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Chapter 56 –The Heir: Part I
Three Months Later
Yadira exited the Khagana's bedroom after delivering a tray of breakfast. She held the vial full of a liquid serum in the meat of her palm and sighed. She uncorked the top, poured the serum into a plant vase near the bedroom, and then walked through the corridor to give her daily report to her superior, Nousha.
The maid knocked on the door twice, then entered. Nousha, getting dressed for the day, turned to Yadira and motioned for her to come forward. Nousha held out her palm, and the maid dropped the empty vial into her hand.
"Have you been giving Arielle this serum every day like I told you to?" she whispered.
Yadira nodded. "Yes, Banu."
"Very good." Nousha opened a drawer and tucked the empty vial into a silk pouch. "Now that Xerxes is gone on the expedition, you no longer have to give Arielle the serum."
She looked at the timid young maid and frowned, further adding, "has Arielle noticed anything different about her food or drink?"
"No…she suspects nothing."
"Did anyone see you?"
Yadira wagged her head, fidgeting with her dress and avoiding eye contact. To distract herself, she grabbed the linen basket and picked up the clothes sprawled on a chair, then dumped them into the basket.
"I will take this to the washroom."
Nousha waved her hand, not paying a smidge of attention to her maid. She sat down, donning the black beaded headdress on her head, and began pinning her hair back with multiple pins. She eyed Yadira exiting the room and flashed narrowed eyes.
Later than usual, Xena ordered a final meeting with everybody before the next departure for the campaign. Everybody was present except for Arielle. They waited for her for nearly half an hour until Xena became too impatient to keep waiting on the late Empress.
"Let's get started," she groaned, feeling a headache rising. "Arielle will leave in a few days to the Baltic Region where Mezamir lives."
Gabrielle took notes and added, "and then Xena and I will join her in a month or so."
Seated across from Anastasia was both the sibling team, Ernak, and Eksama. They seemed very disinterested in this meeting, and Ernak thought it useless for him to stay here since he would be stationed in Pannonia during this entire campaign.
Csaba, sitting next to his wife, spoke up, "why isn't Arielle here?"
"She's probably sleeping," said Farah.
"Still? She is the head ruler, yet she can't make time to get out of bed and join us." Csaba rolled his eyes.
Xena slammed her fist on the tabletop. "She will be debriefed later. I just want to focus on the plan here. If anybody interrupts…" she took a pause, "don't."
Everyone around the table zipped their lips, and Xena smiled.
"Fantastic. So, Navaz and Xerxes are already in Assyria, or almost there. Gabrielle is in charge of reports received until we leave to the Baltics to assist Arielle."
"And I will be working with Anastasia to write letters to Justinian and Shah Kavad," said Gabrielle.
Csaba scoffed, "what is the point of writing to Justinian?"
"The point is we will give him one last chance to pull back."
"Well, we all know what he's going to say," he snorted.
Anastasia shot her son a glare. "Csaba, keep your comments to yourself. We're going to write a peace negotiation and send it to him. It's our last chance to end this before it begins."
"Mother, he's going to throw that negotiation in the fireplace as soon as he receives it."
Xena groaned. "What did I say about interrupting?" she glared at Csaba, and he sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Now, we discuss battle plans. Where's that map that Cera drew?"
Rising much later than expected, Arielle sat up in bed with hooded eyes. She yawned, stretched her arms over her head, and scratched her scalp. She let out a long, audible yawn and heard a giggle from nearby.
"What's so funny?" she asked.
Ku rounded the bed, picking up the clothes on the floor. She couldn't help herself and kept giggling at Arielle's appearance. The wild curly mane was untamed and was in desperate need of brushing.
"You missed the morning meeting."
Arielle slapped her hands over her eyes. "Dammit, not again! Is my grandma mad? What did her face look like after the meeting?" she peeked through her fingers.
Ku made a disturbed face, contorting her lips. She hummed as she was picking up the mess scattered around the bed.
"Oh, great. She's angry with me. If I get ready now, I can still join her in the field for inspection."
She rolled out of bed, sauntered across the floor, stepping over her dirty clothes. She gasped at her reflection in the mirror, and her hands clutched onto her uncontrollable hair.
"I look terrible!" she yelped. "I can't go outside looking like this. My god. I don't have time to wash my hair."
Arielle stripped of her gown and hopped her way over to grab a fresh pair of pants. She slipped her legs through the pant-legs, turning around herself, grunting and cursing. Ku watched from afar, smiling at the amusing sight. Arielle struggled to pull the pants up and over her hips and let out a heavy exhale.
She pulled the pants closer together with great effort. Groaning, she took in a deep inhale, trying to bring the buttons to a close. After holding her breath for a couple of minutes, she huffed, then turned to Ku.
"Can you help me?" she said, embarrassed.
Ku waltzed over to assist. She grabbed the laces, tightening the waist of the pants, causing Arielle to yelp. Raising her eyebrow, she tried to pull the laces together, but from the looks of it, lacing the pants was nearly impossible just as much as buttoning them was.
"Suck it in."
Arielle put a hand over her stomach. "I am," she croaked, barely able to breathe.
Ku sighed. "These don't fit. You're going to have to wear something else."
"But…I don't have anything else. I am not going onto the field wearing a dress!" she swore. "Maybe I can borrow some of my mother's pants. Do you think she would let me?"
Ku arched an eyebrow. "She might think that's strange."
As Arielle wiggled out of the tight pair of pants, she reached for a tunic and slipped it over her head. She winced, pulling the unusually tight blouse over her breasts. The fabric clung to her like a second skin. She turned to Ku, hands on her hips, and blew a strand of hair off her nose.
"Either someone shrunk my clothes or…"
"Or you gained weight," said Ku with a big smile.
