---Election---

---Khr’kowan’s perspective---

I’m exhausted…

Emotionally, intellectually and physically!

My face still stings and my palp still aches, healing from the wounds inflicted in my fight with that murderer, though they have both been tended to by the healers (who also gave me drugs to numb the pain.)

Acting as Regent has meant that not only have I had to take care of all of my usual duties but, also, every decision that ought to be going through my father is, instead, falling to me!

And that includes all of the coordination of this election…

Bitterly, I reflect that having all of the other realms' Broodkings and First Women gathered in the city did expedite things when my father was killed.

It would have taken months otherwise and some may never have made it here!

The idea that there might be such a thing as a ‘convenient’ time for my father to have been murdered does rankle me though!

No offworlders or Twigg are present here, at my request.

This is internal business of the Khawekhan [Empire] and the presence of outsiders to it would only be disruptive.

Choosing a new ruler of the Vrakhand should be done by the Vrakhand!

The only concession I made was allowing a [drone] to be present to record the election for later analysis, mainly by the tall, bipedal, pale blue skinned and impossibly slender political analyst with the elongated head, who smells of seafood, Weyavl.

It hovers above the court in the same place it’s been since the start, unobtrusive enough that I keep almost forgetting about it.

The only people present are the First Women, Broodkings and a few men here to count the votes.

This isn’t a flat vote like with the two juries the other day.

Each Realm is assigned voting power by multiple different factors including population, military projection and the rather nebulous qualification of ‘prestige’. Smaller, weaker, less prestigious realms’ votes matter less. Larger, stronger, more prestigious realms’, more.

If a Broodking and First Woman from the same realm vote differently, they split and diminish their realm’s voting power. Each one voting with 50/121 of the power they would have had united.

Of course, by the nature of what this election is for, Khawekh’s vote is not only by far the most powerful but, also, the only one not capable of being split. Represented, as it is, only by myself.

I might feel bad for that but for the fact that none of the other realms ever need to take any account of outside influence when selecting their new Broodkings!

Currently embodying the [Empire], it is fitting for my vote to be outsized.

The voting algorithm is complicated enough that multiple different realms requested to each, independently, have mathematically inclined boys brought in to count the votes, serving as both honesty and sanity checkers for eachother(!)

They stand around the witness’ platform, each holding an abacus, and, whenever a round of voting happens, furiously clack away to calculate the total.

Usually they agree. When they don’t, it requires a tedious recount.

My uncle, Khravash, has just had the fifth son he’s nominated rejected and I’m beginning to wish my father’s will had stipulated a limit on the number of nominees each realm can put forward!

At this rate, we’re going to have to individually reject every male in Wokhash(!)

He opens his mouth, clearly to nominate another son, but someone else speaks first.

“I have a nomination!” shouts First Woman Ho'akhath, rising to her feet.

My uncle looks as if he wishes to object but seems to realise how ‘but I’m not done listing potential puppets for myself’ would sound as an objection(!)

“Make your nomination, Lady Ho'akhath.” I invite from the head of the court, behind the magistrate’s platform.

I’m curious… but not hopeful.

Practically every nomination made thus far has been nakedly driven by nothing more than each realm’s ambition to place a sympathetic [Emperor] on the throne.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The few that haven’t have been quickly ruled unsuitable for other reasons.

“I nominate Regent Khr’kowan!” she shouts, looking directly at me.

There is a moment of shock… followed by raucous laughter at the ridiculous suggestion.

“Need I remind you that my broodhusband has already been rejected as unsuitable, Lady Ho'akhath?” I ask, neutrally, over the din.

“Yes! But my nomination was not for Kurkhuw of Nhirmor! It was for Khr’kowan of Khawekh!” she responds, defiantly.

“Preposterous!” spits my uncle “Women are too shortlived and too violent for leadership! There has never been a female Ruler!”

“Until [50 years] ago, there had never been a male one either!” counters Ho’akhath “And, as to us being shortlived, that’s not the case anymore, is it?… We are entering into a new era!… One where women have the potential to live just as long and become just as wise as men!… This era is going to be defined by our relationship with the Foreigners, both Twigg and offworlder… Khr’kowan has repeatedly proven she is the best person for managing our relationship with them which is exactly why we already agreed on her as the best choice to represent us to the [GU]!”

