One Night in Xanadu

Chapter 08 - Our Knives Will Protect Your Back

"Summon your horse, Princess," the Khagan said. "We ride together to our wedding feast, and on this night you shall be seated in honor between myself and my First Wife."

A shrill whistle summoned Aranjagaan to my side as the Khagan's horse was led to him. We mounted and now I rode a little behind the Khagan, his guards fanning out around us as lanterns flickered into light all across the parklands through which we rode. Chingay was there, close by, the Lieutenant with him and they carried my weapons still.

"Chingay." The Khagan summoned him to his side. "You and your Five Hundred have guarded the Princess Altani faithfully and well on her long journey here. You and your men, you are assigned to permanent guard of the Princess who will be my wife. Her life and her safety are your responsibility."

"As you command, Lord," Chingay bowed. His look said that he was not at all displeased with this duty. Falling back, he bowed to me, a hand gesture to the Lieutenant and half a dozen of his men were behind me in a half-moon, the Lieutenant and the Captain Of Five Hundred deep in conversation.

Ahead of us loomed another palace set in the midst of a great grove of tall trees. A palace that looked to my eyes as a dream of the gods and my eyes widened as lanterns flickered into light everywhere I glanced. The Khagan dismounted, and I with him. A man of the Five Hundred took the reins from me, bowed low to me, and there were others of Chingay's Five Hundred behind him, and they bowed as one, and I, I returned that bow for they were good men, picked warriors all and they were now my guards, as my father's men had once guarded me.

"I will care for Aranjagaan, Lady, fear not. He will be cared for and guarded as you would yourself," for on that long journey I had refused all assistance.

Arajagaan was mine and my own hands had cared for him; but this warrior was one who had brought water for him and had assisted me from time to time in caring for my saddle and reins. I smiled at him and nodded as I turned to follow the Khagan for Aranjagaan knew him, and he was whickering and tossing his head as I left him but otherwise he did not protest.

This palace, it was built from bamboo, I saw that at a glance as the Khagan reached for my hand and led me inside through a great arched entrance way. Within, light flickered, lanterns hung as if they were stars in the sky, and the bamboo glowed golden. Great gilded and painted pillars of carved wood supported a roof far above our heads; and the roof was made from woven bamboo covered by waterproof silk. Ropes braced the structure, and I realized this was a single great yurt, greater by far than any I had imagined, and the floor beneath my feet was of polished wood, glowing like honey under the light of those lanterns and more and more flickered into life as we walked forward.

"Come, my bride," the Khagan smiled down at me and nervous now, I clung to his hand for around us more and more people thronged in, chattering and talking and eyeing me with great curiosity, deferential to the Khagan as his guards formed a circle around us as we moved to the dais at the head of this great tented hall and music was playing now.

Not the music of the steppe, but Han music, atonal and strangely beautiful. There were rows of tables at which everyone was taking seats, hundreds of seats; and the Khagan lead me through them, pausing here and there to speak to a bowing warrior. He led me up the steps to a dais that sat high above everyone, looking down over their heads, a sea of upturned faces as the Khagan took his seat and gestured to me to take the seat beside him as his First Wife sat on my other side.

Now his wives and concubines were filing in, seated below us and to one side. To the other were the generals and the leaders, more hastily arriving as if they had been summoned from elsewhere. The great tent was a sea of color and noise, great bursts of chatter, calls and cries, a feast, an ikhudar such as my father had held but on a vastly larger scale -- and I, who had been sent as a mere gift to the Khagan, I sat at the head of this hall on the raised dais beside the Khagan himself and many were the curious glances that came my way.