Well to be fair caution is not in itself a military vice - though all too often it is associated with the cardinal military sin of indecision.
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It's a fine line - and I don't think I'm spoiling too much when I say Zachariah is going to learn about that.
Chapter 12 - The Lost Memo
Chapter 12 - The Lost Memo
Taking Chernigov was only a matter of weeks. Although the people here were sedentary, they did not have proper defenses to fend off a horde of 2500 men for long, although constant minor raids and trap-infested villages made the life of the besiegers miserable. When the makeshift walls around the village that hosted the local chief crumbled, the Ashina troops took out their anger on the populace, plundering and setting fire to the village and killing or enslaving everyone they could find. The day after, the lands were surrendered to their control.
In the meantime, Könugardr itself was besieged by the Khazarian main force. Dyre's situation was looking ever more dire (There is historical evidence of a contemporary pun that kept getting fights to break out in Khazarian war camps because people were just getting so annoyed with it). In an act of desperation (or maybe he figured he had nothing to lose), Dyre tried to revoke the county of Minsk from his vassal Yaropolk of Drutsk. Yaropolk was not exactly keen to help his teetering liege like that, and promptly declared war for independence instead. That lead to an odd situation at one point – the armies of Könugardr and Drutsk were marching together towards occupied Chernigov when the order came that they were suddenly enemies to each other.
Fights between the Drutskians and the remainder of Dyre's army broke out soon. Under those conditions, the Varangian Petty King finally gave up his quest for Novgorod Seversky in the early days of 872. Khagan Manasseh had won this war decisively and shown that he and the Khans under him could muster massive force should the need arise. He stood stronger than ever before.
Only Pronsk, still fully neglected by the Khagan, kept losing ground. Vorotynsk had broken off by now, and although the Polotskians got occupied in another war while Manasseh had been busy beating up Dyre of Könugardr, they managed to be back in time and make the decisive push on Pronsk. On March 23, after more than two and a half years of war without a trace of the Khazarian armies to be seen, High Chief Zhavoronok of Pronsk had to surrender and swear fealty to Yelisey of Polotsk.
May 1, 872 AD
May had come, and the Ashina host had been pulled to Lower Dniepr on Zachariah's orders. Their assignment was to pillage what was remaining of Magyar until the truce would run out. They were held back at the last moment. Ezra's diplomatic staff approached Zachariah with the news (at least it was new to him) that the old Khagan Jenö Töhötöm had perished in the early days of 871; this had nullified said truce. Because of the war on Könugardr, this had somehow been failed to recognize by the Ashina court and the Khan.
Zachariah was furious. His face was deeply red and his voice cracked when he confronted Ezra.
"WHY ON EARTH do I not get this kind of information?! We could have declared war for over a year, and nobody bothers to tell me? This is an outrage! What kind of Chancellor does not think of transfering such groundbreaking news, Ezra? I have never encountered a man as incompetent! I should fire you, do you know that? Fire you! Yes, maybe I'll do that tomorrow. Right now I need to you to answer my question HOW THAT COULD HAPPEN!"
"Sir, I am positive I had a memo sent out to you in the later days of January 871 upon hearing of Töhotöm's demise. I don't know what happened, but it was a busy time, what with Dyre of Könugardr just having declared on Manasseh. Lots of troop movements and important strategy meetings with the other Khans. The death of the poor powerless guy next door might seem unimportant at such a time. The message might have got lost or phrased inapproprately. It's my fault for not checking up on your informations. I will see in the future that you are at all times fully aware of our expansion possibilities, my Khan."
"Get out of my eyes and immediately prepare a declaration of war on whoever rules this pitiful hole now. We're expanding along the Black Sea. I take it he's going to be just as defenseless as his father and the council will have no objections like last time."
Ezra got out as he was ordered. Zachariah stayed behind, still trembling with anger at his staff's incompetency. He sure had never gotten that memo, or it had been in a stack of other boring paperwork and not caught his attention.
He had been stressed more than usual in the past weeks. Although he and Shurkka spent quite a lot of time together, no news of an incoming heir had come until now. Asli was off in Baghdad and neither of them was too unhappy about that. Taking lands was nice and all, but it would amount to nothing if all those lands were to go to the Khagan should anything happen to him. Then Zachariah had an epiphany.
If we seize and annex their land, why not also search for a nice Magyar lass?
His orders for the war would have to be just a little more specific.
