Chapter 22

Constantinople

Farah didn't fit in at all with the other Byzantine nobility. Unfortunately, her arrival in Constantinople coincided with a three-day religious festival. Despite her lack of familiarity with the religion, she felt compelled to participate.

She drank her third glass of wine and stood apart from the others. Her clothes were out of place among the nobility's pastel robes and dresses. She was dressed in the expected black pants, waistcoat, and gold-thread coat, and many people stared at her. Farah's veil reached down to her ankles, in contrast to the many women who wore their hair in intricate fashions.

She looked around and saw a young servant standing across the room, staring at her. The people who bowed to her were met with a grin and an averted gaze. That maid still stared at her in utter bewilderment. The servant girl arrived at Farah's location shortly thereafter.

"It is an honor to meet you, ma'am," the girl whispered, giddily smiling.

Farah's face lit up at the compliment. After a closer inspection, she concluded that the girl serving her was not originally from Constantinople. In fact, she could have been from Pannonia based on her appearance. Her tanned skin complimented the rest of her features, including her thick brows, big brown eyes, and hooked nose. Farah guessed that the girl was no more than sixteen years old.

"How old are you?" asked Farah.

"I just turned fifteen, Your Highness."

Farah nodded, tapping her fingers on the glass. "You are around the same age as my boys."

"The twin princes?" the girl casually blurted out.

Farah's mouth fell open. It was likely right that she trusted her gut. This servant was a Hunnic girl, not a slave from Byzantium. Was this girl from Pannonia, she wondered.

"I'm sorry, where are you from?"

The servant's eyes twinkled. "I'm from an old tribe, Barsils, in the Caucasus."

That tribe name sounded completely unfamiliar. Farah was overjoyed to find that there were additional Hunnic tribes that were not yet incorporated into the empire. This tribe was oddly close to Arielle's and Navaz's motherland. Perhaps it was not a waste for her to spend some time in Constantinople.

She placed her hand on the girl's shoulder. "What is your name?"

"It's Sara, ma'am."

The girl's anxious tone let Farah know that something was awry. At first glance, she concluded that the maid's name was not Sara. None of the Hun tribes she encountered used such a name.

She leaned in close and whispered, "Is that your real name?"

The girl turned away and stared at Sophia and Justin. "I am not allowed to say my birth name out loud."

Farah was suddenly overcome with rage and bolted across the ballroom. Justin was standing close to his wife, greeting many of the nobles. Justin's smile tightened to a clench as she approached him. He even tried to move out of the path, but Farah mimicked his every motion.

"Are you trying to insult me?" Farah said.

Justin sputtered. "I do not know what you mean, Your Majesty."

"How dare you invite me to a festival and have a Hun slave serve me wine," she howled, drawing attention from the crowd.

Justin nervously smiled at all of his guests, who were horrified by the display. He clasped his hands on Farah's arms and spoke softly. "Can we talk about this another time?"

"If you want any sort of alliance with us, I suggest you forgo Hun slaves in your empire," Farah barked and stormed off, shoving her way through the sea of people.

Sophia rolled her eyes, utterly unimpressed. "Barbaric woman," she slurred.

He scowled at his wife for using a disparaging epithet to describe the Hun queen. He couldn't have any setbacks along the way if he wanted the Huns to be cooperative. Justinian relied on him to maintain friendly relations with both the Huns and the Persians. Justin was not going to let Sophia ruin everything for him.

"Sophia, you should be nice to her. I need her to secure a deal," Justin hissed in his wife's ear. "It would befit you to invite her on a tour of the city."

She balked. "You cannot be serious? What will everyone think when they see me with her?"

"They will think you are a tolerant empress," he said with a forced smile.

Pannonia

While Xena loved instructing the tiny royal children, she also loved training the adults. She had devoted much of her time in the last few weeks to field training. She didn't want to be taken off guard again after her encounter with the Persian insurgents.

