Chapter 14—Deposed: Part I

Oran couldn't sleep last night because he was thinking about his sons. As they slept, he kept an eye on them. As of right now, they were eating whatever was put in front of them. Oran didn't know of anyone more welcoming than his mother. Seeing her grandsons again after such a long absence brought her great joy.

Nursing a cup of strong herbal tea, he felt a presence behind him. Yeter's hand materialized from the corner of his eye. She turned and sat down on the other side of the table from him. He ignored her and instead focused on watching his sons from a distance as he sipped his tea.

Yeter sat hunched over, running her fingers through her wet, long hair. Despite her low expectations of coming to Pannonia, she hoped her husband would at least acknowledge her presence.

"Ursula hardly slept. She watched the boys all night," she said.

Oran raised his eyebrow. "Don't say my mother's name."

She heaved a sigh. "I came here because I didn't have anywhere else to go."

He sent her a harsh glare. "Why are you not in prison? Did you escape? How did you get Tespar and Muqan out of Balaam?"

When this was said, Yeter blinked. Suddenly, she realized that no one was aware of what had happened in Persia.

"I...made a deal with Xena. She told me if I gave information about the empire, I could see my sons—our sons," she quietly said. "She made a plea deal with Issik to release Muqan and Tespar to me if he stopped attacking the tribes."

Oran put his drink down and looked at his two sons, who were sitting at the table together, laughing and smiling. Food was constantly being piled into their bowls by his mother. Although Tespar initially displayed some reluctance around Ursula, he eventually warmed up to her after witnessing his brother's favorable reaction to her. The frown returned to Oran's face as he sighed heavily and turned back to his wife.

"Xena was kind to you," he said.

"She was," she whispered. "I've spent a few months with our sons in Persia. There was an attack on the place I was staying in, and I fled. I didn't know where to go."

He acknowledged the situation by nodding. He reasoned that Yeter would do what she could to keep their sons safe, but he didn't have all the facts.

"Does anybody else know about this agreement you made with Xena? Because I wasn't told," he bitterly added.

"Arielle, Gabrielle, and Anastasia know," she said quietly.

"And nobody knows you're here?"

She shook her head.

Oran stood up and grabbed his coat. "Anastasia returned from Persia a while ago. I'll tell her that you're here."

When Yeter realized Anastasia might soon be entering the yurt, she nearly panicked. She subconsciously considered the possibility of being exiled to Anosbord again. Her newfound freedom was temporary, she knew. And at least she never had any truly hostile interactions with Anastasia, so at least they were on neutral ground. She had faith that Ana's judgments would be fair.

Muqan kept his younger brother amused by teaching him a game he had learned during his time in Pannonia. When he saw the game on the floor next to the hearth, he knew exactly what it was. The rest of the morning he spent teaching Tespar how to play, and he was impressed by how quickly his sibling picked it up.

Tespar squealed with delight as he rolled the winning wooden cube across the board. Sunlight caught his eye as he cheered, so he quickly swiveled his head out of the way. As Anastasia entered the yurt, he looked up at her with wide eyes and a gaping mouth.

Anastasia studied the two boys' expressions intently. Muqan, despite his young age, seemed to recognize her. His reaction left her perplexed. His gaze suggested either alarm or interest.

She looked at the wooden board on the floor. "Are you two playing a game?" she asked.

The two princes nodded their heads in silence.

Ursula, concerned that she wasn't hearing any cheerful banter, came in from the next room. She hurried over and welcomed Anastasia.

"Anastasia, welcome," she anxiously greeted. "Did Oran return with you?"

"No, he's with Csaba."

She knelt down, presenting her best smile to the young princes. They stepped backward together, colliding with Ursula.

"I heard you two had a long journey. I also know you two like games. There's plenty of things to do here. I brought two people for you both to meet."

Two young girls entered the yurt warily as Muqan and Tespar cast their gaze in that direction. They looked equally perplexed and turned their attention to the girls.

Aracsilla flipped her auburn hair over her shoulder as she smiled at the boys. She greeted Ursula with a casual, "Hey, Ursula."

"Hello, princess..." she replied with a wry smile.

