Chapter 29: White Devil: Part III

Sirmium, West Pannonia

As a violent thunderstorm coursed through the province, the roads were muddied and everyone was prohibited from traveling. This put King Cunimund in a very tight spot as he had plans for his troops to move further inland toward Hun territories. Sitting at the large conference table, Cunimund twirled a knife absentmindedly, then stabbed the blade into the table.

The enormous wooden doors creaked open and his daughter marched inside. Cunimund internally groaned, expecting a full-on lecture from her. His daughter slapped a paper onto the desk and she tapped it furiously.

"You will make sure those Lombards do not come into our territory," she said, almost as a demand.

He sighed and leaned forward, pressing his elbows on the table. "Rosamund, you do know I only allow you to speak to me this way because you're my daughter."

She flipped her dark auburn pleated hair behind her shoulder. With a shrug, she said, "What I said still stands. I just received word that the Lombards are seeking aid from the Byzantines."

"They may seek all the aid they want."

"Father! Emperor Justin has more funds than we do. If he gives Alboin more troops, we are sure to fall."

Cunimund flicked his wrist. "But he hasn't given them anything. Until he does, we wait."

She impatiently tapped her foot and sat down next to her father. She clasped her hand over his curled fist. Cunimund raised his eyebrow, trying to resist the pleading look in her eyes.

"Don't look at me that way, Rosamund," he grumbled. "I hate it when you do that."

"I'm afraid! We are surrounded on all sides. Usdibad made a mistake by attacking the Huns. Who knows what they will do to us? They defeated many tribes over the years. And now they have the Persians on their side."

He grazed her cheek tenderly. "Usdibad was following my orders. He is my commander."

Rosamund recoiled. "You ordered the attack?" her face twisted. "Father, why would you do that?"

"I want to show the Huns that we are still a threat," he crowed. "And I've found out they have a Gepid living amongst their tribe."

"One of our people? Who?"

He brushed his fingertips over a candle's flame. "A half-breed." He held in a chuckle. "Perhaps they had mercy on her or she has swindled them."

His daughter let out a gasp. "Eksama. Is it her?" she asked, and he nodded. "I thought she was dead. So, she has gone to live with the Huns, has she," she said, raising her chin haughtily. "She went against her people to join the enemy."

"Eksama is half Hun," he said. "They may have accepted her."

"My ears are ringing, which means Rosamund is talking about me."

She and Cunimund turned at the voice. Commander Usdibad entered the room with a charming smile. His blond braided hair wisped around his shoulders as he sauntered. The room immediately smelled of worn leather, mud, and smoke.

Rosamund rose from her seat, approaching the tall commander. "As if I would ever talk about you in good light," she spat.

"Where're you off to?" Cunimund called.

"To the chapel to pray," she turned, glaring at Usdibad. "That we don't fall into the hands of our enemies."

Usdibad bit his lower lip, watching the princess storm off. He turned to his king, "Oh, you must get her married soon, sire. I'd love to see how her husband would react to her behavior."

"She does not want to marry," he rumbled.

"That much is evident. Stubborn as she is."

Cunimund rolled his eyes. "Do you have news for me? Have the Huns guarded their borders?"

"Their borders are clear, except there are a few Persians near the western gates."

"Disappointing. Let me know if there are any changes."

Central Pannonia

Arielle nursed her daughter on the floor, with Xerxes at her side and her grandmother across from them. The mention of Gohar's suggestion to bring Aurora to the Caucasus churned her insides. Despite her temporary suspension from royal obligations, she couldn't cease being a mother.

"I think it's a good opportunity for her," said Xena. "I don't know what she's doing after dark, or where she's going, but when she finds out about this, she's going to be upset."

Xerxes waited for his wife to interject, but she stared blankly. "How long would she stay in the Barsils clan?"

"I don't know."

"Arielle, what do you think?" he asked.

She trembled, tears welling up, her chin quivering. She gently detached her daughter from her breast, fixing her dress. Tears flowed down her cheeks while Xerxes scooped the baby into his embrace. Exiting the gathering, he softly hummed, soothing his daughter's soft whimpers.

Xena scooted across the floor and brought Arielle into a tight embrace. Arielle's body trembled in her grasp. She heard her mumble, "She'll be so far away from me."