She intended to train Cera on the outskirts of the training field. She knew Navaz was doing an excellent job training Cera, and when she asked to fill in for a bit, Navaz gladly obliged. He learned a long time ago not to get in the way of Xena's desire to train others.

Cera brought her sword, which she honed the night before. When Xena approached, she sat down on the grass, adjusting her leather gauntlets. The princess jumped up and grabbed her blade, ready for her session.

Xena kissed Cera's forehead gently. "Navaz told me you've been working very hard."

"It hasn't been very easy," Cera admitted.

"I know, believe me." she grabbed Cera's shoulder and walked with her. "I've been told that you are very good at hand-to-hand combat."

Cera smiled, nodding her head.

Xena came to a standstill with a 'but' on her tongue. "But your sword skills may need some improvement. Isn't that right?"

"I have beat all the soldiers during practice rounds," said Cera, annoyed that her grandmother was even questioning her sword skills.

Cera easily defeated the novice soldiers in each weapon sparring contest. Cera had been trained informally since she was a child, and she had older siblings who taught her how to fight. She was also very tall, giving her an advantage over the remainder of the soldiers. Her height even surpassed her mother's and grandmother's.

Xena scratched the back of her neck, uncomfortably smiling at her granddaughter. Cera would be upset by what she was about to offer, but there was no other option.

"I brought someone for you to spar with."

Cera noticed Eksama approaching the field from a distance. Her pupils dilated and she shook her head. She had no intention of sparring with Eksama, she reasoned.

Xena grabbed her arm. "Eksama is an excellent swordswoman."

"Grandma, I can't spar with her! She will pummel me into the ground," Cera smacked her hands together and pointed to the dirt.

Eksama unsheathed her sword and smiled at her niece. "I won't hurt you," she said from afar. "It's been a while since I've sparred, so I'm using my dull sword."

Cera regretted consenting to this training after five minutes. She had lost count of how many times she had been flung to the ground. She was on her knees when she heard a sword sweep behind her and rolled out of the way. As Eksama swung the sword over her, she rose to her feet and bowed backward. Cera's gaze was drawn to the blade as it moved inches from her nose and over her head.

Xena stood off to the side, watching the fight and occasionally instructing Cera. Her gaze wandered from side to side as she watched Eksama thrust her blade and Cera run in circles.

"Cera, stop playing defense," she shouted.

It was useless. The princess was afraid of her aunt's sword slashing at her. She struggled to stand after collapsing to her knees. Eksama walked up behind Cera, threw her arm over her neck, and secured her in a headlock. Cera gasped, grabbing her aunt's arm and attempting to release herself.

The skirmish made Xena pinch the bridge of her nose. Cera was skilled at fighting inexperienced warriors, but she was not prepared for real warfare. She couldn't even get herself out of a lethal position.

"Okay, stop, stop," said Xena, as she walked across the field. "What are you doing?"

Cera was eventually freed from the headlock and gasped for air. She spat on the ground and stared at Eksama. She was about to face a lecture for which she was unprepared.

"Either the soldiers you sparred with are terrible at fighting and need to be retrained, or you aren't paying attention to Navaz's lessons." Xena stared at the princess, narrowing her eyes. "If you get yourself in that position, it's a sure way to know you'll die in seconds."

"I'm sorry. I will try better next time." Cera hung her head and wiped the blood from her nose.

Eksama spoke up, brushing her hair back. "You know, Cera, you're tall like me, but you're using your size against you."

Xena took a step back and quieted herself after being surprised by Eksama's advice. Perhaps it was best if the directive didn't come from her for a change. Cera was clearly defeated.

"I stayed within four feet of you while you ran away from me. I barely moved. Because of your height, it took you longer to respond to my attacks."

With the blade, Eksama drew a circle around her in the soil. She stood in the middle of it, looking Cera in the eyes. Even though she could tell the princess was incompetent and self-conscious about her fighting ability, she appeared eager to learn.

"People like us can't flee during a fight. We're too slow. Stay in a narrow circle to paralyze the attacker faster," she advised.

