AN: this sequel won't be nearly as long as the first story. I am mainly writing this for my own enjoyment lol. Enjoy :)
Chapter 10 –The Little Commander
Csaba walked across the field and saw his two uncles sparring with their swords. He smiled and looked back at Kreka's yurt. He wondered where she hid his sword and really wanted to practice with them. She had insisted that he wait for Xena to oversee his training, but Dengi and Ernak were trained by Xena too, so they had to be good at swordsmanship, he supposed.
He walked over to them hoping that they would teach him some moves since his mother was busy with Xena, Gabrielle and Navaz. They had been inside the Adame for hours on end and he didn't want to know why. His mother never exposed him to any kind of politics growing up and neither did Xena.
Ernak clashed his blade against his brother's and both had smiles on their faces, not taking this sparring session very serious.
Dengi pushed his brother back and circled around him. "You shouldn't have brought up the senlik to mother, Ernak. Now she's going to bug Xena about it. You know that Xena doesn't like parties."
Ernak scoffed, "well, she's not the one having a baby, now is she?" he growled and swung his sword around and was quickly knocked down to the ground by a swift kick to his shin by Dengi.
"Fair enough but do you remember how irritated she was when Kreka planned the senlik the first time?" Dengi chuckled and helped his brother up.
"Yeah, well, Xena needs to relax. She's always got a stuck up her –"
"Csaba!" Dengi interrupted and glared at his little king brother. "What's up squirt?" he grinned and twirled his sword and Ernak ran his fingers through his long dark hair.
The boy raised an eyebrow, "why are you guys talking about a senlik? Who's having a baby?" he eyed them both and saw their faces void of color.
"Oh...you know, lots of women," Ernak grinned cheekily and Dengi rolled his eyes.
Csaba folded his arms and looked around at all of the women that passed by talking quietly to themselves. Some with their families outside. He had been here for a year now and so far he hadn't seen any pregnant women and if there was a senlik, he surely would have known.
"I don't see any pregnant women here, Ernak." He said with suspicion.
Ernak laughed nervously and ran up to the boy, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "That's because it's a secret. You know how secretive women can be sometimes."
Csaba furrowed his eyebrows and shrugged Ernak's arm off. "What do you two know that I don't? I know you're lying."
Ernak looked to his brother with wide eyes and Dengi sighed. "Listen, Csaba, I'm sure your mother wanted to tell you herself but –"
The boy's eyes grew in shock . "My mom is pregnant?!" he blurted out and Dengi half smiled. He didn't bother to wait for his uncles to reply and took off running towards the Adame.
"Csaba! Wait!" Dengi tried to run after him and Ernak grabbed his arm.
"It's too late now, brother. Anastasia is really gonna kill you now," he laughed. The elder brother shot his brother a glare and shoved him down to the ground. "Hey! Don't take it out on me!"
Dengi shook his head and walked off to go back to his dwelling. "Oh yeah? And who do you think is going to be more upset? Xena!"
Ernak's laughter faded and he quickly jumped to his feet. "We should go hunting! So she won't be able to find us! Dengi, wait up!"
Xena ran her finger across the map of all the Hunnic tribes. "We should barricade the Caucasus and the rim of Scythia so the Romans don't come in." she suggested.
Gabrielle folded her arms and frowned. "Why Scythia? Odoacer knows that Anastasia is in Balaam. Why would he even bother to go through Scythia?"
Xena eyed her with a tight smile, "because Scythia borders the Caucasus, Gabrielle."
"Seems a little excessive in my opinion," she said and Xena narrowed her eyes.
Anastasia rubbed her temples as she sat in a chair listening to these two go back and forth for the last few hours. Two weeks since they arrived back in Balaam she was beginning to regret allowing her mother to oversee the army and the entirety of the Caucasus Huns.
She slammed her hand on the table, grabbing everyone's attention. "I have a suggestion. Why don't we just send scouts out to the outskirts of Balaam so they can survey the area and report back to us every couple of days?"
Navaz nodded and smiled at his wife. "I like that idea."
Xena shot him a glare. "Of course you do."
"Well, I prefer Anastasia's idea," Gabrielle chimed in. "I think it would be wise to use less men. We don't know if Odoacer is willing to cross all the Hunnic tribes just to get to us. The Caucasus is really far away from Roman territory."
