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reallifesultanas · 4 years

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Portrait of Safiye Sultan / Safiye szultána portréja

Origin and upbringing

Safiye was most probably born in the late 1540s or in 1550 in the area of nowadays Albania in the mountainous region. Most of Albania by then lived in peace with the Ottomans and embraced Islam, but the mountains did not, so atrocities continued to occur here. Perhaps during such an incident, they took the child Safiye away. Many sources mention that she was Venetian, but it has now proved that these sources confused her with her mother-in-law, Nurbanu.

When Safiye arrived to Istanbul, she soon moved into the household of Sultan Suleiman’s granddaughter, Hümaşah Sultan. Hümaşah was slightly older (born in 1543) than Safiye, but there was a relatively small age difference. Exactly how Safiye got into Hümaşah’s household is unclear, as is her exact role. She may have been a mate, a companion, or a simple servant. In any case, Hümaşah quickly recognized the girl's talent because she began to deal with her proper education, and so around 1560 Safiye could already be considered a real grand prize among the concubines. The concubines raised by the sultanas were particularly well-mannered, intelligent, and beautiful, so a very bright future awaited them in general. It was no different for Safiye. She also probably got her name from Hümaşah, Safiye meaning "pure."

The young consort

Hümaşah carefully chose who to gift Safiye to. Eventually, her cousin Murad was chosen. The exact time of the gift is not known, but it can probably happened after the battle between Prince Bayezid and Prince Selim. For as long as the question of inheritance was not certain, it would have been a mistake to give such a great gift to someone who might face an execution squad soon. Thus, presumably in 1562, Safiye was gifted to the future Sultan Selim II's son, Murad.

Murad certainly immediately fell for her, as by a rapid succession, by 1566, they had two children. Their first child, a little girl, was named Hümaşah, after Murad's cousin and was probably born in 1564. She was followed by Safiye's first son, Mehmed in 1566. Sultan Suleiman died that year and it brought many changes in Safiye’s life. On the one hand, she got rid of her mother-in-law, as Nurbanu immediately traveled to Istanbul as Sultan Selim’s Haseki, and Safiye became the highest-ranking woman in Murad’s harem. The relationship between Nurbanu and Safiye is still known today as one of the worst mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships. However, the first few years they spent living together were probably not as brutal as their later relationship.

Although Murad payed special attention to Safiye, their relationship was not entirely monogamous, for another concubine — a girl raised by a very influential kalfa — also gave birth to a son for Murad, Selim in 1567. He was followed by Safiye's second son, Mahmud in 1568, and was followed by two more daughters, Ayse (around 1570) and Fatma (mid / late 1570s). With the exception of the birth of Prince Selim, Murad seems to have tried to devote all his attention to Safiye, since no other child was born from different women. Their almost monogamous relationship also suggests that Murad and Safiye have become very close during their years in Manisa, and Safiye has certainly taken the place of Nurbanu in supporting Murad as well. It was for this reason that Murad’s accession to the throne seriously affected their lives.

Haseki Safiye Sultan

Selim II died in 1574 and Murad became the new sultan. Safiye and her children immediately traveled to the capital to settle next to Murad. Almost as she arrived in Istanbul, Safiye immediately received the Haseki rank and a salary of 800 asperes per day. However, her new life in Istanbul also meant that Nurbanu, deeply loved and revered by Murad, would be part of their lives again. For the first few years, even if there were tensions in the harem, there was no open fight between the two women. However, Safiye sought to gain political power, which was a completely logical move as the mother of princes. However, Nurbanu did not appreciate her daughter-in-law's aspirations in political life, nor her attempt to influence Sultan Murad.

The relationship between the two women then became worse with the death of Safiye's younger son, Mahmud around 1580. Murad's other son, Prince Selim was probably in poor health, perhaps with some long-term illness. Thus the empire actually had a single heir, Safiye's eldest son, Mehmed. However, Mehmed had not yet been circumcised, it was not sure he would be able to have children, so it became more and more urgent for Murad to produce new heirs. However, Safiye had been struggling with infertility problems for years. She had a hard time getting pregnant, and if she did, she had miscarriages soon or the children were born prematurely. Taking advantage of this, Nurbanu tried to send new concubines to her son, who, however, rejected everyone because he was in love with Safiye. This situation certainly increased the tension between the two women, but that was by no means the peak.

In 1582, Nurbanu was confronted with the Grand Vizier, Sinan Pasha. For Sinan Pasha dared to say publicly that it was not Nurbanu who ruled the empire, but the sultan's concubine, Safiye. Sinan Pasha and Nurbanu never liked each other, which is why Sinan became a supporter of Safiye. However, Sinan not only insulted Nurbanu with this statement, but also the sultan himself, and even degraded the role of mothers, for which he received a rather negative reception, and even losing his position. Nurbanu (and Murad) may have seen Safiye behind Sinan Pasha's actions (which was either true or not), and this made Safiye's situation worse.

Maybe Murad lost some faith in Safiye after the events, but stayed loyal to her. The reason Murad rejected all other women may have been partial impotence. He was not able to have sex with any other concubine except Safiye. Because of this, the rumor that Safiye would make the Sultan impotent with witch-craft took off. Nurbanu, taking advantage of the rumors (or spreading them herself), tried to persuade Murad to exile Safiye. Eventually, Nurbanu successfully received a letter that was a reply letter from a healer woman to Safiye writing about aphrodisiacs. Based on the letter, it seemed that Safiye could have complained about Murad's problem to the woman, hoping for help. Nurbanu immediately showed Murad the letter. Offended by his masculinity, Murad - who tended to believe in witchcraft, astrology, so presumably seriously believed the rumor - finally, in early 1583 (or even in 1582), actually banished Safiye to the Old Palace. The exile was preceded by the torture and exile of Safiye's close friends and servants. Safiye was thus eventually left completely alone without her children and moved to the Old Palace. Although her children — especially her son Mehmed — fought hard for her return, they did not reach their goal. Moreover, the relationship between Mehmed and Murad has become life-threatening. In Safiye's absence, Murad, recovered from his impotence, received more and more concubines and gave produced an astonishing number of children. However, his mother died at the end of 1583 and the sultan was left alone.

The big comeback

Murad recalled Safiye to Topkapi Palace in 1584 and from then on, although he was not loyal to her, he treated her and became her companion. By then, Safiye had maybe been disillusioned with Murad and was only interested in gaining power. Maybe that’s why she didn’t show any jealousy towards Murad’s other concubines and pretended not to be disturbed by Murad’s playground in the harem. The act (if it was an act and not a sincere adherence to the sultan) eventually proved successful, as Murad discussed all matters with Safiye and let her gain power. It was during this period that Safiye also built her own all-intertwined relationship system and began to immerse herself in every corner of politics.

Murad, to compensate for the previous exile, planned to marry Safiye, however, it is questionable whether the marriage ever happened or not. In June 1585, the marriage had certainly not yet taken place, for the ambassador, Morosini, clearly writes in his account that the sultan had not paid the usual dowry. However, historian Mustafa Ali notes that at the end of 1585 the sultan did pay the dowry and married Safiye. The Sultan's personal physician had a similar view. Moreover, in October 1585, the Venetian bailo received news through Safiye's kira, Esther Handali, that the sultan's daughter, Ayşe will be married off, and that the sultan himself would marry Ayşe's mother. The Venetian bailo sent chairs as gifts to the sultan and sultana. Safiye responded to the letter on December 24, thanking him for the gifts. The marriage could not be concluded until the spring of 1586 when the Venetian Senate also congratulated the Sultan and Safiye. Safiye herself thanked them in another letter in April of that year.

So Safiye spent the second half of the 1580s, returning from exile, resurrected from her ashes, successfully and happily. Although many did not like her for doing little charity, the information left to us still gives us the image of a caring woman. Although she really spent little on charity (at least based on the information left over), she was very generous and kind to her friends. Her close friend, her kira, Esther Handali, for example, became ill in 1588 and the sultana had sent her letters, food, and doctors on a daily basis. It is clear from the letters that Safiye felt sincere concern for Esther, who passed away in December 1588, regardless of thorough treatment.

As much as Safiye could hate her mother-in-law, she continued her pro-Venice policy. She also stood openly in front of Murad for the sake of Venice as Haseki. And although she was able to influence the sultan in many ways, she did not always manage to shape the events according to her own taste. Thus, for example, in 1593 she tried to convince Murad, in favor of the English ambassador she had favored. However, Murad hardly listened, already rejecting Safiye's offer. Thus, although her power and influence grew during Murad's reign, the Sultan set serious boundaries for her.

Valide Safiye Sultan

Murad III died in 1595, so Safiye's son Mehmed took power. Under Mehmed's reign, Safiye herself reached the pinnacle of her influence and power. Committed to his mother to the extreme, the new sultan essentially allowed his mother to rule and gain influence. From then on, no one and nothing could set a limit to Safiye’s will. With the support of the chief eunuch, Gazanfer Agha, Safiye ruled the empire essentially through her son. This was greatly shown in 1596, when the Sultan himself, traveling on a campaign, made his mother the head of the treasury. So no one could do anything in the capital, or even in the whole empire, without Safiye's permission. In the absence of her son, Safiye also raised her own salary to 3,000 aspers per day. It was also at this time that he openly humiliated the Grand-Vezir after he began to pester prostitutes in the absence of the sultan. Safiye immediately sent a message to the Vizier to stop working with prostitute matters, as his son had not left him Istanbul to deal with whores.

Safiye learned not only from her mother-in-law's successes but also from her mistakes. Thus, in addition to pursuing a policy similar to that of her mother-in-law, Safiye, unlike her mother-in-law in the harem, ordered every woman who wanted to gain power to stop at the first moment. During Mehmed's reign, none of his concubines could rise to the rank of Haseki, and none of his concubines could gain political influence. Mehmed had two main concubines, Handan, who was raised by the sister of the late Sultan Murad; and Halime, a simple concubine. The former also won Safiye's sympathy, but the latter, given that Mehmed was very fond of her, won Safiye's hatred. In the harem, however, Gazanfer Agha maintained order and did not allow either Safiye or the concubines to act at the expense of each other.

Unlike the harem, no one in political life set a barrier for Safiye. Following the paths of his predecessors, Hürrem and Nurbanu, Safiye also wanted to correspond with a European ruler. In her case, luck and diplomatic sense made it possible to her to exchange letters with Queen Elizabeth I of England. Correspondence was certainly political at first, but over time it became much friendlier. They also sent each other gifts on a regular basis. Safiye’s adoration for England was so deepened that she wanted to meet one of the influential English ambassadors in a private audience. The meeting was almost established, but in the end, Mehmed made it impossible and forbade his mother, as such a meeting would have been immoral. From this event, then, rumors arose that Safiye and the English ambassador were lovers. But not only was the ambassador who was said to be Safiye's lover some also said he had an affair with her kiras Esther Handali, and Esperanza Malchi. The rumors circulating around her make it clear that she was not the most popular sultana.

The failed construction project

Her predecessors all carried out huge construction projects and extraordinary charities. Safiye also wanted to create something lasting, which is why she wanted to build a huge mosque complex with a mosque, soup kitchen, and hostel in the Eminönü district. This quarter was inhabited mainly by Jews at that time, so a mosque would have been of special importance here. She began the construction in 1598, but soon the capital had to face uprisings, so construction came to a halt when it was only held at the level of the first windows. Later, Turhan Hatice Sultan completed the building.

Although her biggest construction project, which with his soup kitchen might have won people’s love, failed, she also had other, more successful projects. In Karamanli, which is located in today's Üsküdar, she successfully made a fountain and masjid. She also successfully continued to build a mosque in Cairo that was begun by the black eunuch, Osman Agha, who passed away in 1603. This mosque is still known today as the Melike Safiye Mosque.

The hated woman

Safiye was never popular and it didn't seem to really bother her. Maybe she was angry at the people because of the rumors of the early 1580s? Maybe she didn’t want to care about people who turned against her for no reason before? Maybe she just wasn’t interested in charity? Either way, her unpopularity grew steadily, then culminated in 1600 with a sipahi rebellion. In March, after the Sultan distributed the soldiers' fee among the statesmen, the sipahis demanded the heads of all the rich, corrupt statesmen (and women) from the sultan and wished the death of Safiye Sultan also. Eventually, the sultan managed to reassure the soldiers, though several of his supporters had already fallen victim to them by that time, such as Esperanza Malchi, Safiye’s close friend and kira. Either way, Mehmed was finally able to save the lives of his mother and Gazanfer Agha. Safiye was inconsolable with Esperanza's death and demanded that the murder of the woman be avenged. However, Mehmed was so afraid - rightly - of the soldiers that he confronted his mother in an unusual way and exiled her to the Old Palace for some time. However, the exile only served to reassure the soldiers and Safiye soon returned.

Not learning from the threat from the soldiers, Safiye and her men continued to live on a large scale and did corruption, so perhaps unsurprisingly, another revolt in 1601 shook the capital. Then on March 21, the sipahis again demanded the death of Gazanfer Agha, for he was hated even more than Safiye. The soldiers sent a delegation to the sultan, demanding that he oust Gazanfer, as his excessive influence and corruption are dangerous and if the sultan does not act the way they want, he could easily fall victim to dethronement. Mehmed frightenedly agreed to extradite Gazanfer, but then Safiye Sultan, Grand Vizier Damad Ibrahim Pasa, and Yemişci Hasan Pasa convinced the Sultan not to betray his faithful friend, who was otherwise indispensable to the empire. The chief mufti, Sunullah Efendi - who, by the way, secretly supported the uprising - eventually persuaded the soldiers to leave Gazanfer Agha because the agha promised that he would no longer behave in a corrupt manner.

Safiye and her men continued to annoy the soldiers, which in 1603 brought fatal consequences for the life of the dynasty. In January, another revolt took place against Mehmed. At this time, however, in addition to the sipahis and the ulema, the janissaries joined the rebellion also and on January 6 they captured Gazanfer agha along with the chief black eunuch, Osman, and dragged them out of the palace all the way to Topkapi's third gate, where they were beheaded in front of both the crowd and the sultan. Although Safiye escaped the events, she lost one of her most important supporters, Gazanfer.

The wicked grandmother

Gazanfer was the only person who could keep order in the harem. However, with his death, hell broke loose in the harem, the Safiye - Handan duo openly confronted Halime, the mother of the eldest prince. Prince Mahmud, the son of Halime, enjoyed the support of the soldiers, which did not help him develop a good relationship with his father. In addition, due to the reckless nature of the prince, he performed several acts that provoked the anger of his father. In addition, it is not a negligible fact that Mahmud spoke openly against Safiye several times. He claimed that his grandmother’s activities were very detrimental to the empire and that his father was essentially a puppet in the hands of the valide. That is why Mahmud was so popular among soldiers and commoners and was so feared and hated by his grandmother.

Legend has it that Mahmud’s mother, Halime, sent a letter to a seer in 1603 to ask if her son would ever rule the empire. However, Safiye grabbed the reply letter and suspected Halime and Mahmud that they had conspired against the sultan. The letter is either real or just a legend, it is certain that Halime and Mahmud were accused of treason, their servants were tortured until they testified against them. And knowing these confessions, the sultan sentenced his own son, Mahmud, to death. All the ambassadors present during the events in the capital believed that Safiye was behind Mahmud's execution. As this was also reported by the pro-Safiye Venetian and English ambassadors, she certainly was behind the execution. Safiye, however, cannot clearly become an evil grandmother in our eyes. We must see that the Valide Sultan had only one role in life to protect her son, and Mahmud posed a serious threat to Mehmed, so his execution was inevitable in Safiye's eyes. At the same time, we cannot rule out that Safiye executed Mahmud only in her own interests, since Mahmud's accession to the throne would have ended her own rule. She could have hoped that if she supported Ahmed, the shy prince, she might be able to retain her power and influence.

Following the execution of Mahmud, Safiye took Prince Ahmed with her to the Golden Horn Bay to watch a state ceremony together. In doing so, in fact, Safiye publicly introduced Ahmed as heir to the throne and as her own chosen one. In addition, Sultan Mehmed also made several provisions that allowed Ahmed, as his heir, to go with him everywhere, including to the mosque, divan, and wherever the sultan went. Safiye might have thought Ahmed would be forever grateful to her for making him heir to the throne, but life didn’t quite bring it that way.

Farewell to Topkapi Palace

Safiye's son Mehmed died in December 1603 and Prince Ahmed ascended the throne at the age of just 13, still uncircumcised. As an accession gift, Ahmed gave a luxurious gift to three women close to him: of course, his mother, Handan, his grandmother, Safiye, and Gevherhan Sultan, who raised his mother. All three women received rare fur-trimmed dresses. Safiye might have thought this gift would seal her future and, like her son, her grandson would hold her in great love and respect and allow her to rule. However, Ahmed and Handan did not think so.

Although the legend holds that Ahmed and Handan betrayed Safiye when she was exiled to the Old Palace on January 9, 1604, they were certainly not driven by personal emotions. The political situation was very fragile, the soldiers had not yet decided whether to like the new sultan or not. Ahmed, to win the love of the soldiers, sent Safiye, who the soldiers hated so much, to the Old Palace. This was part of a natural process anyway, as with the death of the Sultan, his entire harem (mother, concubines, daughters, wives) moved to the Old Palace according to tradition. And Safiye, like the mother of the late Mehmed, belonged to the Old Palace.

So Safiye returned to the Old Palace for the third time on January 9, 1604, this time permanently. However, she left Topkapi in a rather extreme and peculiar way. Most of the Topkapi harem were loyal to her and those who did not, were bought to be loyal. Thus, on her departure, almost the entire harem (including servants) followed her in voluntary exile. But that was not enough for Safiye, as she ordered her servants to destroy the harem. All the windows were broken and other damages were done before they left Topkapi Palace forever. And on the way to the Old Palace, Safiye sobbed so theatrically loudly in her carriage that even the people who otherwise hated her felt sorry for her. So the Valide Sultan left the Topkapi in a really stylish way, losing her influence for a lifetime.

The damage to the harem was, by the way, so great that the Grand Vezir did not believe the estimated repairing cost the chief eunuch said to him, so he asked to be able to enter and see the damages by himself. Thus, for the first time in the history of the empire, the Grand Vezir received permission to enter the harem (which was almost completely empty and uninhabitable anyway). In the end, at the cost of lengthy work and huge costs, they managed to restore the valide's apartment and the rest of the harem.

