#hamid osmanoğlu
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Berk Atan as Prince Hamid Osmanoğlu
Disclaimer: this character profile was created specifically to fit Prince Hamid on Meant To Be universe . I unfortunately don't own the character, I don't assume to know everything about him and I have no intention to affirm this is exactly who he is and how other people should write him. I'm merely a hardcore enthusiast of this lovely character and I do my best to keep his essence while adding a few headcanons of my own.
Name: Hamid Osmanoğlu
Nationality: Turkish
Birthdate: December 3, 1991.
Hometown: Istanbul, Türkiye
Current Residence: Ithaca, NY, USA
Occupation: Envoy of Türkiye in the United States of America, graduate student of MBA Economics and Management at Cornell University
Talents/Skills: public speaking, a knack for languages, charm, cooking, self-defense and combat skills.
Parents: Murat Osmanoğlu and Raisa Doğan-Osmanoğlu
Siblings: Nesrin Osmanoğlu-Aksoy, Malak Osmanoğlu, Sevim Osmanoğlu.
Closest relatives: Ahmet and Halime Osmanoğlu (uncle and aunt), Osman Osmanoğlu (grandfather - deceased), Kaan Aksoy (brother in-law).
Background: First born of Ambassador of Türkiye in Australia Murat Osmanoğlu and prosecutor Raisa Doğan-Osmanoğlu, Hamid is easy going, perceptive and polite, has the ability to make friends everywhere he goes and charms everyone with his sense of humor and kind heart. With an impressive wit and knack for languages, he's fluent in seven languages (Arabic, English, French, German, Hindi, Mandarin and Spanish) aside from his native tongue. He fell in love with International Relations when he was nine and studied Economics and Finance at Bahcesehir University (2008-2011), hoping to follow his father's footsteps and become a diplomat.
To please his mother, he studied Law in Cambridge (2012-2015), worked with her for six months and quit to spent a month traveling with his father. He returned to Cambridge to get a Msc in International Relations and Politics (2016-2018), getting his first job at UK Parliament, where he worked with Earl Vincent Foredale.
He enrolled in MBA Economics and Management at Cornell University (2018-2021) and now works as an envoy of Türkiye in the USA, taking a job as legal advisor right after that.
What's his family like?
The Osmanoğlu family (on his father side) is composed by direct descentants from the House of Osman. When the Ottoman Empire fell, his grandfather Sehzade Osman was exiled in the UK with his family, then moved to the United States, where he married and lived most of his life. Most of his relatives live in Germany, UK or USA, but they still gather every year for festivities. All Osmanoğlu members follow Muslim traditions, but living in western countries made them inclined to a modern lifestyle.
The Doğan family (on his mother side), however, is more traditional. Mostly composed by women, they live in the same neighborhood and gather around at least twice per month. Filthy rich, pragmatic and meddlesome, they often interfere on younger relatives career choices, friendships and relationships, calling family meetings and interventions whenever they see fit. Though Hamid loves his mother and aunts dearly, their intrusive habits are among the reasons why he moved out of his family's house and doesn't have plans to live permanently in Turkiye again.
Favourite childhood memory: sailing with his father, grandfather and uncle.
Nicknames: Aslan (among the men in his family), Osman (among friends at school/university because of the name on his football jersey), Hamidciğim (most women in his family call him that, but according to him, this petname sounds more endearing to him when Daphne calls)
Astrology sign: Sagittarius sun, Aquarius rising, Cancer moon
Hobbies: Driving, fishing, reading, cooking, MMORPG
Relationship status: In a relationship with Daphne Wang
Top 5 songs:
Burcu Güneş - Sen Benimsin, Ben Seninim
Emre Aydın - Hoşçakal
Paul McCartney - My Love
Coldplay - A Message
Norah Jones - Come Away With Me
Favourite books:
The Twenty-One Balloons by Pene du Bois
The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk
Poems of Nâzım Hikmet (1986 edition)
Favourite movies:
Psycho (1960)
Spirited Away (2001)
Sonbahar (2008)
Favourite TV shows:
He likes most cooking TV shows, but his favourite is Masterchef Kids (he is amazed by talented children). From Netflix, his favourites are Sex Education, Aşk 101 and The Crown. But his all time favourites are period dramas (Magnificent Century, Magnificent Century: Kösem, The Great Seljuks: Guardians of Justice, Kuruluş Osman, Reign, The Tudors, The Spanish Princess...), He is also into K-Drama and Chinese drama because of Daphne and his sisters, but he only watches with them.
Biggest guilty pleasure:
watching Daphne's trashy TV reality shows while eating greasy food. He's not entirely ashamed of the greasy food and says it motivates him to exercise more in the next day, but will blantantly deny liking Love Island, Love is Blind and Say Yes To The Dress.
Sweet or savoury?
Normally he says both, but when push comes to shove, he'll choose savoury.
Favourite food:
Menemen, kofte burger, ramen, baklava
Favourite drinks:
Non-alcoholic - Turkish coffee, cappucino, Turkish tea, pomegranate juice, strawberry daiquiri mocktail
Alcoholic - Irish coffee, rakı, wine
Most treasured possessions:
A Ducati Panigale V4R and A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Zeitzone watch with his initials engraved in the back.
Close Friends:
Sevim Osmanoğlu (OC), Yusuf Konevi, Ali Koveni (OC), Sanem Konevi (OC), Veronica Dantas (OC), Bartholomew Chambers.
Goals for the future:
Travel to Sub-Saharan Africa, take Daphne to travel with him more often, buying an apartment in London.
Dog lover or cat lover?
Both (don't expect him to choose)
Early bird or night owl?
Early bird (unless he's jetlagged)
How does he relax after a bad day?
When he's alone, he goes jogging or driving to clear his head then finds something to eat. When he's with Daphne, he stays home with her, preferably resting his head on her lap as they watch movies.
Personality: ENFP-A (Assertive Campaigner)
Campaigners (ENFPs) are true free spirits – outgoing, openhearted, and open-minded. With their lively, upbeat approach to life, they stand out in any crowd. But even though they can be the life of the party, Campaigners don’t just care about having a good time. These personality types run deep – as does their longing for meaningful, emotional connections with other people.
One random headcanon:
During his teenhood, he used to play MMORPG with then Prince Liam of Cordonia and Drake Walker during late nights. He's not as close to the King of Cordonia as he used be, but they're still good friends. He attended the King's coronation, the King's engagement parties to Lady Madeleine and Lady Jade, the bachelor party in Paris and wedding to Queen Jade. He was also invited to the bachelor + bachelorette party in Vegas, but politely declined because he was preparing himself for the interviews for the MBA at Cornell University.
#character profiles#choices fanfic#desire and decorum fanfic#desire & decorum modern day au#prince hamid#hamid osmanoğlu#meant to be au#lorirwritesfanfic#lorircreates
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The other day I played the “Living People Related to Maria Theresa” game after a while, and remembered I once did that with Hurrem Sultan and thought I'd try it again, so here goes!
This is Roksan Kunter Özkan, she is a Turkish TV presenter, sports reporter, and media personality, and descends from Hurrem through her son Selim II. Supposedly her first name is derived from Roxelana, one of the names Hurrem was known by.
Roksan Kunter Özkan (Born August 10th, 1984) –> Ayten Sofia Nami Osmanoğlu –> Sultanzade Osman Nami Bey –> Ayşe Sultan –> Abdul Hamid II –> Abdulmejid I –> Mahmud II –> Abdul Hamid I –> Ahmed III –> Mehmed IV –> Ibrahim –> Ahmed I –> Mehmed III –> Murad III –> Selim II–> Hurrem Sultan
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Hamid and Elizabeth ❤️
Face claims: Débora Nascimento as Elizabeth Foredale and Şükrü Özyıldız as Hamid Osmanoğlu.
I don't know if I've shared before these lovely moodboards my dearest and talented friend @princess-geek gifted me long ago inspired by my series Second Chances (Desire and Decorum Modern AU!). I absolutely adore how every quote fits their story and relationship so perfectly! 🥰
#second chances moodboards#second chances series#oc: elizabeth foredale#desire and decorum modern au!#choices fanfic#prince hamid x oc
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Royalty
The honourable Grandsons of Sultan Abdul Hamid Han and current heir to the Imperial House of Osman, Prince Harun Abdulkerim al-Osman Efendi and Prince Orhan Osmanoğlu Efendi pictured visiting Shaykh Mehmet Adil QaddassAllahu Sirrahu the beloved son of the late Shaykh Nazim Adil al Haqqani QaddassAllahu Sirrahu at his residence in Istanbul.
Ottomon Sultans have always been affiliated with Sufi Tariqas (The Spiritual Path) and sought the council of the saints (Sufi Masters) it was for this reason they were able to preserve the honour of Islam for over 700 years.
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Sultan II. Abdülhamid'in 4. kuşak torunu Daniel Adrian Hamid Kadir Osmanoğlu, atalarının geleneklerine uygun olarak Ukraynalı Daria Lyakhova ile 20 Aralık günü Salzburg'da St. Mirabell'de evlendi. Şu anda da Noel kutlamasındalar.
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In other countries with royal families that have been deposed there are claimants to the throne so are there any in the present day to the ottoman throne and which sultan or prince do they decend from?
Hi! Yes, there are descendants and claimants to the Ottoman throne alive today. I’m really not into claimants, so i had to trust in wikipedia to find them:
Abdülmecid II, last Ottoman Caliph (1922–1924) then 37th Head of the House of Osman following Mehmed VI's death (1926–1944).
Ahmed Nihad, 38th Head of the House of Osman (1944–1954), grandson of Sultan Murad V.
Osman Fuad, 39th Head of the House of Osman (1954–1973), half-brother of Ahmed Nihad.
Mehmed Abdulaziz, 40th Head of the House of Osman (1973–1977), grandson of Sultan Abdülaziz I.
Ali Vâsib Efendi, 41st Head of the House of Osman (1977–1983), son of Ahmed Nihad.
Mehmed Orhan Osmanoğlu, 42nd Head of the House of Osman (1983–1994), grandson of Sultan Abdul Hamid II.
Osman Ertuğrul Osmanoğlu, 43rd Head of the House of Osman (1994–2009), grandson of Sultan Abdul Hamid II.
Osman Bayezid Osmanoğlu, 44th Head of the House of Osman (2009–2017), great-grandson of Sultan Abdülmecid I.
Dündar Ali Osman Osmanoğlu, 45th Head of the House of Osman (2017–present), great-grandson of Sultan Abdul Hamid II.
for the whole line of succession (which is so complex it gives me a headache), see here. The main source of the article is the book Royalty Who Wait: The 21 Heads of Formerly Regnant Houses of Europe by Olga S. Opfell. If you’re into claimants or exiled dynasties, it seems like an interesting read.
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Cubaan Bu-nuh Terhadap Sultan Abdül Hamid II Dari Uthmaniyah
Kumpulan pel4mpau dari kalangan etnik Armenia yang gagal mendapatkan hasil yang diinginkan dari usaha tunjuk perasaan mereka di Istanbul pada tahun 1895 dan 1896 berusaha menarik perhatian kuasa besar dengan cubaan membvnuh Sultan Abdülhamid II dan melancarkan protes besar-besaran, mereka boleh dikatakan berjaya mencapai matlamat mereka kerana walaupun ser4ngan itu gagal, ia telah melemahkan Empayar Uthmaniyah.
Sebelum ser4ngan itu berlaku, keputusan dibuat secara bersama untuk memulakan kegiatan secara intensif di Istanbul dan İzmir dalam kongres Dashnaksutyun yang dilakukan di Sofia pada Januari 1904.
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Menurut perancangan ini, Sultan akan dibvnuh dan kemudian pusat pemerintahan, Jambatan Galata, terowong-terowong, Bank Uthmaniyah, kedutaan asing dan beberapa institusi swasta dan kerajaan yang lain akan diletvpkan. Oleh itu, rvsuhan dan rev0lusi yang besar akan tercipta dan Istanbul akan bermandi d4rah dan api dan kemudian campur tangan negara-negara Eropah akan terjamin.
Pejuang Armenia memulakan persiapan berdasarkan keputusan ini. Peranan yang paling ketara di kalangan penceroboh dimainkan oleh seorang aktivis Armenia Rusia, Samuel Fain (Kristafor Mikaelyan), anak perempuannya Robina Fain, dan Lipa Rips (Konstantin Kabulyan). Mereka menjalin hubungan dengan Edward Jorris dari Belgium yang berpegang kepada semangat anarkis.
Pemandangan di sekitar Masjid Yıldız semasa era Uthmaniyah
Para penyer4ng mula mengikuti gerak geri Abdülhamid II. Mereka memutuskan tindakan akan diambil pada hari Jumaat ketika Sultan berangkat ke Masjid Yıldız dan upacara rasmi yang diadakan dilihat sebagai waktu yang paling sesuai untuk memulakan aksi tersebut.
Menurut perancang mereka, kedatangan Sultan ke keretanya dan pergerakannya setelah solat mengambil masa 1 minit 42 saat. Mengenai rencana yang mereka buat dalam kerangka ini, sebuah kereta kuda di mana b0m jangka ditempatkan akan dibawa berhampiran masjid dan b0m akan meletvp ketika Sultan melalui tempat itu.
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Penyer4ng Armenia datang ke Masjid Yıldız dengan kereta kuda yang sama pada 21 Julai 1905 hari Jumaat seperti yang mereka rancangkan. Setelah solat selesai, mereka mengaktifkan b0m jangka tersebut. Namun, di akhir solat, Sheikh ul-Islam Uthmaniyah, Cemaleddin Efendi datang menghadap Sultan. Mereka menghabiskan masa dengan perbualan pendek.
Sementara itu, sebelum sempat Sultan masuk ke dalam kereta, b0m jangka yang sudah sedia diaktifkan, meletvp sehingga menimbulkan bunyi yang sangat kuat di luar masjid. Sultan, yang secara kebetulan disapa oleh Sheikh ul-Islam untuk beberapa minit sebelum itu terselamat dari cubaan bvnuh itu. Namun, ramai orang di sekitar kereta sorong yang meletvp itu terk0rban dan cedera. Sekitar 40 orang dilaporkan telah terbvnuh.
Menurut kenyataan Tahsin Bey, Setiausaha Pertama Istana, Sultan menunjukkan contoh keberanian yang hebat (Tahsin Pasha 1990, hlm. 158). Abdulhamid II berteriak, “Jangan takut, jangan takut” untuk menenangkan orang ramai yang sedang panik. Mereka yang melihat keadaan Sultan yang begitu tenang, antaranya tenter4 dan pegawai segera kembali ke tempat mereka.
Sultan masuk ke dalam keretanya sambil berkata, “Jangan risau. Jangan biarkan sesiapa turut tercedera.“ Dia mengambil tongkat di tangannya. Dia mula melalui jalan curam dengan menggunakan kereta lebih perlahan daripada sebelumnya. Sementara itu, duta besar Austria menjerit “Vive le Sultan – Padisah çok yasa! (panjang umur Sultan)”. (Osmanoğlu 1986, hlm. 59).
Sultan Abdülhamid II
Cubaan bvnuh ini yang dirancang oleh kumpulan politik Armenia terhadap Sultan Abdülhamid II diumumkan di surat khabar pada hari berikutnya (Tercüman-I Hakikat, 19 Cemaziyelevvel 1323). Sementara itu, reaksi datang dari dalam dan luar negara. Ramai warga Uthmaniyah mengecam ser4ngan terhadap Sultan. Semua raja dan presiden pada masa itu mengirim telegraf dengan ucapan selamat terhadap istana dan menyatakan bahawa mereka mengecam peristiwa itu.
Laporan pertama mengenai ser4ngan itu dibuat oleh Komander Polis Beşiktaş. Menurut laporan ini, 26 orang, empat daripadanya adalah wartawan dan tiga daripadanya adalah tenter4, terk0rban dalam ser4ngan itu dan 56 orang cedera ringan atau parah. Juga kira-kira 20 ekor haiwan telah m4ti dan banyak kereta mvsnah. Angka k0rban meningkat kepada 40 orang terbvnuh dalam laporan terakhir. Dalam ser4ngan itu, b0m yang dikenali sebagai “Machine Enfernal” dengan sejumlah 80 kilogram bahan letvpan digunakan.
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Siasatan menyeluruh dilakukan oleh suruhanjaya yang dibentuk di bawah kepimpinan Necip Melhame Pasha. Semasa siasatan sedang berlangsung, kepingan getah yang ditemui di bukit Yıldız menjadi petunjuk yang penting. Kereta sorong dengan bahan getah jarang digunakan di Istanbul. Apabila nombor 11123 dan tulisan Neseldorfer dikesan dalam bangkai kereta yang meletvp, ia didapati dibuat di sebuah kilang di Vienna.
Kemudian, perjalanan peristiwa itu didedahkan dengan bukti yang ditemui satu demi satu. Sementara itu, Edward Jorris dan beberapa suspek dari kalangan pemimpin masyarakat setempat ditangkap dan ada yang dikira sebagai ketua berjaya melarikan diri ke luar negara. Kenyataan Edward Jorris cukup berguna dalam mendedahkan dalang di sebalik kejadian itu.
