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"Your generosity is appreciated," I heard a voice to my left saying. I turned and saw Kardes speaking. Clearly she had seen my confusion and, as usual, she rescued me, "We have grown up hearing stories about the ferocity of Anaerki arms. Tales of your mercy were less accurate." I felt relieved. Kardes had known exactly what to say, Maderşahi smiled broadly and spoke to the
"Do you hear that, Kız? The Empire has not seen us in battle in hundreds of years and yet our reputation precedes us," Maderşahi said to the guard behind us. Her voice sounded amused (and a bit proud). I stayed quiet, letting Kardes take the wheel. Even if she was angry at me, she still recognized the interests of our family and our Empire. That was why she had decided to come with me. She said she no longer loved me, but she wanted to protect the Empire and, incidentally, me. She seemed focused.
"Well it is not merely legend. We had a demonstration of the Anaerki skill at arms today," Kardes stated and then described the way in which our forces were silently ambushed and taken prisoner during the day. Kardes played up the nature of our surprise. Maderşahi took great joy in Kardes' recounting of her nation's military prowess.
"But mercy also," I added suddenly, "Your warriors did not merely toss us over the ravine, the leader, he..."
"He?" Maderşahi asked, furrowing her brow. And then laughing slightly, "I don't know Kız, should you be offended?" she asked. I turned and looked at the guard standing at the door. I heard a good-natured laugh emanating from the helmet. Quickly the guard reached up and grabbed the plume on the helmet, pulling it off. I had been expecting a gruff face man with weather-beaten skin, someone like Saygili. Instead, I saw the smiling, youthful face of a woman. A woman who looked remarkably like a younger version of Maderşahi was staring back at me. Kız was, apparently, a beautiful woman.
"I apologize again," my face turned red, "I just assumed..."
"An assumption that many have made when facing our forces in battle," Maderşahi explained, "But all of our forces are women. Men are not permitted in our legions." My eyes grew wide. I knew that Anaerki was led by women. I assumed a council of old, wizened crones who were consulted by the military elite. Cin had not been certain, but had stated my assumption seemed likely. I had never expected a society that felt...inverted. Maderşahi laughed at my confusion, "It seems that the legends have neglected certain aspects. It does not surprise me that Imperial legions failed to tell their wives that they were whipped or saved by armed women."
"I guess not," I said, sounding as awestruck as I felt. Maderşahi seemed to sense that I needed greater explanation and did not wait for me to ask.
"We live in a totally bifurcated society," Maderşahi explained. "The women control the military and the government and stay here, in the Keep, and on patrol, for most of the year. The men live far below in the valley with the children and any women who are pregnant or nursing. Each year we meet for a several weeks with our husbands. Did you notice the empty villages along your path on the way in? Those are communal family units used at that time. There we re-unite with our children briefly and mate with our husbands. When a woman reaches 18 years of age, she is sent here to the Keep to begin her military training. Men, upon coming of age, run farms and act as merchants."
"Why?" I asked as she finished. It was not a diplomatic question, but I was simply curious. I could barely conceive of this organization for society. It seemed alien and unnatural. I needed to know more.
"Why what?" She asked, "Why women soldiers? That is easy enough. We are smaller and we eat less, making us more mobile and ideal for irregular cavalry units. We are more flexible, stealther, and we tend to live longer. Our senses are sharper. We go to war with light bows and small spears. When mounted and firing, brute force is not exactly an issue. Women also fight harder. We know when we lose that we will be raped and made slaves. We fight to the last. Further, we strike fear in the hearts of our enemies. At some of it is as simple as the fact that we are different, other soldiers do not know how to handle us." I could understand the logic in everything she said. In fact, I found it quite compelling. But that did not change the strangeness of it.
"Of course, we once had male soldiers as well. And female merchants for that matter," Maderşahi continued quickly, "But we found that the men, when armed, had a hard time accepting female leaders. When a female Mürebbiye was elected (which was rare) she often faced opposition to her policies," she explained.
"That sounds familiar," I said without thinking and I saw Maderşahi smile. But it was true; it was the story of my Peers if I ever heard it.