Last years

With Safiye's "exile," Ahmed became very popular among the people and although he no longer sent expensive gifts to his grandmother, they probably kept in touch. This is also indicated by the fact that Sultan Ahmed’s favorite concubine, Kösem, often visited Safiye with her children. So Safiye certainly spent her last years in peace and comfort, but without any political influence within the walls of the Old Palace.

The exact time of her death is unknown, but it is certain that she was still alive during Osman II's rule, but when Murad IV ascended the throne, she presumably was dead. This suggests that she died around 1620, beyond her seventies.

Safiye was one of the most divisive personalities of all sultans, a truly special, unique woman who was perhaps not an example of charity and kindness, yet she was one of the most colorful figures in the history of the empire with her theatrical and indifferent nature. She saw seven sultans on the throne, as much as another sultan besides her, Kösem. Safiye came to the empire, became the concubine of Prince Murad, and became a mother during Suleiman I's reign; then, under the reign of Selim II, she became the head of the Manisa harem of Murad; during her sweetheart, Murad's reign, she was a Haseki Sultan, she traveled to heaven and hell; beside her son, Mehmed III, she surpassed all her predecessors and became the most influential woman in the empire; during the reign of her grandson, Ahmed I, she was forced to break with his previous life forever; during her other grandson, Mustafa I's reign she may have been worried, as Mustafa was the full-brother of Mahmud and was ruled by his mother, Halime; then, with the dethronement of Mustafa I, during her great-grandson, Osman II's reign, she was able to live in relative peace. The accession of Osman II perhaps brought a little light into the last months of the old sultana, since he regularly visited Old Palace.

Used sources: L. Peirce - The imperial harem; M. P. Pedani - Safiye's household and Venetian diplomacy; G. Junne - The black eunuchs of the Ottoman Empire; G. B��rekçi - Factions and favourites at the courts of Sultan Ahmed I (r. 1603-17) and his immediate predecessors; Necdet Sakaoğlu - Bu Mülkün Kadın Sultanları

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Származása és neveltetése

Safiye minden bizonnyal a kései 1540-es években születhetett a mai Albánia területén a hegyvidéki területeken. Albánia nagyrésze addigra már békében élt az oszmánokkal és felvette az iszlám vallást, a hegyvidékek azonban nem, így itt továbbra is előfordultak atrocitások. Talán egy ilyen során ejtették fogjuk a gyermek Safiyét. Sok forrás emlegeti velenceinek, azonban mára kétséget kizáróan bebizonyosodott, hogy ezen források csupán anyósával, Nurbanuval keverték össze.

Safiye Isztambulba kerülve hamarosan Szulejmán szultán unokájának, Hümaşah szultánának a háztartásába került. Hümaşah szultána valamivel idősebb volt (1543-ban született) Safiyénél, ám viszonylag kis korkülönbség volt. Az, hogy pontosan hogyan került Safiye Hümaşah háztartásába nem tisztázott, mint ahogy pontos szerepe sem. Elképzelhető, hogy játszótárs, társalkodó vagy egyszerű szolgáló volt. Mindenesetre Hümaşah gyorsan felismerte a lány tehetségét, mert foglalkozni kezdett a megfelelő oktatásával és így Safiye 1560 körül már igazi főnyereménynek számíthatott az ágyasok között. A szultánák által kinevelt ágyasok különösen jól neveltek, intelligensek és szépek voltak, így általában igen fényes jövő várt rájuk. Safiye esetében sem volt ez másképp. Nevét is valószínűleg Hümaşahtól kapta, a Safiye jelentése "tiszta".

Az ifjú ágyas

Hümaşah alaposan és körültekintően választotta ki, hogy kinek ajándékozza Safiyét. Végül unokatestvérére, Muradra esett a választása. Az ajándékozás pontos ideje nem ismert, ám valószínűleg akkorra tehető, amikor már Bayezid herceg és Szelim herceg harca egyértelműen eldőlt. Amíg ugyanis nem volt biztos a trónöröklés kérdése hiba lett volna egy ilyen nagyszerű ágyast odaajándékozni valakinek, aki talán hamarosab kivégzőosztaggal néz szembe. Így tehát feltehetőleg 1562-ben került Safiye a leendő szultán II. Szelim fiának, Muradnak háremébe.

Murad minden bizonnyal azonnal a szívébe zárta a lányt, hiszen gyors egymásutánisággal 1566-ig két gyermekük is született. Első gyermekük, egy kislány, Murad unokatestvére utána a Hümaşah nevet kapta és valószínűleg 1564-ben született. Őt követte első fiuk, Mehmed 1566-ban. Ebben az évben hunyt el Szulejmán szultán és ez sok változást hozott Safiye életében. Egyrészt megszabadult anyósától, hiszen Nurbanu Szelim szultán kedveseként azonnal Isztambulba utazott, Safiye pedig Murad háremének legmagasabb rangú asszonya lett. Nurbanu és Safiye viszonya a mai napig az egyik legrosszabb anyós-meny viszonyként ismert. Azonban az első néhány év, melyet együtt élve töltöttek valószínűleg még nem volt annyira brutális, mint későbbi viszonyuk.

Murad bár kiemelt figyelmet szentel Safiyének nem volt teljesen monogám a kapcsolatuk, ugyanis egy másik ágyas - egy igen befolyásos kalfa által kinevelt lány - szintén fiút szült Muradnak, Szelimet 1567-ben. Őt követte Safiye második fia, Mahmud 1568-ban, őt pedig két további lány Ayse (1570 körül) és Fatma (az 1570-es évek közepén/végén). Leszámítva Szelim herceg születését, úgy tűnik Murad igyekezett minden figyelmét Safiyének szentelni, hiszen nem született mástól gyermeke. Szinte monogám kapcsolatuk is arra utal, hogy Murad és Safiye igen összeszoktak a Manisában töltött évek során és minden bizonnyal Safiye átvette Nurbanu helyét Murad támogatásában is. Épp emiatt Murad trónralépése komolyan befolyásolta életüket.

Haszeki Safiye Szultána

II. Szelim 1574-ben elhunyt és Murad lett az új szultán. Safiye gyermekeivel együtt azonnal a fővárosba utazott, hogy Murad mellett telepedjen le. Safiye szinte ahogy Isztambulba ért, azonnal megkapta a Haseki rangot és hozzá kimagasló napi 800 asperes fizetést. Azonban új isztambuli élete azt is jelentette, hogy a Murad által mélységesen szeretett és tisztelt Nurbanu szultána is újra életük része lesz. Az első néhány évben ha voltak is feszültségek a háremben, nyílt harc nem volt a két nő között. Safiye azonban igyekezett politikai hatalmat szerezni, ami hercegek édesanyjaként teljesen logikus lépés volt. Azonban Nurbanu nem értékelte menye törekvéseit a politikai életben, sem azt, hogy Murad szultánt próbálja befolyásolni.

A két nő viszonya aztán Safiye kisebbik fiának, Mahmudnak halálával mérgesedett el igazán 1580 körül. Murad másik fia, Szelim herceg valószínűleg gyenge egészségi állapotban volt, talán valamilyen tartós betegsége lehetett. Így a birodalomnak tulajdonképpen egyetlen örököse volt, Safiye idősebb fia, Mehmed. Mehmed azonban még nem volt körülmetélve, nem volt biztos, hogy képes lesz gyermekeket nemzeni, így egyre sürgetőbb lett, hogy Murad új örökösöket nemzzen. Safiye azonban ekkor már évek óta meddőségi problémákkal küzdött. Nehezen esett teherbe, ha pedig mégis sikerült, hamar elvetélt vagy a gyermekek koraszületten jöttek a világra. Nurbanu ezt kihasználva igyekezett új ágyasokat küldeni fiának, aki azonban mindenkit elutasított, hiszen szerelmes volt Safiyébe. Ez a helyzet minden bizonnyal tovább növelte a két nő közötti feszültséget, ám korántsem ez volt a csúcs.

1582-ben Nurbanu szembe került a nagyvezírrel, Sinan Pasával. Sinan Pasa ugyanis nyilvánosan azt merte mondani, hogy nem Nurbanu az, aki irányítja a birodalmat, hanem a szultán ágyasa, Safiye. Sinan Pasa és Nurbanu sosem kedvelte egymást, épp emiatt vált Sinan Safiye támogatójává. Sinan azonban nem csak Nurbanut sértette meg ezzel a kijelentéssel, de a szultánt is, sőt ledegradálta az anyák szerepét, amiért meglehetősen negatív fogadtatában részesült, posztját is elvesztette. Nurbanu (és Murad) talán Sinan Pasa cselekedete mögött Safiyét látta (ami vagy igaz volt, vagy sem), ettől pedig Safiye helyzete tovább romlott.

Ezek az események bizonyára hatottak Muradra, ám ő továbbra is hűséges maradt Safiyéhez. Annak oka, hogy Murad minden más nőt elutasított, valószínűleg részleges impotenciája lehetett. Safiyén kívül ugyanis nem volt képes egyik más ágyassal sem szexuális aktusra. Emiatt szárnyra kapott az a pletyka, hogy Safiye boszorkányságokkal teszi a szultánt impotenssé. Nurbanu kihasználva a pletykát (vagy saját maga terjesztve őket), igyekezett meggyőzni Muradot, hogy száműzze Safiyét. Végül Nurbanu sikerrel kapott el egy levelet, mely egy vajákos asszony válaszlevele volt Safiyének, melyben afrodiziákumokról ír. A levél alapján úgy tűnt, Safiye elpanaszolhatta Murad problémáját a nőnek, segítséget remélve. Nurbanu a levelet azonnal megmutatta Muradnak. A férfiasságában sértett Murad - aki hajlamos volt hinni a boszorkányságban, asztrológiában, tehát feltehetőleg komolyan elhitte a pletykát - végül 1583 elején (vagy még 1582-ben) valóban száműzte Safiyét a Régi Palotába. A száműzetést megelőzte Safiye közeli barátainak és szolgálóinak kínvallatása, száműzetése. Safiye így végül teljesen egyedül maradt és gyermekeitől elszakítva költözött a Régi Palotába. Bár gyermekei - különösen fia, Mehmed - erősen küzdöttek visszatéréséért, nem értek célt. Sőt, Mehmed és Murad viszonya életveszélyessé vált. Safiye távollétében, az impotenciájából kigyógyult Murad újabb és újabb ágyasokat fogadott és elképesztő mennyiségű gyermeket nemzett. Édesanyja azonban 1583 végén elhunyt, a szultán pedig magára maradt.

A nagy visszatérés

Murad 1584-ben visszahívta Safiyét a Topkapi Palotába és onnantól kezdve bár hűséges nem volt hozzá, tisztelettel bánt vele és társa lett. Safiye eddigre minden bizonnyal kiábrándult Muradból és egyedül a hatalomszerzés érdekelte. Talán éppen ezért nem mutatott semmiféle féltékenységet Murad többi ágyasa irányába és tett úgy, mintha nem zavarná Murad játszótere a háremben. A színjáték (már ha az volt és nem továbbra is őszinte ragaszkodás a szultánhoz) végül sikeresnek bizonyult, ugyanis Murad minden ügyet Safiyével vitatott meg. Safiye ebben az időszakban építette ki mindent átszövő kapcsolatrendszerét is és kezdte a poltika minden egyes szegletébe bevenni magát.

Murad, hogy kompenzálja a korábbi száműzetést tervezgette, hogy feleségül veszi Safiyét, azonban kérdéses, hogy a frigy valaha is létrejött e. 1585 júniusában még egészen biztosan nem történt meg a frigy, mert a követ, Morosini egyértelműen megírja beszámolójában, hogy a szultán nem fizette meg a szokásos hozományt. Mustafa Ali, történész azonban úgy jegyzi, hogy 1585 végén a szultán igenis megfizette a hozományt és nőül vette Safiyét. Hasonló véleményen volt a szultán személyes orvosa is. Sőt a velencei bailo 1585 októberében kapott híreket Safiye kiráján, Esther Handalin keresztül arról, hogy a szultán lányát, Ayşét ki fogja házasítani és ő maga is el fogja venni Ayşe anyját. A velencei bailo székeket küldött ajándékba a szultán és szultána számára. Safiye szultána december 24-én válaszolt a levélre megköszönve az ajándékokat. A házasság megköttetése csak 1586 tavaszán történhetett, ugyanis a szenátus ekkor gratulált levélben a szultánának, Safiye pedig az év áprilisában újabb levélben köszönte meg a gratulációkat.

Safiye tehát az 1580-as évek második felét a száműzetésből visszatérve, hamvaiból feltámadva, sikeresen és boldogságban töltötte. Bár sokan nem kedvelték a szultánát, amiért az keveset jótékonykodott, a ránk maradt információkból mégis egy törődő nő képe alakul ki előttünk. Bár jótékonyságra valóban keveset fordított (legalábbis a fennmaradt információk alapján), barátaival szemben igen nagylelkű és kedves volt. Közeli barátja, kirája, Ester Handali 1588-ban például beteg lett, mire a szultána napi szinten küldött neki levelet, ételt és orvosokat. A levelekből egyértelműen látszódik, hogy Safiye őszinte aggodalmat érzett Esther irányába, aki az alapos kezeléstől függetlenül 1588 decemberében elhunyt.

Safiye bármennyire is gyűlölhette anyósát, mégis annak Velence-párti politikáját folytatta. Haszekiként is nyíltan kiállt Murad előtt Velence érdekében. És bár sok szempontból tudott hatni a szultánra, nem minden esetben sikerült saját szájíze szerint alakítani az eseményeket. Így például 1593-ban igyekezett meggyőzni Muradot, az általa igen favorizált angol követ érdekében egy ügyletben. Azonban Murad szinte meg sem hallgatta, máris elutasította Safiye ajánlatát. Így tehát bár hatalma és befolyása egyre nőtt Murad uralkodása alatt, a szultán komoly határokat szabott neki.

Valide Safiye Szultána

III. Murad 1595-ben elhunyt, így Safiye fia, Mehmed vette át a hatalmat. Mehmed uralkodásával Safiye maga is elérte befolyásának és hatalmának csúcsát. Az anyjáért végletekig elkötelezett új szultán lényegében engedte anyját uralkodni. Innentől kezdve senki és semmi nem szabhatott határt Safiye akaratának. Safiye a fő eunuch, Gazanfer Aga támogatásával lényegében fián keresztül irányította a birodalmat. Ez 1596-ban remekül megnyilvánult, amikor a szultán maga hadjáratra utazván anyját tette meg a kincstár fejévé. Így tehát senki nem tehetett semmit a fővárosban, sőt az egész birodalomban anélkül, hogy arra Safiye engedélyt adott volna. Fia távollétében Safiye saját fizetését is felemelte napi 3000 asperre. Ekkoriban történt az is, hogy nyíltan megalázta a fővezírt, miután az elkezdte a prostituáltakat vegzálni a szultán hiányában. Safiye azonnal üzenetet küldött a vezírnek, hogy hagyja abba a prostituáltakkal való foglalkozást, hiszen a fia nem azért hagyta Isztambulba, hogy nőkkel foglalkozzon.

Safiye nem csak anyósa sikereiből tanult, hanem hibáiból is. Így amellett, hogy anyósához hasonló politikát folytatott és anyósához hasonlóan hatalmas szeretet és tisztelet övezte a követi körökben, Safiye a háremben anyósával ellentétben már az első pillanatban megálljt parancsolt minden nőnek, aki hatalmat akart szerezni. Mehmed uralkodása alatt egyik ágyasa sem emelkedhetett Haszeki rangra és egyik ágyas sem szerezhetett politikai befolyást. Mehmednek két főágyasa volt, Handan, akit a néhai Murad szultán nővére nevelt ki; és Halime, egyszerű ágyas. Előbbi Safiye szimpátiáját is kivívta, utóbbi azonban - tekintettel arra, hogy Mehmed nagyon kedvelte - Safiye gyűlöletét nyerte el. A háremben azonban Gazanfer Aga rendet tartott és nem engedte, hogy akár Safiye, akár az ágyasok egymás rovására cselekedjenek.

A háremmel szemben a politikai életben senki sem szabott gátat Safiyének. Elődei, Hürrem és Nurbanu útját követve Safiye is levelezni kívánt valamely európai uralkodóval. Esetében a szerencse és a diplomáciai érzék úgy hozta, hogy magával I. Erzsébet angol királynővel válthatott leveleket. A levelezés eleinte minden bizonnyal politikai volt, idővel azonban sokkal barátságosabbra váltott. Rendszeresen küldtek egymásnak ajándékokat is. Safiye angolok iránti imádata annyira elmélyült, hogy privát audiencián akart találkozni az egyik befolyásos angol követtel. A találkozó majdnem létre is jött, de végül Mehmed ellehetetlenítette és megtiltott anyjának, hiszen erkölcstelen lett volna egy ilyen találkozó. Ebből az eseményből születtek aztán azok a pletykák, miszerint Safiye és az angol követ szeretők voltak. De nem csak a követtel hozták hírbe, egyesek szerint kirájával Esther Handalival és Esperanza Malchival is viszonya volt. A sok körüötte keringő pletyka egyértelművé teszi, hogy nem ő volt a legnépszerűbb szultána.

A meghiúsult építkezési projekt

Elődei mind hatalmas építkezési projekteket és rendkívüli mértékű jótékonykodást vittek véghez. Safiye is szeretett volna valami maradandót alkotni, épp ezért az Eminönü negyedbe akart egy hatalmas mecset komplexumot létesíteni mecsettel, leveskonyhával és szállóval. Ez a negyed akkoriban főleg zsidók által volt lakva, így itt kiemelt jelentőséggel bírt volna egy mecset. 1598-ban bele is kezdett az építkezésbe, azonban hamarosan lázadásokkal kellett szembenéznie a fővárosnak, így az építkezés megakadt, mikor még csak az első ablakok szintjénél tartottak. Később Turhan Hatice szultána fejezte be az épületet.