Ana's eye-roll was subtle. "This is Aracsilla and Emese. They will show you two around the tribe," she told the princes. "Girls, this is Muqan and Tespar. They'll be staying here for a while, so make them feel welcome."

Aracsilla did not think twice before grabbing Tespar and Muqan's hands. She was overjoyed to be spending even a portion of the day away from home and her studies. Anastasia grabbed her shoulder as she cheerily attempted to leave.

"If you misbehave, I will tell your mother," Ana whispered in her ear.

"I'll make sure we don't get into trouble," Emese chirped.

Aracsilla glared at her cousin. When she dragged Tespar and Muqan out of the yurt, Emese quickly followed.

Ursula stifled a laugh. "They remind me of Arielle and Cera."

Anastasia cracked a small grin as she recalled some warm memories. Then, in a split second, her regal expression of stoicism returned.

"Where is Yeter?"

Elam, Persia

Wasifah, who was standing guard outside of Arielle's quarters, straightened up as Xena approached. Xena kept staring at her despite her attempts to avoid direct eye contact.

"Is Arielle inside?" asked Xena.

"Yes, Khanum."

"I would like to talk to her."

Wasifah briefly made eye contact. "Shall I announce your arrival?"

Xena winced and raised a hand. "That isn't necessary. Just open the doors."

As she passed Wasifah, she cast an ominous glance in her direction. She couldn't fathom why the Persian soldiers were so solemn at any hour. Moving deeper into the suite, she saw that the room was in shambles. Stepping carefully, she avoided the piles of boots and blouses that lay on the floor. This place usually sparkled because the maids had cleaned it twice a day.

When Xena learned that Arielle hadn't ventured out of her quarters in a week, she knew she had to investigate. For a moment, she was beginning to regret her decision to enter this room. On the bed, Xena discovered a collection of discarded dishes.

She whirled around to see what was causing a muffled humming sound to emanate from the next room. She turned the corner slowly, grinning at the pitiful scene that met her eyes.

Arielle was snoozing in her chair, her head on the desk. Her table was covered with stacks of papers. There were also numerous papers lying around on the ground.

Xena ran a gentle hand across Arielle's back. Arielle jumped and whipped her head around abruptly.

It was a while before Arielle realized that she had slept through most of the day. She mumbled, "I...fell asleep," as she rubbed her temple.

"I came to check on you."

She scurried through the stack of papers hastily. With a mumbled resolution, she reached for the quill and continued writing.

Xena stood, perplexed, by the reaction. "This...this place is a mess, Arielle."

Arielle wrote furiously, flipping through several papers. "What's the status on Kaantang and Katayoun?"

"Gabrielle is interviewing them right now."

"Any news on Bawi in Assyria?"

"Not yet," she tersely replied. "Maybe you should take a break."

Arielle dipped the quill into the inkpad, and asked, "And what about Adarmahan? Is he looking into the attack that happened in Kerman?"

"Mhm...yeah."

She hadn't seen Arielle act this strange in a long time. One of the first hints was the disarray in the room. As a result of her nervousness, Arielle's problems often manifested themselves externally rather than internally. There was no way to get her attention except for a very serious threat.

"Abbaseh is back in the infirmary," Xena said.

Arielle whirled around. "What?"

"I finally have your attention."

Aghast, she grimaced. "Did you just lie to me?"

"It got you to look at me." she pulled up a chair. "Abbaseh's fine, but I'm more worried about you. What's going on?"

Arielle crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the piles of paperwork in front of her. She was able to shut herself up in her room for days, but it seemed like she accomplished very little. This discussion would only add more time to her already full plate.

"I...really do have a lot of work to do," she managed to say, just above a whisper.

Xena decided not to pry further. "Alright, how can I help?"

She seemed to be taken aback by the offer, and her demeanor shifted abruptly. She shifted uneasily in her seat and shot her grandmother a suspicious glance. She felt the same sense of impending doom as she had just a few days prior upon taking another look at the piles of papers and the ones on the floor.

"Well, I have supply orders to sign for the army, grievance letters to send to the families who died in the attack, finances to approve that Farah sent over, council documents to review for budgeting and warfare."