Anastasia gave a satisfactory grin and saw her mother was unhappy but silent. "What do you think, mother?"
Xena tapped her fingers on the table and sighed heavily. "Fine, we will go with your idea but if that doesn't work then we use mine. Barricades work every time."
"Your highness!" a guard ran after Csaba just as he barged into the room. All eyes turned to him. "Sorry, my king, but he insisted on coming in..." the man bowed his head.
Navaz gave him a curt nod and looked over at his stepson. Csaba's eyes went immediately to his mother and she rose from the chair with a concerned face.
"Csaba, what's the matter?" she asked calmly.
His eyes darkened and folded his arms. "Is it true?" he asked.
Ana raised an eyebrow and walked towards him and he took a step back. Xena frowned deeply and grasped his shoulders.
"Csaba..." her voice deep, looming over him.
He lifted his head to see the anger in his grandmother's eyes and wasn't stupid enough to shrug her off like nothing so he said nothing and turned back to his mother.
"Is what true?" Anastasia asked.
"That you're having a baby," he stated and his eyes drifted to her stomach that was well hidden by her dark dress. Navaz's eyes grew and Xena tightened her grip on his shoulders. "That you're having his baby?" he eyed Navaz.
Anastasia felt her stomach churn when he said those words. "Who told you that?"
"So it's true then," he said and shoved Xena away. "Get off me!" he growled. He shook his head then took off, running out of the room.
"Csaba!" Ana frowned and ran after him.
Xena balled her fists up and Gabrielle grabbed her fist. "I can go talk to him," she offered and felt Xena's fist relax to a normal state. She gave a brief smile to Navaz who seemed miffed by what just happened. "I'll be back later," she pat Xena's arm then ran after Anastasia and Csaba.
Ana ran down the stairs and saw her son running across the field and she stopped no longer able to keep up with him anymore. She leaned on a large column outside the Adame and frowned sadly. She felt an hand on her shoulder and spun around.
"I will go talk to him," Gabrielle said with a warm smile. "Xena is asking for you."
The queen shook her head. "I don't want to talk to her right now."
"Well, I'm sure she'll find you either way. You can't avoid her forever," she rubbed Ana's arm then ran off to catch up to Csaba. She suddenly came to realize that this boy must be part gazelle since he was able to run incredibly fast.
Xena walked out of the Adame and saw her daughter at the end of the stairs looking out into the fields, watching Gabrielle chase after her son. She uncrossed her arms and walked down the steps and stopped a step behind her daughter.
Anastasia frowned, "what do you want?" she hissed.
"Gabrielle will talk to him, Ana. She is good at those sorts of things," Xena half grinned and her daughter spun around with teary eyes. "Don't cry. I hate when you do that," she frowned and wrapped her arms around her daughter, bringing her close.
"I don't...want him to hate me," her voice muffled in her mother's chest.
Xena pulled away and wiped the tears off her daughter's cheeks. "He doesn't hate you. He loves you. You know that. He's probably upset but he'll get over it." she sighed and Ana nodded her head, wiping her eyes. "Why don't you go rest and I will...spend more time with Navaz discussing the Romans."
Anastasia rolled her eyes. "You are enjoying this far too much, you know."
"What gave you that idea?" Xena winked and pushed her daughter along down the stairs. "Go to Kreka's yurt. I will meet you there within the hour." She said and Ana eyed her suspiciously. "Go, go!"
Gabrielle caught up to Csaba in the forest by the mountains. She huffed and leaned on a tree, watching him sit on a tree stump. "My god...you run fast," she jested and he didn't bother to look at her.
"Go away, Gabrielle. I want to be alone."
She steadied her breathing and walked over and sat down beside him on the grass. "I didn't run all the way over here just to get shunned out." She said and brought her knees close to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs.
"You were pretty rude back there," she said and he quirked his mouth, remaining quiet. "Your mother cares a lot about you."
"Yes, I know."
She sighed and nudged his leg. "And you were very rude to Xena."
He rolled his eyes and groaned lowly. "She's probably going to lecture me later."
She smiled, "maybe you could talk to her first." She paused and saw his eyes firmly focused on the grass below in deep thought. "I know that you are probably upset about the baby which is understandable, it's a big change and –"
He furrowed his eyebrows and finally turned his head. "What? No." he shook his head. "I'm not upset about the baby. I can't be mad at a baby, Gabrielle. I'm upset at Navaz." His eyes darkened.