Cera appeared to grasp the concept, as her expression clearly communicated her thought process.

"Do you want to try again?" asked Xena.

Cera valued her determination as one of her best attributes. She continued to spar with Eksama and was flung to the ground several times more. Cera finally found her feet, recognizing Eksama's tactics, after the fifth attack attempt.

Stay in a narrow circle, thought Cera. Paralyze the attacker.

She charged at Eksama, ready to strike. At the last second, she spun around and wrapped her arms around Eksama's waist. She forced her weight forward, kept sprinting, and Eksama staggered backward and collapsed on the ground with a loud thud.

Eksama looked up at the dazzling brown eyes above her. Cera was straddled on top of her, giddy with delight. "Four-foot circle," she whispered. "Hop off me, will you? You're heavier than you look."

Gabrielle spent the majority of her day going through the documents Aurora had written. She was relieved that Aurora was taking her duty seriously, but she was concerned that the poor girl was isolating herself. Aurora had been under her mother's instruction since she came to Pannonia and had spent little time with anybody else.

That was a conversation to be had with her mother, thought Gabrielle. As she sorted through a second stack of papers, she felt a tap against her knee. Whipping her head around, she saw two big eyes gazing at her.

"Oh, hello there," she said.

Boran rubbed her eye. "Um, when's mama done with Khagana work?"

Gabrielle suspected the girl was referencing the urgent meeting. She wasn't sure why Arielle had brought Xerxes into the throne room so quickly. She'd find out later, but she had a feeling it had to do with Persia. Arielle and Xerxes had been talking in there for well over two hours.

"I'm not too sure, but she should be finished soon. How did you get in here?"

"I walked in," Boran said casually, pointing to the door.

Gabrielle smiled. "I meant, are you wandering around the Adame by yourself?"

"No, she's supposed to be with me," Anastasia announced, entering the library. "Boran, what did we talk about?"

The girl bit her fingernail. "Don't leave without you."

"That's right." Boran was scooped up and placed on her hip. "You should've been asleep."

With a groan, Boran buried her face in Ana's chest. Her urge to visit her mother prevented her from sleeping. Despite her best efforts, she eventually succumbed to Anastasia's soothing hums and fell asleep. Her arms drifted limp at her sides as she dozed off in a matter of minutes.

Gabrielle whispered, "That didn't take long."

"She's been awake for two days," said Ana in a soft tone. "Why is Arielle talking to Xerxes, do you know?"

Gabrielle simply shook her head and went back to organizing papers. Down the hall, Arielle's voice carried as did Xerxes. The cane Xerxes used clanked loudly on the wooden floors. In seconds, Arielle walked into the library with a stern look on her face.

"I need you to write a letter to Khosrow immediately," said Arielle, pointing to the governor.

She became self-aware when she heard her daughter snoring in her mother's arms. Her expression softened as she was overcome with shame. Arielle put her head down into her hands. Boran hadn't slept in days, and she remembered Ku asking for help. All of that was a distant memory for her.

"Please tell me you haven't been taking care of her this whole time," she said, eyeing her mother.

Anastasia cast a smile. "It's not a problem. I enjoy it."

Arielle tapped her lips. "When I'm finished with my work, I promise I will take Boran. I swear."

Estakhr, Persia

Nousha was ordered to relocate to Estakhr once the Shah learned about Zal Pasha's murder. Elam's palace was formally under investigation, which may last months. Nousha was relieved to be alone at the time. She pondered what would have unfolded if her granddaughters, son, and Arielle had remained in with her.

Though she despised admitting it, she was beginning to believe Xerxes was correct. This place was not safe. Despite being constantly guarded by the Shah's soldiers, she didn't feel any safer in Estakhr.

Khosrow entered the suite and dismissed all of the guards. Nousha looked at him with interest and moved away from the window. He flashed her a tight-lipped smile, ignoring his royal status for a moment. After all, Nousha had been there for him since he was born. She was also his brother's mother, and he couldn't simply discard her as a person who happened to reside in his palace.

