Ch. 12 & 13
(Chapter 13 includes an explicit sexual encounter with dubious consent, involving intense emotions, power dynamics, and reluctance. Readers who may find this upsetting are encouraged to proceed with caution or skip chapter 13. A summary of relevant plot points will be available when chapter 14 gets posted.)
Ch. 12
The word of John as the savior of the city spread fast. Although many people had been displaced and many had lost their lives, there was still a lively procession in honor of "John and his knights."
John felt terrible. He was no knight, after all. He knew most of the fighting was done by hard men with hard lives. His victory was on the shoulders of those men. He put on a brave face and gave a small speech announcing that a treaty had been agreed upon, and he would head to the capital to make plans with the King to execute the terms. He remained vague about specifics. The men gathered cheered. "You are our king!" Followed by, "Long live the king."
Although John still felt extremely nervous addressing large groups of people, the practice was starting to show. His orations were becoming bold and sharp. He practiced when he could, knowing it would be his duty. Whenever he became stricken with nerves, he would think of Sharon. The first time in that bathtub was always one of his favorite, most powerful memories of her, the woman who for years was only a mother figure. Her wet hair. Her wet mouth. Her shining eyes. Cloth sticking to her shapely body. Her soft voice coaxed him, letting him know it was okay.
Although he did enjoy fantasizing about Sharon and Viola together, he also fondly remembered losing his virginity to Viola. She was like his sister, and the guilt overwhelmed him. It would make him rock hard. With these fond memories, he would steel himself, knowing what he fought for was priceless.
After that night's celebrations, John retreated to share a nightcap with the young knight Raphael. The two reminisced on how far they had come and what was to come.
Eventually, the young knight had to ask, "Your Grace, if you do not mind me asking how did you convince the Khan that you were going to take the throne? I was in the room with you, but I still can't believe it."
"Well, I had always read widely the histories of tartars. Although not much is known, various historians, including the father of history, wrote about them with fascination. Although at times frighteningly savage, I knew he would listen to reason. I also knew the current Queen was a distant relative of the Khan. He claimed he was only conquering half of the Kingdom for her. But the toll of death and destruction on his military made him rethink conquest. I told him about my bloodline to the throne and how the Pope backed my ascendancy. I told him the Kingdom could see a future with me, and he stood to get richer and more powerful without further bloodshed. I was lucky that Queen Xia had mentioned me to him. I guess my name and legend are spreading. I'm not sure how I feel about it all."
The young knight stayed quiet, thinking for a long time. Finally, he said, "In life, we must embrace the role thrust upon us. As fate would have it, you are to ascend to the highest throne of the land. With it comes the weight of responsibility and duty. Sure, you could approach this haphazardly like our current King. You see how that has turned out for the Kingdom. Or you can choose to believe in yourself. Believe you do have what it takes to embrace your role and unite the Kingdom for future prosperity."
"Easier said than done." John also thought for a long time. His life had changed so much in a relatively short time.
"In the short time we've gotten to know each other, John, one thing I've never questioned is your bravery and dedication to those you love. I know you have it in you. And if you pursue the throne wholeheartedly, then taking the throne is only the first step in a long life of serving the Kingdom. My wish is to serve alongside you as long as you have use for me."
John thanked his friend. Still unsure, he continued to wrestle with doubt on his long journey to the capital of the Kingdom.
~
With the existential threat gone, the Kingdom began to rebuild. Word spread far and wide about the savior of the city and perhaps the entire Kingdom. Although, with this fame, John was now more prominently on the radar of the current King. He had been privy to rumors and random stories of this John character, but now King Charlemagne was on high alert. Another issue that arose was that although the exact terms of the treaty remained mostly unknown, people knew that marriage to the Khans family was a part of it.
While everyone was grateful that the invasion was over, many began to harbor fear and hatred for the possibility of a future monarch who was even more closely related to Khan. Many were already distrustful of the background of the current Queen. Her beauty was legendary, and many felt that she had tricked the King into marrying her.
When word came of John's successful defense and peace treaty, the King flew into a rage and vowed to kill John immediately. Before he could dispatch assassins, he drank himself to death.
The death came so suddenly but surprised very few. The King was a drunk and had a very public problem with drinking in excess. Although some raised suspicions, the body was examined, and it was determined that excessive drinking had taken its toll.
The Queen did not seem very sad, though. At his funeral, she told the nobles and the public that she was ready to step up and continue his legacy. The people were furious, mostly at her lack of respect for the funeral. But also, many knew that this power grab was unprecedented. People murmured, and slowly, the Pope's answer sounded much more viable.
John received word from the Pope that he would meet him at the capital to ensure that John would be crowned as the new King. John was thrilled to also learn that the Pope would travel mostly by river, allowing him to bring along Sharon and Viola, who he missed dearly.