She pulled back and wiped the tears away. "I know how you feel. When I sent your mother away to school, it felt like someone punched me in the gut."

Arielle sniffled. "Was—was it worth it—to send her away?"

"I would say so. I got a grandson out of it," she said, shrugging with a smile. That, at least amused Arielle. "It's only temporary. You trust Gohar."

"I do. I do trust her," she said, wiping her nose. "If I do...send her away, she's going to hate me."

"How many times have you said that you hated your mother?"

Arielle snuffed a laugh. "Plenty of times."

"And you don't really hate her, right?"

"I get your point, grandma."

"You can write to her." she gripped Arielle's hand. "Temporary. Remember that."

Gabrielle accompanied Anastasia, walking toward Csaba's home. She didn't think the short trek invited a slew of requests, but here Ana was, grilling her with questions.

"Has the money been sent to Farah?"

"Yes, Ana."

"It should be recorded before the spring season ends."

She huffed and flipped open her journal. Skimming her notes, she pointed to the page. "Farah has already recorded the funds in our archives as of two days ago."

"Good." Ana continued her slow stride and then raised a finger. "What about Khosrow? Have you received any new messages from him?"

"Anastasia, I just sent a letter last week."

"Right."

She slammed the journal shut and placed it back into her satchel. "Can we try and steer clear of talking about warfare when we go see Farah? We're supposed to help pick out fabric for Öza's wedding gown."

"I'm sorry, Gabrielle. I know I've been hard on you the last couple of months."

"I'm happy to see you in your element," Gabrielle said, smiling. "I love you, but I need a break. I can only handle so many tasks."

Anastasia nodded. "I want to make sure I represent Arielle properly. It's a lot of pressure to be the Khagana's regent!"

"Well, you're doing great." She kissed Ana's hand. "Just don't talk about politics and war while we're in there."

Even if Anastasia wanted to discuss war and politics, there was no time to do so. Farah bombarded her and Gabrielle with an exuberant amount of energy. She was ecstatic over her son's upcoming wedding ceremony. Though she was much better at not giving in to materialistic things, she couldn't hide her lust for it forever.

Spread out on the floor, seamstresses brought over fifty fabric choices. Each one was beautiful in its own right and each seamstress was present, ready to present their finest work.

Farah pulled out a yard of blue fabric with a floral pattern. Her fingers grazed the soft material. "What do you think of this one, Anastasia?"

The Khatun leaned down, taking a closer look at the fabric. "It's gorgeous."

"You've said that about every single one!"

"It's true. They're all beautiful choices, Farah," said Gabrielle. "I think Öza would look good in that green over there."

As she hurried away in search of the green material, Ana whispered, "That poor girl. I can only imagine what Farah is going to do to her."

Gabrielle covered her mouth, hiding her grin. She thumped Ana's arm. "Don't spoil her fun. Look how happy she is!"

"Oh, you are so right, Gabrielle!" called Farah. "The green is lovely!"

"See, what did I tell you? Green is her color. Anastasia also agrees. Right, Ana?"

Anastasia blinked and her arm was given a nudge. "Oh, yes. I agree. Maybe you should ask Öza what she wants."

"She will like whatever I pick. I have excellent taste."

"It's her wedding, Farah. I let you design your own dress and pick the fabric you wanted. Remember, she will be your daughter-in-law," she said with an arched brow.

With a huff, Farah stared at the fabric in her hands. It was a pretty shade of green. Anyone would be a fool to turn it down. But Farah didn't want to orchestrate everything, especially since she was given free rein to do what she wanted for her own wedding.

"I'll ask Öza, but I'm showing her the green first!"

Farah's neck craned as she heard the swift padding of tiny feet. Aracsilla, her daughter, dashed through the room, completely covered in mud. With arms outstretched, she raced towards Anastasia.

"Stop!"

Gabrielle twirled, catching sight of the muddied princess sprinting with great speed. Acting swiftly, she positioned herself as a human barrier, intercepting Anastasia's path. The collision caused her to wince, and she begrudgingly diverted her gaze downwards, observing her trousers now caked in a layer of mud.

"You are filthy, girl!" screeched Farah.

