South (Spurned Byzantine empress branch)

(Based on the real-life Anna Komnene, despite her being a century later.)

"I guess we'll take her south," Kuchug decided, "we're tight on funds and the Byzantines are in demand for fine women like she."

"But she's Christian," Metiga informed him, "they won't accept her as a ****."

"Well, they don't know that aside from her cross..." Kuchug walked over to Isa, ripped her necklace off, and stuck the long end of the cross into her pussy, making her gasp a little, "for all they know, she's ruddy and one of us."

"Well, now that the Varangians are subdued we ought to disperse. I'll take the prisoners."

"Very well," Kuchug decreed, "set off under the cover of darkness."

To that, Metiga rounded up Isa and the two prisoners. They were two men who were as collared, cuffed, and naked as Isa. Much to Isa's delight, one of them was Magnus, and the two smiled at each other as they were loaded onto the boat.

Euproxia was the eldest child of the reigning emperor Constantinos, and had been offered a scepter and crown at birth. Ever since she was a little girl, she dreamed of ruling over the empire, a fantasy encouraged by her mother Irene. Things got complicated when she was six and a brother Michael was born.

In the twilight years of Constantinos's life, a vicious struggle for the throne happened between Euproxia and Michael. On the old emperor's deathbed Michael had hugged the dying man while secretly slipping the imperial ring off his finger. He then quickly marched over to the soldiers to claim his title, and despite Irene's best efforts she could neither get Michael to step down nor Euproxia's husband John take control of the situation, and Michael quickly solidified his position.

Euproxia was less than pleased about this, especially as Michael proved to be a popular emperor, and continued scheming ways to capture the throne. She hadn't visited the palace since her brother ascended lest she be disgusted or convinced into ceding her dreams, but was still currently in possession of her estates in and around the city. She knew that if she went for the emperor and missed that she would be stripped of all her estates and **** to the dull life of a monastery, and her male relatives all mutilated. But she reckoned that one lived only once, and that she needed to make the best of her time on earth.