Taking Chernigov was only a matter of weeks. Although the people here were sedentary, they did not have proper defenses to fend off a horde of 2500 men for long, although constant minor raids and trap-infested villages made the life of the besiegers miserable. When the makeshift walls around the village that hosted the local chief crumbled, the Ashina troops took out their anger on the populace, plundering and setting fire to the village and killing or enslaving everyone they could find. The day after, the lands were surrendered to their control.
In the meantime, Könugardr itself was besieged by the Khazarian main force. Dyre's situation was looking ever more dire (There is historical evidence of a contemporary pun that kept getting fights to break out in Khazarian war camps because people were just getting so annoyed with it). In an act of desperation (or maybe he figured he had nothing to lose), Dyre tried to revoke the county of Minsk from his vassal Yaropolk of Drutsk. Yaropolk was not exactly keen to help his teetering liege like that, and promptly declared war for independence instead. That lead to an odd situation at one point – the armies of Könugardr and Drutsk were marching together towards occupied Chernigov when the order came that they were suddenly enemies to each other.
Fights between the Drutskians and the remainder of Dyre's army broke out soon. Under those conditions, the Varangian Petty King finally gave up his quest for Novgorod Seversky in the early days of 872. Khagan Manasseh had won this war decisively and shown that he and the Khans under him could muster massive force should the need arise. He stood stronger than ever before.
Only Pronsk, still fully neglected by the Khagan, kept losing ground. Vorotynsk had broken off by now, and although the Polotskians got occupied in another war while Manasseh had been busy beating up Dyre of Könugardr, they managed to be back in time and make the decisive push on Pronsk. On March 23, after more than two and a half years of war without a trace of the Khazarian armies to be seen, High Chief Zhavoronok of Pronsk had to surrender and swear fealty to Yelisey of Polotsk.
May 1, 872 AD
May had come, and the Ashina host had been pulled to Lower Dniepr on Zachariah's orders. Their assignment was to pillage what was remaining of Magyar until the truce would run out. They were held back at the last moment. Ezra's diplomatic staff approached Zachariah with the news (at least it was new to him) that the old Khagan Jenö Töhötöm had perished in the early days of 871; this had nullified said truce. Because of the war on Könugardr, this had somehow been failed to recognize by the Ashina court and the Khan.
Zachariah was furious. His face was deeply red and his voice cracked when he confronted Ezra.
"WHY ON EARTH do I not get this kind of information?! We could have declared war for over a year, and nobody bothers to tell me? This is an outrage! What kind of Chancellor does not think of transfering such groundbreaking news, Ezra? I have never encountered a man as incompetent! I should fire you, do you know that? Fire you! Yes, maybe I'll do that tomorrow. Right now I need to you to answer my question HOW THAT COULD HAPPEN!"
"Sir, I am positive I had a memo sent out to you in the later days of January 871 upon hearing of Töhotöm's demise. I don't know what happened, but it was a busy time, what with Dyre of Könugardr just having declared on Manasseh. Lots of troop movements and important strategy meetings with the other Khans. The death of the poor powerless guy next door might seem unimportant at such a time. The message might have got lost or phrased inapproprately. It's my fault for not checking up on your informations. I will see in the future that you are at all times fully aware of our expansion possibilities, my Khan."
"Get out of my eyes and immediately prepare a declaration of war on whoever rules this pitiful hole now. We're expanding along the Black Sea. I take it he's going to be just as defenseless as his father and the council will have no objections like last time."
Ezra got out as he was ordered. Zachariah stayed behind, still trembling with anger at his staff's incompetency. He sure had never gotten that memo, or it had been in a stack of other boring paperwork and not caught his attention.
He had been stressed more than usual in the past weeks. Although he and Shurkka spent quite a lot of time together, no news of an incoming heir had come until now. Asli was off in Baghdad and neither of them was too unhappy about that. Taking lands was nice and all, but it would amount to nothing if all those lands were to go to the Khagan should anything happen to him. Then Zachariah had an epiphany.
If we seize and annex their land, why not also search for a nice Magyar lass?
His orders for the war would have to be just a little more specific.
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This made me laugh a bit, a perfect example of Zacharia right there.
Though to be fair to Zachariah - getting the hang of CK2 message settings is a daunting task at the best of the times.
Thanks! Very encouraging if people enjoy themselves.
A member of the Khazarian diplomatic corps about the specifics of what to get through to a ruler and what not: "It's like searching for 1 to 200 needles in three haystacks."
Chapter 13 - The Magyar Lass
Chapter 13 - The Magyar Lass
August 24, 872 AD
Virág was strolling towards her man's yurt with a confident smile on her face.
Life in Magyar had been miserable since Árpád Álmos had left and ceased his protection. The Khaganate was dying and everybody knew it. The lack of perspective caused bitterness among nobility and tribesfolk alike.
