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Chapter 59
When in doubt, Gabrielle always knew that her spouse would be on the field, defying orders. She gave up trying to advise Xena over the years, but she always recalled how many times Xena scolded Arielle for the exact same behavior. Anyhow, Gabrielle rode, galloping furiously, to west Pannonia, which was only a few hours away from the mainland.
She did find Xena observing the battle ahead from afar, standing under a canopy. Shaking her head, Gabrielle stepped off her horse and marched over to the canopy. Immediately, she was acknowledged by her stubborn spouse. Now wasn't the time to scold.
They looked at the disaster several yards away. The wall had partially fallen two days ago, and they could see both Ernak and Csaba commanding simultaneously. If they weren't able to keep Justinian's men in this area, this could become disastrous if they entered the mainland. Per Xena's orders, half of the Persian army guarded the camp.
The use of catapults, and any other ballistic machinery, was useless now. Everyone was fighting in close quarters with traditional weapons, which wasn't ideal if Ernak and Csaba were to keep the army from invading.
Xena, itching to go out onto the field, was restless and felt useless standing off to the side. Since she was the Lieutenant General, it was her duty to command the army, but given that she was forbidden to fight, her commands wouldn't be heard from this distance.
"They're ripping us to shreds," Gabrielle painfully admitted, surveying the battle. "There's no way Ernak and Csaba can hold them off forever. This has been going on for seven days."
Xena's breath hitched as she saw Ernak in the middle of a fight between three Byzantines. She clenched her jaw hopelessly, watching him fend for himself. Her eyes darted to Csaba, who was by himself in the center of the field, surrounded by Persian soldiers who aided him. Back to Ernak, he took a blow to the thigh, and Xena's nostrils flared.
She stalked over to the ballistic weapons that were held off to the side. She waved her hand to a few soldiers who stood on standby. They came rushing towards her, ready for given orders.
"Line these up on the west and east sides of the field."
Gabrielle, too focused on the war, hadn't noticed that her wife left her side. She spun around, searching, and found Xena commanding soldiers to move the large catapults downhill. She walked over and grabbed Xena's arm.
"What are you doing?" she asked, knowing the answer already.
"I'm going to blow up the field."
Gabrielle's cheeks numbed. "But…our men are out there too," she said, receiving a void stare. "Ernak…Csaba…they're both out there."
"I know."
This wasn't the time nor place to have emotions regarding family members, even though Xena desperately tried not to think about it. She was essentially putting both of them in danger, but this was getting out of hand, and she needed to put a stop to it before Justinian was to take over Pannonia entirely.
As soon as all of the catapults were lined up, the soldiers began loading ammo, igniting it. They stood by the machines, looking up at her, waiting for the command. Xena raised her hand, and then Gabrielle snatched her wrist.
"Xena! What are you doing?!"
She shoved Gabrielle aside and lowered her arm. The soldiers released the catapults, all ten of them, and Xena turned around, unable to look at the damage. Gabrielle mistakenly kept her eyes glued to the field, watching the flaming buckets of ammo soar through the air.
Arielle sat on the bed, combing through her wet locks. It had been a tough week since the news of Shah Kavad's passing, and she thought she had problems expressing her feelings, but she was wrong. Xerxes was very distant and reluctant to talk about his father's death. Nousha, on the other hand, had secluded herself in her room, following through with prayer to guide her through the pain. Another tradition, Arielle supposed.
She kept staring at her husband, who was sitting in a chair, polishing a bow. He was trying so hard to ignore his father's passing by constant distractions. Arielle set down the comb in her lap and inched her way off the bed. Invading his space, she sat on Xerxes' lap, and he set the bow down on a table.
She wrapped an arm around his shoulder, smiling softly, gazing into his dark eyes. She ran her fingers through his long mane. Finally, she was able to make him smile for the first time in seven days.
"You can tell me how you feel," she whispered. "I know you're upset. You have every right to be. I don't know what I would do if I lost my father."
Xerxes sighed, resting a hand on his wife's thigh. "I'm not as upset as you think I am."
She draped her legs over his thighs and situated herself on his lap to get comfortable. "Tell me what you're thinking."
"I didn't have a solid relationship with my father. Not like you have with yours," he began. "I was his favorite son, but…life in Persia is different than life here."
Arielle nodded, keeping her opinions to herself. There were many customs that she wished never existed in Persian culture.
"Fathers aren't very involved," he admitted, and his wife didn't look the least bit surprised. "But I promise I will be involved with our child's life," he smiled, resting a hand on her belly.
"You really aren't like any of the other Sassanians. Are you sure you're related to them?" she teased, pecking his nose.
He inhaled and added, "I am more worried about my mother. She is no longer part of the harem."
"So, does this mean she's not a concubine anymore?" she felt odd, saying that her mother-in-law was once a slave to Persia.
He looked up into her blue eyes silently.
"What does that mean for her? What's going to happen to her?"
Xerxes shrugged a shoulder. "I don't know. Since my brother is now…the Shah," he said bitterly, "he gets to decide. My mother is supposed to receive a portion of the treasury, and if my brother is logical and reasonable, he'll give my mother what she deserves."
Arielle hummed, tapping her fingers on her knee. "Politics. Well, as much as your mother and I don't see eye-to-eye on a lot of things, she is more than welcome to stay here."
Beneath them, they felt a thundering rumble throughout the entire Adame. They peered up at the chandeliers, gently swaying from side to side. Arielle eased off of his lap and hurried over to the balcony on the far side of her room. She swung open the doors and walked outside into the frigid climate.
A gust of cold wind blew her hair back as she stood, gazing at west Pannonia covered in a thick cloud of black smoke. She placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart and saw another explosion set off in the distance. She flinched at sight and could feel the after-effects of the explosion from where she stood.
She looked over at the balcony next to hers and the one beneath her bedroom. Soon, almost everyone came out of their rooms to observe the destruction. Her stomach knotted when she saw her mother appear on one of the balconies.