Bár legnagyobb építkezési projektje, melynek leveskonyhájával talán az emberek szeretetét is sikerült volna kivívnia, kudarcba fulladt, voltak más, sikeresebb projektjei is. Karamanliban, mely a mai Üsküdarban fekszik, sikeresen építtetett egy kutat és masjidot. Emellett Kairóban sikeresen folytatta az időközben elhunyt fekete eunuch, Osman Aga által elkezdett mecset építését. Ez a mecset Melike Safiye Mecset néven ismert napjainkban is.

A gyűlölt asszony

Safiye sosem volt népszerű és úgy tűnt ez nem is érdekelte igazán. Talán dühös volt a népre az 1580as évek eleji pletykák miatt? Talán nem akart törődni egy olyan néppel, aki minden ok nélkül ellene fordult? Talán egyszerűen nem érdekelte a jótékonyság? Akárhogyan is népszerűtlensége folyamatosan nőtt, majd 1600-ban egy szpáhi lázadással csúcsosodott. Március, miután a szultán, a katonák jussát az államférfiak között osztotta szét a szpáhik minden gazdag, korrupt államférfi (és nő) fejét követelték a szultántól valamint Safiye szultána halálát kívánták. Végül a szultánnak sikerült megnyugtatnia a katonákat, igaz több támogatója addigra már áldozatul esett nekik, így például Esperanza Malchi, Safiye közeli barátja, kirája. Akárhogyan is, Mehmed végül képes volt megmenteni édesanyja és Gazanfer Aga életét. Safiye vigasztalhatatlan volt Esperanza halálával és követelte, hogy torolják meg a nő meggyilkolását. Mehmed azonban annyira félt - jogosan - a katonáktól, hogy magától szokatlan módon szállt szembe anyjával és száműzte őt a Régi Palotába egy időre. A száműzetés azonban csak a katonák megnyugtatását szolgálta és Safiye hamarosan visszatért.

Nem tanulva a katonák fenyegetéséből, Safiye és emberei tovább folytatták a nagylábon élést és korrupciót, így talán nem meglepő, hogy 1601-ben újabb lázadás rázta meg a fővárost. Március 21-én aztán a szpáhik ismételten Gazanfer aga halálát követelték, őt ugyanis még Safiyénél is jobban gyűlölték. A katonák delegációt küldtek a szultánhoz, követelve, hogy mondassa le Gazanfert, ugyanis túlzó befolyása és korruptsága veszélyes és ha a szultán nem cselekszik úgy, ahogy ők akarják, könnyen trónfosztás áldozata lehet. Mehmed ijedtében beleegyezett Gazanfer kiadatásába, azonban aztán Safiye szultána, a nagyvezír Damad Ibrahim Pasa és Yemişci Hasan Pasa meggyőzték a szultánt, hogy nem adhatja ki hűséges barátját, aki egyébként is nélkülözhetetlen a birodalom számára. A főmufti, Sunullah Efendi - aki egyébként titokban támogatta a felkelést - végül meggyőzte a katonákat, hogy hagyják Gazanfer agát, mert az aga megígérte, hogy többet nem fog korrupt módon viselkedni.

Safiye és emberei tovább folytatták a katonák bosszantását, ami 1603-ban végzetes követkemzényeket hozott a dinasztia életében. Januárban újabb lázadás történt Mehmed ellen. Ekkor azonban a szpáhik és az ulema mellett a janicsárok is csatlakoztak a lázadáshoz és január 6-án elkapták Gazanfer agát a fő fekete eunuchal, Osmannal együtt és kirángatták őket a palotából, egészen a Topkapi harmadik kapujáig, ahol a tömeg és a szultán szeme láttára mindkettőt lefejezték. Safiye bár megúszta az eseményeket, elvesztette legfontosabb támogatóinak egyikét, Gazanfert.

A megosztó nagymama

Gazanfer volt az egyetlen ember, aki rendet tudott tartani a háremben. Halálával azonban elszabadult a pokol a háremben, a Safiye - Handan páros nyíltan került szembe Halimével, a legidősebb herceg anyjával. Mahmud herceg, Halime fia élvezte a katonák támogatását, ami nem segítette apjával való jó viszonyának kialakulását. Emellett a herceg meggondolatlan természete miatt több olyan tettet is végrehajtott, amivel kivívta apja dühét. Emellett nem elhanyagolható tény, hogy Mahmud többször szólalt fel nyíltan Safiye ellen. Azt állította, hogy nagyanyja tevékenysége igen káros a birodalomra és, hogy apja lényegében egy báb a valide kezében. Mahmud épp emiatt volt olyan népszerű a katonák és közemberek között, és volt olyannyira félt és gyűlölt nagyanyja által.

A legendák szerint Mahmud anyja Halime, 1603-ban levelet küldött egy látnoknak, hogy megkérdezze, fia uralkodni fog e valaha a birodalomban. A válaszlevelet azonban Safiye kaparintotta meg és meggyanusította Halimét és Mahmudot, hogy azok összeesküdtek a szultán ellen. A látnok levele vagy valós vagy csak legenda, az bizonyos, hogy Halimét és Mahmudot megvádolták árulással, szolgáikat addig kínozták, míg nem vallottak ellenük. Ezen vallomások ismeretében pedig a szultán halálra ítélte saját fiát, Mahmudot. Minden követ, aki jelen volt az események során a fővárosban úgy tartotta, hogy Mahmud kivégzése mögött Safiye állt. Mivel a Safiyével szemben igen pozitív velencei és angol követek is erről számoltak be, minden bizonnyal valóban így volt. Safiye ettől azonban nem válhat egyértelműen egy gonosz nagymamává a szemünkben. Látnunk kell azt, hogy ez valide szultána egyetlen feladata, fia védelme, Mahmud pedig komoly fenyegetést jelentett Mehmedre, így kivégzése elkerülhetetlen volt Safiye szemével nézve. Ugyanakkor azt sem zárhatjuk ki, hogy Safiye csak a saját érdekeit nézve végeztette ki Mahmudot, hiszen Mahmud trónralépésével vége szakadt volna saját uralmának. Azt remélhette, hogy ha Ahmedet, a mujább herceget támogatja, talán megtarthatja hatalmát és befolyását.

Mahmud kivégzését követően Safiye magával vitte Ahmed herceget az Aranyszarv-öbölbe, hogy együtt nézzenek meg egy állami ceremóniát. Ezzel tulajdonképpen Safiye nyilvánosan bemutatta Ahmedet, mint trónörököst és mint saját választottját. Emellett Mehmed szultán is több olyan rendelkezést hozott, ami lehetővé tette, hogy Ahmed, mint örököse vele elgyen mindenhol, így a mecsetben, divánban és bárhol, ahol a szultánnak meg kell jelennie. Safiye azt gondolhatta, hogy Ahmed örökre hálás lesz neki, amiért trónörököst csinált belőle, de az élet nem egészen így hozta.

Búcsú a Topkapi Palotától

Safiye fia, Mehmed 1603 decemberében meghalt és Ahmed herceg alig 13 évesen, még körülmetéletlenül elfoglalta a trónt. Trónralépési ajándékként Ahmed három hozzá közelálló nőt részesített luxus ajándékban: természetesen édesanyját, Handant, nagyanyját Safiyét és az anyját kinevelő Gevherhan szultánát. Mind a három nő ritka prémes ruhát kapott. Safiye talán azt gondolhatta, ez az ajándék megpecsételi majd jövőjét és hasonlóan fiához, unokája is hatalmas szeretetben és tiszteletben fogja őt tartani és engedi majd urakodni. Ahmed és Handan azonban nem így gondolták.

Bár tartja magát a legenda, miszerint Ahmed és Handan rútul elárulták Safiyét, mikor 1604 január 9-én száműzték a Régi Palotába, minden bizonnyal nem személyes érzelmek vezérelték őket. A politikai helyzet igen sérülékeny volt, a katonák még nem döntötték el, hogy kedveljék e az új szultánt vagy sem. Ahmed, hogy elnyerje a katonák szeretetét, az általuk olyannyira gyűlölt Safiyét a Régi Palotába küldte. Ez egyébként természetes folyamat része volt, hiszen a szultán halálával annak teljes háreme (anyja, ágyasai, lányai, feleségei) a Régi Palotába költözött a hagyományok szerint. Safiye pedig, mint a néhai Mehmed anyja, a Régi Palotába tartozott.

Safiye tehát 1604 január 9-én harmadjára tért vissza a Régi Palotába, ezúttal véglegesen. Azonban a Topkapit meglehetősen extrém és sajátos módon hagyta hátra. A Topkapi hárem nagyrésze hozzá volt hű, aki nem, azok hűségét pedig megvásárolta. Így távozásakor szinte a teljes hárem (szolgálókat is beleértve) vele tartott önkéntes száműzetésbe. Ám ez nem volt elég Safiye számára, hiszen megparancsolta szolgálóinak, hogy rombolják le a háremet. Minden ablakot betörtek és más károkat is okoztak mielőtt örökre elhagyták volna a Topkapi Palotát. A Régi Palotába vezető úton pedig Safiye olyan teátrálisan hangosan zokogott kocsijában, hogy még az őt egyébként gyűlölő nép is megsajnálta. A Valide szultána tehát igazán stílusosan távozott a Topkapiból és ezzel veszítette el befolyását egy életre.

A háremben keletkezett károk egyébként olyan mértékűek voltak, hogy a fővezír nem hitte el a fő eunuch javítási költségekre tett becslését, így kérvényezte, hogy maga mérhesse fel a kárt. Így a birodalom történetében először a fővezír engedélyt kapott, hogy belépjen a hárembe (amely egyébként is szinte teljesen üres és lakhatatlan volt). Végül hosszadalmas munka és hatalmas költségek árán sikerült csak helyreállítani a valide lakosztályát és a hárem többi részét.

Utolsó évei

Safiye "száműzésével" Ahmed igen népszerű lett a nép körében és bár többé nem küldött drága ajándékokat nagyanyjának, valószínűleg tartották a kapcsolatot. Erre utal az is, hogy Ahmed szultán kedvenc ágyasa, Kösem gyakran látogatta meg Safiyét gyermekei kíséretében. Safiye tehát utolsó éveit minden bizonnyal nyugalomban és kényelemben, ám minden politikai befolyás nélkül töltötte a Régi Palota falai között.

Halálának pontos ideje nem ismert, azonban annyi bizonyos, hogy II. Oszmán uralkodása során még életben volt, IV. Murad trónralépésekor azonban már feltehetőleg nem. Ez azt sugallja, hogy 1620 körül hunyt el, túl a hetvenen.

Safiye az összes szultána közül az egyik legmegosztóbb személyiség volt, egy igazán különleges, egyedi asszony, aki talán nem a jótékonyság és kedvesség mintapéldája volt, ám mégis ő volt az egyik legszínesebb figura a birodalom történetében teátrális és közönyös természetével. Hét szultánt látott a trónon, annyit, amennyit rajta kívül csak egy másik szultána, Köszem. Safiye I. Szulejmán uralkodása alatt került a birodalomba és vált Murad herceg ágyasává, anyává; majd II. Szelim uralkodása alatt a Manisai hárem fejévé; kedvese III. Murad uralkodása alatt pedig Haszeki szultánaként megjárta a mennyet és a poklot; fia III. Mehmed mellett pedig minden elődét túlszárnyalva vált a birodalom legbefolyásosabb asszonyává; unokája I. Ahmed uralkodása alatt örökre szakítani kényszerült addigi életével; másik unokája az őrült I. Musztafa uralma aggaszthatta talán újra, hiszen Musztafa Mahmud édestestvére volt, helyette pedig anyja, Halime uralkodott; aztán Musztafa trónfosztásával viszonylagos békében élhette meg dédunokája II. Oszmán trónralépését, aki rendszeresen látogatva a Régi Palotát talán egy kis fényt vitt az idős szultána utolsó éveibe.

Felhasznált források: L. Peirce - The imperial harem; M. P. Pedani - Safiye's household and Venetian diplomacy; G. Junne - The black eunuchs of the Ottoman Empire; G. Börekçi - Factions and favourites at the courts of Sultan Ahmed I (r. 1603-17) and his immediate predecessors; Necdet Sakaoğlu - Bu Mülkün Kadın Sultanları

#safiye sultan #safiye #Murad III #Nurbanu Sultan #kösem sultan #ahmed i #sehzade mahmud #mustafa i #Suleiman I #Suleyman I #selim ii #mehmed iii #esperanza malchi #esther handali #gazanfer agha #gazanfer

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picassho-18 · 4 years

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creative writing piece!

A/N: Hi guys! So I am in a introduction to prose writing class right now, and I just wrote a short story I am really proud of and thought I would share it on here. Its not marvel or fandom related but it is set in the 1800′s and I like to think it’s interesting! Please feel free to read it, and it would be great if I got some feedback on it! Thanks!!

Word Count: 2190

Trees on the Horizon

Short story by Kate

19 years old.

The words were simply not writing themselves down on the blank, yellowed paper in front of her. Her fingertips danced on top of the paper, fountain pen tucked in the crook of her hand as she debated the message she wanted to send.

Elizabeth Mae Williams.

Her name was written neatly, perfectly, scrawled across the top with her best ink. But what was needed underneath was undetermined. Who was she and how did she want to convey herself?

Was she progressive? This unwavering and determined woman, alone in a cruel world made by men. Or was she someone who craved the comfort and support of one of those men? Surrendering to a role designated for women in this society that meant warmth and security, but limited any and all freedom.

While she was already her father’s possession, surely she must want escape from a limited lifestyle of servitude. But must that lead her into the arms of another man, a transference of property and dowry, a transaction, that never allows any form of decisions or wants on behalf of the woman?

Or could this promise of education provide the escape she craves? Could society be moving forward enough to allow her into a college that enables her into an independent individual?

All these thoughts swirled inside her head as she debated the perfect message, one that must convince a group of people that she was worthy of college, which would provide her passageway from the only world she knows; the ever shrinking Georgetown; a place she has called home since birth and yet her only desire is to leave it.

11 years old.

Elizabeth always sat in the front row. Every day, her mother would remind her how lucky she was that Georgetown had a schoolhouse, especially with how it allowed girls to learn with the young boys as well. So she sat upright and at attention, her eyes following the teachers every movement of her wrist as she wrote on the blackboard.

“Our lovely Georgetown has suffered many fires, but the very first one caused our town to relocate. Does anyone know what year that was?”

No one raised their hands. Elizabeth looked around, hesitant when none of the boys in the classroom appeared like they knew.

Slowly, she raised her hand, “It was in 1852, Miss Everling.”

The teacher clapped her hands together in joy, “That is correct, Miss Williams.”

The boys groaned, annoyed that she yet again got an answer correct. The few other girls glared at her from rows away. Only the red-headed boy gave her a soft smile of encouragement.

Miss Everling glanced around the room, noticing the hostility before clearing her throat and continuing the history lesson, “Alright, boys and girls. Can anyone explain how the fire department was established in Georgetown?”

Elizabeth peered around the room again, the answer on the tip of her tongue. Yet again no one raised their hands. And neither did she. Instead she looked out her window, staring at the trees on the horizon that seemed to grow farther and farther away.

12 years old.

Slowly passing the wooden buildings on their sides, the bar soon approaching on their left, Elizabeth and Mary matched stride for stride, the pair leaned close, heads tilted together. With ever so slightly hushed voices, Mary began to talk, explaining exactly what Elizabeth has been anticipating to hear since she had woken up this morning.

“And now my aunt is the Dean at DePauw University!” she exclaimed a little too loudly, earning a few undesired glances from a few of the drunks lounging outside the bar. Quickly, the pair walked past the entrance, before resuming, “she got promoted; the University thought it would be progressive and recognized her talent!”

Elizabeth’s eyes widened in surprise, not believing that a woman could actually become a Dean of the University. “Please tell me you are not joking!”

“I swear it. It is bottom fact!” Mary said, grinning madly, excitement coursing through the pair as Elizabeth heart swelled at the revelation, pulse picking up at the new possibilities springing into her head.

“Oh, how desperately jealous I am of your Aunt!” Elizabeth shook her head, grin still on her face, as she thought about how lucky —

Mary nudged Elizabeth playfully, interrupting her thoughts, “Don’t you think Dean Arabella Mansfield of DePauw University just sounds lovely?!”

A hopeful grin rested on Elizabeth’s face, as she sighed woefully, “Yes. It sounds splendid.”

14 years old.

Oh how lucky she was! Elizabeth was ecstatic, and a beaming smile shining brightly, as she had an old edition of a law textbook in her hand. The pages were battered, the spine worn and discolored, yet the name written inside the book was as evident and bright as day; Arabella Mansfield.

Mary had requested any study materials that Arabella could spare, which led to her aunt sending back two law textbooks she had used to study for the Iowa Bar exam.

Elizabeth was walking home from Mary’s home, her heart beating fast like she just acquired pounds of treasure.

The book opened in her hands, her fingers brushed over the pages delicately, squinting closely at the handwritten marks left behind by Arabella. Her focus was directed entirely on her new possession, her face decorated in awe at what was right there, between her hands.

She had no time to notice the approaching wagon, pulled by two brown horses, coming closer right in her path.

The man holding the reins shouted out, “Get out of the road!” trying to pull the horses to the side.

Elizabeth yelped out, barely getting out the way of the gigantic horses as they squealed at the close quarters. She lost balance, falling down, her dress now directly in the muddy water off the side of the road.

The man grumbled, “Ya damn girl!” before continuing down the road, getting control over his horses once again.

Teeth gritted, and hands clenched in tight fists, she calmed herself while her fingernails dug into her palms. Slowly, she gathered herself, trying her best to brush off the dirt and mud from her skirts, but her heart sank when she saw the book laying open, and faced down. She quickly got up and reached for the book, frantically wiping off the mud that was caking the exposed pages. Her chest tightened, tears threatening to spill down her face, but she refused.

Elizabeth straightened her back and continued her walk home.

15 years old.

Alone in the school room, save for the teacher that was gathering her worn leather bound books, Elizabeth sat in the front row, the familiar seat an echo of comfort. Her window framing a dark and cloudy landscape outside, as her classmates trudged home through the gusty winds.

Miss Everling walked right in front of the desk that separated the two ladies, soft eyes staring at the young student, “Miss Williams, do you know why I wanted to talk to you after the lessons?”