"Well many years ago, the women of Anaerki faced this dilemma and they made a choice. They could have accepted subservience. Instead, they chose resistance. They rebelled. They eliminated the most prominent males (their husbands, in some cases) and disarmed the rest of the men. We have been in charge ever since. We keep the men as far from as possible most of the time. They are busy with their duties. We are not tempted to grant them additional rewards. Our older daughters act as spies to keep them in their place but, in all honesty, they have accepted the situation at this point," Maderşahi said, with considerable, earned, pride.
That such a thing was even possible was beyond my comprehension. But Maderşahi spoke with such conviction and with such ease that there was no doubt that what she said was true. I had seen the 'abandoned' villages with my own eyes. And I had not actually seen any men, just warriors with face-covering helmets. I had seen no children either. And, despite my absolute shock, I was more certain than ever that I was in the right place, seeking the right kind of alliance. What better partner for a Sultanah than an army of women? I felt like Maderşahi had given me the perfect opening. I found my tongue and spoke.
"It is true what they say," I explained, "history repeats itself. I will be frank as you have been frank. I confide that I have sat on my throne for only a brief time and I have not sat easily. There are many within my Empire that doubt my legitimacy. More importantly, the rest of the world denies my legitimacy. Not because of any defect in my parentage, I am my father's daughter, but because of my gender."
"This is a sanctuary in a hostile world," Maderşahi agreed.
"I now ask you to be more than that," I said and Maderşahi furrowed her brow, "I did not come here merely to apologize. Though, if that is all I accomplish I will consider this trip a success. But, my most important mission was to renew an agreement that once existed. Or even to extend it. There used to be a tacit agreement between Anaerki and the Empire. Your nation provided force of arms and the Empire provided you with stability and support. I will to, at least, renew that agreement. But more importantly, I would like to sign a formal alliance with Anaerki on behalf of Bütün Dünya. This will help you to draw on the resources of the Empire. And it will help me sit more firmly on my throne, throwing the men who oppose me back on their heels. There are only two nations in the world, that I know of, led by women. It is imperative that we stick together."
I had not intended to lay all of my cards out so quickly, but the situation had felt right. I had taken a risk, but I hoped that my directness and candor would pay off. Maderşahi leaned back slightly on her bed and she rubbed her chin carefully with her thumb and forefinger. I saw her once briefly glance over my shoulder at Kız.
"You need not answer immediately," Kardes said, trying to backtrack my impulsiveness, "We merely wanted to give you the information to make a decision. We can be patient. Feel free to discuss this with...anyone who should be consulted"
"I appreciate that, but I was elected for my decisiveness in battle and in diplomacy. The women expect me to lead and they expect to follow. I would no sooner ask their opinion on this than I would on my choice of husband," Maderşahi explained coolly.
Then she sat for a while in silence. It was clear she was thinking deeply about the proposal. My nerves began to grow unbearable. It was almost worse not know that to receive a definitive rejection. My heart was pounding and the blood was coursing through my veins at lightning speed. Finally, Maderşahi leaned forward on the bed and opened her eyes. She smiled, but sadly and shrugged slightly.
"I am sorry, I cannot," was all she said, and she held her hands up as if to show she meant no harm. My jaw dropped open. Despite my nerves, I had honestly not expected that. A flat 'no.' I croaked for a second, trying to make noise before my voice finally cooperated.
"No? Why not? Surely you understand that the situation has changed...I apologized..."
"And I sincerely accepted the apology. There is no grudge here; a small country cannot afford grudges. But it cannot afford to take on the world based on some misplaced notion of female solidarity," Maderşahi explained patiently, "My heart, Sultanah, is with you. I want you to defeat your enemies at home and abroad if for no other reason to show the men in my country the folly of attempting to upset the balance of things here. But I have studied the decay of the Empire. I have monitored it to the best of my ability. It sounds to me like things have only gotten worse. I cannot commit my country to destruction." I felt like I had been punched in the gut. Her bluntness was no longer refreshing. She expected the Empire, and me, to fail. I was livid.
"I am not asking you to commit to destruction; I am asking you to take part in a glorious victory. You said yourself that your warriors are feared," I tried.