Xerxes placed a hand on his wife's shoulder, and she followed her gaze directed at Anastasia. He could tell by the forlorn look on her face that she was either on the verge of tears or ready to scream into the void. In a split second, Anastasia ran back into her room.
Arielle gasped, "mother!"
Running back into her room and out into the hallway, she grasped the railing, leaning over while panting. She saw her mother running down the stairs, furiously.
"Mother! Don't go out there!"
Navaz walked out from another hallway and furrowed his eyebrows, gawking at his daughter shrieking from the other side of the Adame. He peered over the balustrade and witnessed Anastasia running through the foyer.
"Dad!" Arielle shouted, waving her hand. "Stop her! She's going to the field!"
Without hesitating, Navaz darted down the stairs and jumped off the last few steps to catch up to his wife. He ran outside into the cold weather, and Anastasia had already mounted a horse. He sprinted across the field and leaped forward, grabbing onto Ana's arm, yanking her off the saddle.
They both fell to the ground, and Anastasia clawed her way through, trying to crawl across the ground.
"Let me go!" she persisted and even bit Navaz's arm. "Let go!"
"Anastasia, no!" he wrapped his arms around her in a tight bear-hug. "I can't…let you go," he growled, struggling to hold her.
She gaped at the soldiers who kept eyeing her in her distressed state. Tears flowed down her cheeks, and unable to breathe, she kept trying to maneuver her way out of Navaz's arms by using all the strength she had within her. She jabbed her elbow into his ribs, which Navaz grunted. She shoved his face backward, and he fell onto his back, holding her squirming body on top of his.
Sitting upright finally, Anastasia stopped resisting, falling limp into Navaz's arms. She buried her face into his chest, and finding it hard to breathe, he cupped his hand over her head.
Arielle and Cera walked outside and frowned sadly, listening to their mother wailing on the cold ground. Cera reached for her sister's hand, lacing their fingers together.
They ceased firing, and the field was now covered in black smoke, lingering fires, and hundreds upon hundreds of wounded soldiers from both sides. Xena walked out from under the canopy and could see that many soldiers continued fighting despite the massive loss. She wafted the black clouds from her face, searching the field for Csaba and Ernak.
Gabrielle kept a hand planted over her mouth. The field was eerily quiet, all but the clashing of swords from a distance. She felt a heaviness in her chest that she couldn't explain. She couldn't speak. Glancing over at her wife, she could see the distraught feelings sweltering inside.
With a decision so drastic, she could understand why Xena made the choice she did, but at what cost? She could have and possibly did, send both her grandson and Kreka's son to their deaths.
Xena swallowed the lump in her throat and shouted, "search the field for the kings!"
Many standby soldiers mounted their horses and galloped into the field. Gabrielle approached her spouse, gripping her arm tightly. They waited in silence as the soldiers combed through the bodies. Seemingly, the dark fog cleared, and the sun beamed through the clouds out onto the land.
Continuing to fight against the Byzantines, the scouts returned with both kings, fallen over the saddles of the soldiers' horses. Xena let go of her other half's hand and walked forward. Minutes later, which felt like hours, the soldiers came to a halt and pulled both bodies off the horses.
Hesitant to take another step, Xena nodded to the men. Csaba and Ernak were carried over and laid down on the grass. Gabrielle, lingering behind, took a few steps forward, peering from behind her wife's tall frame. The crowd, still silent, as the soldiers bent over, checking pulses and any sign of life.
"He is alive," he pointed to Csaba, who was unconscious.
Xena smiled and then looked to Ernak, who was covered in blood of his own and others. Two soldiers inspected him more carefully. Her heart hammered in her ears, and the longer it took for the soldiers to keep checking Ernak's pulse and press their ears to his chest, the more anxious she became.
The soldiers stood up, backing away from the king. They looked up at the Lt. General, and Xena's eyes enlarged, as did her gaping mouth.
"Oh no," Gabrielle muttered.
Xena knelt down beside Ernak and examined his badly beaten body, bloody face, and mangled long hair. She caressed his cheek, which was cold to the touch. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a linen cloth. She grabbed a canister of water by the canopy and doused the cloth generously. Gently, she wiped off the blood and dirt from Ernak's face.
Gabrielle, off to the side, watched the interaction. She crinkled her eyebrows while Xena kept cleaning Ernak's face and combed out his hair. It was probably the oddest reaction she'd ever seen Xena in response to death. Although she supposed it made sense. Ernak was like another child to Xena. She had seen him since birth and watched him grow up to be the man he was today.
"There you go," Xena whispered, gazing down at the king's now clean face. "Your mother would kill me if I left you looking like that."
Gabrielle smiled softly. She wiped her cheek as soon as Xena headed her way. She took hold of Xena's hand, gazing into her glossy eyes.
"He should lay beside Kreka."
Gabrielle nodded.
"I had to do it," she said, finally meeting Gabrielle's eyes.
"I know," she kissed her wife's knuckles. "You did the right thing, Xena."
"They were going to invade."
Gabrielle kept nodding. "You did it to save everybody. I know that, we both know that."
Dropping her gaze, Xena wiped her nose, then her lips curled into a frown. "Take down that hideous flag," she shouted to the soldiers, referring to Justinian's flag planted on center field. "And burn it."
They returned to center camp by nightfall, and everyone waited outside eagerly. Once they heard that the war was nearly over, for the time being, everyone gathered to wait for their return. There was still a lot of cleanups to do, but many soldiers returned with the wounded for the most part.
Anastasia, still frazzled from earlier, spotted torches approaching. She dropped the shawl she wore and briskly crossed the field, leaving Navaz's side. She saw two stretchers being carried, and her heart sank. Heaving, she picked up her pace and ran. A path was made for her, and she looked up to her mother and Gabrielle sitting atop their horses.