Sebelum Solat Jumaat, orang ramai biasa menghadiri perbarisan awam menyambut ketibaan Sultan
Menurut hasil siasatan, perkembangan ser4ngan itu berlaku seperti ini: Pejuang rev0lusioner Armenia bertindak setelah membuat keputusan untuk melaksanakan rancangan itu di Sofia. Seorang pejuang g3rila bernama Kendiryan berhubung dengan seorang anarkis Belgium, Edward Jorris yang merupakan salah seorang kakitangan di kilang Singer. Jorris tidak tahu menahu mengenai apa yang dituntut oleh orang Armenia. Namun, mereka boleh bergaul dengan baik kerana mereka berdua memiliki semangat anarkis yang sama.
Mereka mencapai kata sepakat dalam rancangan pembvnuhan terhadap Sultan Uthmaniyah. Kendiryan memperkenalkan anggota gerila yang lain iaitu Samuel Fain, anak perempuannya Robina Fain, dan Lipa Rips kepada Jorris. Mereka membincangkan rancangan pembvnuhan itu dari waktu malam hingga pagi di sebuah rumah yang mereka sewa di Istanbul.
Ketika kaedah ser4ngan diputuskan, pertama sekali isu kereta kuda perlu diselesaikan. Seorang wanita bernama Mari Zayn datang ke sebuah kilang kereta pada bulan April 1905 dan memilih phaeton dengan contoh gaya yang ditunjukkannya. Kemudian seseorang yang bernama Silviyo Ricci (Köse Aristidi) memesan kereta ini.
Kereta yang dihantar ke Istanbul dikeluarkan dari pemeriksaan kastam dengan bantuan orang yang dikenali sebagai Mateo dan Mihal dan disimpan di dalam gudang di Şişli, seperti yang dipilih oleh Silviyo Ricci sebelum itu. Dua individu bernama Mıgırdıç dan Yervant mula menjaga kereta dan kuda di sini.
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Dalam perkembangan lain, Lipa Rips, yang tinggal di sebuah rumah di Beyoğlu, menyewa sebuah kereta dari seorang pembawa chariot bernama Vafyadis. Mıgırdıç berlegar-legar di jalanan Istanbul dengan kenderaan ini selama 10 hari dan menghafal laluan-laluan yang digunakan.
Dengan surat kebenaran palsu yang mereka dapatkan dari konsulat Rusia, mereka berkali-kali memasuki perbarisan awam pada setiap hari Jumaat untuk mengatur agenda bagaimana mereka boleh membvnuh Sultan dari tempat yang diperuntukkan bagi orang asing.
Gambaran semasa letvpan berlaku
Dengan cara ini, setiap pergerakan Sultan Abdülhamid II diperhatikan dengan begitu teliti. Mereka telah mengenalpasti berapa lama tempoh yang diperlukan Sultan untuk masuk ke dalam keretanya setelah dia meninggalkan masjid.
Selepas itu, b0m yang akan digunakan dalam ser4ngan itu dibeli dari Paris. B0m itu dibawa ke Istanbul melalui Varna dan Athens dalam bentuk beberapa pecahan yang diasingkan dan diterima oleh Silviyo Ricci. Menurut kenyataan Jorris, kos bagi pembelian kereta kuda dan b0m yang dibelanjakan untuk rancangan pembvnuhan ini adalah sekitar 300 franc. Wang ini kebanyakannya dikirim dari orang Armenia di Amerika, Rusia, dan Bulgaria.
Pada 21 Julai 1905 ketika ser4ngan akan berlaku, roda kereta ditutup dengan bahan getah untuk mengelakkan getaran, dan kereta yang kemudian dinaiki oleh Mademoiselle (gelaran wanita bangsawan Perancis yang setara dengan “Cik”) itu mempunyai b0m seberat 80 kilogram dibawa ke Masjid Yıldız. Lipa Rips dan Robbina yang membawa kereta itu keluar dan menaiki kereta lain.
Semuanya dilaksanakan seperti yang dirancang sebelumnya. B0m jangka yang dipasang pada kereta itu diatur mengikut berapa lama tempoh yang akan diambil Sultan untuk meninggalkan masjid dan masuk ke dalam keretanya.
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Bagaimanapun, Abdülhamid II diganggu oleh Sheikh-ul Islam selepas solat, tidak seperti selalu. Pada waktu itulah, b0m jangka yang dipasang itu telah meletvp dengan bunyi yang kuat di luar masjid (untuk rekod siasatan, Attantat 1905). Oleh itu pembvnuhan itu tidak berjaya. Semua rancangan anarkis Armenia menjadi sia-sia.
Edward Jorris, yang merupakan antara perancang pembvnuhan itu, dihadapkan ke mahkamah setelah siasatan selesai. Oleh kerana dia telah mengaku bersalah, sudah pasti dia akan dijatuhkan hvkuman m4ti. Sehari sebelum keputusan pengadilan, perkembangan yang tidak dijangka berlaku pada 17 Disember 1905.
Duta Besar Belgium ke Istabul mengemukakan permohonan kepada Empayar Uthmaniyyah dan memberitahu bahawa dia akan meminta suspek dipulangkan kepadanya dengan merujuk kepada perjanjian pada 3 Ogos 1838.
Menurut Duta Besar Belgium itu, semenjak penangkapan itu, kerajaannya telah menyediakan segala macam kemudahan serta memberi kerjasama, dan apabila keputusan siasatan mula membuahkan hasilnya, tidak ada keperluan lagi untuk menyimpan suspek di negara Uthmaniyah.
Sekiranya Jorris disabitkan kesalahan, dia seharusnya diserahkan kepada kerajaan Belgium untuk dilaksanakan hvkumannya.
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Mereka yang terlibat dalam ser4ngan
Keesokan harinya Edward Jorris dijatuhkan hvkuman m4ti. Duta itu membuat permohonan sekali lagi kepada pemerintah Uthmaniyah pada 19 Ogos dan mendesak agar Jorris diserahkan kepada Belgium untuk menerima hvkumannya di Belgium seperti yang dituntutnya sebelum itu. Empayar Uthmaniyah menyatakan bahawa perjanjian pada 3 Ogos 1838 tidak memberikan hak seperti itu kepada Belgium dan menolak permintaan tersebut. Pemerintah Uthmaniyah menjelaskan alasan penolakan sebagai berikut:
“Dalam perjanjian pada 3 Ogos 1838, sebagaimana tidak ada alasan khusus untuk memberikan hak perundangan yang lebih luas kepada kerajaan Belgium berbanding negara-negara asing lainnya, Mahkamah Agung tidak berhasrat untuk mengiktiraf pengecualian semacam itu. Hak yang diberikan kepada orang asing lain pada masa itu sama saja seperti yang diberikan kepada orang Belgium. Atas sebab ini, adalah mustahil untuk Belgium memiliki hak istimewa terhadap warganya sendiri dalam kes pembvnuhan. Pada asasnya amalan yang harus dilakukan dalam situasi seperti ini telah dinyatakan dengan jelas dalam perjanjian Empayar Uthmaniyah dengan British dan Perancis pada tahun 1673 dan 1740. Menurutnya, seorang pegawai konsulat boleh hadir dalam perbicaraan kes pembvnuhan atau kesalahan di mana orang asing dan warga Uthmaniyah terlibat.
Walau bagaimanapun, badan pengadilan Uthmaniyah adalah satu-satunya pihak yang berkuasa dalam penghakiman dan keputusan. Artikel-artikel ini yang cukup jelas tidak memerlukan penjelasan lebih lanjut. Perjanjian 1838 dengan Belgium dilakukan dalam konteks hak yang diberikan kepada British dan Perancis. Amalan ini berterusan selama 65 tahun. Kerajaan Belgium harus membuat kajian yang baik mengenai isu-isu ini. Kami juga menyesali sikap pemerintah Belgium dalam masalah seperti ini yang sangat berkaitan dengan ketenter4man awam dan keamanan negara dan ser4ngan yang menimbulkan kebencian di antara negara Uthmaniyyah dan negara-negara asing.”
Keratan akhbar berbahasa Inggeris
Pandangan pemerintah Belgium adalah seperti berikut:
“Hak-hak yang diberikan dengan jangkaan ia dilaksanakan dengan cara yang lebih luas dalam praktik ini. Sebagai contoh, perjanjian dengan Amerika pada tahun 1830 dan dengan Belgium pada tahun 1838 merupakan amalan yang benar-benar diterima. Apabila perjanjian telah ditandatangani, sebagaimana yang dimaklumkan pesuruhjaya kami kepada pemerintah Belgium, tidak ada wakil Uthmaniyah yang menentang teks Perancis yang memberikan hak untuk membicarakan dan menghvkum warganegara kami sendiri kepada kami. Kami melakukan beberapa perubahan dalam undang-undang kami sendiri bergantung pada artikel ini. Kami mengatur artikel-artikel untuk membicarakan warganegara Belgium yang melakukan pembvnuhan atau jen4yah di negara Uthmaniyah dengan undang-undang khas pada 31 Disember 1851. Undang-undang yang disebutkan ini masih berkuatkuasa.
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Sekiranya artikel-artikel undang-undang ini belum dipraktikkan dan kami tidak pernah menuntut pengamalan hak-hak ini yang diberikan kepada kami, alasannya adalah bahawa peristiwa serius yang mendorong tuntutan hak ini tidak berlaku. Sementara itu, walaupun kami menerima autoriti pengadilan Uthmaniyah dalam beberapa jen4yah yang tidak signifikan, keadaan ini tidak bermaksud kami mengabaikan hak yang diberikan oleh perjanjian 1838 kepada kami.
Tidak kira seberapa besar kesalnya kami dengan ser4ngan warga Belgium terhadap Sultan, kami sangat gembira kerana Sultan tidak diapa-apakan dalam ser4ngan itu. Kami juga harus menjelaskan bahawa permintaan kita bukan hak untuk mengadakan perbicaraan tetapi untuk menyerahkan Jorris kepada pihak kami. Kami tidak meminta Jorris diserahkan untuk menyelamatkannya dari hvkuman yang sepatutnya. Pemerintah Belgium tidak mahu melepaskan hak yang diberikan kepadanya oleh perjanjian yang masih berkuatkuasa tanpa mengira kepentingan kes itu.“
Sultan Abdülhamid II
Walaupun krisis diplom4tik dan per4ng undang-undang antara kedua-dua pihak berjalan seperti ini, perkembangan lain berlaku. Komen Paul Wauwermans, salah seorang peguam terkenal negara itu, diterbitkan dalam salinan akhbar Conservateur de l’Eparne dari Belgium pada 14 Januari 1906. Dalam tulisannya yang mengemukakan kesalahan pemerintah Belgium, Wauwermans menjelaskan ini:
“Isu kontroversi dalam kes Jorris adalah tentang Artikel 8 dari perjanjian 3 Ogos 1838. Pada pandangan pertama, penulisannya menyatakan bahawa “penjen4yah akan diadili oleh duta besar, pemangku duta besar, konsul atau naib konsul dan akan dihvkum berdasarkan kaedah yang diperlukan oleh orang Frank” menimbulkan impresi bahawa Belgium mempunyai hak dalam tuntutannya. Namun, penilaian ini bertentangan dengan keputusan “pembvnuhan yang dilakukan oleh orang Belgium di negara-negara bukan Kristian akan diakui oleh Mahkamah Pembvnuhan Braban kami” dalam Artikel 32 peraturan konsulat kami pada 31 Disember 1851. Faktanya adalah perjanjian 1838 hanya dapat dipertimbangkan dalam tradisi dan undang-undang undang-undang pada masa itu.
Sebenarnya masalahnya tidak lebih dari menyerahkan apa yang kita ada dan hak yang kita miliki demi rakyat kita. Ungkapan-ungkapan dalam sapaan ini bahawa ‘Orang Frank akan diadili dan dihvkum sesuai dengan tradisi mereka’ tidak hanya meliputi orang Perancis. Ungkapan ini bermaksud bahawa orang Belgium juga akan mendapat layanan yang sama seperti orang Perancis. Oleh itu, jika kita melihat cara penyerahan itu dilakukan, dikatakan bahawa ‘apabila jen4yah dilakukan oleh orang Perancis terhadap orang Perancis yang lain, maka ia akan diadili di pengadilan mereka sendiri’ dalam Artikel 15 penyerahan itu pada tahun 1740. Dalam keadaan ini, mahkamah Uthmaniyah adalah pihak yang berkuasa dalam kes-kes yang berlaku antara orang asing dan warga Uthmaniyyah. Banyak contoh yang dialami berkaitan dengan perkara ini.
Juga, poin yang serupa muncul dalam Perjanjian Edirne antara Empayar Uthmaniyyah dan Rusia pada tahun 1829. Di sini, konsulat Rusia diberi kuasa dalam kes-kes di antara warganegara Rusia. Namun, ketika mana-mana warganegara Uthmaniyah terlibat dalam peristiwa tersebut, kewibawaan mahkamah Uthmaniyah dilindungi secara halus. Oleh itu, seperti yang dapat difahami dari alasan yang kami tunjukkan, Belgium berada dalam posisi yang tidak diizinkan sebelum tuntutannya dikemukakan terhadap Empayar Uthmaniyah. Apa yang boleh dilakukan pemerintah Belgium ialah mendapatkan izin dari Uthmaniyah pada poin yang tidak memerlukan permintaan hingga sekarang. Selain itu, jaminan bahawa ia akan melaksanakan keadilan dengan seharusnya juga perlu diberikan. Namun, tidak mungkin kita boleh mendapat hasil bahawa pemerintah Belgium, yang menurut beberapa artikel di akhbar dan mesyuarat, dapat berlaku adil dalam isu Jorris.”
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Edward Jorris
Seperti yang dijelaskan, Belgium dibuktikan salah walaupun oleh peguamnya sendiri. Empayar Uthmaniyah menunjukkan sikap mutlaknya terhadap isu ini dengan jawapan yang diberikan kepada Belgium pada 1 Februari 1906:
“Kerajaan Belgium yang bergantung pada bukti dari teks Perancis tentang persetujuan perjanjian 1838 oleh Belgium mempunyai sikap tidak berasas seolah-olah pemerintah Uthmaniyah memberikan hak luar biasa kepada warganya sendiri. Walau bagaimanapun, Empayar Uthmaniyah hanya bertanggungjawab atas kontraknya sendiri. Oleh itu, tuntutan negara asing bergantung pada teks perjanjian yang diterjemahkan yang tidak sesuai dengan versi asalnya tidak dapat diterima.
Sekiranya terdapat perbezaan antara teks Belgium dan teks Turki yang diluluskan oleh Sultan, salinan yang akan diterima sebagai sah adalah yang Turki. Dalam salinan Turki, Belgium tidak diberi hak apa pun mengenai hvkuman kes. Seperti halnya orang-orang Frank lain, Belgium hanya diberi hak untuk meletakkan seorang anggota konsulat yang ada dalam kes tersebut. Fakta masalah ini adalah orang asing telah diadili oleh pihak berkuasa perbicaraan mahkamah Uthmaniyah dalam kes jen4yah campuran sejak zaman dahulu. Oleh itu, tidak mungkin bagi pemerintah Belgium untuk menuntut sesuatu yang melebihi amalan yang dilakukan bagi negara-negara lain.”
Setelah alasan ini dikemukakan, senarai warganegara Perancis, British, Rusia, Itali, dan Austria yang dihvkum di mahkamah Uthmaniyah atas kesalahan mereka dan juga melalui hvkuman ini di penj4ra Uthmaniyah disampaikan kepada Belgium.
Sebenarnya, ketika segala perbahasan ini sedang berlangsung, dipercayai bahawa Jorris tidak menerima hvkuman m4ti, ini kerana Abdülhamid II, dikenali sebagai seorang yang tidak menyukai hvkuman m4ti, baginda telah mengubah hvkuman m4ti terhadap anarkis Belgium itu kepada hvkuman penj4ra seumur hidup. Dalam perkembangan selanjutnya, Edward Jorris tidak diserahkan kepada Belgium, tetapi pasport diberikan kepadanya dan dia dihantar ke Eropah.
RUJUKAN:
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Investigation into the Att4ck Committed on the Day of July 21 at the End of the Selamlık Ceremony, Constantinople 1905.
Osmanoğlu, Ayşe (1986), Babam Sultan Abdülhamid, Istanbul.
Tahsin Paşa (1990), Sultan Abdülhamid Yıldız Hatıraları,
source https://thetheoritical.blogspot.com/2020/12/cubaan-bu-nuh-terhadap-sultan-abdul.html
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"Don't worry about her. It's no big deal."
"Isn't it?"
"Of course not, sweetie. Talia doesn't understand the concept of horror yet. To her, the creepy doll is just like any other doll."
"Maybe she likes the creepy doll because she finds it funny when someone is scared or uncomfortable. You know... Like you do," Nesrin commented.
Hamid grimaced. He did use to have fun scaring the shit out of his sisters, mother and literally anyone who was afraid of his scary toys, video games and movies. And even though he hated fighting with Daphne, he still couldn't get over the sound of Talia's giggles whenever she approached anyone on the streets whilst dressed as Chucky.
"Am I a terrible parent for this? I mean, she's obviously copying my behaviour." He frowned.
"She copies both of you, sweetie. Every little kid does. This is a natural process that neither of you has any control over," Veronica said.
"But why does she have to like the crazy things I do? Can't she like just the cutesy stuff Daphne does?"
"Give her time, abi. Soon she'll forget the doll and you can get rid of it."
