The Sultanah Ch. 06

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Hermaphrodite Sultanah "negotiates" with a noblewoman.
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Part 6 of the 14 part series

Updated 06/07/2023
Created 11/08/2015
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YKN4949
YKN4949
5,864 Followers

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 6 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. In Chapter 5, Varis survived an assassination attempt and visited her harem.

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); Tutuklu (the head concubine of the harem). 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.

*****

Chapter 6: The Tiebreaker

"That would add an additional day to the trip and would offer what? A marginal decrease in the chance of being murdered by horsemen? Why not..." the merchant said, pointing to the map that was spread on the table that I had asked to be brought into the throne room. He spoke loudly and gestured emphatically, but Soyguncu spoke loudly over him.

"Don't be a fool, that is just one part of a larger strategy..."

"Don't call me a fool you stupid bitch, I have been traveling around this part of the world selling salt-pork since before you slipped out of your mother's arse...:" the merchant retorted

"Call me a bitch again and I will cut out your eye balls and shove them up your arse..." Soyguncu responded, reaching towards her belt. Cin was sitting next to her and she placed her hand on Syoguncu's knife, preventing the meeting from turning into a brawl.

"Shut up the both of you, I need to hear about the river crossing..." Another merchant said over the din. I was sitting on my throne looking down at the meeting below. I was slumped in the chair, my head resting on my right hand. My left was still bandaged and slightly pained from the attack two weeks earlier, but my fingers we moving easily now and it appeared to be on the mend. That, essentially, was the only good news. Certainly this meeting could not have gone much worse

My entire Inner Council was present around the table, along with my scout, Soyguncu. There were about two dozen merchants either at the table or standing around it. They were discussing, if you could call it that, attempts we had made to increase the flow of goods into the city. Soyguncu had spent weeks attempting to find circuitous routes, easily defended passes, and clever camouflaging techniques to increase safety. We had invited many of the successful merchants who traveled regularly in the city to come and discuss these plans. Soyguncu had barely begun outlining the general impact of her plan when the objections had started. Her plans took too long, they would be less safe, if successful they would limit profits, and a half a dozen other objections of varying degrees of merit.

"Let's just stay focused on this..." Cin stated, trying to maintain order.

"What about soldiers? I thought there had been talk of escorts..." Everyone was talking at once now. I looked out the window at the city and sighed. Food shortages had grown slightly more acute in the last two weeks as Dusman's cavalry had increased their predations. The people in the city were growing hungrier by the day. Whatever hope I held for this meeting had quickly dissipated and now I was just waiting for it to end so I could formulate a new plan. Maybe bringing in seeds and earth to grow vegetables on rooftops...I supposed there were stupider ideas.

"Varis...Varis...I mean, Sultanah Varis," A voice called below. The crowd was still yelling loudly at one another at their tables and the various members of my Inner Council were trying desperately to maintain order. But as I looked down I saw, at the base of my throne, Arkadas. She was holding a piece of parchment in her hand.

"Yes, what is it?" I asked. At the sound of my voice, all discussion around the table instantly ceased. The people standing or sitting around the table all turned and looked at me. I had underestimated the weight of my authority. I could have controlled the discussion with a good deal more closely if I had exerted myself. But it seemed like a useless endeavor anyway. I needed to remove the threat posed by the horsemen, not hide from it.

"A parchment has arrived from the Kongre, the Peers have made some sort of proclamation," Arkadas said, looking down at the notice in her hand with a knitted brow. I felt an intense sense of unease.

"I didn't call parliament into session. How have the Peers met without me? Under what authority? Why haven't I heard about this?" I asked quickly. Arkadas looked up at me helplessly and shrugged. I looked over towards Cin. She was looking at me gravely and nodded her head.

"Gentlemen, the Sultanah would like to thank you for coming in today to discuss these matters. She has heard your various concerns and will likely re-evaluate this plan..."

"We have not even begin to express our objections," One merchant said.

"We were told we would have an hour and a half of the Sultanah's time..." another one began.

"My friends," I began, laying on the charm, "I have heard what you have said here today. What is more, I have heard beyond that, to the core problems with my plan. I assure you that I am not satisfied unless you are satisfied. I do not want this meeting to drag on when we all know this will not work. It is a waste of your time. Let me get you back in here in a few days or weeks and we will discuss a new plan, something you will like more..."

"It isn't going to get any better than this," Soyguncu shot back, crossing her arms in front of her breasts. Cin shot her an angry look but I ignored her.

"Please, tell my guard that I asked that you be taken to the reception hall for refreshment. It is the least I can do for all of the help you provided," I spoke calmly, soothingly in order to get the men to leave my throne room. But inside I was nervous. I had been resisting efforts to call a parliament for two weeks. I did not like the composition of the Peers and was nervous about who they would select as a Prime Minister. The fact that they met and had apparently produced some sort of document was disconcerting. It was not legal, in a strict sense, because I had not called a parliament. But it spoke to conflicts rippling below the surface.

