Isaakios leaned back with a smirk, clearly enjoying the rapt attention of the ladies. "Oh, also, you know what, ladies?" he began, his tone playful yet conspiratorial. "Kara, well, Kara knew a lot of people from my port. Apparently, he would frequently visit the docks and ports, getting stories from the most reliable sellers and merchants across the realm. He was always informed, always in the know. And he would carry the latest news directly to Timurtaç. But let me tell you a story," Isaakios grinned, pausing for dramatic effect, as the ladies leaned in closer.
"Before the festival, Göktengri, our god, bless Timurtaç's body. But on that day, we were dining in the grand hall, and Kara showed up, not alone, but with Wolfram. That's the first time I had seen them together. Wolfram looked... different. He had this long hair, and there was something about him—this air of intensity. And Kara, of course, was carrying Timurtaç's wolf sigil, as well as Kılıç and Kutay's. But here's where it gets juicy," Isaakios winked.
The ladies sat up, ready for the next piece of gossip.
"So, during the festival, I saw that Timurtaç himself had given the sigil to Wolfram. Can you imagine the chaos? It drove Kutay absolutely mad. Kutay, who had been so sure of his standing, suddenly found himself challenged by this... foreigner. Kutay couldn't hold back. He started attacking Wolfram—not physically, mind you, but verbally, trying to get under his skin. During the diningroom Kutay leaned in with that sneer of his and said, 'Well, you are the grandson of Kaiser Ano, and when you get crowned, you will be my neighbor. I hope you don't betray us now that you sit here and dine with us. I hope you don't disrespect the honor we show you, after all, you grew up here.'"
The ladies gasped in shock, their eyes widening as they pictured the confrontation.
"Kara was sitting there, and I could tell he was not having it," Isaakios continued, grinning. "Kara shot back at Kutay, but with precision, like one of his famous arrows. He said, 'He's a trained warrior and a comrade of mine. He understands the hierarchy and respects it. That's hard to find nowadays.' And the way he said it, oh, you could tell he was aiming right for Kutay's pride. Kara wasn't going to let Kutay belittle Wolfram in front of Kılıç—his marshal. It was tense."
The ladies exchanged looks, their excitement palpable. They loved the idea of Kara, the towering, no-nonsense warrior, standing up for Wolfram with his sharp tongue and unshakable confidence.
"Now," Isaakios leaned forward, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Just imagine if Uluç had been there instead of Kılıç. Do you think anyone would have dared to speak like that in front of Uluç? No, ladies. Not a chance. Kutay wouldn't have said a word. Uluç would have shut him down with just a look. But that's the thing about Kara—he doesn't need to be as imposing as Uluç to get people to fall in line. He knows how to handle the situation, quietly, with just the right words."
The room erupted into murmurs of admiration and gossip, each woman speculating on what might have happened if Uluç had been there, or wondering just how far Kara's loyalty to Wolfram would go. They hung onto Isaakios' every word, imagining the dynamics between these powerful figures as if they were watching the drama unfold right before them.