The Sultanah Ch. 05

Dear Reader, thank you so much for reading this story. It has taken nearly a year of my writing life to get the whole thing finished. This is Chapter 5 of 14 chapters and the total is over 250,000 words. It is my Dirk Diggler/Jack Horner act of hubris: my attempt to write an erotic adventure story that pulls you in with a story you want to read, even when there isn't any sex going on (though there is a lot of sex. Crazy, weird, fun sex). It is the most ambitious piece of erotic fiction I have ever attempted. So I hope you enjoy it.

With that said, this book is not for everyone. It will be too long for many people (no shame in that, it is a big time investment). Some of the sex scenes are intense and include themes like hermaphroditism, non-consensual activity, incest, etc. For some people, that will likely be the appeal. In fact, while this story is definitely not for everyone, I think for a select group of people this story will essentially have everything you could ever ask for. So if that is you, congratulations, you found that thing you have been searching for. You can skip ahead to the sex and I won't be offended, but I think this story is more than the sum of its parts. If you read this whole story, you will not be disappointed.

In Chapter 1, our main character, Princess Varis, finds that her father has died and that, by virtue of the fact that she is a hermaphrodite and can father a child, she is now the Sultanah. In Chapter 2, Varis unearthed a conspiracy to destroy her Empire led by Rahip, the Cardinal of the "New Religion" and later she received her coronation. In Chapter 3, Varis humiliated the New Religion and raised the morale of her besieged people. In Chapter 4, Varis lifted the siege through a daring midnight raid.

Some recurring characters you might want by name are Varis (the Sultanah and narrator), Cin (the head priestess of Gunes), Arkadas (Varis' friend and servant), Kardes (Varis' older sister), Nislani (Varis' younger sister), Rahip (a Cardinal of the 'new religion'), Duke Hain (an important lord opposing Varis), Lord Sadik (a minor lord who has spoken in support of Varis); King Sican (the leader of Dusman, a rival kingdom), Prince Lider (Sican's son); King Köylü (the leader of Temsilci, a rival kingdom); Agiz and Got (Subordinate Sun Priestesses); Saygili (Varis' guard); Soyguncu (a pickpocket and spy for Varis). Further, Gunes is the name of the Sun God, Tanri is the name of the 'new god.' The city where the story is set is Şehir in the country of Ülke and the Empire of Bütün Dünya. If you need more...reread the earlier chapters.

Please, please, please, please, please tell me what you think after you read this. I put an embarrassing amount of work into this and I want to know what you think. Especially if it is good things.

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Part III: Consolidation

Chapter 5: The Privileges of a Sultanah

"Humph?" A voice next to me asked as I carefully rolled over on the bed. I winced and placed my hand on Arkadas' shoulder.

"Don't get up, it is not yet sunrise," I said and I listened as she sunk back down into sleep. She had been sleeping in my bed with me for the last two months, ever since I had lifted King Sican's siege of Şehir and I had found her to be a very light sleeper. Other than that, I had found her to be an excellent partner. I had been in great need of...comfort of late and Arkadas had been very willing to provide. I smiled as I got up out of bed and thought of her and the experiences we had shared together in that room.

It was the very darkest part of the night, but a lantern was hung on the far wall. I no longer considered this portion of the palace to be my father's quarters and I felt extremely comfortable as I crossed the room in the low light. It was slightly chilly in the cool night air. Probably more so because I had recently taken to sleeping naked. With Arkadas, there was no longer any need to hide my true self and as I walked across my massive room, a gentle breeze from the open window hardened my nipples and caressed my limp cock. I shivered and headed to my privy. My cock bounced gently as I moved and I felt strange with the freedom of that motion.

I paused briefly and gazed out the window. The moon was low in the sky and the sun would soon be rising over Şehir. And over Ülke and Bütün Dünya. They all still existed, for what they were worth. From the window I could not make out the vast plain that sat before the city gates, but I knew it was there. I also knew that no enemy troops were encamped there. None had been present for nearly two months.

