The Lieutenant

by MilkSapphire

The Huns Part IV: Xena and Gabrielle continuously mentor Xena's granddaughter, Arielle, to ensure she becomes a great Commander. As events unfold, the empire undergoes a series of unexpected changes and Arielle makes it her mission to right the wrongs by expanding her army. She relies on her teachers to help her achieve the unthinkable.

61. Chapter 61

Thank you for reading everyone, and enjoy this final chapter! It's quite long, for obvious reasons ;)

Epilogue

Two weeks after the much-awaited princess arrived, Arielle was supposed to stay in her room for thirty days. Another tradition was prompted by her husband's culture. She was opposed to it at first, but once she realized she could barely get out of bed and do anything independently, she didn't argue and stayed in her room. The two weeks flew by, but at the same time, they were the longest two weeks of her life.

She was very grateful for Mehry's help. Before Mehry arrived, Arielle wasn't too sure why midwives in Persia stayed for at least three months after assisting women giving birth, but now she didn't question it. Since she hadn't taken care of a baby in several years, she felt like she had to learn how to do everything all over again. Feeling inept was one of the worst feelings in the world, according to Arielle. She didn't like asking for help but thought she was constantly asking Mehry for assistance, even with the simplest things.

Visitors weren't allowed in the room, but Anastasia periodically checked on her daughter after convincing Mehry. Nousha broke her own culture's traditions and also checked on Arielle several times. But those two were the only people allowed entry, and it was near impossible to convince the midwife to let anyone else inside.

Xena offered to help several times but was denied entry. Mehry even went so far as to have the room guarded, but that didn't work out. One morning, Xena lingered by the Khagana's quarters and pressed her ear against the door. She heard both Arielle and Anastasia arguing over the baby's extremely loud wailing.

"I know how to nurse, mother. I don't need your help," said Arielle.

"If you just tilt her a little bit, that might work better."

"Mother, stop!"

"Just let me help you, tatli kiz."

Xena pulled her ear away from the door, frowning, as she listened to the two bickering back and forth. She was prepared to embrace the repercussions, walked right into the room, and stood beside the bed. Finally, the two stopped arguing and gawked at her. Her eyes drifted to the wailing baby held in Arielle's arms.

"Where's Mehry?"

Anastasia pointed behind her, "she's preparing a bath for Arielle."

Xena eyed the door on the opposite side of the room. "Give her to me," she gestured to the baby.

"But…I'm trying to feed her," Arielle said, clutching her daughter close.

"I said, give her to me."

Arielle relinquished her daughter into her grandmother's arms. She adjusted her dress, pulling the strap over her shoulder. Xena walked across the room and entered the bath chamber. Arielle creased her eyebrows together and waited for several minutes until her grandmother returned without her daughter.

"What did you do? Why did you take her away?" she panicked, panting heavily.

Xena placed a hand on Arielle's shoulder, calmly saying, "I gave her to Mehry, and she's going to assign a wetnurse to your daughter."

Arielle gasped, simmering within. "A wetnurse!" she smacked the hand off her shoulder. "I can feed my own daughter! You can't just—just do that!"

She kicked the blankets off and attempted to rise from the bed, cradling her slightly swollen abdomen. Xena gently pushed her back down onto the bed, gripping her shoulders firmly. Arielle, red in the cheeks and breathing deeply through her nostrils, gave the most menacing glare to her grandmother.

"I listened to you two fighting outside. You've been trying to nurse for almost half an hour. Whatever you're doing isn't working, and your daughter isn't responding to you."

"But she's my daughter. I'm not incapable of feeding her. I was doing fine yesterday!"

Anastasia sighed and spoke softly, "you been struggling to feed her for the last two weeks, Arielle."

"But…" tears streamed down her cheeks, and she buried her face in her hands. "I'm a terrible mother," her voice muffled in her hands.

Brimming with tears of her own, Ana looked to her mother. Listening to Arielle's sobs was hard enough, but to hear what came out of her mouth, felt like a punch to the gut. Anastasia switched spots with her mother and rose from the bed, turning her back to shield her teary eyes. Xena sat, rubbing her hand across Arielle's back.

"You're not a terrible mother."

"Yes," Arielle hiccupped, "yes, I am." She sniffled, wiping her red nose. "What kind of mother can't feed her own child?" she dug her nails into the fabric of her dress.

"She just needs extra attention. That doesn't make you a terrible mother."

Arielle, in between spurts of hiccups and stiff breaths, spat out, "I—I couldn't even protect her when she was inside me. She almost came an entire—entire month early!" she smacked her hands on the bed. "And—and now she has all these problems. And I can't even feed her. What did I do wrong?"

She looked up at the two, staring down at her, and said, "is this my fault? What did I do?"

Anastasia knelt down, taking her daughter's hand, and spoke calmly, "you didn't do anything wrong. Sometimes, we don't know why things like this happen. It's not anything that you did. Aside from her fussing, she's perfectly fine."

"That's right, and Mehry will take very good care of her for you," Xena half-smiled, gently patting Arielle's cheek.

Coming to terms with a decision that hadn't been made by her didn't ease her mind. She heard her daughter's soft whimpers from the adjoining room and wiped her cheeks. Sniffling, she tried to ignore the cries of her child, but it was practically ringing in her ears.

Anastasia stood and turned her mother, silently asking for advice. It was one of the few times that her mother didn't have an answer for her. She tapped her fingertips together and lifted Arielle's chin, staring into her red, puffy eyes.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Arielle pointed to her breasts. "Am I just supposed to milk myself?"

Xena's upper lip curled. "Maybe it's best if you leave this room for a while. Listening to her cry isn't going to help."

Ana smiled, grabbing her daughter's hands. "You can stay at Csaba's. It's much quieter there, and there are fewer people. I'm sure Farah would love to have you."

Arguing against them both wasn't going to do anyone any good whatsoever. Arielle wasn't going to win this and knew it, and she was too exhausted to try and fight either one of them. This wasn't how she imagined being a mother for the second time. She expected everything to go so smoothly. It was now that she realized her eldest daughter and firstborn, was a lot easier to care for. The delivery was a lot smoother, and there weren't any complications afterward.

A little part of her thought that her second child would be much easier, but she was wrong. She also felt like kicking herself for thinking so naively. When she was a teenager, she didn't really think about her future and how much her daughter would affect her life. Initially, she thought she'd go on and continue to be how she was after Aurora was born. And for a while, that's exactly what happened.

But this time was a lot different, and the thing that she hated the most was asking for help. Arielle thought she could do everything on her own and originally scoffed at the idea of a midwife staying with her months after the baby arrived. Now, she couldn't be more grateful for the help provided for her.

She needed the help.

"Okay, I'll go, but I need to take a bath first. I haven't bathed in three days," Arielle ran her fingers through her messy hair.

With the help of her mother, she held the robe laden in her arms and slowly walked over to the bath chamber. They stepped into the adjoining room, and Arielle's eyes immediately went to the Persian maid nursing her daughter. Mehry stood beside the maid, supervising, and looked over at the hurt in the Khagana's eyes; the pain was written all over her face.

While at a fair distance, Anastasia didn't need to see what was happening to know why Arielle paused in the doorway. She gripped her daughter's shoulders, leading her to the baths. And with a bit of steady pushing, Arielle was finally able to turn away.

---

This wasn't how he wanted to spend his winter—traveling through thick snow. Bayan crossed through Pannonia's borders hours ago and trotted into the clan's encampment. Luckily, there weren't any issues for him passing through the gates. The wall, or rather what was left of it, was impressive. It felt like a lifetime since he was in Pannonia, which was the last place he wanted to be.

He grew accustomed to living in the Scythian palace with his wife and son, but it was incredibly lonely at times. With just the three of them and the servants, it was quiet all the time. Dismounting his horse, he came upon three Adames and eyed each one, puzzled as to which one Arielle lived in. he'd been gone far too long.

The last contact he had with Arielle was when she asked for his aid during the campaign. That didn't end well for either side, considering Eksama decided to surrender and Bayan ultimately, and reluctantly, was forced to pull his army back and retreat back to Scythia.

He had no desire to speak to Arielle, especially with the news he carried, but he had to, even if it meant being given the cold shoulder. He walked up to a soldier, took off his fur hat, shook the snowflakes off, and ruffled his long hair.

"I would like to speak with Arielle," he stated.

The soldier bowed and nervously looked at the Khagan. "The Khagana isn't available, your highness. She just had her child."

Bayan grunted and placed the hat back on his head. "I figured she did. I need to speak to her. It's important."

The soldier, his voice trembling, added, "she isn't available," he repeated.

Ready to pound the man's face in, Bayan held back as soon as he met eyes with Csaba across the way. He clenched his fist and averted his gaze to the ground. Csaba smirked, and ceased conversing with a Persian, then sauntered over with the smuggest of smiles.

Csaba dismissed the anxious soldier, continuing to smile at Bayan. "Well, look what we have here. I didn't buy any goats this week," he snickered.

"I don't want to fight with you," said Bayan.

"What can I do for you? Would you like some hay?" Csaba bit his tongue, fighting to keel over with laughter.

Bayan rolled his eyes. "I need to speak to Arielle. Where is she? The soldier said she's not available, which means she probably doesn't want to speak to me. I'm sure she knows I'm here."

"She isn't available because she just gave birth, Bayan."

"Yes, I heard, but I have important news, so kindly…point me in the right direction," Bayan forced a smile.

Csaba crossed his arms. "She stepped down from her position for an entire year, so you won't be talking to my sister. My mother is the regent Khagana as of right now."

