*The glitch on the site is fixed now!*
This chapter is soooo long. Enjoy :D
Chapter 57 –The Heir: Part II
Ku-Ilm tried her best to seclude herself from the Persian drama circling in the home. She had no desire to be involved in Sambice's and Nousha's business. In fact, she wished the women of Xerxes' family would go back to their motherland. She didn't get along with any of Sambice's maids, and now that Yadira supposedly killed herself, Ku definitely didn't want anything to do with the Sassanian women.
She tended to Aurora's schooling early in the morning, then left her alone with a few other maids. Afterward, she would take Aurora to Farah to check over the homework. Ku was anxiously waiting to hear back from Xerxes' and continuously asked several soldiers if a messenger had stopped by.
It was the same answer she received yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that. This morning, Ku entered Arielle's room and noticed a few out of place items. She walked over to the chest of clothes with the lid open. She looked inside the trunk and saw the clothes were wrinkled, clearly tampered with. Only one person would go through Arielle's clothes, and that person had to have been Aurora.
"That girl," she grumbled.
Kneeling down, she rearranged the clothes inside the trunk. Once finished with that, she turned and saw one of the wooden mannequin heads was missing a headdress. Ku groaned, and clapped a hand to her knee, then slowly stood up. She slammed the trunk lid shut and heard the door creak open.
"Aurora, if that's you, I would run if I were –"
She turned and gasped as Anastasia stood by the entrance. She bowed her head, concealing her prominent reddened face, stricken with embarrassment.
"Khatun, I'm sorry. I thought you were Aurora."
Ana smiled softly. "What did she do now?"
"Oh, um," Ku pointed to the wooden mannequin. "She stole a Kozak. I told her not to come in here without permission."
"She has been a little disobedient lately since Arielle left. I'll be sure to talk to her later."
Ku nodded, then attempted to leave. "I should search her room."
Ana grabbed the maid's shoulder firmly. "Before you go, I need to talk to you about something."
Ku held her breath and traced backward. "Sure, Khatun."
"I'm sure you've heard what's been happening around here with Nousha, Yadira…" Ana hinted, and Ku kept her gaze forward, almost staring right through her. "We found out a couple of weeks ago that Nousha had been slipping a serum into Arielle's food.
Ku clapped a hand over her chest, and her jaw dropped.
Ana nodded, "mhm, yes, and the serum was to prevent Arielle from conceiving a child."
Ku's eyes enlarged. She swallowed, then choked out, "oh, really? Why –why would…she do that?"
"I can't tell you the reason for that, but I wanted to hear from you if you noticed anything different about Arielle before she left. Did she seem alright to you?"
Ku felt sweat forming on the nape of her neck. She loosened her collar and looked away. "Yes, Khatun, she seemed…fine to me."
"Are you telling me the truth, Ku? You aren't protecting Arielle, are you?"
"No!"
Anastasia's eyebrow arched. "If you remember anything, be sure to tell me. Oh, and don't worry yourself over the Kozak. I will talk to Aurora."
With her final words said, she left the room, and Ku let out a gust of air trapped in her lungs. She lightly touched her forehead to the bedpost and scuffed her boot on the floor. This was the exact situation she wanted to avoid, and now she was alone. She lied. And nobody would be here to protect her when the truth would soon come to light.
Utighur, playing with his two sisters on the floor, heard knocking at the door. He grunted, and hopped to his feet, and darted to the doors. He opened the door and lifted his head to the tall veiled woman.
"Are you here to see Banu Nousha?" he asked.
"Yes."
The prince stepped aside, motioning for her to enter. "She's over there," he pointed to the far corner.
Nousha sat, working on an embroidery piece for the last couple of weeks since she started living in Ernak's home. It was quieter here, despite the occasional children crying in the middle of the night. This home was a lot larger, which meant emptier space, compared to the other Hun homes. Nousha didn't really enjoy living with these people, but she did miss the extra noise in Arielle's house across the camp.
Humming quietly to herself, fixated on her sewing, a looming shadow blocked her light. Frowning, her head drifted upward, and she instantly stood up.
"Shehzada," she addressed softly.
Esther lifted the veil over her face, examining Nousha's pale complexion. "I came to check on you and to tell you that I'm leaving for Babylon next week."
Nousha gasped. "You can't leave! I…please, don't leave."
"I…" Esther, taken aback by the urgency, said, "I can't stay here forever. I do have duties in Babylon. I will let the Shah know you've acclimated well here."
Nousha grabbed the Shehzada's hand. "Please, don't go. I…will be alone. Sambice will…"
"Sambice will what?" Esther's tone deepened.
"She will…" Nousha glanced over at the small children, "most likely kill me," she whispered. "Esther, don't go back to Persia. The moment you leave, she's going to send someone to assassinate me."
"Don't be ridiculous, Nousha. Do you know how difficult it would be for someone to break into this home without anyone noticing?"
Nousha growled, gripping Esther's arms. "She killed Yadira! My maid! She killed her! And she has plans to kill my son's future child too."
"What are you talking about? Don't say things without proof, Nousha. You could be in a heap of trouble if you…"
"She told me that she would. She said it to my face, and I already told Xena everything."
Esther sighed, suddenly annoyed that she was more out of the loop than she realized. It was evident that this plan was kept between a small circle of people for a good reason. But, it would've been nice to know what was happening as she could've put a stop to everything before Yadira's sudden death, which was, in fact, not a suicide.
"When did Sambice tell you this?"
Nousha sheepishly admitted, "months ago, before the wedding."
Esther pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? I could've helped you!"
"Well, excuse me, but you don't like me very much," Nousha snapped back. "Shehzada."
"And you have given good reason many times in the past for me to dislike you," Esther combatted. "But I cannot have Sambice plotting to kill innocent children. She can't get away with this for the third time."
Nousha's breath hitched. "There were…others?"
Esther smirked, "you think you're so special? There were two concubines before you, and she certainly didn't want any more heirs to the throne. She got rid of the concubines and their sons. Nobody could prove if she was responsible, but I knew it was her. I'm sure she feels threatened since her son is dead."
"Can I ask you a question?"
Esther inclined her head, waiting.
"What did the Shah ever see in her? Why did he marry her?"
Esther snickered. "I don't know. I've never liked Sambice. Perhaps my parents saw something in her."
Baltic Region
Just arrived, Xena dismounted her horse, waving at the soldiers to talk to the head Avar soldiers who waited in the center of camp. She helped Gabrielle off her horse and held an arm over her eyes, shielding her face from the rain.
Gabrielle walked ahead, flipping the hood of her cloak over her head. She scanned the camp, searching for Arielle. She held up a hand for Xena to stay behind and walked around several tents. Towards the north part of the base, she spotted a massive black tent, which she presumed was Arielle's.
She darted towards the tent. "Hey!" she shouted to the guards. "Where is the Khagana? Is she inside?"
"She's on the frontline. She is moving troops closer to the Antes border."
Gabrielle nodded, thanked the guard, then ran back to Xena, who was now standing underneath a canopy, drying off. Releasing a loud huff, she took the soaked cloak off and stood close to the fire. This was a horrible season to lead a campaign. It was just the beginning of autumn, and this area was much colder than the south Hun areas.
"Where is she?" asked Xena.
"She's moving soldiers out of camp."
Xena slapped her gloves on her palms, scanning the camp. "She shouldn't be out in this weather moving half an army uphill."
"Maybe she didn't know it was going to rain."
Xena whipped her head around, glaring at her wife, and gave a churlish grin. She whistled to a soldier. "When is the Khagana supposed to return to camp?"
"I am not sure, Khanum. She left very early this morning."
Xena sighed, shaking her head. "This morning," she mumbled. "It's almost evening."
"She'll return soon, I'm sure," Gabrielle reassured.