My plan had worked even better than anticipated. All of the enemies grain stores had been destroyed and most of their cattle. Beyond that, hundreds of soldiers had been maimed and killed by fire and thundering animals. This was only a small fraction of the enemy force, but the symbolic effect was greater. King Sican and the soldiers of Dusman had been unable to harm the city of Şehir after my ascension and now I had inflicted a wound on them.

King Sican had known that he could not maintain his position in front of my walls. His soldiers, low of morale after the fiasco of the fire, would not be willing to wait for weeks while more food was procured. Besides, he had to know that the victory would strengthen the resolve of the imperial citizenry and solidify my place on the throne. By the afternoon following my triumphant arrival in the city, King Sican's standard was no longer hanging over enemy headquarters. He had returned to Dusman with many of the lords. Prince Lider's flag flew in his stead. The young prince was tasked with maintaining order while the troops were re-organized, fed with what little meat remained, and marched away from the gates of the city. My people had staged three days of celebrations in my honor to celebrate the lifting of the siege and the deliverance of the city.

Of course, while the siege was won, the war was hardly over. King Sican had declared total war on the Empire and I was not in any position to simply forgive that action. Besides, Dusman had not given up dream of adding Şehir to the nation's holdings. King Sican could not push forward now, but he was already plotting and planning for a new way to take the city. He no longer had surprise and he had exhausted much of his yearly income in that loss, but he was far from helpless. He was still massively wealthy and cunning. I knew he would be back soon and all of my gains could be for naught.

In fact, he hadn't even really left. The massive army made up of mostly conscripts from Dusman no longer stood on the plain before my city. But the professional soldiers from King Sican's army had not dissolved. They were a tiny fraction of the total force, but they were paid and had access to food. They needed less of it. They could not hope to maintain a siege or even face my small army in a pitched battle. But they were largely mounted and they could strike quickly and disappear before my soldiers could retaliate. Farmers who had left Şehir after the siege and returned to their hamlets, traders traveling in caravans, and even fishermen on boats found themselves harassed by hostile knights. In short, Dusman continued to bring the war to my people and I was largely powerless to stop them.

The most obvious result of the raids was a continued shortage of food in the city. While starvation was no longer likely and caravans periodically arrived in the city, it was not enough. One in five traders who attempted to reach the city was captured. This led to shortages and also higher pay for traders, who had to brave Dusman's swords. As a result, food was extremely expensive. Most people ate catfish and bread just twice a day. Even in the palace, food was scarcer than it had been in my father's day.

Despite this hardship, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the people bore me no ill will. They were hungrier and a bit poorer than they would have liked, but they adored me. As I had hoped, I had received all of the credit for the raising of the siege. The people of the city spoke about me in hushed tones, as if describing an avenging Goddess who had come down from the heavens to defeat the Empire's enemies. No one dared openly speak against me. There was no longer any doubt, at least among the people, that I was the legitimate ruler of Ülke and Bütün Dünya. If I asked anything of the people, they would give it to me. A half empty stomach was a fair price to pay for such a leader. This was real power.

While the people suffered greatly and with impressive fortitude, the same could not be said of the Peers. They suffered marginally and many complained gravely. They had slightly less food than they might otherwise have, they had slightly less money. Many had holdings outside of the city that were targeted by raiders from Dusman. They blamed me and looked back fondly on my father's time. They seemed not to recognize that their prosperity had grown in times of peace and that the later years of my father's reign did not include a war for the survival of the Empire.

But I suppose I should be clearer. It was not that all of my Peers were against me. The Loyalists celebrated with the people and saw my victory as vindication of my placement on the throne. Some may have even subscribed to the notion of divine intervention that was favored by the people. The number of Loyalists had actually grown, as respect for my rule grew. Those who had once been undecided by leaned towards acceptance now came fully within my sphere of influence.

