Chapter 20—Fair Trade: Part III
It was midafternoon and once Csaba was briefed on what happened between his wife and Yeter, a rage built within him. Before long, the entire household could hear his booming voice, yelling at Farah in the upstairs quarters. The chambermaids hastily evacuated the upstairs quarters and found other tasks to keep themselves busy downstairs.
Aracsilla, still confined to her quarters, heard her monarch parents arguing with each other. For the first time, she heard her father raise his voice at her mother. Öza was kind enough to bring a few games to keep the princess occupied, but Aracsilla was disinterested.
Sitting in the room, Anastasia stole fleeting glances at her young granddaughter, hoping the bickering would come to a halt. The entire ordeal with Farah and Yeter was a shock to the clan and it proved that nobody was safe. Anastasia hoped Arielle would come up with a decision soon. Very soon.
After much convincing, Aracsilla began practicing weaving on a corkboard. She became fixed in a trance, and at that, Öza slipped away to grab some tea.
Öza returned swiftly and walked over to the Khatun. "Would you like some tea, Khatun?" she kindly asked.
Anastasia flicked her wrist dismissively.
It wasn't like the Khatun to refuse kind gestures, as Öza had heard. She had not spent much time with the woman, but in her opinion, Anastasia was easier to get along with than Queen Farah.
She took a seat on the bed next to the princess and pretended to watch the weaving. Echoes of Csaba and Farah's arguments filled the entire Adame. Öza glanced over at Anastasia, noting the frustration and distress across her face.
"This can't go on for much longer, Khatun, do not worry," she said.
Anastasia looked up from her lap. Just as she opened her mouth, a loud bang rattled the walls. She shot out of the chair and listened to the sound of boots clomping upstairs. There were two people, at least, maybe three. She wasn't too sure. But the bickering stopped.
"Grandma Khatun, what was that?" asked Aracsilla.
"I don't know." She touched the child's cheek. "Öza will go find out for us."
Terrified, Öza paled at the request. She didn't want to be put in the crossfire upstairs and cross boundaries. She locked eyes with the Khatun and felt compelled to do as she was told. Surely the Khatun did not mean to put her in harm's way and she trusted that faith blindly.
Even though she was feeling ill, Arielle needed to put a stop to this. She and Wasifah entered the home together and stomped their way up the stairs. Wasifah kicked the door open, exposing Csaba and Farah. Each stared with doe-eyes.
Arielle stepped through the doorway, sweat beads forming on her forehead. The trip up the stairs felt like she had made several runs through the field.
"I can hear you two from my bedroom," she said. "I live in a completely different home! You are scaring my daughters. That is enough." She swiped her hand across her throat.
Her icy tone turned the room wholly silent. It was Csaba who stepped forward, thinking to apologize to his sister.
"I'm sorry. We carried on too long," he muttered.
Arielle acknowledged her brother's apology, as he was very embarrassed. Her focus set on Farah, who illuminated fear and remorse. The queen's whites of her eyes were bloodshot from crying, and her cheeks rosed. Arielle sat on the punishment for Farah for a while, and today was the final straw.
"Farah, I've decided on your punishment," she began. "You're going to Constantinople and will act as my emissary. You will be stationed there for four months, minimum."
The queen's mouth dropped open. Farah never imagined being asked to leave the tribe as one of the punishments she expected. It wasn't an assignment; it was a temporary exile with monarchial responsibilities.
Arielle went on to say, "While you two were biting each other's heads off, I talked to Ebnedzar and he told me that the Byzantines want to buy our land. I need to know more about Justin and Sophia and what their plans are."
"And what about Yeter? She is not innocent," Farah retorted.
"She did not stab anyone," Arielle pressed. "The incident with Aracsilla was an accident."
"How do you know that?"
"Emese told me what happened. It was purely an accident and nothing more."
Farah curled her hands and uncurled them several times. "She could have told her sons to harm my daughter! You are defending her! You—"
"You attacked a member of our tribe," Arielle's voice rose to a chilling echo. She had had enough of Farah talking over her, spluttering rumors, and false accusations. "We are done here. You will leave for Constantinople in three days."
Leaving quickly, Arielle was followed by Wasifah. She froze in the threshold when she heard Farah hurl something at the wall. She paused for a moment, eyes closed, to collect herself.
She found a young woman waiting in the wing and examined her. The woman was dressed too elegantly to be a chambermaid.
"Who are you?"