As they waited for their clothing to dry, standing by the fire, a horn of distress called from afar. Both looked at the hill up ahead, barely able to see anything. Xena put on her wet gloves and walked out from under the canopy, weaving around soldiers' tents. She marched through the rocky terrain, listening carefully to the horns.
She felt a hand wrap around her arm, knowing it to be Gabrielle. "Where is that coming from?"
Gabrielle turned around herself, listening to the echoing horns, trying to pinpoint the exact location. She really despised mountainous areas such as this. Flatlands were a lot easier to fight on as they could plainly see the enemy. This was unfamiliar territory to both her and Xena and Arielle, so signals for help were something to be concerned about.
Both turned at the sound of men mounting their horses. Xena narrowed her eyes, glaring at the attire of the soldiers. They weren't Avar, certainly not Persian either. She definitely recognized those soldiers, and a bitter taste lingered on her tongue.
"Bayan's men are here," she said sourly.
"Well, that's nice of him to send soldiers."
"Hmm," Xena folded her arms. "I don't remember telling Arielle to ask for Bayan's help."
Gabrielle fought the urge to rebuttal with something smart. "I'm sure Arielle has a good reason asking for his aid. She doesn't like Bayan anymore than you do, Xena. There's a reason for it, I'm sure."
Minutes later, which felt like an hour, Arielle galloped into camp with a group of men following behind. Gabrielle was grateful as she convinced Xena to stay back and fight the itch to ride out of the camp. Arielle's horse skid to a halt, digging the hooves into the mud.
Her jaw clenched upon seeing the women glaring at her from below. She wiped the mud off her cheek and trotted into the center of the camp. The wet coat she wore weighed her down, and her thick hair draped her over her shoulders and breasts. She licked her lips and steered her horse around, closing her coat around her midsection.
"You're both here early," she shouted through the thundering storm.
Xena stepped forward, shielding her eyes from the rain. "Let's go somewhere warmer. I need to speak with you."
"Now?" Arielle said, gripping the reins. "We can talk later!"
"I'd rather talk now."
Arielle sighed, knowing she wasn't going to win this argument. She sheathed her sword and unbuckled the bow's strap from her chest and hooked the bow on the edge of the saddle. She swung her leg over, climbing down from the horse. Hesitantly, she approached, drawing her wet hair behind her ears.
The closer she got, the more nervous she became. Her heart raced as she walked across the field. Her arms dropped down to her side, and she kept her head aimed downward, though lifted her eyes briefly. Slowly, she watched as her grandmother's eyes widened with every step she took.
Arielle slowed her pace as she noticed the angry expression forming. "Please…don't be mad. I can explain," she raised her hands defensively.
Xena's nostrils flared, her lip twitched, and her eyes fixated on Arielle's abdomen. Calmly, she pointed to the Khagana tent.
"Tent. Now."
Xena sat opposite her granddaughter in the large Khagana tent settled in the center of camp. For once in her life, she didn't know if what she had to say was worthwhile. Arielle always did whatever she wanted all her life, no matter what the consequences were. It was an admirable trait sometimes, but other times, Xena wanted to strangle her.
And this was one of those times. Xena kept glaring at Arielle, running her fingertips on the rim of the tea glass. They sat in silence for several minutes. It was too long for Arielle's liking. While Xena's penetrating stare was very intimidating, Arielle felt like a small child, ready to be chastised.
Gabrielle sat, drying her hair, and looked over at Arielle, who was still sitting in her soaking wet clothes. Her eyes drifted to her smoldering wife.
"Here, let's get that coat off," said Gabrielle.
She walked over, helping Arielle slip out of the heavy coat. She draped the wet coat over a chair, grabbed a soft blanket, and draped it over Arielle's shoulders. Arielle smiled, showing her gratitude silently. Her smile faded once she looked at who sat in front of her. A hand drifted to rest over her stomach, and she sighed shakily.
"I…know you're upset with me. Your silence says it all. But, I was just…"
"Why do you do this to me?"
Arielle swallowed.
"You lied to me."
"I know. I'm sorry, but if I had told you, you wouldn't have let me leave Pannonia."
Xena snorted. "Yeah? Of course, I wouldn't have! Out of all the irresponsible things you've done, this has to be the worst one yet, Arielle. And to top it all off, you were on the frontline, in lousy weather no less. I have trained you countless times to never lead an army in bad weather. You should know better than that."
Arielle's face dropped into her hands as a response to being berated. Xena was about to continue her lecture until she heard weeping. Gabrielle crinkled her eyebrows and thought to intervene.
"Did you eat anything today?"
Arielle shook her head.
Gabrielle looked over at Xena, who covered her eyes, desperately trying her best to keep quiet. She stood and snagged her damp cloak hanging over a chair.
"I'll go tell someone to make something for you then," Gabrielle said, flinging the cloak over her shoulder.
She kicked her wife's leg, and Xena reached over, attempting to slap Gabrielle's leg, but she was out of reach. Groaning, she watched Gabrielle leave the tent, leaving her and Arielle alone. Xena peered over at her weeping granddaughter, rolled her eyes, and pulled the soaked headdress off, and tossed it aside.
"Arielle, look at me."
Still, her face remained hidden in her palms.
"I said, look at me. Are you afraid of me?"
Arielle kept her hands firmly on her teary face, refusing to answer. After a few moments, her hands slid off her face, and she lifted her head, exposing her puffy cheeks and eyes.
"Jeez," Xena muttered. She reached over, wiping Arielle's cheeks with her thumbs. "I'm sorry I yelled at you."
Arielle sniffled, wiping her nose.
"But I guess it all makes sense now," she said, defeated.
"What…what makes sense?" Arielle asked, drying her eyes.
Xena scratched her suddenly, irritated scalp. "Sambice. She knows about your…child. I don't know how she knows, but she does."
A protective hand came to rest over her bump, and Arielle frowned. "So? What are you insinuating?"
In a span of five minutes or less, Xena explained what happened in Pannonia, revolving around Nousha and Sambice. She also mentioned the unexplained, yet explained, death of Yadira, who was also working for Sambice or somewhat coerced into working for her. While Arielle listened to the spiel, her mind drifted, thinking back to when she was attacked by two Persian soldiers. She thought it strange at the time, but now she understood everything.
"She tried to kill me," uttered Arielle, interrupting.
Xena paused mid-sentence. "What?"
Arielle locked eyes with her grandmother. "Sambice tried to kill me. She sent two soldiers to kill me. They…came into my tent when I was sleeping…" she scraped her nails through her hair, feeling like she was in a wind tunnel. "I haven't slept in weeks because of that! She will stop at nothing to make my life a living hell!" she heaved, tethering her breath.
"Arielle, calm down. Relax," she leaned over, gripping Arielle's thigh. "She can't hurt you, especially since I'm here."
Gabrielle came back into the tent, carrying a tray. She knelt down on the floor and ripped the wet cloak off. "One of the soldiers is making food, but I was able to find rice and bread."
Arielle, panicked, looked at them both. "Will you two stay with me? In this tent, I mean. I know you have your own tent set up, but I would feel better if you stayed here. Can you stay? Will you?" she sputtered.
Gabrielle, barely able to register the quick words, eyed her wife, who was just as flustered. "Ah, sure, Arielle. We can stay with you. Here, eat this, and…when was the last time you bathed?"
Arielle smiled sheepishly, looking down at her soiled clothes and wet, muddy hair.
"I will go tell the soldiers to boil water then. Be right back," Gabrielle jumped up, stalking out of the tent.
Xena smirked, grabbed the tray, and scooted it close to Arielle. "She's in a mothering mood today, I see. Eat that."
Spooning the rice into her mouth with her fingers, Arielle weakly smiled. "Thank you."
Assyria
Navaz didn't know how everyone else was fairing during this campaign, but so far, he and Xerxes were getting their asses handed to them against Rodelinda's army. A few days ago, they used a lot of ammunition to target Rodelinda's archers, which worked only for a little while. Yesterday was the first day of tranquility on both sides of the battlefield, but Navaz knew that wouldn't last.