Ana's eyes widened as she slowly turned on her heel. Gabrielle, covered in mud, stood alongside Aracsilla who grinned with delight. Suppressing her laughter, Ana refrained from indulging, aware that it would only infuriate Farah.

"I told you to stay inside when it's raining!" Farah scolded. "Look at you! Get out of this room. I don't want you ruining the fabrics."

"It's just some dirt, mother. It's not a big deal," Aracsilla sassed, hands on her hips. "See, even Grandma is smiling!"

Anastasia's smile vanished as Farah's wicked glare pierced her. She had crossed a line, finding pleasure in witnessing children torment their parents. It was a detested trait her mother possessed, now shamefully mirrored in her own actions.

"You should listen to your mother, tatli kiz."

"But I wanted to hug you!"

Ana knelt down and took the girl's hand. "You can hug me after a bath. You really are grimy, you know," she whispered, and Aracsilla giggled. "And maybe you should apologize to Gabrielle."

Aracsilla cocked her head. "Sorry about your pants, Gabby."

"It's no problem. I guess I'll wash my clothes early," she griped, attempting to clean the mud off.

When Aurora was called to her mother's quarters, she suspected it was due to her outburst in the training field a few days ago. She had already prepared herself for a lecture as soon as she was summoned after dinner.

Upon entering the room, she hurried over to the bassinet near her mother's bed. She frowned at the empty bassinet. "Where's baby Elif?" she asked.

"She's with Xerxes for the evening," Arielle said. "Come sit with me."

Aurora sat on the rug and began to apologize. "I shouldn't have spoken to Grandma Khanum like I did. She kept hitting me, and I let my anger get the better of me."

"She hit you?"

"With...the sword, yes."

"That's generally what happens during sword training."

Her mother's tone was too calm, which was unnerving. She expected her mother to be outraged and maybe ensure a punishment for her.

"Aurora, a proposal was given to me. Gohar wants to train you and she will take you back with her when she returns to her clan."

That was unexpected.

"M—mother, I don't want to leave Pannonia! I will train here, I swear. I'll be good a student for Grandma Khanum. Please don't send me away."

Arielle closed her eyes, breathing deeply. "This will be good for you. Don't make this harder for me."

Her voice cracked as she spoke, "Harder for you? What about me?" she squawked. "What if I go stay with father? He can train me!"

"You will never live with your father," she said, her tone deep.

"He would never give me so many rules like you do."

Arielle felt the rage building inside her, and she forced it down her throat. A burn built up in her stomach, bubbling up to her chest. She refused to talk ill of Bayan, despite her deep desire to do so. Did her daughter not remember that she was going to be married off for an army?

"I don't enforce rules on you like what was done to me, Aurora. I'd say I didn't give you enough rules, but you've never given me any reason to. Until now."

"So, that's it?" she huffed, flinging her arms above her head. "This is my punishment for sneaking out of the Adame."

"This is not a punishment, Aurora. I'm willing to overlook your nightly escapades. I know you won't tell me what you were doing even if I asked."

She felt herself ready to succumb to the raging hormones. The look on her daughter's face pained her. She could see the betrayal and conflict displayed in Aurora's eyes. If she had just waited, maybe she wouldn't have had to resort to drastic measures. If she had just waited, maybe Aurora would've told her what was really going on.

Aurora, defeated, and on the verge of tears, asked, "How long will I be there?"

It was well after dinner and as the household settled, the only one awake was baby Elif. She was wide awake and cried any time Arielle put her down in the bassinet. Tired and at her wit's end, Arielle wanted to ask anyone—someone—for help.

Xerxes was spending time with Abbaseh and Boran, as they also needed time from their parents. Arielle didn't want to tear him away from them. She was unwilling to turn to Ku for assistance, as she had grown dependent on her aid for countless nights over the past two months. Seeking her mother's aid was simply not an option. Her grandmother and Gabrielle were her last resort, even though they were most likely asleep.

She needed time for herself. Even if it was for just a couple of hours.

Thankfully, her father was awake and when she arrived at his doorstep, she nearly begged him to watch Elif. There was no begging needed. Navaz gladly accepted to watch over his granddaughter for a while.

Standing near one of the windows, Navaz held Elif in his arms. He looked out the window and saw Aurora venturing outside.