That wasn't the response she was expecting. She sensed some hostility when he spoke of Navaz, his new father, his stepfather. "Navaz...is very nice you know. He really cares about you and your mother."
His face softened. "He cares about me?" his voice quiet.
She nodded. "Yeah, he asks about you all the time. He was asking Xena how he could approach you and spend more time with you."
"Oh." He sighed and folded his arms. "Well why did he have to marry my mom? Now she's having a baby and..." he scowled, "I want to go home. I hate it here. It's too cold and the people are different here. And I hate Tuya! Kreka says I have to be nice to her but I don't want to, not after what she did."
Gabrielle raised an eyebrow. "What did she do?" she asked.
His face paled and he wagged his head. "Nothing, never mind."
She would have to ask Kreka about this later, she made a mental note. "Maybe you could befriend some of the boys in the tribe? They might like you. You're very likable," she nudged his knee and he smirked. Finally a smile, she thought.
He shrugged. "I donno Gabrielle. They don't really pay attention to me. They think that they can't talk to me because I'm a prince, but in Pannonia, I was a prince too and nobody treated me differently."
She nodded and rocked back and forth, holding her knees close to her chin. "You never know if you don't try." She advised and he shrugged his shoulder again. "Listen, Csaba, I love you a lot and I know your mother does too. I think it would be wise for you to have a relationship with Navaz. He wants one and is more than willing to try. I think you should give him a chance."
He grunted. "Fine."
Fine. That word. Gabrielle heard that so many times and Xena often said it when things didn't go her way. It was her way of compromising. "No, not fine."
"Okay!" he stood and flung his arms in the air. "I'll try and spend time with him. Okay?"
She sprung to her feet. "Good. Now, let's go back there." She held out her hand and he sighed, grabbing her hand.
"I feel so embarrassed..." he mumbled.
"Can't help you there but I think you should apologize."
"Do I have to?"
She grinned. "You're going to have to or Xena won't let you hear the end of it."
"Okay, okay, I'll apologize!" he'd rather not see his grandmother's wrath. He didn't like to disappoint her or Gabrielle, but especially Xena.
Anastasia saw the tray of assorted foods in front of her and she put a hand over her stomach, shaking her head. "Kreka, please, I can't eat anymore."
The khatun smirked and brought over some tea for them both then sat beside her on the floor. "You barely ate anything! Tatli kiz," she pushed the tray of food closer. "Please."
Ana sighed and picked up a pastry filled with dates and took a small bite out of it. Chewing slowly, she glared at the woman. "Happy?" she said with her mouthful.
"I will be when you finish that," Kreka smiled and sipped her tea. Her eyes lifted when she saw Xena enter the yurt. "Xena."
Xena raised an eyebrow and saw the tray filled with food and Anastasia eating a pastry with a malicious look in her eye. She smirked and took off her cloak and threw it aside on a chair. "I see you are force feeding my daughter again."
"She doesn't eat anything."
Ana looked up at her mother with her mouth full of the pastry. "Make her stop, please," she begged.
Xena laughed lightly and sat down beside her and took the pastry off of her daughter's hand and finished it off for her.
"Xena!" Kreka groaned.
"What? You cook better than I do. I cannot resist your pastries," Xena grinned and the khatun rolled her eyes.
Csaba and Gabrielle entered the yurt and Anastasia grinned, slowly rising to her feet. "Csaba," she walked over to him and his eyes immediately lowered upon seeing her and he felt Xena's eyes glaring at him, burning a hole into his flesh.
Gabrielle nudged his shoulder. "Go on..." she whispered.
"I'm sorry," he muttered.
"And?" Gabrielle frowned and he sighed then she punched him in the shoulder.
"Ow!" he hissed and lifted his head, looking into his mother's eyes. "I'm sorry for the way I acted. I wasn't upset at you or the baby. I was upset at something else."
Anastasia grinned and hugged him warmly. "It's alright. I'm just glad that you don't hate me."
"I could never hate you, mother," he smiled and saw Xena turn the other way, fingering the assorted food on the tray. He quirked his mouth and pulled away from his mother and walked over to Xena, standing over her.
"Um..." he kicked his boot back and forth with his hands behind his back. Xena lifted her head, staring up at him and he refused to make eye contact with her. "I...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have...acted the way I did." He finally met her eyes and she smiled warmly.