Arielle gasped and wrapped her arms over her midsection, feeling self-conscious. She looked into the mirror, smoothing her hands over her breasts and hips.
"Is it that noticeable? I've been sticking to my exercise routine for weeks," she drummed her fingers on her hips, quirking her mouth sideways. "I did eat a lot last week."
Ku shrugged and sat down on a bench. "Maybe you should see a midwife."
Arielle widened her eyes. "Are you crazy? I am not doing that, and you know why I'm not doing that?"
Ku smirked, keeping quiet.
"Because I'm not pregnant, that's why," Arielle turned her nose up, staring at her reflection, utterly dissatisfied with the way she looked.
She placed both hands over her stomach and frowned.
"I should see the midwife, shouldn't I?"
Ku chuckled and said, "I can tell her to come to your room after you're finished on the field."
Arielle nodded. "Make sure nobody sees you. Now…what am I going to wear? My grandma is going to laugh in my face if I show up in a dress."
Early afternoon, once Nousha finished dressing and writing several letters to the Shah and other politicians back in Persia, she left her bedroom to once again try to mingle with everybody. Even though she had lived here for a few months, she felt like she walked on eggshells around the Hun clan.
Yadira, her trusted maid, waited for her to leave the room and head downstairs to the women's quarters. Yadira lurked on the second floor, watching Nousha round the corner. She quickly walked down the hall and came to Sambice's bedroom. She knocked, instantly filled with regret by coming here.
A maid opened the door, and Yadira slipped inside. Two maids were massaging oil into Sambice's hands and arms. The queen smiled and dismissed the two maids to disperse. She swiveled around and wagged her finger to Yadira.
Yadira lowered her gaze and slowly approached. Her heart rapidly hammered in her chest; the closer she got to the Shah's wife.
"You did what I asked of you, yes?" asked Sambice.
The young maiden bobbed her head, refusing to look into the dark eyes opposite her. The knots in her gut tightened. Yadira felt like she was given no choice but to abide by Sambice's orders.
"And Nousha is oblivious?"
"Yes, Shahbanu. She –she has no idea…"
Sambice turned and dipped her fingers into a container filled with perfumed lotion. As she lathered her arms and neck, she smirked at the girl's discomfort.
"Have you had a chance to check-in on Arielle? I know that Arab maid of hers doesn't allow anyone inside the room."
Yadira swallowed. "Not yet."
"If you can get close to her and report back to me, that would be appreciative." She rubbed her hands together, dousing her fingers with lotion again. "She's starting to look like a plump bird," she said softly.
Yadira held her head down.
"What will happen to me if Banu Nousha finds out I'm reporting to you?"
Sambice smiled and cupped the maid's cheek. "Don't worry about her. I will keep you safe."
Gabrielle opted to stay inside and work with Anastasia concerning the letter to Justinian. She was glad to be away from her wife for a little while. She loved Xena, but sometimes she felt overwhelmed whenever war was the main focus of their life. Everyone had several tasks to complete, and Xena was in charge of everything for the campaign.
She wondered if Xena was taking on too much responsibility. The clan was a lot different now than it was thirty years ago. And Xena was no longer a commander but held two titles. The campaign's stress was already taking a toll on their relationship, but Gabrielle had to remind herself that this was temporary.
Aside from dealing with family affairs and the Persians, Gabrielle did enjoy her work, but so far, she felt drained. There was one advantage to having a room designated for women; no men were allowed aside from children.
She walked into the women's quarters and saw Pamira teaching Aurora some dance steps. She gathered it was a traditional Persian folk dance by the movements of the arms and feet. Off to the side, Cera played the kamancheh for the impromptu dance lesson.
Gabrielle sat on the floor, watching the lesson. Her head turned when Nousha entered the room and head directly to the table filled with tea, juice, and an assortment of fruits. She kept a low profile, hiding from the Persian.
Aurora smiled and ran to the opposite side of the room. "Gabby! Pamira's teaching me a dance from Persia."
"Yeah, I saw that. It looks like a difficult dance."
"Sort of," the princess said casually. "Should I show Nousha?" she whispered.
Gabrielle rubbed her lips together. "If you want to…"
Aurora beamed. "Should I call her my grandma now because…she is my grandmother, isn't she?" she asked curiously.
Gabrielle had to stop herself from laughing out loud. "Ah, um, I don't think…" there was malice swimming within her. "Go ahead, Aurora."
"Grandma Nousha!" she yelled from afar.
Nousha tensed her shoulders and spun around to the princess, standing right behind her. With enlarged eyes, she kept gawking at Aurora's bright and shining face. That was the last thing she ever wanted to be called. She took a glance around at everyone that heard what came out of Aurora's mouth. They were just as shocked as she was.
"Pamira is teaching me the basseri dance. You know it, right?"
Nousha slowly nodded. "Of course I do."
"Wanna help me practice?"
Nousha sighed, looking at Pamira and Cera, who were both snickering.
"Sure."
The princess grinned then grabbed Nousha's hand, leading her to the center of the room. "After this, I can teach you some of our dances too!"
Out on the field, Xena instructed all of the soldiers to run through positional drills, and so far, everything went well, except for a few younger soldiers who didn't want to participate. She walked through each row of soldiers, inspecting their hand positions, foot placement, and judged them on holding weapons.
On the fourth drill, she walked the front line, adjusting a few soldiers, giving them a few tips along the way. One soldier, on the far end, shouted as soon as Arielle walked out onto the field.
Xena spun around, folding her arms, evident irritation across her face. Arielle sheepishly smiled, waving her hand to the soldiers to stand up straight. For a moment, the irritation passed as Xena scanned her granddaughter's odd choice of clothing.