Talia Wang-Osmanoğlu moodboard + excerpt of Bad Parenting (one-shot of Meant To Be - Desire & Decorum modern day AU) for @choicesoctober OCtober: newest
#choices moodboards#desire and decorum#choicesoctober2023#desire & decorum moden day au#talia wang-osmanoğlu#lorirwritesfanfic#lorircreates#did this ages ago and never posted#i don't know why tbh#but i guess it fits the OCtober prompt right 😁#she is my newest OC (not only she is a toddler but also the last one created)#she could also fit as a favorite but then again i have many favorite ocs lol
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Sing Your Love Song - Desire and Decorum (Modern AU)
Book: Desire and Decorum (Modern AU)
Pairings: Prince Hamid x Elizabeth (OC); Ernest Sinclaire x Hayley Parker (OC) and Edmund Marlcaster x Briar Daly.
Rating: Teen and Up
Word count: 3,500
Summary: Elizabeth hates Valentine’s Day, and she hates even more the idea of Hamid being on a date while she was dragged to a Karaoke bar where everyone seems to be thrilled about the date. Will the night be as awful as she fears?
Notes:
* All characters belong to Pixelberry, except OCs.
* @noesapphic was too kind and let me borrow Hayley Parker (OC) for this fic - go check her masterlist to read her fics about Hayley and Ernest Sinclaire.
* This is from another Modern AU unrelated to any of the previous AUs, and is part of a new AU @noesapphic and I are creating. 😊
* I want to thank @princess-geek so much for being my beta in this one and always being the kindest and most enthusiastic supporter of my writing. So, thank you, sweetie! ❤❤❤
* This is my submission to CFWC Silly Love Stories - Day 14. Ugh, I hate couples! - Thanks for hosting the event @choicesficwriterscreations! I had a lot of fun writing for it!
“Ugh! I hate Valentine’s day!”
Elizabeth grimaces and looks away when another couple kisses on the small stage of the karaoke bar after an off-key performance of ‘I Will Always Love You’.
Taking the large cocktail glass with one hand, the second one so far, she gulps the pink drink until its last drop. It swirls down her throat, warming her insides and blurring her vision, but the sweetness of the cranberry juice was not enough to erase the bitter taste in her mouth.
“And I thought nothing could be worse than going clubbing tonight…” Elizabeth mutters into the empty glass.
“Aw, come on now! They were cute, Lizzy,” Briar teases.
“And both kept their clothes on,” Annabelle adds.
“A real improvement considering those two and their dirty little dance…” Hayley wiggles her eyebrows indicating the unapologetically handsy couple on the table behind theirs. “I wish I had recorded the part she ripped the buttons of his shirt. Ernest will never believe me…” She snorts with laughter against the tall glass.
“I’m here and I still don’t,” Edmund mumbles.
“They were having the time of their lives,” Annabelle jokes and lets out a laugh that is joined by the other two ladies.
Elizabeth does not laugh, her attention focused on the waiter she’s trying to summon to their table.
The first notes of the karaoke version of ‘Cruising’ play again, and another couple starts their performance.
“Awww! Not this one again!” Elizabeth blurts out, louder than she would normally do, bringing attention to herself.
From across the table, Hayley observes her and how the usually sweet girl is in an even worse mood than when she dragged her out of her flat an hour ago. I hope you don’t regret it later, Osmanoğlu, she ponders, while her fingers glide on the mobile under the table, writing a message to her friend.
Elizabeth taps her nails on the table. The mobile’s light flashed once more with the notification of an incoming message and her eyes darted to the screen. Once more, it was not from the one person she hoped to text her.
Why would he text me now? He’s in the middle of a date with someone who certainly does not rant about hating Valentine’s day when he was trying to ask her out…
Her gaze lingers on the screen, she should put it back on her clutch. Out of sight, out of mind. But she cannot. Instead, she flips the phone, so its screen is facing down, but she still feel it vibrating with an incoming text.
“Does your annoyance have anything to do with a certain diplomat going on a date tonight, Liz?”
Her eyes dart from the mobile to Hayley’s face in front of her, a teasing smile on her lips.
“Of course not!” she scoffs, “Why would I be upset?” Briar and Hayley share a knowing look and Elizabeth insists it is not about Hamid. “He’s single. He can date whoever he wants...” her words sound even less true out loud. And she purses her lips, refraining from asking Hayley what she really wanted to know about this date.
“If it’s not about him, then what is it about, darling?” Annabelle asks, “You’re not behaving like your usual self.”
“Valentine’s day bothers me. It always has. The date has the sole purpose to boost the sales of roses, jewels, and chocolate. And it puts a lot of pressure on couples to match those standards and be Pictagram perfect... Not forgetting it makes single people feel bad about themselves. There’s nothing positive about it.”
“If we were to bet on it,” Annabelle starts, unable to conceal the amusement in her voice, “of all the people we know, you were the least likely to have this kind of opinion on the holiday, darling. Even Hayley, who has too many opinions about it, enjoys herself...”
“I thought you two agreed that Valentine’s day is a stupid and arbitrary date. Setting a date to be romantic? That’s nonsensical!”
“I won’t argue about it being a commercial date, which of course it is...” Annabelle replies, “But being salty about it does anyone any good, really? I prefer to channel my annoyance creatively rather than be miserable... And if you’re open to it, you can be positively surprised...”
Hayley puts the half-empty tall tumbler down, and leans forward, her chin propped in both hands. “V-day can be kind of dumb, sure! Specially if that’s the only time of the year you do nice things and say you love your partner –”
“Or think singing these bloody songs is a good idea,” Edmund mumbles and Elizabeth agrees with him. To Briar annoyance, they clink their glasses together.
“It’s fun and romantic! Now, stop being such killjoys, you two,” Briar slaps their arms, almost spilling their drinks. “And we are all going to sing tonight.” She gesticulates with her hands, indicating the whole group. When protests erupt, Briar points a finger at them all with a menacing stare. “Sing! All of you! And you are going to have fun! No more whinging!”
Hayley raises an eyebrow at her and the exaggerated, yet convincing performance, and continues speaking after the interruptions.
“Anyways. Choosing to do something nice for someone you love – even if it is a friend – is good. So, I don’t have an issue with everything about Valentine’s day. You could try changing your perspective and enjoy yourself tonight.”
“Well, we are delightful companions,” Annabelle says and bumps her shoulder with Elizabeth’s, who gives a small smile. “Would you give it a try? For us?” The woman stares at her with her irresistible puppy eyes.
Elizabeth looks from one woman to the other, considering their smiles and expectant looks, and nods.
“Our turn!” Briar squeals and pulls Edmund by his hands, dragging him towards the stage. And Elizabeth looks at the two remaining friends at the table.
“Where are your partners anyway?”
“Ernest is working late tonight,” Hayley replies casually, eyes following Briar and Edmund, “and I usually go out with the girls after our dinner…”
“Emily is on-call tonight, so we’ll have a prolonged weekend… And I would never miss that!” Annabelle points at Briar and Edmund taking their places on the stage, the blonde looks paler under the spotlight.
“How did she convince him?” Elizabeth asks.
“Oh, Briar has her methods, honey...”
From their table close to the stage, it’s possible to see Edmund’s face clearly, and even a drop of sweat running down his forehead, and Elizabeth’s eyebrows frown with worry. “Edmund looks like he’s about to throw up, doesn’t he?”
“That would be hilarious.” Hayley laughs, and hers and Annabelle’s mobiles are drawn from their purses and pointed at the stage, capturing Briar waving at them and Edmund’s face turning red with the sudden attention, and then redder when Hayley and Annabelle cheered and screamed his name.
“Shake your booty, Marlcaster!” Hayley shouts when the music starts, and some patrons whistle. Briar pulls him by the hand for him to not walk off the stage.
The first notes of ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’ resound, and Edmund freezes and misses the queue. Briar moves closer and takes his hand, reassuring him with a smile. Both look so tenderly at each other that Elizabeth couldn’t help but smile at how sweet they were even despite Edmund not reaching any of the notes. Part of the audience sings along to the Oohs and Woo-hoos, encouraging the pair, until the final “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”.
The trio of women claps and cheers, and Briar grins and blows kisses at them. Meanwhile Edmund extracts his hand from hers and a moment later reaches the table, hand eagerly grabbing the pint and taking it to his lips.
“Kudos on not throwing up, Marlcaster,” Annabelle raises her glass to him, and he mutters what they assume is a long string of profanities under his breath.
The group is once again complete, and between bites at the chips and pizza, the conversations grow livelier, even if Elizabeth’s and Edmund’s opinions about the holiday or the performances haven’t improved much over the past minutes.
Halfway through an enjoyable presentation of One Direction’s ‘What makes you beautiful’, that has the girls singing along, Briar returns grinning and sits back on her chair. “I signed us to a group performance,” she announces pointing at the three women.
“I’m not singing,” Hayley states.
“Please, please,” Briar insists, hands joined towards her friend. “You have such a lovely voice...”
“I know, but I’m too sexy for this crowd,” she mocks and sips her gin tonic.
“It’d be just like old times. Remember how much fun we had?”
“Really? Like old times?” Hayley smiles mischievously, “And what are we singing? t.A.T.u.’s ‘All The Things She Said’ like we used to? With that little performance of ours?” The tip of her index finger glides on her lower lip purposefully, and Briar giggles.
“We can do that one later,” Briar winks playfully and blows a kiss to her friend, and her boyfriend’s blonde eyebrows raise and almost disappear at the hairline over the exchange. “But now we’re singing one Elizabeth can join too.”
“Oh! I’m not singing,” she says stressing the negative word and waving her hand.
“Come on, darlings! it will be fun!”
“I’ve chosen Wannabe. It’s easy and I know you know the lyrics and the choreography.” Briar points at her and sings the chorus, the other two joining her. Elizabeth only watches while the trio raises to their feet, doing a little dance.
Hayley walks around her chair, and whispers into Elizabeth’s ear, “Even if you suck, this lot of drunks won’t even notice!” Hayley winks and Elizabeth looks around. The place is less crowded. Various tables on the back are empty and the groups still present are enrolled on their conversations or taking turns singing and embarrassing themselves as well. She chews on her bottom lip and at the idea of singing. Perhaps it’s the aftereffects of the amount of alcohol she’s not used to drink, but seeing them so excited makes her consider letting loose like that for once could be fun and do her good.
Gulping the remaining of her drink, she says, “Alright!” and wishes there were more alcohol in the glass to boost her courage, before joining them.
The others smile and share meaningful looks that Elizabeth does not understand. There is no answer when she asks ‘what’s going on?’ besides excited cheers and the conversation shifts to which part each one will sing.
Hand in hand, the four climb the small side stairs to the stage.
Under the spotlights is hot and the brightness makes it difficult for her to see the faces in the audience, which was unexpected and actually perfect all things considered.
When the familiar melody starts, Hayley sings first. Her beautiful voice resounds, while the others do choreographed steps. A moment later, it’s Elizabeth’s turn, and her singing voice surprises everyone, including herself.
Sharing two microphones, the four sing the chorus together, accompanied by a few voices from the audience, and they smile at each other.
Excited, Briar points at the screen and lets Elizabeth sing her part, and the brunette moves to dance with Hayley. Leaning towards the mic, Elizabeth’s face turns to Hayley’s direction and she gets a glimpse of someone near the stage who looks awfully like Hamid.
My mind is playing tricks on me, Elizabeth thinks, It’s impossible. If his date went well, they’re probably already at his place… However, she does not have enough time to mull over it before Annabelle’s tall figure blocks her vision. The woman dances her way to her, and taking her hand, she spins Elizabeth. They both laugh and they’re no longer grown women, but teenagers enjoying themselves. The chorus plays once more. More laughter. And Hayley snakes an arm around Elizabeth’s waist and they share the microphone. The music fades, and people clap. Everything happens so fast. Even Edmund is standing, and Briar’s face glows with excitement and the tiniest beads of sweat peppering her tawny skin.
When they descend the stairs to return to their table, Elizabeth’s heart is racing, and her hands cover her flushed cheeks. Hayley and Annabelle speak about the presentation and suggest they should come back to this karaoke more often. Then her attention shifts immediately from their conversation to the familiar masculine voice that greets the remaining patrons.
Her long curly hair bounces when she turns around to face the stage. Under the spotlight, Hamid is standing alone, wearing one his perfect tailored suits, holding the microphone.
Where did he even come from?
Wincing, she shuffles past her friends, missing the way his gaze follows her.
“– I’m dedicating this song to someone that is dearest to my heart. A woman so special that –
“What the flying fudge cracker!” Elizabeth mutters under her breath. He’s here! And he’ll sing to his date! God, how I hate Valentine’s Day!
Before she crosses the distance that separates her from her clutch and her escape, a hand curls around her wrist, stopping her.
“I think you want to hear this one,” Hayley says into her ear.
“I don’t think so, Hayley,” Elizabeth sighs, shaking her head, but she listens the last part of Hamid’s speech.
“– and her friendship makes my world so much better. Happy Valentine’s day, Liz!”
Her jaw almost drops to the floor, as her face jerks back to look at him.
“Told you so,” Hayley teases, and gently wraps one arm around her, guiding her closer to the stage while the music starts playing.
She immediately recognizes the melody of ‘Your Song’, one of her favourites, and she smiles to herself that he remembered that. But it’s not really a surprise since he knows so much about her.
Hamid looks at her and then gestures to someone behind him. The music stops, and Elizabeth’s mind has no time to process what’s happening, before he speaks directly at her.
“And before I forget myself,” Hamid speaks away from the mic, his smile impossibly wide, “I want you to know, Liz, that I do wanna be your lover, if you want me to. I’ll be for real, I promise. And I already get along with your friends.” With a wink, he turns around and with a wave of his hand, the music resumes.
A flow of blood warms her cheeks. She doesn’t know if she should be mortified that he saw her on the stage a few moments ago or thrilled that finally one of them mustered the courage to take the leap, even if it’s in a such a public and cheeky way.
Hamid’s baritone voice is smooth and clear, and he sings the lyrics looking directly at her.
“I hope you don't mind
That I put down in the words
How wonderful life is while you're in the world”
Crouching, he holds his free hand out to her, and Hayley nudges Elizabeth, who does not move.
“God! Everybody is looking at me,” Elizabeth mumbles and tries to cover her face with a hand, but her friend stops her.
“Honey, the only people here who know you are enjoying this almost as much as you,” Hayley says and points at Briar and Edmund slow dancing, while Annabelle is recording the presentation. “Go on.”
Elizabeth moves closer to the stage, and she places her hand in Hamid’s. Grinning, the man lifts their joined hands to his lips and presses a tender kiss on the back of her hand. Looking her straight in the eye, he sings the remaining lyrics. His starry-eyes so intense and adoringly, she can barely hold his gaze. Felling all eyes upon them – upon her – prompts the urge to flee to grow inside her. But she does not run away from him. Not this time.
“I never imagined Hamid could sing this well,” a deep masculine voice speaks close to Hayley’s ear, surprising her.
“Shouldn’t you be working, amor?” she asks over her shoulder, catching a glimpse of the man in his dark suit. Ernest’s hands find their way to her slim waist, and his chin rests on her shoulder.
“Work can wait, darling,” Ernest replies, and his warm breath fans the side of her face.
Hayley chews on her lower lip, and inside the circle of his arms, she turns around to face him. Holding his gaze, she cups his jaw and presses her lips to his cheek, leaving a perfect imprint of her lips on the porcelain white skin of her oh-so-proper boyfriend, who shows no intention to wipe it off.
“I think I like this version of you better…” She smirks and a slow smile pulls at the corners of Ernest’s mouth. How she adores this smile. All of his smiles, actually.
“I’ve set my priorities straight. It’s Valentine’s Day.”
“Not only that, you came here despite hating this kind of place and knowing Briar would be here? You do love me.”
“You should know that by now. And that I can be civil with your friends, no matter how childish they are,” he says pulling her closer, and presses a chaste kiss to her forehead. “Besides, I got curious to see your doing.” He nods at the stage where Hamid is still singing for Elizabeth. Impossible to miss the sparkles between the two. “You are responsible for that.”
“I just gave him a little nudge,” she says, voice lilting with laughter, and Ernest’s eyebrow raise. “And perhaps a few slaps in the back of his head… And I may have shouted at him once or twice to man up. You know me. It was all very gentle... But to be fair, tonight was his idea and mostly his doing.” Hayley smiles and lets her head rest upon his chest. And they watch the final moments of the presentation in comfortable silence. His heartbeats joining the music.
Before the song ends, Hamid jogs and returns the mic to the stand, then jumps off the stage, landing right in front of Elizabeth. The woman covers her mouth and her surprise with both hands. Ignoring the stares and the shuffle of patrons queuing a few metres from them to sing next, they move closer and closer, as if pulled by a magnet. And his hand goes to her hair, tucking some curls behind her ear and the backs of his fingers gently trail down the side of her face. The touch speeds up her heart to an impossible rate, causing it to thump against its cage as if ready to leave her chest and meet his.
Looking up at him, he’s smiling, one of his cheek-dimpling smiles that crease the corners of his eyes. Eyes that are filled with adoration, and the right hint of softness and anticipation, flicking between her eyes and her lips, and absolutely no intention to acknowledge the world around them.
His shapely lips roll inside his mouth, and she catches the sight of the tip of his tongue gliding over them.
“What do you think… of the presentation I hope it was enjoyable.”
“I-I liked the… song,” she stutters, and her voice comes out hoarser than expected, and the words are not the ones she wanted to say. But the question is probably not the one he had meant to ask either.