She pat his leg and continued eating some fruit. "I accept your apology, but you definitely owe me." She turned to him and gave him a wink.
He smiled nervously. "Okay, like what?"
"You train with me and Navaz tomorrow." She said and his jaw dropped. "And bring that sword of yours."
Kreka's eyes widened. "I don't think that's a good idea. He was quite good with the bow –"
"I use swords, not bows." She eyed the woman and turned to Csaba. "Bring the sword."
Csaba looked to Kreka and she had a frightened look on her face. "Alright...I'll bring it..." he said.
Anastasia frowned seeing the tension rising in the room. The look on Kreka's face was not one she saw often. It was fear. Kreka never feared anything. She grasped her son's shoulders. "Csaba, come with me. I want to talk to you and Navaz together." She ushered him out of the yurt.
Gabrielle sat down beside Xena and eyed the khatun across the way. "What's wrong?" she asked.
Kreka sighed and set down her glass of tea. "Xena, there's something you should know about Tuya."
Xena's eyes lit up at the sound of the woman. "Oh yes, Navaz told me you were watching over her after an accident she had before we came back. How...is she?" she smiled and bit into a strawberry.
"There was no accident," Kreka began and Xena's face darkened, tossing the strawberry back onto the tray and licked her fingers. "She came into my room and tried to kill me..." she began and saw Gabrielle's eyes grow wider by the second. "Csaba stabbed her with his sword that Dengi gave him. I hid the sword so you see –"
Xena rose to her feet. "Where is she?" she marched to the back of the yurt and Gabrielle gasped.
"Xena!" she groaned and followed after her. Kreka sat on the rug, casually sipping her tea. She had longed for this moment and a small sneaky grin graced her lips.
Xena flung the curtains aside and saw Tuya sitting up in Kreka's bed. She smiled and walked inside the room and Tuya's eyes widened in fear and tried to scoot away from her. Xena grabbed the woman's leg and sat on the bed.
"My presence frightens you, queen mother?" she grinned eerily and Tuya kept gaping into her steely eyes.
Gabrielle walked in the room and stayed by the entrance, watching Xena work her magic of course. She definitely knew how to instill fear into people just with her looks and words. Sometimes less is more.
"You wouldn't have happened to try and kill Kreka, would you?" she asked and Tuya's eyes widened. "Your silence is a good enough answer." She sighed and scooted closer to the woman's face. "Kreka is my friend. She and I may not always see eye to eye, but she is a trusted ally of mine through Attila. We've known each other for a long time and I would never...betray her. She trusts me."
Tuya frowned. "You befriend a renounced queen? She does not evoke her power and yet your daughter remains queen of us all."
Xena nodded and grabbed Tuya's hand, gripping tightly. "Kreka is very smart. Do not underestimate her. She does not have the title of Barbarian Queen for nothing, you know," her eyes widened wildly and Tuya backed away slowly.
"You know...Attila had another wife after Kreka. Her name was Kriemhild. I'm sure you do not know of her and do you know why?"
Tuya shook her head.
"Because Kreka killed her." Her smile deepened and finally saw that fear she was looking for. "Kriemhild was insane. She killed her own children and Kreka killed her to protect the reputation of her people yet...she lets you live. Her heart must have softened over the years, but mine hasn't." she grimaced and stood from the bed, eyeing the woman's fear stricken face.
"Come near my daughter and grandson and I will make sure you don't live to see the next day," she spun around and left the room. Gabrielle lifted her eyebrow, giving one last look at the woman before following Xena.
Kreka lifted her eyes when she saw Xena come out of the bedroom. "So?"
Xena grinned and grabbed her sword, heading out of the yurt. "She won't be bothering you anymore. Come on, Gabrielle. I want to spar with someone and you are the lucky winner."
Gabrielle gasped. "But Xena, I haven't fought in a really long time. I have lost a lot of my skills."
"Then you'll just have to relearn them now won't you?" Xena grinned and walked out of the yurt and Gabrielle sighed heavily and reluctantly followed. She felt like she was going to regret this.
Emperor Zeno sat in his throne chamber and the doors swung open. He smiled upon seeing his government consul marching in on a mission.
"Flavius Anastasius," he said and saw the young man's anger in his eyes. "You bring good news, I hope?"
