Tanya's Third Life as a Barbarian Queen, Chapter XLI

I will have the chapter as links to download at the bottom of the post. As well as a link to the Google Document page.

Kontia

Tanya, Queen of the Tanaoi

“This is a very messy war.” Rory mused as she skipped in an odd loaping gait at my side.

“All wars are messy. Logistically, ethically, practically.” I pointed out practically automatically. 

“True, but this one is a bit more... scattered than normal. The huge distances involved alone mean that this one could go on for decades.” She said with a grin as I glared at her from the corner of my eye.

“Hopefully we can avoid that.” I muttered.

“Your hope is that despite being the notoriously ruthless ruler of a continent spanning Empire, Molt Sol Augustus will be so forgiving that he would choose to negotiate with you, despite the fact that your sworn vassal cut his son’s head off and took it as a trophy?” She glanced at me as I felt my hands ball up into fists as I quietly cursed Tyuule. She smirked cheekily. “Well, I wish you luck with that.”

“Tyuule is not my vassal.” I corrected her.

“She seems to think she is.” Rory teased.

“Then why did she vanish into the steppe? She is a rogue actor, I have no control over her.” I said with more force than I intended.

“Will Molt accept that?” She asked.

“I will have to see how he responds.” I said with a sigh.

“And in the meantime you just have to deal with ruling Kontia while you nurse a huge enemy army back to health right outside of your center of power.” Rory pointed out, and I did not have any way to respond to that.

I had more Legionary captives than I had Lepus total, several thousand more. Not to mention the people in and around Kontia. It was hardly a surprise that the surrender of the Ninth Legion came with concerns over security. 

I was concerned that with Zorzal’s death, any accord with Sadera would be much more difficult. Regardless of that, so many trained legionaries were eminently valuable for the Saderan Empire so I had to accommodate the captives. 

First, I stripped everything from the Legionaries and placed them along a stretch of semi wild grassy plains that ran along the bank of the several mile wide river to the east of Kontia. Then I had my women go though and dismantle the vast Imperial camp, gathering all the supplies, equipment and tents they could. A good deal of the materials recovered were given back to the surrendered legion for them to re-establish their encampment. While that was happening, I had several security checkpoints built between the Legionaries and the city.

I did not bother to encircle the legion, if they wanted to escape to the east, they were more than welcome too. There was no way to ford the river and nothing but small and remote Orcish settlements in that direction. While I hoped that the Legionaries could be used to trade for my enslaved people, Tyuule had complicated that by killing Zorzal as Rory said, so there was a very real chance that my hosting of the Ninth Legion was a mistake. Especially if the Saderans would be unwilling to pay any ransom for their release.

It would be a stain upon my honour to dispose of the Ninth Legion if it came to it, a very real social construct that I had to carefully consider. But ultimately practical necessity would dictate my actions. With that in mind, I had to leverage the captives into some sort of gain, thus after their new encampment had been established, I had them dig several clay pits to the east and start processing material.

Winter was coming and the tents or basic wooden structures would be unsubstantial. While winters here were milder than in the territories of the Tanaoi, they would still not be easy. If I failed to secure fuel and proper shelter I would have tens of thousands of corpses rather than legionaries to bargain with. 

Thus I intended to have the Legion shape the majority of that clay into bricks while others of their number dug shallow pits on a grid system. Building thousands of semi buried structures out of bricks and Saderan concrete was an investment that would continue to be valuable even after I traded away the legion. I took care to ensure that the roads between blocks of the dugouts were wide enough to future proof what would be a sizable city once this was over with.

As I inspected one of the guard posts established between Kontia and the new Legion encampment, I saw the familiar silhouette of Feura in his outclothes that covered his body from head to toe. Next to him was Cato who was sitting on a large rock at the edge of the dirt path, nursing a waterskin and looking rather worn out.