This trip was disastrous from the start. First, it was the weather, and then it was gearing himself up to talk calmly and rationally to Arielle. But now, he came to find out that he would have to deal with Anastasia, and he did not want to be in a room alone with her at all. This was not what he had in mind when he decided to make the trek down here. Although being in a room with Arielle's mother was probably better than being in a room with either one of her brothers, especially Csaba.

"Fuck's sake," Bayan mumbled. "Can I talk to her?"

"Let me go see if she's free to talk," Csaba smiled, walking backward. "Stay there."

---

"Sounds like she's having a rough time," said Gabrielle, shaking her head.

Xena nodded, barely able to keep still. While she never had any problems with Anastasia as a baby, and hardly anyone here had similar issues, she could understand how helpless Arielle felt right now. There were times when Xena wanted more help raising Anastasia. But there just weren't many people in the clan at the time, aside from Ellac's mother, Cera. She was very helpful when she could be.

And there were indeed times when she felt the same way as Arielle. The only other person who had similar obstacles was her daughter, Ana. From the moment Arielle was born, there were problems. In fact, Arielle was troublesome before she came into the world. It seemed that she was sharing the same fate. Except, this was worse.

In the middle of the foyer, standing in silence, Gabrielle gripped her wife's hand to calm her nerves. Intertwining their fingers, Xena focused for a split moment and shared a smile with her partner.

Csaba strolled into the foyer with a smile that lit up the room. The women turned around and frowned at the king's sunny disposition. He halted, clicking his heels together, widening his toothy grin, as if that was even possible.

"You're in a good mood," said Gabrielle.

"I'm just amused," he bobbed his head slowly. "The goat is here."

Xena arched her eyebrow. "Goat?"

"Bayan. He's waiting outside. He wants to speak to mother. I said I'd go find her for him. So, where is she?" he asked, unable to wipe the grin off his face.

Gabrielle felt her hand being squeezed tightly and winced. "Ah, Ana is with Arielle right now. I don't think she can talk to him."

Csaba's eyebrows lifted. "Oh, perfect! So, you're up next," he fisted his grandmother's bicep.

---

He'd been waiting outside long enough. If he wasn't so mildly terrified of what lies inside the Adame, he would go in there and find Anastasia himself. Bayan kicked the snow around, humming under his breath, and then heard a guard by the entrance announce someone's presence.

He straightened up, adjusted his hat, then lifted his head, staring at the one person he didn't want to meet. Right now, he'd rather speak to Anastasia, but there was no way that he was going to stay in a room with her.

Not her. Not Xena.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me," he whispered.

He had a gut feeling that Csaba sabotaged this plan. Csaba did this on purpose, he thought. He set him up for his death, for sure.

Xena walked down the stairs, approaching the sweating Khagan, halting a foot-distance from him. She put on a smile, though it was neither cordial nor kind.

"You traveled a long way," she laced her fingers together. "I heard you wanted to speak about something important."

"Yes."

She made a path for him, motioning to the Adame. "After you."

---

Xerxes spent most of his morning going through several documents that needed to be signed and sent back to Persia. His brother, now the new Shah, was very busy handling the new court and summoning several new councilmen to help rule the empire. Xerxes always knew that Khosrow would be crowned Shah despite him being the younger brother. Their father had wanted Khosrow to rule over their elder brothers.

He felt as if his father never wanted him to be Shah at all. Now that he and Khosrow were the only two living heirs of Kavad, it was apparent Xerxes was never destined to be Persia's ruler. He thought that his marriage to Arielle would've sealed the deal for becoming Shah, but that wasn't the case.

Instead, Xerxes' position as General of the Sassanian army was renounced. He was given a new role in the empire as a pasha, or governor, of a province in eastern Persia. He wasn't too thrilled about the new position because he was meant to reside in Persia for almost the entire year. It was considered an honor for a prince to rule over a province, but Xerxes didn't want to live in Persia indefinitely.

He certainly couldn't take Arielle and his daughter with him. Although if Arielle hadn't been the ruler of the Hun Empire, she would join him in Persia. She wasn't going to like this, Xerxes thought. From the letter sent by the Shah, he was supposed to leave for Persia in the next couple of weeks. This weighed heavily on his mind for the last week. He needed to tell Arielle, and he had waited long enough to tell her.

Given the recent health problems their daughter had after birth, Xerxes put off the subject of relocating, but he couldn't wait forever. He talked through a mock conversation he'd have with his wife several times this morning. And now, he decided it was time to talk to her.

Xerxes ran up the stairs, walking towards the Khagana wing, and knocked on the door, impatiently tapping his boot. Mehry opened the door, smiled, and bowed her head.

"Good morning, Shehzade."

"Morning, Mehry. Is Abbaseh awake?" he peeked inside, eager to see his daughter.

"She is," she opened the door and allowed him inside.

Xerxes smiled and walked in, heading towards the adjoining room. He looked over to see Arielle's bed made-up and empty. He fumbled for a moment and assumed she was with their daughter and went inside the room. There he saw his daughter in the hands of Mehry's assistant. Still no Arielle in sight.

The maid stood and walked over, lowering her eyes. She passed off the baby into Xerxes' arms and stepped away.

"Shehzada," he whispered, gazing into his daughter's brown eyes. "Has she had any problems breathing at all?"

"In the middle of the night sometimes, when the air is thickest. But I assure you that I oversee her with much care, Shehzade."

He kept smiling and sat down, cradling his daughter. He cupped his palm over the baby's head, swiping his thumb over the wispy blonde hairs. She was a lot smaller than he imagined she would be and probably the most fragile item he'd ever held in his life.

"She's very calm when you hold her," said the maid, observing from afar.

Xerxes looked over at the maid then peered down at his daughter's wandering eyes. Perhaps, all of those months of talking and engaging with his daughter had proved meaningful. And Arielle thought it was trivial at times. Well, apparently not, he thought.

"Where's Arielle?" he asked.

"She's at King Csaba's home."

Xerxes frowned. "Why?"

"She…has been having difficulty nursing the Shehzada. The Khatun requested she take time for herself," the maid nervously said and could see how bemused Xerxes was. "She hasn't slept in two weeks, Shehzade. The—the baby is always crying. I'm sure she senses her mother's stress."

He hadn't realized that so much was going on behind closed doors. Whenever he did see Arielle, she was asleep and when she wasn't, so was too frazzled to speak but a few words to him. This ruined his plans of telling Arielle about his departure. Sighing, he stood and passed his daughter into the maid's arms.

"Who is feeding my daughter then?" he wondered, narrowing his eyes.

She stuttered, "the wetnurse, Rosha. Don't worry, Shehzade, your daughter is well taken care of."

"I will be back to see her this evening."

The maid nodded, "oh, Ku-Ilm asked me if Princess Aurora can come to visit."

He eyed his delicate daughter, twisting his mouth. "Only if Mehry allows it."

---

Sitting in a room with Xena was tense enough, but he thanked the gods that only her he had to talk to and not every person in the family who disliked him. Bayan gaped at the two women, and Gabrielle tapped her quill on the journal.

"You can begin at any time," Gabrielle urged him to break the silence.

Xena shifted her weight in the chair and crossed a leg over her knee. She groaned, releasing a long exhale, while her eye was on Bayan. Drumming her fingers on her cheek, she waited for him to open that damned mouth of his. They'd been sitting for almost half an hour, and she was getting very impatient.

"Well," she slammed her palm on the table, "it must not be very important since you haven't said anything. Thank you for wasting my time."

Bayan frowned, "it is important."

"Then why haven't you said something already?" she folded her arms on the tabletop. "Oh, I see. You think I'm going to do something to you."

Smiling, she looked over at Gabrielle, who shook her head.

"Right. I'm not going to do anything to you, Bayan. I don't know why you're so nervous around me. I'm no threat to you. I'd be more nervous about speaking with Arielle if I were in your position."

Gabrielle rolled her eyes. "Let's just get on with this."

He finally mustered up the courage to speak, and when he did, he sputtered so much at once that Gabrielle had to stop him a few times so she could catch up. While he relaxed a few minutes into his spiel, Gabrielle was able to write at his speed. Xena tapped her fingers on the table, listening to Bayan discussing Yeter's inability to comingle with everyone else in the empire.

It was evident that Yeter never wanted to, and now isn't, part of the empire since she took over Armenia. Shah Khosrow probably didn't know what he was getting himself into when he wrote that treaty for Yeter, but she knew. Not only did this cause a rift between everyone, but Yeter also had more power up north. It was the most power the Gokturk Empire ever possessed since its existence. And she had no intention of stopping there, especially when Bayan explained what that woman was doing.

"She wants to take over the Scythian tribes," Xena repeated.

Bayan nodded. "Yes, and she sent her soldiers to barricade northern Scythia. I am close to the Beys of those tribes. I am not sure what to do, so I came here to ask for help. I can't protect all of those tribes and keep Mezamir off my ass at the same time."

"Yeter is out of control," Xena rubbed her chin and leaned on the back of the chair. "Have you had any contact with Oran? I don't believe he would be on board with his wife's plans."

"No, I received a message from Ursula. In the last letter, she said she was worried Yeter was going to kick her out."

Xena raised her hand, putting an end to the conversation. She rose from her seat, and Bayan did the same. "I will talk this over with everyone. You traveled a long way, and you're probably tired. Gabrielle can ask someone to make up a room for you."

He chuckled, "there is no way in hell I am staying here."