"My troops are looking into the Pasha's death," he told her.

"Before Arielle left, I remember she was investigating Zal Pasha for some documents he had. Does his death have anything to do with that?" she asked.

Khosrow was aware that she had no idea what had occurred in the previous month. He was almost afraid to tell her, but she had a right to know. He motioned Nousha to join him at the table.

"The caravan was attacked before Xerxes could reach the Black Sea," he said softly. "He was kidnapped by the rebel group and tortured. Xena and Gabrielle found the camp and rescued him. I don't know how they did it, but he's in Pannonia now."

Nousha sat motionless as if a piece of her spirit had departed from her body. She was absolutely disturbed by the news. Her numbness was short-lived, as she leaped up and slammed her hand on the table.

"How was I not notified of this?" she shouted. "He is my son! Who did this to him?"

"Nousha, please sit down," he begged.

"What about my granddaughters? Arielle? Are they safe?"

"They are. Please sit." He pulled the chair out. Once she was seated and somewhat calmer, he explained further. "Adarmahan is in charge of the rebels. I think he has something to do with Zal Pasha's death, but it's just an assumption."

Nousha was not surprised to learn about Adarmahan. She had a feeling something was up with him when he was dispatched to scout Persia. He became distant for a man who used to be close to the Shah.

"I would like to send a letter to Xerxes."

"I can't let you do that. It's too dangerous to send correspondence from here to Pannonia." He stood up and fixed his robes. "I'll leave you for the evening. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask the guards. I'll let you know if there's new information."

As the Shah walked away, Nousha narrowed her eyes at him. She was too upset to show it, so she absorbed it. Her mind was racing with terrifying ideas. If she couldn't write to Xerxes, she could at least write to his aunt, Esther. The Shah made no mention of not sending letters to Assyria.

Pannonia

Gabrielle wasn't expecting to spend so much time with Arielle. The arrangements she had to meet up with Xena went up in smoke. Some grumbling had made its way into the Adame, so they intended to visit the chapel on the outskirts of the tribe. She wondered if Xena went to the church without.

She departed the Khagana's quarters after instructing a servant to notify Anastasia to have Boran visit Arielle. She told Arielle she wouldn't be working the rest of the evening and hoped she heard her.

When she got back, she saw Xena sitting on the bed. She tossed her bag to the ground and removed her boots. A shoe flew across the room and landed several feet away. She yanked off her coat and then strained and swore as she tugged at her stockings to remove them.

Xena took notice of her wife's odd behavior. "Where've you been?"

"With Arielle," she mumbled, throwing her stockings on the floor. "What have you been doing?"

"I'm hemming Anastasia's pants." She lifted the needle in one hand, and the spool of thread in the other.

Gabrielle's lip curled. "Doesn't she have maids to do that for her?" she snipped.

Xena frowned, feeling mildly insulted. "She specifically asked me. I wanted to do it anyway." She heard her wife grumble. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really."

"Well, you can sleep somewhere else because I'm not going to bed with you like...this."

Gabrielle sent a glare and then realized how rude she had been. Not even five minutes after seeing her spouse all day and she couldn't stop stressing. She took a breath and willed herself to be calm.

"I'm sorry," she muttered. "I was supposed to go with you to the church. I got pulled into...Khagana business. Did you go without me?"

Xena kissed her hand, accepting the apology. "Nah. I decided to spend time with Csaba after I trained Cera."

"How did the training go?"

How should she even get started? To put it mildly, it was a catastrophe. Xena was taken aback by Cera's poor skill with a sword. Cera had been taught the ways of the sword by her many times, that much she was certain of, but perhaps not thoroughly enough. While Csaba was an accomplished swordsman, Arielle's heart belonged to her bow and arrows. Cera, on the other hand, required extensive coaching.

"I was told that she excelled in hand-to-hand combat and bested all the soldiers. But when I let her spar with Eksama, she was black and blue by the end of it," she said.