“No, ma’am. I do not know.” Elizabeth gulped, worry now eating away at her, as the teacher looked around the room, ample time on her hands.

“You are a very bright student, Miss Williams. Do you have any dreams of furthering your education?” Miss Everling asked simply, as Elizabeth’s breath caught, becoming excruciating aware of the book she had stashed in her bag, alongside her feet.

Elizabeth responded hesitantly, choosing her words wisely, “Well, it is not deemed very proper for a woman to go to a university. Not many would accept me.”

“But would you want to go? If you could?” Miss Everling continued to prod, but then said something that caused Elizabeth’s heart to skip a beat, “What if I could help you get into a University?”

Elizabeth sat completely still, confusion flooding her system, yet deep inside her, hope began to grow despite her refusing to believe.

“How?” she asked quietly, refusing to make eye contact.

Miss Everling smiled, seeing her student’s possible excitement at the notion. “I would make it work. Are you interested?”

Elizabeth stared at her, wonder in her eyes, breath caught in her chest, but she managed to nod, “Wholeheartedly.”

16 years old.

They were nicknamed the Growlers. The miners covered from head to toe in dirt and ash, save for the clean skin around their eyes, nose, and mouth. When Elizabeth and Mary would walk to the school house in the mornings, the Growlers would be breaking their fast from the west.

Today was no exception. They were huddled, coffee and biscuits scattered around the dirty bunch, nibbling hungrily around the food, most of them barely batting an eye towards the pair as they passed every morning.

Mary always liked to pass them. For when they broke their fast, they would strip to their trousers and pants, leaving the sweaty and dirty skin of their abdomens and chests exposed.

Elizabeth found it very entertaining, gesturing to the men, “You are in such a dire search for a husband, are you not?”

Mary giggled under her breath, catching the eye of her favorite, one of the miners’ sons. She gave him a soft wave along with a slightly flirtatious wink, as she walked past, before whispering to Elizabeth, “Oh, however did you know?”

“It could possibly have been the desire in your eyes whenever they lack shirts,” Elizabeth stated, smiling at her friend’s action. However, there was a young miner Elizabeth looked out for; his vibrant red hair only partially covered by the ash of the mine. The books in her hands slightly forgotten as she looked for the recognizable color whenever passing, a blush creeping over her face whenever the pair made eye contact, and more soft smiles were exchanged.

17 years old.

The neighbor's old wife was in her usual position, a ball of yarn nestled on top of her lap, as she rocked steadily in her wooden chair.

“Darling, I simply do not know why you are playing around with this little dream of yours.”

Elizabeth glanced up, seeing the disapproving frown plastered on her face.

She continued, a shadow covering her eyes, cast by the white house behind her, shaking her head as she eyed Elizabeth up and down, “You should stop before you become too unobtainable. You do not want to appear unattractive with that wild spirit of yours.”

Mr. Smith, her husband who was somewhere in the house, called out, “Is that John's daughter?”

His wife responded, “Yes, darling. She was just stopping by for a chat.” She turned back towards Elizabeth, “I really do want what’s best for you. I do not want you ruining that life your daddy worked so hard to give you.”

Elizabeth gritted her teeth slightly, stopping the rushed response she so desperately wanted to yell out, before she curtseyed, grabbing the front of her skirts in the proper fashion and tipping her head. “Thank you, ma’am. I will most definitely keep that in mind.”

Suddenly her husband called from inside the house, his voice louder and booming, causing both Elizabeth and his wife to flinch suddenly, “Woman! Get in here and fetch me some whiskey!”

The wife glared and shook her head one last time at Elizabeth before standing up and brushing her skirts off. Elizabeth curtseyed one last time, calling out to her husband inside the house, “How a good afternoon, Mr. Smith!” and nodded a goodbye to the dutiful wife, “And you as well.”

27 years old.

She sat there, alone in the middle of the school house. The chair was much smaller than she remembered; The wooden desk in front of her, covered in etchings and symbols from past students from Georgetown. Looking around, Elizabeth observed the eerily familiar walls, old and withering maps adorning the wooden planks, and the same dirty and rusted blackboard at the front of the room. Chalk laid scattered about the floor, the dust collecting in shallow piles on the floor.

The window to her right, the one she would usually sit next to, was open. Outside, she saw the familiar head of red hair, her husband giving her a moment alone.The landscape beyond him consisted of an array of trees scattered about the horizon that still called out to her, as it always has.

But now.

Now she knew what it was like to have an education outside the four walls of the small school house. Now she knew exactly what it took to go beyond these confines of the small Georgetown, and that she had what it took to get there.

Elizabeth now knew what was beyond the trees in the horizon, and she planned to know even more.

PERMANENT TAG LIST:

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Let me know if you liked it! And if you would like to see more of my not fandom related writing as well! Thank you!

#prose writing #creative writing #original character #not marvel #1800's #1800's aesthetic #western #western au #western aesthetic #short story #poem #poetry #fictional #researched fiction

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iscoliya · 5 years

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The Thunderbird’s Call - Chapter 1

A longer chapter this time - hope you enjoy! :)

“With all due respect, Your Highness, I believe I speak for everyone present when I say that your constant refusal of any and all betrothal propositions for one reason or another is making our situation a little difficult.” At the calculating glint in the other’s eyes, a sudden sense of dread takes hold of him; a feeling that he isn’t going to like what is about to come next. As it turns out, he is right. “Though my guess is that we can all imagine what the cause for your actions may be.”

“Councillor!” Rei tries to interject, but her attempt to calm the waters goes unheard by both parties.

“I am honestly curious, what is it that keeps the crown prince going back to a common omega with nothing to his name but his body? Or is it just that?”

«Prologue

Chapter 2»

read on AO3

Kazuya

Despite Eijun’s best efforts, Kazuya figures he is late again since everyone else seems to be present already when he arrives at the council chambers. As the members rise at his entrance, he sweeps a glance through the room and takes in the three missing faces, none of them surprising to him; after all, both General Kataoka Tesshin and Takigawa Chris Yuu, who usually serves as bookkeeper and scribe at these sessions, are currently away on a reconnaissance mission and his father – well. His father rarely attends meetings these days, almost permanently holed up in his study or discussing state matters in private and trusting his son and the council members to relay important information if need be. It even seems startling whenever he chooses to attend meals with others instead of eating by himself, Kazuya muses as he settles in his seat right next to the table’s head side.

“So good of you to join us, Your Highness,” councilman Ochiai Hiromitsu, drawls from a spot to his left, though he remains ignored for the time being. Yup, definitely late.

Apart from the king, himself and the aforementioned, the capital’s inner council usually comprises two more members; Oota Kazuyoshi, an older alpha who has already been in service before Kazuya was even born, and Takashima Rei, a beta with exceptional analytical skills and a tactical mind almost on par with his own. On this day they have two other attendees in the form of Yuuki Tetsuya, a young alpha who has risen through the ranks quickly due to his military prowess, and Watanabe Hisashi, a beta close to Kazuya’s own age who aspires to become an intelligence gatherer for the royal family in the future. With the General and Chris absent, the two of them should take over their duties as the military mouthpiece and scribe respectively to ensure both a proper communication between all areas of the court and a record of the concerns mentioned.

In the brief silence that emerged after his entrance and Ochiai’s subsequent comment, his gaze finally seeks that of Rei, as he trusts her to present the issues in need of addressing and to mediate the discussions that are quite probable to arise; especially if one certain topic is brought up again…

“Thank you all for attending this early meeting,” Rei begins and as she starts to drone on about taxes and dues, Kazuya takes this as his cue to drift off slightly. Of course, he knows he should be paying close attention to the dealings of what will probably be his kingdom in the near future, but with sleep just around the corner and a certain omega’s scent still lingering in his nostrils, he can’t help but think about the latter and the way he fit in his arms so perfectly. How he smells so much more powerful without the aid of the suppressants Kazuya knows tend to make him tired and woozy after a while. The way his body responded so beautifully to his touch after the initial tension, so relaxed and pliable, both firm and soft in all the right places. How his eyes are an unadulterated mirror of his emotions, sparkling from excitement, gleaming with mischief, blazing with anger and at times downright smouldering. The way his unique purring resonated through his whole body, willing his own crooning to come forward, almost as if calling to his alpha to come forward and play. How he wanted to–

“What do you think, Your Highness?” Rei’s voice again, this time pulling him out of his very private thoughts and all of a sudden, all eyes are on him. However, Kazuya is not one to go down that easily.

“I agree that while a more detailed treaty with the Eastern forces can only be of great advantage to us, we should not let ourselves be crossed over that easily,” he begins, surveying the present members one after another. “After all, our economy is the more stable one while they are struggling, so let them bring their terms to us and see if their propositions are within reason.” A quick glance at Rei and the appreciative smile she sends his way tells him that his answer is to her satisfaction. Silently, he sends a little prayer of thanks to the gods for his ability to keep track of things even while distracted as well as the control he has over his scent and expression. However, he should probably invest himself a little more into the discussion.

“That being said, how are the new recruits coming along, Yuuki?” he asks, not least in order to remove a little attention from his person. Looking at the other, it still feels a little weird to be talking to him in such a formal setting when they have trained and played shougi together on a regular basis not too long ago.

“Very well, Your Highness,” the addressed alpha replies while instantly straightening up a little more. “Most of them have shown great promise over the duration of the last training periods. We expect them to be ready for service by next spring at the latest.” If he looks a little proud at the last statement, no one calls him out on it. It is a well-known fact how much he, as one of the youngest guard captains in the kingdom’s history, contributes to both the new and already seasoned warriors’ training.

“Good, good. A few retirements are in order for next year, so we can definitely use some new manpower,” Kazuya muses and a gaze out of the window tells him that they have already been at it for quite a while, since the sun has long risen up high in the sky. “Now, if that is all for today, we should–“

“Actually,” Rei disrupts his words of parting, “there is one more subject to discuss.” A slightly hesitant look in his direction tells him everything he needs to know about what is to come. “We have received a proposal from the Fujiwara family. They would like to offer the hand of their youngest daughter to Your Highness in courtship.”

Now that seems a little baffling to Kazuya, and a sideways glance in Yuuki’s direction, who has grown almost imperceptibly stiff at the last sentences, tells him that he isn’t the only one. The Fujiwara are one of Seidou’s most prominent merchant families, incredibly wealthy and many a family member holds an influential position within the capital; thus, it is to no surprise that they are also known being rather prideful in regards to their standing and achievements. The youngest daughter of the main branch being only slightly his senior, he has known Takako since a rather young age, as she spent quite some time at court with other young omegas from influential families for educational purposes. However, he also knows that during this time, she has grown rather close with a certain loud-mouthed guard, whose intentions to one day start courting her have turned into a bit of a not-quite secret amongst the palace staff. And the fact that even Yuuki, being as close to a best friend of Isashiki as it can get, doesn’t appear to have any prior knowledge to the fact that the Fujiwara seem to have other plans for their daughter, speaks for itself in regards to the question of whether this proposal is a consensual one. Despite the possibly delicate nature of the matter, Kazuya doesn’t have to think twice about his answer.

“No.” If the issue weren’t as serious, he would have relished the throughout bewildered faces of the people around him. As it stands, he keeps his face calm and devoid of any emotion despite the storm brewing inside him.

“No?” Ochiai is the one to break the silence in his usual nonchalant fashion, although he, too, seems to be a little surprised by the decisiveness of his response.

“While I am aware that the Fujiwara family plays a crucial part in the goings of the capital and it would be an honour to incorporate one of their members into the royal household, I do not think that Takako-san and I would make a great match. Besides,” he adds when he sees Oota open his mouth in protest from the corner of his eye, “I am not going to accept a proposal that was made without a potential partner’s explicit consent, nor will I stand in the way of a relationship that has been in the making for quite some time.” His accompanying stern glance, however, doesn’t seem to be fully effective, as it doesn’t take long for words of objection to emerge.

“But Your Highness, please consider that we cannot be certain whether such a relationship actually exists,” Oota tries to reason, even though it seems a little half-hearted. “And as you yourself said, the Fujiwara would be a tremendous strategic asset to the crown, not to mention the dowry* brought into a potential marriage.”

“Also, technically a consent of the spouse-to-be is not essential if the parents agree to the match,” Ochiai muses, twirling his goatee thoughtfully.

“I am not going to force someone to mate with me, such out-dated practises have been abolished long ago for a reason.” Though it doesn’t show in his tone, Kazuya can feel tension rising in his body at the councilman’s objection. The nerve– “Apart from that, please keep in mind that the council has agreed in the past on a betrothal with a party from another kingdom being better suited for political purposes.”

“Councillor!” Rei tries to interject, but her attempt to calm the waters goes unheard by both parties.

“I am honestly curious, what is it that keeps the crown prince going back to a common omega with nothing to his name but his body? Or is it just that?”

“Silence!”

The whole room startles under the combined force of Kazuya’s voice and the way he slams his palms on the table as he stands. Usually, he might be ashamed about such an emotional outburst, but at this moment, as he feels himself trembling with rage, he can’t think about anything but the fact that someone has just dared to insult his mate. However, as quick as his alpha side has emerged, he forces it back down while realizing that he might just have given his adversary exactly what he has been hoping for. Subtly, he takes a calming breath before addressing the older again.

“You speak of respect, yet your words show anything but. This ‘common omega’ you refer to has been accepted as a member of the royal family in everything but name, therefore an insult against him is an insult against the crown.” Finally, after another few seconds, Ochiai averts his gaze under the hard stare he is targeted by. “I do not know about the grievances you seem to have against him, but I can assure you that there is nothing between us that would be of any relevance to this council. Regardless,” and at this, he returns his attention to everyone present, “I will not have anyone disrespect him, be it in my presence or otherwise.”

All of a sudden, he feels weary and tired, as if a large burden has been placed upon his head. Gone is the happiness he felt just this morning and he longs for that comforting presence at his side, but he knows that he has to bring this to an end first.

“Without meaning any slight, I hereby humbly reject the Fujiwara family’s proposal and that is final,” he states and before anyone else can interrupt, he straightens up to his full height, preparing to leave. “If there is nothing else for the time being, I would like to adjudge this meeting to be concluded.”

_____________

Youichi

‘Yikes,’ is the first thing that comes to his mind when he spots a rather dishevelled Eijun entering the training grounds and manages to detect a certain prince’s scent on him from what feels like miles away; judging by some of the other soldiers’ either intimidated or wary reactions, he isn’t the only one. Tamping down the urge to keep back from someone smelling so blatantly aggressive of another alpha, he makes a beeline for the unassuming omega and deals him a swift kick to the backside.

“Nice bedhead you got goin’ there, hyaha,” he cackles and can’t withhold a satisfied grin at the pained yelp his action is met with.

“Senpai, that hurt!” Eijun whines pitifully while trying to rub his aching body part as well as fix his messy hair at the same time; a quite comical picture, Youichi notices with malicious joy. “And it’s not my fault!”

“Hoo?” Of course the alpha can imagine who the actual culprit behind the other’s the tousled appearance is, at least judging by the persistent scent clinging to him, but he wouldn’t be true to his prankster nature if he didn’t keep the other in suspense for a little while. Taking him into a headlock and destroying the carefully re-crafted hairstyle, he walks them in the direction of the barracks, ignoring the accompanying protests. “Then I guess neither does the fact that you’ve got Miyuki’s name basically written all over your scent have anything to do with you, hm?”

While he struggles to keep himself from face planting right into the ground, a frustrated groan leaves the omega. “Stupid clingy tanuki bastard, wants to get me into trouble all the time…”

Grinding to a halt, Youichi eyes his companion incredulously; he can’t possibly be that daft, can he? That is, until he spots the light blush on the other’s cheeks, a total contrast to his cursing and disgruntled demeanour. As if burned, he releases the chokehold, rolling his eyes and releasing an annoyed tsk. Those two were just fucking unbelievable.

“Jeez, idiot,” he sighs, folding his hands behind his head, careful to keep his voice low so they wouldn’t be overheard. He is definitely not the right person for this kind of talk. “Y’know, the sooner you two admit you like each other, the sooner you can finally start courting.”

“C-courting?!”

Oh, there goes his attempt at subtlety.

“Not so loud, stupid! What are you, a retard?” he hisses and slaps his counterpart over the head as he notices a few heads turning towards them.

“But who says anything about courting?” Eijun mumbles sullenly and his pout might have been a little endearing if it weren’t for the sheer stupidity of it all. “You know we’re not like that, Kuramochi-senpai.” At the way the other averts his gaze just so, Youichi can feel something tugging at his heartstrings.

Although he would probably never admit it out loud, over the years he has developed something of a brotherly instinct towards the brunette loudmouth. Granted, at first, when he moved to the capital at fourteen in order to train to become a soldier, he was more than irritated by his antics and overall behaviour, constantly yapping and going on about becoming the best swordsman there is. Also, he didn’t quite know what to make of this young omega who tried so desperately to prove himself in a world dominated by alphas and betas; where he came from, a village in rural Chiba, people were still of the out-dated mind set that omegas were somewhat inferior compared to the other dynamics and should mainly busy themselves with housework and caring for their families. Youichi himself never paid much heed to such things, as in his eyes deeds spoke louder than words and everyone should have the right to do what they like to do. But even in the capital, where the old-fashioned opinion of alpha superiority and prejudices are slowly dying out, an omega in military training is something more than just an unusual sight, if not openly frowned upon. After all, omegas in general are supposed to be more meek and soft, thus allegedly missing the fierceness and resolve to thrive in such a competitive and aggressive environment. Therefore, sadly, it was a given that Eijun had to prove himself double the amount that others had to, on a daily basis at that. Even now, Youichi isn’t sure if he will be allowed to actually hold a position in the military despite undergoing the same training every recruit has to successfully complete.

He remembers vividly some of the abuse the other had to endure; not just because of his secondary gender but even more so due to his past or rather the lack of his memories thereof. He remembers how others made fun of him and his slender built, ridiculed his admittedly abysmal skills in archery, called him a no-name and a freak, a charity case or the prince’s pet. Never in front of the instructors, mind you, and least of all ever within any vicinity of Miyuki, who, as it turned out, might as well have gone on a rampage if he ever caught wind of someone badmouthing or mistreating the omega. But even with Eijun keeping silent on the matter and bearing everything people threw at him, something must have slipped through, because after a while, Miyuki took to scenting him every now and then; both a clear sign for others to back off and his own way of trying to protect him. And he wasn’t the only one to stand up for him.