"That is because we know when to fight and when not to fight. We do not place ourselves in situations that we cannot win and thereby maintain our aura of invincibility," Maderşahi stated. The fact that she exposed her strategic vision told me a lot about how long she figured I would survive, "I am truly sorry Sultanah. I will not hold you prisoner, but I will not let you hold me prisoner either. I thank you for your visit and your apology, but it is time that we part." With that Maderşahi rose and then turned to walk back towards her desk.
I knew that I was now supposed to turn and exit the room. More than that, I was supposed to turn and exit the country. But everything had happened so fast. Once second, we were bonding over our shared struggles as women in power and the next I was being dismissed. Everything here was so abrupt and so off-putting. There was no chance for persuasion, not diplomatic dance. She made her decision, she stated it coldly, and then we were done. I was standing, sputtering, and trying to think of what I was supposed to do. This had not gone at all like I expected...
"What is that?" Kardes' voice suddenly interrupted my internal meltdown. I turned and looked at her and saw that she looked calm, unmoved. Her arm was extended and she was pointing towards the wall. I followed her finger and I saw, in the bright spot on the wall splashed by the bright sun light, a small wall-hanging. It showed some sort of scene and was very crudely rendered. I wondered where Kardes' sudden interest in primitive art had come from. I felt like her voice had unstuck me from my stupor. Now I was ready to turn and to leave. But Maderşahi stopped moving and turned to face the direction of Kardes' finger. For a moment, she simply gazed at the hanging, and then she smiled indulgently.
"Oh, the Tapestry of Goblen? Yes, it is quite unbecoming isn't it?" she asked. "But it is an ancient prophecy."
"Who is Goblen?" Kardes asked interestedly.
"The Sun God, of course," Maderşahi stated and my ears pricked up. The Anaerki worshipped the Sun God as well. My head, which had been bowed in defeated, shot up and I leaned forward slightly, trying to get a better look at the tapestry. The figures were quite small, but I could see that there were two panels to the tapestry. On the left were four human figures, little better than stick drawings, in a room together. They were lumped together closely, though I could not make out what they were doing. On the right, was a giant battle depicted with rivers of blood and clouds of fire.
"What is the prophecy, if you do not mind me asking, I know you are quite busy," Kardes said evenly. Maderşahi laughed indulgently.
"Certainly not, it is one of the prized possessions of the Mürebbiye's house," she bragged, "anyone is sure of its origin. Many say that Goblen herself stitched it with threats from a midnight sun in the far North. In the same way, no one knows how it came to be here. It has simply been here for as long as anyone can remember, going back to our earliest written records. Regardless, every Priestess who has viewed it has interpreted it in the same way," As she spoke, Maderşahi walked closer to the tapestry. She gazed at it for a few moments before turning back towards us.
"According to that interpretation, this prophecy predicts that Goblen, or her representative, will come to this world in human form. A mixture of the spiritual and the physical. Goblen will bind herself to Anaerki and then, in a great battle, she will defeat the enemies of light and usher in a new era of human existence," Each word that Maderşahi said made my ears prick and my skin tingle. My mouth went dry. I thought back to my coronation with Cin. This prophecy was so familiar. A Sun Goddess. A spiritual return. A new era. I looked at the tapestry glowing under the light of the Sun. I had never doubted the existence of Gunes before, but I would never doubt her absolute power again. I was too spellbound to speak.
"What are the people on the left panel doing? Who are they?" Kardes asked. I strained now to look at the tapestry, to make out the details that she saw. Maderşahi shrugged.
"No one is entirely certain. But the most common interpretation is that they are sealing an agreement in the manner wedding contracts are sealed in Anaerki," Maderşahi responded.
"How is that done?" Kardes asked, sounding genuinely curious.
"The female relatives of the marrying couple bind themselves together with a sexual act. Usually it is the mothers of the marrying couple, but it can be any two relatives," she said matter-of-factly, as though this were a common ceremony the world over. But it did not seem that strange once I thought about it. These women were alone together throughout most of the year; certainly they had sexual needs during that time. As for sealing an agreement with sex, I could hardly act as an impartial moral judge.
"They are having sex in the tapestry?" Kardes asked, keeping at it. Maderşahi did not seem to mind that we were not leaving, she was clearly enjoying the conversation.