"Where're you going to stay then, Bayan? Outside in the snow?" she raised an eyebrow.

Gabrielle gathered her journals and stuffed them inside her bag. "He can stay with Eksama. Her Adame is across the camp. I'll walk you over."

After Xena thought about it, that was probably the safer route. She forgot about Xerxes being here and pretty much everybody else that hated Bayan. He wasn't well-liked here, but everyone would be on pins and needles until his departure if he stayed here during his visit. Staying in this home was not an option, and sending him to stay with Csaba was out of the question.

"Since I'm here, can I see Aurora?" he asked, eager to see his daughter after being separated for a very long time.

Gabrielle stood by the door, waiting for him to follow her. "I'll tell Ku to bring her over to Eksama's."

---

News of Bayan's arrival spread like wildfire throughout all of the homes. The reaction from everybody was much of the same, except for Csaba's. Out of everyone, he seemed to express his loathsome attitude towards his sister's former husband more than anyone else. These last three days, Xena led a meeting regarding the Gokturk Empire's sudden expansion.

So far, nobody came to an agreement on what to do. Without Ernak here any longer, they were short of great military leaders. Kurt and Soran were still on their mission to meet with the Shah regarding another matter that would hopefully sort itself out. The Nezaks hardly caused a stir in the empire and were a small tribe of Huns. It was also the newfound family and home to Cera. In hindsight, Cera would've been the one to go to speak with the Shah. But any chance of her speaking to politicians was slim to none, even though she had a keen eye and sharp mind.

They thought to send Csaba to help Bayan against the Gokturk horde, but after what happened with the Byzantines, there was no possibility that Farah would allow him to leave. She wanted him within reach at all times, perhaps a bit too much these days. Ever since Farah learned that she was pregnant and was separated from Csaba, she never wanted to let him out of her sight.

Sending Csaba was off the table. Xena proposed allowing Navaz to go to Scythia, but she was shot down by her daughter and spouse. Navaz assisting Bayan wasn't a terrible idea, but considering that Yeter stole his land right out from under him, it would be an emotional war of defense.

Xena cursed her age at this very moment in her life. If she had been younger, even by five years, she would already be packing to go to Scythia. But she couldn't do that. She could, but it would be a strain on her body, and the last thing she needed was Gabrielle worrying about her.

Yeter put everyone in a very tough position, including her own husband and family. Assumingly, Ebnedzar and Oran were not on Yeter's side, but this information was unknown. For all the clan knew, Oran could be siding with his greedy, warmongering wife and trample Scythia alongside her.

Three days of constant meetings, which lasted all day, left everybody at a standstill. There was still no confirmed military position for the Scythia mission. Xena made the final decision to take a day's break from the constant strategizing and negotiating. She thought it might be easier if their minds were put to rest before they began to tackle this subject once more.

With her mind in a fog, Xena made no plans for the next day. For once, she wanted to do something mindless, something that wouldn't make her head throb. Wine was not suitable since that only made her headaches worse as she aged. Games weren't exactly on the agenda either. Apparently, Gabrielle planned something for the two of them to do outside.

Xena wasn't sure if spending time with Gabrielle was the best thing to do after those heinous meetings, but she didn't plan to argue. But she hated that Gabrielle didn't tell her exactly what they were doing.

Surprises, she scoffed.

"I hate surprises," she mumbled, walking through the foyer. "Go outside, she says. 'I have something fun for us,'" she mocked her spouse.

Reluctantly, she walked through the camp, briefly smiling at the citizens passing by her. She wasn't in a great mood to greet people properly. She came to the spot that Gabrielle told her to be at, and of course, the blonde was missing.

"Goddammit, Gabrielle," she growled.

She was going to wait out here for a couple of minutes, and if Gabrielle didn't show her lucky face, she was going to march right back into the Adame. She'd rather be inside, next to a warm fireplace, than stand out in this chilly weather of hell.

One minute passed.

"You have two minutes, Gabrielle…"

Horse hooves galloped in from the right of her ear, and Xena spun around. Gabrielle trotted in on a horse and held the reins of her spouse's horse closeby. Xena folded her arms, clearly unimpressed and even a bit confused as to why she saw her horse.

"Come on, get on," Gabrielle threw the reins to the irritated wife of hers.

Xena mumbled a slew of inaudible words and caressed the animal's muzzle. "You brought me all the way out here just so I can see my horse?"

"No, Xena. Just get on the horse and follow me. Don't you trust me?"

"My trust in you is questionable at the moment."

---

Farah walked up the stairs, carrying a tray of food to Arielle's room. On one of the balconies overlooking the foyer, her two sons were shooting toy arrows at the maids below. She sighed, and the boys hid their bows behind their backs once they saw their mother coming towards them.

"Put away the bows," she ordered.

Aman sheepishly smiled, "but mother, we were just playing around."

Aladar nodded and piped in, "we didn't hurt anyone!"

"We talked about this. No using weapons inside. You two can go outside and shoot arrows all you want, provided that there aren't any people around."

The two princes sulked and stepped away from the balcony, allowing their mother to pass. They shared a mischievous smile together and then followed their mother, wrapping their arms around her slender waist.

"Can we take Aracsilla outside, too?" asked Aman. "We'll be really careful."

"My answer is no," Farah spun around, glaring at her sons, who seemed to be going through a bit of a naughty streak. "Stay out of this wing. I'm going to deliver this food to Arielle."

"How long is Teyze Arielle going to stay here anyway?" Aladar inquired, plucking the bowstring.

"As long as she needs to. Now, get out of here."

Farah entered the room, closing the door behind her. She was certain it wasn't the best idea to leave her sons alone to do what they wanted. They most likely were going to disobey her and go outside without supervision. She made it very clear that their baby sister was to stay inside and hoped they'd listen. But lately, they couldn't care what words came out of her mouth.

She set the tray down gently on the bedside table and drew the curtains, bringing in dim light. Arielle stirred in bed, opened an eye, and groaned. She sat up slowly with an arm draped over her sore breasts and stared at the food placed in front of her.

"Günaydin," said Farah, smiling.

Arielle muttered, "iyi sabahlar."

"Did you sleep well? Better than yesterday?"

Arielle nodded, then let out a long yawn. Too tired to make conversation, she immediately dove into eating the food. She ripped a piece of bread apart, dipped it into the eggs doused in yogurt, and ate at a languid pace.

Farah sat, observing closely. "I want you to eat everything on that tray." She received a penetrating glare. "You've barely eaten anything since you've been here."

"I don't have much of an appetite," said Arielle, picking at the fruit.

"You need to keep up your strength," Farah pressured. "Especially if you're going to continue nursing your daughter."

Arielle stopped chewing and threw the bread onto the tray. "She doesn't want my milk!"

Farah flinched, "but, the wetnurse is temporary. The point of you staying here is so you can get plenty of rest before you go back to your daughter."

"I feel like I haven't done anything for her," Arielle said, tears brimming in her eyes. "She always cries around me!"

Farah set the tray aside, scooting closer to her sister-in-law, and placed a hand on Arielle's knee. "I know how you feel."

"No, you don't," she sniffled, wiping her nose.

"Yes, I do!" Farah lifted the Khagana's chin. "When I had my sons, I didn't know what to do. I was prepared for the baby. I did everything I was supposed to. But I wasn't prepared to take care of two babies at once!" she smiled, holding up two fingers. "I really needed help, and I didn't want to ask for it, but I relied on your mother and my sister. They were so helpful, and I don't know what I would've done without them."

Arielle inhaled deeply, drying her eyes, listening to Farah tell a portion of her life that she didn't know. Nor would she have cared to know at that particular time in her life. Arielle was only focused on herself as a teenager and never cared about what was going on around her. Farah painted her life like it was perfect, but the fact that it wasn't made Arielle feel a little less alone.

"I had a wetnurse too," Farah continued. "I couldn't pay attention to both of my sons in the beginning. I thought I could, but it just wasn't possible. I felt very guilty for a while, but I realized that it was better for my sons in the end. I had the same problem with Aladar that you're experiencing right now with your daughter."

Arielle's eyes enlarged. "Really? Are you just saying that to make me feel better?" she wondered, raising an eyebrow.

Farah chuckled softly, "no, I'm serious."

"I didn't know that…" she whispered, picking at her nails. "If I had known that back then, I probably wouldn't have been so rude to you."

"If I recall, you weren't exactly very easy-going back then," Farah snidely added.

Arielle's upper lip curled into a smirk. "Yeah, I was pretty shitty. I treated you badly—treated everyone badly," she looked into Farah's sparkling green eyes. "I'm sorry."

"It was a long time ago."

Arielle nodded, twiddling her thumbs. "You know, I…after you had your sons…" she took in a deep breath, "I…became pregnant."

"Yes, I remember. You showed up one day after you ran away," Farah refrained from saying any more.

"No, before that," Arielle met the eyes opposite hers. "I was…carrying a child while still living in Pannonia." She paused, noticing the shock on Farah's face. "I…I got rid of the baby," she said quietly. "I didn't know what to do, and Bayan was so dismissive about it all—like, he didn't care," she sighed, adding, "anyway, I felt guilty afterward. I feel the same way right now."

Farah blinked her eyes rapidly, unsure of what to say. She was surprised to see Arielle's vulnerability and even more astonished that she was one of the few people to experience hidden knowledge within the Pandora Box of Arielle's life. She assumed that many people in the family had no knowledge of this.