"Where is your sister going?" he whispered, thinking aloud. He heard a stifled gurgle and grasped Elif's tiny fist. "You know where she's going, don't you?"

Elif flickered a lazy smile and her arm shot up, grabbing Navaz's beard.

"Be careful, she has quite a grip."

Navaz lifted his eyes to see the face of the familiar voice. It looked like Elif also recognized the voice and her eyes wandered to lay on Xerxes.

"It's late. I can take her for you," said Xerxes.

"Arielle asked me to watch her. I can keep her for a little bit longer."

Xerxes certainly wasn't going to argue. He knew his wife needed rest. "A letter from my brother came today. Anastasia thought it would be better if I delivered the message to you directly." He looked into Navaz's eyes for confirmation to continue. "He is offering to give Balaam back to you. You would have full reign and he would help rebuild Balaam."

Navaz almost laughed. His focus was brought back to the bundle in his arms. "I didn't have the luxury to see Arielle a lot when she was young. Ana moved back to Pannonia and we both remarried. I saw Arielle maybe twice a year after she turned four."

He could see confusion in Xerxes' eyes. He continued, saying, "I don't have a reason to go back to Balaam. The Shah may keep the ravaged kingdom."

Xerxes swallowed the lump in his throat. "I will inform him about your decision."

"The princess and I are going to take a walk."

"It's Shehzada."

Navaz cast a side-eye and teasing smile. "I don't believe we are in Persia..."

In their usual spot, Aurora met up with Fusun. She understood that someone from her family saw her leave. It was no longer a secret that she left the Adame after dark, so why would she keep hiding it?

Fusun looked so happy to see her, which made this conversation a lot harder. Aurora had really grown to like spending time with Fusun. Relationships were hard to come by in Pannonia. And it was nice, although deceitful, to keep the truth of her family from Fusun.

"My family knows I've been leaving after dark," she said.

Fusun gasped. "They know where you've been going?"

She shook her head. "They don't know I'm with you." there was some relief, but it wasn't enough to mask her true feelings. "Fusun, I'm...I'm being sent somewhere for training. I don't know how long I'll be gone. Maybe six months. Maybe a year."

"Oh." Fusun's head dropped. "We can write to each other, can't we? I'm getting really good at writing now. Queen Farah is a great teacher."

Aurora smiled. She would love to exchange letters, but she couldn't do that without telling Fusun the truth. She had hidden so much and she was genuinely surprised how she was able to get away with such a huge lie for so long.

"You might not want to write to me after what I'm about to tell you," she said, twiddling her thumbs.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not as terrible as you're making it out to be."

"I...I lied to you." she kept her focus on the ground. "I didn't want to scare you away, so I lied. My mother is the Khagana, and the home you're staying in belongs to my uncle. I didn't want my mother to find out that I was spending time with you. That's why I told you to keep our meetings a secret."

Silence. Nothing but silence. Aurora glanced at Fusun, who was lost in thought, absentmindedly plucking blades of grass. Suddenly, Fusun tilted her head back and flashed a radiant smile that caused a mixture of emotions to surge through Aurora, contorting her face.

"So, I've been sneaking off with a princess," she casually said, puckering her lips. "I should've known. Your clothes never have a lick of dirt on them!"

Aurora sputtered a nervous laugh. "You're not upset?"

"I've had worse lies told to me. But we're friends. There's no harm in your mother knowing that, right?"

In a strange way, she felt a sense of ownership over her bond with Fusun. It belonged to her. She was the one who started the friendship and kept it going. It was not her mother's to manipulate. And she genuinely had strong feelings for Fusun. Perhaps even stronger than Fusun was aware of. Perhaps even stronger than she was aware of, herself.

Her stomach twisted into a knot. Fusun wore kind of a goofy smile, which faded when she caught Aurora's piercing gaze on her. Drawing near, Aurora inclined towards Fusun, who remained motionless, their gazes interlocking. With a gentle stroke of her finger upon Fusun's chin, Aurora bestowed a kiss upon her cheek.

With eyes widened, Fusun touched her cheek before shifting her gaze towards the princess, whose face had flushed a deep hue. She scooted closer and walked her fingers across the grass to interlace with Aurora's.

"I still want to write to you," said Fusun. "The Khagana doesn't read letters addressed to you, does she?" she raised a playful eyebrow.

