>>5835954>>5836273>>5836419>>5836445>>5837113>>5837273>>5837635>>5838036"I refuse to doubt Jhaqo's loyalty," you reaffirm your faith in your half-brother, brushing off your mother's skepticism. "Yet, I understand the urgency and will focus on fathering an heir to secure my lineage," you concede, pondering the implications. Your mother's penetrating gaze softens as she suggests, "You needn't wait for a wife. A concubine or a bed slave could bear your child in the interim." Your brow arches in question. "Mother, didn't you always despise bastards?" Memories of her disdain for your half-siblings resurface. "No woman cherishes her husband's bastards," she admits with a sigh, the weariness of a noblewoman of the steppes evident. "But any child of yours carries my blood. I'll care for them, whether trueborn or merely backups." Her words stir a resolve within you. Your half-siblings, always mere 'spares', warrant a better fate. You vow silently that any bastards of yours will have brighter prospects, possibly even positions of leadership in the tribes you conquer. Curiosity nudges you to ask, "Why did you allow father his concubines and bastards?" You know her love for him is as deep as his for her. She shrugs, "Several reasons. Politics. Tradition. I had stillbirths before you. Your father needed proof of his virility. Men on the steppes must flaunt their sexual potency to earn respect. Besides, he's a man with desires. I allowed his indulgences, as long as he acknowledged me as his primary wife and you as his sole true heir." You nod in understanding. The conversation shifts your focus to potential mothers for your offspring. Daho, your father's most beautiful bed slave and your guide into manhood, first comes to mind. The thought of her, pregnant with your child, ignites a spark within you. Her offspring would undoubtedly inherit her beauty and charm, like your half-siblings, Ievan and Cirla. You consider other possibilities. A lower-ranked girl from your own tribe would be less likely to demand the status of a chief wife, making her a safer choice. Or perhaps a bed slave from the Erkin tribe? The Erkin Khan did offer his concubines as tribute. Accepting one as a mother to your child aligns with the customs of conquerors, reinforcing his submission to you and blending Erkin blood into your lineage. Alternatively, you ponder the prospect of a raid to capture a woman, another tradition of the steppes.
>>Daho: your father's captivating bed slave, who expertly guided your transition into manhood, promising a child of charm and wit.>>Tribal Maiden: A maiden of humble origin from within your tribe, unlikely to aspire for a chief wife's status, presenting a safe option for a concubine.>>Conqueror's Tribute: A concubine from the Erkin Khan's harem, symbolizing your triumph over their tribe, his submission to your authority, and the intertwining of your blood with the Erkins.>>Warrior's Prize: A woman captured during a raid, an age-old tradition. 