It was good to see Cato and Feura warming up to each other. Feura had disliked the man when I had brought him with me from my travels in Sadera and as Feura was my first husband the rest of my harem had followed his example. Considering just how valuable the men of the Tanaoi were in terms of organising and administering the tribe that had made things quite awkward. However, since they had arrived in Kontia both Cato and Feura seemed to have warmed up to each other.

The pair of them had been instrumental in processing the tens of thousands of Legionaries who had surrendered. Feura had been sceptical of taking so many prisoners, and was absolutely correct that this was not sustainable long term. But we had more than enough supplies and access to resources such that even with the humans no one would starve for at least several years. 

“Feura.” I greeted as I approached with a trio of bodyguards to match the women escorting my husband. I turned to greet Cato only for Feura to hurry over to me and wrap his arms around me desperately and press his head against my armoured chest. 

“I am glad you are well, my love.” He began before pulling back and looking up at me, his eyes boring into my own as I felt my face flush at his declaration. These public displays of affection were embarrassing enough, but they were made worse by the hormones and instincts of this body reacting so strongly to his presence.

His attention quickly turned to Rory at my side who was balanced on a single leg with her arms outstretched, her balance held by the halberd in her right hand acting as a counterweight. Feura’s eyes narrowed as Rory’s seemed to sparkle.

With a flick of her wrist Rory threw her halberd into the sky and the bodyguards around us flinched, but the halberd fell to the earth to embed itself into the ground upright. She pranced forwards and held out her hands to Feura. “I was looking forward to our meeting.” She began with an easy confidence. “I am Rory Mercury, may I have your name?” She practically begged, eyes wide.

“I have heard some strange rumours about my true and eternal love attending to the Apostle of Emroy during battle, and how she took dinner with her shortly after.” Feura spoke with a harsh tone as I felt a cold dread in my stomach. 

“Ah, our first date.” Rory giggled as she blushed and wrapped her arms around her shoulders and swayed from side to side.

“It was not a date.” I practically stumbled over my words as Feura glared at Rory. How could she have possibly gotten the impression that we had been on a date!?

“Another one.” Feura sighed and looked at me. “Again?” He tutted and crossed his arms as I struggled to think of how to respond. I glanced over at my bodyguards who all quickly looked away from me.

“Such a thoughtless wife.” Rory declared, Feura seemed taken aback by her words before he nodded. “When was the last time she took you on a date, just the two of you?” She asked as Feura steadied himself.

I-I was not thoughtless! It was frustrating to hear Rory make such an accusation. Furea had been given to me as a trophy, it was a disgraceful cultural practice of my people and one I could not refuse without dishonouring Furea. 

“A decade ago.” He whispered as Rory gasped and scrunched up her face as she glared at me.

“She has to make it up to you.” Rory continued and pranced forwards to take his hand and held it to her chest. “That is the rules of love.” She said with a firm nod.

“It would only be fair.” Cato agreed as I felt my cheeks burn as the three of them turned towards me. 

“I have to oversee the internment of the Leg-”

“You have thousands of people who can do that.” Rory interrupted me. “If there are any problems I vow to personally intercede, you have far more important things to do right now. Unless you want people to think that your First Husband has fallen out of favour.”

“He has not.” I insisted and stepped forwards as Rory shuffled back to give Feura and I space. I took his hand and looked him in the eyes. “I...” 

“You would never intend to neglect me.” Feura said with total confidence.

I suppressed a wince at ‘intend’. Before putting the people around us out of my mind. Privacy was a difficult thing for a Queen to possess. 

“What would you like to do today?” I asked as Feura pulled away his veil and claimed my lips.

-----------------------

Kontia

Nicola Luci, Kontia merchant guild Warden.

I suppressed a yawn as I slipped into my home through the slave entrance. Scarcely used now that I had to rent slaves from the Tanaoi Queen after her ‘nationalisation’ of the practice. I kicked off my sandals and picked the pair up as I smoothed out my dress. The four story domus was cool and quiet as I made my way though my property. I ignored how I felt sore all over after attending to rather loose lipped bunny officers celebrating their victory over the Ninth legion. 