Taking shifts, Navaz opted to take the evening shift, staying awake almost the entire night. Rodelinda loved to stay away all night and somehow found the time to sleep during the day while her army obliterated everything in their path without her commanding the frontline.
As Navaz sat underneath a canopy, keeping a watchful eye on Rodelinda's tent, a horseman rode into camp. He jumped up from the chair and held up a halting hand. He recognized the man to be Persian, but he longer trusted anybody. Clothing could've been stolen.
"Who are you?"
"Ormazd, your highness," he said, jumping off the horse. "I bring a message from the Khagana. I was told to deliver it to Shehzade Xerxes."
Navaz took the letter and waved his hand. "I will make sure he receives it."
Dismissing the messenger, Navaz walked over to Xerxes' tent, expecting the prince to be fast asleep. He was surprised to find Xerxes wide awake, writing with a couple of candles to work from.
"Did you see something?" asked Xerxes.
Navaz gruffly cleared his throat. "No. I have a letter from Arielle," he held out his hand, holding the parchment.
Xerxes smiled, snatching the message. He hadn't heard from Arielle in a couple of months, and he was about to write her a letter, which he knew wouldn't reach her, as she was on the other side of the world, basically. He broke the wax seal, not giving a care if Navaz stood, watching him read the letter.
As he read, his smile disappeared, and he dropped the letter in his lap.
"Is everything alright?" Navaz asked, now concerned by the prince's face. "Did something happen to Arielle?"
"She…she didn't even tell me," Xerxes whispered.
"What? Tell you what?"
"That she was carrying a child," he muttered. "She said she miscarried."
Navaz's face softened. "Oh," he frowned, thinking of how his daughter must've felt having to write the awful news. "I'm sorry."
Xerxes dug his fingers into his hair, staring at the candle's flame intensely. He did not expect to read anything like that, especially when his mind was already fractured, and he was beyond exhausted. He was hit with two things that greatly impacted his life, and he wasn't even with Arielle.
"Sometimes, there isn't an explanation for when a child's life is taken," said Navaz.
Xerxes sighed, no longer desiring to continue this painful topic. "I can watch the camp."
"You haven't slept."
"I'll be fine. I need a distraction."
Soldiers trickled into the tent, carrying pails of steaming hot water. They filled the tub lined with sheets, periodically making trips back to the fire outside to fetch more boiling water. Xena, now out of her wet clothes, watched as the soldiers filled the tub. Arielle sat on the floor with a blanket wrapped around her, lost in thought.
"That's enough," said Xena, flicking her wrist several times.
The men left, carrying the empty pails, and Xena sighed, turning to Arielle. She walked over to the tub and poured small vials of oil into the water. She searched on the shelves for soap and rummaged through Arielle's belongings. Finally, after searching for a few moments, a bar of soap was found in a small box filled with other essential oils.
She knelt down by the tub and wagged her finger, motioning for Arielle to come forward.
Arielle sighed, standing up, and the blanket fell to the floor. She stripped off her stockings and unlaced the front of her wet dress. Hesitantly, she stared at the water, then to her grandmother, who waited patiently.
"What? Are you suddenly shy?" asked Xena, tapping the edge of the tub. "Come on now, take off the dress and get into the water before it gets cold."
Arielle inhaled, then lifted the dress up and over her head, tossing it aside onto the ground. She wrapped her arms over her chest, cupping her breasts. She immediately saw her grandmother's eyes scanning her body, making her instantly feel uncomfortable.
Xena sighed, lowering her eyes. She swirled the water around with her hand. "Get in," she nudged her head.
Arielle stepped into the water and slowly sank down, settling into the hot water, gripping the side of the tub. Once settled, she brought her legs close to her chest, resting her chin on her knees. She tensed when a bowl of water was poured onto her head. She brushed a strand of hair from her face, sighing heavily as soap was massaged into her hair.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
Xena poured water over Arielle's soapy hair. "I know you are."
She grabbed an arm, scrubbing with a soapy cloth, and crinkled her eyebrows, looking at the amount of dirt accumulated on Arielle's skin. She almost didn't want to know how long Arielle was on the field for as that would just rile her nerves even further.
"Are you going to send me back home?"
"Did you think I was going to let you stay?" Xena snorted. "The battlefield is no place for a woman in your condition. Anyway, I need to send you home, but I don't think that's the safest place for you right now. I need to send a letter to someone and inform them about what's going on."
"Csaba?"
Xena crinkled her nose. "No, I need someone inconspicuous. I don't want Sambice to find out about this. She has spies everywhere."
Arielle tapped her cheek. "Soran! You can send him a letter. Sambice would never suspect him," she said, and Xena silently agreed. "Mother is going to be furious with me. I hope she doesn't hurt Ku."
"Ku knows?"
"Yes…of course…she brought the midwife to my room."
Xena pursed her lips, then splashed water into Arielle's face. "Honestly, you two are a terrible team."
Well into the evening, and hours after everything settled down in the tent, Gabrielle returned, soaked and mildly annoyed. She took off her coat and glanced around the candle-lit tent. She stepped through the sheer partition leading towards Arielle's bed and found Xena sitting on the bed, writing silently. Arielle was curled underneath the blankets with her head resting on Xena's knee, sleeping soundly.
Gabrielle waved her hand, trying to grab her spouse's attention. Xena lifted her eyes from the parchment, smiled wearily, and motioned for Gabrielle to come closer.
"How long has she been out?" Gabrielle whispered.
"A few hours. Where've you been?"
"I was talking to the soldiers. The entire border is being guarded as we speak. Mezamir knows that we're here. I spotted some men on the east side."
"I will inspect the area for myself tomorrow." Xena hummed, then handed the parchment over to Gabrielle. "I was writing a letter to Soran. I gave specific instructions on how to handle this situation with Sambice. I can't send Arielle back home knowing that Sambice is on a murdering spree."
Reading the letter over, Gabrielle was impressed at the thoroughness in direction and instructions. She smiled, nodding her head, then looked over at Arielle.
"If you don't mind, I'll make a few adjustments to the letter."
Xena raised an eyebrow. "Of course you will. Thank you for today. You were very helpful."
"I had to intervene," Gabrielle leaned in close, "you were about to blow up at her. You made her cry."
Xena cast a nervous smile. "I didn't make her cry. She's just…emotional," she muttered, playing with the tassels on the blanket. She made the bold decision to make eye contact and instantly regretted doing so.
"I apologized," she added.
Gabrielle kept staring then touched foreheads. "Arielle is the way that she is. She's never going to change. She's not perfect, and I know both you, Ana, Navaz…" she rambled, "want Arielle to behave a certain way, but it's not going to happen. You told Ana to accept that. You should probably take your own advice."
Xena sat, twisting her mouth to the side, recalling the very words she said to Ana. It was just as Gabrielle said. Even though she heard this spiel several times, she realized she didn't accept that Arielle would never change her ways. Though Arielle had improved a lot over the years, she was still, and always will be, difficult in every way possible.
"And as I've said before, she looks up to you. She doesn't like to disappoint you."
Xena frowned and whispered back, "then why is she so insistent on giving me headaches."
"I don't think she does it intentionally," Gabrielle snickered, grabbing the hand opposite hers. "We should get some sleep."
Carefully, Xena slipped her leg out from beneath the slumbering empress. She gently placed a pillow beneath Arielle's cheek and scooted off the bed. Grabbing Gabrielle's hand to stand up, she heard soft noises, and Arielle stirred in her sleep. Xena tensed, backing away quietly but quickly.
"You're…leaving?" Arielle said groggily. She sat up in bed, rubbing her cheek.
So close, thought Xena. "I'm just going to the other side of the tent with Gabrielle. I'll still be closeby."
Arielle sat up straight, suddenly panicked. "But, but what if someone tries to attack me again?"