She rubbed her lips together, humming a soft laugh. Arielle finally joined her and stood with tinged pink cheeks, embarrassed of her current attire. She tucked her hair beneath the turban and adjusted the large belt around her waist.
"What…are you wearing?" asked Xena, barely containing her urge to cackle.
Clad in a black coat with a knee-length skirt, stockings, and fur boots, Arielle felt ridiculous right about now. This definitely wasn't the choice of clothes she preferred when she had to be out on the field. She took the turban from Xerxes' wardrobe, which didn't match anything on her body.
"Ku is washing my clothes. This is all I had."
Xena nodded, chuckling softly. "Okay, then. What's with the turban?" she tried to pry the headdress off, and Arielle clapped her hands on the turban.
"My hair looks like a disaster. Can we just get on with this?" she grumbled.
Xena raised her palms defensively. "Alright, alright. We were running through drills. We should go through box formations next. You can be in charge of that since you missed this morning's meeting."
"Not a problem…"
"Oh, and Arielle."
"Yeah?"
"I know you have a lot going on in your life right now, but I would appreciate it if you show up to the meetings in the future. You're leaving in a few days, and you should've been there this morning."
Arielle forced a smile. "Yeah, no worries. Next time I'll definitely be there. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll start with the formation drills."
Xena nodded, snickering at the outfit, then walked back to the Adame, shaking her head.
Sequestered in their room, Gabrielle brushed through her spouse's wet hair for several minutes. She hummed quietly to herself during the process. Despite Xena's loathing attitude towards her own hair, Gabrielle thought brushing it was very therapeutic for her more than it was for Xena.
"Remind me to pack my leather armor for the upcoming trip."
Gabrielle said, "already done."
Xena raised an eyebrow, "and the spaulders too?"
"The silver ones with the leather straps, right?"
"Those are the ones."
"I already packed those in your chest."
Xena picked at her nails as she checked off the items in her head. "What about my plated boots?"
"Xena! I packed everything already. One less thing for you to worry about," Gabrielle smiled, continuing to comb the long silvery-raven locks.
She gave a nonverbal sign of gratitude by patting Gabrielle's knee behind her. She sighed heavily, already bored of this long process of hair brushing. The image of Arielle's odd choice of clothes came to mind, and she snorted under her breath.
"What's so funny? I want in on it," said Gabrielle playfully.
"Did you see what Arielle was wearing today?" Xena sniffled, trying not to laugh. "She looked like she got dressed in the dark."
Gabrielle smirked. "I'm sure she had a good reason."
"She said Ku was doing laundry. Everybody knows that laundry day is Friday. Today is most definitely not Friday," Xena raised a finger.
"Well, she is leaving in a couple of days. Maybe she packed all of her pants and leathers for the trip?"
Xena murmured something inaudible. "Yeah, that's it," she said, turning to Gabrielle with a mischievous grin. "I'm sorry. I've been so focused on this campaign that I forget about you. And I bet it doesn't help that I'm complaining about you brushing my hair."
"I'm used to it," Gabrielle said with a gentle shrug. "I know how you are when it comes to war. You want everything to be perfect. Not to mention you're a little bossy too."
"I am not bossy."
Gabrielle tapped her wife's shoulder with the brush's handle. "A little bit, I said—a little."
"Yeah, okay," Xena mumbled. "How's your shoulder? I know you said it's better, but I think you're lying to me just so you don't have to go through more therapy," she wiggled her fingers.
"It still hurts sometimes, but I'll live." She ran her fingers through her wife's hair, satisfied with her work. "All finished. I have an itch to braid your hair."
"Back off, Gabrielle. I let you brush my hair. That is all you're doing."
Gabrielle huffed. "Fine. Oh, something happened today. You're going to love it."
Xena picked at the ends of her hair, then looked into her spouse's jade eyes. "What is it?"
"Aurora called Nousha 'grandma' today. I nearly died laughing! You should've seen her face! She looked so horrified!"
Xena's jaw dropped. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to witness that. I'm surprised that Aurora has taken a liking to Nousha."
"Are you jealous?"
"No! I'm just surprised, is all," Xena mumbled. "Have you heard anything from Sambice? She's been very quiet lately, which worries me."
"Always erring on the side of caution, aren't you?"
Xena pinched the blonde's thigh. "Nobody likes her, but enough about the Persians." She rose from the bed and grabbed her sword placed on the mantle. She turned with a wild smile.
"Uh, what are you doing?" Gabrielle asked nervously.
"I want to spar with you!" Xena grinned and saw the apprehension. "Come on, we never spar anymore. It'll be fun. Okay, I'll go easy this time to protect your precious shoulder," she winked.
Gabrielle looked around the bedroom, turning around herself, then eyed her wife suspiciously. Scratching her head, she let out a large exhale. "You are aware we're in the bedroom, right?"
"There's plenty of room. Come on," she grabbed Gabrielle's hand, pulling her off the bed. "Please?"
"Well," the blonde wavered, "since you asked so politely," she relented with a dramatic roll of her eyes.
Once everyone was settled down for the evening, Ku brought in a midwife from the tribe, as there were many, but she chose a specific woman who did not have direct ties to anyone in the family. Ku waited in the bedroom, standing by the door just to make sure nobody was going to randomly stop by.
She heard a few whispers once the woman was finished examining Arielle. She opened the door, nodding to the midwife, paying her handsomely, then closed the door quickly. Ku darted to the bed, tapping her fingers together. She scanned Arielle's face, unsure how to read the facial expression or lack thereof.
"What did she say?"
Arielle looked up to her friend, half-smiling.
Ku's grin widened. "I knew it! You must be excited. I know I am excited. This won't be like last time. It's different. We should, I mean, you should tell everybody tomorrow."