“Liz, you don’t have to answer now... But I was wondering if you would –”
“Yes,” she breaths the word before she can stop herself, and Hamid chuckles, his smile grows wider, almost reaching his ears.
“You didn’t hear the question.”
“Sorry,” she apologises, lowering her gaze. “I’m ruining the moment. Again.”
“Never,” he says, tilting her chin up with one hand. “There would be no moment without you, güzelim.”
“Oh, my God!” Briar shouts, “Just kiss him already. Or I will!”
“Briar,” Edmund chides, “I’m right here!”
“Sorry, baby! But this endless pining is getting on my nerves!” she replies and turns to face the couple again. “Just carry on and kiss you two. We know you want to!”
Hayley and Annabelle join the reproaching chorus after Briar’s interruption, but Hamid seems more amused than annoyed, and Elizabeth buries her face on his chest.
“Do you want to go somewhere we can talk?” Hamid asks, and Elizabeth looks up and nods. His fingers link with hers in a perfect fit. “Excellent. There is nothing I want more right now than for us to have a private conversation,” he pauses, and lowers his voice, whispering into her ear, “And to shower you with kisses, of course.”
“Okay.”
“Are you agreeing with the kissing part?”
“Find a place we can be alone, and you’ll find out for yourself, Hamid,” she replies with a hint of boldness that makes him grin.
And with that they walk away hand in hand.
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Notes:
Amor - Spanish word that means Love;
Güzelim - Turkish word that means my darling.
#cfwc silly love stories#desire and decorum#playchoices fanfiction#prince hamid#briar daly#annabelle parsons#edmund marlcaster#ernest sinclaire#oc: elizabeth foredale#oc: hayley parker#prince hamid x oc#hamid x elizabeth#ernest sinclaire x oc#sinclaire x hayley#bredmund#desire and decorum modern au#desire and decorum au
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SULTAN ABDÜLHAMİD HAN'IN RUHANİYETİNDEN İSTİMDAT Nerdesin şevketlim, sultan hamid han? Feryâdım varır mı bârigâhına? Ölüm uykusundan bir lâhza uyan, Şu nankör milletin bak günâhına. Tahkire yeltenen tac-ü tahtını, Denedi bu millet kara bahtını; Sınad-ı sillenin nerm ve sahtını, Rahmet et sultanım suz-i âhına. Târihler ismini andığı zaman, Sana hak verecek, ey koca sultan; Bizdik utanmadan iftira atan, Asrın en siyâsî padişâhına. "Pâdişah hem zâlim, hem deli' dedik, İhtilâle kıyam etmeli dedik; Şeytan ne dediyse, biz 'belî' dedik; Çalıştık fitnenin intibahına. Dîvâne sen değil, meğer bizmişiz, Bir çürük ipliğe hülyâ dizmişiz. Sade deli değil, edepsizmişiz. Tükürdük atalar kıblegâhına. Sonra cinsi bozuk, ahlâkı fena, Bir sürü türedi, girdi meydana. Nerden çıktı bunca veled-i zinâ? Yuh olsun bunların ham ervâhına! Bunlar halkı didik didik ettiler, Katliâma kadar sürüp gittiler. Saçak öpmeyenler, secde ettiler. Bir asi zabitin pis külâhına. Bugün varsa yoksa .............., Şöhretinde herkes fuzuli dellal; Âlem-i mânâ'dan bak da ibret al, Uğursuz taliin şu gümrâhına. Haddi yok, açlıkla derde girenin, Sehpâ-yı kazâya boyun verenin. Lânetle anılan cebâbirenin Bu, rahmet okuttu en küstâhına. Çok kişiye şimdi vatan mezardır, Herkesin belâdan nasîbi vardır, Selâmetle eren pek bahtiyardır, Bu şeb-i yeldânın şen sabahına. Milliyet dâvâsı fıska büründü, Ridâ-yı diyânet yerde süründü, Türkün ruhu zorla âsi göründü, Hem peygamberine, hem Allâh'ına. Sen hafiyelerle dem sürdün ancak, Bunlar her tarafa kurdu salıncak; Eli,yüzü kanlı bir sürü alçak, Kemend attı dehrin mihr-u mahına. Bu itler nedense bana salmadı, Bahalıydı başım kimse almadı, Seyrandan başkaca iş de kalmadı; Gurbet ellerinin bu seyyahına. Hoş oldu cilvesi Cumhuriyetin, Tadı kalmamıştı Meşrutiyetin, Deccal'a dil çalan böyle milletin, Bundan başka çare yok ıslahına. Lâkin sen sultânım gavs-ı ekbersin Âhiretten bile himmet eylersin, Çok çekti şu millet murada ersin Şefâat kıl şâhım mededhâhına. Rıza Tevfik BÖLÜKBAŞI #abdulhamithan #rizateyfik #abdulhamidhan #abdulhamid #payitaht #payitahtabdülhamid #payitahtyenisezon #osmanoğlu #art🎨 #illustrationartists #illustration #drawing #autosketchbook (Kütahya Province)
#rizateyfik#abdulhamid#art🎨#illustration#payitaht#payitahtabdülhamid#payitahtyenisezon#abdulhamidhan#drawing#autosketchbook#abdulhamithan#osmanoğlu#illustrationartists
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Bad Parenting
Book: Desire & Decorum (modern day AU)
Pairing: Prince Hamid x MC (Daphne)
Rating: T
Word count: 4613
Reading time: ~19 min
Summary: Hamid is hosting an elegant dinner party to celebrate Daphne’s birthday. But the night won’t go as smoothly as he hoped when his daughter gets strangely fond to a very special kind of party decoration.
Based on the prompt: a powerful child video
Author's note:
Daphne Wang-Osmanoğlu, Talia Wang-Osmanoğlu, Veronica Dantas, Sevim Osmanoğlu, Nesrin Aksoy, Malak Osmanoğlu, Alisha Hastings-Sinclaire, Kaan Aksoy, Cengiz Aksoy and Elif Aksoy are creations of this author. The others characters are owned by Pixelberry Studios;
I saw this tiktok video last year and I’ve been dying to write a spooky story for Hamid and Daphne ever since. Instead of smut to celebrate MTB four years, I wrote humor with a dash of romance, fluff and a very peculiar toy 😂
This is seven years ahead of MTB’s current timeline, but you can easily read it if you have ever Hamid and Daphne’s story in this AU.
Hamid closed the door of his car and patted his jacket pocket to check if he didn't forget anything. "Wallet, phone, keys..."
"Baba!"
His lips curled upwards. As he looked down, his nineteen months old daughter beamed at him, stretching her little arms up.
"Oh, I knew I was forgetting something!" He then crouched down to pick up his daughter, who kissed his cheek once she was in his arms. "Now I have everything I need."
"Baba, rain!" Talia pointed her chubby finger to the sky as a breeze blew against her bangs.
A lighting bolt cut through the grey sky as he looked up.
"Huh..." He then glanced at his daughter in surprise. "Since when did you get so smart, kuzum¹? Is it all the broccoli your mum makes you eat every day?" He kissed one of her cheeks. "Or is it because of the weather song I got stuck in my head for over a week?"
He proceeded to pepper kisses over her cheeks as Talia giggled.
"Well done, my beautiful girl! Well done! By the way, I think this calls for your brand new rain cape."
"Yay!"
Humming the weather song, Hamid pressed one button on his car keys and opened the car boot. Once he put on the yellow rain cape on his daughter, he picked up an umbrella.
"There you go," he said, pulling the hood over her head. "Your mother will be so happy to know you look as adorable as she expected you'd be when she bought you this cape. Shall we take a picture to send her?"
The little girl cheered and smiled for her father as he snapped a picture.
He smiled softly looking at the picture for a moment. It still amazed him how much she looked like Daphne. Though Talia has his cheeky smile and most of his quirks, everything about his daughter reminded him of his wife.
"Baba!" Talia whined, tugging at the sleeve of his coat to reach for the phone.
"Okay, okay! I'll show you." Still holding the phone, he showed its screen to his daughter.
"Talia!" She cheered.
"Yes, it's you, kızım²! But now let’s go wait for Vee somewhere away from the rain."
Picking up his daughter, he closed the car boot and headed to the entrance of the superstore just before the first drops of rain hit the ground.
A few minutes later, Veronica climbed out of her car and approached them.
"Sorry I'm late. Traffic got crazier with the rain," Veronica apologised, closing her umbrella.
"Vee!" Talia beamed.
"Hey, little munchkin!" Veronica greeted the toddler with a smile. "How is it that you look even cuter in person with your rain cape than in the pic your mum shared in the group chat?"
"Is it already in the group chat?"
"Yup. Everyone is all heart eyes for this cute little face." Veronica then picked up the toddler to allow Hamid to find an empty shopping cart. "You do your thing while we take a stroll at the kid's section."
"Thanks for coming, Vee."
"As if I'd miss a chance to smooch these adorable rosy cheeks," she said placing Talia on the cart seat.
Inside the superstore, Hamid went through his shopping list, keeping an eye on his daughter and friend from time to time. Once he had all the ingredients for the entree of the dinner party, he sauntered over to them as they reached the party decorations section.
"Baba!" Talia cheered, stretching her arms towards her father.
"Oh, bebeğim³!" Hamid beamed as he took the toddler in his arms, kissing the top of her head. "I missed you! Did you miss me too?"
His heart fluttered as her tiny arms wrapped around his neck. "I'll take that as a yes." He then turned to his friend carrying a small shopping basket. "What were you girls doing?"
"Not much. We were passing by this section, Talia yelled 'party!' and I assumed she wanted to add something of her own choosing to her mum's party. As you can see, I was right."
Veronica grinned proudly and showed him the basket with Sailor Moon-themed napkins, iridescent party hats and packages with panda-shaped balloons.
"She pointed and you picked them up?"
"Yup."
Hamid chuckled. "I don't know how Malak will feel about it, but these are spot on. Daphne will love it."
"I know, right?" Veronica nodded.
"Baby!" Talia shouted.
"Baby?" Veronica asked.
"She must have seen someone passing by carrying a baby. She called any baby and her dolls Ollie because of Cordelia and Luke's son before Daphne and I taught her the right word."
"Baba! Baby!" The little girl shouted once more.
"Really? Where's the baby, kuzum?"
"Baby!"
Talia then pointed towards floor-to-ceiling shelves with Halloween toys and decorations.
The two friends stared at the shelves filled with rubber spiders, skulls and other gruesome items and shared a glance.
"I'm—" His brows furrowed in confusion. "Do you see anything that looks like a baby here?"
"Umm..." Veronica looked at the shelf and made a face.
"Baby!" Talia shrieked as Veronica reached for a greenish doll with no hair, black holes instead of eyes and its body looked like it was stitched back several times to keep all parts together.
As the toddler hugged the toy, Hamid watched his daughter in a mist of dismay and amusement.
"This isn't a baby, kuzum. This is just a creepy doll."
"Cweepy..." The girl repeated.
"And you learned a new word." His brows went up. "That is..."
"Cweepy, cweepy, cweepy..." Talia said, smiling at the doll.
"Wooow..." Veronica marvelled.
"Is this normal, Vee?"
"I don't know..."
"You're a renowned psychologist. How can you not know?"
"Hey, I don't work with children. Besides, the last time I studied anything related to toddlers, I still had a crooked nose and you used to say you enjoyed the process of making babies but didn’t think of actually having one."
"Cweepy, cweepy, cweepy..." Talia repeated, still smiling at the doll.
"Okay, let's put the creepy doll back with her creepy twins and head to the checkout counter."
Hamid then took the doll away from his daughter's arms and put it back on the shelf.
"No! Baby!" Talia yelled.
"That's not a baby, kızım," Hamid corrected as they began to walk away.
"Baby!!!" The little girl cried out one more time.
"Kızım?" Hamid looked at his daughter in shock.
With her eyes fixed on the creepy toy, Talia pouted. Her adorable face reddened as her eyes swam with tears. Before he could stop it, she wailed, stretching an arm towards the shelf with the creepy dolls.
"Kuzum..." Hamid pressed his daughter's head to his chest in hopes to soothe her. "We can't take that doll home."
"Still recovering from the fight over dressing up Talia as Chucky, huh?"
He grimaced. "Don't remind me. It ruined the celebration of seven years since we met and Daphne almost made me sleep in the guest room."
"Well, you'll have to figure out what to do now. Talia seems to like the creepy doll."
"What if I get her another doll? A cute one?"
"It won't hurt to try..."
Hamid and Veronica then marched to the kid's section. Though Talia stopped crying and was somewhat entertained by a pillow stuffed as a pug she kept calling "Dake", when they passed by a worker removing all Halloween decorations, the toddler burst into tears again trying to grab one of the creepy dolls.
"Kızım benim², please... You got the Drake pillow."
"Oh, man... this is heartbreaking..." Veronica frowned.
"I know it is, but I can't!"
"Can't you buy the creepy baby and hide it somewhere Daphne can't see?"
"You cannot be serious..." He said, still trying to calm his daughter.
"What else can we do? She won't stop weeping..."
"Baby..." The toddler continued to sob looking at the creepy doll.
"Ugh..." He shook his head. Veronica was right. He couldn't stand his daughter crying anymore. Still struggling with the idea, he approached the cart and Talia grabbed one of the creepy dolls.
The worker gave the toddler a look and chuckled.
"My son has one of these too. It scares the shit out of everyone and he loves it," the woman commented.
"Really?" Hamid asked with genuine curiosity.
"My parents said I'm a terrible mother for letting him keep the doll. I have an aunt who actually brought someone to check my home for paranormal activity, but oh well... My Jayden is happy, so who cares?"
He looked back at his daughter deeply entertained by the creepy doll. Talia's happiness is what mattered to him. He only hoped his wife would feel the same.
Once Hamid finished the salad, he headed towards the lounge area, where Talia played with Nesrin's children under Bartholomew and Yusuf's supervision. He let out a tired sigh as he caught the sight of his daughter still holding the damned doll and giggling.
"Allah Allah..." He grumbled.
"What?" Nesrin asked whilst adding more flowers to the centrepieces.
"It's Talia and the cursed doll..." Sevim teased.
"It's not cursed." He scowled.
"Are you sure? No one managed to take the doll away from her," Malak joked.
"Hey, what if the doll is possessed by an evil spirit who put a spell on Talia?" Sevim grinned.
Hamid glowered at his younger sisters, who tittered in response.
"You two knock it off! The dining room won't decorate itself! Move!" Nesrin chastised.
Malak and Sevim grumbled but eventually left the lounge to decorate the dining room.
Veronica then placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Don't worry about her. It's no big deal."
"Isn't it?"
"Of course not, sweetie. Talia doesn't understand the concept of horror yet. To her, the creepy doll is just like any other doll."
"Maybe she likes the creepy doll because she finds it funny when someone is scared or uncomfortable. You know... Like you do," Nesrin commented.
He grimaced. He did use to have fun scaring the shit out of his sisters, mother and literally anyone who was afraid of his scary toys, video games and movies. And even though he hated fighting with Daphne, he still couldn't get over the sound of Talia's giggles whenever she approached anyone on the streets whilst dressed as Chucky.
"Am I a terrible parent for this? I mean, she's obviously copying my behaviour." He frowned.
"She copies both of you, sweetie. Every little kid does. This is a natural process that neither of you has any control over," Veronica said.
"But why does she have to like the crazy things I do? Can't she like just the cutesy stuff Daphne does?"
"Give her time, abi. Soon she'll forget the doll and you can get rid of it."
Veronica nodded in agreement.
"I still have to hide that thing before Daph comes home."
"Choose somewhere away from Maya. Daphne will certainly notice this," Bartholomew pointed to Maya on her cat tower with her pupils dilated, puffed tail and snarling at it. "And don't even get me started on Drake."
"Allah kahretsin...⁴"
"Abi, why don't you take Talia to her room?" Yusuf chanted from the lounge. "It's almost time to feed her. She might let go of the doll to hold the bottle and you can hide the doll."
"That's not a bad idea..." Veronica said.
"It could work," Nesrin agreed.
"Yes! Thank you, Yusuf!" Hamid sighed in relief. "May Allah bless your cleverness, kardeşim⁵!"
"No problem, abi," Yusuf replied with a smile.
"You should probably start heating up her milk now, Hamid. I think this little one is gonna need it soon," Bartholomew declared as he picked Talia up and grimaced.
"Oh yeah." Yusuf made a face and waved a hand before his nose. "She'll definitely be hungry soon."
Everyone laughed.
"All right… I got it." Hamid chuckled as he picked his daughter up and took her to change diapers.
Some of the guests have already arrived whilst Hamid watched his daughter feed from her baby bottle. Finally getting his daughter to let go of the doll seemed easy enough. Now he just had to hide it.
He was about to grab the doll when the door opened.
"I heard this is the place we can find a little lamb," Harry beamed at the sight of Talia.
"Look who's here, kuzum!" Hamid pointed towards Harry, who walked in carrying a package in his hand. "Welcome, Harry!"
"Thank you, Hamid. I hope I'm not intruding."
"Don't worry about it. She's just finishing her bottle."
Harry then leaned to kiss Talia's head. "Hello, my beautiful— Oh!" He then pulled away as he saw the doll.
Hamid grimaced.
"Veronica told me about the doll, but I didn't expect it to be this scary..." Harry commented with a chuckle. "Did she really choose it on her own?"
"Yep. Loud and clear for every single person at Tesco to hear it."