"Nobody is going to come in here. Neither Gabrielle nor I will let that happen. Please, go back to sleep."
Scratching her neck, Arielle glanced around the dark tent. "Can I have some water?"
Gabrielle poured water into a cup and handed it over. She stood beside Xena patiently, exhausted, and ready to go to sleep, although she feared that what little rest she wanted wasn't going to come anytime soon.
Arielle wiped the corners of her mouth after finishing off the water. She looked through the partition and then up to the two standing beside her bed.
"You'll…just be over there?" she pointed at the made-up bed across the tent.
Both Xena and Gabrielle nodded their heads.
"You won't leave me alone, right?"
"We'll be here the entire time," said Gabrielle. "You can see the bed from here and if you need us, just call, and we'll come to you."
Arielle leaned to the side, making sure she could, in fact, see the bed from where she sat.
Xena sighed and cupped Arielle's face. "Tatli kiz, you'll be fine. We're twenty feet away from you, max. Don't stress yourself out," she smiled, and Arielle let out a drawn-out exhale. "Try to get some sleep."
Sitting on what Nousha told her, Esther had to plan and devise very carefully. Her plans to leave for Babylon were put on hold until she strategized to stop Sambice from proceeding with her mission. In the women's quarters, she sat on one of the sofas, watching Sambice chat with a few of her maids. Esther kept a watchful eye on his brother's wife, suspicious of every move. She knew that Sambice wouldn't do anything with her present, and that was why she needed extra guidance.
Just on time, Anastasia entered the room, smiling at the children who greeted her as they played on the floor. Aurora jumped up, grabbing Ana's hand, and together they walked towards Esther.
"When's mom coming home?" asked Aurora.
"I'm not too sure."
The princess huffed, "I hope she's not gone for a long time! She's always so busy."
Anastasia nodded, "she is the Khagana. She has a lot of responsibilities."
"Yeah…"
They came to a halt in front of Esther, who smiled at them both. Aurora grinned, letting go of her grandmother's hand, and came to greet Esther by kissing her hand. Shocked by the princess's politeness, Esther raised her eyebrows, flicking her long braided hair over her shoulder.
"Shehzada," Aurora said, grinning.
"Princess, how are you? Keeping busy with your studies? I hear that you are trying to learn Persian."
"I know lots of languages like…Ku-Ilm's language, it's Syriac, by the way," she whispered. "Syriac is like Persian, but…a lil' different," Aurora wavered her hand, swaying it from side to side.
Ana bit her lower lip, trying not to laugh. She grabbed hold of the princess's shoulder. "Aurora, I need to speak with Shehzada Esther alone."
Noticing the disappointment plain on the princess's face, Esther chimed in, "I'd love to help you learn Persian some time, Aurora. Maybe we can practice later today?"
Satisfied with the offer, Aurora nodded excitedly, then ran off to go mingle with her cousins playing a board game on the floor. Anastasia sighed, feeling overwhelmed, then finally took a seat. She was offered a glass of wine from Esther.
"You look like you need that," Esther teased. "I just wanted to say that I do like your family, Khatun. Our families are very different, but you've all been very welcoming, and I appreciate that."
Ana sipped the wine silently. "You wanted to speak to me about something?"
"Yes. It's about Sambice. I know you're aware of her plans, but I will let you know that she has done this before and has succeeded twice. I want to prevent that from happening again."
"She's killed children in the past?"
"Unfortunately, yes."
Ana narrowed her eyes, trying to focus on the Shahbanu sitting on the room's opposite side. "Why hasn't she been arrested by the Shah?"
"Nobody could prove it was her because there were no witnesses. She's very smart. She knows all of the loopholes. If there are no witnesses to crimes, she can't be arrested and tried. Although, the suspicion remains. My brother is very aware of Sambice's cunning nature."
"I can't promise that I won't kill her if she tries to harm Arielle. I know our laws are different than yours."
Esther nodded. "I understand your frustration, Khatun. Believe me, I do, and that's why I'm going to need your help."
"What do you need me to do?"
Baltic Region
Things in the Hun camp took an unexpected turn when both Xena and Gabrielle were forced to take the reins and stand-in for Arielle until she was to leave for Pannonia. Five days since their arrival and Gabrielle was in charge of carrying out Xena's strategies for attacking the Antes on the other side of the border.
They had several disadvantages against them, and the number one concern was the terrain itself. Gabrielle expressed that she was worried the army would have a challenging time in the area due to its unfamiliarity.
Under a canopy, shielded from the cold rain, Gabrielle looked over a map of the area, which was poorly drawn. She was cursing herself for not scoping out this area first. She could've sketched the map herself, and if Anastasia permitted it, she would have Cera here to illustrate the map, but Gabrielle knew that wasn't feasible.
Chatting with the soldiers, she pointed to the far east mountains where Xena was with a couple of legions, scouting the territory. She paused mid-sentence when a soldier announced Arielle's presence. Gabrielle grimaced, tapping the pointing stick on the table, glaring at Arielle making her way over.
Gabrielle dismissed the soldiers and turned to the restless Khagana. "You aren't supposed to be out here," she whispered.
"I just wanted to see if I could help."
Gabrielle groaned, "are you trying to get me in trouble? Your grandmother gave you orders to stay in the tent."
"I know, but –"
"If she sees you out here, she's going to blame me."
Arielle nodded, understanding the concern, but had no intention of being cooped up in her tent until she had to depart. "I just wanted to give some pointers, and then I'll go back to my dungeon. Deal?"
The governor relented, not having the patience to argue.
Smiling, Arielle walked over to the map and spread her hand over the parchment. "There's a ravine near the east mountains. I found it while I was scouting," she quietly added. "It's heavily surrounded by trees. I think that Mezamir might use this to his advantage and hide soldiers there."
"A perfect place for an ambush."
"Exactly! I thought we could poison the water. I know the Antes get their water from that ravine."
Gabrielle blinked, quite shocked at the plan. "Interesting tactic…" she patted Arielle's shoulder. "Thank you for your input, now go back to the tent before your grandmother sees you."
"Gabrielle, do you think anything will happen to me when I go back home? I mean, with Sambice."
"Xena made sure to tell the soldiers to escort you to Csaba's home. Sambice won't know about your arrival, and don't worry, she will be dealt with. Now, please—"
"Did Nousha really do that for me—protect me?" asked Arielle, interrupting for the second time. "I don't know how I feel about being drugged for months, but whatever she gave me obviously didn't work," she laughed nervously. "But, she had good intentions, I suppose."
"I guess so, but—"
"I still don't think she likes me, though," Arielle sighed. "What do you think she's going to say when she sees me? Is she going to go back to hating me? Does she truly hate me? I'm not so sure anymore."
Gabrielle groaned, impatiently tapping the rim of the pointing stick. As much as she wanted to continue chatting, she had a lot of work to do. Not only was she busy, but she also didn't want Xena to return and find Arielle disobeying orders once again. She promised Xena to keep Arielle away from the field and was failing thus far.
"Arielle," she said evenly, "I can see that you're feeling very…sensitive right now, but I want you to go back to your tent," she tried to sound as polite as possible. "You should get as much as rest as you can before the journey."
"Rest. Right." Arielle muttered, tapping her cheek. "I keep forgetting that I have someone else to think about," her face broke into a smile. "It's been a very long time since I've taken care of a baby. Hopefully, this time will be easier for me, and I'll be a better mother."
Gabrielle tilted her head. "You'll be great. Now…" she motioned towards the tent.
"Alright, I got it. I'm going, I'm going!" Arielle raised her hands, retreating slowly. "I think I'll write another letter to Xerxes telling him I'm returning to Pannonia. I hope he's not too upset that I went on the campaign."
"I'm sure he'll understand," Gabrielle waved her hand, compelling Arielle to go away, far from this area.