Now fate seemed to smile on her again.
Earlier...
Zachariah's thoughts of firing Ezra (arguably the most capable man in the Khanate and its designated regent apart from being chancellor) had dissipated quickly. The day after the declaration of war on Jenö Csaba, the unlucky heir to the failing Khaganate of Magyar, news were brought from Khagan Manasseh. The Khagan of Khazaria stroke back. Dyre of Könugardr was now on the receiving end of a subjugation war.
This was huge news. Manasseh had demonstrated strength over the past years, but no one had expected him to be that cold-blooded. Making a vassal of Dyre in his current shape would add a vast amount of land to Khazaria, all of it settled with farmers and labourers and very much different from the largely empty Steppes the nomadic tribes were used to.
Yet, this outcome wasn't ensured at all – even though Manasseh's armies had already shown to be stronger. Before two weeks had passed, two of Dyre's neighbours declared war upon the Varangian, who was barely getting Drutsk under control and almost devoid of troops. Especially the "religious liberation" the neighbouring High Chiefdom of Drevliania attempted had the potential to give a sizeable amount of lands independence from the Norse before Manasseh could seize them. Ezra and Tabghaç firmly promised to keep Zachariah informed about all developments. For the moment, no involvement of any kind was scheduled. Ashina had its own campaign in Magyar to coordinate.
Some time in July, the Khazarian troops scouring through Csaba's holding in Bratslav dragged a young woman along with them that was clearly of higher rank. Her clothes and hairstyle, as well as her attitude and way of talking, gave off a sense of superiority. She showed no signs of resistance and introduced herself to her slightly befuddled captors as Virág.
When she was presented to Zachariah, it turned out that Virág was not of noble blood, but her talents had not gone unnoticed for long in Magyar. She was only 21, but she had been a concubine to two Khagans already: the old Khagan Töhötöm who she had bore a daughter shortly before his death and...his son Csaba, who figured he should inherit her services along to the land and made her a concubine of his own immediately after becoming Khagan. This was met with disgust among his court, especially with Virág herself who detested Csaba, so she wasn't all unhappy about being "abducted". On the contrary, she seemed to like Zachariah genuinely, quickly got all cheeky and upon hearing that Zachariah was still missing an heir, she made very clear that she had no intention of wasting his time.
Zachariah made sure there were no hidden blades or poison on her, then he sent the guards out.
About a month later, Csaba offered his surrender before losing even more of his folks to Zachariah. No call to arms had arrived from Manasseh until now, so Ashina was at peace again.
Virág had arrived. The guard nodded friendly. They had got to known each other by now.
"May I come in, Zachariah? You will want to hear my news."
"You're always welcome, Virág." Zachariah smiled. The Hungarian woman had turned out to be a delight from the day she had arrived and she was one of the few people that didn't distress him these days. "What's it that you need to tell me so urgently?"
"Remember when I suggested that we rather not lose time? I wasn't half joking, as it turns out."
Zachariah took two seconds, then froze and looked at her in disbelief. Virág was shining with pride.
(Author's note: It's not what it looks like, I swear - I missed to F12 the proper message because i was so surprised myself, but the kid's totally been conceived after their match-up!)
August 24, 872 AD
Virág was strolling towards her man's yurt with a confident smile on her face.
Life in Magyar had been miserable since Árpád Álmos had left and ceased his protection. The Khaganate was dying and everybody knew it. The lack of perspective caused bitterness among nobility and tribesfolk alike.
Now fate seemed to smile on her again.
Earlier...
Zachariah's thoughts of firing Ezra (arguably the most capable man in the Khanate and its designated regent apart from being chancellor) had dissipated quickly. The day after the declaration of war on Jenö Csaba, the unlucky heir to the failing Khaganate of Magyar, news were brought from Khagan Manasseh. The Khagan of Khazaria stroke back. Dyre of Könugardr was now on the receiving end of a subjugation war.
This was huge news. Manasseh had demonstrated strength over the past years, but no one had expected him to be that cold-blooded. Making a vassal of Dyre in his current shape would add a vast amount of land to Khazaria, all of it settled with farmers and labourers and very much different from the largely empty Steppes the nomadic tribes were used to.
Yet, this outcome wasn't ensured at all – even though Manasseh's armies had already shown to be stronger. Before two weeks had passed, two of Dyre's neighbours declared war upon the Varangian, who was barely getting Drutsk under control and almost devoid of troops. Especially the "religious liberation" the neighbouring High Chiefdom of Drevliania attempted had the potential to give a sizeable amount of lands independence from the Norse before Manasseh could seize them. Ezra and Tabghaç firmly promised to keep Zachariah informed about all developments. For the moment, no involvement of any kind was scheduled. Ashina had its own campaign in Magyar to coordinate.