He doesn’t know when exactly he started to feel like this, but Youichi can admit to himself that he respects the younger. He came to respect his drive and wilful nature, his fiercely loyal streak, his optimistic and open attitude and the way he drags everyone around him along and makes them want to be better than they have ever been. He respects his independence, as he was never the type to tattle or ask for help; on the contrary, he insists on dealing with things, no matter how difficult, by himself, without relying too much on others. He respects his kind-heartedness and impartiality. He even respects his skills in swordplay, lousy as they were in the beginning. And thus he, too, has become protective of the other; not that it has been necessary for quite some time now, not with him finding more and more friends and improving drastically over time. And if he shows his affection through wrestling and light insults, well… The parties involved surely know these gestures for what they are. And as such–

“Look, moron,” he begins as calmly as he can and ignores the consequent interjection of “How did I go from idiot to moron?!”. “Usually I’d say it’s none of my business and maybe it ain’t. But believe it or not, I want your stupid ass to be happy and if it takes that bastard for that, then go for it.”

“But I told you–“

“Yeah, yeah, you’re not like that, he doesn’t like you like that or whatever. That’s why you arrived here looking and smelling as if you’d just rolled right outta bed with him.”

If Eijun has been blushing before, it is nothing compared to the completely red, flustered mess these words turn him into right at that moment. Youichi might actually pity him, the display not that far off from some kind of fish gasping for water, but he is trying to make a point here, dammit.

“I can see it, everyone can see it, except for you. Or maybe you can but are so deep in denial that–“

“I get it.”

Okay, that is not the reaction Youichi has been expecting; more yelling, for sure, and maybe some more stuttering but not something akin to acceptance and resignation in that small voice. He decides he doesn’t like it.

“I get it, I really do, even if I’m kinda stupid sometimes,” the brunette continues with a rueful grin. “I know he cares for me, some way or another. But I– We can’t–“ For once, he seems to be at a loss for words and where the alpha might have celebrated the occasion any other day, he starts to feel slightly ill. Because he knows what has the usually airheaded and even a little careless omega so down, and his heart goes out to his friends; plural since despite how much he likes to rant about Miyuki’s personality being the worst there is, over the years he has also turned into one of his best friends. Therefore, them being so obviously smitten with each other but feeling unable to act on their wishes makes him want to go fuck something up.

Suddenly, the all too familiar subtle scent of newly cut grass and jasmine invades his senses, milliseconds before a precise chop is delivered on Eijun’s head.

“Don’t think too hard or you’ll hurt yourself,” comes the deceptively calm voice that manages to send shivers down his spine every time he hears it.

“Onii-san, not you too!”

The beta in question turns his supposedly amicable smile from Eijun to him and he feels his own grin slip from his face. Somehow, he has a bad feeling about this.

“Ah, Ryou-san. We were just…” Jeez, why is it that he, the usually ever so eloquent one, doesn’t know what to say when face to face with this one person. There he goes, preaching about sorting feelings out to others; maybe he should take his own advice someday.

“Late for training?” Ryousuke suggests slyly and his words startle Eijun out of his stupor.

“Aahhh, Captain is going to kill me!” And with that, he is off like an arrow and leaves Youichi in a rather uncomfortable situation.

“How much of that did you hear?”

“Enough.”

“You’re not gonna let me live it down, are you?”

“Now where would the fun in that be?”

_____________

Rei

She catches up to Kazuya in a hallway that leads towards the palace gardens.

“Your Highness!”

Although she notices the stiffness in his shoulders, he wears a smile on his lips as soon as he turns around. Of course, she has no doubts as to its falseness.

“Rei-chan.” His grin takes a slightly sardonic turn. “Or is it Councillor Takashima right now?”

Her features soften imperceptibly in the face of the insecurity she knows he tends to hide behind sarcastic displays and a sharp tongue.

“Walk with me,” she offers instead of an answer and falls into step with him in the direction he was originally headed. No other words are issued until they reach their destination, both of them mindful of the possibility of even the walls having ears. Only then does the beta raise her voice again.

“What you did was stupid.”

A laugh is the answer to her admonishment, but it is not an altogether humorous or happy one; this one is an ugly sound, full of derision and self-deprecation.

“Never one to mince your words, Rei-chan, are you,” Kazuya remarks before his expression turns serious once more.

“I apologize for reacting the way I did.” Unwillingly, his hands ball into fists. “But he crossed a line and I would never stand for that, not when–” She keeps quiet as he breaks off, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. “His comment was aimed at my weakest spot and I should have anticipated it. I just can’t think all that straight when it comes to someone wanting to run him down.”

“Vicious as his words were, there was at least some truth to them.” She holds up a hand before he can oppose her statement. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but the council has been incredibly patient until now; you need to find a mate eventually, sooner rather than later.”

Even as she speaks, she can see his broad shoulders sagging, his features falling and all of a sudden, again standing before her is the little boy of five years who has just lost his mother to a terrible illness. Despite being only barely out of her teens herself at the time, she can recall the way the young prince seemed to withdraw from everyone around him in the aftermath of the loss. And how, almost a year later, he regained his smile and strength, all thanks to a boy who would turn the palace life upside down in due time. Back then, no one could have imagined that the same boy would one day turn into the cause for both the prince’s greatest happiness and his biggest regret.

“I am aware of my duties as heir to the throne, really I am,” Kazuya sighs, wringing a hand through his hair. Clearly, in this moment he has lost the will to keep everything bottled up inside him for the time being. “But how do I do it? Even knowing it’s for the good of my people, how can I agree to mating with someone I barely know, if at all, while everything in me bridles at the thought alone?”

She longs to tell him to follow his heart, she really does. But the sense of duty instilled in her knows that if not the people of their kingdom, the other realms’ leaders would never accept a future monarch mating with what they would deign a base-born commoner. And while her heart bleeds for the boy turned man she has developed almost motherly feelings for, she can’t in all conscience put Seidou’s safety at risk like this.

Their private moment is interrupted when the palace doors are thrown open and a guard rushes through, clearly in search of at least one of them if the way he hurries towards them is any indication.

“Your Highness! Councillor Takashima!”

Obviously Kazuya, too, has noticed the man’s laboured breathing and pale complexion, as he turns deadly serious within moments.

“What is it, Sakai?”

The guard, by now standing before them, seems a bit lost for words and it doesn’t bring her any kind of reassurance as to what he is about to tell them.

“The General, he– The party was ambushed–“

Cold apprehension grips her at his words and she isn’t sure if she wants to hear the rest of it. Taking another deep breath, the soldier steels himself for relaying his message.

“General Kataoka is dead.”

_____________

* Dowry is an ancient custom and means the transfer of parental property, gifts or money at the marriage of a daughter. In other words, a dowry is a type of conjugal fund brought into the marriage by the wife. It is most common in cultures that are strongly patrilineal, for example in different historic periods in Europe, South Asia and Africa. In Japan, it was most commonly practised during the Edo period.

#fanfiction #my writing #the thunderbird's call #diamond no ace #daiya no ace #misawa #miyusawa

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lacrossepapi · 5 years

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Salt, Sun, and Scales

Ao3: Link

This is for @missleeismyname!

Peter’s favorite time of day was twilight. The main reason for this preference was currently swimming towards him with a big goofy grin on his face.

“Stinky Petey!” Called the boy as he stretched and shook out his legs as if they hadn’t been used in a long time.

“I’m not stinky!” Peter snapped without heat.

“You’re stinky to me! You smell like sweat and something weird and only on you land walkers.” Stiles chuckled as he placed a shell on the tallest rock on the beach, just like he did every evening.

“You always call me a land walker, but aren’t you walking on land right now? How does that even make sense Stiles? Everybody walks on land.” Peter huffed, knowing where this argument headed.

“Why do you question me? Am I not knowledgeable?” He asked with a tilt of his head, stepping closer to Peter, “Am I not witty?” Another step. “Am I not beautiful?”

Stiles winked and kissed Peter’s nose like he did every time Peter saw him.

“You are all those things Stiles, but you are also silly and nonsensical. Sometimes I think I have stumbled upon a faerie.” Peter breathed, the reverence in his voice wrapping around them both.

Stiles’ laugh always reminded Peter of a barking sea lion, which should annoy Peter, but had quickly grown endearing.

“Do you think me one of the fae?”, Another bout of barking laughter, “You silly boy. Best not mention them again lest they hear and curse you for such slander.”

Peter scrunched up his face at the warning. Everyone knew the fae were just heresy the blasphemers used to scare good Christian children. They weren’t real.

“They don’t-”

“Hush now darling. Have the land walkers rotted your brain so much you have forgotten all sense?”

Peter really liked when Stiles called him darling. Stiles looked only a couple of years older than him yet spoke as if he’d been alive a lot longer, which should make Peter annoyed but had also grown to be endearing.

Peter’s youth passed in warm nights on the shore with his ethereal boy. As Peter matured Stiles seemed to stay the same, the “boy” always hushing Peter when he asked what kept Stiles young.

The Sea Wolves had taken Peter on the eve of his fifteenth birthday, coming for him under the burning midday sun, scared of nothing save the creatures that roamed the moonlit waters and the fearsome pirate, whose name, The Fearsome Fang, was only whispered for fear of summoning the demon himself.

Now when Peter looked back on those hazy dream-like nights he couldn’t remember if they were even real, or if they were just a boyhood fantasy.

Peter was to be their land errand boy, but soon they realized his skills and knowledge surpassed that of the usual port town boys they had taken. Yes, Peter had grown up speaking multiple languages and had learned how to treat the people of other nations from an early age, but Peter also had knowledge of the much more dangerous and rare things that one could come across out on the unforgiving ocean.

Peter knew the ways of the Fae, the language of the mermaids, the warding incantations to keep them safe, how to spot siren lairs, and much more. He had never questioned Stiles’ need to educate him in the ways of creatures he knew didn’t exist and now he was indebted to that strange boy for the knowledge he gifted Peter.

Of course Peter’s own cunning nature also helped him thrive with the Sea Wolves. Before the winds could bring in the new chill Peter had already shed his “slave name” and was an initiated member of The Sea Wolves known across the mystical realms as Sly Pete The Charming.

Sly Pete was a beautiful man, with sun tanned skin and ocean bright eyes. The mischief in his smile promised a wild night on the waves or in the sheets, humans and creatures both fell under his thrall as the man blossomed into a devious marauder.

Many, many leagues away a boy perpetually on the cusp of manhood waits every night for the boy with bright eyes and a quick wit. And every night his human does not come to greet him on that far away shore he sings a mourning song for nights lost to the treacherous days of adulthood.

By the time Stiles figured out who Sly Pete was the boy, who was then a man, was already a corpse.

“Genevieve, please come back!” Stiles heard the shouts, but was too deep in his own overwhelming grief to care that a human was upset.

“No! He was my youngest son! The only of your flock that truly was mine! And now he’s gone!” The woman was screaming, her anger and grief tearing across her words leaving her hoarse.

“He’s been gone for years now Gen.” The man sounded so defeated, the sound echoing against the chasm in Stiles’ heart.

He could no longer pretend they did the grieve the same boy, the same man. He turned away from the large rock jutting out of the rocky beach that was covered in shells, to face the humans and was greeted by two tear swollen faces, one angry, one resigned.

“Why do you still wait? Why didn't you ever look for him!” Stiles hadn't realized she was talking to him until she took a furious step toward him, “You've power indeed, yet you chose to sit here each night singing your dirges and reminding us of our losses! You could've saved my boy!”

The human woman Genevieve was in front of him quickly an accusing finger pointed directly at him.

“I did not realize he'd been taken. I thought he simply chose to explore the world.” An ashamed sigh “I could not fault him for his wanderlust of the land, but I could not follow him there. So I waited.” Stiles had thought for years that Peter abandoned him to be a typical human and make his own way in the world, he'd never thought for a second he could keep his human boy.

“You foolish immortal!” The woman hissed before dropping to her knees in front of him and sobbing, “He loved you. He loved the home he had here with us. His family and his companion. And now he is gone.”

Shiny silver tears pooled beneath Stiles amber eyes. He'd truly been a fool. He could have saved this fierce and loving woman the grief that now threatened to weaken her. He could have saved himself from the grief that wrapped around him like dark murky seaweed in the depths of the waters he had once found welcoming.

“Son, I know not what you are but I do know that you are kind. Is there any way you can find his body and give him a proper burial for us?” Stiles had been so enraptured by the scene of Peter's mother unraveling in front of him he hadn't even noticed the man approach.

Stiles could not stay in this port town, on this shore he'd called home for many years, it was splashed with memories of his precious boy, memories of happiness long passed. Finding the, now, man's body would be almost impossible, but Stiles need not succeed in his endeavor, even trying would bring peace to this family he could not protect.

“I cannot promise such a feat but I will venture out into the unknown to rectify the wrongs done to your family.” Stiles’ normally honey eyes shone the color of the sunset sun as a single opalescent tear rolled down his pale freckled cheek.

The man nodded solemnly and gathered his wife into his arms before gently guiding her back the way they'd came.

Someone had to pay for pain that ravaged his heart and the hearts of the humans under his protection.

Stiles walked into the dark moonlit water grief in his heart and vengeance in his eyes.

If one was to inquire, they might be told The Fearsome Fang danced and drank the nights away with strangers of every race, orientation, and even species. If they were then to actually witness his revelry they would see him leaving seedy establishments each night with a different partner. Although all of this was true, he did revel and leave with a different person each night, it was not the whole truth, for The Fearsome Fang used the farce of nightly passion to hide his actual deeds.

If one was to track the pirate, they might be surprised to find a clear trail across port towns of found missing boys, large sums of money left on orphanage and school house doors, and a single shell left on the tallest rock in the bay.

The Fearsome Fang had such a reputation for being an absolute scourge that not a single human around could see the pattern. A scourge he truly was though, despite his good deeds, he’d always had been a cunning little devil.

The bar quieted as he entered, boots heavy and eyes flashing, but he flashed a sharp devious grin and the music started up again as if it’d never paused. The patrons knew by the second night that if Fang flashed that smile, they were safe in his presence and would be much richer soon, so they too quickly resumed their raucous chatter.

“You lose again Fang!” a drunken farmer jeered taking the last of the pirate’s money.

The larger man’s blue eyes turned cold, “Yes, yes I did. Now take your winnings and get out of my sight before I take my gold back.”

The drunk man swallowed before nodding shakily and scooping the money into his pockets.

“Dread Pirate Drake! Two-Face Timothy! Escort this drunk home and make sure my money doesn’t get stolen off his corpse on the way there.” The pirate captain commanded without looking up from his new hand to see if his men had obeyed, he knew they would.

To anyone listening it would seem like this fearsome, merciless pirate had just told his men to kill the drunk and take his gold back, but Stiles only smirked under his hooded cloak because he knew that was not the actual order. That man would arrive safe with more gold that he had actually deserved to win. Stiles had seen the pirate captain's winning hand, three rounds while the pirate had conceded his gold, he had also heard the father lamenting his poor crop harvest and his trouble finding men to take his three daughters with such a small dowry for each.

It seemed The Fearsome Fang had a heart of gold, the heart of a young boy taken from his home without a choice. Stiles grinned with undiluted delight.

“You are not subtle on your feet.” the words stalled Stiles’ next step causing him to stumble out into the dim street lamp.

He looked up as The Fearsome Fang started laughing at his clumsiness, and was met with warm blue eyes and smile lines indicative of a happy man.

“Are you to slay me where I stand?” a cough, “Kneel, I should say.” Stiles’ pale skin turned the faintest shade of pink from embarrassment.

“Ah, you still speak as if you’re from an older, more sophisticated world.” Fang chuckled with fondness as he strode toward Stiles’ collapsed form.

“You should know well the world I hail from. You travesered the vast seas without me. You know of my realm now.” Stiles tried to keep the hurt from his voice, but it was hard not to mourn the adventures they could have had together.

“Tut-tut darling.” Peter chided, “Why do you scorn me? Am I not knowledgeable?”

Peter tilted his head, his wild mane swaying over, and stepped closer, “Am I not witty?”

“Am I not beautiful?” With his final question he crouched before Stiles and kissed his nose.

Silver streamed down Stiles’ face, shining in the dim light of the moon, “Oh how I have missed you my darling boy.”

Peter smiled sadly at Stiles before helping the male to his feet.

“Boy, I am no longer, my heart.” He took a step back, keeping his arm on Stiles’ waist, so that he could look at Stiles’ form, “Though you look as if it has been but a smattering of years not the long decade that I have felt in my soul each night I did not see you.”

“Yes, I age slow like the dance of kelp on the ocean floor.” Peter’s snort cut off Stiles’ next sentence.

“What pompousness! You silly immortal, just speak like a normal person.” Peter demanded with a humored huff.

“I am not a normal person so I shall speak as I damned well please, Fang.” Stiles snapped, stepping out of, no longer Peter but now, Fang's embrace.

He did not understand how Peter came to be the new Fearsome Fang, and he was rapidly growing tired of the mind games with this stranger.

“I was sent to give your body a proper burial. Your mother blamed me for your demise. What am I to tell her now that you have assumed this title and this life?” Stiles’ eyes flashed bright once in frustration.

He’d found his human, and yet he could not keep him.

Peter grasped Stiles’ hands earnestly as he pleaded, “Tell her nothing. Come with me, my heart.”

Stiles was stunned. His kind were not followers, but they were also not known for nightly strolls along beaches, Stiles was already an outsider in his realm, he could bear their scorn for following his heart.

The Fearsome Fang, a name known for spreading terror among the seas, had gained a new legend to his mythic story. A legend that spoke of an ocean spirit who protected his vessels and enacted wrathful assaults on all who dared oppose him. Fang’s own men had seen the elusive beast, and yet endeavored never to look too closely at the shimmer of light against the waves that stayed just a breath behind their ship.

Double-Crossed Christopher was Fang’s quartermaster and therefore the unfortunate soul incharge of approaching the captain about the men’s fears. The season had passed with unparalleled success and yet the crew did not rejoice, they lived in fear of the creature that protected them. Sea creatures were as fickle as the sea they lived in, it might protect them now, but what would happen when the sea turned rough? Chris did not want to find out, and neither did the large group of ship hands that approached him for answers.