Arielle frowned, rising from the bed. She paced back and forth, chewing on her nail. Peering over at the mirror, she gawked at the side view of her body, focusing on her abdomen. She wanted to share Ku's excitement with her, and she was definitely more excited this time around, as opposed to when she carried her daughter. But there were a few obstacles in her way.
"I thought we were careful. Guess not," she mumbled. "I'm carrying a Sassanian," she whispered. "Ku, what am I going to do?" she shook the maid.
Ku smiled, "seems pretty simple to me. You have the baby, and all will be well. What are you so worried about? Your family is here with you."
Arielle turned about, wagging her finger. "No. I can't tell anybody about this. Not yet, anyway."
"Oh, no. We're not doing this again, Arielle. I can't live through this. You were so depressed last time. I can't do it. I won't."
"Shut up, Ku," Arielle spat. "I'll tell everybody, but not right now. I still want to go on this campaign. If I tell them, there is no way my grandmother will let me go because she'll say she is 'concerned for my safety,'" she mocked her grandmother's tone of voice, deepening her voice, causing Ku to chuckle.
"You're asking me to…lie?"
Arielle nodded.
"Dear God, no. I can't lie to…to your grandmother, Arielle. I'll crack. What if she interrogates me? What if your mother corners me?"
"Will you stop? I need to send a letter to Xerxes. Do you think that's a wise choice? I don't want to distract him from the campaign in Assyria."
Ku smacked a hand to her forehead.
"How can you be so…so calm about all of this?"
Arielle tapped her cheek. "I don't know. I just am," she smiled. "Don't worry, I'll take very good care of myself. I want to send a letter to Xerxes after I leave. Make sure you give it to one of his trusted horsemen."
Two Weeks Later
Keeping an eye on Ku-Ilm wasn't an easy feat by all means. Yadira had enough to worry about with Sambice breathing down her neck and tending to Nousha. A part of her wanted to come clean and tell Nousha everything that was going on, but she feared what might happen to her if she broke Sambice's trust. Either way, she was going to end up on the receiving end of an angry Persian woman.
Yadira followed Ku outside the Adame and hid behind a tree. Ku was handing off a letter to one of Xerxes' horsemen, and Yadira squinted, trying to listen in on the conversation. After Ku left and trailed back into the Adame, Yadira ran out from behind the tree.
She knew the soldier very well as she had seen him multiple times with Xerxes back in Persia. She waved her hand, grabbing the soldier's attention.
"Ormazd!" she called.
"Yadira, how are you? I hardly see you anymore. Is Banu Nousha keeping you busy?"
She nodded. "Heading out?" she pointed to the horse.
"I have to deliver a message."
"Ah," Yadira eyed the letter in his saddlebag. "Before you go, could you do one thing for me?"
The soldier smiled, "anything for you."
She instructed him to lift a bucket from the water well, not too far from where they stood. Ormazd eyed her suspiciously but walked ahead to retrieve the water. Yadira's smile disappeared, and she backed up quickly, snatching the letter from the saddlebag, replacing it with a false message. She tucked the letter into her belt and smiled at Ormazd as he walked back with the bucket of water.
Yadira returned to the Adame after Ormazd left Pannonia. She left the bucket of water outside on the steps and hurried to Sambice's bedroom. She was lucky enough that everyone was busy with their own things, and Aurora kept Nousha preoccupied for the time being.
After she gave the letter to Sambice, she felt sick inside. So much could go wrong by doing this small task, which in reality wasn't small at all. This was going to blow up, and Sambice was in charge of orchestrating it all.
Sambice smiled when she finished reading the letter. She walked over to the fireplace and tossed the parchment into the fire, watching it crinkle, twist, and burn slowly. It would've been foolish to keep such a valuable item on her person at all times. Sambice then returned to her vanity and opened a drawer, pulling out the empty vial.
"Arielle is a smart girl for keeping the child a secret from her family." She wrapped her fingers around the bottle. "But she should've listened to me."
She spun around, staring at the paranoid maid.
"You've been a great help, Yadira."
In a somewhat irritated mood, Gabrielle trailed up the stairs towards her room. She just finished discussing the budget cuts and expenses needed for the remainder of the year with Farah. She didn't know why, but she always felt so drained when numbers were thrown at her. Farah was so good at her job, maybe a little too good.
That woman was so intelligent and quick with numbers that Gabrielle could hardly keep up. She was glad that she was the one who dealt with Farah daily. She didn't think Xena would be able to sit through a two-hour session talking about money and math.
When Gabrielle finally reached the last few steps, she crinkled her nose, watching Sambice make her way towards the bedroom. She thought it odd that Sambice would want to speak with Xena. Their last encounter wasn't amicable, and Sambice had no intention of being friendly towards anybody in the clan either.
It was a rare sight to see Sambice without her black veil shielding that conniving face of hers. Gabrielle sprinted across the top floor and slyly slipped herself between the doors and the Persian queen.
Sambice's lip quivered, and she hid the vial inside her bell-shaped sleeve. "Governor, good morning. I want to speak with Xena."
Gabrielle tried not to display suspicion. "She's busy with Anastasia. Maybe I can help?"
The Shahbanu's lips curled into a smile. "The Khatun is with Xena in this room?" she asked, and Gabrielle nodded silently. "Perfect. I would love to speak with the two of them together. It is very important," she whispered.
"Is it urgent?"
"I would say so."
Gabrielle motioned for the queen to remain in the hallway while she slipped into the bedroom. She smiled softly, feeling a bit hesitant to interrupt the nice breakfast these two were sharing. Xena lifted her eyes, smiling and patting the empty spot beside her.
"Eat with us," Xena insisted.
"I'd love to, but you have a visitor."