She weaved through the horses and stood between the two stretchers, one with her son and the other with Ernak. Fearful of touching either one of them, her hand stretched out to caress her son's cheek. There was a warmth there, and her hand roamed over his chest and smiled once she felt a heartbeat.
She kissed his forehead and lifted the wool blanket and gasped. She would like to say she wasn't shocked to see the wounds, but she was. His ribs were bound by several thick bandages, and his legs were covered in bruises, gashes, and patched up gaping holes.
Anastasia's attention diverted to Ernak on her right and caressed his cold cheek. Her other hand rested over his chest, and her breath hitched. Her head whipped around to her mother, who was standing in the dim light. Frantic, she cupped Ernak's cheeks, and tears swelled as she brushed her thumbs across his face and jaw.
By the Adame, Nisa stood with her sons and maids, who held her two infant daughters. She walked forward when she saw Ana resting her head over Ernak's chest. She quickened her pace and ran across the field. When she halted beside the stretcher, Anastasia stepped away, drying her cheeks.
Nisa looked over at all the soldiers who refused to look her in the eye. She held Ernak's cheeks and then saw the expression on Xena's face. Suddenly, she belted out a loud howl, collapsing over Ernak's body.
The next day, Ernak was dressed in his best clothes before his body was set on a funeral pyre. His ashes were then spread around Kreka's gazebo nearby the Adame. Evidently, Nisa was the most distraught out of everybody and cloistered herself in the home, seeking refuge with her smallest children.
Ernak's eldest son, Kurt, who was now of able age to take the throne, would be crowned as the next king. Despite the loss of his father, the teenager took it well, more so for his mother's sake. He mourned later, he told himself. Three days after his father's funeral, he dressed in the best robes he owned. He was supposed to meet with the other family members in Arielle's Adame to conduct a meeting.
Upon entering the conference room, everyone stood up, waiting for his arrival. He walked in, and Arielle, seated at the front of the table, motioned for him to sit down. Once he took his seat, everyone else sat.
Arielle cleared her throat and flipped through the documents laid out on the table. "Kurt, I just want to say that your father was a very great king and man. I've known him my entire life, and everyone else here is very upset by his passing."
The teenager smiled briefly.
"But his death wasn't for nothing," she said, grinning weakly. "I would like to give you the right to the empire, and I have some documents for you to sign."
She passed the papers down the line, and Gabrielle, sitting beside Kurt, handed him the papers. Kurt looked down at the documents, very disinterested in what was written here and distracted by the many pairs of eyes surrounding him.
"While Csaba is recovering, you are in charge," said Arielle. "But, I am still above you. Any issues you have need to be reported to…my mother," she said, remembering the contract she signed. "You should be familiar with the chain of command. Do you have any questions?"
Kurt shook his head. After a moment of silence, he signed all of the documents and pushed the stack back over to Gabrielle once he was finished. He stood up, bowing his head to Arielle, and she waved her hand dismissively.
"Thank you, and I would like to spend time with my siblings and my stepmother."
"Of course," Arielle smiled. "Did anyone send a letter to Eksama and Ebnedzar? They should know."
Gabrielle raised her hand. "I actually…have some news about the war with the Antes."
"Go on…"
"Eksama has decided to surrender," she said, receiving glares all around the table.
Arielle slammed her fist on the table. "I did not order that! She can't surrender!"
Ana blinked and placed a hand over her daughter's fist. "Arielle, don't stress yourself out. It's not good for you," she whispered.
Smoldering inside, she glared at her mother. At the other end of the table, Xena leaned forward, tapping her nails.
"Arielle, go to your room."
Laying on her side in bed, Farah watched over her husband ever since he came back from the field. Initially, she thought the worst would happen, and fortunately, Csaba was alive, but she couldn't say the same for his uncle. She wondered if Csaba knew about his uncle, but she gathered that he didn't since he'd been unconscious for the last four days.
To keep her mood stabilized, she kept her daughter close by. Sitting on the bed, Aracsilla toyed with her mother's long hair, squealing softly every so often. Farah smiled, fiddling with her daughter's wispy dark hair.
Slowly, Csaba stirred, letting out painful groans and moans. Farah gasped and sat up, leering over him with their child in her lap. Csaba's eyes fluttered open, and he squinted at the bright sunlight beaming through the windows.
"Look who's awake," Farah whispered to her daughter.
Csaba turned at the voice and smiled at the two most important women in his life. He inhaled sharply, holding in a throaty growl, and caressed his daughter's cheek with a gentle finger. He was welcomed with a toothless smile, and he looked up at Farah, who had been sitting beside him the entire time, he supposed.
"Hi…" he said. "It's nice to see you here."
"I'm always here," Farah kissed his bruised hand. "Aracsilla and I have been waiting for you to wake up."
He shifted his weight and winced from the twinge in his lower back. He sat up gradually and smiled as his daughter crawled onto his lap. Albeit painful to hold her, he contained himself and dealt with the excruciating pain he was experiencing. He was just glad to be here, awake, and alive. The last thing he remembered was a series of catapults being fired onto the field.
"I…hope we won. I don't remember what happened."
Farah sighed, "we won, but…"
"But?"
"But, Ernak is no longer with us," she said and watched his expression change from content to immediate sorrow. "I'm sorry."
"Well,…" he looked down at his daughter, "he will finally be reunited with his parents and brothers."
Gabrielle took off her coat and flung it over a chair, ready for this day to be over. She was exhausted from all the events that happened this week, and after that meeting earlier today, she wanted to hit the pillows and forget everything. She should've known that Arielle would react so hostile regarding Eksama's plans to surrender. I should have known better, Gabrielle chastised herself.
"I probably could've waited to tell Arielle," she said aloud, more so talking to herself than her spouse. "She looked ready to flip the table."
She sat down, brushing her hair, and chuckled, adding, "I don't know why she was there at the meeting anyway! She forgets that Ana is in charge. I should've told Anastasia after Arielle left. I feel really bad for Xerxes. Nobody likes to be around her when she's mad. Am I right?"
