A day in the life of a Mongolian queen - Anne F. Broadbridge

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As dawn breaks over a movable city of 10,000 yurts, Queen Boraktyn is in for a rude awakening. A rogue sheep has slipped past her servants and guards and bolted into her yurt, where he springs into bed and bleeps in her ear. Although she's a formidable Khatun of the Golden Horde, a huge kingdom in the Mongolian Empire, Boraktyn has a hands-on approach to ruling. She's been married to Batu Khan, the fearsome grandson of Genghis Khan himself, since she was 15. And while her husband is out on his raids, she juggles the duties of flocks, family and empire at home. This makes her the manager and the mover of a city of thousands. Twice a year, Borakhchin moves the city between two seasonal camping grounds. This ensures constant water and lush grass in summer and protection from harsh winds in winter. The whole operation requires weeks of strict planning, liaising with other camps in her domain, strategic delegation, and the patience to move at the speed of dawdling animals. Today is moving day, and she'll have to direct throngs of her ladies, commanders, slaves, and animals up the River Volga for the summer. As Boraktyn steps outside, she's greeted by a commotion. Her unwanted visitor is now running circles around her stewards. They're attempting to stow her possessions securely into wagons. Boraktyn orders them to get it under control, but she's the only one quick enough to catch the stray. She next supervises her ladies, who are unpinning her yurt and lifting it onto its custom wagon. It requires a team of 20 oxen to pull, and Burakçın wouldn't trust anyone to steer it but herself. Next, Burakçın and her woolly companion meet with the guards. She orders them to keep close watch on her husband's special reception yurt and portable throne during the journey. They'll also act as outriders, and she tells them how to secure the route, surround her for safety, and keep the animals in check. But when the sheep finally breaks free and makes for the fields, the guard can barely keep up as it scampers through crowds, packing up their yurts. Exasperated, Burakcan rides down to the pastures herself. When she gets there, she catches sight of the troublesome sheep, wriggling into the middle of a flock. When she follows him in, he's nestled next to a ewe, his mother. She's pregnant and seems to be in pain. With a start, Boraktyn realizes that this ewe's impending delivery has been forgotten in the flurry of moving day. There's no