"I don't want him to think that I don't care about our baby. I just—"
"Arielle, for god's sake!"
Arielle clamped her lips together and left to retreat back to her tent without uttering another word. As soon as she left, Gabrielle grumbled and tried to focus on her tasks for the day. She felt the vein in the center of her forehead pulsating.
Over the course of a week, rain flooded parts of the encampment, which forced everyone to remain indoors until the roads were cleared. This weather undeniably made everyone, especially the children, very antsy, and they continuously annoyed their parents and other adults.
In one of the rooms, Pamira sat on the floor, playing with a few wooden toys with her daughter. She heard someone come into the room and looked over her shoulder, smiling at Soran. While she had a rather unusual marriage with Navaz's only son, she slowly grew to like him as they spent more time together.
Soran grinned, walked over, and gripped Pamira's shoulder. He knelt down and lightly pinched his daughter's cheek.
"Where have you been all day?" asked Pamira. "You left the bed so early this morning."
"Ah, I was just talking to Mirac." He walked over to the table runner and poured himself a glass of wine.
Pamira frowned and got up off the floor, scooping her daughter into her arms. She set Mahfiruze on a floor blanket and made her way over, glaring at Soran as he enjoyed the wine peacefully. He caught her eye and turned, mildly nervous by her serious expression.
"Something…on your mind?"
"Yes. I want you to be more inclusive," she said. "You've hardly talked to me since we got here! And I'm always watching Mahfiruze."
Soran set the cup down. "Okay, I can watch Mahfiruze in the mornings. I'll make a better effort to communicate with you. Sound good?"
Pamira sighed, rolling her eyes, and was about to retort with a witty comeback until someone knocking interrupted them. She pointed her finger at him, then opened the door. A maid delivered a letter, whispered to her, then left. Pamira eyed the letter and handed it over to her husband.
Soran took the letter, breaking the seal. A letter from Xena was never a good thing, and he didn't expect to receive anything from her while she was away on campaign. Reading through the content, he was perplexed by the intensive instructions written. Everything in this letter was to remain between a small circle of people, which meant that Pamira couldn't know.
"Fuck," he whispered.
"What is it?"
He tucked the letter into his vest. "Nothing. I have to go talk to Csaba."
"Wait," Pamira grabbed his arm. "Is anyone hurt? Is everyone alright?"
He half-smiled. "Nobody's hurt. I promise I'll take care of Mahfiruze later. I just really need to go." He inwardly wanted to choke his elder sister, though he contained his emotions in front of Pamira.
Csaba read his grandmother's letter three times, going over the plan silently in his head before he spoke aloud. He had never seen so many instructions before in his life and wondered if this plan would work in the first place. He had no idea that Shahbanu Sambice was so malicious. He thought of a better way to deal with this, and that was to confront Sambice head-on, but he had to follow his grandmother's instructions or reap the consequences later.
Farah sat on the bed, holding her daughter in her lap, and glanced over at Soran, who appeared very annoyed. Csaba also wore a similar expression.
"So…what does it say?" she inquired curiously.
"Xerxes got my sister pregnant," Csaba blurted out.
Farah blinked in surprise. "Well, she is married, Csaba, and I thought you liked Xerxes," she said with a light laugh and received a glare. "It…was bound to happen sooner or later," she quietly added. "What else does the letter say?"
Soran explained, "Sambice has plans to kill Arielle's child. She already sent two assassins to the camp." A gasp was heard from Farah. "Arielle is fine, thankfully."
"Hmm," Csaba stroked his beard. "Arielle is going to come live with us until the situation with Sambice is handled. My mother is going to be upset when she hears about this." He handed the letter back to Soran. "Goddammit, Arielle! Why does she do reckless things like this?"
"It's Arielle. Are you really so surprised?" Soran chided.
"Right. I'll go tell my mother about this. Nobody else is going to know about this," Csaba immediately looked to his wife.
Farah stared at the two. "What? I won't say anything!"
"My grandmother gave detailed orders to keep this a secret."
"What about the boys? They're going to see Arielle here. You know Aman and Aladar can't keep a secret to save their lives," Farah reminded them.
Csaba hadn't even thought of that. His sons were known to be very talkative. He wondered where they got that from.
"I'll tell them that she was almost killed on the field by assassins and that she needs to remain in hiding until they're caught," he smiled, impressed by his improvised plan. "That'll do. I have to go relay the news to my mother."
Soran smirked, "good luck."
Going along with the plan, everyone in the small circle was supposed to follow every rule Esther laid out for them. One of the instructions was to force Anastasia and Nousha to work together, which wasn't going to work well, but it had to be done. Anastasia, putting aside her feelings for Nousha, returned from Ernak's home with the said woman.
They walked back together, and others watched as they passed through the camp. It was a bit humorous to see the height difference between the two, yet the public had no idea what a mouth Nousha had.
"You are to go into Sambice's room and spark conversation," whispered Anastasia while smiling at the children who ran by her, touching her arms.
"I remember the plan perfectly."
Ana glanced over and said, "I just wanted to say that I don't appreciate you poisoning my daughter for months."
"For the last time, I did not poison her," Nousha said through clenched teeth. "Didn't your mother explain what happened? I was trying to protect Arielle. I wouldn't harm my son's wife."
"I find that hard to believe."
Nousha laughed under her breath. "Listen," she grabbed Ana's wrist firmly, "we don't have to like each other. But we both care about our children, and I have spent all my life protecting Xerxes from Sambice. If and when Arielle has my son's child, I will be just as protective as you."
Anastasia's eyes widened in shock to hear the firmness yet sincerity from Nousha. She was expecting a smart remark or something nasty to spew from her mouth, but Nousha was surprisingly willing to cooperate. Perhaps, Anastasia forgot that Nousha was a mother too, and it is evident that she has had to fight Sambice many times. She needed Nousha as much as it pained her to admit.
"Mother!" Csaba yelled, running through the camp. "I'm so glad I caught you. I have something to tell you," he stopped, breathing heavily. "Good day to you, Nousha."
The Persian briefly smiled.
"Can this wait, Csaba? I have something important to do."
He sighed, "I promise what I have to say is far more important than what you're planning to do, whatever that is." He pulled his mother aside and motioned for Nousha to join.
Ana, on pins and needles, felt her son holding her hands very firmly as if to not allow her to escape the grasp. She narrowed her eyes, boring into her son's jade-colored eyes.
"I received a letter from grandma," he began slowly, and his mother slowly bobbed her head. "What I'm about to say needs to stay between us. Nobody else can know. Only myself, Soran, and Farah know."
"Alright…" Ana said, "you're scaring me. What is it?"
He inhaled, filling his lungs, and held his breath while he blurted out, "Arielle is pregnant, and she's coming back home."
Nousha's jaw dropped, then she clapped a hand over her mouth.
Csaba held onto his mother's hands, fearing that she was about to break away. He could feel her resisting, and she had the itch to storm off. He wrapped his arms around her, feeling the heat radiate off her cheek pressed to his neck.
"Mother, don't…don't be angry," he pressed their bodies closer together. "Grandma said…she said to oversee Arielle. Sambice sent men to…kill her, but failed."
Nousha snorted, "well, I am not surprised in the least. I knew she set me up," she rolled her eyes, fed up with the entire situation.
"You better take your arms off me, Csaba," Anastasia growled. "I'm going to kill her."
"Don't be angry with Arielle."
"Not your sister. Sambice!" she kneed her son in his gut, and he coughed, wrapped an arm over her stomach, bending over at the knees.
Anastasia raced towards the Adame, and Nousha stood by, watching with an amused reaction. She turned, smiling at the keeled-over king. She was going to make no intention of stopping Anastasia from reaming Sambice.
"Well, I am so looking forward to seeing Sambice with a sword through her chest."
Csaba, although winded from the blow from his mother, took off running towards the Adame.
Baltic Region
"Poisoning the water supply. A straightforward yet useful tactic," Xena tapped her fingers on her folded arms.