Öza struggled to speak in front of the monarch, her head bent. She knew she shouldn't have come up here to look into the loud sounds. The Khagana was smaller than she had anticipated. Arielle was shorter than her siblings and that said a lot, considering her entire family was tall. However, she was not at all short when compared to the average person. Her height towered over most, including the terrified Öza.
"My name is Öza," she stated.
Arielle looked to Wasifah for answers, who simply shook her head. "What are you doing up here?"
Trembling, Öza replied, "The Khatun told me to...find out where the loud noise came from, Khagana."
"My mother is here?" asked Arielle, miffed. "Where might I find her?"
"In the princess' room, Khagana."
Arielle thanked the young woman and descended the stairs slowly. She clung to Wasifah's hand for support, terrified of falling down the stairs. Her body couldn't take walking from Adame to Adame or climbing enormous staircases. She was well aware that she had overdone it.
"Go to my father. Tell him to inform Ursula and Ebnedzar that Farah's punishment has been decided."
Wasifah nodded, and then asked, "What of the Gokturk queen?"
"I'll decide later when Farah is gone." She stopped in front of Aracsilla's room and smiled at the officer. "Thank you. My mother can walk me home."
Gokturk Territory, Balaam
The Gokturk army easily let Xena and Gabrielle into the encampment this time around. It would've been a lot easier if they had done that the first time. Issik was informed of their arrival almost immediately. His troops caroused them into the throne chamber.
Issik hopped off the throne with a smug look about him. "I didn't expect to see you back here so soon. Are my six months of peace already up?"
"Don't act like you haven't been keeping count," said Gabrielle.
Before they arrived in Balaam, they both agreed that Gabrielle would do most of the talking. Although, from this first encounter, Xena wasn't too sure if she made the right decision. Gabrielle was on edge ever since they left Pannonia. Sure, they were tired and in desperate need of a bath. But focus was needed.
He snickered. "Well, if my six months of peace aren't up, then why are you two here?"
Gabrielle took a deep breath before explaining, "We have a new deal for you."
Suddenly, the young king was on high alert. "Has something happened to my mother?"
She dared not to tell him about the stabbing. So, she lied. "Your mother is fine. We've come here to propose a new peace treaty with you since you did so well over the last few months."
Issik raised an eyebrow. "Do not patronize me. I can attack the tribes at any given moment."
"What if you were able to attack someone else and be allowed back into the Hun empire?" Gabrielle suggested. She saw some interest spark in his eye. "There's a Persian rebel camp not far from here. If your army attacks the camp, we will let you back into the empire and you will pay a tax."
"Wow, a war request at my own expense. And if I win, I get to pay more money? What a steal," he mocked. "Why should I do this?"
Xena stepped forward. "You are wedged in between two powerful empires, Issik. Your kingdom is an ant compared to those who surround you. Take the deal. You would be a fool not to."
He was not going to sway on his decision and easily give in. Attacking any Persian army was usually a death sentence due to the sheer size of the army. If he was going to accept this new deal, he wanted more than what was originally offered.
"If I'm to accept this, hypothetically, I want access to the trade markets in Pannonia."
"Done," Xena agreed.
"And a tax cut."
Gabrielle wiped her nose and sighed. "That would put too much of a strain on the empire. You can't have both, Issik."
"Alright," he placated. "Then give me my mother and brothers back."
That was an unequivocal no. Issik imprisoned and guarded his brothers from the outside world over the years. They knew nothing save the walls that surrounded them. Negotiating with a man who had barely made it as an independent monarch was difficult. Gabrielle had no choice but to take the tax break.
"Your mother is a political prisoner. The tax cut is feasible," she concluded. Behind her, she heard Xena groan disapprovingly. What else could she do?
Issik was gracious enough to let Xena and Gabrielle stay within the former Adame because the trek back home would be lengthy and difficult. He was at the pinnacle of his ego when he decided to offer them the old suite that had formerly belonged to Anastasia many years ago.
Upon entering the bed chamber, a rush of joyful and painful memories rushed in. This room was specifically decorated for Anastasia's arrival in Balaam and her marriage to Navaz. The room next to it was built prior to Arielle's birth, a gift given from Tuya. The room, now, was unrecognizable. Only a bed was in the center of the room, plain crimson drapes on the floor-to-ceiling windows, and a rug near the hearth.
This place, once lively, felt like a den to lost souls and spirits.