Xena groaned. "If it's Aurora, tell her I'm busy. I don't want to play chess with her anymore."
Anastasia snorted, "afraid you'll lose to a seven-year-old again?"
Dipping a handful of bread into the egg yolk, she received a pinch from her mother. Grumbling as she chewed, she reached over, pinching her mother back.
Xena grinned at her daughter, then went back to her wife. "Oh, um, who is it?"
"It's Sambice."
"You've got to be kidding. I don't want to deal with witches this early in the morning," she threw the cloth napkin over her plate. "What does she want?"
"I don't know, but she said it's important. She wants to speak with both of you."
Ana paused, chewing her food slowly, and sighed. "What do you think she wants?"
"I don't know, but I'm sure it has something to do with Arielle," mumbled Xena. "Send her in, Gabrielle. This better be good," she nudged her daughter's knee.
Moments later, Sambice entered, and both Xena and Anastasia put on warm, yet forced, smiles. Sambice inclined her head to the women, which they reciprocated the greeting.
"Good morning, Shahbanu," said Anastasia, putting on a façade. "Would you like to join us? We have plenty of food here," she gestured to the massive spread.
"No, thank you, Khatun. I don't want to take up too much of your time, but something has been brought to my attention, and I thought you ought to know."
Intensifying the tension in the room, Sambice presented the empty bottle hidden inside her sleeve. Gabrielle peered from behind, narrowing her eyes, examining the bottle. Sambice handed the vial over to Xena, who then inspected it further. Uncorking the top, Xena sniffed the remnants and crinkled her nose at the bitter stench.
She passed the bottle over to Anastasia to take a whiff of it.
"What is this?" asked Xena.
"I heard from a reliable source that Nousha has been poisoning Arielle," said Sambice. It took every ounce of her willpower not to smile when she saw the rage in Anastasia's eyes.
Xena's eyes flashed, glaring at the Persian. "But Arielle appears to be fine. What was the poison intended for?"
"What does it matter what its purpose is?" barked Ana. "I want Nousha arrested."
"Anastasia…"
"I will interrogate her myself."
Sambice fought the urge to react. "I'm very sorry. I just found out this morning, and I wanted to tell you both immediately."
Xena raised her eyebrow and splayed a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Thank you, Sambice. I'm sure the truth will reveal itself soon."
She then gave Gabrielle a nonverbal single with a flick of two fingers. Gabrielle gave a curt head nod then vacated the bedroom, suspiciously eyeing Sambice from behind.
"And how did you come by this information?" she asked Sambice.
Aurora sat with Nousha in the women's quarters, learning how to play a Persian boardgame. So far, Nousha had been very patient with the princess, though she was impressed by how fast the child learned a new game. It only took a couple of times for Aurora to grasp the game, and as they were on their fourth-round playing, Aurora slammed her wooden checker on the board.
"I win again!" she threw her arms in the air.
Nousha half-smiled. "Second time in a row. I'm impressed."
"Can we play again?"
"Aren't you tired of playing this game? Why don't you go play with that Hinukh boy? What was his name?"
"Kazem, and he's busy playing with Aman and Aladar," she rolled her eyes. "Well, we don't have to play this game. We can do something else!"
Nousha, paying no mind to the princess, had her eyes focused on the soldiers who marched into the room. All of the women inside turned their heads, slightly offended that men came inside unannounced. Nousha frowned and had an instinct to run once she realized the soldiers were coming straight for her.
The men halted, glaring at Nousha from above. "May I help you, gentlemen?" she asked, annoyed.
"We have orders to detain you, Banu Nousha. Come with us willingly, so we don't have to use force."
"Detain me?" she questioned. "For what!?" she barked. "I've done nothing."
The soldiers regretted their next move when they hoisted Nousha off the floor. She instantly put up a fight and kicked one of the soldiers in the shin. Cera, sitting from afar, widened her eyes. She set her daughter on the floor and ran towards the soldiers.
Cera stood in front of the men, blocking their path. She folded her arms, frowning at the soldiers who were desperately trying to hold Nousha, all while doing their best not to harm her.
"Princess, step aside."
She placed her hands on her hips, waiting for an explanation.
"We have orders from the Khatun, so please, stand aside." The soldier said, then along with his partner, forcefully dragged Nousha across the room.
Cera's mouth parted, and she stood off to the side, listening to Nousha spitting obscene phrases at the men. She always knew that her mother and Nousha never really saw eye-to-eye, but she never thought her mother would go as far as to arrest Nousha. Whatever Nousha did must've been horrible for her to be detained publicly.
Aurora ran to her aunt, grabbing her arm. "Grandma Khatun arrested her? But why?"
Cera shook her head unknowingly.
"You gotta do something, Teyze Cera!" Aurora cried.
Cera knew better than to step on her mother's toes. She had tried to intervene several times when it concerned Arielle, but she didn't want to get in between whatever was going on here. And even if she did intervene, she didn't think it would help all that much.
It wasn't difficult for Sambice to reveal her reliable source, and Yadira was brought into the conference room shortly afterward. She was told by the guards that she was going to be interrogated by Xena. She sat in a chair, twiddling her thumbs, waiting in the quiet room by herself. She jumped when the doors opened, and Xena walked in with Gabrielle.
Xena waved her hand, and the guards closed the doors. She walked over to the timid maid, set her sword down onto the table, and then pulled up a chair. Sitting down casually, she crossed one leg over her knee.
"I'm not going to harm you, but I want you to answer a few questions for me. Do you think you can do that?"
Yadira nodded.
"This will go very smoothly and be over quickly as long as you tell me the truth. Got it?"
"I understand…"
Xena briefly smiled. "Good. You're Nousha's chambermaid," she said, and Yadira bobbed her head. "You must be loyal to her, as most chambermaids are."
