The Sultanah Ch. 01

But now, feeling my nudity exposed to the world, I wondered how I'd managed to do it. I felt so disgusting and dirty. These men had always thought of me as one of Kral's daughters. What would they think of me now? What would the world think when the truth rolled out from these doors, as it inevitably would? I felt as though I were going to be sick. Finally, seeming to sense that I was in a state of shock, Cin finally took charge.

"None of you men here have the right to make a decision about the future of the throne. The Hanedan Dynasty remains intact. Varis is the Sultanah-elect and while you may advise her, the only role allowed to the Peers. Sultanah is not a democratic position."

"Who are you to declare that!" a voice rang from the back.

"Where is Cardinal Rahip? If any lord spiritual is to speak on this matter, it should be Tanri's representative," called another. The crowd was loud again for a moment. But then Duke Hain spoke quickly, and found a weakness in Cin's argument.

"She has breasts, she speaks like a woman, she looks like a woman. Simply because she has some strange growth between her legs does not mean that she is heir to the throne. A throne must be capable of producing heirs," he said and there was the sound of agreement.

"I..." I said unevenly, once again finding the words to speak, "I produce seed." I felt my cheeks redden farther as I thought back to those shameful nights, waking from an arousing dream to find my accursed cock erect and my bed slightly wet. I knew these for wet dreams. I had never consciously given myself a climax (though I knew from the conversation of men that is was possible and how it was done) because such things were not lady-like. But I knew that I could produce seed.

"A mule can produce seed," Hain retorted, "But a mule cannot produce an heir."

"Funny, many told your mother the same thing, yet she insisted on fucking her mule, and here you are. More the fool I, I suppose," Cin lashed out suddenly. Some in the crowd gasped at her lewdness while other laughed at the witty remark. I was frankly shocked. Hain's face grew dark and he appeared as though he would strangle her.

"How dare..." Hain started. I saw Cin's eyes narrow.

"I know who you are Hain. I know you!" she hissed. Hain looked at her confused, but he could feel the malice pouring out of her every pore and he closed his mouth. Briefly. But when he spoke again, he seemed as though he was attempting to control himself.

"Stop with this petty name calling," he said uneasily, "My... my point remains, we do not know if she can produce an heir just because she has a member." Cin's demeanor changed and she seemed more business-like. Whatever there was between she and Hain, it seemed they would ignore it now.

"Would you accept," Cin asked, "That if she were capable of producing an heir that she would necessarily be the heir to the throne?" Duke Hain looked at the priestess warily. But he had no grounds upon which to object.

"Simply produce, no," he said, "But sire, then yes. If that...Varis can sire an heir then she is the heir to Kral IV." Duke Hain seemed uncomfortable saying it, but he looked nervous. There was no way for him to deny this, it was, after all, the definition of a father. But he seemed to hope he had caught Cin speaking farther than she actually knew.

"Many of you doubt all the powers of Gunes," Cin said now, looking out to the crowd, "But you also know that the Priestesses of Gunes possess some great powers." There was a general noise of agreement in the crowd. I moved my hand slowly over my cock as attention was focused elsewhere and tried to figure out what Cin was driving at.

"No one doubts your abilities," Duke Hain said dismissively, as though he believed her abilities to be quite minor. Though I had seen fear in his eyes when he looked at her.

"Many of you, and many of your wives have come to me throughout the years with questions. Questions about fertility and childrearing. And impotence. You know what the false God Tanri claims, but you also know that when a serious matter is at hand that you need Gunes. You need the Priestesses to tell you the truth. I have guided many of you through the issues. Does anyone deny it?" I looked around the room. I saw some men nodding. No one denied the truth. Most of the alms that came to the Temple of Gunes were given by wives, seeking to obtain desired pregnancies or to terminate those that were not desired. Gunes and Cin knew much about virility.

"I can test Varis and determine the fertility of her seed," Cin said boldly. I wondered what that meant, "If I test her and find that she can produce an heir will you all cease your interference with the House of Hanedan and allow the right Sultanah on the throne? Will you cease your actions when they are proved treasonous?"

"We will abide!" I heard a voice call out.

"How can we trust you?" Hain asked, "Even if you can tell, how would we know you were not lying?" Cin looked at him coolly. It was a dangerous move to doubt the sincerity of a priestess.