I found myself in a small bathing room, the tiled pool at one end of the room already filled with water. I quickly slipped out of my dress and undid the clips securing my wig before I stepped into the room temperature bath with a slight hiss before I quickly began to clean myself from a rather long night.

When I was satisfied I slipped out of the waters I clad myself in a toga and made my way to the kitchen. The hearth was cold with no slaves to maintain the flame so I settled my protesting stomach with bread and cured ham from the pantry.

When I felt like a human again I finally made my way to my dressing room, slipping up the stairs with a groan. I rubbed myself with the toga before throwing the wet cloth into the corner of the room unceremoniously and began the process of getting dressed.

I slipped into a padded undercoat tied with lace that diminished the size of my already modest breasts and added some padding to my shoulders. Next came the leggings and the makeup before I donned the overdress of an Equitate citizen of Sadera.

I made some adjustments, pinning bronze icons from the steppe to my dress and putting on a skyblue sash around my shoulder to show my allegiance to the new rulers of Kontia before I looked at myself in the mirror.

Gone was Nicola the Madame of brothels across the city, in her place was Nicola the Warden, merchant lord of Kontia. He was one of the most wealthy and well connected people in the most remote city of the Saderan Empire.

Or he was anyway. A part of me wondered if I had to do this, if the new Queen of Kontia would care that I did not possess a penis. But it was difficult to abandon the Warden, he had been with me all of my life. He had been there when my father did not have a son to inherit everything he had worked for. 

He had become rich and well respected here, he had given my father comfort that I would not be desperate or destitute in his dying days. It seemed wrong to cast him away thoughtlessly. 

And Nicola Luci, Warden of Kontia, had a very important meeting to attend. 

-----------------------

The remaining men of wealth and privilege of Kontia were shuffled into a warehouse just outside of the city walls. A warehouse filled with roughly a dozen Lepus children. Even as their youth was clear upon their faces compared to others of their kind. Many of them still stood as tall as many of my peers, some taller than that. 

They moved with an easy confidence around a wooden frame assembled in the middle of the warehouse as one of them, a Lepus girl with a steel pauldron upon one shoulder with a strange icon painted onto it was directing the others as she looked at a piece of wood with several pieces of paper attached to the wood with a metal clip. 

She had a wooden club with iron banding around it hanging from her hip on one side and a sling on the other. I could see that several spears were laid out on a table on the other side of the warehouse from us. 

Before I could start looking around the warehouse, a girl who introduced herself as ‘Cadet Motoko’ directed all of us to a table at one end of the warehouse where some poorly cut bread and wine was laid out for us.

“Nicola!” Came a shout as I approached the group. “Good to see you, Gods man, you look tired.” I waved Clavidas off so he continued. “We were invited here by the Queen, right?” Clavidas was an old and well respected Felis who owned several plantations before the war.

“Ordered.” I corrected him. “I expected her to be here herself...” 

“I have been trying to meet with the Queen since she arrived, unfortunately the lot of us are beneath her notice.” Alfonsu, head of the metalworking guild complained. “I even had a goblin come and demand work out of my people on her behalf, can you believe it? A goblin! This Queen is a cruel woman.” He muttered. 

“She is a busy woman.” I offered and he shrugged.

“She has been far from ungracious to us.” Clavidas reminded Alfonsu. “The looting was light and we have been allowed to continue our trade.”

“For as long as it lasts with that damn bridge destroyed.” Alfonsu grumbled.

“I hear she is building some kind of dock?” I inquired, Alfonsu would know more.

“And a concrete slipway. Seems Her Majesty wants to build some riverboats.” He gossiped quietly with an eye on the Lepus moving about.

“The sooner the better. Kontia will be in trouble if goods can’t flow across that river.” I offered.

“Who knows if they ever will.” Clavidas offered. “The Tanaoi are at war with Sadera, how long until the Emperor bans merchants from going to Kontia?” 

“That would be quite an over reaction.” Alfonsu grumbled.