"I tried to keep her away from the field. She wouldn't listen."
"I know, Gabrielle," she paddled the governor's shoulder. "You tried your best. It's nearly impossible to control that girl. She should be arriving in Pannonia next week."
Xena sighed and sat down behind a desk inside the Khagana tent. She propped her boots on the table and balanced a quill on her top lip, staring at the map laid out beneath her shoes. She traced her fingers on the parchment and sent a smile towards her blonde wife.
"I miss this," she gestured to the luxurious tent, "being on the field with you."
Gabrielle smiled and sat down. She admired her life-long partner's tenacity and lust for justice in life. Though they had been through several wars together. They had their ups and downs together, but she did miss being on the field, but certainly not as much as Xena.
"Although this quite a setup here," Xena guffawed at the tent. "If I had a tent like this, I would never leave. This thing could hold fifty people, at least!"
Gabrielle chuckled. "Arielle's got it good."
"Speaking of that obnoxious child," Xena swung her boots off the table. "Do you remember when I had Ana sign a proclamation to sign her rights over as commander when we lived in Balaam?"
Gabrielle nodded, not liking where this conversation was going.
"I want you to write a similar document. Arielle isn't physically fit to lead a campaign like this." She jammed the sharp end of the pen into the table. "She should focus on herself and her new child. In fact, add Xerxes in there too."
Gabrielle leaned back, crossing her arms. "Feeling generous? Or are you just trying to take up the mantle as leader of the empire?" she joked.
"Don't be silly, Gabrielle," she guffawed. "Leading an empire is too much work, but Ana did say she wanted to be more involved. She can take over Arielle's duties for a year."
"Uh-huh. I'll get right on that," Gabrielle snapped her fingers. "Hopefully, Eksama will be here in a couple of weeks, and we can head back to Pannonia," she said, much to her wife's disappointment.
Xena nodded her head in agreement and swiped a hand under her runny nose. She sniffled, grabbing Gabrielle's attention. She smiled uneasily and wiped the sweat forming beneath the front of her headdress.
"Are you feeling alright? You've been sniffling and sneezing for the last week."
"It's this damn weather," Xena flicked her wrist. "All this rain can't be good for anybody."
A soldier marched inside and announced, "Lieutenant, the Antes are coming this way from the west."
"How many men?"
"Half of a legion."
Gabrielle exhaled heavily, "that's almost three thousand men."
"We have just as many soldiers as Mezamir," said Xena. "Plus an entire line of ballistic weapons. You tell the army to form in blocks and guard the border. Report back to me when that's done."
The soldier bowed quickly, then scurried out of the tent after his orders were given.
Gabrielle raised an eyebrow as she glanced over at Xena, who kept trying to hide her apparent runny nose. She took notice in the flushed cheeks yet slightly paler complexion. There was also the occasional sneeze and cold hands that Gabrielle felt on her skin late at night when they were in bed.
Much to her discomfort, Xena didn't like being gawked at, and certainly not by Gabrielle. "I'm fine."
"I don't think you should go outside anymore today. You should rest. I'll carry out any order to the soldiers."
"I said, I'm fine."
Gabrielle, unconvinced, stood and walked over to stand behind the desk. She pressed the back of her hand to Xena's forehead, which was incredibly warm to the touch. She shook her head, finding it challenging not to scold Xena for not taking proper care of herself.
"You have a fever. You're definitely not going out there. You should take off that armor and get in bed."
"Gabrielle," she whined, "I have things to do."
"Which you can do when you're well. What good are you to the army if you're sick?"
"It's just a minor cold…" Xena scratched her head, turning away.
"A cold can turn into something very serious if you don't rest. You don't want to end up like Kreka, do you?"
Xena let out a nervous laugh, "that was completely different. Don't pin that on me."
"I don't want to argue with you, Xena. I am capable of carrying out orders. Some rest will do you some good. Come on," Gabrielle nudged her head towards the bed.
Csaba ran into his sister's home, suffering from a sore abdomen and a stabbing pain in his side. He grabbed a soldier by the collar and yelled, "where is my mother?"
"She was heading to the women's quarters, your highness."
He hoped he wasn't too late. He wasn't expecting his mother to sprint like a gazelle, and he didn't think he'd ever seen her run so fast before in his life. This wasn't going to according to plan at all, and his mother's irrational yet rational reaction was going to cause a whole new load of problems. If she was going to kill Sambice, how would anyone explain that to the Shah?
Screeching down the hallway, Csaba slid across the wood floor, nearly losing his footing, and bumped into a maid. A basket of laundry flew into the air, and the maid fell to the ground, and Csaba apologized briefly before he continued down the hallway.
He stopped when he saw his mother take a sword from a soldier's sheath. "Stop her!" he yelled, alarming the frozen guards.
Anastasia went ahead and pushed the doors open, holding the sword firmly, and stormed inside. Csaba gasped and darted down the hallway, shoving the useless soldiers out of his way. The children inside the quarters immediately stopped playing their games and gawked at Anastasia, marching through the room, sword in hand.
Sitting on the far side of the room, Sambice raised an eyebrow as the armed Khatun came charging straight for her. She raised a hand to her maids and casually reclined on the sofa, holding her laced hands in her lap. Esther watched the interaction and jumped off the couch, rushing to Anastasia.
"Get out of my way," Anastasia snarled.
"What are you doing?" Esther whispered. "You'll ruin everything!"
Ana could only see red, and she shoved Esther aside, sending her to the floor. She stomped on the large floor pillows, weaving in and out of the children, who later scattered upon seeing the sword in her hand. Meanwhile, Sambice remained calm, locking eyes with Anastasia.
"Mother!" Csaba screamed, "don't do anything you will regret later!"
Sambice smiled. "You should listen to your son, Khatun. He's a smart man."
Cera panicked and picked up her daughter, then tried ushering the other children out of the room. She grabbed Aurora's hand and forced Kazem to come along with them. Cera gripped Aurora's hand and hurried out of the room, making sure Kazem was trailing behind. She eyed her brother nervously, and Csaba curtly nodded at her while he waited by the entrance.
Ana pointed the blade to the floor, glaring at the Persian. "You tried to kill my daughter and her unborn child."
Sambice's eyes lightened, "oh, she is carrying a child. My congratulations to her," she said in a calm tone.
"You sent assassins to her camp!"
"Now, Khatun, you have no proof that I did that."
Anastasia's lip twitched, tightening her grip around the blade. "You told Nousha that you plan to kill my daughter's child."
"And you believed her?" Sambice said flatly. "Is this why you're here? You threaten to kill me?"
"It's not a threat. Admit what you did, and I won't kill you."
"Sounds like a threat to me," Sambice sighed. "You don't want to threaten the Shah's wife, Khatun. You have no proof of anything you're accusing me with."
She moved to stand, and Anastasia pointed the sword dangerously close to Sambice's chest. Esther's eyes darted to Csaba, who was standing guard, preventing anyone from entering.
"One more step and you're dead."
"If you kill me, you will make things worse for your family. Step aside, Khatun."
"I'm not moving. Nobody, and I mean, nobody, harms my family. I have no problem killing you, Sambice, and it looks like you wouldn't be missed. As you know….nobody likes you," Ana said, smiling.
Not qualified to deal with this type of situation, Esther was at a loss of what to do. She was no stranger to murder in her family, even to those who deserved it. She hesitantly walked to stand behind Anastasia.
"Sambice, I think it would be wise of you to leave," said Esther, trying to hide the shaky, unsteadiness in her voice. "You should pack your belongings and prepare to leave for Persia in the morning."
Against her will, Ana lowered the sword, glaring as Sambice walked past her. Flipping the dark veil over her face, Sambice briskly headed towards the doors, which Csaba opened, bowed his head, and allowed her to leave.