Anastasius shook his head. "No, emperor. Sorry to say that I bring only bad news." He apologized and handed over the scroll to the emperor and Zeno snarled, snatching it from him. "Odoacer had captured Huns in his possession but they have escaped from Rome. He wants them brought back to Rome to face charges."
Zeno nodded, reading quickly over Odoacer's letter and tossed it aside and rose from his throne. "Why does he even bother with those Huns? They are to be extinct soon. I've gotten rid of the most important Huns –Pannonians –Attila's people." He grinned, feeling very proud of that victory.
Flavius Anastasius bit his tongue and averted eye contact. "Emperor, those Huns are not just any Huns. They were the sons of Attila and daughter of Xena. They stole your Consul."
Zeno clenched his fist and lifted his chin, fuming. "Gabrielle? My Consul? Those savages took her?!" he growled. "I did not think that those bastards would dare come to Rome!"
"They didn't. Bey Basil captured them and sent them to Rome as a present for Odoacer. The emperor believes that Gabrielle knows them, especially since the daughter of Xena lives."
Zeno growled and knocked over a vase and began pacing back and forth. "They cannot go back to Pannonia. That is a land they lost long ago. Where is the woman now? The daughter of Xena."
Anastasius grimaced. "Her name is Anastasia and she is Queen of the White Huns."
Zeno laughed. "You share the same Greek name of that savage woman. I do feel for you, Anastasius." He rubbed his chin. "Find out more about the White Huns and where they live. I want Attila's and Xena's line wiped out! Wiped out, you hear me?!" he yelled.
The governor nodded. "Of course, sir. I do believe that these White Huns live in Armenia."
The emperor quirked his mouth. "The mountains. A very good hiding place. Well played Pannonians." He grinned maliciously. "Send mercenaries to the Caucasus region but do not attack. Find the daughter of Xena and bring her to me."
"Yes, emperor," the governor saluted and then stormed out of the chamber.
"Oh and, do send Odoacer a thank you note for relaying this most precious message to me," he said and Anastasius nodded. "Do not harm the girl. I wish this to be a peaceful kidnapping. She will go willingly if there is no violence."
"As you command, emperor."
Gabrielle threw herself on the bed and sprawled her arms out. Xena turned around as she was taking off her tunic and smirked. "What are you doing?"
The blonde smiled, "enjoying a bed to myself. Navaz gave us our own yurt!"
"Gabrielle, it's just a yurt," Xena shook her head and slipped the tunic over her head and began unlacing her pants.
Gabrielle turned over onto her back and stared at Xena's long dark hair. "But it's our yurt," she wriggled her eyebrows and Xena turned her head over a shoulder and grinned softly. "Not that I mind staying with Kreka, but she still kind of scares me."
Xena let out a laugh and her pants dropped to the floor and she grabbed a dark mesh slip and slipped it over her head. "Kreka is not scary, Gabrielle and she likes you. She'd let you know if she didn't like you, trust me."
"If you say so."
"I do say so," Xena crawled onto the bed and lay on her side, staring at the blonde with soft eyes. "So, what do you want to do?"
Gabrielle tapped her cheek and plopped back down onto the bed. "We could roll all over the ground, staking our claim on this yurt!" she grinned and Xena raised an eyebrow. She turned to see the incredulous look on the brunette's face.
"Okay, or not." She shrugged. "I'm just really excited about having our own place."
Xena rolled her eyes. "I can tell." Her fingers roamed along Gabrielle's arm. "You know...you were really...bad at sparring the other day," she snorted.
Gabrielle shot her a glare. "Look, I told you I was out of practice!"
"I didn't know you were that out of practice," Xena chuckled and she received a punch from her consort. "Ow!" she grunted then punched Gabrielle back.
"Hey!" she groaned and rubbed her arm. "That isn't fair, Xena. You hit way harder than I do!"
Xena grinned mischievously and pinched Gabrielle's arm. Gasping, Gabrielle pinched her back.
"Quit it!" Gabrielle scooted away and saw Xena crawling towards her. "No...no," she warned and Xena inched closer and closer, pinching her fingers together. "No, you don't!" she yelped as she fell off the bed.
Xena smiled and leaned over the side of the bed and the sight of Gabrielle contorted on the floor caused her to laugh lightly. "You did that to yourself," she chided and sat up on the bed and waited for Gabrielle to climb back on, cursing beneath her breath.
