We’re definitely seeing some plot thickening going on here. Any time you have a series with fictional accounts of the lives of real historical figures, it’s always fascinating to guess which liberties the writer will choose to take (generally, to make whatever point they’re trying to make). Even when it comes to the Mongol Empire, which might as well not have existed according to the history textbooks they made me buy in my school days. As you learn about this time and place on your own, it becomes more and more interesting.

The idea here is for Sitara is to spy on behalf of Sorghaghtani. But not in Ögedei’s court, as you might expect. With he set to be the new Kha’an and Tolui the Otchigin (and thus possessor of the most military power) it’s Chagatai that Sorghaghtani is worried about. Specifically, that the second brother will come between the third and fourth (why eldest brother Jochi doesn’t enter into her deliberations I’m not sure), presumably out of jealousy. There’s a lot about this I don’t really understand – starting with why Genghis Khan broke with tradition and blocked Tolui succeeding him in the first place.

There’s some finesse needed in order to make this happen, of course. Sorghaghtani tells Sitara to go to the lost property (including human) tent the next morning. Shira shows up to help her, and it’s clear Sitara hasn’t seen him for quite a few years. The plan is for her to swap places with one of Chagatai’s slaves and eventually slip into his service, but things quickly get complicated when the bezoar (don’t Maomao see that) falls to the floor. In Mongol circles this is called a “Jada stone” and when soaked in water by a shaman, can be used to call forth a storm.

A man named Qadaq – who appears to be in the service of Ögedei’s 6th wife but isn’t and may well be a spy himself – hears tell of this and assumes Sitara has stolen her Jada stone. He drags her out of the tent, tosses her onto a horse and rides to another camp, where he deposits her in front of Töregene, the 6th wife. Sitara quite naturally fears for her life here, but in the end she has no choice but the reveal her bezoar. As she hoped, Töregene recognizes that this is not the stone she lost and dismisses them. Qadaq is only too happy to be done with her, but Sitara recognizes how helpless that would leave her and manipulates him into taking her back the next day.

But before that can happen, she spies some action and creeps closer to check up on it. Ögedei and Chagatai are having a riding contest of some sort and seemingly getting on well enough. Fatima makes a racket and gets herself discovered by two more of Ögedei’s wives, and claims to be Töregene’s slave in the spur of the moment. But to her surprise Töregene doesn’t call her on her lie – in fact, she calmly declares that Fatima was there to kill the Kha’an. Clearly this is a complicated relationship, but then all of them in this family seem to be.

The dynamic between the brothers is hard to figure here. Chagatai acts surly but Ögedei pointedly notes his kindness, even in terms of protecting the weak among the conquered (that good slavery thing again). As for Töregene she’s clearly feeling isolated and disrespected, and the likely reason soon becomes clear. She’s no Mongol – the title next week is “Mergen People”. I hadn’t heard that word before but it seems likely to refer to a God worshipped by the Bashkir people of what is now Bashkortostan, which was conquered by the Mongols in the early 13th Century. As such she seems to have spotted in Sitara a potential kindred spirit, and may be the next ally she meets on her journey. Whether that’s a journey of revenge or forgiveness or something else entirely remains to be seen.