The only natural response she could do was to reach over and hug Arielle tightly. Wrapping her arms around Arielle as tightly as possible, she felt the body within her grasp, stiffen and relax in a matter of seconds. Pulling away, she cupped Arielle's cheeks, emitting a small smile.

"I'm sorry you went through that. That's a lot to go through for someone at that age." She brushed her thumbs across Arielle's tear-stained cheeks. "You must've felt very alone."

Arielle's gaze drifted downward, fluttering her wet eyelashes.

"Thank you for sharing that with me," Farah smiled, squeezing Arielle's arm. "And you shouldn't feel guilty, but that's a feeling all mothers feel at some point. It doesn't mean that you did anything wrong. Part of it is your stress. Your daughter must sense that from you."

Arielle sighed, "stress. Yes. I need to stop doing that."

"Mhm. Now," Farah pulled the tray over, "eat all of this."

---

This wasn't much of a surprise, Xena thought. They were in the middle of nowhere. Just a few more miles east, and they'd be on the cusp of the Black Sea border. That territory wasn't nearly as safe as it used to be, being so close to Justinian's capital. Xena hopped off her horse and whipped her head around to her wife, who wore a disgustingly cheerful smile.

"You brought me to the eastern forest," said Xena in a flat tone. "This is my surprise?"

Gabrielle playfully rolled her eyes. "You're so impatient, not to mention ungrateful," she muttered, grabbing her spouse's hand.

"I heard that."

"Just follow me."

Reluctantly and willingly, Xena followed her petite wife through the forestry. She chose not to complain. As they walked deeper into the woods, the more uncomfortable she felt. There was a tribe up ahead, and she was sure it wasn't Justinian's citizens, but she was wary of who these people were. A woman walked around outside one of the yurts; her arms were laden with heavy rugs.

Xena abruptly halted. "You aren't taking me to a shaman, are you? Am I going to have to drink blood? Do you remember my last surprise," she air quoted.

"You aren't going to be drinking blood. Trust me, okay?"

They entered the small tribe of fifty yurts or so, and several eyes swarmed over them. Xena's face paled at the amount of attention she brought to the remote area. She hid behind a shielding hand and squeezed Gabrielle's hand tightly. They were nearing a yurt, the same yurt with the woman cleaning rugs outside.

She appeared to be young and stood up, setting down the brush. Smiling, she bowed her head slightly, eyeing Gabrielle. Xena averted her gaze elsewhere, noticing all of the pairs of eyes burning into her backside. She didn't want to be here, but Gabrielle didn't seem to care about that. As they waited outside the yurt, Xena heard a familiar voice from inside the home.

All her worries dissipated, and the voice neared, and finally emerged from the yurt. Xena smiled, loosening her grip on her spouse's hand, and walked forward, ignoring the onlookers from afar.

"Xena!" her younger brother sprung forward, hugging her warmly. Ditron pulled back and kissed her cheeks and forehead. "How did you find me?"

"I didn't," she looked back at the sheepish blonde.

Ditron raised an eyebrow. "Ah, Gabrielle, of course." He kissed his sister's hands. "I'm really sorry I never tried to contact you, but after what Eksama did, I didn't want to go back there."

"Eksama," she sighed, "she's no longer a problem."

"She's dead?" he hoped.

"No, she lives with us," Xena saw the shock in his eyes. "It's a long and painful story. So, you've been hiding out here. I'm guessing these people are the ones who fled Pannonia after the siege."

Ditron nodded, too excited for words.

"And who is this?" she gestured to the young woman. "Your 'lady friend?'"

"Hey, she's my wife now. Her name is Defne."

Xena smirked at her brother and held out her hand. "Nice to meet you, Defne. If you don't already know, I'm your husband's sister."

"I know who you are," the shy brunette said, grinning. "He talks about you a lot."

"Does he?" Xena tapered her eyes at Ditron. "Yet, he can't write a damn letter every once in a while."

He laughed nervously, hooked arms with his sister, leading her towards the yurt. "Listen, I'm really sorry about that. Are you going to stay for a little bit? I'd love to hear about everything that's happened!"

Xena smiled over her shoulder at Gabrielle, who trailed behind. "Where's Pirro?"

---

It was supposed to be a surprise, and it definitely was a surprise. Seated outside by the fire, Gabrielle walked up behind Xena, holding two cups of wine. She hesitated before making her way over, but she couldn't allow Xena to sit alone. Gabrielle sat down on the grass, handing over a cup of wine, taking notice of the warm tears long since dried on her wife's cheeks.

"I'm sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have brought you here."

Xena reached over and grabbed her partner's arm. "No. Thank you for taking me here. It was a lovely surprise," she wore a soft smile.

"But, now you're upset."

"I'm not upset," Xena wiped her nose. "I guess I'm upset at myself. I keep outliving everybody, even my own brothers. I only have one brother left. I don't know where Toris is. I don't even know if he's alive, still living in Greece."

"Maybe he is? I could find out!" Gabrielle cheered. "Would you like me to do that?"

Xena half-smiled, "I'd rather you not. It's okay, Gabrielle. I'll be fine. I just wish I could've stayed closer to my brothers growing up. There are a lot of things that I wish I would've done."

"Let's not go down that list again. We've been through it a hundred times, at least!" Gabrielle bumped elbows. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel this way. This wasn't supposed to be like this."

"Gabrielle." She gripped her wife's arm firmly. "Stop apologizing. I loved your surprise. What happened to Pirro isn't your fault. Thank you, and don't say 'sorry' again, or I'll punch you."

"You will not."

"I will."

Gabrielle twisted her mouth, snickering in a whisper. She swiped her thumb across Xena's hand, watching the dwindling flames. Picking up a stick, she poked the firewood. After allowing the fire to roar on its own, her eyes drifted to the stoic brunette beside her. Gabrielle took the liberty of leaning her head on her wife's shoulder, cuddling for warmth. If she complained about the frigid weather, she was sure that Xena would do her usual routine of eye-rolling, long sighs, and groans. The quiet was nice, and she was convinced that Xena needed that tranquility.

"Defne said we could stay the night. It's getting kind of late to ride back," said Gabrielle.

Xena sighed, sipping some wine. "But I didn't tell anyone I was leaving."

"I told Anastasia."

Xena grumbled, sipping more of the drink. "Damn you two. Always conspiring behind my back."

"We do it because we love you."

"Ah, is that why…" Xena hummed, hiding her smirk.

---

As much as Arielle wanted to go back to her home, she found herself more and more afraid of her own child. She worried if she went back that her daughter would reject her many times over. She realized she took the bonding experience with Aurora for granted. She should've spent more time with Aurora as a baby instead of passing her off to her mother or anyone willing to watch her.

After a warm bath, Arielle dressed, and all she wanted to do was crawl back into bed. She had no intention of visiting her brother and nephews downstairs. Farah came to check on her twice a day, and that was all the contact she needed for now. When she settled beneath the sheets, loud raps on the door jarred her.

"Who is it?" she called out.

"Your husband."

Arielle smiled and combed through her hair. Moments later, Xerxes walked in, carrying a bowl of fruit. He rounded the bed and kissed her on the forehead and briefly on the lips. Setting the fruit bowl on the bedside table, he sat down beside her, cradling her hand.

"Farah asked me to bring that to you."

She nodded, uninterested in the fruit. "How is the baby?" she immediately asked.

"Abbaseh," he stressed their daughter's name, "misses you, I think. She's been crying nonstop, even when the wetnurse feeds her."

Arielle's smile increased, and she held her hot cheeks in her palms. "Really? So, she doesn't hate me. It's not me, then."

Confused by his wife's words, Xerxes scratched his head. "Why would she hate you? You're her mother."

"I don't know," her hands dropped into her lap. "I thought it was something that I did—something that I didn't do right. I'm so relieved to hear you say that."

"Does this mean that you'll come back home?"

"Yes, I'll have my things brought over as soon as possible. I can go tell Farah," she inched her way out of bed, struggling a bit until Xerxes grabbed her hand.

"I…need to talk to you about something, and it can't wait anymore. I've been putting this off, but I can't any longer."

She settled back into bed, widening her eyes. The worst she could think of was that he was going to tell her that someone died. What could be worse than that? Every terrible thing possible that she could imagine popped into her brain. But, she remained calm on the exterior, although her heart was racing, and blood pumped through her veins as she waited in anticipation.

Over the next couple of minutes, Xerxes calmly explained to his wife that he was in charge of an eastern province in Persia. Soon, in the next week, he'd have to leave to go live there for at least nine months out of the year. Arielle's expression changed from worry to frantic to anger and a combination of all three during his explanation.

"Nine months?" she exclaimed. "But I…I just had the baby! And you're leaving me?" tears streamed down her cheeks.

He didn't expect her to cry. He thought at the very least that she would hit him or scream, but cry? He wasn't prepared for tears, but he did remember that she was in a far more emotional and unstable state right now since their daughter's birth. It was probably the most vulnerable he'd ever seen Arielle since he'd known her.

"Hey, hey." He wrapped an arm around Arielle. "I was going to suggest that you, Abbaseh, and Aurora come with me," he whispered, kissing her temple.

She hiccupped and looked into his eyes. "Go with you?"

Xerxes smiled, wiping the tears from her eyes. "You gave your duties to your mother for a year. You can come live with me in Persia. My mother will help you with Abbaseh. What do you think?"

The option of going with him hadn't occurred to her. It wasn't a horrible idea, but all she thought about was how upset her mother was going to be. She would be taking both granddaughters away, living in a secluded area far, far away from Pannonia. Persia isn't very close. If her father still had control over Armenia, she was positive her mother would relocate to be closer to Persia, but that wasn't feasible anymore. On the other hand, she wanted to be close to Xerxes.