“You think our Llyr blessed savior is going to mutiny.” It was not a question.

“Aye.”

“Christopher I thought you a smarter man. You’ve been listening to those swabs we call a crew haven’t you?” Fang gave him a fond smirk.

“Aye.” Chris had always been a man of few words, but more so when speaking to his captain about official business.

“And if I gave you my word he wouldn’t?”

The question caught him off guard, spurring him to speak, “The men are scared sir.”

“Aye.” Fang’s eyes sparkled with mischief as he used Chris’s own sparsely worded responses against him.

Despite Double-Crossed Christopher’s attempts at calming the crew, Stiles still found himself in hot water.

Literally.

“What in Llyr’s name is going on in me own vessel!” The Fearsome Fang barked as he entered the loud underbelly of the ship.

“We caught us a mermaid!”

“A merman, ya scabby-sea bass!”

“A merman as pretty as a lass, Cap’n!”

Peter’s heart rate skyrocketed as dread settled upon his shoulders like a shroud. He shoved his men roughly to the side until finally the awful sight in the middle of the men revealed itself.

Stiles was sitting calmly in the middle of a large cauldron as the stew around him boiled. Peter would have frozen in terror if his love hadn’t been glaring directly at him.

“Smother those flames!” The Fearsome Fang’s voice silenced the men around him instantly, and spurred Double-Crossed Christopher into action.

The flames were quickly put out under The Fearsome Fang’s glare.

“Cap’n.” Christopher said with a nod.

“Listen here ye bilge rats, you are not to touch this creature. Ever.” Fang commanded.

“Aye.” The men replied.

“I’m not gonna ask what scallywag thought eating a creature as beautiful as this was fine idea, but know this men, I am not pleased.” Fang chastised with a stern look

“What should we do with it, captain?” a quiet voice inquired from behind him.

“We let him go!” Peter’s voice thundered out, the vibrations in the wooden boards around them brought a wicked smile to Stiles’ face.

The men grumbled a discontented “Aye, cap’n” before slowly moving out of the space.

“Will I be dancing with Jack Ketch by the night’s end captain?” Christopher was serious and solemn, even while asking if he’d be killed.

The question startled a laugh out of Stiles. He had not seen such sophistication and loyalty in a landwalker other than his boy. Unfortunately Christopher had not seen a mermaid or merman make any sound even similar to that of a human in his thirty-two long years.

“Oh Llyr, the expression on this landwalker’s face shall humor me for many nights!” Stiles laughed out.

Indeed, Double-Crossed Christopher, who was known for always looking angry, was staring open mouthed at the naked boy where once a mermaid had been.

“You may call me Stiles, human. The honor that binds your bones is strong, you are a male of your word and I find your demeanor while facing death comedic.” Stiles said with a sharp toothed smile.

“I know not what ye be.” Christopher breathed out as he sank to one knee and bowed his head.

Stiles’ seal like laugh echoed off the once boiling cauldron, “Ah, reverence. Christopher, I shall now consider you a friend of the sea. Rise. Fang would do well to follow your example.”, a snort from Fang followed by a dejected sigh from Stiles was all Chris heard before Stiles continued, “Alas he shall never mend his ways.”

“Aye ya slimy bastards! Hear ye!” The Fearsome Fang ordered, his men falling silent as he approached.

“It be time for change. I’ve got things to do, places to see, and people to screw.”

A hearty cheer rose up at the lewd comment.

“Meet your new boss!” Sly Pete said with a flourish.

The Fearsome Fang stepped out of the captain’s quarters with his head high and shoulders squared. This was when he’d be sized up and deemed worthy.

“Any objections?” Sly Pete asked with genuine curiosity, sometimes no one challenged which was quite dull.

“I object!” Slippery Scott stepped forward, a mischievous grin on his crooked jaw.

The Fearsome Fang’s answering grin was sharp yet grateful.

“As the old captain I’ll watch. When you’re ready lads.” Sly Pete said with a nod, stepping back to give the men space.

Slippery Scott, though young, was a fast and dirty fighter, and Peter genuinely enjoyed watching the clash between Scott's style and Christopher's.

Christopher's style would change the longer he was The Fearsome Fang, but at the moment it was still the professional sophisticated style of an old knight.

Peter had never asked about Christopher's past because it truly did not matter to the pirate, but over the years Peter had gleaned his origins. The older man's manners and personality spoke of a rich, perhaps even royal, upbringing surrounded by rules and corruption. Christopher would not step off the ship in some ports which spoke to where he came from.

The two opposing styles clashed in a chaotic but beautiful way that left Peter grinning and the crew calling for blood.

Scott's quick movements began to slow eventually, giving resilient Christopher the in he needed to knock the boy down.

“The challenger is defeated. Two cheers for The Fearsome Fang's first victory!” Sly Pete announced with a wicked smirk.

“Huzzah!”

That night Stiles listened through the door of Peter’s room as the entire ship celebrated their new captain. He had been around longer than pirates had roamed the seven seas and he would be around long after they were gone, and yet he was shockingly moved by the traditions that bloomed on these ships. No other pirate in the world could claim the legacy the original Fearsome Fang could. His has been whispered around fires for more than seventy years, though the man himself had been dead forty. Pirates, peasants, and royalty alike feared the immortal, though only very few knew he was not one man but a long line of men taking up his name and his ship. Peter would never be able to tell his family whom he’d become, but he could tell them he’d worked for the legend, which would earn him enough notoriety to protect his family and their homes from wayward thieves.

Peter had left a boy and would return a provider and a man.

Stiles dreaded facing Genevieve again, he had never met such a ferocious human, but he did not dread reuniting Peter with his mother. Not many boys taken by pirates lived past their first month, much less prosper.

“Sly Peter ya nasty bugger come back ‘ere!” The use of Peter first pirate name jared Stiles back into the moment and sent him currying across the room to lie nonchalantly on the bed. He quickly grabbed a book to read before Peter entered.

“That sounded like a merry time.” Stiles offered sarcastically in greeting.

“Yes, it was.” Peter answered before a filthy grin slid onto his face and he said, “That book is upside down.”

“Damn you Peter Hale. May the waters never envelop you in warmth, but in icy chill instead.” Stiles hissed, embarrassed Peter had caught him.

Peter’s chuckle sent a wave of warmth over Stiles causing him to flush a pretty pale rose color.

“Easy darling. I have returned because I yearned for your company, but if you are to curse me all night I shall return to the rats outside.” Peter’s blue eyes brightened as he approached the bed, and Stiles cursed his superior senses for drowning him in the smell of Peter’s hormones. He was done for the second his pirate had felt a sensual thought.

“Damn you.” Stiles mumbled one last time before Peter’s whiskey lips devoured him.

“I’d rather damn us both sweet boy.” Peter’s voice was low as he worked down Stiles’ throat sucking pink and green marks into the male’s skin, though they disappeared shortly after.

“Despite it being a curse on my life, I do enjoy that mouth of yours my heart.” Stiles gasped in ecstasy.

“The only cursed thing in this bed is your healing. One day I will mark your perfect skin and you will bare my claiming to both our worlds.” Peter’s voice rumbled as he spoke his promise, before biting Stiles’ pelvic bone harshly.

Genevieve was still as fearsome as she had been on that sorrow trodden beach years ago. Stiles would never mention it, but he’d smelled the tears on Peter’s face as he gripped that fierce woman as tight as her frail body would allow. The years had not been kind to his family, his father could no longer stand by himself and his mother was only barely able to herself. His elder sister had moved inland and sired three children and currently carried the fourth. Her boy Derek looked like Peter more than he did his own father, and her youngest Cora had Peter’s sharp tongue and mischievous nature.

Stiles made sure Peter visited all of his family members as often as possible, even if it meant leaving him at the shore line. He had not gotten to say goodbye to his mortal mother, and his father had wasted away shortly after his mate had died.

The small shack they lived in was quaint and warm. It was everything Stiles had ever dreamed of having all those long years he mourned his human. He found himself nesting more and more each night, their home soon covered in beautiful shells of all shapes, sizes, and shades. Every morning Peter rose with him to return to the sea. Stiles would swim while Peter read to him or spun wild tales of his life as a pirate, some that Stiles simply could not believe were true.

“Peter! Those waters are full of sirens! How ever did you get passed them?” Stiles gasped, his tail slowing in the water beneath him.

“I knew what to expect my love. You kept me safe, even if you were not beside me I carried you with me. It was your warning of gray teeth like rocks and the shores behind them that kept me from getting too close.” Peter soothed Stiles’ frown lines away with his thumb as he smiled warmly at him.

“I didn’t finish my lessons with you. I should have spoke faster, and less about shells! What a bubble headed fool I was.” Stiles sighed.

Peter kissed him soft and slow.

“It matters not. I am here. You found me my heart. You brought me home. And now we have eternity.” Peter smiled again before kissing his forehead softly.

They did not have eternity, Stiles knew, but what they did have was now and now would be good enough for Stiles.

#steter #Peter Hale #stiles stilinski #mermaid stiles #Pirate Peter #Mermaid au #creature stiles #kyla writes #kyla creates

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emaanhasan12 · 3 years

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DOWRY; A stain on Muslim society!

Dowry (Jahez) is a deep rooted problem that prevails in our society and is increasing day by day. It is an exchange of many expensive gifts between the bride’s family and the groom’s, usually labelled as “the bride’s gifts by her parents”. However, it seems like dowry actually is a means of defining the value and worth of one’s daughter, seeming more of a “bribe”, or begging attitude by the parents.

Giving dowry has been a frequent practice, running through many generations, pre-existing during the “pre-partition” times. These common practices in the Hindu cultures & religions, gradually got adapted by our fore fathers and were brought in with them after partition, slowly incorporating such practices in the Pakistani culture. Practicing the dowry culture, was commonly and mostly done by the lower classes (due to severe lack of education & social awareness), however these practices were successful enough to find their way into the middle and upper middle classes of Pakistan.

Many smaller factors contribute to the mass practice of giving dowry to the brides, that affect the society as whole causing a severe distress & difference amongst communities.

The society that we live in today, is very straight & modern, however it has completely failed to grow and progress with respect to changing mindsets and viewpoints with the changing times. Our society is still big on performing patriarchal practices and sticking to the old school. Such practices have now become the “norms” of the society, that will not change easily, unless people decide to change their ideologies and concepts over night! (we all know it’ll take a lot of awareness pretests & the emergence of a whole new generation to bring about this change).

Another significant factor is the lack of education to most people. Pakistan being a third world country, with the literacy rate as low as 59%, many people fail to have access to basic knowledge and even proper Islamic education. Such people are also bound by their “cultural constraints”, where these dowry practices are family traditions passed on by their ancestors and hence, can't be avoided.

This also produces the concept of a “social status” and it’s maintenance causing rivalries & competition amongst people of different communities, castes and creed.

This process of labelling the daughters as “worthy” by showering the groom with expensive gifts at the time of their marriage has created the stigma of giving birth to a baby girl. From considering her as a burden her whole life, and at times not investing as much on her as on the sons, has caused many mental problems to take birth in the shapes of “inferiority complexes” in women & consequently, “superiority complexes” in men. Daughters are hence treated as a burden or wastage of money in many households, as a result of this silently replicating evil in the society.

On the contrary, some people put forward the argument that giving dowry to the brides is just a way of the expression of parental love, by blessing her with materialistic, expensive gifts (for her own use). However, most of us know well, that it is just the fear of “rejection by the society” talking, more than their “love” for their daughters. These parents might also fall prey to the fear of their daughters facing the unloving attitude of the groom’s family, if they fail to give her a list of expensive items at the time of her wedding.

This problem worsens when parents are not rich enough to afford giving dowry for their daughters and have to lower their self esteem, by begging infront of others for financial aid, run by the fear of getting shunned by the society (which by the way, would not help this poor man get some gifts/ dowry for her daughters, but will mock, all that they can).

In Islam, It’s the husband’s duty to support the wife & fulfil her basic needs, as well as win the bread & butter for his family.

The Holy Quran says

“ Men are the caretakers of women, as men have been provisioned by Allah over women& tasked with supporting them financially...” (Al-Nisa; 34)

Hence, the groom enjoying a new look of the house with a brand new TV, AC, Fridge, furniture, washing machine, car etc. etc., all brought by the bride as “gifts from her parents” (A slap on all men accepting dowries), a very commonly practiced attitude that needs mass condemnation, in order to spread awareness and reject this practice as a whole.

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essayontechnology728 · 4 years

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jessiewre · 4 years

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Day 30

Mon 3rd Feb

I went to the restaurant in the morning while Phil tried to snooze a bit more and after a few coffees, the guy from the hotel came over to tell me that the manager of Soft Power had arrived to meet me. Took me a little by surprise but its amazing how much effort the people make here to reach out to us. Like at the football coaching the day before, they are so friendly and welcoming to us. Agre, the manager of SP, told me about the charity and that 20 years previously, it had been set up by one English girl called Hannah who had been travelling in Uganda and felt that she needed to do something about all the poverty and children in need everywhere (honestly, they are everywhere). She started off trying to make small changes, then cut a long story short, it became an organisation on a small scale to help bring education and other services to the communities - and now its grown into something much bigger.

They have pre-schools, funding & suppport for disabled children who are shunned by society and often their own families, education for adults, they build schools, decorate existing ones, renovate them - I’ll share a link to their website but the list goes on. Reminds me of that phrase, something like ‘If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try sharing a bed with a mosquito’. One person can positively change 1000’s of lives.

I can’t imagine Hannah thought she’’d end up creating such a large successful organisation that has helped so many.

Agre said we would be welcome to visit the next day to volunteer in their pre-school and so we arranged for us to meet there the next morning.

We then had a bit of a lazy day, as we’d planned.

Lunch was at the Black Lantern (vege curry for me & Moroccan wrap for Phil). I went a bit crazy on the chilli sauce and the rice got a bit lively, but was nice. Sat by the pool for a bit and watched monkeys grooming each other bein’ dead cute. After delaying it for aaaaaages (we stayed in Jinja for 6 nights instead of 3...) we finally decided to bite the bullet and move onto Nairobi the next day, despite our apprehension about going there (we heard it’s nickname was ‘Nairobbery’).

Phil decided he’d go for a run and like a good lad, he’d combine it with going to get our coach tickets from Jinja. Well this was an absolute RESULT for me cos I could not be arsed to do it so shout out to Phil for cracking on with that one and being my loyal servant once again.

We settled our bill but turned out that we didn’t have enough for the final night - so they said we could move to a dorm for half the price. It was nice of them to offer this considering it was already 5pm - but considering they weren’t going to be able to sell our private tent and moving us would mean extra sheets for them - I personally think they should have just give us the private tent at the dorm price - but WHATEVER, we ended up with a private room anyway as was just the two of us in the dorm. So jokes on them really.

Obviously Jimi joined Phil on his run as they are true Jinja running pals now, and they went via Jimi’s house to get something so Phil met Jimi’s pigs & ones called Jessica apparently! Couldn’t work out if that was a wind up or not...I sat in the restaurant overlooking the Nile, listening to a proper annoying English guy talk about himself super loudly, saying he’s been to over 100 countries and Wales and Scotland don’t even count in his list blah blah blaaaaaaaaaahhh.

We went BACK to the NRE place next foor for dinner AGAIN (ya know, masala fries place) and it was burger night (CALM DOWN JIMI) so Jimi got a Kula Shaker burger but put WAY too much chilli sauce on. He was struggling big time and trying to wipe his tongue with napkins to get the chilli off which was jokes. I had a healthy Greek salad...with normal chips (eww they had run out of masala fries ffs) and Phil had a VEGE BURGER MMMM ORIGINAL.

Going on a run seems to make Phil believe that he must drink 20 beers afterwards, so the Nile Specials were flowing. On the walk back at 11pm, we got chatting to a shopkeeper of a little shack. He was friendly and chatty, and he told us about the cultural differences, like with food and drink, you don’t ask if someone would like any - You just give it to them, so they don’t have to admit that they want it. It now made sense when we offered to buy people a drink they would be weird about it!

We chatted to him for over an hour in the end and he did seem like a nice guy, but its tricky when someone has ingrained sexist views and doesn’t seem to realise the problem.

I’m cutting a long story short - but he said that men are the King of the family and they should be because they provide and produce everything. I mentioned that they do not produce the children and he said yes but women are ‘a box’ (Yes he said women are a BOX. At this point I began to laugh as I was about to BOX him in the face, but then I realised I was only a box and had no arms). So yeah, apparently women’s job is to push out the child but the husband is always the head of the house.

Yawn.

He was saying that men have to provide everything that the woman and children need and that the kitchen is the woman’s place. I understand the theory of this and sometimes this is literally just a fact, sometimes men go to work and earn the money, and then women do all the cooking. But he was saying it like it was a fact of life, there was no other option, and this was how it had to be. So I asked him about all the women I see everywhere in Uganda who are now working, and therefore are providing money for the family ie. doing mens work, does this mean the men are also doing ‘women’s work’ to balance it out, like cooking and housework. But he basically said No.

Ok cool, sounds fair mate.

I told him about women earning more than their partners in the UK sometimes (cough cough #iamlegend) and that if the couple has respect for each other and they share, then it is no problem. To his credit, he didn’t disagree with this and said that Respect was the most important thing in a relationship.

He also said though, that if a woman in Uganda gets too much money and opportunity and experiences, then she’ll leave her man for a richer one cos her eyes will wander.

Why do some men still think that women’s lives are just there to fit around them and their egos? If someone doesn’t want their partner to do well in their career cos it makes them feel bad about themselves, then they have serious issues that they need to deal with. Women around the world seem to be having to do a bit of everything to get by - create LIFE (that whole casual giving birth thing), feeding their babies with their own bodies, deal with all the household chores, AND earn money.

And what is with the pressure that the world is putting on men all the time?? In Uganda and SO many other places, men are under ridiculous amounts pressure - from society and therefore themselves too - to provide all the money, pay a huge dowry to get married, be super strong in every way etc etc.

Yeah, so the world has a long way to go before we are anywhere near equality...and like the guy said, it all starts with respect eh...