Water was delivered into the bath chamber to fill the pool. The water was cold and not evenly heated. When asked about the lack of warm water, the maids stated that the money to heat more than one bath was prohibitively expensive. As a result, Xena and Gabrielle had to make do with what they had. They were willing to put up with the cold water for a short while because they hadn't bathed in a few days.
And it was definitely a quick bath. They huddled in bed beneath the sheets, staring at the ceiling. Nothing but candlelight in the darkness.
"When we get home, I am taking a very long hot bath," said Gabrielle, shivering.
"I'll join you." Xena side-eyed her wife, smiling. "He gave us this room on purpose. I can almost hear the conversations we've had in here."
Gabrielle rested her head on Xena's shoulder. "It's been so many years."
"Yes," she murmured. "I don't trust Issik."
"Me either, but he knows he's in a bad spot. He can't even heat the baths!" she cackled. "I can see why he wanted a tax break. He can't afford to keep this sorry empire afloat."
Xena hummed a laugh. "What empire? The boy doesn't know how to run anything on his own. Look at this place. It looks like a graveyard."
She didn't realize she was as tired as she was. Her body glued itself to the bed and refused to move even an inch. Gabrielle touched her hand, intertwining their fingers. Though her body was tired, her mind was not. She managed to peek at her wife, who was very much awake.
"You have been a little jumpy lately," she whispered.
Gabrielle pinched her face in. "We traveled a lot. And I'm tired." She rubbed her thumb along the hand she held. "I don't think I like traveling as much anymore. Can we make important decisions inside our home from now on?" she said half-jokingly.
"I'm with you there."
Gabrielle sat up on her elbow, hair falling in her eyes. "You're not going to argue against it?"
"No," said Xena, laughing lightly. "I'm older than you, Gabrielle. I'm tired too."
With exuberance, Gabrielle plopped against the pillows. Gleefully, she said, "Let the younger ones handle things from now on. We tell 'em what to do, and we stay home. I like this plan."
Xena rolled her eyes and softly kissed Gabrielle before rolling onto her side. She snuggled the blankets up to her chin and closed her eyes for a pleasant and hopeful slumber.
"Can't wait to get out of this hellhole come morning," she grumbled.
Dinner was quiet between Oran and his parents. Nobody wanted to address the issue suffocating the room, and the increasingly long silence made Oran's skin crawl. His appetite disappeared halfway through the meal, catching his mother's attention.
"How could you agree that Farah's punishment was fair?" he announced.
Ebnedzar gulped the wine and bit into a piece of goat, right off the bone. He gave his son a stern look while keeping an eye on his wife to see if she would respond. She kept her mouth shut.
"Why're so upset?" he asked his son. "You don't even care about Yeter."
"The punishment was no punishment. Farah's being sent on a political mission."
"And what would you have done, huh?" Ebnedzar spat, his wife grabbing his hand firmly. "Kill her? Kill her for a woman who waged a war against the empire?" he locked eyes with his son. "Get over yourself, Oran. Divorce Yeter and move on."
When Tespar walked over, Oran's desire to dispute with his father vanished. He despised looking at his sons because they reminded him of lost time. He didn't know any of his sons, who were wary of him. Oran gave a weak smile to the child.
Tespar huddled to Ursula, clutching his blanket to his chest. "Can I have some milk?" he whispered.
Ursula smiled and patted his back. She could feel her son's pain when she looked at him. It must have been a dreadful feeling to be so near to your children yet not know them.
"Ah, why doesn't your father get you the milk?" she suggested. "He can bring it to your room."
It was clear that the child was torn between two options. Despite the fact that he had only known his grandmother for a short time, he felt at ease around her. He also felt at ease around his mother, whom he had only recently met. On the other hand, he hadn't spent much time with his father.
Tespar padded back to his room, muttering something inaudible to his father. Oran took that response to suggest everything was well.
Oran took the milk to his son in the back of the yurt. Ursula angled her head, waiting for him to disappear from view. Once she had turned around, she slapped Ebnedzar on the thigh.
"Why are you being so hard on him?" she asked.
"You know very well that he should divorce her, Ursula," he said, disgruntled. "He's defending a political prisoner. It doesn't matter if she's his wife legally. You also defended her by blockading our clan."
"I was not defending her. I was keeping my word. Xena said no harm should come to Yeter," she snapped back. "And I agree with him about Farah's punishment. It wasn't a fair one."
Ebnedzar gave a small chuckle. "I disagree. We're done discussing this."