Smile fading slowly, Gabrielle swiveled around to see Xena sitting on the bed with her face buried in her hands. She set down the brush, walked over, knelt down, and rested her hands on Xena's bent knees. As she was about to speak, she heard soft sobs.
"Xena…" she whispered, "don't cry. I'm here."
Waiting for a response, she took hold of Xena's hands and rested her head on a knee. Finally, Xena's hands slid off her face and peered down at the big green eyes gawking up at her. She wiped her nose and exhaled shakily.
"I sent him to his death."
"Ernak, you mean."
Xena nodded.
"You can't blame yourself for that. I know what you did was to save thousands, and you didn't want to do it. I know he would've done the same thing if he were in your position."
Xena gripped her spouse's hand tightly, illuminating a smile of warmth, which then Gabrielle returned with a reassuring expression.
"Kreka is going to haunt me forever."
Together they shared a laugh.
"Thank you, Gabrielle."
"I'm here to please," she raised her eyebrows with a playful smile. "But, thank you!"
Xena arched an eyebrow, "for what?"
"For talking to me," Gabrielle smiled, "I'm glad you decided to say something. You've been very quiet for the last couple of days. I was beginning to worry, but you came through."
"You were waiting for me to crack?" Xena leaned downward, narrowing her eyes.
Gabrielle pinched the cheek above hers. "Hey, I learned to stop trying to pry feelings out of you. Good on you for doing that all by yourself. I'm proud of you."
"I've never felt so insulted and flattered at the same time."
Estakhr, Persia
Nearly a month after the coronation, Khosrow made several changes in the empire. This included dismissing most of his father's old court, which was filled with corrupt politicians that were twice his age. Almost all of the councilmen once served Balash and continued to serve Kawus, even after his death. Khosrow knew that he would definitely be assassinated or overthrown if he allowed those men to remain close to him.
Being the young ruler he was, younger than his brother, Xerxes, he realized that his people might not take him seriously if he didn't act with a firm hand upfront. Khosrow advised his aunt to stay with him and guide him through the laws and politics for a while until he was able to rule alone.
Now that he dismissed most of the court, he needed to address his family. The family was important, but as everyone knew, the Sassanians were known to kill off relatives like flies. Shah Khosrow had no business worrying over Xerxes. His brother wasn't even on his radar, but Shahbanu Sambice was.
By his orders, Sambice entered the throne chamber with guards following her. There, she stood in front of the young Shah and Shehzada Esther, who glared at her. Sambice could feel the burning gaze even from beneath the opaque veil Esther wore.
"It's come to my attention that you tried to assassinate my brother's wife, the Hun Khagana. That's one count of attempted murder. The Khagana also carries my brother's child, a Sassanian Dynasty member. That's two counts of attempted murder."
Sambice narrowed her eyes, directing her attention to Esther, who was smiling, judging by the wrinkles around her eyes.
Khosrow continued, "members of the harem informed me that you have murdered two of my father's concubines and their sons. That's four counts of murder and two attempts. This doesn't bode well for you," he said with a sneer.
Sambice bowed her head, unable to look at both the Shah and Esther. She was simmering, but there wasn't anything she could do to save her life. Essentially, by the law, she knew she was powerless now since Kavad was dead. She expected the guards to whisk her away and take her to the gardens to be executed publicly.
The young Shah rubbed his chin, "you should be put to death." He noticed a flinch. "But, I will grant you mercy only because you were my father's wife."
Sambice lifted her head, crinkling her eyebrows.
"I will spare your life, but I am stripping you of your title. You will give back everything you own, and it will be given back to the treasury. This includes all the properties you own. You will also," he raised a finger, "live in seclusion in Anosbord."
Sambice's jaw dropped. "Anosbord?"
"You didn't expect to live in one of your villas, did you?" Khosrow rose from the throne. "You're my prisoner now, Sambice. You should be grateful that I let you live."
After the long-extended war, Eksama was reluctant to return. She didn't want to face disappointment but knew it was inevitable. Riding at a slow trot, she entered the mainland and saw Xena waiting for her in the field's center. Austraia was also present, and Eksama gave a worn smile directed towards her daughter.
Ready to embrace the disappointment, Eksama dismounted the horse and approached her daughter first. She supposed she would have to deal with Xena later. Embracing Austraia tenderly, the teenager was taken aback by the response and stiffened her body.
Stepping away, she brushed through her daughter's curly auburn hair.
"Did you hear the news?" Austraia asked, still awestruck by her mother's warmth.
"About Ernak, yes I did. I know you liked him very much."
Austraia hinted a shy grin.
Xena cleared her throat and Eksama excused herself from talking to her daughter. She walked over, now standing face-to-face with her superior. The look she received was what she expected. Xena was very unhappy about the outcome.
"I didn't have a choice. I had to surrender or I was going to lose the entire army."
Xena raised her hand, "you don't need to explain yourself to me."
Eksama, stood in shock. She expected a lecture given the look of disdain on the Lt. General's face.
"I know you are smart enough to recognize a loss when you see one," said Xena, exhaling throatily. "But I advise that you don't come near this Adame," she pointed to Arielle's home. "Unless you want a very stern lecture. I am sparing you three hours of your time."
Eksama licked her lips, trying her best not to smile. "Right, of course. I will just head back to…" she eyed her brother's home.
"That's your home now. Kurt is king now, but that's your home."
"Really?"
Xena's upper lip quirked upward. "Yes, really. You still need to sign some documents," she waved her hand, clearly uninterested. "But, Gabrielle will come to you, unless you want to face the wrath of Arielle."
"I'll pass."
"Wise choice. She's been in a bad mood lately."
