. She said a silent prayer barely above a whisper, and Arielle took Xerxes's hands in hers, barely able to contain herself.
He chuckled softly, seeing the anticipation in her eyes. He waited impatiently for the incantation to finish, then Anastasia lowered the sword. He stared oddly at her as if she was waiting for something to happen.
Arielle leaned in and whispered, "you're supposed to kiss her hand."
"Oh," his cheeks flushed, and he pecked Anastasia's hand gently.
After the ritual was finally complete, Arielle kicked the bowl of rice over, then leaped forward. She wrapped her arms around Xerxes, pressing her body against his, and crashed her lips against his. Nearly falling backward, Xerxes held her body in his arms, smiling.
The Persians then threw an abundance of rice, and Xena gasped, covering her head. "Dear God!" she yelled while Gabrielle laughed. "What is this? Wasting perfectly good rice!"
Seated in a large circle, Gabrielle inspected the yellow fruit. She picked at the rough skin, fascinated by the strange fruit.
"What is this called again?" she asked Xerxes.
"Anba. Here, let me show you how to eat it."
He took the fruit from her hand and used a knife to peel the skin off. He cut a piece of the moist fruit for her, and Gabrielle sniffed it, handing it over to her wife to be the first to try it.
"What do I look like to you? A food taster?" asked Xena, narrowing in on the slippery fruit.
"Just eat it."
Xena rumbled, studying the fruit pinched in between her fingers. She peered over at Arielle, who was enjoying eating heaps of the yellow fruit.
"Why do I have to be the one to try it? Obviously, it tastes good since Arielle is eating it." She said, and Gabrielle raised an eyebrow. She sighed, slipping the fruit into her mouth. Chewing, her face displayed an array of expressions.
Gabrielle closed in on her wife and asked, "well? How is it?"
"Slimy…"
Gabrielle hummed, then asked Xerxes, "is there a meaning behind this fruit?"
"It's supposed to symbolize fertility," he said.
Arielle paused with a mouthful of the fruit. She swallowed, so not to be rude and glared at her now-husband. "You didn't tell me that."
"I thought my mother would've told you."
Throughout the day, Nousha paid several visits to women's circles, who gave her many congratulatory praises. She didn't think to mingle with the Hun women, and none approached her either. After speaking with a group of women, she excused herself and walked towards the Adame to grab a few gifts that she was obligated to give the women in Arielle's family.
"Nousha."
She halted at Sambice's voice. Inhaling deeply, she turned around and bowed her head. "Shahbanu…"
Sambice sauntered forward, gripping the concubine's arm firmer than expected. She ushered Nousha off to the side, away from the scattered circles of women.
"I just want to reiterate that I will be staying here for quite some time," she whispered, listening to Nousha's breathing quicken. "Once that Hun woman gives birth to an heir, I will take it to Persia with me."
Nousha swallowed the lump in her throat. "You would take my son's…child from him?"
Sambice smiled beneath the veil, crinkling her eyes. "I can't have Hun blood tainting the Sassanian line. I thought you of all people would be on my side."
There was an imminent threat hidden in the queen's words, which irked Nousha. She didn't really like that her son went ahead and married Arielle, but the Shah agreed to the union, and Nousha couldn't argue with him. She had to swallow her pride and allow the marriage to take place. Though she didn't like the union, she didn't want an innocent life to perish at the hands of anybody, let alone Sambice's.
"But that is my son's child," she combatted, scowling. "It will be a member of the dynasty. You can't harm any dynasty members, though you have tried," she smirked spitefully.
Sambice gripped the concubine's arm firmly, bringing her close. "Any fruit that woman's womb bears is a dishonor to the Sassanian Dynasty," she hissed.
Gabrielle caught the hostile engagement from afar as she was passing through the area. Frowning, she walked up towards the women, and Sambice released her hold.
"Is everything alright over here?" she asked.
Nousha adjusted her sleeve, rubbing her arm. "All fine, governor. I was just…going to the Adame to bring the gifts out."
Gabrielle nodded, noting the dilated eyes of the Shahbanu. "I'd be happy to help. I'll walk with you."
Nousha, eager to get away, rushed off, leaving Gabrielle alone. Sambice inclined her head and went on about her way, immediately finding someone to converse with. Gabrielle stayed behind for a moment, and as she backed away, her eyes remained on Sambice.
News traveled quickly after the infamous Persian-Hun union. It spread by ear, making it's way across seas to the former Roman Empire, then into Emperor Justinian's ear, just across the Black Sea in the holy city.
Standing on the balcony, Justinian curled his fingers, glaring out at the open busy port city. He looked over his shoulder when his wife came to join him. Theodora folded her arms, releasing a hot huff of air. She glanced over at her very irritated husband.
"You've been dormant too long in Hunnic land, Justinian," she said. "You could've told Mezamir and Kubrat to attack months ago."
"They did."
"And look what happened? The Khagana," she mocked, "killed both Alduin and Aleksander. They are poor military leaders. I am quite surprised to see that Hun child lead an entire empire at her age," she said with a snort.
Justinian growled, turning to his amused wife. "Why are you so surprised? Xena is the one who trained her. She is an excellent military leader!"