"Well, I suppose we cannot argue with that," said one of the older merchants, one who was ostensibly elected as their spokesman, "We know you are busy. We thank you for your time." Many of the other merchants tried to argue with him, but he waved them off. Apparently, he understood how to take a hint, even if they did not. He rose from the table and started to walk from the room. Reluctantly, the others began to follow him.

In a few moments, all of the merchants had left the throne room and were in the hallway beyond, arguing with the guard about the location of their meal. I barely waited for the door to close before I was bounding down the stairs of my throne, reaching for the parchment. Cin rose also, and was walking over towards me.

"What a bunch of fucking pansies," Soyguncu said, jerking her thumb in the direction of the door, "They want complete safety with hazard pay. I mean this is a war, isn't it?" she asked.

"Not now," I said, completely forgetting about the merchants. I took the parchment from Arkadas hands. In a few moments, Cin, Arkadas, Kardes, Soyguncu, Agiz and Got were crowded around me as I tore open the seal on the parchment. Some of them may not have understood the significance of this missive, but they could tell that I was concerned. Once I had it open, I felt the papers trembling in my hands as I tried to read. I was almost certain that it was a notice that I had been deposed and that some faction of the Peers had seized power. I could feel the blood rushing in my ears and the words seemed to make no sense. I read the parchment aloud, so that others would hear it and be able to explain it to me if I could not control myself.

"To our most honored and rightful sovereign, Sultanah Varis I," the parchment began. That was a pleasant start, I had not been branded a traitor or criminal. I felt some relief, "on this, the 12th day of Eylül in the year 1298, the Community of the Realm convened at the Kongre to discuss matters of Imperial import."

"That is good," Cin said, sounding somewhat relieved. Many other eyes, including mine, turned to her curiously. She smiled, "The Community of the Realm is the technical term to describe the members of parliament when not in session. They are not defying you. They simply called a meeting of their own accord. It is somewhat improper, but it is not treasonous." I felt my panic subsiding slightly and turned my eyes back to the back. Once again, I read aloud.

"We herein proffer the following resolutions: wherefore, we Peers constitute the Community of the Realm and consequently have a direct stake in matters of governance and; wherefore that Realm, Bütün Dünya, is currently at war on many fronts, with many enemies and; wherefore, that war and those enemies would tax the endurance of even the most skilled and experience war leader, and wherefore the Peers care deeply for the health and happiness of our beloved Sultanah and; wherefore the Peers wish to relieve some of the burden from the shoulders of the Sultanah, and wherefore the participation of the Peers in the prosecution of the war would enhance, rather than hinder, the prerogatives of the Sultanah, and wherefore the large number of Peers makes participation in unofficial congresses or official Parliament burdensome and inefficient, be it hereinafter resolved that the Community of the Realm shall establish and create an Executive Assembly consisting of five lords elected by the Community of the Realm and led by a Chancellor selected from among there number."

"Those worms!" Kardes spat angrily as my voice faded. I dropped the parchment onto the table.

"What?" Arkadas asked, "They made some sort of committee or something? Who cares? That is what Parliament always does, right?" Arkadas peered around the room. She was the only one who appeared sanguine (though, in fairness, Soyguncu was still just upset because her meeting with the merchants had collapsed).

"They aren't parliament now," I said flatly. Even if Arkadas didn't understand, I had learned a lot in the previous months. I could smell what was happening.

"They are usurping the Sultanah's authority. They called a meeting that she did not sanction and granted themselves a chunk of her power."

"It specifically says they aren't doing that!" Arkadas shot back naively.

"Of course they did! Wouldn't you say that?" Kardes responded.

"This is because of meeting, the meeting after the assassination attempt," I said, looking over at Cin. She nodded quickly and then spat on the floor.

"Who signed it? Have they already elected their Assembly and its Chancellor?" she asked. I reached down and picked up the parchment again.

"Yes, it is signed by the Assembly, though no Chancellor has yet been elected from among their ranks. Though I should note that Duke Hain's name is first in order," I said, reading over the bottom of the document. The presence of Hain's name suggested to me everything that had occurred. After my outburst at the meeting, the Collaborationist party had poisoned the moderate nobles into thinking I was unfit for the task. I was overburdened and inexperienced. They had couched their intent in language of concern. They suggested forming a council to provide me with guidance and support. For fear of upsetting the Loyalists (and those on the fence) they could not come out and say what they were doing. They were usurping my power. Their goal was to make me a figurehead. Over a very gradual timeline, my importance would be downplayed to the point where I could simply be eliminated.

I felt a white hot rage the likes of which I had not felt since the assassination attempt a few weeks earlier. Those men had been trying to take my life, but this was not much better. They were trying to eliminate me as a political entity, to strip everything about the Sultanah that made me greater than the young woman, Varis. It was a political assassination, if not a bodily murder. I clenched my fist, but felt impotent. How could I counteract this?