Held up in the bedroom, both Gabrielle and Anastasia went through the documents together, concerning the church that Arielle originally wanted built last year. Other documents about projects that were still in progress were put off to the side for later dates. Gabrielle didn't think she read so much in one sitting before. Since Anastasia couldn't read very well anymore, Gabrielle opted to read all of the documents aloud, which proved to be super tiresome as the days passed by.
"Which one is this?" asked Ana, holding up a parchment.
"That's for the Adame that's being built in Kazakhstan."
Ana set the paper aside, "I didn't know Arielle still went ahead with that. I thought she was going to wait until after the campaign."
"You know how she is."
Gabrielle organized the papers, becoming flustered with the amount of stuff she had surrounding her. And her day wasn't over yet. All of these documents had to be signed by Xena and somehow, she knew, Xena wasn't going to be happy reading all of this.
"If you don't have anything else, I think I will go get Arielle. I'm supposed to take her to the midwife today."
Gabrielle sighed, already over with today's tasks. She had to carry everything over to the room down the hall and she wasn't looking forward to doing that, nor talking to Xena about this either. Still, she needed a break, and decided to join Anastasia. They left the room and made sure to lock the door so nobody could access any of the documents.
As they walked down the hall together, they flinched at a loud screech coming from Arielle's room. It was an odd scream. Not one of distress, but of fear, which was odd in of itself since neither one had heard Arielle scream like that in their lives. After a few moments of stunned silence, they walked towards the room and Gabrielle opened the door.
"What's wrong?" Anastasia walked inside, looking around for her daughter. "Arielle?" she glanced back at the governor, frowning. "Arielle, where are you?"
Finally, appearing from the bath chamber, Arielle walked out, hurrying towards the women. Gabrielle closed the door and gasped, covering her mouth. Arielle pulled down the collar of her dress, exposing the red splotchy patches on her chest and neck.
"Do you see this?" she spat, "my entire body is…is…"
"Covered in a rash," Ana said, examining her daughter's skin.
"Should you be touching that?" Gabrielle whispered, hiding behind Ana.
Arielle panted, rolling up her long sleeves. "It's everywhere! What am I going to do?" she began scratching her arm and then her neck, eyeing the concern in Gabrielle's eyes, which worried her even more.
"First of all, stop scratching," Ana said and Arielle's hands dropped to her sides. "It can't be anything you've eaten because you've been eating the same foods for months. You're probably just stressed, that's all."
Arielle griped, "stressed? I am not stressed!"
"Listen, Arielle, I talked with Nousha, and she has expressed some concern…"
"Oh, come on. You're actually listening to her?"
Ana frowned, gripping her daughter's chin, "she thinks you're overexerting yourself, and I am inclined to believe her. She and Mehry offered to teach you some exercises that will you help relax."
"I get plenty of exercise."
"Not that type of exercise."
Arielle raised an eyebrow, suspicion rising, "what kind of exercises…"
The infirmary was cleared just for Arielle to meet with the midwife who just arrived in Pannonia a few days ago. So far, she was very nice, and from what Arielle could tell, Mehry was different from other midwives she grew up with. She wasn't surprised that there were certain customs related to this practice compared to her customs. Midwives in Persia were paid exceptionally well, and unlike the Hun midwives, they were obligated to live with the family prior to the birth, and forty days afterward.
Arielle began to wonder if all her stress was exacerbated by all the new traditions, rituals, and customs from her husband's culture. For now, she did everything as she was told, despite hating some of the rituals.
Outside the infirmary, Gabrielle lingered by the door, watching the midwife talk to Arielle. They sat on the floor together with both Nousha and Anastasia, who sat off to the side, observing. Gabrielle was interested to see what type of exercise Mehry was administering, and it was amusing to see the frustration all over Arielle's face, even though this exercise was supposed to be relaxing.
"There you are," Xena said from behind, walking down the hallway. "I've been looking for you everywhere."
Gabrielle looked over her shoulder, and put a finger to her lips. "Shh, I'm watching."
"What's going on in there?" Xena looked over the blonde head and frowned. "Is something wrong with Arielle? Why are they in the infirmary?"
Gabrielle groaned lowly, and whispered, "the midwife is teaching Arielle how to do a meditation exercise. It's called yoga."
Xena snorted, "meditation? Seriously?"
"Yeah, it's supposed to relieve stress," she looked up at her wife with a smug grin, "maybe you should try it."
"Humorous, Gabrielle. No, thank you. I don't need to meditate."
"You might want to after you see how many documents you have to sign," Gabrielle snickered.
Xena grumbled, grasping the governor's shoulder, and pulled her aside. "Pardon me? More documents? I thought we were finished for the week."
"Duty calls. Arielle is a very busy woman. I went over everything with Ana this morning. I just need your fancy signature on fifty pages, and then we're golden!"
"Fifty!" she shrieked. "Do I really have to sign every single page?"
Gabrielle lay a hand on her spouse's shoulder. "I would sign them, but…you're in charge."
"Hmm, yes, in charge. And who decided that? Oh, that's right, my daughter. I didn't ask for this position." She snubbed her nose, folding her arms, pouting silently while menacingly glaring at the wall.
"Meditative yoga is looking pretty good right about now," Gabrielle didn't even try to be subtle.
Inside the infirmary, Mehry sat opposite the Khagana, sitting quietly. Arielle sat with her legs crossed, palms pressed together, eyes closed, and exhaled deeply. She tried to follow all of this woman's instructions carefully, and for a few minutes, she was able to clear her mind, but the urge to scratch her body was more distracting than anything else.
"How do you feel?" the midwife asked.
"I feel like…I want to peel my skin off." Arielle opened her eyes, staring at her mother and Nousha sitting together behind the midwife.
"I meant the exercises. Do you feel better?"
Arielle relaxed her shoulders and began scratching her neck. "A little bit better, yes."
"Good," Mehry smiled. "You should practice those exercises every morning. It will help you. I will give you some medicine for your skin as well."
