#calamitous

The main protagonist is Feriha, a woman who has schemed her way up to being the co-ruler of her citadel and wife to the ruler-by-divine-right. (The divine right here being the whim of the river god who came out of the river when the city was founded and made a deal with the ruling family. If one of their blood isn't on the throne, the river might run dry).

She is dutiful, competent and extremely annoyed that her husband (and his legitimacy to rule) is missing and now she has to entertain all his usurping relatives who descend upon the city for the chance to rule. If they don't stop insulting her she might have them thrown off the city walls, drought be damned).

And then there's her childhood best friend Kaare, who is what happens when a girl grows up beautiful with no responsibilities and everyone thinking she's Blessed. Kaare is unhinged about her best friend, her fiancé is mysteriously dead and she's going to scheme, seduce and assassinate whoever is insulting her bestie. (Feriha Does Not Approve).

I want to write unhinged female friendships that are more important than whatever romantic entanglements they can get in to and I'm already having a lot of fun with these two. Feriha gets a girlfriend, Kaare gets trapped in her own honeypot plot, but all throughout, they are each other's most important person. It's about the friendship