(I must add that I am not the best example of a the suffering women I’m speaking about, and neither is Phil one of these men expecting that his box’s life has to fit around his. But I’m speaking about the women and men who are not as privileged as us)

Moving on - I quietly mentioned to Phil that I wanted to head back soon - the street was getting very quiet, and plus we needed to be on time for volunteering the next morning - but Phil was too deep into his beer journey and wouldn’t take the hint. So I said quite loudly that I was going to head back. So naturally he said ‘Ok one more beer for the road!’

By the way, the ‘road’ was approximately a 1 minute walk.

I knew he wouldn’t finish the beer (10 years in you learn these things) and I also knew that our monies were low, but trying to suggest maybe he did not need that beer did not go down very well (maybe something else I should have learnt in the last decade).

When back at the dorm, I took this nearly full beer and hid it outside for jokes, then told Phil to hurry up to go brush our teeth. He took aaaages as was obviously looking for his beer (god I’m funny), but when he came out, he found it on the side and pretended he knew it was there. I asked him why he’d taken so long, and he was like ‘Uh well I was looking for you actually’. LOL.

We quietly got ready for bed as there were dorms either side of our room with an open ceiling, but we shouldn’t have bothered as an hour later people appeared in the other rooms and were chatting SO loud that they woke us up. OMG I realised one of them was the annoying English guy from earlier and the other was a loud American. Who by the way had also been to over 100 countries wow how about nobody cares love.

Phil tried sshh-ing them but it didn’t work so eventually Phil shouted SHUUTT UPP!

And they totally did. Maybe drunk Phil does have his uses.

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thecoroutfitters · 5 years

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sporadicwinnersong · 6 years

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Stuck in the back [India’s gender gap is closing in some respects, but remains vast]

At every stage of life, the statistics show that women are disadvantaged POLICE in Haldwani, a small town where the Gangetic Plain bumps against the Himalayas, shrugged when Kamini Sen lodged charges against her husband last October. What could be more ordinary than wife-beating and dowry extortion? The case got hotter when the 29-year-old, who holds masters degrees in both English and psychology, added that her spouse had also secretly married a younger woman. But only the final twist, revealed later when police tracked and caught Krishna “Sweety” Sen, shocked India. The two-timing swindler, said to like cursing, smoking and motorbikes, confessed that he was not a man but a woman. Growing numbers of Indian women are, like Ms Sen, breaking traditional gender barriers. India’s defence and foreign ministers are women. A woman recently stepped down as head of its biggest bank. There have been a female president and prime minister, as well as female chief ministers in various states. Women are becoming better educated, better paid and healthier than they were. Literacy among 21-year-old women leapt, for example, from 60% in 1990 to 85% in 2011. Yet traditional practices still hold Indian women back. The problem is not just specific customs, such as the payment of dowries or living with in-laws. Deepa Narayan, a development consultant, argues in a new book titled “Chup”—meaning “be quiet” in Hindi—that women across social classes are still conditioned from early childhood to be subservient. Indian women suffer handicaps at every stage of life, starting with birth. Although determining the sex of a fetus has been banned since 1994, and in spite of an intensified campaign to stress the value of daughters under the current prime minister, Narendra Modi, parents wanting sons have continued to find ways to abort girls. The skewed sex ratio for newborns has not improved since Amartya Sen, an economist, calculated 28 years ago that India had some 40m “missing women.” In recent years it has got worse (see chart 1). In some districts the sex ratio at birth has fallen below 800 girls for every 1,000 boys. Disturbingly, too, widening gaps occur in some of India’s richer regions, suggesting that rising income enables more parents to act on their prejudices. Girl glower The Indian government’s authoritative annual Economic Survey posits another alarming figure: the country may have an additional 21m “unwanted”—and often neglected—female children. This number was reached using research conducted by two economists, Seema Jayachandran of Northwestern University and Rohini Pande of Harvard, who examined the order of births. They found that the last child born to Indian families is far more likely to be male, since sex preference prompts parents to keep trying until they have a boy, and then to stop. In Indian states with a strong preference for boys, the Economic Survey calculates that, when a firstborn child is the last a couple has, the likelihood that it is male stands at nearly 2 to 1. The figure for “unwanted” girls was calculated using the gap between normal sex ratios at birth and the actual sex ratio for families that had more than the average number of children—very likely because they kept trying to have a boy. Being “unwanted” can be measured in other ways, too. Recent reports from India’s 700 SNCUs (Sick Newborn Care Units), which were set up in a successful government effort to bring down infant mortality, show that parents are far more likely to bring in boys for treatment. Nationwide, boys accounted for 59% of patients in 2017, but in the most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, no less than 63% of the cases treated in SNCUs were boys. Ms Jayachandran has shown in other research that Indian girls are more likely than boys to be shorter than global norms. She posits numerous reasons for this, one being that mothers wanting a boy may prematurely stop breastfeeding girls. Indian officials are rightly proud of boosting female literacy and school attendance. Gender gaps do remain in education, though. Notably, girls are far more likely to drop out of secondary school than boys (see chart 2). Perhaps more tellingly, an annual survey of education results for 14- to 18-year-olds, published in January, found differences in educational attainment. Whereas 82% of boys could count money and 66% could tell time in a simple test, the corresponding proportions for girls were 70% and 53%. Although impressive numbers of Indian women now go on to higher studies, with ever more venturing into fields that were long male preserves such as engineering, their efforts may not bring similar rewards. One survey of college students across northern India found that whereas a sadly low 26% of men said that they themselves, and not their parents or others, chose their careers, the proportion for women was lower still, at 11%. And while women with college degrees are more likely to work than those with just high-school certificates, the number of them with jobs is still under 30%. In fact, the proportion of women in the workforce has been steadily dropping for more than a decade, reflecting both a steep decline in farm jobs and a preference among newly urban families to show that their womenfolk do not need to work Of all the hurdles Indian women still face, sex and marriage may be the highest. The vast majority of marriages are still arranged by families, and some 94% of them among Hindus are within the same caste. Women are expected, by and large, to become part of the husband’s family, and to bring along a sweetener. In-laws can press their demands in unsubtle ways. Aside from an annual average of around 8,000 “dowry deaths”—wives killed because they have not coughed up enough money—recent newspaper reports tell of such persuasive methods as beating with hockey sticks, stealing a kidney and blackmailing with sex tapes. More broadly, violence against women in various forms appears to be on the increase, although this may chiefly be the result of an increased tendency to report such crimes. If so, the change is desperately needed. A research paper from 2014 that compared police records of sexual violence with survey results estimated that less than 6% of such crimes outside the home, and less than 1% of sexual assaults by husbands, are officially reported. Out of some 340,000 crimes against women reported in 2016, 110,000 were cases of cruelty by a husband or his relatives. And family health surveys reveal that 52% of women believe that husbands are entitled to beat their wives. Part of the trouble lies with the caste system. The compartmentalisation of society into narrow layers negates what should be a supply-and-demand empowerment of women due to their shrinking proportion. In essence, women’s families still compete to ensnare the best husbands within a relatively limited pool. The conservative Hinduism of the northern Hindi-speaking heartland does not help, either. In parts of the south, Hindus have a long tradition of matriarchy. By the same token, Muslim and Christian minorities have long given women rights to inheritance and property. But Hindu inheritance law was only substantially reformed in 2005, and in the patriarchal north it is still considered proper for sons alone to hold property and perform religious rites. The north also happens to be the heartland of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, which can make it awkward for the government to campaign too forcefully for women’s rights. In important respects, however, not just numbers but attitudes are definitely changing. Within Indian homes, women are winning more respect: between national health surveys in 2006 and 2016, a striking number reported stronger participation in family decision-making. Ever more Indian women are also voting. In the national election of 1991, 10% more men than women voted. At the most recent election, in 2014, this gap was down to 1.5%. Canny politicians such as Mr Modi have not failed to notice, and increasingly tailor their policies accordingly. His project to equip households with cooking gas to replace solid fuel not only saves thousands of lives that would otherwise be lost to smoke inhalation, it also directly targets women voters. Mr Modi has also courted Muslim women by attacking “triple talaq”, an arcane tradition long since abandoned in most Muslim-majority countries, which permits a man to divorce simply by saying the word three times. Female voters have helped put issues such as public safety, underage marriage, alcohol abuse and sanitation at the centre of national politics. “We might be on the cusp of a real transition,” says Yamini Aiyar of the Centre for Policy Research, a think-tank in Delhi. “From the way people dress—rural women have dropped their dupattas [gauzy scarves] and now wear kurtas [long shirts] over jeans—to changing marriage expectations, to forging a woman-centred political narrative, the pace is speeding up.” The two-timing Ms Sen should have realised that men can’t get away with what they used to.#AhluwaliaMohnishNotes

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christinaepilzauthor-blog · 7 years

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Joining the Gentry

by Maria Grace The Regency era gentleman was a fairly rare bird. During the era, the gentry class only made up about one and one half percent of the British population. When the rising merchant class had the means to join the elite group, they jumped at the chance. Still, the process was not as easy as simply buying their way in. The transition into the gentry class could take several generations to complete since inherited wealth, especially that related to land ownership, still offered higher social standing than earned wealth. The Pathway to Gentry Standing For those not gently born, the pathway to gentry status began with earning money, ideally a very great deal of it. However, wealth alone did not offer real status. It had to be turned into the trappings of the gentry: land, education, and connections. Arguably, the most significant of these was the purchase of land. And by land, not just a small parcel would do. A yeoman farmer's plot of fifty acres or so would only grant the status of a "respectable farmer", not a gentleman. To be part of the gentry, a man needed at least three hundred acres, preferably already fashioned into an estate.

Photo credit: amandabhslater via Visualhunt / CC BY-SA

What is an Estate? Through the Georgian era, estates were largely self-sustaining economic entities. The most obvious feature of an estate was the grand house where the master of the estate and his family lived and conducted their business. Houses might stand for generations, but changes in fashion, architecture, and gardening meant an estate owner might spend a great deal on bringing the house and grounds up to modern, fashionable standards. While the house might be the most obvious feature, the more significant ones were those that provided income and sustenance to the owner. A home farm provided food and necessities for the family in residence, as well as the servants who lived with them. Tenant farms and rental properties provided the majority of a gentleman's income. Natural land resources like trees (lumber), coal, fishing, etc. could supplement incomes. These passive forms of income separated the gentleman from the working class whose hands were soiled by paid work. Acquiring an Estate Large land owners were a very exclusive group. By the end of the eighteenth century, half the farm land of Britain belonged to only about five thousand families. (Lane, 2005) How much did it take to acquire an estate? In 1801, a one hundred acre estate (not enough to make one part of the gentry, though) in Sussex sold for £3,500. (Donnelly, 2012). In general, an estate would be priced at about thirty times the income it produced. So, an estate producing £1000 a year would sell for approximately £30,000. To put these numbers in perspective, during the era, the edge of poverty was approximately £50 a year. A shopkeeper might make £150 a year. A comfortable middle class income was £250 while just a quarter million families made a very comfortable £700 pounds or more per year. In 1801, only the top one percent of the population made more than £800 a year. (Morris, 2014)So, it was just a very small fragment of the population who could aspire to land ownership. Land Ownership was not Enough Simply owning an estate was not sufficient to grant entry into the upper classes. A family was not part of the gentry until members of the gentry accepted them as part of their social equals. Socializing together was important, but intermarriage was the surest sign of acceptance. Before that could happen, all financial ties with the business that brought in the wealth—commerce, colonial endeavors, manufacturing, military, finance—had to be severed and the family seen to live in a "good sort of way." A man aspiring to the gentry class would ensure his sons, especially the eldest, received a gentleman's education. At Cambridge or Oxford he would be taught the classics, at the not insubstantial sum of £300 a year. Perhaps more significant, the exposure to his social betters would allow him to develop the necessary social graces to mingle with the upper crust.

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While his expensive education would not actually provide useful instruction in how to manage an estate, it would afford him the opportunity to rub shoulders with others sons of the gentry, establishing connections that could serve him well throughout his life. Not surprisingly, a daughter's education was secondary, but if there was money available, she might be sent to a "finishing school," or girl's seminary, to complete the education her mother would have begun at home. Training in French and Italian, dance, music, and deportment would be aimed at making her a "social asset" for her future husband—a man whom she might well meet through a brother's connections. For a daughter, good manners and an excellent dowry were even more important than a pretty face and figure for social mobility. Once the next generation was sufficiently acceptable to be marriageable to the gentry class, and an estate (and hopefully fortune to go with it) were inherited, the transition to gentry class could be considered complete. The Importance of Owning Land To the modern perspective, the emphasis on land over actual wealth seems perplexing. What made land so significant? In the centuries leading up to the Regency era, people existed in a largely subsistence economy. Crops were difficult to grow and, for most, producing enough for personal use was an achievement. To grow more than one needed was truly a show of success and required a significant amount of land. Growing crops for market helped shift the economy from a subsistence to a market economy, and helped solidify the mystique of land ownership. Land ownership became a prerequisite for social power. Only land owners could vote. Masters of large estates often served as local magistrates, presiding over civil and certain criminal complaints. They also frequently served as church wardens managing tithes to the local rector and maintaining the parish church. Thus, land afforded not only economic power, but social standing and influence as well, making it the natural vehicle of the upwardly mobile nouveaux riche to make their impact upon society. References Colburn, Henry. A new system of practical domestic economy: founded on modern discoveries and the private communications of persons of experience. London: Printed for Henry Colburn and Co., 1823.

Davidoff, Leonore, and Catherine Hall. Family Fortunes: Men and Women of the English Middle Class, 1780-1850. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987. Donnelly, Shannon. "Regency Coin — What Did it Cost?" Shannon Donnelly's Fresh Ink. January 14, 2012. Accessed March 2, 2017. https://shannondonnelly.com/2012/01/14/regency-coin-what-did-it-cost/. Jones, Chris. "Land Ownership." In Jane Austen in Context , 269-77. Cambridge: University Press, 2005. Lane, Maggie. Jane Austen's World: The Life and times of England's Most Popular Novelist. 2nd ed. London: Carlton Books, 2005. Morris, Diane. "Mr. Darcy Was a Second-Class Citizen." Moorgate Books. August 10, 2014. Accessed March 20, 2017. http://www.moorgatebooks.com/08/mr-darcy-was-a-second-class-citizen/. Savage, William. "The Path to Landed Gentry Status." Pen and Pension. October 05, 2016. Accessed March 10, 2017. https://penandpension.com/2016/10/05/the-path-to-landed-gentry-status/. Sullivan, Margaret C., and Kathryn Rathke. The Jane Austen Handbook: Proper Life Skills from Regency England. Philadelphia, PA: Quirk Books, 2007. Wilson, Richard, and Alan Mackley. "Founding a landed dynasty, building a country house: the Rolfes of Heacham in the eighteenth century." In Counties and Communities: Essays on East Anglian History: Presented to Hassell Smith. University of East Anglia: Norwich: Centre of East Anglian Studies, 1996.

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Though Maria Grace has been writing fiction since she was ten years old, those early efforts happily reside in a file drawer and are unlikely to see the light of day again, for which many are grateful. After penning five file-drawer novels in high school, she took a break from writing to pursue college and earn her doctorate. After 16 years of university teaching, she returned to her first love, fiction writing. Click here to find her books on Amazon. For more on her writing and other Random Bits of Fascination, visit her website. You can also like her on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.

Hat Tip To: English Historical Fiction Authors

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reallifesultanas · 4 years

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Women of the harem/A háremhölgyek

Now we know the background of Sultanate of Women. We know when did it happen, what does it even mean, so it’s time to know better the women who lived in it! How did they get into the harem?

All of these women were slaves. They were captured as young children, their families were usually killed, then they had to go a long rout util they arrived to the Empire, where they were sold. The most beautiful and valuable ones were choosen and got to important person’s harem (not just to the imperial palace, but also to sultana’s or pasha’s palaces), where they were raised and educated.

Where are these girls from?

The most valuable places changed over time, but during the Sultanate of Women most of the slave girls were captured on campaigns or raids. The girls were mostly between 6-13 years old, since in then they were easily teachable and they were virgins. The raids were done mostly by the Crimean Tatars and took place in the Eastern European region. These girls were sometimes raised in the Crimea and then were gifted to the Imperial Palace to Istanbul, but usually the girls simply were sent to the slavemarkets. Two famous sultana came from these territories: Hürrem Sultan, who was most probably a Ukranian or Polish origin woman and Turhan Hatice Sultan, who seem to be Russian.

It was also usual to took hostages during campaigns. The Ottomans usually took campaigns into the Balkan, into the Aegean Region and to the Iranian territories. However they couldn’t took girls from the Iranian campaigns because originally it was forbidden to make Muslims as slaves (however there were some exceptions). Since the Ottoman Fleet was quite strong these years they regularly took slaves from the Aegean Region, from Greek or Venetian islands.

A lot of famous concubine seem to be Venetian, Greek or were captured in these islands. For example Nurbanu, who was by birth a Venetian; Kösem who most probably was a Greek, or mixed Greek and Italian; Emetullah Rabia Gülnüş, who was originated from the island of Crete; and some sources also claim that the Haseki of Murad IV, Ayşe was also a Greek just like his mother, Kösem Sultan.

The Balkan was also a popular place for campaigns and for raids, so a lot of pahas (actually most of the pashas were from here) and concubines were from the Balkan Region. It is not always known if they were Croats, Bosnians, Bulgarians, Albanian or Serbians. The famous folclore stories says that Safiye Sultan was a Venetian, however it seems she was an Albanian by birth. Also Handan Sultan, the first ever female regent was from the Balkan, and most probably was a Bosnian. Some sources also claim that Mahidevran, the tragic destiny consort of Süleyman I was from the Balkan, more precisely from Montenegro.

Moreover in the harem there were a lot of women from the Caucasus region, who were mostly Armenians, Abkhazians and Circassians. Famous Armenian consort was one of Ibrahim I’s Hasekies, Şivekar. Other sources also say that Ibrahim I had another consort from Armenia, who was the fattest woman ever seen in the imperial harem. (However the two woman maybe was one person, or their origin is mixed.) The only woman in the whole history of the Ottoman Empire, who was valide sultan twice for the same son, Halime Sultan was an Abkhazian or Circassian (sources don’t agree). And the forgotten consort of Ahmed I, Mahfiruz was a Circassian woman also.