"Not unless you have intentions of poisoning me," Aurora said, laughing.

"There goes my master plan." She kept a mischievous grin. "I promise I won't poison you, princess."

"Just because you know I'm a princess now doesn't mean you have to address me that way."

"Every letter I will send will say 'Dear Princess' now," Fusun said, biting her lower lip.

Aurora let out a long exhale and shook her head.

Fusun knew better than to use the front entrance of the Adame. She figured out that many of the maids were awake at almost all hours of the night. She came in through the side entrance, near the guest quarters. After she made sure she wasn't being followed, she would dash up the stairs to her room.

Ascending the stairs, she encountered the twin princes obstructing her way. Her brows furrowed. Their identical faces bore mirrored impish expressions.

"You snuck out again," said Aladar.

"Third night this week," Aman said.

When she first arrived, she wasn't sure what to make of the family, especially the children. What happened next was strange and happened quickly - the twins transformed into annoying yet protective brothers. After just a few weeks, Fusun grew tired of their teasing behavior. It didn't take long for her to realize that she was being treated like a little sister.

"Since you two like to spy on me all the time, I guess you know who I was with and where I was then," she snarked.

Aman huffed and spread his arms out, preventing her from passing. "Are you secretly seeing some boy? Mother won't like that."

"We can catch him and bring him here," said Aladar.

Fusun snorted a laugh. "I swear to you, there is no mysterious boy. I would like to go to my room."

Aman smiled, leaning his weight on the guardrail. "What makes you think we won't tell mother?"

She eyed him and then his brother. Her heart thumped hard in her chest. "You haven't said anything so far."

Aladar came to rest his back against the second guardrail. "You disobeyed her rules. If you disobey her, then we all get punished. You see?"

She arched a brow. "What do you want?"

"Finish weaving our tapestries for us. Mother wants them done in time for Edemen's wedding."

That was it? That's all they wanted? This was going to be the easiest deal she struck in a while. Now that she knew Aurora was about to leave Pannonia, there would be no reason for her to keep sneaking out.

She agreed.

Byzantine Camp, Southwest Pannonia

Kurt and Utigur set out for the Byzantine camp a few days after they were given their orders. Upon entering the camp, it was clear that the Byzantines did not want them there. Despite the agreement to live in Pannonia peacefully together, there was underlying animosity between the clashing cultures.

They brought with them a wagon of food for the horses, new seeds for planting from Persia, and chopped firewood. As Kurt and his younger brother began unloading the wagon, the General of the Byzantine army stepped out of his tent.

General Baduarius walked over to the young princes and held out his hand. "I don't believe we've met. General Baduarius of the Holy Army."

Kurt wiped his dirty hand on his pant leg. "Prince Kurt, son of Ernak, grandson of Attila. This is my younger brother, Utigur."

"Ah, I have met one of Attila's grandsons before..."

Utigur said, "You must be thinking of our cousin, Csaba."

He certainly remembered his brief conversation with Csaba. He was humiliated in front of everyone while delivering the emperor's message. It seemed the Hun king's younger cousins were kinder, or perhaps a bit more naïve.

The camp was fixated on them as they stood at its heart, prompting Baduarius to extend an invitation for the princes to enter his tent. There, he presented them with water, wine, bread, and an overdone chunk of goat. Kurt and Utigur glanced at the goat skeptically, opting to decline courteously. The improperly cooked meat, coupled with the pitiful portion offered by a supposed ally, did not bode well for fostering trust between them.

"I should thank you for bringing supplies. We don't have all of our tents set up yet, but I can host you two in mine for the time being."

Kurt eyed his brother, confused by the offer. "That won't be necessary. My brother and I will be setting up our own yurt."

Baduarius sat at the table and picked up a slice of bread. "Your visit sounds more permanent," he hinted, begging for more information. "Did your Khagana send you here?"

The siblings started whispering in their mother tongue, leaving Baduarius even more bewildered. Frowning, he detested being excluded from any conversation, particularly concerning their alliance.

Kurt spoke for himself and his brother. "Our Khatun sent us. We are here to help you in the fight against the Gepids."

"How wonderful!" the general fisted the tabletop. "Since we'll be working together, I'd prefer you speak in a language we can all understand."