"A show of faith," Cin said quietly. I watched her close her eyes and begin to whisper. I could barely make out her words, but I could tell she was speaking to Gunes. She was offering up a prayer. Slowly her hand lifted so that it was close to her face. Everyone in the hall leaned forward, watching her.

"Amen!" Cin yelled loudly. Then she quickly turned her wrist and placed it into her mouth. I winced as she bit down, incredibly hard. I heard a murmur through the room. Cin pulled her wrist away from her mouth and then spat. Onto the floor, a large amount of flesh bounded. My face contorted in horror. Cin lifted her wrist up to the crowd, showing that she'd bit all the way to her bone. But no blood flowed. Bone and sinew was visible, the wound was dry as was Cin's face.

"Good God!" Hain said.

"Gunes is very good!" Cin said, "I have promised the God that if I lie to you that he may allow my blood to flow from this wound. If I lie then I die!" The crowd murmured. All eyes on the wound, disbelieving what they saw. "Does anyone now doubt me?" I looked around the room. The men were shocked into silence. But there eyes told them that some power was at work. How could they deny their eyes?

"Test the girl..." Hain said finally, begrudgingly.

"We shall return," Cin said, "It will not take long." She walked over to me and grabbed my wrist (with her wounded hand. I almost recoiled, but was afraid to do even that).

"Can you not test her here?" Hain asked.

"Gunes is light. But nothing everything Gunes does must be exposed to the light of day. We will not be long." Cin then started to pull me across the dais. I stepped out of my bloomers, leaving them in a small pile on the floor. Cin walked me off the dais and down one of the aisles towards a door to a room off of the side of the hall. As I walked, I could feel men's eyes on me, I'd never been so naked.

Finally, we reached the door and Cin pushed it open. We walked into a small hallway with a stairwell leading down into a cellar. Cin started to walk down the stairs.

"Cin, what is happening? I am so confused," I said, now feeling able to speak since we are alone.

"We don't have time for explanations. You did well. You demanded to take what was yours, they will respect that later. But we cannot wait, they will be talking amongst themselves while you are gone and will get into mischief," Cin said. This, of course, explained nothing.

"How will you test me? What...what is all of this?" I said, feeling extremely overwhelmed.

"No more questions, do as I say and this will all work out," Cin said. We had reached the bottom of the stairs and Cin pushed it open. We stepped into a small cellar; there were barrels all over the room, presumably beer for the men's meetings. A small table was set in the middle of the cellar and an oil lamp sat upon it. Seated at the table was...

"Arkadas?" I asked. My erstwhile friend turned her head and looked at me. I was standing behind a barrel, she could not see my whole body, just the area above my waist.

"Cin?" Arkadas said, ignoring me, "Why have you asked me to meet you here? I am not supposed to be in this Hall. I want to go back to the palace and check on my friends..."

"Silence," Cin ordered. She walked around the barrels so that she was standing in front of Arkadas. "The king is dead, his sons are dead. The Empire is in turmoil."

"Tanri be merciful!" Arkadas said, her eyes growing wide and her mouth covering her face.

Tanri is a myth," Cin said. It seemed she no longer had any interest in playing nice with the New Religion. For a moment, Arkadas looked at me, I thought I saw sympathy there, but she looked back at the table.

"What does that have to do with me being here?" Arkadas asked.

"Come here," Cin said to me. I felt a lump forming in my throat. Arkadas knew everything there was to know about me. She was my constant companion. She knew everything except for one detail. Now Cin wanted me to walk over and show her. "Damn you Varis there is no time!" Once again I was being asked to forfeit my dignity for the throne. I had no choice. As I walked around the barrels, Cin spoke.

"Varis is now the heir to the throne. In fact, she is the Sultanah-elect. But the peers of the realm doubt her ability to produce heirs. I need your help to prove otherwise," Cin said. But I could not tell if Arkadas was listening to her. As I walked from behind the barrel, her eyes had flashed quickly onto my nudity. They grew wide as she saw my limp cock, bouncing against my legs. She looked up briefly at my eyes and then back down at my cock.

"She is...what?" Arkadas said, her eyes looked like they were going to fall from her head and her voice sounded dazed. I knew how she felt. I moved so that I was standing next to Cin, directly in front of Arkadas.

"Don't worry about the details," Cin said impatiently, "Just do what I say."