Gabrielle pulled out the bottle from her coat pocket and handed it over to Xena. The bottle was presented to the young maid, and they both instantaneously noticed a visible flinch in Yadira's dark eyes.
"Recognize this?" asked Xena, pointing to the bottle.
"Y—yes."
"Shahbanu Sambice says that you found this bottle while cleaning Nousha's room. Is that true?"
Yadira faltered for a moment. "Yes, that's true."
Xena pursed her mouth. "She accused Nousha of poisoning Arielle. That's a huge accusation. I'm not one to believe a story without hearing both sides. Anything you say in this room is safe between Gabrielle and me, so I want you to tell the truth."
She leaned forward, elbows on her knees, and Yadira's eyes grew immensely.
"Has Sambice threatened you in any way?" Xena asked softly.
Sweat droplets formed on the maid's head, and she licked her lips. "No…no, she has not, Khanum."
"She didn't put you up to anything?"
Yadira shook her head vehemently.
"Hmm. Are you sure? You can tell me."
"I'm sure."
Xena nodded, rubbing her chin. "So, how do you know that Nousha has been poisoning Arielle? Just because you found an empty bottle in her belongings doesn't mean she's poisoning Arielle."
Yadira avoided eye contact with the two and spoke softly, "I…I heard her talking to a maid. She…she's been giving the Khagana that every day."
"I see," Xena looked up to Gabrielle. "You may go now, Yadira. Thank you for your help."
The young maid scurried out of the room without uttering another word. Gabrielle leaned back to check if the doors were closed, and then she took a seat in the chair that Yadira sat in previously. She leaned forward, studying her wife's pensive expression.
"Well? What do you think?"
"She's lying. Sambice has that poor girl scared for her life."
Gabrielle sat back, folding her arms. "I thought so. Do you think Sambice is lying? That's a pretty dumb thing to lie about. She would know that we aren't stupid enough to believe a lie. Sambice could be the one poisoning Arielle, but…"
"But, Arielle is fine, from what we can see." Xena sighed, rising from the chair, grabbing her sword. "Only one way to find out. I need to interrogate Nousha before Anastasia does. She will kill Nousha, and then we'll really be in trouble."
In the nick of time, they arrived at the chamber where Nousha was kept in the back of the Adame. There, Anastasia was ready to enter the room before Xena ran forward, snatching her daughter's wrist, pulling her aside.
"Let go, mother! I want to interrogate her."
"I'm going to do it," said Xena calmly. "You are not of sound mind, Anastasia."
"Who do you think you are to say I am not of 'sound mind'?" she snatched her hand away and attempted to enter the room.
Xena grabbed onto the door's handle and then saw Anastasia ready to push her away. She grabbed her daughter by the shoulders and gently rammed her into the wall.
"You know better than to raise a hand to me, Anastasia. Let me do all the talking. We'll get to the bottom of this."
Ana snarled. "She is poisoning my daughter! What more proof do you need?"
Gabrielle interjected, "do you believe what Sambice said to be true? She hates Nousha. She could've set her up."
"Why on earth would she do that? If she is lying, then everything would fall back on her."
Gabrielle shrugged. "That's why your mother wants to interrogate Nousha. I'll stay outside here with you," she extended her hand, and Ana frowned.
Finally, she relented and grabbed hold of Gabrielle's hand, stepping aside to allow her mother. She turned back, glaring at the door, and Xena adjusted her headdress, smiling at the two, then disappeared into the room.
Nousha paced back and forth, tapping her fingertips, then halted as soon as Xena walked in. She marched up to her, breathing heavily.
"You let me out of this room right now!"
Xena's eyebrows rose. "I can't do that just yet. You're lucky that I'm here and not Anastasia."
"Your insane daughter put me in here, and I'd like to know why. I have done nothing! I demand to be released!"
Xena fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Simmer down, Nousha. If you answer my questions, then I will release you. Don't make this harder than it needs to be."
She walked over, gesturing the smoldering petite woman to sit down. Nousha groaned and sat down, attempting to stop herself from fidgeting. She kept eyeing the door, hoping this confinement would end soon. She glared at Xena, who sat opposite her, and watched a hand slip inside the vest and present the empty bottle.
Nousha's face turned white, and her throat went numb. The bottle was placed on a table, and Xena tapped her fingers on the table.
"Sambice has made a very serious accusation against you."
Nousha scoffed. "I am not surprised."
"She said this bottle belongs to you. Is that true?"
"Yes, it's mine."
Xena frowned. "And she said that you've been poisoning Arielle. Is that true?"
"I…I have not."
"Don't lie to me, Nousha."
The Persian stood and slammed her fist on the table. "I did not poison her!"
"But have you given something to her in this bottle? It was found in your belongings."
"Yes, I did give that to Arielle."
Xena's eyes enlarged. She didn't expect the truth to be revealed so soon, which only meant that Sambice was telling the truth, but she was still suspicious. If Nousha was poisoning Arielle for who knows how long, why would she admit it so outright?
"So…you don't deny it. You were poisoning Arielle," she said to confirm.
Nousha slapped a hand to her forehead and sat back down. "I already told you I didn't poison her."
"Then what have you been giving her?!" Xena sprung from the chair, towering over the small woman.
"Do I look like an idiot to you? Do you really think I would poison my son's wife?"
"You've made it known that you don't like my daughter or Arielle."
Nousha smirked. "That is true, but I am not foolish. I wouldn't poison her. On the contrary, I was trying to protect Arielle."
"Protect her?" Xena lowered herself to the chair. "What do you mean?"
Nearly an hour passed, and Anastasia was about to go inside the room herself. She jumped up off the bench as soon as her mother exited the chamber. She ran forward, itching to enter the room until Xena locked the door and hid the key in her bodice.
