67 The Royal Journey

"My Shahanshah, everything is ready."

A servant came to Yazdegerd to inform him that the preparations are complete. Through courier network, he arranged a meeting with the Roman Basileus, and his soon-to-be Shahanshahbanu. He was more excited than he thought. Perhaps those boyish feelings he held inside him, those he thought were lost and forgotten, were resurfacing within him, and he was looking forward to meeting an apparently beautiful girl of his age. He only ever heard stories of her – as beautiful as an emerald, her eyes shining like a beacon, hair silky and soft, coloured like a chestnut. When hearing praise like that, no wonder he was excited. After all, since he was twelve now, it was normal for him to start gaining interest in girls. And whether that was a good or bad thing, that didn't matter. He was happy and that was all that mattered. Perhaps the child inside him was really reappearing again.

After getting back on track from his weird fantasies, he realized he still hasn't dismissed the courier.

"Thank you. I'll be there soon. You're dismissed."

And how easy it was. Soon, he would begin the journey to Trebizond, where he is to meet with both Roman Emperor and his daughter, soon-to-be Yazdegerd's Shahanshahbanu. But since he will be out of the country, he needs to arrange a few things. When Shahanshah leaves the country, it is customary to appoint a trusted official to rule until he arrives back. For example, one of his predecessors, Khosrow II. appointed his daughter, Boran, to rule when he was fighting the Romans merely 15 years ago. But since Yazdegerd had no descendant yet, he had to rely on someone from his retinue. For that reason, he set out and left his chambers, his guards immediately following him.

He thought about leaving things to Rostam, because of his excellence when leading the troops during the latest battles, but despite Rostam being a great leader, with vast knowledge about logistics, military tactics and strategies, he knew how to lead an army. Not a country. Bahman Jaduya was too old, and, frankly, Yazdegerd didn't believe the old general would want such a responsibility anyway. Right now, he was probably somewhere in his lavish house, enjoying the break he has. Although Yazdegerd wanted to initially bring him with him, as he thought he will prove useful during the meeting, in the end, Yazdegerd decided to contact Farrukhzad, his wuzurg framadar about him running things here while Yazdegerd is away.

And that was where he was going right now. The clanking of the guards armour basically signalized to Farruhkzad that his Shahanshah is coming. Once the guard opened the door to his office, Farrukhzad was sitting behind his table, swiftly swinging with a quill as he was writing away. He quickly finished writing last letter while Yazdegerd sat down on a couch, and then he joined him.

"Call us a servant, to bring us some wine and something to eat." Called Farrukhzad out to the guard, but Yazdegerd stopped him.

"That won't be necessary. I won't remain for long. I just need to quickly discuss one issue and I'll go. I have many things to arrange and organize."

Farrukhzad was stunned for a while, but them he dismissed the soldier with a wave of his hand.

"My Shahanshah, may he be immortal, what brings you here, to my humble office?"

"It is a delicate matter of utmost importance. As you already know, I am to depart in a matter of days to Trebizond, a Roman city, to meet with the Roman Emperor and my soon-to-be Shahanshahbanu. But I need someone to make sure nothing happens in my absence. I need you to take care of everything for me. Unless it needs my immediate presence, you are authorized to act in my name and my power. I will make sure the whole Empire knows that in my absence, you will act as my regent. Understood?"

Farrukhzad was baffled. His usually dry humour was nowhere to be found, as he was overwhelmed by the sheer responsibility of this task. Yazdegerd knew that everyday life ruling a country isn't as bad and tiresome as some imagine, and that the main issue are critical situations where your actions and decisions directly influence the outcome. But Farrukhzad didn't know that and the responsibility that came with this request was too big for him. Nevertheless, he bit his lip and accepted, not knowing that this task will be far easier than he thinks.

After about two days of organizing and arranging, Yazdegerd was ready to leave. For the first time in his life will he venture beyond the borders of his own Empire. He felt excited, like a little boy first time going to the nearby forest with his father. He rode in a lavish cart, with plenty of space to sleep comfortably. They rode on the old highway, built in the ancient times by a great ruler named Darius. Now, it was maintained by both Persians and Romans, as it was an important trading route between the east and the west. They had several stops before them, including Damascus, the ancient Syriac city, or Cilicia and Ikonion, both fairly big cities, in which they were to resupply and continue their journey to Trebizond. Thankfully, the roads were all of high quality between the big cities, all properly maintained. With him rode Jalinus, Rostam and several other advisors, and, of course, his pushtigban, who were to never lose sight of him and his retinue. It was a big expedition, after all, one that is sure to attract attention, so security was tight, at least until they reached Trebizond. With that in mind, Yazdegerd departed, leaving his Empire in Farrukhzad's hands.