Unable to contain herself, Arielle scraped her nails across her back incessantly. She huffed, then her nails migrated to scratch her stomach. She saw Gabrielle and her grandmother enter the room and scowled at the amused look on her grandmother's face.
Xena chuckled, "what's up with you?"
Gabrielle leaned over, murmuring, "she has a stress rash."
"It's not from stress!" Arielle barked. "Goddammit," she growled, scratching her thighs. "Did Eksama come back? I heard horns earlier."
"Arielle, don't concern yourself with that," Anastasia interrupted. "You're just going to make that worse and stop scratching!"
"I can't help it!"
Xena snuffed a laugh, holding a hand under her nose in an attempt to hide her smile. She walked over and grabbed hold of Arielle's hands, preventing her from scratching.
"Do we need to put mittens on you?" she teased.
The Caucasus
The only drawback of living in the mountains was that they were far from the family in Pannonia. Since the death of Ernak, it took nearly an entire month for the news to reach Balaam. Ebnedzar then sent a letter to Ursula, who currently lived in the Gokturk palace with Yeter and the children. Oran opted to stay in Balaam since he didn't want his father to be alone, especially after receiving the news of his brother's passing.
Ursula was in the middle of writing a letter, which she planned to send Mirac's family in Kazakhstan. Over the last few months, she and Yana exchanged several letters, but Ursula was more than eager to leave the home for a while. She thought it would be best to travel to the Nezak clan just for a couple of weeks.
The thirteen-year-old prince, Issik, and eldest of his siblings ran into the women's sitting area, interrupting his grandmother's writing session. He waited patiently, standing in front of the table until Ursula lifted her dark eyes, clearly annoyed.
"Morning," he greeted.
"Hello, tatli cocuk. What are you up to today?"
Issik ruffled his dark short hair. "Oh, nothing. I see you're busy."
"Just a little, but I can see you want something." She set aside her pen and parchment. "Does your mother need help with your brother again?" she asked, and the prince wagged his head. "Is Muqan in trouble?"
"No, nothing like that."
Ursula drummed her fingers on the table, her patience withering away. "Then, what is it?"
"There's some Persians waiting outside. I think they want to speak with father, but I told them he isn't here. Should I get mother instead?"
"Persians?"
She jumped up from the chair and hurried out of the room. Issik followed her, racing down the hall, into the large foyer, passing her up, and stood outside the large double doors. Ursula frowned upon seeing Tegin Irkin standing at the bottom of the large staircase outside. She whispered to her grandson to go back inside, and after a few grumbles, he obeyed and ran back in. She raised a skeptical eyebrow and slowly descended down the stairs, meeting Tegin Irkin halfway.
"My name is Tegin Irkin. I don't know if you've seen me before or remember me."
"I remember you," she said tersely. "What can I do for you?"
"Are you the Gokturk Queen?"
"No, I'm the queen's mother-in-law."
Tegin nodded, smiling, "ah, yes. I spoke with the prince and asked to speak with Khan Oran, but I heard he isn't here. I would like to speak with the Queen."
"State the reason you are here first, and then I will go tell Queen Yeter. She may or may not speak to you, Tegin. She hasn't been feeling well lately."
"I'm sorry to hear that," he bowed his head. "I've come on the Shah's orders. As you know, Shah Khosrow has taken over his father's throne. He would like to propose a contract with the Gokturk kingdom. He wants to ally with you all, as well as purchase King Navaz's land."
Two weeks went by and only the medicine provided by the midwife was able to help Arielle's skin condition. She had help applying the medicine to her skin every day, twice a day, from Xerxes. She hadn't expected this to happen, and although she denied that the rash was due to stress, she finally agreed that it was definitely due to stress.
She had since tried to distract herself from everything go on in the empire. She tried her best not to listen in on her mother's conversations with Gabrielle in the conference room. In fact, she was practically banned from that side of the Adame. It was challenging, but it was for her own good.
Gabrielle sat on the bed, rubbing the medicine gently into Arielle's arms. "Have you been doing your exercises like Mehry told you?"
"Yes, yes, I've been doing the yoga exercises," said Arielle, sighing heavily. "I look so hideous."
Gabrielle chuckled, "you could never look hideous."
"So…how is everything going?"
"Arielle, you know I'm not going to tell you anything."
"I just want to know! Since Eksama surrendered, is Justinian going to attack again? I need to know these things."
Gabrielle wiped her hands on a damp cloth, shaking her head. "Forget it. I'm not telling you!"
Just as Arielle was about to scratch her shoulder, her father walked in, which distracted her. she gasped, immediately elated to see Navaz, despite seeing him last night during dinner. She stretched out her arms and Navaz walked across the room.
"Hey, daddy!" she beamed, wiggling her fingers.
Navaz smiled, kissed her forehead, and hugged her lightly so he was not to get medicine on his clothes. He sat on the bed, greeting Gabrielle briefly. He examined his daughter's red patchy skin and rubbed his thumb across her hand.
"How are you feeling?"
She shrugged a shoulder, "aside from this unsightly rash, I feel fine. Where's Xerxes? I heard you were with him."
"We were just talking," he said vaguely, "about things you aren't supposed to know," he pinched her cheek.
Gabrielle set the basket of medicine on a table and began washing her hands. "Don't give into her, Navaz. She's been trying to coax information out of me and everyone else that comes in here."
"Ah, of course she has," he winked at his bashful daughter. "So, it's getting close," he cupped his palm on the curve of her abdomen.
Arielle peered down, expressing a small smile. "Yeah, I'm a little nervous. Nousha has so many rules!"
"I don't think you're going to be thinking about all her rules when the time comes," he jested.
"I know I've had a baby before, but it still makes me nervous."
"You have several people here to help you," Navaz said and kissed his daughter's hand, cradling her cheek. "Has Xerxes been kind to you? Has he been helping you?"