No, it was the Collaborationist party that complained most loudly. They had been shocked and appalled when I had driven the enemy from our doorstep without so much as a single soldier by my side. They had sat in silent, impotent rage as the people, and many fellow Peers, flocked to my side. Those who had hoped ultimately for my defeat were bitterly disappointed. Somewhat strangely, the ranks of the Collaborationists were growing as well. With the threat of conquest seemingly shrinking, many Peers who had once been on the fence began to side with my adversaries. They had no love for Dusman, but they did not like following a "mere girl." What was more; many who hoped that I would be weak and easily pliable were disappointed to find that I had some capacity for the position. These men found themselves easily slipping into the waiting arms of Duke Hain and the others who meant to clip my wings. The end result was that the Peers were more divided than ever and those who followed me were still outnumbered by my enemies. Only my popularity with the people kept the Collaborationists in check.

All of these various challenges required my attention. I had found that without the singular trial provided by the siege, my focus was not nearly as sharp in the weeks that followed. I felt the need to solve all of the problems at once. As I padded slowly to the privy in the dark, my tasks for the upcoming day popped up in my mind and filled me with a nervous energy I knew would sap any remaining will to sleep.

First, I had a meeting with my Peers early in the morning. These meetings had grown much less frequent after the lifting of siege, but I still tried to make time once every two weeks. That day we were to discuss efforts to increase the size and professionalism of the military. I wanted a standing army of at least 20,000 crack troops. Loyalists were willing to back new tax increases, particularly for the Peers, to bolster this effort. The Collaborationists planned to block this method in the name of economic distress, though I suspected they liked keeping me weak. When I relied primarily on the retinues of the Peers for the Empire's soldiers, I was more easily controlled. I anticipated the meeting would end in a stalemate.

After that, I had an engagement to meet Cin, Agiz, and Got to discuss recent changes on the religious front. Thousands of people had seen the end of the siege as a sign from heaven. Tanri had been almost completely abandoned within the city and people were flocking to Gunes, my protector. Cin and her priestesses were overwhelmed, though delighted, by the turn of events. We were to discuss the induction of new priestesses to serve the people and the refurbishment of the ancient Temple of Gunes to accommodate the new converts.

Following that I had a meeting with my entire Inner Council to discuss food in the city. Several merchants would be in the palace to describe locations where ambushes usually occurred. Soyguncu, who had been scouting outside the city for more easily defended trade routes, would also be present. It was absolutely essential that I get some manner of control over food prices.

I wondered for a moment if Arkadas would attend. She was still considered a member of the Inner Council and her seat was still available, but it seemed that she rarely participated in meetings. That was not a negative. She had rarely felt comfortable at the meetings and consciously chose not to add any comments. Now that we had a new...understanding about one another it seemed like she no longer felt the need to be near me at all times. She knew that I was not going to leave her. Still, on an issue like food scarcity her compassion and insight might be useful. As I thought this, I turned back and looked over my shoulder at the bed where my friend and lover still slept.

I felt icy fingers clutch at my insides and my I took in a sharp breath, even before I could fully understand what was happening before me. Arkadas lay in the bed where I had left her. Her face looked serene and relaxed while he arms and legs were splayed out under the covered, taking up most of the bed. But on either side of the bed were black figures. For a moment in the dark I could barely make them out. But I could see they were men, short but powerfully built. They were wearing tight black clothing and even their faces were covered. They were standing on either side of the bed, leaning over Arkadas. They must've arrived in the moments after I left the bed.

I felt my heart rise into my chest. My hair was standing up on end and my palms felt sweaty. I sensed my breath coming more quickly and I was careful to control the volume. Instinctively, I rose up onto my toes so that when I moved, I was nearly silent. I wanted to turn and run, but I wanted more to get next to Arkadas. I was terrified of what was about to befall here. Who were these men? Why were they in my room?

The men leaned over carefully and looked at Arkadas. They then looked up at one another and one of the men shrugged. I moved closer to the men. I had no real idea of what I was going to do. I was completely naked and had no way to force these men from my room.

I was only about fifteen feet away from the men, their backs to me, when suddenly they struck. They did not speak; they simply both knew they were going to act. One man jumped up onto Arkadas chest. He straddled her breasts and his hands instantly found their way to her mouth. The other man jumped on Arkadas legs, sitting on her knees and placing his hands on her hips, forcing her down.

