Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 255: From the sands(2)

Chapter 255: From the sands(2)

The atmosphere in the grand throne hall was thick with tension, as if the air itself held its breath. Every courtier, noble, and official present stood silent, their gazes shifting toward Sultan Bayezid. It was clear to all that his decision was what really mattered , determining to which faction he would lend his favor.

Shuaa remained resolute, her dark eyes unwavering as they rested on her beloved. She was not alone in this confrontation; many among the nobles, particularly the most devout, stood firmly on her side. Their loyalty to the high ecclesiarch was strengthened by their faith in her divine connection and the promise of a blessed heir growing within her,as many were among the first who witnessed her powers and blessing. 

Yet, not all shared their conviction. Another faction had formed, aligning themselves with Pasha Mamud. These were the pragmatic, the politically calculating, or simply those who resented the power and influence Shuaa wielded as the High Ecclesiarch and the Sultan's consort. To them, her rise symbolized an imbalance in court politics, and they rallied behind Mamud as a counterweight.

The infighting in the Sultan's court, though cloaked in debates of omens and military strategy, had its roots deeply entrenched in the question of succession. With Bayezid's vast harem producing many heirs, tensions simmered among the nobles, each fearing the rise of a particular faction that might tilt the balance of power. The favor shown to Shuaa, with her influence as the High Ecclesiarch and the mother of the Sultan's unborn child, further fueled these fears. Whispers of a potential return to the dreaded era of the God Sultan stirred unease.

In those dark times, the power of the Sultan and the High Ecclesiarch had been one and the same, culminating in unchecked tyranny. The most infamous of these rulers, Abraham the Terrible also known as the Frivolous , wielded divine authority as a weapon against dissent. Declaring heretics of any noble family that opposed him.