Arielle beamed, "he's been so helpful! He does everything for me, and whatever I ask for, he brings it to me. He even offered to wash my hair," she laughed at the odd expression on her father's face. "But, I still let Ku do that for me, because she's the best at it."
"Uh-huh, I see," Navaz nodded. "Well, I'm glad he's helping you. Let me know if you need anything. I'm going to help your mother go over a few things. I overheard her and Nousha talking and I think there's another ceremony for you."
Arielle gaped, "another one? I can't catch a break."
Chuckling softly, Navaz rose from the bed, and gave his daughter's shoulder a gentle squeeze. He left the room and Arielle rubbed the back of her neck, peering over at Gabrielle organizing the medicine vials on the table. In the midst of the quiet room, a loud explosion erupted outside and Arielle jumped.
"Fuck!" she yelped. "What was that?"
Attempting to get off the bed, Gabrielle rushed over, raising a hand. "Don't get up. I'll go see what it is." She walked over to the window and frowned. "Xena…" she groaned. "Nothing to worry about, it's just your grandmother."
"Gabrielle, you left grandma alone with explosives?" Arielle shook her head.
In the middle of testing some weapons, Persian riders galloped through the field. Just as the next catapult was being loaded, Xena raised a hand to halt the soldiers. She crossed the open field and obstructed the riders from entering. She recognized Tegin Irkin, and she hadn't seen him for quite a while now. His presence meant that there was something happening in Persia, and she was sure it was all due to the new young Shah.
"Khanum, pleasure to see you again," Tegin inclined his head.
"I assume you're here on business."
"I am."
She pointed to the circle of Adames, "Xerxes is inside if you want to see him."
Tegin nodded, eyeing the large wooden home. "I would actually like to speak to King Khushnavaz. I heard he was staying here."
"Um, yes, he's here."
"Excellent. I will go speak to him. It was good seeing you again, Khanum," he tipped his head, then rode passed her, and into the camp, weaving through the yurts.
Xena folded her arms, not sure what to think of that short interaction. She hadn't expected Tegin Irkin to come to Pannonia at all, but she knew had it something to do with Shah Khosrow. While she expected him to immediately seek out Xerxes, she didn't expect him to ask for Navaz, of all people. Either way, she was going to find out why Tegin arrived anyway since she was bombarded with most of Arielle's tasks and duties shared with Anastasia.
No longer in the mood to test weapons, she dismissed the soldiers for the day. She mounted her horse, ready to ride back towards the Adame. Then there was Gabrielle, standing on the edge of the field. She must have walked right by Tegin Irkin and the rest of the Persian brigade and had a lot of questions.
In the conference room, Tegin talked through the Shah's proposal, which also included the new Gokturk alliance. Everyone including, Navaz, Anastasia, Soran, Xena and Gabrielle, were all present to hear the news. The table was completely silent for several minutes and most of all, Navaz was stunned and at a loss for words.
Navaz grew up in Balaam with his parents. Both his children were born in Balaam. He married Anastasia there, and Fairuza. It was his kingdom and he loved Armenia and the thought of selling his land to a Persian was unheard of. He never considered the idea to be a good one in the past when previous members of the Sassanian family tried to conquer his kingdom. But this was different. His daughter was married to a Sassanian, and Shah Khosrow was considered family now.
"I need some time to think this over," Navaz said.
Tegin nodded, then left the room to allow the family to discuss. Out of everyone, Prince Soran was the most upset by the proposal. He scowled the entire time.
"Father, how could you even consider selling our kingdom to the Sassanians?" Soran growled, slamming his fist on the table.
"Will you stop talking about them like they're some sort of horrible disease?" Navaz spat, digging his fingers in his hair. "The Sassanians aren't the same as they used to be. Khosrow isn't Peroz or Hormizd."
"Or Yazdegerd," Xena interrupted, and everyone shot her a glare. "What? I've had the pleasure of meeting several generations of Sassanians."
Gabrielle grabbed her spouse's thigh underneath the table. "Maybe now isn't the best time to discuss that," she whispered.
"Let's just focus on the proposal. We won't be able to live in Balaam anymore if the Shah purchases Armenia," Anastasia said, trying to keep everyone on track. "And Shah Khosrow is…considered my family now…" she mumbled, realizing how odd it sounded.
"Maybe it won't be as bad as you all are thinking," Gabrielle said, smiling. "We have a good relationship with the Sassanians now. Better than ever, actually."
Soran sank in his chair. "That's only because Arielle married Xerxes. If that didn't happen, we'd all be fucking dead."
Anastasia whipped her head around, "you stop that," she said sternly, shocking everyone. "I don't know why you have such a terrible attitude lately. You're looking at this opportunity all wrong. Stop whining."
He felt like a small child being scolded, which infuriated him. "Ömma, you don't get it!"
"What don't I get? I know you don't like the Sassanians, but the worst of the worst are dead. You don't get a say in this decision."
"Oh, really? But you do? This isn't even your kingdom!"
Xena's eyes widened, listening to them bicker back and forth. She draped her fingers over her mouth, and looked over at Gabrielle, who was also intrigued, yet mystified at what was happening. Normally, this type of argumentative attitude would be spewed from Arielle's mouth, but it appeared that her attitude somehow transferred over to her little brother.
"And fuck Yeter for agreeing to ally with the Shah!" he continued to spit hatred. "She isn't even one of us anyway. She's never tried to assimilate and look what she did!"
"Wow," Xena mumbled.
A brief knock interrupted the heated argument and Eksama waltzed in. She stopped in the middle of the room once all eyes were on her. She realized she was interrupting a meeting and smiled at everyone uneasily.
"I'm sorry for intruding. Xena, I need to talk to you," she motioned to the door.
"Fine with me. I hope you two…work it out," Xena grinned at the bickering party, then hurried out, snatching her Kozak off the table.
Unfortunately, unable to join her wife, Gabrielle was stuck at the conference table, recording the entire conversation between Ana and Soran. Some words she refused to write down. Who knew Soran had such a foul mouth just like his sister?