“Isn’t it a little hasty and, perhaps, shortsighted to be selecting our new Ruler based on the times we’re living through?” asks my father in law, [Lord] Howakh, sounding genuinely sceptical “I agree that things are about to change for us, enormously, but… a change like this…? It seems ill advised…”

“I disagree!” announces H’rtkoss, First Woman of Vresh, the second most powerful woman of the Northern Confederation, backing up the first “I think adapting with the times is precisely what we ought to be doing! The Foreigners have no need to separate male from female, they assign leadership on merit! I posit that there is none so meriting the rulership of our [Empire] as Khr’kowan of Khawekh! I second Ho’akhath’s nomination!”

I sigh “I’m flattered, of course… but, as the First Woman pointed out, I’ve already been selected as the Khawekhan [Empire]’s representative to the [Galactic] Union… electing me as [Empress] would mean having to choose another to represent us!” the feminisation of the word I’ve only ever heard in its masculine form sitting strangely in my mouth!

“Well… that’s not true?” suggests Broodking Mhirko of Khovha “How often do any of the realms actually require Khawekh’s direct intervention on anything? Once… twice a year? You could appoint a Regent or council to rule in your name and, so long as they aren’t wildly incompetent, they’d likely be able to hold the fort until you either return or we receive the promised communication installation that would allow you to talk to us from the [galactic] capital, at which point you could rule almost as effectively from there as Khawekh… I also think it might give a favourable impression to this [Parliament] if we were to send our Ruler to represent us there… I’m in favour of installing you as the first Khawekhan [Empress].”

“Any Regent or council appointed by a woman would be women also! This would be but the first step to the rise of a matriarchal tyranny!” screeches Broodking Vilhor, outraged “Since time immemorial, it has been the way that women control matters of war and men control matters of state! Investing both into one sex is too much power! It’s ripe for abuse!!! How long would it be before we were back to the same barbarities that caused our descent into the Warring Realms Period?! Resource raids!? Groom kidnapping!?!?!?… Women are simply too violent and ambitious to be trusted with rulership!… I will be voting nay!”

One of the vote counters here thinks to flip the beads on his abacus to represent Vilhor and Mhirko’s predeclared votes, the others quickly copy the action.

I speak “I can’t say I entirely disagree with you, Vilhor… being both [Empress] and First Woman of Khawekh is far too much power for one individual!… If I were to take the throne, I would need to select a replacement to my role as head of the military… and I would need to be mindful that whomever I chose to rule in my stead were trustworthy… I would appoint a council of men who would advise first my Regent, then myself… I have no interest in creating a society where men become second class citizens!… For my part I will be abstaining from this vote… It will be up to the realms as to whether to trust me with the throne.”

The vote counter boys’ eyes go wide as they slide an enormous portion of the beads to the centre of the (most valuable) bottom row of their respective abacuses to represent the vote I have indicated I won’t be casting.

I probably would have had enough voting power to effectively float or sink my own ascension, singlehandedly.

With my vote withdrawn, I judge it to be anyone’s game!

“Shall we commence the vote or does anyone have anything else to say regarding my candidacy?”

“I do!” objects my uncle “What about your eyes!? You expect us to install you as Ruler with only six eyes!?… Six eyes and a shattered pedipalp?!?!?!”

“Funny how you never raised an objection to her father having no working eyes, [Lord] Khravash(!)” says Ho’akhath, pointedly.

“Her father was a man! His full blindness was a function of his advanced age! Not a wound he sustained in a fight to the death with a monster(!)” he bickers.

“So now you’re faulting her for representing our people in the administration of justice against a murderer? Risking her life to do so? What!?”

---Emiko’s perspective---

Myself and the others waiting for the announcement are in the harbour plaza when I see them.

The Qlofltli woman, Weyavl, was watching the broadcast live until I pointed out to her that she had promised not to and she sullenly turned it off.

She stands, putting my head level with her spindly bare thigh, and leans forward eagerly.

Khr’kowan leads the procession of all her empire’s movers and shakers.

Her uncle carries her father’s crown in his hands, indicating an emperor has been chosen, but looks like someone has pissed in his udon(!)

I’m guessing he wasn’t able to get one of his sons or nephews on the Khawekhan throne to act as his puppet…

I frown as I see… Khr’kowan take position in the middle of the square, on the same platform her father’s body was butchered on last week, and kneel down.

Confused murmurs emanate from the crowd.

“Ladies and gentlemen of Khawekh…” sneers Khravash, petulantly, placing the diadem of iron and thanatite atop the head of his niece (who’s as tall as him, kneeling) “…I give you your new [Empress]: Khr’kowan of the Khawekhan Realm… Daughter of Broodking Aghogh of the Khawekhan Realm and First Woman Kvehak of the Wokhashan Realm!”

There is a protracted pause of stunned silence.

Then a joyous roar erupts from the crowd.