Gabrielle chewed on her bottom lip. "Eksama is a great warrior. It's no surprise that Cera couldn't beat her."

"Gabrielle, she was terrible," she bluntly stated. "It was embarrassing. I think the soldiers are going easy on her during sparring sessions. Maybe they don't want to hurt a princess? I don't know."

"God," she uttered. "Sounds like she needs a lot of training."

What a modest statement. Xena had resolved to increase Cera's training from this point forward. She intended to have Eksama instruct her since she was confident in Eksama's ability to achieve success in training Cera.

Switching topics, she asked, "Have you seen the gorgeous girl who has Edemen wrapped around her finger?" she wriggled her eyebrows.

Gabrielle scuffed a laugh. "Öza? I've seen her a few times. Did you talk to her?"

"Not yet. I'll probably scare her," she said with a snicker. "Okay, I told you about my day. Tell me about yours."

She'd almost forgotten about the rest of her afternoon. Her muscles tensed as soon as she remembered her never-ending meeting with Arielle. Perhaps it would be better to express it aloud. After all, if she kept her mouth quiet, Xena would push her out of their bed.

"Khosrow forced Issik to marry his cousin," she revealed.

Xena lowered the needle into her lap. "What the hell is he thinking?"

"And Zal Pasha is dead, and Adarmahan is missing."

"I'm sorry I asked. Your day was rough."

Gabrielle placed her head in her wife's lap, exhausted by the retelling. She curled up and brushed her fingertips across Xena's thigh. She wouldn't mind if she fell asleep right here. This day couldn't come to an end soon enough.

Anastasia was relieved when the maid arrived. Boran awoke many hours earlier, restless, impatient, and irritable. She was eager to take Boran to see Arielle and wasted no time. Boran impatiently sought to open the big doors on her own as they got at Arielle's quarters.

Boran couldn't help but run inside the bedroom. She dashed to the bed and saw her mother sleeping. That only dampened her mood for a second before she jumped onto the bed, climbing over her mother's legs.

Arielle didn't even wake up from her deep sleep when a small child crawled all over her. She appeared to have transformed her bed into her office. Papers were strewn across the bed, with a few falling to the floor. Anastasia looked pityingly at her sleeping daughter. She took the papers and stacked them neatly on a desk.

When she turned back around, Boran had tucked herself into bed. Ana took the blanket and draped it over her daughter. She removed the kozak from Arielle's head carefully and set it on the bedside table.

When Arielle felt heat touching her, she opened her eyes and glanced at Boran, who was snuggled up next to her with an arm wrapped over her. She gave a comforting grin and tucked the blanket around her daughter.

Constantinople

Augusta Sophia invited Farah to accompany her on a tour of the market square. Farah wasn't looking forward to it, but she felt forced to go. She was certain Sophia felt the same way.

Farah knew she'd be surrounded by nobility again, so she dressed up in some of the finest clothes she'd packed. She felt she looked appropriate in a black vest, trousers, and a fitting robe with a belt drawing her waist in. She raced out of the room after looking in the mirror and fixing her headdress.

She was about to lock her door when she noticed the same Hun slave girl she met a week before, exiting one of the guest suites. Farah snatched the girl's arm and pulled her in.

"Come to my room after sundown," whispered Farah.

The girl nodded, not challenging the Hun queen in the least.

"Oh, and don't tell anybody."

"Yes ma'am."

Farah had predicted that the tour would be dull. Not to mention she was stared at everywhere she went with Sophia. Maybe she would have loved the bystanders' curiosity with her when she was younger, but she knew better now. These people did not admire her because she was beautiful. They considered her as an intruder on their territory.

They walked by a shop, and Farah was immediately drawn to it. She was in a foreign country, surrounded by strangers, yet she still liked jewelry. Augusta Sophia seemed to notice and volunteered to stop by the merchant's stall to see what he had to offer.

Farah selected a silver necklace encrusted with onyx gems. She couldn't say no when the shopkeeper offered to put the necklace on her. As she examined the shimmering jewelry in a small mirror, her fingertips traced the stones.

