"Enough of this palaver!" shouted Koran angrily. "Clean this mess up and get on with the coronation!"
An hour later the kingslayer was proclaimed king Koran of Yanith, the first of his name. Koran had insisted to take his seat on the throne "legally" and he had put forward documents "proving" some outrageous claims that he was as a matter of fact a descendant of king Tulak the Unready, Sophianas great uncle who had died without an heir at a young age. The coronation itself was a quick and rather unceremonious affair and the royal crown was still stained with blood as it was placed on the traitor's head by the the newly appointed high priest Kang
There had been a coup of sorts within the church too and the former religious head, the beloved and beautiful high priestess Hestia had been disrobed. Booth literally and figuratively. More precisely, a mob of northern heathens had thoroughly raped the holy young virgin cleric right on the steps to the grand basilica when she tried to stop them from looting the holy place. Then she had been excommunicated for heresy and fornication and was put in chains for "repentance" by her own church.
After the this charade a feast was made ready in the grand hall. The blood had been scrubbed from the floor, the broken furniture replaced and the hall was was brimming with guests seated at long tables. Barbarian chiefs rubbed shoulders with traitors, opportunists and just plain cowards from the Yanithi nobility. Koran had spent lavishly on food and drink and cheers like "Long live the lawful king Koran!" and "Death to Argan the usurper!" resounded through the room.
King Koran himself was seated up on a dais together with Zorolf Ironwrath, the mysterious sorceress, high priest Kang and a few key plotters. Sophiana and her mother was up there too, kneeling on the floor before the conquerors. They were both collared and clad in scanty slave silk and with faces painted like cheap prostitutes. There were many other captive women in the hall too, distributed among the guests. Sophiana knew nearly all of them, many of them were her friends. She saw her brave chambermaid Lila, sitting uneasily on the lap of an especially beastly looking barbarian. The debased high priestess Hestia kneeled broken and resigned next to her successor, her white clothing torn and dirty. The queen had finally stopped sobbing and was now slumped down before Koran, caressing his leg and fawning up at him in a desperate attempt to please her new master. Sophiana could just watch the horrid spectacle, it felt unreal, like a nightmare that never ended.
Suddenly Koran stood up and beckoned the crowd for silence. "Friends! Subjects! Honored guests!" he shouted drunkenly and raised his cup. "We are moved to tears by your love, your loyalty, and your thirst for justice…"
The crowd roared and Koran paused for a few moments, Sophiana felt sick. "But remember this, we are but a humble servant of the kingdom and it was only our duty to rid the realm of her false tyrant!"
Koran paused again for applause and grabbed the queen's collar, pulling her up and displayed her in a kneeling position for the whole banquet. "There are still traitors among us," he shouted and rattled the queens collar, causing a pitiful yelp to escape her lips. "But now, with order restored, we shall temper justice with mercy and pardon their crimes!"
Confused murmurs could be heard through the crowd before Koran continued. "It is time for reconciliation and celebration, not more bloodshed. And our northern guests have a very interesting... custom at their feasts. One that we think would be most fitting to introduce at this court as well…"
He grabbed a handful of the queen's silk and abruptly tore the scanty garment off her body, baring her breasts for the whole room to see. Sophiana's mother had an ample bosom. Ripe, round and firm for her age, a trait that ran in the family. Koran grinned triumphantly and reached down and unlaced his breeches, pulling out his half erect cock, shaking it in front of the horror-struck queen. "Now, let's celebrate!" he shouted.
The drunken crowd roared. Shouts like "Long live Koran the merciful!" and "Fuck the traitor whore!" echoed through the palace. Suddenly Sophiana felt someone grabbing her collar and froze in horror. She glanced up and saw Zorolf's ferocious face staring down at her. His grotesque cod-piece aimed at her like the battering ram of a galley.
"Oh Godess, not here, not like this!" she thought in panic. |