Arkadas woke instantly and there was the barest hint of a yelp before the man on her chest was able to render her completely silent. Arkadas thrashed wildly on the bed, shuffling the covers and arching her back. But then men seemed to know what they were doing and they held her down firmly. I had to resist the urge to run toward her and throw myself on her attackers. I was outnumbered and would easily be subdued by the powerful men. I wanted to call to Saygili and the other guards out in the hall, but was afraid of what would happen in the instant after I acted. My nerves grew more unbearable and I found it hard to stand.

"She don't look like no person from Ülke that I ever seen," one man hissed at the other, once there was no need to worry about waking Arkadas. The one speaking was the man on Arkadas knees.

"What the fuck are you talking about, just do it!" the other man said.

"Look at her skin and her hair?" the first man responded, "She looks like girls I seen in Soğuk, up North. She don't look like no Sultanah." I felt my air catch in my throat. Of course these men were here for me. I had no idea what I had been thinking. I was so concerned about Arkadas that the absurdity of attacking a slave had never occurred to me. These men were here to do something to me. They had not expected a female lover in the Sultanah's bed and now they figured that Arkadas was me. I felt adrenaline coursing through my body; I would not let anything happen to Arkadas for my sake.

The man on Arkadas chest seemed annoyed by "Royal families intermarry; maybe this one takes after her great grandma from Suck Cock..."

"Soğuk," the other corrected.

"Whatever, just do it!"

"Can't you do your half first?" the man on Arkadas knees asked, "Put her out of her misery..."

"We got paid to cut her cock off and shove it down her throat, that is how she is supposed to die. I am only slitting her throat to make sure the work is complete. Now fucking move before a guard comes in," the man said. I felt my head grow light. I looked down briefly between my breasts and looked at my cock. Cut it off...

I watched as the first man reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife. It was a long hunting utensil and it shone in the pale moonlight. The man started to shuffle through the sheets, trying to pull them away from Arkadas body. Arkadas continued to thrash on the bed, her task made easier now by the fact that the man had to ease up on her knees. The man on Arkadas chest slapped her hard one time across the face and she briefly became still. The man on her knees was now able to pull away the sheets. The lower half of Arkadas body now lay exposed on the bed, her legs spread slightly.

"Katil," he said, giving a common name of Surgun, "this isn't right..."

"Just do it!" the man on Arkadas chest said.

"I can't!"

"Just fucking do it!"

"She don't have a cock. She just got a pretty pink cunny," the man said incredulously, "It was all just a lie!" He slumped back slightly. The man on Arkadas chest tried to lean back slightly to get a look. In order to do so, he moved some pressure off of her face. Arkadas chose that exact moment to flail one last time, with all her might. Her chest rocked and her arms slapped. Most importantly, her knee rose slightly. It pounded into the man on her knee's hand. Her kneecap collided with the handle of the of the man's knife. Unprepared for the impact, the man's grip was broken and the knife went sailing through the air and clattered onto the floor.

"Bitch!" both men said at once and quickly wrestled Arkadas back down onto the bed.

"Fine, I'll just slit her fucking throat," Katil said. But I was barely listening. I was already sprinting across the floor on my tiptoes, racing towards the knife. I held my breath as I ran and I tried to remain as quiet as possible. The blade of the knife was shining in the low moonlight as the man wrestled to once again subdue Arkadas.

In a matter of moments I had crossed the distance to the knife. I reached down and grabbed the handle of the blade as quickly as I could. For a moment, the knife skittered onto the ground as I tried to get control. The man on Arkadas legs must've heard, at that moment I saw his head raise and turn slightly toward me. I wrapped my fingers around the knife.

"Saygili!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. At the same moment I swung the knife. The man on Arkadas legs opened his mouth to speak, his eyes wide with disbelief at my sudden appearance. Before the slightest sound was able to escape his lips, the knife slammed hard into the side of his head. It pierced his temple and instantly entered his brain. His mouth dropped open and his eyes remained wide. He remained silent.

I did not have time to think about him. While he was still sitting upright on Arkadas legs, I felt a sudden weight crash into my side. I could smell the thick stench of body odor and alcohol on the force knocking me over. I knew it was the other assassin. The knife slipped form my hand and remained buried in the first assassin's head.