"Only for nine months, you said?" she asked, rubbing her eye.

"Does this mean that you're thinking about coming to Persia?"

"Well," she picked at the hairs on his arm, "it would be better than waiting for you to come back. My mother is not going to like this."

Xerxes smiled, pulling her body to sit on his lap. "You really don't like to upset your mother."

"I've upset her so many times in my life already. It's just a pattern for me at this point," she shrugged a shoulder. "And she is going to be jealous of your mother taking care of the baby," she snorted.

"The baby has a name."

Arielle lightly thwacked his chest. "Sorry. I'm not used to calling her Abbaseh. I can't believe her name is Abbaseh Sassan…"

Xerxes corrected his wife, "Shehzada Abbaseh Sassan."

"And she's very beautiful," she pecked him on the lips gently. "Thank you for giving me a daughter."

"I should be the one thanking you!" he squeezed her tightly in a warm embrace. He felt her fingers roam on his inner thigh and grabbed her wrist. "Hey, rules, remember?"

Arielle groaned and scooted off his lap. "You Persians and your rules. How long do we have to wait again?" she whined.

"Sixty days," he reminded her, biting his lower lip.

"For God's sake!" she crashed backward onto the mattress. "We really can't do…anything?"

Xerxes rolled his eyes. "We went over this. Sixty days, Arielle."

She pouted, folding her arms. "I liked your rules better when I was pregnant. You did whatever I wanted."

---

A week passed, and everything had already been packed for the trip to eastern Persia. The person who was least thrilled about the abrupt move was surprisingly Navaz instead of Anastasia. Arielle expected her mother to have a mild fit over it, but she could tell that her mother was content with the decision. A part of her felt that she was forcing her role and duties on her mother. Or maybe she was a bit of a distraction to her.

Navaz was the most distraught as he had hardly spent time with Arielle in the last few weeks. Word on Shah Khosrow's taxation deal on the Nezaks hadn't been revealed yet. Navaz even went as far as to go take a 'trip' to Persia to conduct further negotiations with the Shah. But Navaz's plans were intercepted by Anastasia, as she assured him that Xerxes and his family would take care of Arielle.

The day before the long journey ahead, Aurora was busy packing all her dresses in her room. She had Ku pack all of her 'fancy' dresses, as she called them, and asked Gabrielle and Xena for their help. She picked out three different outfits to wear during the journey. It was explained that they'd have to stop a few times along the way given that they were traveling with a baby, the trip would be extended by some.

Gabrielle stood behind the princess, sorting through the dresses. She picked up a black and burgundy dress, showing Xena.

"What do you think about this one?" she asked.

Xena stared at the dress and looked over at Aurora, wearing a forlorn smile. "It's very nice, but do you really want to wear that? You might get it dirty."

Aurora skipped ahead, wrapping her small hands around Xena's knees. "Grandma Nousha said she will buy me another dress if it gets dirty," she whispered.

"Ah, of course, she will, because who washes clothes in Persia, right?" she jested, curling her lips at Gabrielle, who was busy picking out clothes. Gabrielle was far too interested in the princess' wardrobe—perhaps more than the princess herself.

"What do you think the palace will look like? Are the palaces like Adames?" Aurora blinked her eyes, pressing her forehead to Xena's.

"Um…" she grabbed the girl, gently pushing her backward. "The palaces are enormous there. A lot bigger. And they're not made of wood like Adames. They have stone and marble—you know, similar to the palace in Scythia."

Aurora gasped. "Wow! Do they have markets too? And gardens? I hope there are markets. I want to explore Persia."

Gabrielle walked forward, grabbing the princess's hand. "Remember what we talked about? No wandering off without Nousha, Ku-Ilm, or your mother."

"Yes, yes, I know the rules."

Navaz verbally and emotionally expressed how distraught he was to see his daughter and two granddaughters leave for an extended time, but Xena felt the same way. She hadn't shown how upset she was over the last week when Arielle broke the news to everybody. There were points in her life when she felt this way after being separated from family members. One moment that she'd never forget was when she said goodbyes to Anastasia and sent her to Greece for school.

Anastasia was so eager to stay, but she was also excited to leave as well. The only person she knew well enough was her mother. Xena watched her daughter blossom from a youthful teenager into a woman in less than two years at that time. She never expected her daughter to have a child of her own at that age, and for the same situation to spit right back at Anastasia was alarming and a bit karmic.

That seemed like eons ago, and yet the visions of that past life were still so vivid. Xena remembered every emotion and every event. It's true what she said to Gabrielle. She wished she could change certain things she had done or hadn't done in her life. One is that she wished she would've been kinder to Borias, but she felt she already fulfilled that wish—no thanks—thanks to Gabrielle's conniving slithery plans. Overall, she wished she could've developed a different outlook on life much earlier than she did, but she had Gabrielle to thank for that. And she didn't know if Gabrielle ever knew that, but she had to know, right? Another wish—express emotions better before it's too late.

Trapped in a daze, Xena watched the two interact, talking to one another. The voices muffled in her ears as she stared off into the distance. Fluttering her eyes, she smiled at Aurora, babbling on about how excited she was to live in Persia for a year. It was only a year. One year.

"I'm going to miss you," said Xena, drawing attention from the two.

Aurora smiled and padded over. "I'll be back! I'm not gonna be gone forever, you know."

"I know," she stroked the girl's silky dark hair. "Hey, you can still write me letters, but don't send anything in Persian."

"Grandma Khanum," Aurora lifted a serious eyebrow, "you should really learn Persian. It's not that hard!"

Gabrielle let out a laugh, "she doesn't like reading in her own language! Good luck trying to get her to learn another language, Aurora."

"See, even Gabby agrees. You are stubborn."

Xena's jaw dropped. "Yeah? Then maybe Gabby can learn Persian. She can teach me. How's that?"

Aurora gasped and ran over to the governor, hugging her legs. "That's a great idea!"

Gabrielle shot a scowling glare at her spouse. "Fabulous idea…"

"And we can all write in Persian together!" cheered the princess. "Oh, and Teyze Cera can learn it too and help me write letters!"

"Cera?"

Aurora spun around, facing the Khanum. "She's coming to live with us. I like spending time with Teyze Cera. She's so funny sometimes. I mean, she can't talk an all, but she tells funny stories with her paintings," she babbled on, giggling.

Xena sprung up and hurried out of the room. All the color drained from Gabrielle's face, and she set the dress back onto the bed. Watching Xena rush out of the room like she just did was unexpected, and it only meant that she had no idea Cera was leaving as well.

"Was it something I said?" Aurora asked, quieting her voice.

Gabrielle smiled, "no, no. Stay here. Finish packing. I'll be right back."

---

Xena barged into her granddaughter's room, interrupting their breakfast. Mirac sat, holding his toddler daughter in his lap, gawking at Xena. Cera looked over her shoulder, chewing her food slowly. Xena breathed deeply through her nose, crinkling her drawn-in eyebrows.

"You're leaving too?" she announced in a broken voice.

Cera swallowed her half-eaten food, coughing. She fisted her chest and instructed her husband to leave with their daughter. Mirac picked up Emese, grabbing a plate on his way out. He held his head down and closed the door, leaving the two to talk. Cera drank a large gulp of water and stood up, hesitantly approaching her grandmother. She couldn't tell if her grandmother was angry or extremely hurt, or both.

Standing at just a few inches taller than her, Cera softly smiled. It was one of the few times in her life that she was grateful she couldn't utter a word. It was a safety blanket during conflicts such as this.

"Are you upset?" Cera slowly signed, nervous to hear the reaction.

Xena frowned, "of course I'm upset. Nobody told me you were leaving!"

Cera sighed, "I'm sorry," she placed a hand over her heart. "I thought mother would have told you."

"She did this on purpose," Xena said, narrowing her eyes. "She didn't tell me because she knew I'd say no." She took a step closer, gripping Cera's shoulders. "You haven't been here that long. Are you planning to go back to Kazakhstan?" she hinted, trying to get her granddaughter to look into her eyes.

By the lack of eye contact, she received her answer.

"You are."

Cera lifted her teary brown eyes.

"And when were you planning to tell me this? You leave tomorrow!"

Gabrielle entered the room, out of breath, and halted in the middle of the doorway.

"It's bad enough that Arielle is leaving, and she's taking both her daughters and now…you too!"

Gabrielle could hear the hurt in her voice. A pain that she hadn't heard in quite some time. Due to the recent news of her littlest brother's death, Gabrielle could only imagine that this news piled on top was not doing her any favors. She decided to intervene once she saw Cera was on the verge of tears. Cera had always been more sensitive out of her siblings and the least confrontational, and this conversation was meant to be avoided.

Grabbing the warrior's hand, she whispered, "Xena, let's come back another time." She pulled her wife's stilted arm.

"Another time? She leaves tomorrow! Did you know about this?" Xena whipped her head around.

"No, I didn't," Gabrielle calmly replied. "You're really upset. I understand that but don't take it out on Cera. You're upsetting her. Look at her."

Xena's eyes softened, and she turned around, staring at the trickling tears running down Cera's face. She came to terms with Arielle leaving, but she had a little over a week to process it. Knowing that her other grandchild, and youngest of the three, was also leaving and gave her no time to prepare mentally or emotionally at the last minute.

She circled her arms around the redhead's thin body. "I'm sorry. The last thing I want to do is upset you," she pulled away, forcing a weak grin. "You should have told me."

