I slowly raise my head. The Emperor decadently lounges on a golden chaise in front of his throne. Surrounding him are a plethora of concubines and harem girls attending to this every need. One girl massages his feet, another sits by him with a platter of fruits and other rich delicacies, a pair of identical women gently fan him. The Emperor lazily motions and a nearby servant step forward. Wait, is he even a servant? Unlike most of the other officials in the hall, this man is devoid of any facial hair. Yet despite this apparent juniority, he is richly dressed, probably more so than anyone else present, with the exception of the Emperor of course. Moreover, his physical closeness to the Emperor suggests he wielded significant influence, a fact which is affirmed when he speaks in place of the Emperor: "The Son of Heaven bids you to introduce yourself." The man's tone is incredibly effeminate, another testament to the strangeness of his high rank.
"This princess humbly greets His Majesty, the Son of Heaven. This princess comes at the behest of her royal father, His Majesty, Shahanshah Vologases V, to give herself in marriage to the most noble Eighth Prince. This princess brings as her dowry a tribute of a thousand warhorses, one hundred suits of armor, eighty bolts of golden thread, fifty-thousand taels of silver, and twelve dancing girls." The hall erupts in furious conversation as I finish listing off my dowry. As far as dowries go, even ones between states, mine can be considered massive. Inside, I smile with satisfaction as the Emperor sits upright with surprise. The Emperor's assistant opens his mouth to speak only to be interrupted by the Son of Heaven himself.
The Emperor's august voice, a low croak with low timbre rings out through the Jinlong Hall, "Let it be known the Empire accepts Parthia's tribute and welcomes the princess of Parthia as the Princess Liu Zerong." According to what Xiaoyue told me, by bestowing me a name as well as the name of the Imperial clan, the Emperor has declared his support of me. I suppose that means I have an ally in court now. Applause fills the hall, some of it polite, some of it enthusiastic. To my surprise, the applause continues for another minute or so, flagging at times, but always regaining its strength as the various courtiers and ministers find new vigor. Finally, belatedly, the Emperor makes a dismissive gesture, and the applause dies down.
The Emperor continues, "My trusted advisor Zhang Rang will show you to your palace, daughter."
"This daughter gives You—Imperial Father ten thousand thanks and wishes Imperial Father ten million years of longevity." My own obsequiousness surprises me. The effeminate man next to the Emperor bows to Him, and steps down from the dais. His name is Zhang Rang then. I back out of the Jinlong Hall alongside Zhang Rang. Little do I know, I've just picked a side in the murderous arena of court politics.
Warhorses- Aurelia uses the term "Heavenly Horses" in Chinese, a specific name reserved for the Ferghana warhorses that sweat blood. The Han Dynasty has had a lot of run-in with these horses, including a war against the Macedonian descendant kingdom Bactria. See The War of the Heavenly Horses.
A/N- I changed Khosrow IV to Vologases V in a bid for historical accuracy, Shahzadi Soraya is still fictional though. Parthia getting historical accuracy => a Parthian arc? :0 Stay tuned!
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The Foreign Empress
Historical FictionA cold and potentially fatal marriage, an imperial court embroiled in assassination and conflict, a hidden conspiracy that could shatter not just a four-century-long peace but the empire itself. In the midst of it all, a girl whose struggle to survi...