"I..." Arkadas said, her head tilted to the side while she looked at me. She didn't finish he words, she just stared at me. She'd never looked at me in such an alien way, I felt very self-conscious.

"You aren't an 'I,' you are slave," Cin said cruelly, "Stop staring at your Sultanah and get over here." Arkadas did not resist. She stood up from her seat and walked over toward us.

"What do you want her to do?" I asked. I still had no conception of what Cin intended to happen.

"I need a sample of your seed to test," she said, "Your slave is going to extract it." For a moment I couldn't quite understand what she was saying. Extracting my seed? What did that entail...

"I will do no such thing!" Arkadas said at the same moment I realized what Cin was implying.

"You will," Cin replied without concern, "Now, I need you to..."

"No!" Arkadas said boldly, "Have her...extract her own seed. Or better yet why don't you do it!" Cin's eyes flared, but she maintained her composure.

"I cannot adequately perform the analysis of the Sultanah's seed if she extracts it herself. Further, I am the High Priestess of Gunes, it would not be appropriate for me to do so. I may only engage in such actions during the ceremony of...well that is not of your concern. You are a slave. This is your role. Do it without further word. I will need it collected in your mouth..."

"I do not do that! I will not...suck...Varis'...cock," Arkadas said, each word coming out in a confused struggle. The whole while I stood with my eyes cast down, listening to what Cin demanded but being unable to believe it. I, of course, knew what she was suggesting. Sex, except for royal sex, was a public occurrence as few people could afford private rooms. I had, in my life, seen many sexual acts. But I'd never engaged in any. How could I? Beyond my notable physical...handicap, I was a princess. Sex would dishonor me as well as my dynasty. Sex had never even been a consideration. Now it was being demanded.

"I see more than you realize Arkadas," Cin said meaningfully, "I know a handful of guards who would dispute whether you 'do that.'" Arkadas eyes got even wider and her pale face became crimson. Arkadas had...sex? We'd never spoken of that. Now it was my turn to be shocked.

"What I do on my own time is my business. I choose what I do and when."

"You do not have your own time, you are a slave!" Cin responded, "This is over. Get on your knees!" Cin placed her hand on Arkadas shoulder and easily forced her down. Arkadas made a small squealing noise, but dropped so that her eyes were even with my member, just a few inches away. I considered stepping back. I didn't want this either. But I couldn't. This wasn't about what I wanted. It was about what my people needed. They needed a Sultan. I could not hold that position unless Cin proved me capable. I would do what Cin demanded. If only Arkadas would.

"But..." Arkadas said, "I am not a prostitute." Her voice sounded very small, her eyes were closed. Suddenly, I realized the root of Arkadas reluctance. It was not just that this was absolutely strange and that she was shocked. Surely, that was a large portion of it. But not all of it. Arkadas had lived for a long time in anticipation that she would be sent to my father's harem. Her greatest fear was that the Sultan would force her into a life of prostitution. Her closest friend had not cared enough to worry for her and, in fact, had questioned her loyalty. And now, essentially, the Sultan was forcing her into prostitution. But that Sultan was now her careless friend. Of course she was reticent. She should have been. I had to make this right.

"Arkadas," I said calmly, "You are not required to do anything. I do not demand it." Arkadas, still on her knees before me, looked up, looking angry. She did not respond.

"To hell with this nonsense!" Cin said, her voice filling with rage, "There is no time for this. If we do not return to the hall shortly, the men will get cold feet. You must order your slave to act!" I felt a sudden rage overcome me. Cin had been quite rude to Arkadas. Now that rudeness was turning on me. Cin was working in my best interests, but they were still my interests. I would decide how to achieve them.

"Cin," I said, turning to the priestess, "Do you believe that I am the rightful Sultanah?"

"Of course, why do you think I am..."

"And do you believe I will be good at it? Do you believe I am destined to be a great Sultanah?" I interrupted her. Cin's eyes slit and she pursed her lips.

"My visions and my instincts tell me so, yes. Though neither skill is always accurate, I see only what may be if everything is done correctly..." she responded.

"Then kindly shut your mouth in the presence of your Sultanah," I said harshly, "I am the Sultanah, you are the advisor. When I need to hurry I will inform you of what is required." Cin looked as though she'd been struck, actually taking a step back. But in her eyes, I saw something else. I could have sworn it was...respect. Had this been a test? I didn't have time to dwell, I turned my eyes back to Arkadas, on her knees before me.