Cera nodded in agreement. "I will come to visit."

"And she'll write too," Gabrielle piped in from behind.

Cera gave a sincere smile. "I want to stay, but I need to go home…" she made a circle with her fingers, then touched her fingertips together, "my other home."

"I know, I know," Xena let out a heavy sigh.

Cera snapped her fingers, "and I promised to help Arielle take care of the baby," she cradled her arms. "She will need my help."

"Make sure she doesn't get into any trouble in Persia. You know how she is," Xena raised a skeptical eyebrow.

Cera winked, tapping a finger beneath her eye.

"I'll miss you."

---

Ten Months Later

The Caucasus

Ursula crept around the palace in the middle of the night, rounding each corner with caution. As far as she knew, Yeter wasn't in the palace and instead off warring near the Scythian border. She suspected that Yeter might attack their family's numerous territories and thus concocted a plan. Briefly, she spoke with Zolten, one of Navaz's trusted men and former General, to ensure that she and her grandsons would be safe.

She waited until the right moment to strike, and this was the moment—the middle of the night. Dressed in a heavy coat and veil over her head, Ursula snuck into her two smallest grandsons' room. She closed the door quietly and hurried over to Muqan's bed, shaking him awake gently.

Muqan stirred and sat up, rubbing his eye. Barely able to see in the dark bedroom, he looked over at his grandmother, who now awoke his toddler brother, Tespar. He yawned, gazing at the window. It definitely wasn't morning, or even close to it. Rubbing his arms to warm his body from the cold wind breezing through, he yawned once more.

"Grandma, what're you doing?" he mumbled.

Ursula began dressing the toddler prince and grabbed a coat, shoes, and pants for Muqan. "Put those on, quickly," she whispered.

Muqan stumbled out of bed, slipping on the pants at a pace slower than his grandmother liked. The coat was flung onto him, and he grimaced, irritated by being woken up from his peaceful sleep. Before he could put his boots on, Ursula grabbed his hand, holding Tespar on her hip, and rushed out into the hallway.

Looking in both directions, Ursula briskly walked down the hallway towards Issik's bedroom. She knocked on the door rapidly and didn't stop until the door was opened. The teenage prince swung open the door, half-asleep.

"Put your clothes on."

Issik rubbed his face, "w-why?" he looked at his half-dressed brothers. "What's going on?"

"Don't argue with me and put your clothes on."

"Okay, okay."

Ursula waited in the hallway, panicking within as she stared at the empty halls. She hoped that no guards were making their rounds at this time. She tapped her boot on the floor, waiting for Issik. She felt a small hand touch her cheek and peered over at Tespar, smiling weakly.

Finally, Issik stepped out of his room and followed his grandmother and brothers down the hallway. He skipped ahead, adjusting the fur hat on his head, tucking his hair beneath the bonnet.

"Where are we going?" he whispered.

"Someplace safe," she said curtly and made sure the hallways were clear. She grabbed Muqan's hand, hurrying through the dark palace.

"Does mother know about this?"

Ursula looked back at her grandson, tapering her eyes.

"I'm not leaving mother here!" Issik yelled.

"Issik!" she hissed, grabbing his wrist. "You're coming with me and will do as I say. Do not argue."

He crossed his arms, standing firmly in the middle of the corridor. "You're taking us without permission."

"I'm trying to protect you. You're going with us, now stop being stubborn and come with me," she wagged her finger.

Slowly, Issik backed away, refusing to be a part of his grandmother's plans. He came closer to the rope attached to the bell tower above. Ursula's eyes widened, and she raised her hand.

"Issik, don't," she begged, "don't."

He wrapped his fingers around the rope and, with all his weight, pulled the cord. The loud bells chimed throughout the palace and its parameter, signaling distress of some kind. Ursula gasped and heard soldiers outside begin to circle the palace. Eyes brimming with tears, Ursula grabbed Muqan's hand and took off running.

Issik furrowed his eyebrows, glaring at the trio disappear into the next corridor. A couple of soldiers came rushing towards him from behind.

"She's kidnapping my brothers!" he yelled, pointing ahead.

Escaping out of the back entrance of the palace, Zolten waited outside, ready with two horses. He ran forward, grabbing Muqan by the waist and hoisted him on the horse. Ursula, out of breath, handed over the toddler prince to Zolten and climbed onto the horse.

"Where's the eldest prince?" Zolten asked.

"He's the one who alarmed the guards," she said, her voice signaled obvious hurt.

Zolten sighed and hopped onto the horse, securing Muqan on the saddle. He steered the horse backward and whistled for Ursula to follow.

---

On a cold autumn night, a gush of wind blew the window shutters open, snuffing out the candles' flames in the bedroom. Xena awoke, breathless as if all the air in her body had been pulled out of her. She rose from the pillow, peered over at Gabrielle, who was sound asleep. Xena ran her fingers through her hair and looked at the curtains gently swaying.

She put a hand over her chest, which felt like she'd slept with a weight on her body during the entire night. A whistling sound of wind breezed by her ear, and she turned around herself. If she wasn't so tired, she could've sworn she heard a voice in that slither of wind. No, she heard nothing. I am exhausted, she thought.

Xena closed her eyes, scratching her head, and took in a deep breath. Exhaling slowly, she felt a small nudge to her shoulder and gasped loudly. Her head spun around at Gabrielle, who hadn't moved from her position. She shook her spouse awake, shaking her arm violently.

"Gabrielle!"

"W-what?" she groaned and looked up at the piercing blue eyes above her head. "What's gotten into you?"

Xena held her breath and whispered, "did you touch my shoulder?"

"What?" Gabrielle sat up, supporting her weight on an elbow. "I…was asleep. What are you talking about?"

"Someone touched my shoulder. I felt it," she wrapped a palm over her shoulder.

Gabrielle glanced around their bedroom. "Nobody's here but us two. Are you sure it wasn't your hair?" she chuckled, mildly amused.

"It's not funny! It was real. I felt it, right here," she pecked her shoulder.

"Maybe Kreka is haunting you again," Gabrielle cackled and settled back into bed, rolling over onto her side, facing away from Xena.

Xena tapped her chin and took a good look around the room. "Kreka…" she whispered. "You may be right. She doesn't just interrupt my sleep for kicks."

She got out of bed, snatching her robe, and slipped on her flats. Gabrielle peered over her shoulder and watched the dark figure of her wife exit the room.

She sat up, annoyed, and called, "I was joking!" she huffed and rolled out of bed. "Now, I'm gonna have to go after her. Jeez, I swear," she mumbled, slipping on her shoes.

---

The Adame was very quiet during the day and especially during the night since Arielle and Cera left with their families. All who resided here were Soran, Pamira, and their daughter, along with everyone else who was obligated to stay until Arielle's return. Since one could hear a pin drop at night, it was easy to spot something amiss.

Xena roamed through the hallways, checking the empty rooms. She knew she wasn't going insane. She felt something grab her shoulder. No matter what Gabrielle said, nothing was going to convince her otherwise. She checked the last bedroom at the end of the hall and groaned, coming to a dead end. If the deceased Khatun had visited her somehow, she would expect more clues, like last time.

"Or maybe I am crazy," she whispered aloud. "No, no, I know what I felt."

Gabrielle hurried along and finally caught up to her wife, who was talking to herself in the middle of the hallway.

"Xena, I was just kidding about the whole Kreka thing. Come back to bed. It's cold."

"Listen, I am not crazy," she stepped forward, inches from Gabrielle's face. "Not. Crazy."

"I…I never said you were."

"Then—"

Every window shutter flew open, and squalls of wind flourished throughout the second floor of the Adame. Flurries of whistling rain poured in, and the curtains blew violently. Gabrielle shielded her eyes, huddling close to her wife, wrapping her arms around Xena, squeezing tightly.

Xena turned around herself, eyeing all of the windows swing open throughout the entire household. She approached one of the lower balconies with caution and looked outside to see the tallest trees craning in the furious wind. Narrowing her eyes, dust and soil was picking up from the ground, swirling in a cyclone of debris. Yurts in the distance waned and collapsed to the ground in seconds.

A firm hand pulled her shoulder backward, away from the balcony. She spun around, ready to pounce.

"Mother, are you nuts?!" Ana yelled, her hair violently blowing around her. "We need to get away from the windows!"

---

The bizarre storm blew in just as quickly as it left the area. Many families were gathered inside the Adame to wait for the storm to pass. Even though it was a brief storm, it left behind catastrophic damage. Many of the yurts were blown away, torn apart, or wholly destroyed. Trees were scattered around the encampment, and small fires erupted on the eastern side of the camp.

Xena was still irked by how she awoke in the middle of the night, almost as if she was warned about the incoming destruction. She knew what she felt, and it most certainly was not the wind or her hair as Gabrielle prompted her to think so.

On the first floor, she stood by one of the windows, biting her nail. She stared at the soldiers cleaning up the area in the dark. It would be morning soon, and this was a terrible way to start the day. People lost their homes, and as far as anyone knew, nobody was harmed or killed.

Gabrielle walked up to her distant spouse, tapping her shoulder. "Ana went to check on Farah and the children."

"Hmm."

"And Navaz is outside, instructing the soldiers."

Xena nodded, chewing on her nail.

"That was a really weird storm," said Gabrielle, laughing nervously. "I think Anastasia is going to let some women and children stay here until more yurts are built for them."

"Mhm."