“Can we be sure that the Lepus won’t rob merchants who attempt to trade at Kontia?” I speculated. 

“We can only advise her how foolish that would be, hopefully that Human she keeps around will talk sense into the barbarian.” Alfonsu sighed before plucking some bread and a cup of wine from the table and looking rather disappointed at the offering. 

“This war could end with us no longer being Saderan.” I pointed out

“Perhaps it’s for the best eh, Sadera used to be a real Empire, but now, it seems like everyone is either a prostitute or a senator." Alfonsu laughed.

“Well there are a lot of prostitutes here in Kontia.” I pointed out.

“That’s true,” he admitted. “But there are much fewer senators, so things are going in the right direction.” I rolled my eyes at his smile.

“Your attention please!” Came a shout from one of the Lepus children, the one with the steel on her shoulder and a club hanging from her hip.

“I am Rei of the Tanaoi, Cadet Lieutenant." She introduced herself before looking at the wooden board in her hands. “I am here on behalf of Her Majesty, Tanya Queen of the Tanaoi for the commission of the ‘Containerisation’ project.” She glanced around at the assembled merchants before approaching the wooden frame. “This is a practical demonstration of the size and shape of the cargo container, twenty foot long, eight foot wide and eight foot tall. This is the new set standard for cargo containers and you will be expected to conform all of your transport infrastructure to these speficato- specifications.” She tripped over the last word but saved it at the end. 

“The container will have mounts on the top corners allowing it to be lifted by crane, the container will be required to hold between three to four tons of weight at a minimum while being lifted by a crane without failure or meaningful... deff-oor-maation... deformation. Of the structure. And the container will be required to be stacked against and on top of other containers so the dimensions of the container must be precisely held to. Containers produced outside of the specified dimensions will be destroyed.” The rabbit girl continued as I glanced over at my fellow merchants who looked just as confused as I was.

“Excuse me.” I stepped forwards and the girl, Rei’s ears flicked up as she frowned at my interruption. 

“Yes?” She demanded.

“Am I understanding correctly that we are all here because your Queen wishes us to make... large boxes?” Her head cocked to the side as she rubbed a foot on the ground at my question.

“Yeah. That is what it says on the orders. I tell you to build the containers, the container is how things are going to be transported now.” She said with a firm nod.

“What, everything?” I asked and the girl nodded.

“Yep, it says here, uhhh.” She flicked through far more papers than seemed reasonable before coming to the section. “Here, it says; ‘The containerisation process will unify the transport infrastructure for land and sea transportation and will be a cornerstone of... lo-co-motive transportation. In this early stage of adoption wagons and carts must be built to accommodate the container just as river barges and other such shipping must be constructed with the container in mind first and foremost.’” She finished with a beaming smile.

“What’s a lo-co-motive?” I asked with an exacerbated sigh.

“I don’t know.” Rei said with a shrug. “It does not say in the papers I was given.” 

“What does your Queen exp-” I began only for Rei to stomp her foot on the ground.

“She expects you to listen, obviously. You will be expected to build these containers how she tells you to. You transport stuff in a dumb way and this is a better way so you are going to do it this way.” She glared at the lot of us as if daring anyone to respond. “Right, I am going to read this whole thing again without being interrupted this time! So pay attention! It says you will be paid for building containers the correct way at the end.” The young Lepus cleared her throat and shuffled back to the first page and began to give her speech all over again. “Oh and she is your Queen now too!” She snapped and glared at me before getting back to it.

I felt myself suddenly concerned about the mind of our new Queen. First she offers incredible mercy to the people of Kontia then she comes up with this crate idea. It seemed as if her mood was fay and wild, I suppose that was fitting for a sorceress, Gods knew how she had acquired such power, but it was doubtless something that addled the mind.

But an unpredictable Queen was bad for business. I glanced at the merchants around me, it was clear I was not the only one with concerns. 

-----------------------

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uysbmMxXHDBaOJUze1hSLKa1ZPz1FmDemE0sM30QHaE/edit?tab=t.0