The two stared at one another for a long while and Gabrielle smiled, leaning forward and kissed her lips gingerly. Her hand cupping her cheek and Xena grinned, inching closer.
Over the next month Xena oversaw Csaba's training with Navaz's help. She was surprised that he was more skilled with a bow than a sword and she hated to admit it. Bows were useful but only in distant combat. Csaba was able to let himself open up to Navaz slowly as the days went on, spending time together.
Today was an exceptionally cold day and Xena stood behind Csaba as Navaz taught him how to use the bow to shoot at a fifty yard distance. It had been going so well until Xena kept intervening. Anastasia sat behind them underneath a canopy watching the three.
Gabrielle came up behind Anastasia and grabbed her shoulders. She gasped. "Oh Gabrielle, don't do that." She smiled.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," the blonde sat down beside her, watching Csaba shooting arrows one after the other. "He's very good."
"Yes he is. I'm glad that he is warming up to Navaz."
Gabrielle nodded and then saw Xena begin arguing with Navaz about his technique. Shaking her head she sighed heavily. "And what about you?"
"What about me?" she lifted her chin, watching her mother scold her husband, a king of all people. Titles meant nothing to Xena.
"You and Navaz," she said and Ana lowered her eyes. "Have your feelings changed for him?"
Ana shrugged her shoulders. "He is good to me and he must have the patience of a god to be able to deal with my mother every day," she smirked. "I just don't know yet."
Gabrielle nodded. "And your baby? Your feelings haven't changed?"
Anastasia smiled softly and peered down at her child, her belly growing larger every day and it was no use of hiding it anymore. Everyone could tell she was pregnant now. "My mother was right. I shouldn't be angry at something so innocent."
Gabrielle smiled at that. Perhaps her heart wasn't as hardened as she originally thought. She turned to see the bow lesson and saw Navaz marching straight for them carrying a bow. "Oh boy."
Navaz growled and held out a broken bow in front of his wife. "Anastasia," he inhaled deeply, "I respect your mother but this is the second bow she has broken in the last week! I can't work with her if she keeps undermining my teaching abilities!"
Anastasia bit her bottom lip and smiled nervously. "Navaz, I know she can be difficult sometimes, but she knows what she's doing. She's a very good teacher. She taught Dengi and Ernak."
Navaz smiled mockingly and threw the broken bow down. "Well, that's nice but I can't work with her!" he stormed off.
"Navaz!" Ana growled and stood up slowly from her seat. She saw him making his way back to the Adame. Then she spun around, glaring at her mother. "Mother!" she snarled.
Xena turned and saw her daughter standing behind her. "Anastasia, go sit down. I am teaching Csaba how to properly use a bow," she grinned.
"Mother! You broke his bow! Again! You can't keep doing this." She folded her arms, glaring at her backside.
Xena held Csaba's arm, holding it close to his cheek. "He has other bows." She said and then whispered into Csaba's ear and he nodded, adhering to her instruction and he released the arrow and hit dead center. Xena turned to her daughter with a smug grin. "See? I'm a better teacher."
Csaba turned around and saw the anger in his mother's eyes. She was fuming. He lowered his bow and frowned nervously. "Mom, don't be angry. It's not good for the baby," he smiled.
Xena smirked. "Yeah, Anastasia. It's not good for the baby so go sit down and leave me to the lesson." She waved her hand, shooing her away.
Anastasia groaned and stomped off in a hurry. Gabrielle stood and saw her by passing the canopy. "Anastasia?" she called out. "Where are you going?!"
Gabrielle huffed and walked over to Xena, tapping her shoulder. "Xena, you really upset her."
Xena scoffed and held the bow, adjusting Csaba's hands. "No I didn't. She's just mad that I broke her husband's bow," she smiled.
"Xena," she began more firmly. "I'm serious." She said and the warrior ignored her. "Xena!"
Xena sighed and lowered the bow in her grandson's hands. "Oh alright," she said and turned to see a fuming blonde behind her. "I'll go talk to her."
Navaz sat in his room watching Anastasia pace back and forth, talking nonsense in her native language. Some words he understood and they were not very nice words that's for sure. "Anastasia," he said and she ignored him, continuing to talk to herself. "Anastasia..." he leaned forward in the chair and watched her dig a hole in the carpet. "Anastasia!" he yelled and she turned at his loud voice.