"I see that you like some of the finest jewelry," said Sophia.

"It's stunning," said Farah with a big smile.

"I can buy it for you," Sophia offered in a smooth tone.

Farah almost declined the good gesture, but she really liked the necklace. She couldn't recall the last time Csaba bought her jewelry. She also suspected that this was Sophia's method of pleasing her husband and being nice to her.

The purchase drew public attention, and the rude stares Farah received subsided. As she strolled through the market with Sophia, everyone seemed to relax around her.

"Do you have any children?" asked Sophia.

Farah nodded. "Four. Three sons and a daughter."

"Three boys! They must keep you very busy."

"Actually, my daughter is a handful. She's my youngest."

The empress laughed lightly and smiled as she passed through the crowd. "I know how that is. Even though my daughter is grown, she keeps me on my toes. She is simply in awe of you, by the way."

When they first met, the Byzantine princess was very invasive, and Farah remembered this clearly. Farah saw a lot of herself in Arabia, especially in her younger years. Everything in Arabia's life was spoon-fed to her, and she had no need to learn anything new. Farah had a similar upbringing, where she was pampered to no end by her father. Without Csaba, she might have ended up as clueless and ignorant as Arabia.

"It was nice of you to show me around the market, but I think we should head back now," said Farah. "I have a lot of reports to write."

Sophia was nearly insulted, but she agreed to walk back to the palace. She was not accustomed to someone being that direct with her.

"Perhaps on our next outing, I will convince you to buy a gown."

Farah chuckled nervously. Not a chance, she thought.

It was well after sunset, and Farah still hadn't heard anything from the girl. While waiting, she drank two servings. Farah heard a knock at the door and hurried to open it. The girl flashed an embarrassed grin and quietly entered the chamber.

"I am very sorry, Your Highness. I couldn't leave the princess' side."

She was shocked to find that the Hun queen was treating her like any other citizen. She removed her coat and hung it up before presenting her with tea and leftovers. She had gone without food for hours while caring for the princess. She sat down across from Farah, resisted the temptation to eat, and said nothing.

"Eat, please," insisted Farah.

The girl got herself a respectfully tiny serving of food. She ate in silence while Farah glanced at her and smiled sometimes. She looked away nervously at her food repeatedly.

"I would like to know more about your clan." Immediately, she saw the girl stiffen. "Whatever you tell me stays between us. You mentioned you're from the Caucasus. The Khagana's family is from there."

The girl's eyes twinkled. "Yes, we love the Khagana."

"How come your clan didn't join the empire?"

She shrugged. "My people keep to themselves. Our encampment is hidden in the mountains by the Caspian Sea. Nobody bothers us there."

The Caspian Sea. Farah was familiar with the location, and she knew Xena was well-versed in the tribes that formerly existed there. She pondered how this Barsils clan had managed to remain hidden for so long.

"And how did you end up here?" asked Farah.

The girl then started retreating inside herself. She described her terrifying abduction in Persian territory. She and her friends went on a hunting trip and wound up in Sassanian territory. Foreign slave dealers attacked them, and they were distributed all over Persia as commodities. Her group of friends dispersed after a few short months, and she found herself in Constantinople.

Farah's heart sank upon hearing the tragic story. "You've been a slave to the Byzantines for four years?"

"Yes ma'am," she mumbled.

She's just a child, thought Farah. Her childhood was ripped away from her when she was just eleven years old. She was not only taken away from her family but she was also sold to several people. Serving Justinian's family was certainly the least of the girl's concerns.

"I'm sorry that happened to you. Nobody should have to go through that."

The girl's face began to flush. There was a sudden outpouring of emotion in her. She buried her emotions about the topic for a long time. Her perspective shifted when she discussed the incident once more. She masked her tears by focusing on her food. As she tried to chew her food with the lump in her throat, Farah pulled her into a hug.

She became rigid and unresponsive, staring towards the ceiling. Her eyes met the queen's and tears began to fall. She jumped up from the floor as she suddenly comprehended what just happened.