"Well? Did she do it? Did she poison her? What happened?" Ana asked.
"She didn't do anything."
"You're just going to take her word for it? She doesn't like Arielle or me!"
"Anastasia!" she growled, and Ana flinched. "I am well aware of your hatred for Nousha, but I believe her. Gabrielle, come with me."
Gabrielle slipped away, following her wife down the hallway, leaving Ana alone.
"You're not going to tell me what's going on?!" Ana yelled. "Mother!"
Baltic Region
Once the last of the leading soldiers left the large tent, Arielle relaxed on the dais. She fanned her flushed face and took the Kozak off, tossing it aside. She grabbed a handful of her long hair and wiped the sweat off the nape of her neck. Groaning, she rolled her shoulders back and rubbed her aching side. She didn't think this would be so tiring to sit for hours.
She wanted nothing more than to lay down and go to sleep, but she couldn't just yet. Even though this area was a lot cooler than Pannonia, she was drenched in sweat. Just as Arielle was getting comfortable and ready to take her boots off, another soldier entered her tent.
With a harsh frown, she drew her coat to a close to conceal her abdomen. "What is it now?"
"I have sent a letter to Khagan Bayan, informing him of your arrival."
She almost forgot about Bayan. "Right," she waved her hand, "how long until he receives the message?"
"About three days, Khagana."
Arielle nodded and dismissed the soldier. She unfolded her legs and let out a heavy sigh. Standing from the dais, she walked over to the window, peering out the mesh panel. Humming softly, she kept an eye on all of the soldiers who walked the grounds. There were several guards stationed outside of her tent. She made sure that this area was heavily guarded, especially since she was in Mezamir's territory.
She stripped herself of her coat, releasing a breath of relief as a cool breeze hit her skin. She slipped the tunic over her head and changed into a long-sleeve black gown. Dousing her face with cold water, she dabbed her neck with a wet cloth then crawled onto the floor mat, plopping down onto her back.
Exhaling slowly, her eyes drifted to the ceiling. Arielle lifted her head off the pillow, staring at the small yet prominent bump. Smiling softly, she glided a hand over her stomach. Inhaling heavily, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
To wrap her head around the insanity, Gabrielle repeated the words spoken to her.
"Nousha gave a serum to Arielle to prevent her from getting pregnant."
Xena nodded. "Mhm."
"Because if Arielle does have a child, then Sambice would take the child and possibly…kill it?"
"That's right."
Speechless, Gabrielle huffed and placed a hand on her hip. "But…I…you…"
"I'm just as stumped as you are, Gabrielle, but I don't think Nousha would lie about that. She's many things, but a liar isn't one of them."
Gabrielle came to sit on the floor with her wife and added, "but why are you keeping Nousha locked away if you believe she's innocent?"
"I want Sambice to think that her plan is working. I want you to take Nousha to Ernak's Adame and tell her to stay there."
"How will that solve anything?"
"I need to keep a close eye on Sambice. She's more devious than I thought." Xena cupped her knees, narrowing her eyebrows. "Something is missing—something I'm not catching. Why would Sambice give us this information? What does she gain from it?"
Silence passed between them, and then Gabrielle snapped her fingers. "Yadira! She's obviously been coerced to work for Sambice. She should be questioned again."
Xena massaged her forehead. "I am done for today. It's been a long day playing detective. You can interrogate her tomorrow morning."
"Oh, I get to interrogate? You never let me do that," Gabrielle snickered.
She crawled over to sit behind Xena and massage her temples slowly. Xena hummed softly, trying to relax. She flinched at the loud rapping on the door.
"I'll get it," Gabrielle said, jumping off the floor.
She creaked open the door and smiled at Cera, who invited herself into the room. Cera rushed inside, and Xena lifted her head, cursing under her breath. She didn't want to go through the entire spiel again, and she certainly didn't want to worry Cera.
"What do you need, Cera? I've had a long day."
The princess sat down on the floor, signing, "what happened to Nousha? Mother won't talk to me. She's very upset."
"Don't worry about Nousha. As for your mother, it's best if you steer clear of her for a while." Xena smiled tiredly, patting her granddaughter's thigh.
Unconvinced, Cera looked up to Gabrielle for a better explanation.
Gabrielle inclined her head and said, "she's right, Cera. You have nothing to worry about."
Yet, Cera persisted in questioning, "did something happen to Arielle?"
"Your sister is fine. If something happened, you'd be one of the first to know," Gabrielle reassured her.
Finished with her duties for the day, Yadira began to unwind and settle in for the evening. She was unbuttoning her dress when someone walked into her chamber. She gasped and quickly turned around, closing the front of her dress, then somewhat relaxed. Sambice's trusted chambermaid, Pari, walked in, closing the door behind her.
She never liked it whenever she crossed paths with anybody in close relations with the Shahbanu. Yadira clenched her jaw, staring at the lithe blonde maid.
"Banu Nousha requests to see you in the laundry room," said Pari.
"At this hour?"
Without arguing, Yadira buttoned her dress and grabbed her veil, donning it. She walked with Pari down the stairs and through the hallway leading to the laundry room. The home was quiet at this hour since everyone turned in for the evening. Yadira thought it odd that she hadn't seen Nousha all day, but she figured that Nousha was busy doing other things during the day.
They came to the laundry room, and Yadira walked in after Pari. She scanned the room, searching for Nousha, and frowned when she found the place to be empty. Spinning around, she panicked as soon as Pari closed the door and locked it from the outside.
She ran forward, pounding on the door. "What are you doing? Open this door! Pari!" she screamed.
"Yadira."