Esther narrowed her eyes, coming very close to Anastasia. "That…was not part of the plan," she hissed.
She flicked the veil over her face and marched onward, and Csaba opened the door again. He smiled, bowing, and said, "Shehzada."
Esther raised her hand and brushed by him, touching arms.
Sighing, Csaba made his way over and held his hand out. Anastasia sheepishly looked to her son and handed over the sword. Csaba shook his head and sheathed the sword in his empty holster. He grabbed her hand and led her to sit down on one of the sofas. He crossed his legs and sat on the floor beneath her, holding her hands.
"Mother…" he began, "grandma had a plan to reveal Sambice's lies, and you ruined it by threatening her."
Anastasia muttered, "Esther also had a plan. And I ruined that too."
"You could've started a war."
"You heard what she did! She tried to kill Arielle!" she clenched her fists.
Csaba nodded, "I know. I understand your anger, mother, I really do. I like Xerxes, but his family really is…" he paused, "goat shit."
Together, they shared a laugh, and Ana then exhaled. "She's going to be upset with me."
"Who?"
"My mother—your grandmother."
Csaba snorted. "Are you scared of her? After all these years?"
"She's still my mother, Csaba."
Baltic Region
Commanding the army, Gabrielle stood under a canopy, overseeing the attacks against Mezamir. So far, the ballistic weapons provided by the Persians were the only thing keeping them afloat. She didn't know how, but the Antes were so resilient in battle. It was infuriating. This wasn't going as planned, and they already lost several dozen men in the span of eight days.
Not only was she tasked with giving out orders and overseeing the battle, but she also had to check-in on Xena every now and then. When she wasn't giving out orders, she was periodically darting back to the tent to see how Xena was fairing. Just as Gabrielle had feared, that little cold that her wife claimed to have, was not a cold at all. It was an illness that spread rabidly through this area.
Sometimes, she wished the Huns weren't so secluded, as they were hardly exposed to any type of illnesses that plagued the rest of the world. Justinian's empire had a plague that spread rapidly everywhere. Gabrielle, deep down, hoped that wasn't the same illness that Xena contracted. Otherwise, there was possibly no possible way that she'd live through the winter.
Lost in a daze, she couldn't hear the soldier calling for aid beside her. She snapped out of her distant state and turned to the soldier.
"Governor, what would you like us to do next?"
Gabrielle chewed on her bottom lip and overlooked the hill where the Persians kept reloading the catapults to fire onto the field. All of the box formations didn't work very well. She didn't know if that was due to her poor leadership skills or because Xena was so much better at this than she was. Either way, nothing was working as it should.
The spiral tactic was always nice to use in battle, but that required someone to lead the charge. Gabrielle didn't think herself competent enough to lead, and Arielle wasn't here either. The spiral formation was out of the question.
"Move the archers to the west side. Use hot oil on the arrowheads and aim for all of Mezamir's tents."
The soldier ran off to instruct the archers on the field, and Gabrielle took the opportunity to slip away momentarily to check on Xena. She parted the tent, and the army's medic stepped away from the bed.
"Don't let me disturb you," she said, kneeling down beside the bed. "How is she doing?"
"Better," the medic reported. "Her fever broke a few hours ago. I advise that she change out of these clothes. They're drenched from her sweat."
Gabrielle nodded, "I can do that." She lifted Xena's arm, inspecting her skin carefully. "Does she have the plague from Justinian's territories?"
"I…don't believe so. If she did, her skin would be covered in sores."
"Good, very good." She smiled meekly. "I can give her the medicine and change her clothes," she shooed the medic away with her hand.
She grabbed the bottle of medicine and poured a large helping into a spoon. Scooping her hand underneath Xena's damp hair, she lifted her head slightly, slipping the medicine into her mouth. Xena's face contorted at the foul taste, slowly waking up. Coughing, her eyes gradually opened, and she gulped down the bitter medicine.
Resting her head back onto the pillow, Xena licked her lips and released a stunted cough. A grin barely graced her lips, staring at Gabrielle.
"Good news! You don't have the plague," Gabrielle said, kissing her wife's hand.
"Fantastic…" she croaked. Clearing her throat, she spoke in a raspy voice, "Gabrielle, you shouldn't be here. You'll get sick too."
"I'm alright. I've been around you the entire time. I have everything under control outside."
Xena raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Do you?"
"Hey, I've been leading all of the attacks. I think I'm doing a swell job," Gabrielle winked, smiling proudly. "But, you're much better at this than me. Once Eksama gets here, I'll feel a lot better, and we can go back home."
Xena rubbed her sore throat. "Thank you."
"It's what I'm here for. The medic said to change into dry clothes."
Sitting up in bed took tremendous effort, but when she was finally up straight, she pried the wet hair that stuck to her skin and grunted. She listened to the loud explosions outside and gawked at Gabrielle, who laughed tensely.
"Shouldn't you be out there?"
"They know what to do. Let me help you first."
Arielle trotted into Pannonia and was skeptical of going back to her Adame. She was informed by the guards surrounding the border that the situation with Sambice was dealt with. She didn't know what that meant, and her senses were so heightened lately that she couldn't trust anything anybody said.
Still, she rode towards her home and was helped off the horse by one of her soldiers. She walked up the stairs, heart racing with every step she took. Arielle mentally prepared herself for what was going to be on the other side of those doors. This was either going to be a huge lie, and Sambice was still in Pannonia. Or the guards were telling the truth, and she had to face the many questions that came from her family.
She took in a deep breath and waved her hand for the doors to be opened. She stood, unable to move, and she saw her family standing inside, evidently waiting for her. Surprisingly, she was greeted with many smiling faces, which eased her mind only slightly.
Ku walked forward, taking the coat off of Arielle, and draped it over her arms. Arielle, uncomfortably, adjusted her dress and then saw the several expressions change from smiles to gaping mouths.
Csaba stepped forward and peered down at his sister's belly and shook his head. "Why do I feel like we've done this before?" he teased and kissed her cheeks. "Sambice isn't here," he whispered in her ear.
She silently thanked him with a smile and then was accosted by her sister. She gasped, nearly falling over and whacked her sister's arm.
"Cera! Yes, I'm happy to see you too." She tapped her sister's shoulder, and when she was finally released, her cheeks were squished together. She furrowed her eyebrows, already annoyed by the warm greetings.
Cera kept smiling, inspecting her sister, walking around her, touching Arielle's arms, shoulders, and hair. She hopped in front of her sister and pinched Arielle's cheeks.
"Stop that!" she slapped Cera's hands and rubbed her face.
Allowing her sister some space, Cera backed away, nudging Csaba's arm. Arielle sighed, mumbling under her breath, and then her body tensed as soon as her mother approached with Aurora in tow. Arielle could barely keep a smile when she saw how shocked Aurora was.
She knelt down, holding her arms out, and Aurora slowly walked forward. "Tatli kiz, I missed you." Arielle's smile faded, and she lowered her arms. "Aren't you happy to see me? I raced home as quickly as I could to see you."
Aurora drew her eyebrows together. "Is that a baby?" she asked, pointing to her mother's stomach.
Arielle's cheeks paled. "Yes…" she choked out, looking up to her mother, who gave a reassuring smile. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you. Are you upset? It's okay to be angry with me. I will take full responsibility!" she smiled, pinching her daughter's arm.
"That's a first," Csaba mumbled, and Cera gave him a hard thwack to the chest.
"Can I at least have a hug?" asked Arielle, stretching her arms outward.
Aurora frowned and took a step back. Csaba intervened and took her hand, leading her away from the foyer. He picked her up and carried her away, whispering to her quietly.
Arielle still knelt on the floor, stared at her brother, whisking her daughter away. "She hates me."
"No, she doesn't," Anastasia said, helping her daughter rise from the floor. "I will have a bath drawn for you. Nousha is…preparing food for you."
Arielle dried her eyes and scrunched her nose. "Nousha?"