Gabrielle sighed, resting a hand on her hip. "Xena, you're acting strange ever since you woke up. If this is about the whole 'Kreka haunting your dreams' thing, I didn't mean to put that in your mind or make a joke out of it."

"I just think something bad is going to happen," she finally met her spouse's gaze.

"Like what?"

Xena shook her head, not knowing the answer to that question. She didn't even know. While she continued gazing out the window at the cleanup crew, a group of distant horsemen caught her eye. She took her nail out of her mouth, leaned forward, and watched the horsemen cross the borders into the encampment.

She hurried out of the Adame, running down the stairs, and Navaz looked in her direction. He could see the horsemen as well and raised a hand for her to stop. Xena frowned, crossed her arms, and waited behind Navaz until the horsemen were near enough to dismount their horses. By the looks of the soldiers, they were not from here and were from Bayan's army.

"State your purpose," Navaz announced loudly.

One soldier hopped off his horse and hesitantly walked forward but kept his distance. "We were sent by Khagan Bayan. The Gokturks have been invading for the last month. Ebnedzar and Khan Oran are working with Khagan Bayan to push them out."

Navaz cursed under his breath and turned to see Xena, who was livid internally. "What about Queen Yeter? Where is she?"

"Leading the front line, your highness…"

"That crazy bitch," Xena muttered from behind. "She needs to be taken out before she destroys Scythia."

Navaz nodded and addressed the soldier, "I will send Kurt to assist."

"Kurt!" she scoffed, "he is not old enough to lead an army. He doesn't know anything about that! I can go with him and teach him."

Gabrielle halted a few feet behind, overhearing. "Go to Scythia?"

Xena spun around, hoping that Gabrielle wouldn't hear that last bit.

"No. You aren't going anywhere. You're staying here."

"But Kurt is young. He doesn't know anything about commanding an army—"

"And you really think Ana is going to let you go, Xena?"

"I don't need her permission," she grumbled, folding her arms.

"Yes, you do. She's the regent Khagana. You're staying…" Gabrielle pressured.

---

Elam, Persia

A couple of days after Aurora's ninth birthday, Nousha planned to take her and Kazem to the market to pick out several gifts that were promised. So far, living in Persia was better than Aurora thought it would be. It was her new favorite place, and while she missed her cousins and family back in Pannonia, there were plenty of things to do in Elam.

In a couple of months, they were ready to leave to go back home, but Aurora was having difficulty adjusting to the thought of going home. On the other hand, her mother was eager to get back to her family despite enjoying her time off. For the first few months, Cera and Mirac stayed in the Elam palace but left for Kazakhstan after four months.

In her bedroom, Aurora picked out a dress to wear for the trip to the market. She was thrilled to get out of the palace, even though she had a great time during her birthday. She even went as far as to suggest that all parties should be like the ones in Persia. Her mother wasn't too keen on the suggestion.

Kazem, only a couple of years older than Aurora, had spent the last couple of years with the princess. He remembered what his father told him, and he never took the possible future to be had with Aurora until this last birthday.

Standing by the door, holding a small box in his hands, Kazem lingered, watching Aurora pick out outfits. Aurora was mumbling to herself, tossing dresses aside. He took in a deep breath and walked into the room.

Aurora smiled, "Hi, there. I was just picking out an outfit to wear. What do you think?" she held up a blue gown.

"It looks nice."

He awkwardly held out the box, and Aurora looked at the box, slowly taking it into her hands. She shyly smiled, opened the lid, and gasped. She pulled out a necklace with a pendant of the same stone she received a couple of years ago while living in Scythia.

"Thanks. This will look really nice with my dress," she gently patted Kazem on the shoulder.

She could tell that he wasn't planning on leaving the room anytime soon and tried to keep picking out the outfit she wanted to wear today. Kazem swayed back and forth on his heels, humming quietly.

"Um," he rubbed the back of his neck, "you know…I…we…"

"Yes?"

"You like me?"

Aurora snorted, "yeah, of course, I do. You're my friend."

Kazem nodded, blushing from the compliment. "Like me enough to marry me?" he asked, and quickly said, "when we're older."

The princess's inner cheeks soured. "Marry you?"

"That's why I came to live with you," he wore a bright smile.

Aurora nodded, setting down the gift, and forced a smile. "Excuse me," she said, brushing by him.

---

Hurrying down the long hallway, curling her fingers into a fist, she came to her mother's quarters, which were blocked by two maids. She tried to supersede them and walk right in, but the two women blocked the door handles.

"Move aside," she waved her hand.

"The Khagana is busy, princess."

Aurora folded her arms. "No, she's not. Mother! I need to speak with you!" she yelled. "Mother!"

The lock turned from inside the bedroom, and Arielle swung the doors open, half-dressed, and her hair unkempt. She glared at her daughter then dismissed the two maids to leave. Arielle groaned, closed the doors, and tightened the robe's sash around her waist, folded her arms, and her daughter stood before her with a smile.

"See, you're not busy."

Arielle scowled. "What do you want, Aurora? I was sleeping."

"At this hour? Is Xerxes in there?"

"No, I—" she paused, reminding herself that she was merely speaking to a child, "is that really any of your business? What are you doing interrupting my sleep? Aren't you supposed to be with Nousha?"

The princess huffed, "mother, we need to talk about Kazem. He just told me he wants to marry me! Is that why he came to live with us? I don't want to get married to him!"

Arielle slapped a hand over her eyes, sighing deeply. It was too early in the morning, too early period, to have this conversation. She thought this topic wouldn't have come up until a few years down the road and didn't want to dive into the logistics of it all at the moment. She did, however, wish to wring Kazem's neck for even bringing it up.

Just as she was about to speak, a maid approached them, and Arielle excused herself, stepping aside. Aurora waited on the sidelines, listening to the two whispering back and forth until her mother waltzed back over.

"We will talk about this another time."

"But mom!"

Arielle tilted her daughter's chin upward and said, "I promise we will, but I have to do something first. Go to the market with Nousha."

Waiting in the foyer, Ursula looked around, holding both boys' hands, seemingly making sure that Tespar didn't run off to explore the large palace. She saw Arielle walking hastily down the hallway and immediately felt reassured. She walked forward, gently pulling the princes with her.

Arielle halted, staring at the two princes who gawked at her. She raised an eyebrow, confused by their presence. The maid who came to her didn't have any information other than that guests arrived from the Caucasus area. She first assumed that her father sent someone here, but she was surprised to see Yeter's sons here, well, almost all of her sons.

"Ursula…I don't mean to be rude, but…what are you doing here?" asked Arielle.

"I can explain everything, but I would like to…get them into fresh clothes. We've traveled for a few days nonstop."

Arielle looked at the boys, dressed poorly in their undergarments. "I see. I'll have a room made up for you three. Come with me."

As they followed, Muqan tugged on the shamaness' arm. "Are we going to stay here now?" he whispered.

"For a little while," Ursula replied with a soft smile.

"What about Issik? Is he going to come here too?"

---

Two hours later, after the boys were given fresh clothes, a bath, and food, they instantly fell asleep in their beds. Both were tired after their long unexpected journey, and Arielle imagined Ursula was just as tired, but she was too wired to sleep and wanted to talk instead. In one of the larger sitting rooms, Ursula sat opposite Arielle, nursing a warm glass of tea in her palms.

Arielle was busy with her daughter walking around her, tugging on different portions of her hair. The situation amused the shamaness, but Arielle didn't find it so funny. Although she learned to ignore the incessant attention she received from her babbling, walking-everywhere, infant daughter.

"So, what brings you here?" asked Arielle as her lip was pulled on.

She grunted, grabbing her daughter, and settled the gurgling child in her lap.

Ursula smiled warmly, distracted by the child. "Ah, I don't know if you know what's going on in the mountains, but Yeter has decided to attack Scythia."

Arielle nodded, "I am not surprised. My mother knows more than me. I haven't been kept in the loop about what's happening."

"I asked for help, but I couldn't write letters without Yeter knowing. Anyway, I was finally able to get a message through to Navaz—your father," Ursula inhaled deeply, "and he arranged for Zolten to take us here. Going to Pannonia would be too obvious."

"So…you kidnapped Yeter's sons?"

"I did not kidnap them! And they're my son's children too."

Arielle raised a hand, "alright, alright. I see that you're one prince short. Where's Issik?"

"He…didn't want to come. He alarmed the guards that I took the other two boys. It is obvious that he sides with his mother. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't let them stay there, knowing that the palace could possibly be destroyed. Yeter's plans of taking over Scythia are reckless."

"I'm assuming Oran doesn't agree with his wife's actions."

Ursula shook her head in reply.

"Well," Arielle sighed, "I was going head back to Pannonia a month before Abbaseh's birthday. It seems that I'll be walking into a warzone," she snickered.

"I'm sorry."

"I am looking forward to it. But, I'm sorry it had to come to this," she rested a hand on Ursula's knee. "You're more than welcome to stay here. I don't know what's going to happen to Yeter, but it's unlikely that she will make it out alive with the number of enemies she's created."

Ursula let her head hang, staring into the dark tea that had now gone cold. "I know. I feel sorry for her sons. They are oblivious. Even Issik doesn't understand the extent of this mess!" she growled. "He's too young to understand."

"He's not that young, Ursula. He can see right from wrong. His mother has him wrapped around her finger. He's delusional if he believes that there will be a good outcome."

Amid their conversation, Princess Aurora stormed in, bypassing the maids, who tried to stop her. She stopped a foot away from her mother and peered over at the unexpected guest, smiling briefly.