She froze and slowly turned, clinging to the door. Widening her eyes, she gawked at Sambice, who emerged from the darkness in the back of the room. Two other maids appeared from different areas of the room, and Yadira breathed heavily.
Sambice nodded to her maids. "Grab her."
Yadira tried to run, and her arms were grabbed. Dragged across the floor, pleading and screaming, a cloth was stuffed in her mouth. They came to the back of the laundry room where a noose was hung from one of the wooden ceiling beams. Yadira's chest pounded, and she tried to wiggle her way free.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she was forcibly pushed forward, and the noose was tightly bound around her neck. One of the maids held her close, pulling her arms behind her back.
Sambice approached, lifting Yadira's chin with a gentle finger. "As I said, you've been a great help."
Baltic Region
In the middle of the night, during Arielle's blissful slumber, she felt a cold breeze brush against her cheek. Her eyes shot open, feeling a sense of another body nearby. She quietly slipped her arm out from beneath her cheek and reached for the blade on the floor. She spun around, sitting up in bed, and clashed swords with a masked intruder.
Growling, she stood slowly, forcing all of her weight on the attacker's sword, pushing him backward inch by inch. An overwhelming sense to protect her child overcame her, and relying on that strength and sheer instinct, she cried loudly, kicking the intruder in the gut. He fell back onto the floor.
As she was ready to lunge forward, an arm wrapped around her neck from behind. She felt a blade slide against her hip, and she grabbed the foreign arm, flipping the second intruder over her head. She took a gash to the back of her calf, and she hissed.
Twirling the blade, she plunged the sword into the intruder's chest. Lifting her head, she saw the man who attacked her first, escaping through a slit in the tent. Relying on her adrenaline, she grabbed her bow and ran outside through the small opening of the tent.
Loading her bow with an arrow, she obtained focus in the pitch-black land, narrowing in on her target. Releasing the arrow, it drove through the masked attacker's backside, and he fell face forward onto the grass with a loud thud.
Breathing deeply, Arielle marched back into her tent and stalked outside to the entrance. The surrounding guards immediately bowed their heads.
"I was just attacked by two men while I was sleeping!" she shouted, pointing to the inside of the tent. "Is this what I pay you to do? I could've died! My chi…" she stopped herself, "my life was in danger!"
Guards swarmed inside the tent to retrieve the stabbed intruder. Arielle wiped the sweat off her forehead, glaring at the men who began to crowd the area.
The leading Avar stepped forward. "My apologies, Khagana. Are you hurt?"
In a fit of rage, Arielle snatched the sword at the guard's hip and drove it through his body. Other soldiers watched aghast at her response. She twisted the blade in his gut then kicked him onto his back, holding the sword, which slid out from the gaping hole in his stomach.
She held the bloody sword, pointing it to the stunned soldiers. "Let this be a lesson to you all. This will not happen again, or I will disembowel every single one of you."
The guards dragged the intruder from the tent and dropped his body onto the ground. A soldier hesitantly approached Arielle with utmost caution.
"Khagana, the attacker is Persian," he whispered.
She turned to inspect the man and handed the sword over to an Avar soldier. She snatched a torch and knelt down, grabbing the intruder's face, turning it towards the light. He was indeed a Persian, just as the soldier said.
The following morning, the Adame was woken up to the screams of a maid. Still dressed in their night attire, Xena and Gabrielle immediately rushed to the maid's screaming, which later turned to sobs. They stood in the center of the laundry room, gaping at Yadira's body hanging from the ceiling.
Gabrielle covered her mouth, shaking her head. "That poor girl."
Xena ordered a few soldiers to cut the maid's body down. She turned away and exited the room, unable to look at the dangling body any longer. Gabrielle lingered for a moment longer, watching the rope being cut, and Yadira's lifeless body collapse into the soldier's arms. She trailed out of the room and joined Xena in the hallway.
There were several people outside, waiting to hear the solemn news. Late to the gathering, Sambice strolled down the corridor, and Xena narrowed her eyes.
"What's happened? I heard screaming," said Sambice, wrapping the veil over her dark hair.
Xena remained calm and coolly responded, "Yadira was found hanging from the ceiling. I'm assuming it happened sometime last night."
"Oh, that's terrible," Sambice gasped. "She was so young. I wonder what drove her to make such a tragic decision."
Xena shared a look with Gabrielle. "Yes, I wonder…"
She left the crowded hall with Gabrielle following beside her. They both rounded the corner and kept an eye on Sambice, who looked concerned, but both knew that she was most definitely not the least bit troubled about that poor girl's life lost.
"So much for interrogating Yadira," whispered Gabrielle. "I don't want to leave Pannonia knowing that Sambice is living here. She's a murderer!"
"We can't prove that she did it."
"But she did. I escorted Nousha to Ernak's place last night."
Xena sighed, pinching her nose. "The damage has been done. She wouldn't be so bold to strike while we're gone. Would she?"
Gabrielle bit her lip and gripped her spouse's arm. "When we leave, we could ask Eksama to stay here."
"That might cause alarm, and Sambice would know that we're onto her. I don't want her to find out that we're watching her, even from afar."
"But Xena, there are children here!"
Xena scoffed, "she wouldn't kill any children here. It would be too obvious."
"Yet, she wants to kill Arielle's child," Gabrielle reminded her wife.
"Well, good thing Arielle is not pregnant, assuming that Nousha's serum worked."
Frustrated with the outcome of this situation, Xena punched the wall above the blonde's head. She added, "but I still don't know why Sambice told us about Nousha's plan. Nousha said she's been giving Arielle the serum for months, which means Sambice has known the entire time. Why would she tell us now?"
"You mean, what's the catch?"
"Exactly."
Okay, luckily this is the last baby you'll ever see lol I'm so sorry.