Once the blockade was disbanded, Revkah was able to come back to serve Arielle. A mixture of herbs were given to the Khagana twice a day, as instructed. For the first time in days, Arielle was able to dive into a deep sleep. The light autumn rainstorm helped tremendously to calm her nerves and she slept through the night.
Ku slept in the bed, per Arielle's request. While Ku slept in a separate bedroom since arriving in Pannonia, she was glad she could make Arielle feel safer. As dawn approached, Officer Wasifah entered the bedroom, clad in cloth armor and boots.
Wasifah nearly hated to wake up the Khagana, but she needed to. She gently touched Arielle's arm and called her name a few times.
At that moment, Arielle's eyes flitted open and she caught sight of Wasifah's silhouette hovering above her. After sitting up, she ran her fingers over her unruly tresses.
"Shehzade Xerxes is here," said Wasifah. "He arrived in the middle of the night."
Arielle rushed to get out of bed and slipped on her pointed-toe shoes. "How did he get here? Is my grandma and Gabrielle here too?"
"I'm afraid not, Khagana. A few soldiers brought him in on a gurney. He is in the infirmary. Shall I walk you?"
"No, I can go by myself." She put a silk robe on over her nightdress and scurried out of the room.
The Adame was still, for not even the chambermaids were awake yet. Arielle hurried through the corridors, her heart in her throat, as the anticipation of seeing Xerxes engulfed her. She pushed open the door to the infirmary and saw her husband lying in bed.
Finding him awake astonished and relieved her. Xerxes grinned at her as he raised his head from the pillows. Arielle raced to him, tears welling in her eyes, and cupped his face in her hands. They locked lips in a fierce kiss, their breath parting from their bodies.
Arielle smiled, swiping her thumbs across his cheeks and fingers tracing his beard. "I thought I wasn't going to see you again."
"I thought that too," he admitted in a whisper.
He stared at her in awe, as if he'd forgotten how beautiful she was. The fitted black nightgown accentuated her slim figure. Untamed and free as she was, her hair reached just below her waist.
Xerxes curiously placed his hand on her belly. He was taken aback since the gown was deceiving, disguising Arielle's figure.
"A lot happened in the time I was gone, I see," he said lightly, as Arielle grabbed his hand then planted a firm kiss on his forehead. It wasn't long until she noticed his leg, wrapped and splinted.
"Is your leg broken?" she asked, gawping at the tightly bandaged leg.
"I'm glad that's all the injuries I walked away with," he said, sighing deeply. "Adarmahan was ready to kill me."
She cursed the day that man entered her life. "He won't be a problem anymore. I can't believe they convinced the Gokturks to invade the rebel camp so quickly," she pondered.
"Gokturks?" he questioned. "There were no Gokturks. Gabrielle and your grandmother saved me."
Arielle inhaled a sharp breath. "Those liars!" she exclaimed, describing how typical it was for those two to breach her trust. She should have expected something like this to happen.
"Jadha was executed," he interrupted, silencing his wife. "I was next. I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for them."
"I suppose I should let their deceit slide this time," she mumbled. "But I still don't like it."
Xerxes shook his head, amused by her capacity to be so difficult during the moment. He said he almost died, and she couldn't take her Khagana hat off for a second.
"Well, since they rescued you, where are they?" she asked.
"Xena said they were heading to Balaam."
Upon arriving in Pannonia, both Xena and Gabrielle were immediately brought to the conference chamber for a debrief. To their surprise, Arielle was not upset about the minor detour from the original plan. Instead, she was grateful. Grateful to have Xerxes within her reach and far away from Adarmahan.
The coordinates of the insurgent encampment were revealed to the Gokturk army. Issik, the young monarch, was more obedient than they imagined, according to Gabrielle. He negotiated properly, but he was actually losing a fight he'd never win. Balaam's resources were limited, and when winter arrived, he would be left with nothing.
"Adarmahan knows we intervened," said Gabrielle, alarming Arielle, for she showed visible distress. "We need to be on high alert."
"I'll have the borders secured immediately," Arielle commanded. "I don't think he's dumb enough to attack Pannonia while still serving the Shah. But I wouldn't put it past him."
After the debrief was over, the air felt lighter and clearer. Xena thought to state, to clear her suspicions, "I see the Suevi blockade is gone. Did you decide on a punishment for Farah?"
A sullen mask covered Arielle's face. "I sent her on an emissary mission in Constantinople. She'll be there for a while," she said, watching her grandmother's eyes widen. "The Byzantines want to purchase some of our land. Sending Farah will be the reassurance that we won't be attacked."
