chaikovskiy
Ryazan, one of the grandest cities in all Rus', lays along the war path of thousands of Tatar warriors eager to seize the spoils of a short-fought campaign: the women of the city and gold from its treasury. Having set up camp on the riverbank outside the city, they await a reply from the envoys of Grand Prince Yuriy.
As the Grand Prince deliberates, his brothers both caution and counsel him. If Ryazan falls, the rest of Rus' may be next ─ an outcome his people grow ever more wary of, turning to priests and heretics alike as rumor and fear run rampant inside the city walls.
Finally left untended, the Polovtsian princess Yanay, conquered once before, now belonging to one of the Grand Prince's brothers, quietly observes these developments. She prays to her old gods when she can, and aligns herself with a young Tatar captive and soon-to-be deposed priest, all the while secretly seeking her freedom and revenge.
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A retelling of the Siege of Ryazan complete with rageful women and warrior princes; gods both kind and cunning; and sin aplenty.
Copyright © 2026 Elle Chaika
Open Novella Contest 2026 | Prompt No. 45
»Kings have honor, soldiers are brave, poets have heart, and all I have is rage!«