"Who else has signed?" Cin said, keeping calm now even as my rage spiraled.

"Duke Hain, Lord Örnek, Sir Sakşakçı, Lord Sadik, Duke Göstermelik," I said, growing more enraged as I went, "Sadik and Göstermelik! I thought they were Loyalists? Were they just waiting for the right time to throw in with Hain and his ilk? Trying to get a better deal? Am I totally isolated. And who is this Sir Sakşakçı? I have never once in my life heard of him." I was essentially frothing with anger now and many of the people around the table had taken a step back. Only Cin stayed nearby. She walked closer to me and placed her hand against mine. I felt her calming warmth and my heart rate slowed slightly.

"I think you may misreading the significance of those five names and the fact they have not voted for a Chancellor as yet," Cin said calmly. I looked at the names again, but I was still too angry to think. How could Sadik do this to me?

"I see an attempt by the Peers to steal my throne but let me still pretend to sit on it," I said sharply.

"Yes and I see a shrewd maneuver to counteract that attempt," Cin said. I furrowed my brown, trying to discern what Cin had gleaned from the parchment. I sat down at the table and the other approached closer.

"Explain it to me," I said. Cin nodded.

"I agree that this is related to your accusations against the Peers after the attack. The Collaborationists are scared of being treated as traitors. And many other Peers are likely afraid as well. But if that happened all those weeks ago, then why is this parchment just coming here now?" she asked.

"Because the Loyalists were blocking it!" Kardes said, leaning now more closely towards the parchment. Cin smiled at her and nodded.

"Exactly."

"Well what happened? Why did they give in?" I asked.

"Numbers," Cin said, "My guess is that you are outnumbered now, more Collaborationists than Loyalists. Hain and his party eventually threatened to set up Community of the Realm meeting and vote unanimously to form the Executive Assembly. They only need a majority of the Peers to make a claim to speaking for them. So the Loyalists agreed to the meeting."

"So what, the Loyalist then just threw in with them?" Arkadas asked, more confused than angry. But I was starting to understand what happened and the significance of the lowly Sir Sakşakçı. I shook my head.

"No. They realized that if they didn't show up, that the Executive Assembly would be 100% Collaborationist, but if they joined, they could get a few seats," I explained, my anger subsiding now. I was still facing a challenge to my authority, but I was not alone.

"Why did the Collaborationists let them? If they could just set it up anyway and have 100% of the seats?" Arkadas asked.

"It would look like a naked power grab. Now they have the illusion of consensus," I explained.

"They both got something out of it," Cin added, "So it happened. It is not ideal for either of the parties. And that is where we have to seize the reins here." I was feeling better now, the wheels were turning.

"Well then who is who?" Arkadas asked, confused. She was looking at the names on the parchment, obviously trying to remember who they were.

"Duke Hain and Lord Örnek are Collaborationists. Hain is in charge and Örnek does whatever he is told. Basically the same can be said with Lord Sadik and Duke Göstermelik; Sadik will have two votes on the Assembly," Cin explained.

"And Sir...whatever?" Arkadas asked.

Sir Sakşakçı," I finished for her, "I don't know anything about him. But I imagine he is a moderate. And probably a pliable one."

"How do you know he is not a Collaborationist or a Loyalist?" Got asked. I did not have a chance to answer, Cin jumped in.

"If he fit in a faction, they would have already voted for a Chancellor. And if the factions were able to install their leaders they would have chosen Dukes or someone with a name. His obscurity speaks to the fact that he is in play. He has little money or position. He appealed to moderates because he didn't choose sides. But more importantly, he appeals to the Loyalists and the Collaborationists because they think he can be bought," Cin said, nodding in agreement, "I know him slightly. I think the Sultanah's assessment is correct."

"Well how do we buy him?" I asked and there was some nervous laughter around the room. Now that it was clear what was happening in the Community of the Realm, the course of action was clear. Rather than a threat, this could be turned into an opportunity. An Executive Assembly run by Collaborationists would steal my power and rule in my stead. An Executive Assembly run by Loyalists would give the impression that I was sharing power and flatter the pretensions of the moderate Peers, but actually continue to grant me a wide range of motion. If I could get three votes on the Assembly, then I was in a better position than before. The Collaborationists would suffer a self-inflicted wound. If nothing else, it would make my adversaries look incompetent. They had already allowed the matter to be thrown into the air by allowing a moderate on the Assembly, now I had to make them pay.

For a long moment after my question, there was silence. Everyone was trying to think of a way to ensure that

"Why get overly cute?" Soyguncu suggested (having now slipped seamlessly into a discussion with the Inner Council), "Collect a lot of money and hand it to him." I winced and shook my head

YKN4949
YKN4949
5,864 Followers