In just three days, the yurt was constructed, its fabric tightly fastened over the towering dome. Ropes were skillfully tied, anchoring the fabric to heavy pikes in the ground. As the second day came to a close, the Byzantine soldiers were captivated, approaching the brothers with inquisitive minds, and pondering the possibility of recreating such a remarkable structure.

With two rugs draped across his shoulders, Utigur strode towards the yurt. His keen eyes caught sight of a band of horsemen emerging from the western horizon. Urged on by his brother's beckoning voice, he hastened his steps. Depositing the rugs upon the earthen floor within the yurt elicited a disapproving expression from Kurt.

"I haven't swept yet and you throw rugs down like it's clean in here," Kurt said. "You sweep. I'll take the rugs outside." He shoved the broom into his brother's chest.

"I saw riders outside."

Kurt dropped the rug with a heavy thud. He ventured outside, where his brother appeared, peering curiously from behind him. In the vicinity of Baduarius' tent, a man and woman, both exuding self-assurance, ascended the hill. The woman shed her cloak, exposing her radiant, lengthy auburn locks that shimmered under the sun's rays. With a flick of her hand, she swept her hair aside and fixed her gaze unwaveringly upon Kurt.

"Who's the redhead and why's she looking over here?" Utigur whispered.

Her eyes did not seem to be fixed upon him, but rather gazing in his general direction. Kurt, with caution, traced her line of vision to the weapon racks and sword-sharpening stations, upon which she rested her focus.

Baduarius came out of his tent and welcomed the two guests. He invited them inside and immediately, ten soldiers rushed forth to protect the perimeter around the tent.

Kurt felt his brother's breath grazing the back of his neck. He turned around, irritated, and pushed Utigur backward. "I thought I told you to sweep? Don't stand there. Get to it."

"What about those people? Who are they?"

"We'll find out later," said Kurt. "Go sweep!"

Central Pannonia

The moment arrived for Aurora to say her goodbyes, and to her surprise, she hadn't comprehended how swiftly time had slipped away. Her family gathered to bid her farewell, their faces brimming with joy and excitement for her new journey. However, amidst the jovial departure, Aurora couldn't help but notice her mother, who was teetering on the edge of tears.

Gabrielle nudged her arm, making her flinch. "I know you're going to be busy training with swords, bows, and all those lovely things, but don't forget to write!"

Aurora laughed. "I won't. I brought your pen set with me." she tapped the satchel strapped to her hip.

Gohar concluded her exchange with the Khagana before heading towards Aurora. She briefly flashed a smile and then directed her eyes towards the daunting Persian officer. As part of the agreement, Wasifah was to join them on their journey back to the Barsils clan, providing protection for the princess. However, Gohar harbored doubts about the officer.

"Do you ever take that off?" she asked, indicating the face veil.

Wasifah's eyes narrowed. "You need to see my face to trust me, Alp Gohar?"

She clicked her tongue against her cheek and turned to Aurora. "Are you packed and ready to go? You may need your coat. There's still quite a bit of snow in the Caucasus."

Xena and Anastasia stood together, speaking quietly on the sideline. Clad in matching attire of dark trousers, tightly cinched vests, and veils cascading from their headpieces, the resemblance between them was striking. Were it not for Anastasia's longer hair, one could easily mistake her for her mother.

Aurora stared at them for a long while. She had ignored them for the last couple of weeks. She knew they spoke with her mother regularly, which was why she was going to the Barsils clan. At times she thought of them as her mother's informants.

She gave Gohar a brief nod and then trekked across the field. Both Xena and Ana stopped talking and smiled down at her. "Can I talk to Grandma Khanum alone?" she asked.

Anastasia glanced at her mother with a mix of curiosity and concern before creating space for the two to talk privately. Xena interlocked her fingers, her eyebrows arching as she focused her attention on the princess.

"I'm sorry I ran off," she admitted softly. "And I'm sorry that I blamed you for being the reason I'm leaving."

Xena blinked. "That's something I didn't know."

"Oh...well, I didn't. I mean, I did think that. I never told anyone that I blamed you. I am—"

"It's alright, Aurora." She lay a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm an easy target to put blame on."

Aurora kept hearing Gohar call her name. She was holding everyone up.