The Khan was able to get a message to the Queen, and she reluctantly agreed to a marriage to John. She knew the state of the Kingdom very well. She knew that even if she could convince everyone to work with her and unite the great houses under her, she would still struggle to rule by herself. John was quickly becoming loved by the people, and with the Pope backing him, it was the best choice. The Queen was not happy. When she was married to the King as part of a new alliance, she bitterly accepted her lot in life and saw that getting power would be the only way to break free from the yoke in her life.
Although she was royalty by being born a woman, the only power she held was to be married off to give her father power and prestige. For a long time, she had dreamed of taking power for herself. It was easy. She was so pretty that the King was immediately head over heels for her. Her love kept him closely attached and let her slowly take more power. As she proved quite competent in ruling, the King continued to indulge in his vices.
Eventually, the King let her lead the meetings without him so he could sleep off hangovers or go on his expensive "hunting trips." A cover for visiting whore houses. She knew she was disliked from the beginning, but she thought it was preferable to be disliked and feared than to be considered far less than.
At first, she was okay with this arrangement. However, as the Kingdom suffered loss after loss due to the King's growing problems and seemingly caring less and less about ruling, she began to suffer. The council blamed her for not keeping the King in check. Depending on his mood, he would become belligerent when she tried to confront him. At times violent when drinking.
His death was welcome, as she knew she could not survive much longer with the level of abuse she had to put up with. It was nice to be free from men for at least a few weeks. Although she heard stories about John being just and kind to everyone who knew him, she also knew the ways of men very well, especially with unchecked power. She resigned herself to marry again to retain what power she could. Still, she began dreading being bound to another man. She slowly began to think of ways to get out of this.
John made slow progress to the capital. The Knights split and rotated to help rebuild/ maintain security. Some were sent back to their homes near the Vatican and rested a few weeks before returning to replace the other units. John traveled directly to the capital with a small band of knights and a handful of paladins. Still, everywhere he went, people wanted to see him and hear from him. Even in remote villages and smaller camps, his name was well known, and he was often treated to crowds greeting his party with chants of Long live the King.
John welcomed the practice of addressing his crowds. He would give rousing speeches about the type of ruler he would be. Assured that even though alliances with the Tartars would continue, he would prioritize raising defenses to never be threatened with extinction again. The townspeople insisted he accept their hospitality. Many women threw themselves at him. He politely declined and said he was in no position yet to fill positions for his court ladies. Each time he was offered expensive gifts or gold, he would reject it and say take this and use it to help this town.
Finally, the rugged party made it to the gates of the capital. Even during the short time between visits, he could already see the improvements the knights and nuns had made in the capital. For the most part, the plague was dying down, and many began rebuilding. The streets welcomed him. His new home. His new throne.
~
In the following few days, John moved as if in a daze. He was tired from war and travel, but every minute of his day seemed planned out for him. He first and foremost met the King's Council, absent the Queen. He was able to assure them that he would not drive any of them out. He would bring a small group of highly distinguished Vatican thinkers to join and work with them. And he would give the current council a choice to stay or leave. He insisted that their top priority would be rebuilding the Kingdom and ensuring safety and security returned. The small council mostly agreed. Only three left, muttering that another king so close to the tartars would only lead to more ruin.
He also deployed a good portion of the royal guard to defend the citizens in the most vulnerable parts of the Kingdom. The rest he consolidated under the rule of Sir Micheal and his paladins. Although the work was long and arduous, John was relatively relieved that the transition was going smoothly for the most part. Not only was leading right away, but plans were underway for a large crowning ceremony followed by a wedding.
It was almost a week before he finally met the Queen. She had mainly been isolated from her palace to grieve. However, one morning, John got a message from her primary attendant. An older, stern lady with Eastern features, "Your Lordship, her Majesty is ready to answer your summons. As she is still grieving the loss of her late husband, she asks that you come to her."
As he was escorted, he asked the attendant questions, and she answered frankly. He learned more about Queen Xia and how she had been raised. He found out that she was close to Sharon's age. And when very young, her father, a fierce, bloodthirsty warrior, challenged the rule of the upcoming Khan. He was killed on a hunting trip meant to be contested, and many rumored that the Khan had not competed fairly.
Her abode was in the back of the palace. Away from the main tower of the castle guarded by very high walls, he crossed a large, beautiful garden. He noticed smaller but still fancy housing buildings as he approached her palace. When he asked the attendant, she replied, "Welcome to the royal Harem palace. The late King, although married, also had many concubines. Yes, it is not well known, but the King adopted the concubine system like other Eastern empires. And while they did start from nobles and alliances, a large portion were added from common whore houses, it seemed, with many more from simply his whims. Many of them knew they were not welcome by the Queen when he died and ran away. The high-ranking consorts and concubines that stay remain to await your mercy."