Some time in July, the Khazarian troops scouring through Csaba's holding in Bratslav dragged a young woman along with them that was clearly of higher rank. Her clothes and hairstyle, as well as her attitude and way of talking, gave off a sense of superiority. She showed no signs of resistance and introduced herself to her slightly befuddled captors as Virág.
When she was presented to Zachariah, it turned out that Virág was not of noble blood, but her talents had not gone unnoticed for long in Magyar. She was only 21, but she had been a concubine to two Khagans already: the old Khagan Töhötöm who she had bore a daughter shortly before his death and...his son Csaba, who figured he should inherit her services along to the land and made her a concubine of his own immediately after becoming Khagan. This was met with disgust among his court, especially with Virág herself who detested Csaba, so she wasn't all unhappy about being "abducted". On the contrary, she seemed to like Zachariah genuinely, quickly got all cheeky and upon hearing that Zachariah was still missing an heir, she made very clear that she had no intention of wasting his time.
Zachariah made sure there were no hidden blades or poison on her, then he sent the guards out.
About a month later, Csaba offered his surrender before losing even more of his folks to Zachariah. No call to arms had arrived from Manasseh until now, so Ashina was at peace again.
Virág had arrived. The guard nodded friendly. They had got to known each other by now.
"May I come in, Zachariah? You will want to hear my news."
"You're always welcome, Virág." Zachariah smiled. The Hungarian woman had turned out to be a delight from the day she had arrived and she was one of the few people that didn't distress him these days. "What's it that you need to tell me so urgently?"
"Remember when I suggested that we rather not lose time? I wasn't half joking, as it turns out."
Zachariah took two seconds, then froze and looked at her in disbelief. Virág was shining with pride.
(Author's note: It's not what it looks like, I swear - I missed to F12 the proper message because i was so surprised myself, but the kid's totally been conceived after their match-up!)
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Two notable successes then Though of course one will remain someone in the balance.
Though of course one will remain someone in the balance.
That is good news, but if it is not a son than Ashina Clan is still dangerously close to extinction.
Chapter 14 - Twin Banners
Chapter 14 - Twin Banners
March 25, 873 AD
The Ashina camp at Theodosia was stirring with excitement. In the morning, a large festival banner in the colours of the Ashina had been erected high above the central yurt – and then, to the amazement of the bystanders, a second one!
Word spread like fire, and no one could recall having ever seen anything like that. Now the inhabitants of Theodosia, from infant to venerable, were flocking around the central yurt. Many of them wore unusual clothes and jewelry otherwise impossible to come by in the steppes. After the second war on the Magyars, looting along their new borders and in Cherson had resumed, and two weeks earlier the raiding troops in Cherson had brought note of the fall of the fort. A sizeable amount of goods had been seized by the raiders, and the men and their families got their fair share.
Earlier...
Khagan Manasseh had not been lucky so far in his effort to conquer Könugardr. He had chosen to go without the help of his vassals this time, and when his army arrived to lay siege to Dyre's capital once again in late October, they found Drevlianian troops to already be there before them. The Khazarian army headed north, hoping to gain ground in Chernigov as last time.
Dyre was also under siege by Yatvingia in their northwest and the ambitious Chief Radoslav of Mstislavl to the northeast, with little prospect of defeating either with the few troops left to his command. The battle of Chernigov in the previous war did now turn out to be his seminal desaster. His only silver lining was that Rurik of Holmgardr, a fellow Varangian conqueror in Russian lands, had promised to send reinforcements. At this pace, Könugardr would still be disassembled before Manasseh could take enough land to credibly make himself Dyre's new overlord.
Otherwise, the year had passed rather uneventful, save for Kundaç asking for funds to build some sort of monument in the vicinity. Zachariah had not paid much attention and told Kundaç to go ahead if he considered the treasury sufficiently well-equipped. The steward was overjoyed and Zachariah had soon forgot about the matter.
A gong silenced the crowd around the Theodosian central yurt. The people respectfully stepped back. Court Rabbi Kayghalagh came out of the tent flap in full ornate with Zachariah and Yeldem right behind him. The rest of the council, sans spymaster and Khanum, followed. Asli in Baghdad had been notified, but responded she unfortunately couldn't make the time.