Xena let out a slow whistle from her lips. "I bet Farah didn't like that."
"It was either that or risk a civil war with the Suevi."
"You should be careful of the Suevi. They were quick to turn their back on you," said Gabrielle.
Arielle's lips thinned to a fine line. "It was all Ursula's doing. The clan listens to her like she's their ruler."
"She's the wife of Attila's son. Of course, they're going to listen to her."
Xena agreed, saying, "Gabrielle's right. I have some advice if you're willing to listen?" she gaped at Arielle.
"I'm listening."
She said that, while Ursula had no desire to become a queen in the empire, she was an important asset. Ursula was an outstanding mediator and healer who also served Anastasia during difficult times. Xena proposed that Ursula be given a title comparable to Chieftess Yana of the Nezak clan.
"The Suevi have always been outcasts. Allowing Ursula to be a voice for them will calm them down," she added.
Arielle wasn't sure of the idea. "What about Ebnedzar? He was never given the title of king. If I bestow a title to his wife, wouldn't he want the same in return?"
Xena laughed. "Ebnedzar is a brute! He isn't fit to rule and he knows it. He loves the sword and that is all. Think about it, okay? It's just a suggestion."
Aurora was all set to become a diligent student when she indicated an interest in following in her mother's footsteps. She was very fortunate to have Farah as a teacher, and she quickly became adept at numbers and calculations. She didn't see a point in furthering her education. But here she was, waiting for Gabrielle to return from the library, in the conference room.
She was about to nod off when suddenly a mountain of paperwork was dumped in front of her. Aurora recoiled in fear as she stared up at the towering pile.
Gabrielle happily sat across from the princess. "If you are going to be a ruler, you must know everything about the tribes."
Aurora poked her head around the pile of documents. "I have to read all of these?" she asked, horrified.
"We'll look through them together. Just to let you know, these aren't all the documents. Many were lost when the last Adame was attacked by..."
"Eksama."
"Yes," said Gabrielle, clearing her throat. "Let's start with the first document. I took the time to categorize them by date."
Aurora grabbed the document on the top of the pile. "Why was Eksama proclaimed as a queen even after attacking us?"
"Ernak had mercy on her. She didn't gain recognition as queen at first. She had to earn it and she did."
"But didn't she blind Grandma Khatun?"
Gabrielle anxiously scratched the nape of her neck. "She didn't do that. Her spy did. Can we continue? We have a lot to get through."
Aurora spent two hours reading and discovering more about her great-grandmother than she could have ever imagined. She had picked up tidbits from conversations, but she had no idea how much Xena had accomplished in her lifetime. She had Gabrielle to turn to for clarification and missing details. Many of the records were incomplete since the parchment had been destroyed in the fire.
After reading about the initial clash between the Huns and the Persians, she felt a sense of closure. She finally grasped her mother's internal turmoil in the face of Sassanid oppression. They caused a lot of trouble for the people of this tribe.
She flipped through the next couple of pages and found the next set of information was missing. "Where's the document following this one?"
"Gone," said Gabrielle, regretfully. "Destroyed in the fire."
Aurora twisted her mouth. "History should be preserved. We can't let future generations forget what happened."
When Gabrielle heard that, she felt a surge of pride. At last, she had found someone who shared her appreciation for the written word.
"I want to rewrite what happened. You can tell me the sequence of events and I'll write it down. What do you think?"
Gabrielle sat back in the chair, arms crossed over her chest. "Your call, princess," she said, grinning ear to ear.
Ecstatic about the idea, the teenager ran to grab some blank parchment. She scrambled to sit back down at the table and dipped her quill in the inkwell.
"Let's start off with what happened after Shah Yazdgerd was killed."
"Are you prepared to hear the good, bad, and ugly? War isn't pretty."
Aurora would be a breeze to instruct. She was a curious girl with an insatiable appetite for knowledge. Her mother never showed any enthusiasm for reading or learning as a teenager.
"If I need a break, I'll let you know," the princess assured.
Estakhr, Persia
Adarmahan narrowly avoided being killed in the assault on the rebel camp. All but five of his elite soldiers died in the battle. The timing of Xerxes's escape from the camp and the subsequent attack by the Gokturks seemed suspiciously coincidental. The Huns, he was sure, had spied on the camp in some way, but how? He pondered whether or not one of his many rebel fighters was a mole.