She waited for her grandmother to interrupt her, but her silence indicated that she had her full attention.

She continued, "And I'm supposed to be reviewing Xerxes' report on the rebel investigation. Oh, and I need to read the Shah's report from last month and make suggestions for border control."

"Is that all?" Xena teasingly said with a smile. "Let's start with something easy. I know how to do military supply orders and review warfare budgets."

Arielle started frantically looking for the necessary paperwork. As more papers disappeared into the shuffle, Xena watched passively. After becoming flustered from observing the chaotic scene, she rubbed the nape of her neck.

She took Arielle's hand in hers. "How about we sort the documents into the categories you mentioned earlier?"

Both Kaantang and Katayoun sat together in the library, ready to answer questions frankly. What questions have been asked so far have all been answered to the best of their ability. As the interrogation progressed, they were eventually split up and questioned individually. Katayoun stayed in the library with Gabrielle, while Xerxes offered to question Kaantang elsewhere.

"You already mentioned that you haven't been invited to any special events in over a decade," Gabrielle began.

"Yes, that's correct."

"Yet when the attack occurred in this palace, you and your husband fled to the outskirts of Elam. Can you tell me more about that?"

Katayoun anxiously rubbed her hands together. "We purchased that estate a long time ago. When we saw how dangerous it was to be here, we decided to leave."

Gabrielle jotted down some notes. Of all her years of interrogation, this one was the least interesting. With this new knowledge, she could see why Xerxes didn't think it was worthwhile to question everyone. Katayoun and her husband were a bit strange, but they posed no real danger to anyone.

"You didn't tell your husband that Xena and I came to your home. Why is that?"

"Do not assume I had ill intent, governor," Katayoun said with a nervous laugh. "My family has not had the best interactions with the Sassan family in the past. We didn't support the previous Shahs in power."

"What about the other Houses? Do you have good relationships with them?"

"In the past, I can say that we have not. This was due to our hostile relationships with the former Shahs. Now, I am not sure what the other Houses think about my family."

There was no point to this interrogation. Gabrielle reread her notes and scratched out the last of her questions. They weren't important anymore, and Katayoun probably wouldn't have helpful responses. She turned the page to review her thoughts on Shehzada Esther's exchanges with Katayoun. Gabrielle could not help but dig deeper into the situation to find the truth, despite Xena's assurances that she would continue investigating the relationship between Esther and Bawi.

She closed her journal and smiled at Katayoun. "I know you said your family hasn't had the best history with the Sassanian Shahs, but what about any other family members?"

Katayoun shelved her eyebrows. "I don't know what you mean."

"You know; did your family have better relationships with other members of the Sassan family?"

With mild hesitation, she answered, "My stepsons once served in the army under Shehzade Xerxes. They were promoted to officers and got along well with the Shehzade."

Gabrielle nodded, slowly seeing the woman's confidence falter. "Anyone else? Shahbanu Sambice? Any contact with her?"

"Heavens no. That woman was awful."

"No argument there," Gabrielle whispered. "What about Shehzada Esther?"

"I...I've talked to her a few times."

Gabrielle's smile widened. "Only a few times?" she reached into her satchel and pulled out the translated documents. "I have several records of you and Esther talking over the years. You even helped her with multiple charities."

Katayoun grabbed the papers out of Gabrielle's hands to look at them herself. As she turned the pages, her nostrils flared and her breathing became more labored.

"W-where did you get these? These are my personal journal logs from my home!" she growled.

"How I got them isn't important. Your last entry was almost a year ago. Was that the last time you talked to Esther?"

Over the course of nearly three hours, the piles of paperwork were sorted into their respective categories and prioritized accordingly. The last pile was placed on the desk, and Xena let out a sigh of relief. She looked around the room and noticed how clean it was, in stark contrast to how it had appeared just a few hours earlier. She felt like she had accomplished a lot and was ready to call it a day. Who knew it would be so tiring to organize legal documents? It was times like this when she failed to appreciate Gabrielle's work.

When she turned around, she saw Arielle remove some herbs from her pant pocket. Xena, on the sidelines, cocked an eyebrow.