Harry made a face. "What are you going to do about the doll?"
"Hide it before Daphne sees it, then throw it away hoping Talia won’t miss it?"
"Ooof... Talia did take after you on the mischief, huh?"
"I never thought I'd wish so badly for her to be just like Daphne."
"You'll be really thankful Talia isn't when she turns thirteen," Harry joked.
"Given how much trouble I gave my parents while growing up, I respectfully disagree."
"Heeeeey! The birthday girl is here!" Veronica shouted near the door to the nursery.
"Oh, sh—" Hamid stopped himself as his eyes met his daughter's."...ship."
Harry stifled a laugh.
"Keep an eye on her while I hide the doll."
"You got it."
Harry then smiled at his niece hoping to distract her with a random toy as Hamid grabbed the doll and looked for a place to hide it. But voices still could be heard in the hallway.
"Talia is being fed now, sweetie. Why don't you breastfeed her later, when you put her to sleep?" Nesrin suggested.
"You're right. I'll just check on her and come back," Daphne replied.
"But, yengeciğim⁶! You didn't even have a bite of the tiny sandwich rolls I made!" Sevim hollered.
"Mate, why haven’t you hidden the doll yet?" Harry inquired.
"Because Daphne always checks everything in here!"
"She's not going to do it now. It's her birthday dinner! She has guests to talk to!"
"Baby!" Talia beamed as she abandoned the empty bottle on the sofa and looked directly at the creepy doll in her father's hand.
"Oh, kızım..." Hamid frowned.
"Mate, focus!" Harry pointed to the door handle turning.
With no more time left, Hamid threw the creepy doll inside a drawer just before the door opened.
"Hey," Daphne greeted her husband, brother and daughter with a smile.
"Mama!" Talia cheered, stretching her arms towards her mother.
Daphne picked up her daughter, kissing the top of her head. "Oh, how I missed you, sweetheart! And you look so pretty in your new dress!"
Talia giggled as her mother kissed her cheek.
"Happy birthday, Daph!"
"Thanks, Harry!"
"I think I forgot your gift in the car, so I'll leave you guys to have a family moment and see you in the lounge?"
"Take an umbrella. It's pouring outside," Daphne mentioned.
"Will do." Harry waved to everyone and mouthed 'good luck' to Hamid before shutting the door.
"Bir tanem?" Daphne called as she sat down on the sofa, placing Talia on her lap.
"Yes?"
"What are you doing over there?"
"Nothing..." He shut the drawer and plastered his charming grin as he sauntered over. "Just tidying up the socks drawer."
"Is that so?" Daphne arched an eyebrow in amusement.
"You always say you never find the matching pairs..." Hamid shrugged.
"Hm..." She narrowed her eyes playfully. "It looks more like you're hiding something from me, but I'm not going to complain if you did tidy up Talia's socks in the process."
"I—" He mockingly gasped as he sat next to his wife and daughter. "You wound me, aşkım."
"Oh, get over it," she teased and leaned in to kiss his cheek.
"How was work?"
"Same as always," she replied, using a piggy-shaped hairbrush to brush Talia's hair. "Two more paintings arrived to be restored, Cezanne exhibit is ready to be launched. The only new thing was my office at the Tate cramped with flowers today."
"Really? From who?"
"Tate staff, my students and the art department at London Metropolitan, your parents, Ali and Sanem, Ahmet amca and Halime yenge, lady grandmother."
"Is she well? How did her surgery go?"
"She said her back is fine. No more pain. I'm thinking about travelling to Edgewater to see her after the exhibit is over. What do you say?"
"That's a great idea, my love. I miss Edgewater. Anything else?"
"Hm..." She squinted her eyes, pretending to think about it. "I also got a box of chocolate truffles and this enormous tulips and roses bouquet from someone who didn't sign the card."
"Oh?" He feigned surprise.
"It just said 'Who knew I'd find the place I can truly call home within the heart of a beautiful woman dressed as a heaven-sent creature at a Halloween party at a sorority in Cornell?'"
"No signature? How cryptic..."
"I know, right?"
The two of them chuckled.
He then kissed her forehead, the tip of her nose and her lips. "I meant every word. Happy twenty-seventh birthday, my dove."
"You didn't have to... You already gave me the earrings and organised dinner."
"But I couldn't not send you flowers. It's one of my 'send my wife flowers' days!"
She giggled. "You're so silly..."
"It’s the least I could do after what happened on our special day.”
“Aw…”
“Did you like them?"
"I love them. Thank you, bir tanem."
"You're welcome."
"Cweepy..." Talia mumbled, staring at the drawer in which the doll was hidden.
"What?" Daphne pulled away.
Hamid then faked looking at this wristwatch. "Oh, man... look at the time! We can't stay here all evening when we have guests. We should join everyone outside."
"Hamidciğim, our baby just learned a new word!" She said, adjusting her daughter's pigtails.
"Yeah, it happened this afternoon whilst she was watching a My Little Pony Halloween special today."
Standing up, Hamid helped Talia up and offered his free hand to his wife.
"But words with 'R' are more complicated. We should teach her the right pronunciation," she insisted.
"Aşkım..." He put the toddler down and took his wife's hand in his. "I know you're excited she learned a new word, but it'll take years for Talia to properly pronounce words with R. And right now we have guests waiting to celebrate your birthday with you."
"I guess you're right..."
"We have plenty of time to help Talia expand her vocabulary later."
"Okay."
As Hamid helped his wife stand up, his eyes widened when he noticed the toddler trying to open the drawer closed with a safety latch.
"Talia, we've talked about this. No opening drawers," Daphne chided and took her daughter by the hand.
The little girl scowled as she was pulled away from the dresser.
"Don't you dare look at me like that, young lady," Daphne warned as she used her thumb to undo the frown on her daughter's face.
"She's getting so stubborn... I wonder who she took after to be like this..." Hamid joked.
"Oh, shut up..." Daphne grumbled.
Chuckling, Hamid opened the door for his wife and daughter and followed them to the lounge.
The blues song playing in the background could barely be heard in the dining room. Surrounded by friends and family, the couple engaged in many conversation topics over tea and slices of cake.
"Alli, thank you so much for the cake! It looked so nice and it tastes even better!" Daphne praised.
"You're welcome, dear." Alisha then turned to Hamid. "I don't remember how you say it in Turkish, but bravo, my friend! The red lentil soup was to die for. The whole dinner menu by the way was brilliant," Alisha commented.
"Everything was delicious," Luke mentioned.
"Yes, especially the magret de canard," Ernest added.
"Thank you, everyone. Thank you! I had help from my sisters, Veronica, Yusuf and Bart with everything, but thank you." Hamid grinned.
"Aw, look at him finally learning how to be humble," Briar joked.
"But of course, I planned and cooked most of the dishes myself right after I arrived from work," he continued.
"Aaaand he's back to being a braggart." Annabelle pursed her lips.
Everyone laughed.
"Oğlum⁷, that's enough," Nesrin admonished as her son grabbed a fist full of cake from his father's plate.
"Baba said I could have his cake," Cengiz pouted.
"Kardeşim, let Ceycey have a bit more. Please," Hamid said, his eyes matching the pleading ones of his nephew.
Nesrin rolled her eyes but caved. "Fine..."
"Yay!" The kid lifted one arm into the air and stuffed cake into his mouth. "Phamku damyim!"
All the adults chuckled.
"No problem, Ceycey!"
Hamid ruffled his nephew's hair before the kid ran towards the lounge.
"If he poops in his trousers again, I'll make you and Kaan clean him, his trousers and the loo," Nesrin warned.
"It won't be my first rodeo anyway..." Hamid gave his shoulders.
As everyone in the dining room engaged in an intense conversation about children's poop, diaper brands and potty training, the high-pitched screams of the kids suddenly startled all the adults, who rushed to the lounge. As they arrived, most of the kids ran to hide behind their parents, Drake grunted hiding between Lord Vincent and Harry and Maya growled from the top of her cat tower.
"Anne, bu lanetli oyuncak bebek!" Talia's cousin, Elif, cried, hiding her face in Nesrin's stomach.
"What?" Briar asked as she tried to calm down her own children.
"Elif said the doll is cursed," Yusuf replied.
"But it isn't," Bartholomew added.
"Are you sure?" Luke made a face.
“Darling…” Cordelia nudged her husband and shook her head.
Annabelle glanced at her spouse suppressing a chuckle and nudged her. "Did you know about this?"
"Long story, honey..." Veronica murmured.
“That you will tell me all about later?”
“Oh, definitely! You’re gonna love it.”
Oblivious to the whispers, Hamid grimaced watching his wife disguise her fear behind a fake smile as she approached her daughter playing with the creepy doll.
"Can somebody get that..." Daphne asked, pointing to the spooky toy. "...thing off my daughter's hands?"
But as Lord Vincent bent over to reach for the doll, Talia held it tightly.
"No!" The little girl scowled.
Between wary looks and a few suppressed chuckles, Lord Vincent picked up Talia whilst Harry distracted her with the doll.
"Where the heck did this thing come from?" Daphne inquired, watching in horror as her child interacted with the doll.
"I have no idea, sweetheart. I was watching the news with Kaan and your brothers when the kids hopped on the sofa screaming," Vincent replied, looking as confused as most of the guests.
"It was Sevim and Malak's turn to watch the kids," Edmund mentioned.
"Wait, didn't you take Talia to the nursery to check her diaper, Sevim?" Kaan asked.
Daphne's head snapped towards her youngest sister-in-law.
"Don't look at me like that, yenge. All I did was follow Talia to her room and open a drawer for her. I just thought she wanted her new toy." Sevim raised her hands in defence.
"Her what?!" Daphne could barely hide the distress in her voice as she turned to her husband.
"I can explain..." Hamid tried to reason.
"Can you now?" Daphne narrowed her eyes.
"But first, how about we go fetch that Bordeaux you were talking about earlier?"
Placing an arm around her frame, Hamid guided his wife towards the kitchen.
"We'll be right back, everyone."
Looking over his shoulder, he glared at Malak and Sevim giggling before disappearing into the hallway. They were so going to pay for this. But now he had pressing matters to attend to.
"What the hell?!" Daphne asked through gritted teeth as soon as Hamid closed the door.
"Aşkım, I—"
"Don't your dare to soften the blow by calling me aşkım! Why did you buy a cursed doll for our daughter?"
"It's not cursed..."
"How the hell do you know?! That thing doesn't even have eyes!"
Hamid’s shoulders slumped. After fighting on the night they were supposed to celebrate seven years since they met, this wasn’t how he expected things to go. Yet, he couldn’t deny it would be a hilarious situation if his wife wasn't so scared of anything that resembled the china dolls her grandmother owned that were often visited by “ancient spirits”.
"You know how I feel about this kind of dolls! I’ve told you so many times! Why did you do this?"
"I know, my dove. And I'm so sorry..." He apologised as he took both of her hands in his. "But it doesn't mean it's cursed. This is just a very ugly doll Talia found at the party decorations section at Tesco."
"Couldn't you have bought her literally anything else?
"I tried! That's why we have the Drake pillow now. But she liked the damned doll and she cried non-stop when I took it away from her."
"Talia cried over it?" Her brows furrowed in confusion.
"I'm almost sure half of the staff at Tesco will refer to me as the dude who got his daughter a creepy doll every time I go there."
"But why that thing out of all the things she could have picked?"
"I don't know... Maybe she just finds it funny when other people get scared. Remember the video I recorded when I went trick or treating with her?"
"Some of our neighbours must be having nightmares about that afternoon." She pursed her lips.
"It wasn't that bad..."
"She literally chased down five kids while dressed up as a doll possessed by a serial killer!"
He closed his eyes as the urge to laugh came to him again.
"Stop laughing! It's not funny!" Daphne berated.
"You're right. Sorry... But let me I remind you Talia is just a nineteen-month-old toddler. She doesn't truly understand what she's doing. She probably thought of it as playing tag."
"Do you think so?"
He nodded. "It may a bit odd that she likes spooky stuff at a such young age, but as far as I know, it's not uncommon."
"Can Vee confirm that?"
"Yes. And so does an article from that babies magazine you read sometimes."
“You don’t read that magazine…”
“Nesrin does.”
"But what are we going to do?"
"Wait a few days. Eventually, she'll get tired of it and we can throw it out."
"A few days?!" Daphne frowned.
"Aşkım, this is not like one of those old china dolls Grandma Wang used to keep. It doesn't have any hungry ghosts or ancient spirits. Despite the looks, it's a brand new doll. It's just creepy."
"FYI, that's just like the premise of Child's Play."
"You do know you're mentioning a fictional piece of media, right?"
"Based on real-life events!" She folded her arms.
Pulling her close, Hamid kissed the top of her head as she hid her face on his chest.
"My love, I promise we'll be fine. As soon as Talia falls asleep, I'll lock the doll in the safe. Evil spirits can’t unlock safes."
“You don’t know that!”
“Who says it won’t work? No one has ever tried that before.”
She huffed, finally giving in to his hug. "I hope you know the only reason you're not sleeping on the sofa tonight is because I need you close to me in case that creepy thing is possessed.”
"Of course... I'll even ask your father the archbishop's phone number just in case we need someone to drive out any evil spirits or demons."
“Okay…” She then poked him in the ribs as he began to chuckle again. "Don't laugh..."
"I would never... Shall we return to our guests?"
As she nodded in response, they grabbed the bottles of wine from the kitchen cabinets and headed to the lounge.
The adults were in deep conversation about urban legends when Daphne and Hamid returned. As Talia saw Daphne, she rushed to her mother holding the doll.
"Mama! Baby!" The little girl beamed showing her mother her new doll.
Once again, Daphne faked a smile. "Oh, kuzum! That's… Um… Hamid?" She glanced at her husband as despair clouded her features.
"Okay, I got it."
Whilst Daphne joined her friends, Hamid picked up his daughter and asked Lord Vincent for the archbishop's phone. Just in case.
-----
¹ kuzum: my lamb; term of endearment commonly used by parents to refer to their children that can be translated as my darling.
² kızım (benim): my daughter
³ bebeğim: my baby
⁴ Allah kahretsin: God damnit
⁵ kardeşim: my sibling
⁶ yengeciğim: my dear sister-in-law
⁷ oğlum: my son
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Gut Feeling
Author's note: Look at me thickening the plot with a chapter I didn’t even plan ahead 😃 [Original characters are creations of this author. The others are owned by Pixelberry Studios]
Book: Desire & Decorum (modern day AU)
Pairing: Prince Hamid x MC (Daphne)
Rating: T
Word count: 4701
Reading time: ~19min
Summary: A causal gathering on Sunday afternoon for just close friends will become a nightmare for Daphne and Hamid as unwanted guests invite themselves to the party.
Daphne gazed out the clouded sky as Hamid sped up to cross the Bosphorus bridge. Despite the light traffic and the uplifting song playing in the background, the lady couldn't shake off her worries. Sevim Osmanoğlu's eighteenth birthday party was a casual event just for friends and a few relatives of the birthday girl. Yet, this party was anything but casual for her.
Her heart thundered inside her chest at the thought of meeting her boyfriend's friends and relatives for the first time. According to Hamid, only his sisters and brother-in-law were the family members invited. However, all her instincts told her to be cautious. She couldn't quite understand where this feeling was coming from. She simply knew she couldn't keep her guard down.
As the car rolled to a stop, her stomach fluttered. How did they arrive so fast? What happened to the chaotic traffic she heard about?
Ugh... I hate Sundays!
The door to her side opened and Hamid offered his hand. Attempting to hide her nervousness with a smile, she took his hand and climbed out of the car.
His brows furrowed. "Are you feeling well, aşkım? Your hands are cold."
Shit! I knew I forgot to wear something today...
"Yeah, I think I forgot my gloves in the dryer..." She simpered.
"But your hands are a bit sweaty." Worry was visible in his features as he cupped her face with one hand. "Do you feel dizzy again? Do you need a moment to sit down?"
"Hamidciğim, I'm okay. Really. It's something else..."
"Something else?" Realisation suddenly dawned on his face. "This is about meeting my friends, isn't it?"
"And your sister."
"Nesrin? But you two have already met!"
"That was ages ago... Who knows how she feels about me now?"
"Aşkım, you have no reason to worry about. Nesrin is one of the most understanding people I know. I know you two will get along once you have a chance to talk." His thumb caressed the back of her hand in a slow and soothing motion. "And like I said before, Sevim explicitly stated 'no pictures inside the party' and 'no boring grownups' in the invitation."
"Is there a special reason behind it?"
"I don't think so. Sevim is turning eighteen. She doesn't want parents around, judgemental glares of our uncles and aunts or gossip blog giving backhanded compliments about her and her guests. She wants drinks, loud and annoyingly catchy music and to have fun with her friends."
"And sugar rush from eating too much cake with ice cream."
"It wouldn't be Seviciğim’s party without them."
A chuckle escaped her lips.
"I know you're still worried about what happened yesterday, but I assure you everything is handled. We don't owe explanations to anyone and we can leave whenever you want."
"I don't know... Wouldn't it be weird if you leave your sister's party so soon?"
"Sevim will understand."
Daphne appraised him for a moment. Sevim is always in his last call list, the one person in his family he tells everything. It was no exaggeration when anyone said she was his favourite sister.
"Shall we?" He asked, squeezing her hand gently.
"Yeah."
With that, the couple walked towards the front gate, greeted the security staff and crossed the snow-covered gardens.
"How are you going to introduce me?"