A few of his troops remained behind, and he led them to Estakhr to demand a meeting with the Shah. Because of his unexpected visit, Shah Khosrow was reluctant to believe the critical information being presented to him. The monarch hadn't even had time to get properly dressed to see Adarmahan.
"It's off-season for you. I wasn't expecting you until spring," said Khosrow.
"Your Majesty, I have unfortunate news. Forgive me for coming unannounced." Adarmahan played the loyal subject and bowed his head. "I bring news about the rebels."
The Shah shifted in his throne and waved his hand, prompting the man to continue.
"I was performing my usual patrol in the woods east from here. I stumbled upon a camp, which I presume to be the rebels' encampment." He eyed the Shah with interest. "My men and I attempted to flee, but we were attacked by the Gokturk army."
"Gokturks?" the Shah rose from the throne. "They were in Persian territory?"
"Yes, sir. We barely made it out alive. The good news is that the encampment was destroyed. I came here as quick as I could to inform you," he bowed. "Shah..."
Khosrow was seated back on the throne and stroked his beard. "Thank you for risking your life to come here, Adarmahan."
"Of course, Your Highness."
The Shah waved his hand dismissively. "On your way out, tell my scribe to come to my chambers. I will write Arielle. She will be relieved to know the rebel camp has been destroyed."
The hostility among the tribe members subsided after a few weeks. Arielle was relieved to learn that the rebel camp had indeed been invaded by Gokturks. She asked Issik to join her in Pannonia for the treaty signing but gave him time to recover from the assault he had just fought.
She couldn't say she wasn't worried about talking to Issik. His family's actions brought great suffering to the empire. She wouldn't stand for another uprising to take place right under her watchful eye.
She went to visit her mother as a kind of diversion. They played a game in the common room in which they stacked wooden blocks to make tall towers. It was a game of strategy, and one of the few her mother could play.
Anastasia placed her block on the wooden tower carefully. She watched the tower teeter for a moment and smiled when it balanced.
"How are you feeling?" she asked.
"That's a loaded question," said Arielle as she placed her block on the tower.
Her mother raised an eyebrow. "I'm asking about your health. Has Revkah's medicine been helping you?"
Arielle sat back, eyeing the teetering tower. "Yes, I can finally sleep through the night."
"Good." Anastasia picked up the next block and rose to her knees. "How did the girls react to the news about the baby?" she heard her daughter grumble. "Not the best reaction?"
"No, I mean, Abbaseh was excited. I think Boran doesn't know what to think. She doesn't understand yet."
Anastasia grinned. "She'll be alright. This game may start wars in this family." She expressed her frustration by placing yet another block on the tower that begged to collapse. "Better not let your grandmother play this."
At that, Arielle laughed. "She would probably kick the tower down."
"No, I think she would win. And she would never let you forget it!"
After half an hour passed, Arielle placed the block on the tower, and it collapsed. She had lost. She took pleasure in watching her mother become so absorbed in the game. Whether or not there were games involved, she decided that she needed to spend more time with her mother.
As they were talking, Officer Wasifah hurriedly walked in. She got down on one knee, bent over, and whispered in Arielle's ear, then handed her a metal tube. That metal container was immediately recognizable to Arielle. From Shah Khosrow himself, it carried a message.
Arielle retrieved the letter from its encasement and read it. Her temper rose with each word her gaze took in. Right away, Adarmahan began to embellish the tale twisting it so eloquently to fit his advantage. Why does Khosrow not see the betrayal right in front of his eyes?
"That motherfucker!" she shrieked.
Anastasia blinked at her. "What's the matter?"
"Khosrow is going to attack Balaam. He thinks the Gokturks attacked Persian soldiers. Adarmahan fed him a bunch of lies!" she threw the metal case across the room. "Bastard."
"If Khosrow invades Balaam, there will be nothing left," said Ana.
Khosrow's invasion of Balaam would be the end of the Gokturk empire. There would be less likelihood of a revolt or third insurrection if Issik were killed. Even though Arielle hated to admit it, she was tired of Yeter and her dictator of a son. This seemed like a sure way to end of the reign of the Gokturks.
"Would that be such a bad thing?" she mumbled.
Anastasia could hardly control her patience. "You made a deal with Issik and you will allow the Persians to attack him?"
"Why not?" Arielle snapped. "I'm in a tough spot, mother! Khosrow is my ally and my brother-in-law. I can't go against him. I have no evidence to convict Adarmahan of his crimes."
"You have Xerxes. He was in the camp. Let him tell his story to his brother."