"I sense much hostility from you," Theodora teased. "Although I can see why you're so miffed. Xena has overstayed her time spent on this earth."
"She's a plague."
Theodora snickered. "The Huns seem to be immune to diseases, yet here our people are dropping like flies."
"Do not remind me," he grunted, running a hand over his face. "Now that the Huns are intertwined with the Persians, I no longer have a foot in the Sassanian Empire."
"Just because Arielle is married to Prince Xerxes, doesn't mean the two empires are intertwined. They are separate entities."
Justinian side-eyed his wife, scratching his chin. "I see where you're coming from, and I think I will go ahead with my plan. Have a letter written to Rodelinda. She will lead my army to Persia."
"Are you sure that is wise?"
He raised his palms. "I am dividing the effort, dear wife. Neither Xena, Arielle or Xerxes, can be in five different places at once."
Theodora sighed, rolling her eyes. She gave up trying to argue with the emperor as it was pointless as of now. He was so focused on wiping out the Hun people that he would do anything he could to meet his end goal. This also included investing in a massive campaign, dwindling the treasury's funds down to nothing, all while his people were dying of a ravaging plague.
"The clan isn't as small as it used to be, Justinian. You forget the Huns have several leaders now. There are still two sons of Attila who are alive."
"But none are Xena," he pointed out, winking at his wife.
"Yet she has trained all of the family members, no doubt. I wouldn't bet all your money on Xena, Justinian. Last I heard from Khan Kubrat, she doesn't even go onto the battlefield anymore."
"Ah, even better. She won't be there to guide the army. Surely, they will lose."
Everyone was given a heavy dose of reality when the campaign planning began increasing in depth. Held up in a meeting for the third time in a month, Xena went over several documents with Gabrielle regarding military spending. Xena felt grateful that she didn't have to write the records and only sign them instead.
Anastasia sat at the table with Arielle, talking about military spending. Meanwhile, both Gabrielle and Farah were recording two conversations going at the same time. Farah scribbled down several workable numbers, calculating as fast as her hand was able to catch up to her mind.
Xena squinted, reading a very lengthy document and presented it to the women around the table. "What is this?" she asked, and the room fell silent.
"What is what?" asked Farah.
"This decree that we owe the Sassanians a dowry."
"What?" Arielle said, ripping the decree out of Xena's hand. "I didn't agree to this. I don't need to pay a dowry. I am the ruler of the empire."
Xena sighed, sitting back in the chair, drumming her fingers on the table.
"100,000 dinari!" Arielle shouted.
Farah groaned, clapping a hand over her eyes. "We're going to be indebted to the Persians for a lifetime. No thanks to you!" she pointed to Arielle.
"This is just a misunderstanding. I can fix this." Arielle stood, waving the decree. "I will fix this. Where is Sambice? I know this is her doing."
Gabrielle lifted her head out of her journal. "I think I can speak for everyone when I say, we're all avoiding her. Best of luck to you, Arielle," she said with a smile.
After Arielle exited the conference room, Xena sighed and smiled at all the surrounding women. She laced her fingers together, eyeing the mass amount of paperwork spread across the table. Her eyes hurt from reading all day long, and she was far more interested in the act of the campaign itself instead of organizing it.
"Shall we continue then?" she asked everyone, and they all nodded. "Great. Anyway, we should decide who is going to be stationed where. I think Ernak and Eksama should remain here in the heartland."
Gabrielle ran to grab the map and spread it across the table, pinning the corners down. She jotted down some notes and placed markers in the heart of Pannonia. She turned to Xena, waiting for further instruction.
Ana straightened her posture, placing her fingers on the map, widening her eyes, attempting to read the map. "Ebnedzar and Oran are in Armenia, guarding the borders. I think Navaz should go back and help them."
Xena flicked her hand. "No. I want Navaz to go with Xerxes to east along the borders of Assyria and Persia."
"Why that location?"
"Because Justinian has soldiers in Assyria. Didn't you see Arielle's report?"
Anastasia raised an eyebrow. "I can't read."
Xena's cheeks chalked. "I'm sorry, tatli kiz," she rested a hand on her daughter's arm. "But I have good news. I want you to help me with the campaign. You've always been very good at meditating with politicians. A skill that I never I obtained…"
"You mean, I don't have to be a glorified babysitter this time?" Ana snapped, crossing her arms.
Gabrielle rubbed her lips together, sensing tension rising. "You don't give yourself enough credit, Anastasia. You did an outstanding job protecting Farah and the boys. Your time is valuable to us –to everyone."
"Gabrielle's right. You are very much wanted here, and I want your help."
Anastasia thought it over for a few moments then relented, almost amused by her mother's pleading voice. She grinned and stood, leering over the map. While she agreed with Ernak staying in Pannonia with Eksama, she wasn't sure if sending Navaz with Xerxes was the best plan. She also didn't want to tear Csaba away from his family again, especially with his newborn daughter here.
"I want Csaba to stay here and help Ernak and Eksama if needed."
Xena looked to Farah, who was very worried and fear-stricken. "Fine. He can stay, but I might need him to guard the border. I'd like to ask Cera to draw a mock battle plan for me."