"Iyi günler, Ursula," she greeted.

Ursula smiled, "tünaydin, princess."

Aurora smiled, leaned over, and whispered in her mother's ear, "what's she doing here?"

"Never mind about that," Arielle said. "What is it that you want since you barged in here so rudely?"

"It's about earlier. You know, about Kazem."

"Oh, right," Arielle tapped her chin. "I really can't talk about that right now."

"But you said! You said we would talk about it. You promised."

"Aurora, I don't have time to explain that to you, but yes, in short, in a few years, you are supposed to marry Kazem." She saw the betrayal in her daughter's eyes. "You don't have to if you don't want to, and that's a long way away, so try not to think about it, okay?" she grabbed her daughter's hand, "okay?"

"So, I don't have to if I don't want to?"

"That's right."

"Then…I don't want to marry Kazem."

Arielle sighed, her eyes drifting over to Ursula, who tried not to eavesdrop. So polite, she thought. If any other woman from her family were sitting here, they'd instantly try to insert themselves in the conversation. One person that came to Arielle's mind was her mother.

"Talk to me in six years, tatli kiz. Kazem's a nice boy, and you always have gotten along with him. He's still your friend. You two can still do the things you've always done together. This arrangement doesn't change your friendship, and like I said, in a few years, if you don't want to marry him, then I'll call it off."

Aurora sighed, relenting. "Okay…but what if he tries to kiss me or something?"

Arielle's eyes darkened, "he better not. Has he tried to?"

"No, no!" the princess panicked, waving her hands. "I swear, mother."

"Good," Arielle smiled, holding up her infant daughter. "Can you take Abbaseh to her room? Have Ku watch her for a little while. I have to talk to Ursula alone."

Aurora grabbed her baby sister, attaching her to the hip, and sauntered off. She struggled to hold her sister and muttered, "you are so heavy these days."

Ursula smiled, tapping her fingers on the glass. "Aurora has turned into a very smart young lady, and your youngest is adorable. She has blonde hair. Where did she get that from?"

"My grandmother's side, apparently. So, did any Gokturk soldiers follow you here? Should I expect Yeter on my doorstep?"

"No, they weren't quick enough to follow. I didn't tell Issik where we were going. He might think I left for Pannonia."

Arielle hummed, rubbing her chin in pensive thought. "Is Zolten still here?" she asked, and Ursula nodded her head. "I'll have him send a letter to my father and explain what's going on. In the meantime…you'll stay here even after I leave to go home. Nousha will be staying here."

The shamaness kept her opinions to herself, sipping on the tea. She raised her eyebrows at the thought of sharing this colossal palace with a woman whom she didn't care for. She could only imagine the trouble Nousha's caused for Arielle and her family over the last couple of years. But, since this was the only option she had, she would have to be cordial with Nousha, even if she didn't want to. She barely had a full-sentence conversation with the woman.

Arielle sensed the tension and assured her, "she's not that bad. She's great with children. Not so great with women, or…more particularly, me," she chuckled. "But I don't think you two will have any problems."

"Let us hope so," Ursula nervously grinned. "Thank you for letting us stay here."

---

"I don't see why I can't go to Scythia," Xena argued.

Gabrielle groaned, tired of this argument. This back-and-forth squabbling had continued for four days after Bayan's soldiers relayed the news. She didn't like arguing with anybody, especially someone who meant so much to her—someone so close to her.

"Your health is more important."

Xena scoffed, "my health? I'm perfectly fine! I haven't gotten sick in over a year, Gabrielle!"

"You almost died!" she snapped, silencing the room. "I almost lost you while fighting Mezamir's men." She knelt down, holding her spouse's hands firmly. "It was too much for you—too much for your body to handle," her voice trembled. "I can't let you go, especially with winter approaching."

Xena lowered her eyes, sighing.

"If you die, I'd much rather you be here, with me."

"I'd rather die on the field than in a bed like Kreka."

Gabrielle arched her eyebrow. "So stubborn."

Together, they shared a smile, and Xena gave a firm squeeze of her hand. "I don't plan on dying anytime soon, you know."

"No, of course not. You need my permission to do that," Gabrielle jested, kissing her wife's knuckles. "And your request has been denied."

Xena rolled her eyes, casting a lopsided smile. "You really don't want me to go."

"No, I really don't. You've been doing so much more off the field in the last two years, Xena. You've been helping Anastasia, Arielle, me, Eksama, everybody. You're still needed, and you don't need a sword to help others all the time."

"But sometimes."

Gabrielle sighed, "yes, sometimes."

Xena twisted her mouth, letting up, "well, if I can't go onto the field, can I at least teach Kurt some of the best tactics to use?"

"I guess that would be okay…"

"I can't teach him everything I know in a week," Xena said in mild disappointment. "But most of all, I don't want to send Ernak's son to his death."

Gabrielle, rubbing her thumb across the hand she held, added, "he won't be alone. Bayan, Oran, and Ebnedzar are there to help."

"Kreka would surely drive a stake in me if I got her grandson killed."

"I can't believe you're scared of a dead woman."

"She haunts me in my sleep, Gabrielle! I'm not lying about that."

"I believe you! I believe you," the blonde said, laughing lightly.

Xena brushed the soft blonde locks behind an ear and sat in silence for a few moments. Gazing down in the promising jade eyes, a warm smile was brought to her lips.

"Thank you."

Gabrielle chortled, "for what?"

"For grounding me, like you always do—for reminding me that others think about me and care about me. Even though it is annoying sometimes."

"Ah…I'll take it. Good enough. Getting you to compliment anyone is like pulling teeth."

Xena puckered her lips and lightly punched her spouse's bicep.

"Hey now," the governor rubbed her arm, "I love you."

Xena hesitated, narrowing her eyes, then broke down. "Love you too…I guess," she teased.

"You guess!"

In less than a second, Xena found herself on her backside, lying face-up on the bed with Gabrielle mounted on top of her. Her arms were pinned beside her ears, staring up at the wild green eyes.

Xena, wiggling her fingers, spoke breathlessly, "it was a joke…"

"I know," Gabrielle smiled. "You always make jokes at inappropriate times."

---

Two Months Later

The Caucasus

Yeter, captured by Bayan's soldiers, was brought to the center of the field. There, Oran waited for her and glared at his wife as she was forced to her knees. With her hands tied behind her back, she wriggled her way throughout the entire trek across the desecrated field. She breathed heavily through her nostrils as Oran walked over, dismissing the soldiers who held her.

He lifted her chin, holding a sword in his other hand. He ripped her Kozak off her head and threw it to the left field. Yeter gritted her teeth, swiping her face away, but her chin was forcefully grabbed, and a blade held to her throat.

"You've exhausted your entire army," said Oran. "You've used up all your supplies, militia, and destroyed half of Scythia."

He pinched her cheeks together, pressing the tip of the blade to her throat.

"Now, look at you—on your knees."

"What are you waiting for, Oran?" she spat. "Why don't you just kill me then?"

He retracted the blade, sheathing. "I have orders to keep you alive."

Yeter groaned, almost as if disappointed she was kept alive. "Orders from whom?" she barked.

In the near distance, the jingling of metal against taut leather approached. Yeter craned her neck, and Oran parted ways to clear a path. Arielle walked forward, taking off her leather helm donned with fur, and halted in front of the defeated Gokturk Queen.

"Long time no see, Yeter," said Arielle, smiling.

"I'd rather die."

Arielle slipped off her gloves, nodding. "I know you would, but I'm not allowing that to happen. So, you see, you bow before me. You are beneath me. And, being the merciful empress that I am, I am keeping you alive."

Yeter grimaced, then forced a smile, "And why's that?"

"Because I want to keep an eye on you, and I would hate to tell your sons that their mother was slain by their own father."

She paused, smiling down at the ravaged queen.

"But do not think that you will go home and live your life the same. I have asked Shah Khosrow if I can have access to Anosbord. You should be familiar with it. It's a prison. I'm sure you and Sambice will become terrific friends in no time."

With a wave of her hand, the soldiers hoisted Yeter to her feet, forcing her to a horse nearby. Arielle sighed, slipping her gloves back on. She turned around, absolutely horrified at the field and destruction that was left behind. Many soldiers waited on their horses and on foot, staring in silence. She looked to Bayan and Oran, standing side by side, then to Ebnedzar and Kurt, standing afar.

She stalked over to the Gokturk flag planted in the grass and ripped it from the ground from which it stood. She broke the wooden staff in half, shred the flag into several pieces, and tossed it onto the snow.

Arielle mounted her horse, slipping her helm back on, and trotted over to the gaggle of men. Bayan stepped forward, casting a soft smile, which she returned.

"Are you going to stay here and oversee the army?" he asked.

"No," she took a long pause, "I'm going home."

---

Historical characters:

Chinese: Emperor Liu, Princess Bosi

Japanese: Prince Senka, Tashibana, Menokohime

Persians/Sassanians: Shah Kavad, Shah Jamasp, Shah Khosrow, Shehzade Xerxes, Shehzade Kawus, Shahbanu Sambice, Pamira, Shehzada Esther

Huns/Gepids: Queen Eksama (Acsama), Princess Austraia, Elemund

Goths: King Alaric

Avars: Khagana Jiulu

Lombards/Antes: Alduin, Mezamir, Rodelinda, Aleksander, Radogost

Characters based on historical figures:

Persians: Banu Nousha, Banu Talia, Shehzada Abbaseh

Huns: Princess Emese, Princess Aracsilla, Governor Madhiya