"The same way I always do. 'Hi! Allow me to introduce you to the woman of my dreams and owner of my heart, Daphne Wang.'"
"That's not how you do it..." She pursed her lips to hide a smile.
"It's not for lack of trying..." He whispered.
"Stop it..." She elbowed him lightly in the ribs, making him laugh. "This is serious. I'm meeting your friends here."
"I'm aware of it. And they already know who you are and what you mean to me."
"Do they?"
"Of course they do." His arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer. "I can't wait for them to meet you. You're going to love them."
She beamed in response. How couldn't she if his excitement was infectious?
"What's the word for girlfriend in Turkish again?"
"Kız arkadaş. But that term is confusing. Some might think you are just a friend. Whenever I refer to you, I call you sevgilim."
"My lover?"
"It's what you are," he murmured, placing a kiss on her forehead.
Once they stepped inside the main room of the venue, a K-Pop song blasted on the speakers. Teenagers chatted and danced to the beat whilst a few young adults sipped colourful drinks at tables spread around the dancefloor.
Just then, a radiant Sevim sauntered over.
"Hey, you two made it!"
His features brightened up at the sight of his youngest sister, who greeted him with a tight hug.
"Happy birthday, kardeşim¹," he said, producing a small box of an Egyptian jewellery designer Sevim had mentioned a few times as an inspiration to follow the same path.
"Abi², these are..." Sevim trailed off staring at the custom-made turquoise ear cuffs in adoration.
"Pretty awesome? I know. I helped design them," he bragged.
Daphne chuckled, knowing full well he simply chose the gemstones. But it was so sweet of him to give his sister a piece specially designed for her by someone she admired.
The girl elbowed him softly and then hugged him tighter. "Thank you, abim²."
"You're welcome, canım³."
Sevim then turned to Daphne and gave her a hug. "Welcome, yengeciğim⁴!"
"Thank you, Seviciğim."
Hamid cleared his throat loudly and side eyed his sister.
"What? I call Daphne yenge all the time!"
"Excuse me?!" He stared at his girlfriend in disbelief.
"It's true," the lady answered with a smug grin and then handed the birthday girl a large bag. "Happy birthday!"
Sevim looked at the bag and at the Viscountess. "You found it?"
"I did."
The young girl squealed in excitement as she opened the bag and furiously ripped off the wrapping.
Hamid gave his girlfriend with another confused stare. "What did you buy her anyway?"
"BlackPink first vinyl album! Yengem⁴ gave me the limited edition of BlackPink first vinyl album!" Sevim shouted.
"And the new tote bag," Daphne added pointing to the logo on the bag.
Sevim immediately pulled Daphne in another hug.
As a crowd of teenagers gathered around them to admire the exclusive vinyl album, the lady exchanged glances with her boyfriend. A combination of pride and joy gleamed in his eyes. Perhaps, it wouldn't be so bad if they would stay a little longer.
After giving an hour impromptu K-pop makeup tutorial for Sevim and her friends, Daphne sat on a bar stool and watched the girls dancing in the middle of the room whilst a DJ performed on a small stage. It never crossed her mind that all the Pinterest looks she saved over the years would make her so popular at a party. She always had been advised to tone down a little if she didn't want to stand out too much during courtly functions or even at informal parties. Yet, here she could simply be herself and have fun.
Suddenly, a familiar alluring scent wafted her nose as a glass of mimosa was placed before her.
"Thank you."
She smiled as Hamid sat by her side and clinked glasses with her.
"I figured you might need a drink after your first Blink abduction," he taunted.
"Don't be mean..." She nudged her boyfriend playfully. "They were attentive and asked interesting questions. By the way, I know Sevim is a jewellery and gemstones connoisseur, but her ability with adding face gems to makeup is something else."
"It seems you had fun with them."
"I did."
"Hm..." He lifted his glass of mimosa to his lips, hiding a smile behind it.
"What?"
"It's cute to see your enthusiasm while teaching them K-Pop makeup. You looked almost as giddy as you do when you're painting."
"Almost?"
"Yeah. You look a bit different when you're painting. When you're painting, you look more ecstatic..." He smirked and leaned in to whisper. "Kinda like when we..."
"Hamid!" She slapped his arm playfully.
He cackled.
"I can't believe you thought about that while we're at your sister's birthday party!"
"I didn't. Well, not until now..."
Daphne was about to hide her face with both hands when Hamid pulled her close to kiss her cheek. As a couple of giggles escaped her lips, a flash of light in her direction provoked a sudden feeling of self-consciousness.
"Are you alright, aşkım?" He asked, pulling away to study her face.
"Yeah, I..." The lady frowned slightly. "For a second, I thought I saw somebody taking a picture of us."
"Really?"
"I'm not sure... It felt like someone was watching us, but I don't know. Maybe I'm still wary because of last night."
"Maybe..." Hamid glanced around and gestured for a security guard to come over.
"Hamidciğim, it was probably nothing..."
"I know. But it doesn't hurt to warn the security staff just in case."
After Hamid's brief conversation with the guard, two of his sisters approached the couple.
"None of the guests are in possession of their phones. But the head of security is checking the cameras just in case they missed someone and some of the guards are talking to the staff," Nesrin informed.
"Thank you." Hamid nodded to his sister.
"I'm so sorry about this. I didn't mean to cause a disturbance over nothing," Daphne apologised.
"Don't be. We all want our privacy to be respected. Security staff is looking into it and even if it's a false alarm, you still did the right thing on telling abi," Nesrin explained.
"They're doing their investigation discreetly to avoid a commotion, aşkım," Hamid said as his thumb rubbed the back of her hand in circles.
"And Sevim's wrath, obviously," Malak added, making everyone chuckle.
Daphne looked around the room, but stopped herself before anyone noticed. Last thing she needed was to look paranoid in front of Nesrin and Malak.
"Everything will be fine," he affirmed with a reassuring smile.
Without saying a word, the lady nodded, wanting so badly to believe him. Even if her instincts told her otherwise.
Embers glowed as the flames spread along the wood logs, bringing some warmth to the air. Whilst the crowd of teenagers gathered around a K-Pop idol invited for a brief appearance, Daphne and Hamid joined Nesrin, her husband Kaan, Yusuf's older brother Ali and his wife Sanem on the lawn near a small lake, where a bonfire was built to make s'mores. The fun conversations by the fire whilst eating snacks were such good distractions they barely noticed how much time had passed.
"Sanem, you need to stop recommending me vampire series. Girl, I can't go there again! I can't!" Nesrin dramatically whined.
"But I need someone to fangirl about A Discovery Of Witches with me! Please!" Sanem pouted. "I promise you'll love it."
"That's precisely the problem," Hamid joked.
Nesrin reached for a bowl with Jelaxy Watermelon gummies and threw one at her older brother.
Everyone laughed.
"I'm with Sanem on this. All Souls trilogy is superb. The attention to detail the author had while creating the world-building and every supernatural creatures lore is pretty amazing. Both the book and TV series are great," Daphne commented.
"Thank you, girl!" Sanem placed her gloved hand atop Daphne's and smiled. "See? Daph knows what I mean. Come on... You said you've been missing a good vampire story."
"I have to admit I like it," Ali confessed.
"Oh, not you too!" Kaan winced.
"But it's a good story!" Sanem insisted. "Isn't it, Aliciğim?" She looked at her husband, as though seeking his confirmation.
"Arkadaşlar⁵, as the one here in a relationship for a longer period, let me give you a piece of advice." Ali placed a hand on both of the other men's shoulders. "When you get home and find your wife with her eyes glued to a book, you either join her or you'll get reeeaaally lonely at night."
"Reeeaaally loooonely..." Sanem taunted.
Laughter erupted again when a phone began to buzz. Nesrin glanced at her phone and smiled apologetically. "I have to take this. Excuse me."
Kaan's jaw twitched as his wife stood up.
"Sounds serious..." Ali commented.
"Nah... That's just my wife's new assistant following her around like a shadow," Kaan grumbled.
Hamid tsked. "I always tell Nesrin not to bring work home. She never listens."
"Is it Berna again?" Sanem asked.
"The very same," Kaan replied.
"She was helping with the party organisation this week. Maybe that's why they've been talking so much," Sanem explained.
"Sounds like she is trying to impress madam Raisa," Ali commented.
"Whoever she is, I feel terribly sorry for her," Hamid joked.
After a few minutes, Nesrin returned to the group.
"Everything alright, canım?" Kaan inquired.
"Yeah. Berna is coming over to help gather everything we're taking back home. Abi, can I talk to you for a second?"
"Sure..." Hamid moved closer to Daphne and whispered. "I'll be right back, okay?"
"No problem."
He then kissed the top of her head and followed his sister inside the building.
"You two are so cute together," Sanem began.
"Thanks," Daphne replied with a coy smile.
"No wonder he can't shut up about you, Daph. You are as friendly and easy to talk to as he is," Ali acknowledged.
"I wouldn't go that far..." Daphne answered, trying to shake off the countless times she felt like an outsider.
"Have you been dating for only two months? It looks like you know each other so well..." Kaan inquired.
"Actually we've known each other for nearly four months."
"Is that it?" Kaan's brows went up. "I've known Nesrin since for six years and sometimes it's like I barely know her."
"That's marriage, my friend. I've known Sanem'ciğim since we both wore diapers and every other day I learn something new about her," Ali explained.
"It's still the early days, Kaan. It'll get better with time," Sanem replied with a reassuring smile.
Daphne looked down at her glass and took a sip of her drink. It was probably not a good idea to point out that most arranged marriages she knew were filled with resentment and regret.
"Too bad madam Raisa can't see how happy Hamid is right now," Ali commented.
"I know, right? He hasn't been this cheerful since Osman bey was alive," Kaan added.
"Osman bey?" Daphne asked.
"His grandfather, a.k.a. the last prince of the Ottomans? He hasn't told you about him, has he?" Sanem concluded.
"He mentioned that everything he knows about sailing and fishing, he learned with his grandfather. But that's all. "
"Well, it's a start," Ali said, looking at his wife and Kaan, who nodded in agreement.
"Maybe in time, he'll tell you more about Osman bey," Sanem comforted.
"Yeah... Maybe..."
As the others changed the subject, Daphne looked around, admiring the outdoor lights when the imposing figure of a woman came in her direction. A shiver ran down her spine as she recognised the woman.
Oh, shit...
"Hello, everyone!" Raisa said in Turkish plastering a smile on her face as the four of them stood up to greet her.
"Welcome, anneciğim,⁶" Kaan rushed to her, kissing her hand then lifting it to his head.
"Thank you, dear," Raisa replied, placing a hand on his cheek.
As Hamid's mother greeted Ali and Sanem with hugs and air kisses, Daphne wondered if Raisa was speaking to all of them in Turkish assuming she couldn't understand it.
The woman then turned to Daphne, her brown eyes swept over her from head to toe and she pursed her lips slightly.
"I see Hamid introduced all of you to his new friend, Miss Wang," she forced a smile as she finally spoke in English.
Friend... Daphne pressed her lips together in annoyance.
This was how they were supposed to introduce each other to anyone who wasn't a close friend or family. But to see Hamid’s mother using that word hurt like a slap in the face.
"It's Lady Wang, mum," Sevim corrected as she appeared behind Daphne, holding her by the shoulders. "Abi's girlfriend is a British noblewoman."
Daphne's cheeks flushed in response. Though she knew why Sevim was doing it, for some reason, this whole situation was even more uncomfortable than the encounter at the hospital. At least there weren't any witnesses the first time.
"Is that so?" Raisa arched one of her perfectly shaped eyebrows.
"Yup! It's Viscountess Daphne Wang-Foredale, mum," Sevim added with a smile and a glare that matched her mother's.
"Huh... I assumed you were just an art student," Raisa said in appraisal.
"I am, ma'am."
"She did that painting of the Bosphorus bridge abi has in his loft," Sevim declared.
"That artwork is yours?!" Kaan turned to Daphne in shock.
"You must've missed Hamid's ten minutes speech, Kaan. He literally can't shut up about it," Ali quipped.
"I was really tired the day I went there and I thought he was just talking about you in general. He does it a lot..." Kaan simpered.
The young ones chuckled. Raisa on the other hand didn't seem too amused with the conversation topic.
"In all fairness, he's so right to brag about it. It is a beautiful piece inspired by the view from his balcony. A creation by no one other than his girlfriend," Sanem praised.
"It's too minimalist to my liking. It lacks colours," Raisa scorned.
Daphne gritted her teeth as anger began to spread within her. "That painting is supposed to be just a rough sketch in ink pen and a few touches of watercolour pencils, ma'am. It’s how Hamid asked me to do it."
"Really?" Raisa snickered. "Ah, you kids are so full of ideas... Add more vivid colours in your future works, tatlım⁷. I'm sure you'll do great next time."
Inhaling sharply, Daphne balled her hands into fists as she told herself she couldn't cause a scene by smacking that smug grin off Hamid's mother's face. No matter how tempting it was.
"Mum, I heard you showed up unannounced here to help. Even though you promised me you wouldn't come." Sevim placed both hands on her mother's shoulder. "So how about we go back inside and do exactly what you told Nesrin you came here to do?"
The young girl guided Raisa back into the building, but not before she looked back at Daphne and mouthed "Sorry, yenge."
"Well, that was..." Kaan gestured with a hand, clearly trying to ease the tension.
"Madam Raisa in her most pure form," Ali grimaced.
"Sorry about that, Daph..." Sanem empathised.
"It's fine…" Daphne said as she forced herself to smile. "I'm going to take a walk by the lake and see you guys later."
Walking away, she waved to the group of friends and breathed in the cold air of the evening.
As she walked by the shore, the lady replayed that day in her head. This odd feeling she had before arriving... For a while, she believed it was because she would finally meet Nesrin in person and be introduced to Hamid's friends. But it wasn't. In the back of her mind, she knew Raisa could show up at any moment. There was no way that day would end well.
She then fished her phone out of her pocket to check the time. Would it be weird to ask Hamid to go home now?
He did say we could leave whenever I want...
Placing her phone back in her coat, Daphne turned around and made her way back to the main building.
Near the back entrance, she spotted Hamid and heaved a sigh. At least, she wouldn't have to get in and face Raisa again.
Yet, he wasn't alone. Next to him, a girl not much older than her touched his arm fondly.
Excuse me?!
Just then, Hamid gently pushed the stranger's hand away and said something in Turkish.
With quiet steps, Daphne walked towards them doing her best not to be seen. Whatever this was, she had to know.
"I heard you've been looking for a wife, sir," The girl said, looking at him through her eyelashes.
"What?!" He eyed the girl in confusion. "Look, Berna, I don't know who or why they told you this, but you got it all wrong. I'm not looking for a wife."
"I could be your girlfriend then," Berna purred as she moved closer.
"I beg your pardon?" He asked taking a few steps away from the girl.
"I’ll give you anything you want, sir..."
Instinctively, Hamid pushed her hand away it moved to touch his cheek and kept his distance. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Sir, I—"
"Do you want to why you can't be my girlfriend? Because I already have one. And there's nothing you can offer me because Daphne is the only one who can give me what I need!"
Daphne stopped in her tracks. He may have said he would shout it to the world if he could, but to witness it was something else entirely.
"Aşkım?" Hamid called as he noticed his girlfriend standing just a few feet away.
"Aşkım?" Berna glanced at him and then at Daphne.
"Hi!" The lady grinned as she approached the girl and extended her hand. "Berna, isn't it? I'm Daphne. The girlfriend Hamid was talking about."
Berna stared wide-eyed at the viscountess taking her place beside Hamid.
"It's getting a bit colder than I can handle here. Can we go home now?" Daphne asked, feigning to feel cold.
"Of course, aşkım," he answered, pulling her into a hug. "Let's go home."
On the way to the parking lot, Hamid cleared his throat and began to speak in English again. "I see you're a lot better at understanding Turkish than you said you were."
"I only understood some of it. And I didn't know I could until now."
"What did you hear?"
"The part where she said you were looking for a wife."
Hamid let out a tired sigh and shook his head.
"But I don't understand why you were out here talking to Nesrin's assistant."
"Nesrin introduced her to me and mentioned her interest in international relations career path. That's what I was talking to her about before the whole 'looking for a wife' thing started."
As the lady narrowed her eyes, Hamid paused before her and held both of her hands.
"Aşkım, I can't explain what I could possibly have done to make a girl I've never met before think I was leading her on. But I wouldn't trade what we have for anything else."
She looked down at his hands caressing hers as her eyes welled up. Before she could say anything else, his arms encircled her frame.
"I'm sorry, aşkım..." He breathed.
"It's not your fault. You didn't do anything wrong. It's just..." She sniffled. "After what happened yesterday, I was worried about meeting your friends, then your mum showed up and—"
"Is annem here?!" He pulled away to look at her.
"Yeah... Apparently, she came to help take back home the cake, Sevim's gifts and unused party favours."
Hamid's jaw tightened as he closed his eyes and grumbled. "Allah kahretsin⁸!"
"What?"
He then fished the car keys out of his coat pocket and placed them in the palm of her hand. "Get in the car. I'll be back in a minute."
"Why? Where are you going?"
"I forgot my scarf in the kitchen while I was helping the girls earlier. I'll be right back, okay?"
"But you have your—"
Before she could finish what she was going to say, he marched back to the building.
"Shit..." Daphne mumbled.