"Arkadas, will you consent to listen to me briefly?" I asked, intending to south as obsequious as possible. She crossed her arms over her breasts.

"Fine," she said, still intent on being angry. I agreed with Cin that there was little time to lose, so I began without preamble.

"I apologize for this situation, but it cannot be helped. Cin told the truth when she said that my father and my brothers are dead. I...I am not what I appeared to be. I apologize again for not speaking the truth about my nature, with you of all people. But...Secrecy was important. And it seems you had some secrets from me as well," I said and her cheeks reddened.

"I am not a prostitute," she said.

"And I would never imply that you are. I did not know about the harem until after we spoke. Had I known, I would not have spoken foolishly. But I was foolish. For a third time, I apologize and beg your forgiveness. But I also ask that you do me a favor. The request that Cin has made of you was not devised for your humiliation. However, I must trust Cin in this. If she says that it is required to secure my throne and protect my people, then I must find some way to do it. If I cannot prove my viability as an heir, then the throne of Ülke is vacant and Bütün Dünya ceases to exist. We will surrender."

"Tanri be merciful!" Arkadas said, her eyes getting wide.

"Cin tells me that we need your help now to prove that I deserve to be on the throne," I said. I didn't really think about the words as they came from my mouth. Everything I said just felt right at the moment and I chased that feeling, "But it doesn't matter if the men in that hall think that I deserve to be Sultanah. You know me better than anyone else in the entire world. Your opinion matters more. If you do not believe that I am entitled to sit on the throne, if you refuse me now, then I will not stand for my coronation. I ask you to help me now, to prove my birthright, as my equal and as my friend. Not as my slave. If you do not believe I deserve your help, then I am not a worthy heir to the Hanedan Dynasty," I said simply.

I took a deep breath afterwards. Every word had been the truth. But beyond that, I owed this to Arkadas, as an apology for my self-centeredness. Arkadas was still on her knees before me, her eyes closed as though thinking. After a moment, those eyes flashed open and she looked up at me. They were so bright and twinkled with tears.

"As you slave...As your...prostitute I could not bear to help you onto the throne. I would see the whole country fall to satisfy my own justice," Arkadas said. I could sense Cin stirring, but I raised my hand and she stopped, "But as your friend...I would die to put you on that throne." I felt a smile spread across my face and Arkadas smiled as well.

"Thank you," I said quietly. I kissed my fingers, reached down, and pressed them against my friend's face. We stood for a long moment, basking in our reconciliation. But there was still the matter at hand. "And I am sorry I never told you about this before. I didn't...I pretended that it wasn't the case. This was not a secret I kept from you, it was a secret I kept from the world."

"I've always known who you are. What is between your legs makes no difference. What must I do?" she asked, her face becoming serious. I looked over at Cin. She eyed me carefully, and then looked at Arkadas.

"You must fellate the Sultanah and collect her seed in your mouth. You must not swallow it, and then you must await my instruction," Cin said. It was so simple. But so impossible. I looked back down at Arkadas and her face was once again red. I could tell that I looked the same. I gazed down at my cock, still dangling limp between my legs. I couldn't even imagine what was to come next.

"Act quickly!" Cin said.

"It is so strange," Arkadas said, leaning forward towards me slightly, "I want to do it, but it feels so...unnatural." I could feel her breath against my skin. I could barely breathe. I shook my head.

"You are my best friend Arkadas," I said quietly, once again feeling the sensation of words coming from some unknown place inside of me, "And I love you. I know that you love me too. Let us consider this an opportunity to demonstrate that love. Nothing more and nothing less. Our friendly love is natural and so its expression will be natural," I said. I saw the words have their desired effect as Arkadas nodded slowly.

"I love you too Sultanah," she said slowly, "And it is my honor to show you."

Arkadas began to lean forward closer to me and I saw her hands rose shaking from her sides. I felt my heart start to pound more rapidly as the reality of the moment became clear. I was no longer thinking about politics, or my throne, or anything so complex. Sex was now the dominant focus of my mind. For the first time in my life, it sprang forward into my conscious thought without confusion or shame. I had always unthinkingly assumed I would die without ever having sex with anyone. My throat felt tight and my breathing ragged as I realized I had been wrong. Something new, exciting, and completely unknowable was about to happen.