"You are driving yourself mad," he said calmly and she groaned, continuing to pace. He stood and grabbed her arms, turning her around to face him.
She breathed heavily, staring into his dark eyes and he smiled softly. He grazed his fingers along her cheek and she sighed, slowly calming herself down. "It's just a bow," he whispered in her ear and she half smiled.
"It's not about the bow, Navaz."
A knock came to the door and Xena walked in. Anastasia frowned immediately upon seeing her. The king inhaled deeply and kissed her forehead then took his leave to allow the two to talk. Xena stepped further into the room and pursed her lips.
"I didn't...mean to upset you." She began and her daughter folded her arms, turning away. She looked to the ceiling and sighed heavily. "I'm sorry," she said.
Ana turned and her eyes grew with amazement. "Did you just apologize?"
"Don't make me say it again." Xena said flatly. She walked over to her daughter and grabbed her upper arms firmly. "I don't want to upset you. That's the last thing I want to do. If you want me to back off then just say –"
"I want you to back off," she said immediately.
Xena's lips parted and Anastasia saw the astonished face and smiled. "Mother, I love you but sometimes you can be very...overbearing. Let Navaz instruct Csaba his way."
"But his way is wrong."
"Mom!" she griped. "We can compromise," she said and saw her mother roll her eyes. "I know you don't like that word, but I think you need to. How 'about this; you teach Csaba how to use a sword and Navaz teaches archery? Seem fair?"
Xena bit her bottom lip and sighed dramatically then looked into her daughter's hopeful eyes. "Alright," she relented.
Ana grinned and kissed her mother's cheek. "Thank you. That's all I ask. Oh and, please don't break any more of Navaz's bows."
Before Xena could come back with a smart remark there were drums heard outside. She frowned and turned to her daughter. "Stay here."
She ran outside and saw Dengi and Ernak riding in with a few scouts trailing behind. Ernak skid to a stop in front of Navaz and Xena. "Romans approaching."
Navaz's eyes darkened. "Are you sure there were Romans?"
"I think I know a Roman when I see one," Ernak said and turned to Xena. "What do you want us to do? Blockade them?"
Anastasia came outside and stood beside her mother and Xena snarled. "I thought I told you to stay inside!"
"Romans?" Ana said, stepping forward and Ernak nodded. She turned to her mother with a worried look.
"I told you we should have barricaded the area," Xena folded her arms defiantly.
"They are eastern Romans, bearing the crest of Emperor Zeno," Dengi spoke up, holding his horse's reins, ready to attack at any moment. "Anastasia, what do you want us to do? You are the commander."
Xena smirked and Ana breathed in heavily and placed her hands on her hips. "Well..." she began, "you should hold them off and bring one Roman as captive. We can question him here." She turned to her mother for approval.
"You're the commander," Xena said with a smile and Anastasia quirked her mouth then turned to Dengi and Ernak.
She gave them a curt nod. "Bring back a Roman."
Gabrielle walked up with Csaba and frowned seeing horsemen riding off. "What is going on?" she asked.
Xena turned to the blonde. "Romans are in the area. Anastasia told them to bring a Roman back to camp."
"And you're letting her do this?" Gabrielle raised a suspicious eyebrow.
Xena shrugged her shoulder nonchalantly. "She wants to be commander, so I will let her."
"But you are her overseer, Xena. You're going to let her fail her first mission?"
"She's not going to fail, Gabrielle. I'm going to let her continue with her plan," Xena said and kept smiling. "She has no idea how to be a commander. I will teach her."
Gabrielle sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I don't think this is a good idea."
"Capturing a Roman is never a good idea, but she will learn."
Anastasia breathlessly turned and grabbed her mother's arm, desperate for help. "What do I do when they come back with the Roman?"
Xena grinned and looked into her daughter's pleading eyes. "First, we wait and see if they are even able to capture a Roman. You shouldn't have sent out your best men to scout the area. Always send mercenaries, not your elite." Her eyes darkened and her mind going to a place that she hadn't been to in a long time.
"So, what do I do?!"
"We wait," Xena said and saw the fear in her daughter's eyes.
"What if I go and help them?"
Xena's eyes widened. "No!" she yelled and Ana jumped. "I mean...no, you never leave your post. Lesson number one, Anastasia, always let your men come to you, not the other way around."