Once she unlocked the car, she walked in and waited. From afar, she watched Hamid arguing with Raisa. Whenever his mother pointed her index finger at him or tried to touch him, he stood his ground, with squared shoulders. His frame towered over hers as the fight seemed to get heated.
Just then, Raisa her hand raised up. He didn't move. But before her hand reached his face, Nesrin and Malak held their mother back. He said something and stormed off, followed by Sevim, who didn't seem pleased with her mother either.
Outside the building, Sevim held him by the hand and gave him a hug. He frowned slightly, exchanged a few words with her and kissed the top of her head.
He was about to come back to the car when Nesrin called his name. She mouthed something Daphne couldn't understand. He looked back at her, nodded and made his way back to the car.
As he got in, Hamid placed both hands on the steering wheel and sighed. His shoulders still squared, jaw clenched. He seemed tired. And upset. But mostly tired. Then he started the car.
"Is it okay if I just drive for a while, aşkım?"
"Sure..."
With that, he manoeuvred his car out of the parking lot and drove off.
The colourful lights of the bridge reflected on the windscreen as they crossed the Bosphorus strait. He hasn't said a word since they left. Neither did she. It was clear that he needed time. And silence. Whenever he was ready, he'd talk to her again.
After a long drive by the shore, they finally stopped somewhere less crowded and climbed out of the car. His sullen eyes were fixed on the Maiden's Tower covered in snow.
"You felt it, didn't you?" He uttered, cutting through the silence. "You knew in your gut something like this would happen. Just like you said you felt it the day I fell off my motorbike, when your brother fell off his horse, when your mother passed away."
"Yeah..."
"Does it happen often? Do you always know when something bad will happen?"
"Not always."
"But how do you know?" Hamid shifted in his seat to look at her. "Are there signs? What do you feel? How does it start?"
"I'm not sure. I—"
"But you feel something!" He insisted as anguish clouded his features. "I need to know what it is. I need to understand how you know these things before it happens so I can find a way to stop shit from happening."
Daphne cupped his face with one hand. "Hamidciğim, I didn't stop any of those things."
"But you could have! If I had just listened to you..."
His shoulders slumped in defeat and leaned over, resting his forehead on her shoulder.
"Why didn't I just listen to you?" His voice faltered as her hand caressed the nape of his neck.
"None of us have the power to prevent situations like what happened earlier. All I do is brace myself and hope I can do my best in worst-case scenarios."
"I know..." He breathed. "I always tell myself I can handle my mother's criticism. I've heard her question my faith many times. She says I'm too inclined to western culture, and my lifestyle is too permissive. Most of the time, I don't mind." He then sat up to gaze at her. "But when it comes to you, I can't take it."
"You didn't have to go back there and argue with her again."
"Yeah, I did." His brows knitted in frustration. "She had done this before and she wouldn't stop it until I did something about it."
"Wait, she did what?"
"Ugh..." He shook his head, mumbling something unintelligible before looking back at her. "I didn't tell you before because it was no big deal. Two weeks ago, she paid me a visit and brought an old friend of hers."
"Let me guess. Her friend has a young daughter in the right age for marriage," Daphne concluded, pursing her lips.
He nodded. "But nothing happened. The minute Derya complimented the painting of the Bosphorus bridge, I started talking about you and she gave up. In less than five minutes, she came up with the lamest excuse to leave."
Daphne pressed her lips together to fight back a laugh. "I know this is irrelevant, but what did she say?"
"She began to ramble about picking up a hamster... But she doesn't have one. She's actually scared of rodents. I've seen her panic over a lab rat in high school."
The two of them chuckled. His good humour, however, didn't last long.
"I'm growing tired of this... I shouldn't have to keep justifying my life choices to my own mother. I just want to live them."
"I'm sorry..." Daphne looked down at her hands.
"Don't be. I'm not going to sacrifice my happiness because anne thinks she knows better," he said in resolution.
The lady then leaned her head on his shoulder and hugged his arm. She couldn't encourage him to keep his distance from his mother because of her. But she still wanted him to know she'd support him regardless of what he decided.
"What do you want to do now, Hamidciğim?"
"Eat, veg out with you under the covers..."
"Good thinking."
"I knew you'd like it..." He smiled softly. "Let's go home."
"Okay."
After sharing a tender kiss, the couple walked back to the car, buckled their seatbelts again and drove back home.
_______
¹ kardeş(im): (my dear) sibling
² abi(m): (my) older brother
³ canım: my darling
⁴ yenge(m/ciğim): (my/dear) sister-in-law (also applied to uncle's wife)
⁵ arkadaşim: my friend friend
⁶ anneciğim: my dear mom
⁷ tatlım: my dear
⁸ "Allah kahretsin!": Turkish expression of frustration equivalent to "god damnit".
#choices fanfic#desire and decorum fanfic#prince hamid#hamid x mc#lorirwritesfanfic#lorircreates#meant to be au
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(Un)fortunate Circumstances - Part 3
Author's note: Original characters are creations of this author. The others are owned by Pixelberry Studios.
Book: Desire & Decorum (modern day AU)
Characters: Prince Hamid, MC (Daphne), M!OC (Vincent)
Rating: M
Word count: 4686
Reading time: ~19 min
Summary: Hamid will have his wishes to know more Lady Daphne granted as another unfortunate circumstance makes her stay in his room for the night.
Based on the prompt: AU-Gust Writing Challenge 2020: Day 20 - Single Parent AU
Warning: This piece contains adult material (mentions of car accident, blood, grief and post traumatic stress disorder) that may be disturbing/offensive for some people. Reader discretion is advised.
10:36 p.m.
By the time the countess returned with tea, Vincent was fast asleep and Hamid stood by the window as he talked on the phone to his mother. The lady left the tray on the end table and carefully carried her son in her arms.
"Thank you," she mouthed to Hamid, who replied with a smile and nod as she left the room.
Whilst his mother rambled on the phone, he glanced at the tray with two cups and wondered if it meant Lady Daphne would return. Was it strange she was here a few minutes earlier and he already hoped to see her again?
"Darling, come back home. I called Dr Hakan and he's waiting for you so you can continue your treatment here," Raisa insisted.
"Mom, I'm fine. Dr Chambers is a remarkable orthopedist, I'm following all his recommendations and I can't just fly home whenever you want. I work here."
"You can't possibly consider staying in London now. You're alone there! You're being taken care of by strangers!"
"Mother, enough. Bart is a friend of mine, Yusuf is here and I can take care of myself just fine."
His eyes darted to the door as Lady Daphne walked in again.
"Seni yarın ararım, tamam? İyi geceler, anne,"¹ he said as he hung up and approached the door.
"You didn't have to interrupt your call, sir. I can come back later."
"It's fine. I was looking for an excuse to hang up anyway. If not, I'd have to listen to my mother whining until my phone battery died."
"Your mother? Do you call your mother by her name?"
"Excuse me?" He eyed the woman in confusion.
"You called her ‘Anne’."
"Oh..." He chuckled. "That's ‘mother’ in Turkish. I call her 'darling' or 'sultana'² too, but only when she's not interfering in my life."
Her eyebrows rose in realisation. "I figured you were talking to your girlfriend. Or wife. Or something like it…"
"I assume people don't expect a grown man's last call of the day to be his mother, but Turkish mothers are something else. Even if I had a girlfriend or something like it…” He gave her a knowing look and smirked. “My mother would still ensure she'd be my last call of the day."
"Wow..." She giggled, handing him one of the cups in the tray and handing it to him.
He chuckled and he received the cup. "Don't you like tea, ma'am?" He asked as he noticed the cup of coffee in her hands.
"I do, but I have to stay awake tonight."
“Do you?”
“Yeah… I’ll have to wake you every two hours so I check on your cognitive skills.”
Hamid’s shoulders slumped a little.
“I know you were hoping to have a long night of sleep, but these are doctor’s orders.”
“I don’t see why you need to deprive yourself of sleep. I’ll set an alarm to wake me up every two hours and you can rest."
“But you still need to stay awake for a few minutes, talk to someone who can check on you."
"Ma'am, you've already done so much. You don't have to do this," he said before taking some of his tea.
"Mr Osmanoğlu, I don't take these troubles I caused you lightly. I need to be sure you'll be all right and, for this reason, I'll supervise your sleep tonight."
"But what about yourself? You were in the crash too. You need to rest."
"I'll be fine."
"Ma'am, you can't tire yourself either."
"And I won't." The lady put her cup back on the tray and stared at him. "I'm aware you'd wish to have some privacy and have a good night of sleep. But you had a concussion and somebody has to look after you. I don’t sleep much, so trust me when I say it’s no trouble at all."
Hamid went silent for a few seconds. "Do you have insomnia?"
"Yeah."
"Does Bart know that?" He took another sip of his tea.
She paused for a moment as though she was choosing her words carefully.
"Bart dedicated too much time of his life to me and to my family. It wouldn't be fair to drag him back to my problems now that he has a life of his own."
The ambassador nodded in silence. Yusuf had mentioned Bartholomew described his marriage as an alliance established with a friend that was favourable for both parts. But now that he has met Bart's former spouse, he finally put the pieces together.
"Okay." He took the last of the tea and placed the cup back on the tray. “Since you're adamant about it, I agree with you checking in on me every two hours."
"Excellent."
"Under two conditions."
"Do tell."
"No more sir or Mr. Osmanoğlu."
"Fair enough."
"And you’ll have to stay here all night."
Her brows furrowed in confusion. "I beg your pardon?"
"You said you don't sleep much, but I don’t think you don't need to tire yourself walking around all night."
"And if I need to sleep, I'll—"
"Go back to your room and rest properly."
The lady narrowed her eyes. "If you're trying to dissuade me, Hamid, you must know I don't give up on anything so easily. I said I'll look after you until you're fully recovered and I will."
As she straightened her posture and lifted up her chin, he couldn't help but gaze at her. He wasn’t only amazed by her beauty. Every new information he gathered about her, no matter how small it was, made her more fascinating.
"I look forward to witnessing you keeping your word, my lady."
They glared at each other playfully for a moment before Daphne left the room briefly and returned carrying a blanket, her phone and a pillow.
She then made herself comfortable on the settee, touched the screen of her phone a few times and looked back at him.
"I'm going to ask you some questions and use them to check your cognitive skills later. Is that okay?”
“Sure.”
“What year did you finish secondary school?"
"2008."
"Zodiac sign?"
He arched an eyebrow. "Really?"
"When it comes to astrology, people either know it by heart because they believe it or they don't believe it but have a vague idea of it and they have to mentally figure out the zodiac house they belong to."
"How clever... All right, it's Sagittarius."
"Hm..." She nodded, typing on her phone.
"Are you judging me based on my zodiac sign?"
"And if I am?"
"Then I believe I deserve to know your zodiac sign as well. It's only fair, don't you think?"
Daphne pressed her lips together, trying to hide a smile before she answered. "Scorpio."
"Hm..." He nodded, avoiding her gaze.
"Are you judging me based on my zodiac sign?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" He grinned.
The lady shook her head, but it wasn't hard to tell she was amused by his antics.
"What's the model of the last car you bought?"
"2021 Porsche Panamera."
She then put her phone down. "These questions should do for now. We can think of other ones through the night."
"Good," he affirmed, making himself more comfortable in the bed. "Now how about you tell me something about yourself?"
"Why would I do that?"
"You can use the information to ask me later to test my short term memory."
“Is that so?”
“Would I have any other reason to do so?”
She pursed her lips but still seemed to be interested in where the conversation would go.
"Alright, what do you want to know?"
"What do you do when you're not a Parliament member or bossing people around?"
"Excuse me?!" She scowled. "I do not boss people around."
"Yes, you do." He sat back, crossing his arms behind his head as his back touched the headboard.
"No, I don’t!"
"We barely know each other and I already can point out at least three times you bossed me around since we arrived."
"I—" Daphne paused for a moment. "I did, didn't l?"
"You chastised your son for bossing me around, but he's merely copying your behaviour."
She grimaced slightly. "Sorry... I have trouble turning 'the mum mode' off when Vincent is around."
"I understand." He smiled softly. "But I still want to know what you do in your spare time. Do you still paint?"
"Not as much as I used to when I wasn't countess, but yes. I carry a sketchbook and a pencil in my bag to doodle when I get bored. But most of the time, I draw in my phone or tablet."
"Really?"
"My grandmother used to berate me for carrying my sketchbook everywhere, but nowadays people rarely will judge me if I'm on the phone working." She air quoted the last word.
"Oh, that's so clever! Now I wish I knew how to draw. It'd be a great way to avoid certain conversation topics."
"I can confirm it is."
The two of them laughed.
"Is it what you wanted to do if you didn't have to become countess?"
"Yeah... I had a project to teach art at the seniors' shelter with a friend. It helps elders with cognitive disabilities to have a good response to any treatment they have to go through."
"What a wonderful gesture. What happened to this project?"
"My friend still followed through with it. I send financial support to keep the project going. It's all I can do now." She then took a sip of her now lukewarm coffee. "What about you? What do you do when you're not representing the Turkish Government or showing off in sports cars?"
"I do lots of things."
"Like what?"
"I play videogames, football and chess when I have the chance. I like travelling, exploring the cities I visit, meeting new people. And of course, I enjoy myself driving like a monster of the road."
Her cheeks went warm. "What?"
Hamid chortled.
"Vincent told you that, didn't he?"
"He did. But I'm not judging you. I know quite a few people who would wish their kids haven't learned to swear words from watching them driving."
"I can imagine."
"How did you come up with that?"
"I was driving back home when someone accelerated through the yellow light and almost hit my car. I felt this urge to yell something so nasty, but then I saw Vincent's dragon toy on my father's lap and I screamed 'you bloody monster of the road!'"
Hamid guffawed.
"The driver in the other car looked at me so confused dad laughed out loud. Dad had the most infectious laugh, so Bart, Vincent and I ended up laughing as well…” Her eyes softened as she recalled the moment. “And it stuck. Every time something like that happens, I yell it, I recall the moment I came up with it and laugh it off."
"That's a nice strategy."
"Thank you." She put her cup back on the tray. "And for the record, I don't think you're a monster of the road."
"But if you were paying attention to the road earlier today, you would have. I ignored the traffic signals and drove in the wrong way."
"You what?!"
"I have terrible driving habits because in most cities I lived, traffic is insane. And I also wasn't wearing a seatbelt. I probably would've left unscathed if I was on my bike, but cars don't work the same way."
"I cannot believe this..." She blurted.
"That's why I said you shouldn't apologise so much. Your only mistake was to turn around to look at your son."
She shook her head in disbelief. "You are a monster of the road!"
"Perhaps…” He nodded with a smile. “I'll own up to my new title if you tell what's the word you were thinking when you yelled monster of the road for the first time."
"No!" Her eyes widened in shock.
"Then tell me what you'd have called me today if you weren't distracted by your son."
"I'm not going to tell you that!"
"Oh, come on…”
“I said no!”
“I don’t understand why you can’t tell me. We're both adults and it's just us here. Don’t you miss having the chance to express yourself in the most genuine way you can without thinking about how improper it’ll be?”
She bit down her lip, looking visibly tempted by the idea.
“You deserve to let it out."
"Fine..." She sighed. "I think I'd call you…”
They exchanged looks for a moment, but as he gave her a cheeky grin, the countess complied.
“Wanker."
Hamid cackled.
"Okay, that's enough information about me. Have a good night!" She abruptly unfolded the blanket to cover herself and shifted to the other side to look away.
"Good night. And thank you."
A brief moment of silence passed by, but as he expected, she looked back at him.
"For what?"
"For staying here. You may be bossy at times, but you are a good person."
She faced away from him again, yet she couldn’t help but smile.
"You're welcome."
1 a.m.
Hamid groaned and placed a large pillow on his head in an attempt to muffle the high pitched noise of Lady Daphne's alarm. He knew he had to wake up, but he barely had a few minutes of sleep. At least, this was how it felt like.
He was about to go back to sleep when a hand touched his shoulder. Will she let it go if I pretend to be asleep?
"Hey, wake up."
Probably not.
He then shifted on the bed and looked up at her. "Yes?"
"I'm sorry. You can see you're tired, but you have to wake up and take your medication," she said softly.
He sat up to take the meds and thanked her for putting the glass of water on the nightstand.
"Are you ready for the questions?"
"Yes."
"What's the model of your new car?"
"A 2021 Porsche Panamera."
"What year did you finish secondary school?"
"2008."
"What's your zodiac sign?"
"Sagittarius. Yours is Scorpio, by the way."
"Very nice," she praised.
He then continued. "You doodle you're bored, you financially support a project of art classes for seniors. You were shocked you weren't the only one at fault in the accident. And if you knew that earlier, you'd call me wanker, even though you created a funny insult to say in front of your son."
Daphne stared at him in bewilderment and sat down. "Your cognitive abilities seem to be working well."
"That's good to hear. But perhaps you should continue to tell me more about yourself just be sure."
Daphne arched an eyebrow. "So curious..."
"You got me intrigued," he answered, gazing at her intently.
"Well, I think you'll be disappointed to find out I'm just a full-time mom powered by coffee to handle my son, paperwork and dull meetings."
Hamid studied the lady in silence then spoke up. "I don't know if I believe you..."
"It’s the truth."
"I agree that paperwork and work meetings make life boring, but I don't know... Maybe you have to find different ways to enjoy yourself. Your knack for the arts, for instance, is proof you’re a creative person. Your lifestyle might not include adventure sports or hanging out in pubs, but it doesn't mean it's boring. And your son Vincent certainly adds some excitement to your life."