In te early periods the sultan’s married some Türk and Byzantyne women also.

So as you can see the harem was a multicultural, multilingual, multiethnical place. There were women from every part of the world: Europeans, Asians and even Africans. However African slave women weren’t concubines, but the servants of the concubines.

How was their education?

Before arriving to the harem these girls had to walk a long rout with the other slaves. In the end all of them had a medical check which extended to their virginity also. This was a very unpleasant and shameful examinitaion for all of them. When these girls got to the harem they faced a totally different world. They didn’t have to forget their past – as it was portrayed in the series –, but women from the same regions were usually tried to be close to eachother and help eachother. They could speak their own language among themselves, however of course they had to learn the Ottoman Turkish Language. Interesting, but it starts to be widely accepted, that the conubines also sometimes teached eachother to languages. In the end these women were highly educated and spoke at least two, but mostly more, languages. Anyhow, in the end, when they had their children, or they became nurses of some sultana’s children, they went back to their roots and sang the only lullabies they knew, the ones on their own language, which was sang to them by their late mothers. So the language was a very important part of the education of these women! What else did they had to learn? As I previously mentioned before, all of them were Christians, so they had to study the Koran and the base of Islam. However most sources agree that they weren’t force convert to Islam. However it was necessary for the rising in the harem, so most of them converted very fast. Moreover of course they had to learn how to read and write, but this was a very very long process and not every women had the chance to became expert in it. Actually in the first few days/weeks when they arrived to the harem, the senior servants checked every small detale on the girls, those who were lesser talented, or less good looking, became domestic servants who fetched trays of food, stoked the fires that heated water for the hamams, tended wardrobes, and did the laundry and cleaning. These girls of course didn’t had such a proper education than the others. The one who were beautiful, talented and intelligent enough have a better education. They had to learn how to carry themselves, how to dress, how and when to bow. The ones who were talented in music, learnt how to sing, dance and use music instruments; the ones who were talented in handicraft learnt how to sew, how to do embroidery. These last ones were quite important, because these women were able to sell their works through the kiras – female business agents – and could get some money. And most importantly the ones who were choosed for the sultan and became their consorts, didn’t stopped studying. For example we know that Hürrem in the first few years being Süleyman’s consort, she wasn’t able to speak and write properly in Ottoman Turkish. His written scripts became good around the middle of the 1530’s. Before these years harem kalfas wrote her letters to Süleyman, and she only made some personal side-supplements. And these consort also had to learn some financial bases, because they were the head of their own houshold. We also know that it wasn’t an easy task since it took years for Hürrem to became an expert in it. Süleyman asked Gülfem in these first years to always check Hürrem if she is spending the money right or not. And last but not least, these girls learnt about sex and giving pleasure. The first way of charming the sultan was their appearance, then their sexual performance. If they were good and gave pleasure to the sultan, he may asked them again. More sexual intercourse meant bigger chance to get pregnant. But about this topic I will write a full post! ;)

The women who were raised in the harem had two chance, one of them to became the consort of the sultan, the other one to be married off. These women were very valuable, because of their proper education, nice appearance, so they were usually married off to pashas or some honored men. In this case the sultan or the Valide Sultan gave dowry. It was usual that later these women acted as agents for the Sultanas inside the harem. For example Kösem Sultan usually married off her maideins (or simple concubines who were loyal to her) to important and honored men, so the women could link her with these men. After the marriages the men were loyal to Kösem, because she gave a grate honor to them by the marriages, and if they wouldn’t be loyal, their wives would just tell it to Kösem.

Who choosed them?

Usually it wasn’t the sultan who could pick a nice woman, but his mother. However it was usual that his female compagnions (sisters, aunts, friends, close kalfas or wives of pashas) suggested a concubine to directly to the sultan or to the Valide Sultan. Actually in the era of Sultanate of women we are lucky enough to know some of the gift (concubine) giving women. For example it is possible that in the case of Hürrem it was Gülfem who presented her to the Sultan or to the Valide Sultan. (Other sources claim she was gifted to Süleyman by Ibrahim or by Süleyman’s aunt.) Beside the most famous Eastern-European origin consort, Hürrem, the other one from the same origin, Turhan Hatice was also gifted to the Sultan not by the Valide herself. Turhan Hatice was raised and trained by the half-sister of Ibrahim I, Atike Sultan before gifting her to Ibrahim. Sometimes the cousins and aunts were also important. For example Gevherhan (daughter of Selim II and Nurbanu) was the one who trained and then gifted a concubine to later Mehmed III (grandson of Selim II). This concubine became Handan, mother of Ahmed I. Ahmed had an ultimate respect for Gevherhan Sultan because of it. Maybe this is why he named one of his daughters Gevherhan. Other grate example is Hümaşah (daughter of late Şehzade Mehmed), who trained Safiye and then gifted her to Murad III, her cousin. Safiye and Murad named their first daughter after Hümaşah. But we know examples also when the Valide Sultan was the one who choosed the girls, like Ayşe Hafsa choosed Mahidevran for Süleyman in his princely province; Hürrem trained and choosed Nurbanu for Selim II or Handan choosed Mahfiruz for Ahmed I. But there were other ways also! Sometimes the sultan also had a chance to choose. When the sultan visited his mother or sister, they organized a refreshment and entertainment. These receptions offered him opportunity to check the young women, who served him sherbet or who offered music and dance interlude. The concubines maybe tried some kind of flirtation also. However still it was important that the Valide Sultan or the sister of the sultan liked the concubines or not, because they only let women they like and find suitable for the task to serve the sultan.

Used sources: Leslie Peirce – The imperial harem, Women and Sovereignty in the Ottoman Empire; Leslie Peirce – Empress of the east.

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Most, hogy már ismerjük a Nők szultánátusának hátterét, tudjuk mikor történt, hogy egyáltalán mit is jelent, itt az ideje, hogy jobban megismerjuk a nőket, akik ekkor éltek. Először is azt, hogy hogyan kerültek a hárembe.

Mindannyian rabszolgák voltak. Fiatal gyermekként szakították el őket a családjuktől, akiket gyakran meg is öltek ekkor. Ezekután hosszú utat kellett megtenniük – akár gyalog – az Oszmán Birodalomba, ahol végül eladták őket rabszolgának. A leggyönyörűbbek és legértékesebbek befolyásos személyek háremeibe kerültek (nem csak a birodalmi palotába, de sokszor szultánák vagy pasák palotáiba is), ahol felnevelték, kitanították őket.

Honnan származtak ezek a lányok?

A legértékesebb helyek időről időre változtak, de a Nők szultánátusának idejént a legtöbb rabszolganőt a hadjáratok alatt vagy rajtaütésekkel ejtették fogjul. A lányok általában 6-13 évesek voltak, hiszen ebben a korban még könnyen nevelhetőek és szüzek voltak. A rajtaütéseket általában a krími tatárok végezték Európa keleti területein. Ezeket a lányokat gyakran nevelték a Krímen, ahonnan aztán a birodalmi palotába küldték őket értékes ajándékként. Ám a tatárok voltak azok is, akik a rabszolgapiacokat szerte a birodalomban ellátták foglyokkal, így a foglyok nagy része inkább oda került. Két igen híres szultána is ezekről a területekről került a birodalomba: Hürrem szultána, aki valószínűleg ukrán vagy lengyel származású volt és Turhan Hatice szultána, aki orosz lehetett. A tatárok rajtaütései mellett azonban a hadjáratokon való fogolyszerzés is gyakori volt. Az oszmánok általában a Balkánon, Égei-régióban és iráni területeken folytattak hadjáratokat. Mivel azonban muszlim embereket nem tehettek rabszolgává, iráni hadjárataikról általában rabszolgák nélkül tértek vissza (igaz, kivételek előfordultak). Mivel az oszmánok flottája ebben az időszakban igen jó volt, rendszeresen ejtettek fogjul lányokat az Égei-régióban, görög és velencei szigetekről. Sok híres ágyas került ki ezen régiókból. Így például Nurbanu, aki velencei származású volt; Köszem, aki görög vagy görög-velencei volt; Emetullah Rabia Gülnüş Krétáról származó görög volt; és néhány forrás azt is említi, hogy Haszeki Ayşe, IV. Murad kedvence is görög volt, akárcsak anyja Köszem. A Balkán szintén népszerű célpontja volt a hadjáratoknak, és rengeteg pasa (valójában legtöbbjük innen származott) és ágyas jött ebből a régióból. Nem mindig lehet pontosan eldönteni, hogy az innen származó pasák és ágyasok horvátok, bosnyákok, bulgárok, albánok vagy szerbek voltak. A híres történetek szerint velenceinek mondott Safiye szultána is valójában innen származott, feltehetőleg albán volt. Handan szultána, a valaha volt első női régens is a Balkánról származott, és talán bosnyák lehetett. Néhány forrás szerint Mahidevran, I. Szulejmán tragikus sorsú kedvence valószínűleg Montenegróból származott. Emellett a háremben nagyon sok Kaukázusból származó nő volt. Ők vagy örmények, abkházok, cserkeszek voltak. Híres örmény ágyas volt I. Ibrahim haszekije Şivekar. De Ibrahim egy másik ágyasa is örmény lehetett, aki a legkövérebb nő volt, aki valaha a háremben élt. (Néhány forrás szerint a két nő egy és ugyanaz.) Az egyetlen nő, aki kétszer lehetett valide ugyanazon fia mellett, Halime szintén a Kaukázusból származott, cserkesz vagy abkház volt. I. Ahmed elfelejtett ágyasa Mahfiruz szintén cserkesz volt.

Ahogy tehát látható a hárem egy igazán multikulturális, többnyelvű, több etnikummal rendelkező hely volt, ahol a világ minden tájáról származó nő élt. Voltak itt európai, afrikai és ázsiai nők is, igaz az afrikai nők nem ágyasokként, hanem szolgálókként éltek a háremben.

Hogyan és mit tanultak ezek a nők?

A hárembe érkezés előtt hosszú utat kellett megtenniük a lányoknak a többi rabszolgával együtt, végül pedig megrázó egészségügyi ellenőrzéseknek vetették alá őket. A legsokkolóbb része a szüzességük ellenőrzésére szolgáló vizsgálat lehetett. A lányok a hárembe érve egy egészen más világba csöppentek. Ám nem kellett elfelejteniük eredetüket és múltjukat – ahogy a sorozatban sokszor utaltak erre –, hanem bizony sokszor összegyűltek az azonos helyekről származó lányok és igyekeztek egymással barátkozni és egymást segíteni. Egymásközt beszélhettek anyanyelvükön, ám ettől függetlenül természetesen meg kellett tanulniuk az oszmán török nyelvet. Érdekes, de egyre szélesebb körben elfogadott, hogy az ágyasok akár nyelveket is tanultak egymástól. Végül ezek a nők igen tanultakká váltak, akik legalább kettő, de inkább több nyelven beszéltek akár folyékonyan. Mindenesetre a végén mégis visszatértek gyökereikhez, amikor megszülettek gyermekeik vagy mások gyerekei mellett lettek nevelők, hiszen ekkor azokat az altatódalokat énekelték, amelyeket otthonról hoztak, amelyeket édesanyjuk énekelt nekik régen. Látszik tehát, hogy a nyelv igen fontos része volt a nők oktatásának. Na és mi mást tanultak még? Mint korábban említettem, mindannyian eredetileg keresztények voltak, így meg kellett tanulniuk az iszlám alapjait, tanulmányozniuk kellett a Koránt. A legtöbb forrás azonban abban egyetért, hogy nem kényszerítették őket az áttérésre. Ám ez szükséges volt ahhoz, hogy felemelkedhessenek a háremben, így legtöbben viszonylag korán áttértek. Mindemellett természetesen meg kellett tanulniuk írni, olvasni, ám ez igen hosszú folyamat volt és nem is minden lánynak volt lehetősége profivá válni benne. Valójában az első néhány napon/héten, mikor a hárembe érkeztek alaposan megfigyelték őket az idősebb kalfák, és akik kevéssé voltak tehetségesek, szépek azok háziszolgálókká lettek nevelve. Ők fát hordtak, vacsorát készítettek és szolgáltak fel, a hamamot fűtötték, ruhákat mostak, igazítottak és takarítottak. Ezek a lányok természetesen nem kaptak olyan kiemelkedő oktatást, mint a többiek. A gyönyörű, tehetséges és intelligens lányok jobb oktatást kaptak. Nekik az előbbiek mellett meg kellett tanulni, hogyan viselkedjenek, öltözzenek, mikor és hogyan hajoljanak meg. Akiknek tehetsége volt a zenéhez megtanulták, hogyan kell énekelni, táncolni vagy hangszeren játszani; akiknek a kézimunkához volt tehetségük varrni és hímezni tanultak. Ezek egyébként különösen kiemelt fontossággal bírtak a háremben, hogy kézimunkáikat jó áron tudták értékesíteni a kirák – női üzleti ügynökök – segítségével. És persze az ágyasok akkor sem hagyták abba a tanulást, ha kiválasztották őket a szultán számára. Így például Hürremről tudjuk, hogy Szulejmán ágyasaként is az első néhány évben nem volt tökéletes a török tudása sem írásban, sem szóban. Írásbeli képességei az 1530-as évek közepére váltak tökéletessé. Addig leveleit hárem kalfák írták helyette, ő csupán oldaljegyzeteket szúrt oda a már kész üzenetekhez. Emellett ezek a nők megtanulták az alapvető pénzügyi helyzetek kezelését is, hiszen ők voltak felelősek saját és gyermekeik háztartásáért. Tudjuk, hogy ez nem volt egyszerű feladat, így Szulejmán az első években Gülfemmel ellenőriztette Hürremet, mert annak nem ment könnyen a pénz beosztása. Végül, de nem utolsó sorban ezeknek a lányoknak a szexuális életről is sokat kellett tanulni, arról, hogyan okozzanak örömet. Ennek első lépése egyszerűen csak külsejük volt, másik pedig szexuális telesítményük. Ha ügyesek voltak, a szultán talán újra hívatta őket. Több szexuális együttlét pedig nagyobb esélyt jelentett a teherbeesésre. De erről a témáról lesz egy külön poszt is! ;)

A háremben nevelt lányokat két részre érdemes még csoportosítani. Voltak, akik a szultán ágyasai lehettek, és voltak a többiek, akiket általában kiházasítottak. Ezek a lányok hatalmas értéket képviseltek kiváló oktatásuk, szépségük miatt, így általában megbecsült pasák vagy államférfiak feleségei lehettek. Esetükben a szultán vagy a valide szultána adta a hozományt. Később ezek a nők egyfajta ügynökként is segíthették a szultánákat. Remek példa erre Köszem szultána, aki gyakran házasította ki a cselédeit (vagy más, hozzá hűséges ágyasokat) olyan férfiakhoz, akik hűségesek voltak hozzá. A házassággal ugyanis lekötelezte a férfiakat, akik onnantól hűen szolgálták őt, ha pedig mégis letértek az útról, feleségeik azonnal jelentették azt Köszemnek.

Ki választotta ki a lányokat?

Általában nem a szultán volt az, aki kiválasztotta magának a szépséges lányokat, hanem az anyja. Ám gyakran a szultán más női hozzátartozói (testvérek, barátok, nagynénik, közeli kalfák esetleg pasák feleségei) is ajánlhattak be ágyasokat egyenesen a szultánnak vagy a valide szultánának. A Nők szultánátusának idejéről szerencsére ismerjük néhány nő eredettörténetét és hogy ki adta őket a szultánnak. Hürrem esetében lehetséges, hogy Gülfem volt az, aki bemutatta őt a szultánnak vagy a valide szultánának. (Más források szerint Ibrahim vagy Szulejmán egy nagynénje ajándékozta őt a szultánnak.) Mellette, a másik híres kelet-európai eredetű ágyas, Turhan Hatice is más által lett a szultánnak ajándékozva. Esetében Ibrahim féltestvére, Atike szultána volt az ajándékozó, sőt ő nevelte ki és oktatta is őt! Néhány esetben unokatestvérek és nagynénik is szerepet játszottak az ágyasok sorsában. Így például Gevherhan szultána (II. Szelim és Nurbanu) volt az, aki kinevelt és odaajándékozott egy ágyast unokaöccsének, III. Mehmednek (II. Szelim és Nurbanu unokája). Ez az ágyas lett később Handan, I. Ahmed anyja. Ahmed maga végtelenül hálás volt Gevherhannak ezért, így talán ez lehetett oka annak, hogy egyik lányát is Gevherhannak nevezte el. Másik remek példa Hümaşah (Şehzade Mehmed lánya), aki személyesen nevelte ki Safiyét, majd ajándékozta neki unokaöccsének, III. Muradnak. Emiatt nevezhette el Safiye és Murad legidősebb leányát Hümaşah után. De természetesen olyan eset is volt, mikor ténylegesen a valide szultána választotta ki a lányokat fia számára, így például Ayşe Hafsa maga választotta Mahidevrant Szulejmánnak hercegsége alatt; Hürrem személyesen választotta Nurbanut Szelim mellé, Handan pedig Mahfiruzt I. Ahmed mellé.

De természetesen más mód is volt! Néha a szultán maga választhatott. Amikor a szultán meglátogatta anyját vagy testvéreit, azok ünnepséget rendeztek köszöntésére. Ezeken az eseményeken a szultánnak lehetősége volt alaposan szemügyre venni az ünnepségen jelenlévő lányokat, akik vagy italt szolgáltak fel számára vagy táncoltak, énekeltek, zenéltek neki. Az ágyasok pedig minden bizonnyal igyekeztek magukra felhívni a szultán figyelmét. Mindazonáltal itt is nagyon fontos volt a valide szultána, vagy a szultán testvérének befolyása, hiszen csak olyan ágyasokat választott ki az ünnepségekre, akikben látott lehetőséget, és akiket kedvelt.

Felhasznált források: Leslie Peirce – The imperial harem, Women and Sovereignty in the Ottoman Empire; Leslie Peirce – Empress of the east.

#hürrem sultan #hürrem #sultanate of women #turhan hatice sultan #turhan hatice #nurbanu sultan #nurbanu #master and slave #slave

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