A couple of feet outside the room, Eksama whispered, "I found a spy on the outskirts of the camp."
Light illuminated in the Khanum's eyes. "Oh, yeah? Did you interrogate him?"
"I wouldn't be doing my job as commander if I didn't," the redhead snickered. "Anyway, apparently, Mezamir sent spies out here months ago before the campaign. It explains why I had to surrender. His army knew all of my tactics, yours, and Arielle's."
"Hmm. How irritating," Xena muttered, crossing her arms. "How did you find him? Were you scouting around?"
Eksama bobbed her head. "What's going to happen next? Should we start another campaign?"
"No, we've depleted too much of the treasury, and we still owe Persia. We're going to have to wait a while before we start another campaign. I don't think Mezamir will attack so quickly. He needs time to replenish too."
"We wait, then."
"For now."
Arielle awoke to a dull stabbing pain in her pelvis in the middle of the night. She curled her legs close to her and groaned softly, slowly waking up. She sat up in bed, and looked over at Xerxes sleeping peacefully on his back. She rubbed her eye, and nudged his arm.
"Xerxes," she murmured, trying to wake him, but he simply hummed. "Xerxes," she said louder this time, shaking his shoulder.
"Hmm?" he woke, barely, and looked up at her disgruntled face. "What is it?"
"I don't feel right."
Suddenly he was wide awake, and sat up, facing his wife. "What do you mean by that?"
Arielle frowned, drawing her eyebrows together. "I don't know," she paused, pressing her hand to her pelvis. "I…" she inhaled sharply, "signs of labor."
His face turned a ghostly white. "Already? It's too early. Are you sure—are you sure it's not something else?"
"I don't know!"
"Okay, I will go tell my mother to get Mehry."
She grabbed his wrist, "no, I…tell Ku to go. I want you to stay with me, please? Don't leave me here."
"I'll stay here, but let me tell Ku-Ilm first. I'll be back in a few minutes—less than a minute!" he gave her a quick peck to the lips, and hopped off the bed.
"Xerxes!" she called out, and he spun around. "You can't go out…like that."
He looked down at his attire, which was nothing but a pair of black pants, and his cheeks flushed, laughing nervously. "Right…" he grabbed a robe, and with a grand smile, he added, "wouldn't want Ku to see too much of me."
"Very funny. Go!"
A strong smell of incense woke Xena, and she mumbled under her breath, refusing to open her eyes, but the foul smell in the room was hard to ignore. She stretched her arm out to the cold empty spot beside her. Annoyed, she rolled over onto her back and sat up, surveying the room. Gabrielle was on the floor, and there was that horrible smelling incense close by.
"What the hell…" she complained, looking outside at the dark sky. It was almost sunrise. Too early to be awake. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Morning, sunshine," Gabrielle chuckled.
"Morning? What morning? It's still dark outside!" Xena pointed to the windows. "What are you doing? Come back to bed."
"I couldn't sleep so I decided to meditate."
Xena rolled her eyes, releasing a dramatic sigh. "Not this again. You can meditate all you want, but for the love of God, get rid of that terrible smell. It's giving me a headache."
"It's relaxing!"
"You know what's relaxing?" Xena smiled smugly. "Sleeping."
"You're in a mood this morning." Gabrielle snuffed out the burning incense and swiveled around on the rug, staring at her wife's mangled hair and sour expression. "That's a nice look you got going there."
"Get in the bed."
Gabrielle crossed her arms. "You know…I think you should try this yoga. It really helps!"
"Don't make me repeat myself."
"Meditation…"
Xena threw the blankets off, and stalked over to grab a towel and robe. She flung the linen over her shoulder and without uttering another word, marched into the bath chamber. Gabrielle, biting her lower lip mischievously, jumped up and raced towards the chamber. She hopped onto her wife, wrapping her legs around Xena's waist and covered her eyes.
"Gabrielle!" she grabbed the blonde's hands, trying to pry them off her eyes. "Are you trying to break my back? What has gotten into you?"
"I am relaxed," she whispered into Xena's ear.
A devious smile crossed Xena's lips. "Yeah? How 'bout I toss you into the cold pool? Will that relax you?"
Waiting outside the bedroom for three hours, Nousha paced back and forth, fiddling with her nails. The door finally opened and she rushed forward to speak with the midwife. The rest of Mehry's assistants also exited the room and Nousha frowned skeptically.
"Well?"
Mehry wiped her wet hands on a cloth. "She is definitely in the early stages of labor."
Nousha hummed. "It's a little early. Are you sure?"
"I am positive, Banu. I gave her medicine to ease her discomfort, but it'll take a while for it to take effect."
Nousha nodded, and then eyed all of the maids. "Why are you all outside? Shouldn't you be in there with her?"
Mehry's gaze dipped to the floor. "The Khagana kicked us out."
"What? She…she can't do that."
"She doesn't want anyone in the room with her unless her mother is present. She keeps asking for the Khatun."
Nousha growled, pushed through the maids, and stormed into the room. She stood at the edge of the bed and Arielle shifted her weight, laying on her side, breathing heavily. Of all times to be obstinate, it had to be during a crucial time like this, thought Nousha.
"You can't kick the midwife out of this room."
Arielle glared at the petite woman. "I want…my mother."
"Nobody is allowed entry unless it's the midwife and her assistants. These are the rules."
Arielle snarled, and sat up, wincing. "I will go get my mother myself."
Nousha panicked and raised her palms. "Alright. I will get her," she said against her will. "Lay back down," she gently placed a hand on Arielle's shoulder.
Gradually, Arielle sat back down on the bed, scooting down until she laid down on her side again. She curled her legs close to her, and clamped a hand over her eyes, taking in deep breaths.
"But you need to allow Mehry and the others to come back into this room."
"Nobody," her breath hitched, "is coming back in here until my mother gets here."