"In the Name of God the almighty Creator, I announce to you, the people of Theodosia and the rightful subjects to Khan Zachariah of Ashina, descendant to the legendary Muhan Ashina and ruler over the lands of Korchev, Crimea, Oleshye, Lukomorye, Lower Don, Lower Dniepr, Olvia and Theodosia" – he took a deep breath - "the birth of his sons Muhan and Tarkhan of Ashina who will one day succeed his rule and be your lords and commanders."
No, he's not named Alp. The scribes must have confused something.
Two maids stepped out the tent, each with a newborn child in their arms, and walked towards Kayghalagh and Zachariah. The crowd broke out in cheers. For years, the whole existence of the Ashina realm had been in constant peril without a successor for Zachariah. Now there were two heirs at once, and mother and children were doing well. The Court Rabbi silenced the crowd, and everyone uttered a collective prayer to the gift of life and the well-being of the two newborn boys. It was then announced that as they were strong and healthy, the Brit Mila would be held in exactly one week, as scheduled by ancient Jewish tradition.
The collective relief among court and populace was tangible, and after the Brit Mila a great feast was held. There were many toasts to Zachariah and his clan, and at some point the Khan just went with it to forget. Despite all his pride and all the admiration of his people over the course of the day, he was deeply troubled about his family's future. Zachariah could hardly believe it when the court physician had first spoken of two separate heartbeats inside Virág's womb. This was a miracle. For years, his efforts with Shirkka and Asli had been in vain, and this woman gave him two children at what had to be their very first encounter.
Then his mind turned to what that meant. When Muhan and Tarkhan grew up, there would be two men, equal in all terms, and only one of them could be Khan. He was suddenly aware of how lucky he could consider himself to be largely undisputed in his reign. Oh dear Lord. Please let them thrive in competition instead of getting at each others' throats.
March 25, 873 AD
The Ashina camp at Theodosia was stirring with excitement. In the morning, a large festival banner in the colours of the Ashina had been erected high above the central yurt – and then, to the amazement of the bystanders, a second one!
Word spread like fire, and no one could recall having ever seen anything like that. Now the inhabitants of Theodosia, from infant to venerable, were flocking around the central yurt. Many of them wore unusual clothes and jewelry otherwise impossible to come by in the steppes. After the second war on the Magyars, looting along their new borders and in Cherson had resumed, and two weeks earlier the raiding troops in Cherson had brought note of the fall of the fort. A sizeable amount of goods had been seized by the raiders, and the men and their families got their fair share.
Earlier...
Khagan Manasseh had not been lucky so far in his effort to conquer Könugardr. He had chosen to go without the help of his vassals this time, and when his army arrived to lay siege to Dyre's capital once again in late October, they found Drevlianian troops to already be there before them. The Khazarian army headed north, hoping to gain ground in Chernigov as last time.
Dyre was also under siege by Yatvingia in their northwest and the ambitious Chief Radoslav of Mstislavl to the northeast, with little prospect of defeating either with the few troops left to his command. The battle of Chernigov in the previous war did now turn out to be his seminal desaster. His only silver lining was that Rurik of Holmgardr, a fellow Varangian conqueror in Russian lands, had promised to send reinforcements. At this pace, Könugardr would still be disassembled before Manasseh could take enough land to credibly make himself Dyre's new overlord.
Otherwise, the year had passed rather uneventful, save for Kundaç asking for funds to build some sort of monument in the vicinity. Zachariah had not paid much attention and told Kundaç to go ahead if he considered the treasury sufficiently well-equipped. The steward was overjoyed and Zachariah had soon forgot about the matter.
A gong silenced the crowd around the Theodosian central yurt. The people respectfully stepped back. Court Rabbi Kayghalagh came out of the tent flap in full ornate with Zachariah and Yeldem right behind him. The rest of the council, sans spymaster and Khanum, followed. Asli in Baghdad had been notified, but responded she unfortunately couldn't make the time.
"In the Name of God the almighty Creator, I announce to you, the people of Theodosia and the rightful subjects to Khan Zachariah of Ashina, descendant to the legendary Muhan Ashina and ruler over the lands of Korchev, Crimea, Oleshye, Lukomorye, Lower Don, Lower Dniepr, Olvia and Theodosia" – he took a deep breath - "the birth of his sons Muhan and Tarkhan of Ashina who will one day succeed his rule and be your lords and commanders."
No, he's not named Alp. The scribes must have confused something.