"You were right. I did lie to you. I...I, um, I was going to see someone," she whispered. "I really like her. I don't want mother to know yet."

The hard lines on Xena's forehead softened. As soon as she heard that Aurora was in fact seeing someone, she could feel the heat rising to her chest. And then all her anger dissipated in a flash.

"Could you...keep this between us?"

Offering a small grin, Xena said, "I won't tell anyone. Promise."

The princess embraced her tightly, murmuring a gentle 'thank you.' She waved as Aurora hurried back to the horse, where an exceedingly restless Gohar awaited.

Anastasia made her way back over to her mother and whispered, "What did she tell you?"

Xena raised an eyebrow, somewhat amused, and confused by her daughter's prying. It was certainly a bit out of character for her. Funny.

"She apologized for blaming me for her temporary exile," she said in slight jest.

Ana frowned. "She's got nobody to blame but herself."

There was the usual attitude that Xena expected. "Well, I did spy on her and told on her. It is...my fault if you think about it," she said with a shrug.

Byzantine Camp, Southwest Pannonia

Baduarius folded the letter he had been needing to send for weeks. He pulled out a box and pulled a silver necklace from it. Admiring its beauty, he slipped the necklace into the folded parchment.

"General, we come bringing food!" yelled Prince Kurt from outside.

Swiftly, he concealed the letter beneath a pillow. Kurt and Utigur entered the tent, bearing a tray of delectable aromas. Upon the table, they set a tray adorned with braised goat atop a bed of grain and roasted fruit. Utigur presented a wooden bowl brimming with airy bread.

"You two made all of this?" asked Baduarius.

"We thought you deserved a properly cooked goat," said Kurt.

"The bread isn't as good as my mother's, but it's better than what you eat," Utigur said proudly.

Baduarius was quite impressed. The aroma and appearance of the food were delectable. He lacked the audacity to take offense. This cuisine appeared far more enticing than the daily fare of the ordinary soldiers.

The trio gathered around the table, sharing the plate of food. Kurt remained fixated on the Byzantine general, delving deep into his knowledge of the Huns and the hospitality they bestowed. With the general's attention captured, Kurt seized the opportunity to ask questions.

"We saw you had a few guests over a few days ago."

"Yes, that was Gepid King, Cunimund, and his daughter, Rosamund."

Kurt's eyes flared. "Gepids live close to here, huh?"

"They do, which is precisely the problem. I'm going to try and push the Lombards from Gepid territory. If Cunimund gives us Sirmium then no harm will come to him."

"You will try to reason with those white devils?"

Baduarius chuckled. "I'll give you some advice since you seem young: always try to make peace before going to war."

Central Pannonia

A messenger leaped off his horse and ran inside the Adame. Having the last bit of strength left in him, he sprinted up the stairs and barged into the conference room. Inside the room, seated on the floor, was Xena and Gabrielle, painting a map of Pannonia.

The Khatun wasn't here. It didn't matter. He had no time to waste.

"I bring a message from Prince Kurt," he said, struggling to catch his breath. "The Byzantines are planning to work with the Gepids. They want to capture the Gepid stronghold in Sirmium, and if the Gepids give it up, they will not be attacked."

Gabrielle's jaw dropped.

"Those two-timing bastards," Xena scoffed, snapping the paintbrush in half. "Anastasia needs to know this. She has the power to declare war."

"Now, hang on a second," Gabrielle interrupted. "We can't just declare war on the Byzantines. We made a deal with them. They purchased a portion of our land in exchange for military assistance."

"That did not include helping the Gepids."

"Who says the Byzantines are helping them? They want to seize control over the Gepid city. It sounds like they want to control the Gepids."

Xena cleaned her hands with a cloth. "But they will ask our army to do it. They probably weren't even going to tell us about this."

"I think...we should let them think we are oblivious. While we're off fighting the Gepids or making peace with them," she said with an eye-roll. "We strike a deal with the Lombards."

Xena's body tingled with excitement as she nudged her wife's arm, feeling a rush of adrenaline. "When did you start thinking like that?"

"Late-night war talks with your daughter," said Gabrielle, fluttering her eyelashes.

"You two have private talks about war," she said, almost offended. "And you didn't invite me."

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