"I should go to my quarters," she announced abruptly.

Farah stood, brows furrowed. "I hope I didn't make you feel uncomfortable."

"You didn't, ma'am." She grabbed her cloak and quickly threw it on. "They'll wonder where I've been."

"Alright," Farah said, sighing. "Before you go, will you tell me your name? Your real name."

The girl replied softly, "Fusun."

Pannonia

Xena loathed doing political work in the tribe on days like this. She was completely bored as she followed Gabrielle around the tribe. Gabrielle then spoke with all of the tribesmen and women, inquiring about grain, harvests, and supplies. Governor duties were exhausting. She chose to join Gabrielle because she hadn't had much time with her. She immediately regretted her decision.

A swarm of horsemen rode through the gates as they passed through the eastern side of the encampment. Xena covered her eyes with her hand to keep the sun out. Because the guards allowed these foreign horsemen to pass, they must not have posed a threat.

Xena took a step forward, blocking their pathway. Gabrielle's interest piqued off to the side, but she kept taking notes while the locals spoke to her.

The horsemen were clad in furs and leather, their eyes painted with kohl. One of the men spoke loudly, "We come from the Hinukh tribe, representing Tzes Bey."

It had been a few years since Xena heard that name. "What can we help you with?" she asked.

"We request to see the Khagana. It is a familial matter," he said sternly.

Xena looked back at the Adame and frowned. "She isn't available. You can speak with me and the governor," she thumbed at Gabrielle.

Although it was out of the ordinary, they met inside one of the Khagana tents set up in front of the Adame to have their discussion. Xena decided to keep her meetings outside because she didn't think the wooden palace was the greatest place to do it.

As far as the Hinukh riders were concerned, it was just as good as gathering in the Adame. The hungry horsemen were met with a tray of food and tea. Gabrielle watched them thoughtfully from her seat, curious about their motivations for visiting all the way in Pannonia.

Gabrielle prompted the conversation. "So, why have you come here?"

"It concerns the Bey's son, Kazem, and Princess Aurora," the rider, Tikmor, stated. "I believe the princess' hand was promised to Kazem Bey."

Xena narrowed her gaze. "Aurora is a child."

Gabrielle interjected, "I've had this conversation with Tzes Bey years ago. Aurora isn't of age to court his son and he knows that."

"Yes, governor," Tikmor said, eyeing Xena cautiously. "But we don't have anything in writing."

"She must be sixteen and she isn't even fourteen," she went on. "And it's her choice if she wants to court him. Those were the rules."

Tikmor sipped the tea, smiling. "Of course, governor. I'm just the messenger. I'm here on orders of Khagan Bayan."

"I thought you said you were here on Tzes Bey's orders," said Xena.

"I said I was representing the Bey. These are the Khagan's orders."

He pulled out a crumpled parchment from his coat pocket and tossed it over to Gabrielle. She caught it in mid-air and smoothed the creases in the parchment.

"What's this?"

"A letter from the Khagan," he said, snacking on the fruit. "He is planning to come to Pannonia for the princess' birthday."

"Bayan's got some nerve," Xena growled.

Gabrielle couldn't agree more. She was perplexed as to why Bayan sent these emissaries here. He could've easily written a letter. There had to be more information that nobody else was privy to.

"The Hinukh tribe was giving him some trouble in the past. Maybe Tzes Bey is pressuring Bayan into this courtship."

Xena scoffed at the idea. "It doesn't matter. He is pawning off his daughter like she's some expensive gemstone." She threw her hands up. "He hasn't seen Aurora in two years! Why does he suddenly want to show his face for her fourteenth birthday?"

"What better day to seal a courtship than on your daughter's birthday?" Gabrielle remarked.

Xena shook her head. "No. I'm not letting Bayan do this to Aurora."

"Arielle needs to make the decision." She jabbed her wife's chest.

"Not you."

Jab.

"Not me."

Jab. Jab.