Two maids stepped out the tent, each with a newborn child in their arms, and walked towards Kayghalagh and Zachariah. The crowd broke out in cheers. For years, the whole existence of the Ashina realm had been in constant peril without a successor for Zachariah. Now there were two heirs at once, and mother and children were doing well. The Court Rabbi silenced the crowd, and everyone uttered a collective prayer to the gift of life and the well-being of the two newborn boys. It was then announced that as they were strong and healthy, the Brit Mila would be held in exactly one week, as scheduled by ancient Jewish tradition.
The collective relief among court and populace was tangible, and after the Brit Mila a great feast was held. There were many toasts to Zachariah and his clan, and at some point the Khan just went with it to forget. Despite all his pride and all the admiration of his people over the course of the day, he was deeply troubled about his family's future. Zachariah could hardly believe it when the court physician had first spoken of two separate heartbeats inside Virág's womb. This was a miracle. For years, his efforts with Shirkka and Asli had been in vain, and this woman gave him two children at what had to be their very first encounter.
Then his mind turned to what that meant. When Muhan and Tarkhan grew up, there would be two men, equal in all terms, and only one of them could be Khan. He was suddenly aware of how lucky he could consider himself to be largely undisputed in his reign. Oh dear Lord. Please let them thrive in competition instead of getting at each others' throats.
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Two notable successes then
Make it three, I guess.
Also note the "low effort approach" recurrence. The moment the right girl came along it was one shot, two hits. Except if it's not "a" son because, well....
Very good fortune for Ashina Clan, I havent played a nomad in ck2 and know little about them, what is the sucession type?
Nothing to add here.
I'm neither familiar with the finer implications yet, but I know that regularly the son with the most prestige inherits. If there is none, other male relatives would be eligible too. And children can't be Khagan, but a Khanate is fair game.
Chapter 15 - Return of the Queen
Chapter 15 - Return of the Queen
May 1, 873 AD
Zachariah's outbursts of rage had got worse over the course of his reign, and it was far from the first time the neighbourhood of his yurt was kept awake at ungodly times by the Khan screaming and cussing. Now he seemed to be at odds with his wife, who had arrived earlier that day on a regular visit from her continued deployment in Arabia. Yelling and occasional sobs were to be heard.
Earlier...
Behind them lay troublesome days. The birth of the twin heirs to the Ashina clan had taken any focus off the troops of Zachariah's old acquaintance Bulçan of Bulçir crossing the Straits of Korchev. It took until April 1st, when they arrived in Theodosia, to notice them. Zachariah had briefly been thinking the 1.500 men from the plains far to the north were there as part of an elaborate practical joke by Bulçan, but it soon showed they meant business when word came of smaller camps being razed across the Theodosian steppe.
Zachariah was furious. He swore to flay Bulçan alive and worse should he ever get hold of him, uttered a barrage of maledictions about his family and then ordered the troops in neighbouring Cherson, who outnumbered the Bulçir men by a solid 1000, to teach them a lesson.
What exactly Bulçan had been thinking should remain secret. Anyhow, his troops stood no real chance in the following battle. 500 of his men died to the ruthless Ashina warriors who had orders to take no prisoners and "only" lost 180 lives themselves. Yet although the battle was won soundly, the unnecessary loss of lives and the betrayal from Bulçan grieved Zachariah and his generals deeply.
Shortly before Asli's arrival this day, the mood had become even more tense when scouts had brought notice of a huge Byzantine army making its way towards the Khazarian border, likely to prevent further destruction in Cherson. The men spoke of a near-endless stream of soldiers, a far larger army than any of them had ever witnessed. Estimates spoke of close to nine thousand men.
This meant – at the very least – that the Ashina clan's endeavours in Cherson would be brought to an abrupt halt and that they would have to stay out of the way of this massive host for some time. It was still unclear what exactly Basileios was up to, and in case of a concentrated attack the realm would be in deep trouble.
And now Asli had come to him with news he would have cherished - were it not for the dubious circumstances.
She had barely been to Theodosia since her readily approved assignment as the Ashina spymaster, but on her last visit she was clearly annoyed about the two new family members. For the first time in years, she demanded that Zachariah fulfill his part of the marriage.
And now...this?
It was way too convenient for Zachariah's taste. He had never minded possible adventures of hers in Arabia much, but this was about the bloodline. He couldn't hold back his suspicions, and when Asli denied his accusations a fight had broken out. Zachariah knew perfectly there was no way of renouncing a child born to his wife without taking on unbearable disgrace for the rest of his life. He got more and more invested in the idea Asli was trying to slip a cuckoo child into the mighty Ashina clan, screaming and wildly threatening his pregnant wife.