Arielle leaned on the desk, massaging her lower back to steady herself. She inhaled slowly as she slowly chewed the medicine to dull the pain. She whirled around when she became aware that her grandmother was staring. Posture re-established; she made her way across the room.

"Thank you for all your help today."

"Anything to make your job easier," Xena said. "So, what's the medicine for?"

Arielle distinctively tried to chew the herbs slower. "I...I've had some back pain recently."

"Back pain, huh. Is that from sitting at your desk all day?"

"Must be," Arielle replied with a nervous laugh.

"You've been taking that medicine for over a week now. Your room is a mess, you're exhausted, and you're lying to me. I've seen this all before. You have a bad track record of hiding your stress. What's really going on, Arielle?"

Xena sat rigid, staring, arms folded, determined to find answers. Arielle avoided responding to her by diverting her gaze. Xena's brows furrowed as she waited in the uncomfortable silence.

"Should I start guessing?"

Arielle relented. "No, I'll tell you." she sighed deeply. "I...I'm pregnant," she said under her breath.

"I certainly wouldn't have guessed that."

Arielle rolled her eyes and scuffed her heel on the floor.

"When did you find this out?"

"Two months ago..."

Xena's eyes flared amid the shock. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"To be fair, I didn't tell anyone, so don't feel like you're out of the loop," she snarked. "Xerxes figured it out a month ago, but he was waiting for me to tell him."

"He is a very observant man," Xena said with admiration. "Only Xerxes knows?"

"And Ku."

"Of course. I should've known. She always keeps your secrets."

After reentering her room, all of her duties weighed heavily on her mind as she sat on her bed. In a rare display of affection, her grandmother, who was sitting next to her, hugged her on the side. The simple act of resting her head on her grandmother's shoulder helped Arielle's tense shoulders unwind.

"Xerxes is supposed to tell Nousha tonight," she said softly.

"She doesn't know?"

"I'm going to be a prisoner here; I just know it."

Xena was upset by this and wanted to say something to Nousha, but she knew it wouldn't be appropriate. She sensed Arielle's apprehension about remaining in Persia indefinitely because of the country's heir-related traditions.

"Maybe you should go back to Pannonia and take the girls with you."

Arielle pulled her head upright. "But Nousha is going to keep me here!"

"Arielle, she is not a queen. She doesn't have authority over you."

It finally hit her. She ranked higher than Nousha and Xerxes. She wasn't obligated to stay here. Nobody had ever said those words to her since she arrived in Persia. Her voice was important even when she didn't think it was.

"Your mother has more authority than Nousha does. Hell, I have more authority than her."

Arielle cracked a smile. "Thanks for saying that."

"All I'm saying is that you've always respected Persian traditions, but you would be more comfortable in Pannonia. This place isn't safe."

"I'd much rather be in Pannonia," she agreed. "What about Abbaseh and Boran? They didn't grow up there. Their whole upbringing has been here, in Persia."

Xena shrugged. "They'll get used to it."

She warmed to the notion gradually, but monarchial commitments kept getting in the way.

"What about you and Gabrielle?"

"We can stay here. I think we know how to handle ourselves."

"But what if you need me?"

"We can manage. You act like Gabrielle and I haven't done this sort of thing before." She ran her fingers through Arielle's hair. "So, will you go to Pannonia? You can always come back here."

Despite her apprehension, she attempted to convince herself that returning to her country was the right choice.

"I was already supposed to move back anyway," she reasoned.

"That's right..."

"I'll tell Xerxes that I want to move back home. We can tell the girls and Nousha together."

Xena immediately shook her head. "Oh, whoa, I don't think you should blindside Nousha. I think you two should tell her in private before telling the girls. You can't do that to her."

"I thought you said she didn't have authority over me," said Arielle, arching her eyebrow.

"She's still your mother-in-law, Arielle. She doesn't deserve that."

Gabrielle emerged from the bathroom, shaking out her wet hair. She tossed the towel onto a chair and hopped onto the bed, gently tousling her hair as she did so.

In the midst of finger-combing her hair, Xena felt the bed shift beneath her. Gabrielle reached around from behind and snatched Xena's hair, then reached for a comb.