"She insisted."
Hooking arms with Arielle, they walked through the foyer together. Cera ran over and hooked onto her sister's free arm, grinning from ear to ear. Arielle looked from left to right, staring at the two, and sighed.
"What happened to Sambice? How did you get her to leave? Did…you kill her?"
Anastasia bit her tongue. "Let's not talk about that right now."
Unable to sleep that evening, Arielle rolled out of bed and grabbed her robe. She opened her door, poked her head out into the hallway, scanning the quiet household. She stepped out of her room, closed the door, and walked down the hall, hoping that everyone was asleep. She made sure to be extra quiet as she slipped by her mother's bedroom.
There was a light underneath the door, which meant that her mother was still awake. Arielle held her breath, stepping over the creaky floorboards, and hurried to the other side of the balcony where Aurora's bedroom was. She opened the door, peeking inside, and saw Aurora sitting up in bed, drawing.
She knocked on the doorframe. "Can I come in?" she whispered.
Aurora lifted her eyes and nodded. She went back to drawing and felt the bed shift. She huffed and peered over at her mother, who sat at the end of the bed.
"What're you drawing?" asked Arielle, curiously leaning over.
"Some mountains like the ones in Balaam."
Arielle smiled, "wow, that's really good, tatli kiz. You're an artist just like Teyze Cera."
"Mhm."
Moments of silence passed, and Arielle drummed her fingers on her knee impatiently. She scooted closer to her daughter, and Aurora frowned. She ended up sitting right beside her daughter, stretching her legs outward and crossed her ankles. Reaching into her pocket, she handed a letter over to Aurora.
"What's this?"
"A message from your father. He said he's going to send many gifts here for your birthday. I didn't forget that was coming up soon," she nudged her daughter's elbow.
Aurora smiled, opened the letter, and read it over silently. She set the letter aside and kept drawing, now in a better mood than she was just a few seconds ago.
"I…I'm really sorry I didn't tell you about the baby," said Arielle, and her daughter stopped drawing. "I didn't tell anybody because I wanted to go on the campaign."
"To save everybody?"
"That's right. Grandma Khanum was pretty mad at me when she found out."
That caused the princess to giggle.
"What's so funny?"
"Grandma Khanum is so funny when she's mad!" Aurora said, causing her mother to smile.
"I dunno…she's kind of scary if you ask me."
"She gets so mad that smoke can come out of her ears!" Aurora imitated an explosion sound, and Arielle stifled a laugh. "Her eyes get real big too," she wrapped fingers around her eyes, "and…and her mouth does this," she tried to emulate a twitch of her lip.
Arielle clamped her lips shut, trying not to laugh. "Knock it off," she playfully slapped her daughter's thigh. "Hey…are you still mad at me?"
The princess let out a heavy sigh. "No…"
"You can tell me anything, you know. I'll always be here for you."
Arielle recalled those exact words from her mother many years ago, and she wished she took those words to heart. She always felt like her mother was against her for the longest time, but it wasn't until she left home that she realized she was wrong. Her mother was and always will be on her side. She didn't want her daughter to experience that same animosity down the road.
Aurora smiled and received a kiss on the forehead. She settled down in the pillows and peered over at her mother's stomach. Curiously, she lifted her eyes, staring up at her mother.
"When does the baby get here?"
"By the end of winter."
Aurora nodded, internally processing everything all in one day. She rested a hand on her mother's belly and gasped. "Mom, did you feel that?" her eyes grew twice their size.
"I did. The baby definitely likes you," Arielle whispered.
"How do you know that?" she twisted her mouth, eyeing her mother suspiciously.
Arielle tried not to laugh and wrapped an arm around her daughter. She looked around the room and spotted a familiar-looking headdress sloppily draped over the back of a chair with the veil touching the floor. She cocked her head to the side and pointed to the chair.
"Is that my Kozak?"
Baltic Region
Sitting atop the horse, Gabrielle internally wanted to scream. She clapped a hand to her forehead, watching the chaos on the field unfold. Every strategy she tried wasn't working very well, and she was too busy thinking about Xena to focus on the battlefield. They were running out of ammunition, which meant that she would have to send the Persian soldiers onto the field.
She didn't want to do that because she knew damn well that Persians weren't the best at close combat. There was a reason there were so thousands of archers in a Persian army. She used to make fun of her wife's job and even belittled her in the past, but Gabrielle took back everything she said. Xena was good at her job, and there was a reason people feared her when they knew she was leading an army.
"This is a joke," she mumbled.
A soldier galloped in from the west field. "Governor!" he flagged her down. "Khan Kubrat's army was spotted near the ravine. They're coming this way."
"Are you serious?" she growled. "Keep firing at the Antes. Don't stop for anything!" she steered the horse backward and rode toward the camp.
Once inside the safe zone, she hopped off the horse and ran into the Khagana tent. She stepped through the partition and found Xena lying on her side, drinking water. Winded from the ride over, she dropped to a knee, and Xena furrowed her eyebrows.
"Something wrong?" Xena asked, wiping her mouth.
"I need your help. I just received word that Kubrat's army is heading this way. We're running out of ammunition, and nothing I've done is working."
Xena reclined on the pillows, sinking into the bed. She felt every part of her aching muscles twitch at even the slightest movement. She wiped the sweat off her brow and could see that Gabrielle was beyond desperate. A few days ago, she said she had everything under control, but things have clearly taken a turn for the worse.
"Well…I…" Xena huffed, "what do you expect me to do?"
"Something! I need some other strategy. I'll throw bombs at them at this point."
"Well…" Xena scratched her neck, "you could use some of Boareks' tactics. They're pretty barbaric," she hummed a chuckle under her breath. "But they work. Do you remember some of the Sabir strategies?"
Gabrielle rubbed her chin. "I think so. I already tried every box formation that you use in battle all the time, but nothing's working."
"Just do the diamond formation or triangle. That should work."
Gabrielle beamed, "you are so right! Thanks, you're the best," she leaned in, and Xena clamped a hand over her mouth.
"Do not come any closer unless you want the kiss of death."
Gabrielle leaned forward and kissed Xena's cheek. "I'll take my chances. I'll come back to check on you later."
"I'd rather you be on the field. Don't worry about me. I'll just waste away here in this tent," Xena winked.
Gabrielle left the tent in a hurry, smiling on her way out, and then stopped in the camp's center. Khan Kubrat sat on his horse close to the camp's borders. He was surrounded by Arielle's men, who prevented him from entering. She frowned, marching forward to meet with the traitor.
"What do you want, Kubrat?" she asked sternly, folding her arms.
"I have a message from Emperor Justinian. He wants you to turn back to Pannonia."
Gabrielle guffawed at the proposal. It seemed that the letter she and Anastasia worked on didn't go over so well when Justinian received it. The Byzantine Emperor had several allies at his disposal, which wasn't always the best idea, but given how the Antes fought, Justinian wisely chose his minions.
"You should've joined us when you had the chance, Kubrat."
He smirked, "and you should listen to me now, governor. I am doing you a favor by warning you!" he called over his shoulder as he trotted away.
"Gabrielle!"
The governor turned at the familiar voice and instantly felt relief. Before, a few seconds ago, she fought the urge to scream. "Eksama, I'm so glad you're here!" she never thought those words would come out of her mouth.
The redhead galloped ahead and whistled as soon as she laid eyes on the dysfunctional battlefield. "This is quite the mess. Where's Xena?"
"She's sick and has been in the tent for over ten days now."
Eksama nodded. "What a lovely time to fall ill," she joked. "What was Kubrat doing here? Giving you a hard time?"
"Something like that," Gabrielle muttered in annoyance. "I really need…help, in case you can't tell."
"I will see what I can do to clean up this mess you've left for me," Eksama teased and whistled at her men to ride into the field. "I would leave this area as soon as Xena is able. I wouldn't want you two to get caught in the crossfire."