May 1, 873 AD
Zachariah's outbursts of rage had got worse over the course of his reign, and it was far from the first time the neighbourhood of his yurt was kept awake at ungodly times by the Khan screaming and cussing. Now he seemed to be at odds with his wife, who had arrived earlier that day on a regular visit from her continued deployment in Arabia. Yelling and occasional sobs were to be heard.
Earlier...
Behind them lay troublesome days. The birth of the twin heirs to the Ashina clan had taken any focus off the troops of Zachariah's old acquaintance Bulçan of Bulçir crossing the Straits of Korchev. It took until April 1st, when they arrived in Theodosia, to notice them. Zachariah had briefly been thinking the 1.500 men from the plains far to the north were there as part of an elaborate practical joke by Bulçan, but it soon showed they meant business when word came of smaller camps being razed across the Theodosian steppe.
Zachariah was furious. He swore to flay Bulçan alive and worse should he ever get hold of him, uttered a barrage of maledictions about his family and then ordered the troops in neighbouring Cherson, who outnumbered the Bulçir men by a solid 1000, to teach them a lesson.
What exactly Bulçan had been thinking should remain secret. Anyhow, his troops stood no real chance in the following battle. 500 of his men died to the ruthless Ashina warriors who had orders to take no prisoners and "only" lost 180 lives themselves. Yet although the battle was won soundly, the unnecessary loss of lives and the betrayal from Bulçan grieved Zachariah and his generals deeply.
Shortly before Asli's arrival this day, the mood had become even more tense when scouts had brought notice of a huge Byzantine army making its way towards the Khazarian border, likely to prevent further destruction in Cherson. The men spoke of a near-endless stream of soldiers, a far larger army than any of them had ever witnessed. Estimates spoke of close to nine thousand men.
This meant – at the very least – that the Ashina clan's endeavours in Cherson would be brought to an abrupt halt and that they would have to stay out of the way of this massive host for some time. It was still unclear what exactly Basileios was up to, and in case of a concentrated attack the realm would be in deep trouble.
And now Asli had come to him with news he would have cherished - were it not for the dubious circumstances.
She had barely been to Theodosia since her readily approved assignment as the Ashina spymaster, but on her last visit she was clearly annoyed about the two new family members. For the first time in years, she demanded that Zachariah fulfill his part of the marriage.
And now...this?
It was way too convenient for Zachariah's taste. He had never minded possible adventures of hers in Arabia much, but this was about the bloodline. He couldn't hold back his suspicions, and when Asli denied his accusations a fight had broken out. Zachariah knew perfectly there was no way of renouncing a child born to his wife without taking on unbearable disgrace for the rest of his life. He got more and more invested in the idea Asli was trying to slip a cuckoo child into the mighty Ashina clan, screaming and wildly threatening his pregnant wife.
Later that night, Asli stormed out the hut in tears and left the camp again with her envoy. Yes, of course there had been other men in Arabia. She was noble, beautiful, young and largely free to her own devices in Baghdad. Her husband had sent her there himself as he had more interest in his concubines - especially that weasel Virág he had no quarrels of "conquering" from those Jenö imbeciles! - so why live in essential celibacy for him?
But since the announcement of Virág's pregnancy, she had felt something was missing in her heart. When as a little girl she dreamed of marrying a mighty man one day, part of this dream was to crown her children another day. Only now she realized that this would never happen if she was to go on like that. She had refrained from amorous adventures and kept it so for over a year. The child could only be Zachariah's. But what was that worth if he wouldn't believe it?
But since the announcement of Virág's pregnancy, she had felt something was missing in her heart. When as a little girl she dreamed of marrying a mighty man one day, part of this dream was to crown her children another day. Only now she realized that this would never happen if she was to go on like that. She had refrained from amorous adventures and kept it so for over a year. The child could only be Zachariah's. But what was that worth if he wouldn't believe it?
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That Byzantine Army is worrying, Zacharia should be wary of testing them, at least for now
As it is often, Zachariah himself later wished he had found the composure to just keep quiet.
Until now, the Byzantines didn't care too much for the hordes north of the Black Sea. Should that change one day, Khazaria as a whole is in trouble.
Chapter 16 - The Monument
Chapter 16 - The Monument
October 14, 873 AD
The tribespeople of Theodosia had once again gathered and banners were flown. The monument Kundaç had commissioned on orders of the Khan would be divulged today. A large linen shroud concealed a statue on a socket, totaling four meters at least. A shining beacon of the Ashina clan's wealth and power, unparalleled within hundreds of miles. The Khan was in eager anticipation, along with his concubines and his councillors. But compared to the last time, there was a new face. General Khatir was standing behind Zachariah in full Marshal uniform.