Ana gaped. "Are you just going to employ all of my children in this war effort?"
"It's what they're here for, isn't it?" she teased and received a swift kick to her shin under the table. She shot Gabrielle a wicked glare.
Searching all over the Adame, she finally found Sambice in the bedroom on the second floor. She entered the room without permission and marched over to the Persian. She presented the document, and Sambice smirked.
Brushing her long dark hair, Sambice looked up to the furious Khagana. "Something you wanted to talk about?"
"Yes. This dowry," Arielle slammed the document onto the vanity set. "I'm not a concubine, nor am I a common woman. I am not paying a dowry to your family. You forget that my status is equal to yours."
Sambice set the brush down, rose from the stool, glaring into Arielle's eyes. She was about to retort with a nasty comeback until she remembered the conversation she had with Xena not too long ago. Simply, she forced a smile, brushing a strand of Arielle's hair over her shoulder.
"You're right. I seem to forget that you are a queen yourself."
"Empress."
"Of course," Sambice clenched her jaw. "I will renege the dowry contract."
Arielle's mouth parted, shocked by the willingness, but she tried to keep focus.
"Good. Thank you."
Sambice smiled, sitting back onto the stool, and began brushing her hair once more. "You seem to have a strong bond with your family. They will protect you at all costs."
"You are also my family now, Sambice." She quickly reminded. "We're having dinner altogether tonight. You should join us."
That evening, Nousha crept into the busy kitchen. Over a dozen people were preparing a mass amount of food to be served tonight. She walked around the tables, observing two young women rolling out doughs until it was paper-thin. On a smaller table, one of the maids was cutting anba into several cubes.
Nousha smiled, catching a few glances sent her way. Her presence was almost non-existent as everyone was so preoccupied with cutting, chopping, rolling out doughs, baking bread, and searing meat.
Ku-Ilm entered the kitchen from a separate room, carrying a large silver tray over her head. She paused once she saw the small Persian woman standing in the center of the room.
"Banu Nousha," she greeted nervously.
Walking around another large table, three women were rolling small portions of meat into tiny dough bowls and arranging them onto a round baking tray. Nousha raised an eyebrow, pointing to the dumpling-like food.
"What's this?"
Ku set down the tray and hurried over. "That's Arielle's favorite food. She requested it."
"What's it called?"
"Manti," Ku answered softly, rubbing the back of her neck. "Everyone really loves that fruit," she pointed to the bowls of anba.
Nousha grinned. "I'm glad. It's a staple in Persia. I asked for a few anba trees to be planted outside the Adame. I hope nobody minds."
"Not at all."
"Is there any way I could help?"
Ku refused any offer to help by shaking her head. "Oh, no. You don't need to help. You're not really allowed to. Arielle would chastise me if I let you assist."
Nousha glanced around the kitchen. "I want to help. Let me handle Arielle. I will brave the consequences."
Ku sighed, looking for something that would appease Nousha for the time being. She didn't want to cause any needless trouble, but she also didn't want to argue with Arielle's mother-in-law either. Nousha had been on her best behavior as of late, which Ku thought was very strange.
"Well, I suppose you could take a tray of wine to everybody. Arielle requested pomegranate wine. I hope that's alright with you."
Nousha nodded and then was lead to the tray of empty glasses. She was handed the corked bottle of wine and instructed to pour an equal amount in each glass. Once Ku left the area to survey the rest of the kitchen staff, Nousha ensured that nobody watched.
She slipped a vial out from beneath her bodice and flipped the lid open. She poured the contents inside the vial into one of glasses, then drowned it with the wine to quell the bitter taste. Sticking the empty vial between her breasts, she filled the remainder of the glasses, and Ku came to inspect the tray.
Nousha smiled, and Ku nodded, returning the smile.
Seated on the floor in a large circle, bowls of dessert were placed around everybody to pick at before dinner. Gabrielle kept eating several pieces of lokum, coaxing her spouse to join her. Xena kindly refused and watched as Gabrielle ate not two pieces but six in a row.
"You really shouldn't eat so many sweets, you know."
Gabrielle licked her powdery fingers. "It's not going to kill me."
Xena raised her eyebrows. "You always do this. You're going to make yourself sick."
"I'll be fine."
"Uh-huh."
Rounding a corner, Nousha walked in carrying the heavy tray of wine glasses. She set it down in between Gabrielle and Arielle. She picked up a glass and immediately set it in front of Arielle.
"Oh…" Arielle glanced up at Nousha. "Thank you…"
Nousha intently watched as the wine was sipped slowly. She stood and handed the rest of the wine glasses to everybody in the circle. She flinched at Arielle slightly coughing, fearful that someone might suspect something wrong, but to her luck, nobody took notice. With relief, she continued to hand out the wine glasses and spun around, gasping at Sambice.
"Evening, Nousha. My, you have become quite the host," said Sambice, her smile hidden under the veil.
"As you said, I've always been an excellent host, Shahbanu. Wine?" Nousha lifted a glass off the tray.
Well, now that the wedding is out of the way, we can get to the war and other Persian shenanigans lol.
Anba – mango