Raking through the knots in her wife's hair, she giddily started conversation. "Guess who found out some juicy information?"

Xena crookedly smiled. "Don't keep me guessing."

"Katayoun spilled all the details of her meetings with Esther," she said proudly. "Esther has done a lot of charitable work throughout Persia, but all of her donations were stolen by her previous husband."

"Well, that is juicy."

"And get this; Katayoun was the first to know about Esther and Bawi's marriage. They stopped communicating through letters when the marriage was finalized."

"Did she say anything about Bawi?"

"She was very careful not to say anything incriminating. But she said enough for me to think that Bawi has nothing to do with the rebel group."

"She basically confirmed that he's an asshole, then," Xena established.

Gabrielle put down the comb and reach for the oil with a chuckle. She applied the oil to her wife's hair liberally. She slid the hair along Xena's thigh while pulling out strands to gauge their length.

Xena raised an eyebrow and looked down to see a chunk of her hair slithering down her thigh.

"What are you doing?" she asked over her shoulder.

"Seeing how long your hair is—mid-thigh, I think. Next in line to Ana's hair!"

Xena puffed. "That girl's hair is down to her ankles," she said.

Gabrielle crawled to the end of the bed and lay on her side, propping her head up. "What exciting things did you do today? I saw you this afternoon and then you disappeared."

"I helped Arielle clean her room."

"Oh, fun."

"I...ah, I told her to move back to Pannonia and take the girls with her." she lifted her gaze to see Gabrielle's confused eyes staring back at her. "I also told her that you and I are going to stay here."

Sitting up, Gabrielle gave her full attention. "And you said this to her because...?"

"Because...she's pregnant and I don't think Persia is safe for her."

Gabrielle wrinkled her brows and tucked her bottom lip into her mouth. She held her ankles and rocked back and forth as she tried to absorb the shocking information.

"Wow. This changes everything."

"I know."

Trying to be optimistic, Gabrielle said, "I think it's good that she's moving back to Pannonia. She'll be with her parents and now Cera is back there too."

"She'll definitely have more support."

"And she's been super stressed since she came to Persia."

"And Navaz hasn't seen her in almost two years."

"Right, yeah."

For a while, they were both unable to break the awkward silence that had fallen between them. When they locked eyes, they both heaved a collective sigh of relief.

Gabrielle broke the silence. "This is going to be hard on everyone."

"It's a goddamn mess," Xena said, tossing the comb side. "Why are we doing all the heavy lifting? Khosrow should be doing most of the work. This is his empire. He put his brother's family in danger."

"Maybe this is for the better."

"What?"

Gabrielle explained, "Maybe it's better that Arielle isn't here. She can sign a document allowing you to be regent in Persia. We won't need her permission to do anything while she's in Pannonia. We've done that before."

"If she gives the role of regent here, then she can focus on pushing Justinian out."

"And I can handle all the legal documents."

There was a gradual realization dawning on her. Xena's excitement at the prospect of resolving Persia's issues in one year or less reached a fever pitch. She was so wrapped up in her daydreams that she failed to notice her sly grin.

Gabrielle was seized by the shoulders and given a long, passionate kiss on the lips. The kiss was so intense that it took all the breath out of her. After breaking off the kiss, she sat there and stared at her wife in shock.

"You," Xena cupped her wife's face, "are brilliant. You just might have solved all our problems."

Gabrielle, glowing from the compliment, was eager to share the good news with Arielle. To get her wife off the bed, she reached over and grabbed her hand.

"We should go tell Arielle. I know she'll feel a lot better about this!"

Xena gently prompted her to sit back on the bed. "She's supposed to tell Nousha about the move tonight."

And just like that; her dreams were crushed. "Tomorrow..."

Arielle found Xerxes before he met with his mother and intervened. She had time to deliberate on the decision to relocate to Pannonia, and by the end of that time, she was convinced that it was the best course of action. She spent the last hour convincing Xerxes that the move was essential. Her primary concern was for the security of herself and her daughters.

Xerxes was not enthusiastic about the plan, but he ultimately decided it was in the best interest of his empire to carry it out. Though he would prefer to have Arielle by his side, he is unable to do so because of his obligations in Persia.