The reliable, if somewhat strategically limited Tabghaç had died in the past summer, without much warning. He had felt increasingly feeble and reported aches in his joints since the armies had returned from the second war on Magyar, but no one – including himself – had paid much notice. Until his wife found him cold in his bed.
The shock was great, but the replacement candidate was obvious. Khatir Azizid had made his way from a mere horseman to a General by prowess in combat and strategical talent unmatched throughout the Ashina lands. Everybody knew that, and his promotion to the highest military commander of the realm was only consequential.
The Marshal position should remain challenging for the near future. Right beyond their borders, the Byzantine army had arrived in Kherson and now stood there with near 9000 men. The lands were bustling with soldiers, but the Romans had no trouble providing support for them whatsoever. What was more astonishing to the Ashina officials was that an army of this size had to bind a sizeable portion of Basileios' disposable armies (close to 11.000 men) to a remote outpost far away from their mainland. There were serious doubts among the court why they would do such a thing if there were no intentions to attack.
Unsurprisingly, the Khan was particularly worried and ordered every preparation to be made for the case of an attack from Cherson. This included calling in his favor on Khuterkin, the spymaster of Khazaria, to help preventing further offensive war declarations from Manasseh. There was no need for trouble on the fringes of the realm, far away from the Ashina homelands, with such a threat right in front of them.
The big moment had come. Five men laid hand to the large linen shroud concealing the new monument. When Kundaç gave the sign, they lifted it – and the inital awe of the bystanders quickly turned into slight confusion when they took a closer look at the bronze statue that had just been unveiled. Zachariah's face turned red again while his councillors abashedly tried their best to show no reaction at all.
It was a statue of Kundaç. Well, it was Kundaç' head at least, if he was ten years younger and far more attractive, majestically gazing into the far and placed upon a half-naked, musculous body with a suspiciously big bulge in the loincloth covering the lower body parts.
When someone shouted "Hail Kundaç, creator of unparalleled wealth!", the crowd was quick to join the praises. Kundaç basked in the glory. Zachariah left without a word.
October 14, 873 AD
The tribespeople of Theodosia had once again gathered and banners were flown. The monument Kundaç had commissioned on orders of the Khan would be divulged today. A large linen shroud concealed a statue on a socket, totaling four meters at least. A shining beacon of the Ashina clan's wealth and power, unparalleled within hundreds of miles. The Khan was in eager anticipation, along with his concubines and his councillors. But compared to the last time, there was a new face. General Khatir was standing behind Zachariah in full Marshal uniform.
The reliable, if somewhat strategically limited Tabghaç had died in the past summer, without much warning. He had felt increasingly feeble and reported aches in his joints since the armies had returned from the second war on Magyar, but no one – including himself – had paid much notice. Until his wife found him cold in his bed.
The shock was great, but the replacement candidate was obvious. Khatir Azizid had made his way from a mere horseman to a General by prowess in combat and strategical talent unmatched throughout the Ashina lands. Everybody knew that, and his promotion to the highest military commander of the realm was only consequential.
The Marshal position should remain challenging for the near future. Right beyond their borders, the Byzantine army had arrived in Kherson and now stood there with near 9000 men. The lands were bustling with soldiers, but the Romans had no trouble providing support for them whatsoever. What was more astonishing to the Ashina officials was that an army of this size had to bind a sizeable portion of Basileios' disposable armies (close to 11.000 men) to a remote outpost far away from their mainland. There were serious doubts among the court why they would do such a thing if there were no intentions to attack.
Unsurprisingly, the Khan was particularly worried and ordered every preparation to be made for the case of an attack from Cherson. This included calling in his favor on Khuterkin, the spymaster of Khazaria, to help preventing further offensive war declarations from Manasseh. There was no need for trouble on the fringes of the realm, far away from the Ashina homelands, with such a threat right in front of them.
The big moment had come. Five men laid hand to the large linen shroud concealing the new monument. When Kundaç gave the sign, they lifted it – and the inital awe of the bystanders quickly turned into slight confusion when they took a closer look at the bronze statue that had just been unveiled. Zachariah's face turned red again while his councillors abashedly tried their best to show no reaction at all.
It was a statue of Kundaç. Well, it was Kundaç' head at least, if he was ten years younger and far more attractive, majestically gazing into the far and placed upon a half-naked, musculous body with a suspiciously big bulge in the loincloth covering the lower body parts.
When someone shouted "Hail Kundaç, creator of unparalleled wealth!", the crowd was quick to join the praises. Kundaç basked in the glory. Zachariah left without a word.
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