"That is what they say," Maderşahi responded, then she suddenly grew more animated, "But the strangest thing, and the detail that the priestesses argue about the most is this character," she pointed to one of the stick figures, the only one stitched in red string, "This one character is interpreted to be Goblen or her representative. You can see the large loops and two dots that make the primitive drawing of her breasts. But there, down between her legs..."
"A cock?" Kardes asked and I could feel her eyes turn towards me.
"Exactly!" Maderşahi, "It is so strange. No one can tell what it means. But it is easily the most mysterious aspect of the entire tapestry."
"I believe," I said taking a step towards the center of the room. My body moved on its own and my words came without conscious thought. I was swept away by the magic of this moment, the utter impossibility that this could have happened without some divine plan, "That I can explain the tapestry and eliminate all of the mysteries." I heard Kız snort behind me, but Maderşahi stared at me intently.
"What do you mean?" She asked. I could not have spoken then if I had wanted it. But all of my intelligence had drained from my tongue and pooled in my fingertips. I did not explain anything; instead, my hands began to reach for my clothes. I could hear the confused sounds of Maderşahi and Kız asking me what I was doing, but I did not so much ignore them as I lacked the ability to heed them. I felt my armored chest plate fall from my body, my helmet then clanked on top of it. My boots, greaves, leather pants, gloves, and bracers soon followed them. I lifted my rough cotton shirt over my head quickly after that, exposing my breasts to the assembled women. Now I was wearing nothing but my bloomers
"Oh my! What is going on?" Kız said behind me, sounding confused. I hooked my fingers into waist band of my bloomers
"You are living in the prophetic moment, it will be fulfilled," I said and with that I quickly shoved my bloomers down, letting them pool at my ankles. I looked down briefly, seeing my limp cock lying between my thighs. I heard a gasp and realized that the others had seen it as well.
"Goblen be praised!" Maderşahi said and instinctively dropped to her knees. I heard Kız drop as well. I looked at Kardes and she only looked slightly less stunned than I. I could heard the two Anaerkis asking a thousand questions at once, now it was there turn not to know what to do.
"I was born until two falling stars, like the two in window in the tapestry," I said, pointing to the wall-hanging. In the first picture there was a window on the room with the figures, two white streaks were there in a blue field, "My birth fulfilled the 50th prophecy of Gunes. I also fulfill the prophecy of Goblen, the Sun Goddess. Goblen and Gunes are one and the same." The voice that came from my throat did not sound like my own. They filled the room and carried unmistakable authority.
"It cannot be," Kız said in a manner that indicated she was trying to convince herself. Maderşahi showed no such incredulity.
"It has finally happened. I never believed it would occur while I was in office. I have not noticed the signs, but they are so obvious now. The whole world is in turmoil. It is time for a change, the dawning of a new era," she said from her knees. I beckoned for her to get up.
"Are you...Goblen? Gunes?" she asked nervously as she rose. I shook my head.
"I do not believe so," I said honestly, "I am a representative, as you said before, and my path is often unclear to me. I simply know that I am on a path and that I must continue to go forward." Wonder filled the eyes of the women in the room. We all felt the power of the moment, we knew that we were on the precipice of something...incredible.
"What...What are we to do now?" Maderşahi said, suddenly deferring to my authority. The voice that had possessed me before was silent. I needed to find my own way now.
"Well...it is clear that we are to conclude an alliance," I said. This seemed natural. I had arrived to do that and the fortuitous discovery of the tapestry, just as I was about to leave, seemed to indicate that we needed to reverse course. Perhaps more importantly, I could feel electricity in the air. Something was happening here, something beyond the visible world. I could tell that something big had to happen and it had to happen now.
"The situation has changed entirely. I can no longer say no," Maderşahi stated. I could see a feverish excitement in her eyes and there was no longer any hesitation.
"Then it is agreed, a full military alliance?" I asked, shocked once again by how quickly the situation had changed. It was as if Gunes had changed the hearts of every person in the room. Maderşahi quickly took my hand, shaking it firmly. Her eyes occasionally darted, nervous and confused, to my cock, but then would return to my eyes.