They invited Nousha to dinner in an effort to soften the blow of the conversation. Since Arielle had no idea what to expect from tonight, she had plenty of food ready just in case. There were roasted peppers and squash, fresh bread, and a pheasant stuffed with herbed rice and candied dates.

The arrival of Nousha was announced once the dishes had been served. Arielle grabbed Xerxes' hand and gave it a tight squeeze.

"Remember, I'm here with you," he whispered.

Eventually, Nousha made her way over to the floor and sat down. Right away, she was taken aback by the variety of food and began perusing the serving dishes. Her face lit up at the delicious smells wafting through the air.

"Is that pheasant?" she asked. "It's my favorite."

"Arielle requested it just for you."

When this was said, Nousha nodded in approval. While waiting for her son to finish preparing a plate for her, she observed Arielle's unusually subdued demeanor. It was as if her thoughts were elsewhere.

"You two either are being extremely nice to me or you want something," she said, picking apart the pheasant with her fingers. "I don't normally have dinner alone with you two, or at all."

Xerxes nibbled at his dinner while eyeing his wife's empty plate. To get her to eat, he gave her a light prod on the elbow. Arielle's wet eyes lifted and she was greeted with a soft, reassuring smile.

"Arielle and I discussed something important and we thought we'd tell you before the girls," he said.

"Oh?"

"We agreed that she and the girls move to Pannonia within the next month. It isn't safe for them to be in Elam, especially with these rebels running around. I'm going to stay here until we have a better idea of who's behind this."

Nousha kept chewing her food and glanced at her son. "I'm not too thrilled about Abbaseh and Boran being so far from me, but...I suppose it is better for them to be safe," she relented with a sigh.

He was prepared to defend himself, but his mother's cool response to the news caught him off guard. She had been opposed to the girls leaving Persia for months. Maybe it was only after the attack that she realized how serious the situation really was.

"Good. This is good news," he rejoiced. "This is good news," he repeated, grabbing hold of Arielle's hand.

Arielle, instead of sharing in his happiness, started whimpering. Stopping her nibbling, Nousha furrowed her brows and stared in bewilderment. Arielle kept crying despite Xerxes's best efforts to comfort her. She got up and went into the next room with haste.

After cleaning her hands, Nousha sat quietly in response to the cries coming from the room beyond the door. She had assumed that returning to her homeland would make Arielle very happy. It was strange to see Arielle so upset, as she had never seen her cry before.

"Is something wrong with her?" she asked.

Xerxes felt his heart racing and the adrenaline pumping through his veins. He set down his food and spoke sternly to his mother. "She was very nervous to have this meeting with you," he began.

She chortled. "Why? I did not disagree with her taking the girls."

"Mother, she's pregnant and that's why she's moving back to Pannonia."

Her mouth fell open. "She's pregnant?" she eyed the door. "Why didn't she tell me?"

"Maybe it's because of how much pressure you've been putting on her to uphold our customs. Abbaseh and Boran were both born in Pannonia, but you made her follow our customs."

As a result, Nousha smacked her hand down hard on the carpet. "She could have the baby in Persia, but instead she's leaving! Xerxes, you can't just let her go!

"She's leaving, mother," he roared.

"It'll be months before you see her again. You are committing a sin by acting against all of the norms that have been established by this family."

"Mother, she's not one of us," he clouted his chest. "The 'right' way to do things is not always right."

"The reason your father didn't put you in line to become Shah is clear to me now. You can't even follow the most basic of rules," she sneered.

Xerxes was well aware of his mother's infamously sharp tongue, but he had rarely been on the receiving end of her wrath. When he married Arielle, he naively believed that she would eventually soften, but he was wrong. Her habits were deeply ingrained, and she would always be loyal to the empire's ways.

"If that's what you believe, then maybe I shouldn't be a prince of this empire anymore."

He boldly strode into the adjacent room where Arielle was waiting. He took her by the hand and dragged her along. Arielle dabbed her cheeks dry of tears.

"W-where are we going? Did you talk to her?"

"We're leaving."