"You're not wrong about Vincent."
"I'm right about everything and I can prove it."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah."
“Hm…” She rested her chin on one hand and scrutinized him for a moment. "Okay then. Prove it."
"I bet you have good taste for more interior decoration and art. What's the last book you read?"
"Frankenstein."
"What did you like about it?"
"It's a horror book, but not for the reasons we all expect when we think Frankenstein. It's about what it means to be human and our biggest fear: loneliness."
He grinned. "I knew it."
"Did you conclude it from a single book I mentioned?"
"Yes, but you can tell me more. Perhaps eventually we'll find something that makes your life look as dull as you say it is."
Daphne pursed her lips but kept talking. As she told him her other hobbies, Hamid found some common interests between them like favourite genres of movies, series and music. Obviously, they have their differences, but it was nothing they couldn't respectfully agree to disagree. Before they could notice over an hour passed by.
4 a.m.
"Hey... It's time to wake up."
"Hayır...³" He mumbled.
"Hamid, you have to wake up."
"Git başımdan...⁴"
"Excuse me?"
His eyes fluttered open as he realised he wasn't at home.
"I know it sucks, but this is the last time," she added apologetically.
A yawn escaped his lips as he sat up. "Forgive me, Daphne. I had no intention to be rude to you."
"It's fine. I have no idea of what you said, but I can relate to being cranky when I don't sleep well."
"Have you slept at all tonight?”
"Enough to keep me going. Are you ready to say what we talked about earlier?"
He nodded and cleared his throat. "We both like thriller, romance, indie and classic rock, animes, strong coffee, baklava, liquorice and macarons. You have a questionable taste in reality shows, you have eaten chocolate with bacon and dislike punk rock. But I'm willing to forgive it all because you have Sir Paul McCartney in your contact list, so you're by far the coolest person I've ever met."
Daphne cackled. "Well done. You remembered everything."
"It isn't so hard to remember any details of such an interesting woman."
"Flatterer..."
“I usually am, but tonight I’m just calling how I see it.”
The lady averted her gaze and smiled coyly. Every time her cheeks turned pink, he smiled to himself thinking he could stare at her all night long. Alas, the situation required a subtle approach, even if he wanted to keep flirting with her.
"Now then, what can you tell me about the bill you're working on?"
"Do you want to talk about it now? Shouldn't we wait until you feel better?"
"Right now is fine by me."
The lady looked down, picking at an invisible cuticle.
"Rest assured the fact that you welcomed me in your home won't seem like a bribe to me. I've been dealing with politicians and rich people my whole life and I know the difference between a sincere kind gesture and a quid pro co situation."
"Okay," She nodded and began to explain the main topics of her bill and how it's a good solution in many aspects.
Hamid watched her speak, hanging on her every word, making questions and attentive remarks. The more she talked about it, the more it seemed he was right about her. Lady Daphne was a fascinating woman.
"So you want my support so I and other diplomats can convince the other members of the Parliament."
"Basically yes. I'm the youngest and newest member, I'm a Chinese descendant woman. It’s hard to get the attention of white traditionalist men when I need it."
“And you think a non-white foreigner can help?”
"Yes! For starters, you’re a man, you’re more familiarized with them than I am, and you know other diplomats that could help spread the word about it. Plus, you agreed with me that we either welcome immigrants again to fortify our alliances with other countries or UK's economy is going to crash."
"You make a quite compelling speech about it. Are you sure you weren't born to be a politician?"
"I didn't even know what being the 'spare' meant until I was fifteen. My brother Harry was the rightful heir. Everything I learned about politics and laws was just in case I had to step in, but I never thought it would come to that."
“I see…” He nodded. "May I ask something about your father's and brother's passing?"
"Yes."
"How did your son receive the news?"
"He..." She frowned, pausing for a second before she continued. "He was in the car with them."
"Oh..." A pang of guilt rushed through him. "How insensitive of me. I'm so sorry.”
“It’s fine. You didn’t know.”
“I’ll understand If you no longer want to talk about it."
"I’m okay. But perhaps I shouldn’t. I think it's a subject too heavy to talk about at this hour, so—"
"I can take it.”
Her eyes widened.
“I don’t mean to pry. I just meant to say l don't mind listening if you need to vent,” he corrected himself and gave her a reassuring smile.
“That’s…” She trailed off for a moment as their eyes met again. “It’s very nice of you.”
“You’ve been looking after me all night. If listening to you can help somehow, I’ll be glad to be of service.”
Daphne looked down at her hands and adjusted the blanket over her body. She seemed uncertain on how to start, but then she began to speak.
“Dad, Harry and Vincent spent the weekend in a small village outside the city. Dad wanted Vincent to learn how to fish. On the way back, dad had a stroke while he was driving. Harry tried to take the wheel, but they hit a deer when he tried to go back to the road. Vincent saw everything.” She sighed. “I don’t know if he truly understands what happened, but he remembers every detail. How Harry helped him out of the car. how he came back to get my brother’s phone. My brother dialling the number to call the emergency and leaving blood on the phone screen. How cold it was that day. How scared and lonely he felt..."
"He mentioned he sees a psychotherapist."
"He does. I was worried he wouldn't accept the treatment because he struggled a lot with the losses and started to misbehave. He had nightmares every night."
"Is that when your insomnia started?"
"Yeah... Fortunately, he liked Dr. Stevens from the very first appointment. He's getting better, but sometimes, there are some mishaps."
"Like kicking a classmate in the shins?"
Daphne stared at him wide-eyed.
"What?"
"I'm a bit surprised. Vincent is a shy kid and he got worse after the accident. And then you waltz in, talk to him once and he tells everything to you."
"Kids usually are easy to talk to. They just need someone to listen and take their word for it."
"Sounds like you have some experience. Do you have children in your family?"
"I do, actually. I used to babysit my nieces when I lived in Ankara. They're so smart and often pick up on things many adults don’t."
"It must be hard to live abroad and spend so much time away from your family."
“It is… But something tells me I should explore the world and see what’s out there for me.”
Daphne gazed at him intently then rubbed the back of her neck.
"How's your neck?"
"It’s okay. I took the medication at the hospital, so it's not as stiff as it was before."
"But maybe the effect is wearing out?"
"Maybe... I'll have to wait until 9 am to take another pill though."
"Well, if you allow me, I can help."
"How?"
"Stiff neck gets better with massages."
"So you're offering...?" She glanced at him.
"If you want to, of course." He raised his hands.
She bit down her lip in hesitation but agreed. "I guess it won't hurt to try."
"I'm sure it won't." He patted the spot on the mattress next to him.
The countess removed her robe and got up to take a seat on the bed. He then moved closer, brushed her long dark hair away and placed both hands on her shoulder. Slowly, his hands began to knead her neck and shoulder blades, undoing the knots in her muscles.
As the scent of roses coming from her wafted his nose, he tilted his head to one side to gaze at her. He couldn't help but smile as he caught the sight of her with her eyes closed, cheeks warm and parted lips.
"How's the pressure?"
"It's..." She cleared her throat. "Good."
"I'm glad."
"Where did you learn to give massages?"
"My father taught me. He learned it during a trip to New Delhi before he got married to my mother. He says the pillars of a healthy marriage are communication, mutual respect and a secret weapon to soothe his very ill-tempered wife."
"Like a massage?"
"Precisely."
She giggled.
As he continued to work on her neck, his hands moved lower, eliciting goosebumps along her soft flesh.
She flinched slightly. "I— I think I'm good now."
"Very well." He nodded, doing his best to disguise his disappointment. "I hope it helped."
"You did. Your future wife will be very pleased with this secret weapon of yours."
"I hope so."
"Anyway..." She turned around to look at him. "Thank you for the massage and for listening."
"I'm happy to help. And I'm so sorry for your losses."
"I know— I mean, thank you."
He eyed her with a curious look.
"After the crash, I was trying to figure out why your name was so familiar to me. I kept thinking if I knew someone else with the same name. It was only when we arrived here and you mentioned the look in my dad's eyes in the painting that I realised. You worked with him. When he passed away, you sent a bouquet of yellow and blue gladiolus and a letter. A very nice touch, by the way."
"I had a feeling he would appreciate flowers in Edgewater colours."
"He certainly would. But what stood out to me was your note. Do you remember what you wrote?"
"Vaguely..."
"You mentioned how generous he was to share his wisdom with you and how you hoped his successor followed his footsteps of being kind and standing up for the right reasons. I had no idea who you were then. But I was so grateful for every word you wrote I kept the note with me."
Hamid then reached out for her hand. "I'm glad to hear it. And I do believe he has an honourable successor ruling the county he was so proud to call home."
"Thank you. It means a lot to hear it."
"I'm merely stating the facts, but you're welcome."
8:09 a.m
Sunlight seeped through the drapes as Hamid woke from slumber. He stared at the ceiling for a couple of minutes and shifted to the side when he sensed he wasn't alone in the bed. By his side, Lady Daphne slept soundly, with her hair spread over her face and hugging most of the pillows.
A slow smile crossed his lips. Though he couldn't sleep all night, he felt well-rested, full of energy. But it clearly wasn't an easy night for the countess. He then carefully crawled out of the bed and pulled the cover over her frame.
Just then, the door opened and Vincent appeared in the doorway.
"Hey! I..." Vincent trailed off as Hamid pressed a finger to his lips. "Mum slept here?"
Hamid nodded.
"But it’s morning. Mum never sleeps in," the boy whispered as he tiptoed into the bedroom.
“Maybe your mum is more tired than usual.”
“Because of the crash?”
“Among other things. But don’t worry about her. She just needs to sleep.”
The boy nodded in silence.
Hamid then beckoned to Vincent and whispered. “Hey, do you smell that?”
“Smell what?”
Hamid lifted up his nose, pretending to identify a non-existent smell in the air. “Waffles.”
“Waffles?” The boy looked at the ambassador in confusion.
“Chocolate waffles.”
Vincent mimicked the ambassador's gestures then shrugged. “I don’t smell anything.”
“You don’t?!” Hamid feigned shock. “I do! And I swear it’s waffles! You know what? We should let your mum sleep and search for the chocolate waffles. Are you with me?”
The boy grinned and nodded with enthusiasm.
“Okay. Let’s head downstairs.”
Hamid offered his hand to Vincent, who took his hand and followed the ambassador out then waved to his mother before they shut the door behind them.
----
¹ "Seni yarın ararım, tamam? İyi geceler, anne.": I'll call you tomorrow, okay? Good night, mother.
² sultana: in the Ottoman empire, sultanas are all wives, concubines (with heirs) and daughters of a sultan. Nowadays, it's used as a term of endearment to refer to influential women (usually mothers)
³ Hayır: no
⁴ Git başımdan: leave me alone
#choices fanfic#desire and decorum#desire and decorum fanfic#prince hamid#desire and decorum mc#desire & decorum modern day au#lorirwritesfanfic#lorircreates
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Lori's Favorite Ships
Yesterday was Fanfic Writer day, so I’m posting this very special version of my reviews because I’m going to talk about my favorite ships!
No, I’m not making a list of my favorite LIs to prove why they’re great. I already know I have superior taste in LIs, there’s no need to brag about that 😁 I’m talking about amazing pairings fanfic authors wrote, building stories so good for their OTPs that it’s impossible not to love them as well.
So this post is my big fat "thank your for writing this" to some of the most talented writers I've met here:
Anthony Bridgerton x Kate Sharma (Bridgerton series / The Viscount Who Loved Me)
author: @itslaniquelove
ship masterlist: look for#kate x anthony in the search of her blog
story I recommend:The Binds Of Marriage
When I read itslanique Anthony x Kate fics, I haven't read The Viscount Who Loved Me and was pleasantly surprised with their dynamic as a couple and how steamy the scenes are. For those who only know Anthony as the "rake" and hypocrite older brother in Bridgerton season one/The Duke and I, it's hard to picture him so devoted to one single woman. But as you see his relationship with Kate/Sharma evolve, you understand the fascination they have for each other and why they're a perfect fit. Plus, if you're into more spicy stuff, itslaniquelove got that part covered 😉
Ernest Sinclaire x Nicolette (Desire & Decorum)
author: @itslaniquelove
ship masterlist: look for #desire and decorum in the search of her blog
story I recommend: Caught In The Moment
I don't think it's secret to anyone that I'm a fan of itslaniquelove's stories. But her talent as a writer exceeded my expectations when she wrote Sinclaire and Nicolette, making me grow out of my indifference to Sinclaire. It's not just itslaniquelove’s fascinating skills as a writer, her flawless characterization of Ernest Sinclaire or the fact that she created a great version of Desire and Decorum MC. It's everything. If you're looking for great Sinclaire x MC fics, this pairing has to be in your reading list.
Hamid Osmanoğlu x Elizabeth Foredale (Desire & Decorum)
author: @missameliep
ship masterlist: Second Chances series
story I recommend: If I Fell
Any of my comments about this pairing could summed up to an audio of me squealing like a teenager. Or I could say just read any Hamid x MC or Hamid x OC missameliep writes. But I’ll try to elaborate because this is one of my all time favorites. Hamid x MC's storyline is fantastic on its own, even if Desire & Decorum writers never bothered to write Hamid's route well. But missameliep transcends the flawed canon bringing Hamid and Elizabeth to the twentieth first century in a beautifully written story that all Hamid stans deserve. Elizabeth is clever, beautiful, so shy and polite to a fault and she slowly falls in love with Hamid (now a commoner, but still a diplomat), who is as handsome and charming as in canon, but with the character depth that was missing in the books. They're completely different people, with different backgrounds and lifestyles, yet they understand each other. Their attraction to each other is almost tangible at times, but as fan of slow burn romance, missameliep delivers all the tension anyone who enjoys this trope craves.
Leo Rys x Isabella Sanchez (Rules of Engagement/The Royal Romance)
author: @xxrainbow-princessxx
ship masterlist: look for #leo x isabella in the search of her blog
story I recommend: The Pain Of Abandonment
This is one of the first pairings I fell in love with when I joined Choices fandom. Even though the rebel former crown prince of Cordonia is a fan favorite, his story in canon is filled with plot holes. But on xxrainbow-princessxx's stories, Leo is portrayed in all his glory: funny, messy, playful, ill-tempered and incredibly passionate. Isabella, on the other hand, is the perfect woman: smart, diplomatic and feisty, the crown princess of the kingdom of Laurentia possesses many skills that make her stand out regardless of being drop dead gorgeous. They seem like opposites, almost like fire and ice at times, but the correct metaphor for them is fire and gasoline. It's hard to figure out who's the fire and who's the gasoline, because their passion knows no bounds, but they understand each other in ways no one else does. When they're not in good terms, they know exactly how to piss each other off. But one thing you can can be certain is that when they're together, it's pure fire. And it's an delight to read it.
Levi Schuler and Laura Day (Mother of the Year)
author: @storyofmychoices
ship masterlist: Levi and Laura
story I recommend: Let It Be
Choices fandom may adore Thomas Mendez x MC (ngl I do too), but if there's a MOTY pairing that I stan is Levi and Laura. Laura is the strong woman who can handle everything on her own and face any obstacles to see daughter happy. But even strong characters need a breather. That's where Levi Schuler walks in. With his great sense of humor, his cool rock musician vibes and kindness, Levi brings all the joy, comfort and love Laura deserves from a loving partner. She knows Levi will always have her back, the feeling is mutual for him and storyofmychoices shows multiple times how these two are just relationship goals. And as if this story couldn't get better, Levi and Lily's step father and daughter relationship is simply the most heartwarming and wholesome thing ever.
Maxwell Beaumont x Maurice Chalon (The Royal Romance)
author is no longer part of Tumblr
story I recommend: Red Wings - Part 2
This pairing is so underated and it's so unfair, but I'm here to do them justice. Maurice (M!OC) is a quiet person, with a brilliant mind and tendencies to be judgemental who falls madly in love with Maxwell. The story written in Maurice's perspective is enticing and rich with scenes that make us root for Maurice to come out of his shell and just say those three little words to Maxwell, who seems oblivious to Maurice's feelings. Except he's so not. When they finally become a couple, it's pure bliss (with a nice dose of smut because why not? 😏)
Tyril Starfury x Maiele Nightbloom (Blades of Light and Shadow)
author: @lilyoffandoms
ship masterlist: look for #tyril x maiele in the search of their blog
story I recommend: Shared Bed
I know lots of people are crazy about Tyril, I'm so not one of them sorrynotsorry, yet I absolutely adore Tyril x Maiele. Maiele happens to be the one who knows what makes the Lord of the House of Starfury tick and how to soften that tough elf boy, which precisely why their stories are so much fun to read. From the very first drabble, I just couldn't help but hope Tyril says yes to Maiele. Obviously, Tyril doesn't surrender so easily (otherwise it wouldn't be him), but lilyoffandoms gives all the banter, the sweet moments and hot scenes that makes me cheer for these two.
Honorable mentions (other pairings from the same authors):
Bryce Lahela and Olivia Hadley - storyofmychoices
Colt Kaneko x Logan - lilyoffandoms
Request #18: “This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you’ve ever had. Of course I’m in.”
Colt Kaneko x Zoe Jones - missameliep
Bad Liar
Drake Walker x Isabella Sanchéz - xxrainbow-princessxx
A Twist Of Faith
Liam Rys and Freya Ilvermore - itslaniquelove
She Just Doesn't Know
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