Arden by: dnrock(dnrock@rock.com)
43: Back to Normal?
1319, 5th month, 20th day:
We have missed much at the university and needed study to catch up with our classmates. Our boys began complaining about our lack of attention to them as well, as our mentors.
1319, 5th month, 25th day
Our mother has not been feeling very well for the past several days. Sophia and Eudoxia came to see us expressing some concern. Mother managed to dismiss their concerns but Iason and I are still worried. We don't think anyone on Princess Elpis' staff is being completely honest with us. Kastor asked Alexandros for his opinion. He agreed but told us he to was being kept at bay. Only Thoren could give an informed opinion. He told us from time to time he detected some great discomfort in her voice but at other times not. I asked Euthalia and the Triangles to learn what they could on this matter. One of Euthalia's closest friends is on the Princess' staff. Since the Triangles are all men, we are not sure how much help they can be. Several have wives, perhaps they can learn something.
I did find it strange that if our mother was not well that she would keep that from her daughter and daughter-in-law apparent. Father and Uncle Iason would say nothing to us about this and I was unable to get a sense of what they might think or even if they had a concern.
1319, 6th month 1st day:
This past few days have been taken up with one of the largest sports festivals of the year. We had three days of competitions, one day were the women, one the boys and one for men. This will be the last year for us four to compete as boys. I compete with the men in running but have so for several years now. No man has yet challenged me on the longer distances but I am now getting some real competition on the shorter distances and for the first time did not win the 1 stadia race. I was second by half a stride. The winner was a former Argonaut who is now in the Elite Marines. I was relieved that someone had finally bested me in a race.
I think everyone was delighted with how well the blind, lame and one limed performed in their events, as well. I was sure Thoren could compete with sighted runners and he did. He did well, not winning any but he did come second in the three stadia and third in the four stadia. Dios, Hilarious and my other boys all placed in their races. Kastor, Polydeukus, Iason and I did well in the archery but were bested by several of the army and marine archers. That is good to see as well. Our guardians did not compete this year and I am thinking not to compete except in running in the future.
Now that the last of the Spring crops are planted the Argoanuts will begin construction of their expanded quarters and gymnasiums.
Admiral Pantaleon has suggested we build four more of these swift, pretend fishing boats. He would call them Princess Class. They can be armed with several rocket tubes and fitted with 8 instead of 4 oar sets. These oars are only used for maneuvering and are ported when under sail. They will keep their large triangular sails. These are partly open boats designed for quickness and agility. The old idea of a retractable fin is being reintroduced on them which will allow operation in our shallowest harbors and coastal area.
They will cary a naval crew of 10 and are capable of accommodating up to 50 marines if necessary. He also suggested the fishers consider using this basic design with a shorter mast and wider beam. They would be able to haul larger and deeper water nets. Poly will discuss this with the fishers association.
The midwives guild reported that cases of child fever were greatly reduced, by almost half, over the last year. It is now safer to have a birth in one of our hospitals than at home. This is attributed to new soaps to wash hands and the women while in labor and the use of boiling water to clean everything used by them in the birthing process, before and after they are used. No one is quite sure why this works. My urging them to do something about the carnage, forced them to think about the problem, instead of just accepting the results of the past. Someone had noticed that our obsession with cleanliness was thought to help in other medical areas and applied it here.
1319, 6th month, 10th day:
Polydeukus and I have been traveling to the Argonaut locations for the past while. We found all was in order and feel everyone is doing the best job they can at each. Larger vegetable gardens, more grains, expanded orchards and larger flocks will be required at each. Even the castle must need expand its' gardens. The new State Service managers at these estates seam to be establishing themselves and getting things done. It will take some years before the orchards and groves are producing as these trees need grow first. It will also take some years to build up the flocks of sheep and goats.
Yesterday we reported to the council and to the directors of the Argoanuts. Uncle Iason told us that we would need take the younger princes with us on our next round of visits. Helo can accompany Iason and our eromenos. Now that the page core is so substantially expanded, time away from those duties was possible for them. I thought for sure the three terrors would complain about Helo getting what they did not. They did not, perhaps they are maturing quicker than I give them credit. I am sure of it as the boys made no protest when Iason, myself and Kas and Poly each sought beds that did not include them. Now that love and lust for ones partner are satisfied, we can turn attention to them. I can hear the boys plotting now, so I am sure it will be the situation after a few more paragraphs in this journal.
My friend Mohammed came to me after our mathematics class. He asked me to stop at his father's home on my way back to the castle. His father is one of the official at the mosque. When I arrived I was shown a letter from the Sultan. It was in Arabic so I could not read it. Mohammed translated it. It was solicitous, almost pleading. The Sultan had received the soothsayers letter and on checking, the man was found to have died shortly after writing it. He quoted parts of it's text. The part about Umar his son being in Parga and under my protection. He did not believe in sorcerers but thought he should ask if this Prince Arden had the reputation of being one.
I smiled and chuckled a bit. "Arden how should my father answer this?"
Answer with the truth as you know it. You have known me since we were 12. You know weather I am a sorcerer or not. You and your father have met my ward Umar. He is a fine, healthy lad of eight, with brown skin, black hair and brown eyes. He is handsome but not outstanding. He lives with my concubine Euthalia, whom you also know, and our two infant children. Umar came to us as a ward, after having been pulled from the ocean, he was clinging to some wreckage, following the recent battle with the pirates. You know all about this.
Being a child and an orphan with no relatives here, he is automatically a ward of the king and being under 12, by our custom must be assigned to a foster family or adopted. Like every citizen of Parga he is under the protection of its princes and being my ward, specifically under that of Prince Arden.
Since I am forbidden by law from having a wife and adopting anyone except the Crown Prince Consort, which will be no less than 13 years away, I can be nothing other than be his foster father. Which, by the way, was my brother Helladios' idea and once accepted by Euthalia I had no choice, as she was immediately taken with him. He calls her mother and she is very pleased by it. He calls me father and I to am pleased that he feels so.
If this Umar is his son, I know not. My Umar has never said his father was a sultan. I did not ask him either. Since Parga is a meritocracy, I would prefer that Umar is treated as every other royal ward. If he is to properly prosper, no hint of favoritism must exist. For his sake, please make sure this gossip never leaves this room. I know 3 other boys named Umar were also rescued from that disaster. They are all older, 13 or 14 and are now with the Argoanuts.
"The Sultan writes his son has a dark brown birth mark on his right buttock, that and one crocked tooth are his only distinguishing marks."
You have met him, perhaps you don't remember but he does have a crocked tooth. This one, I pointed to my left eye tooth. He does have a birthmark on his right buttock. Perhaps this is the same boy. You can honestly say this to the sultan and by doing so, hope his mother will be comforted knowing he is alive and being well cared for.
Mohammed's father then asked, "He writes this boy is the seventh son of his seventh wife and he is the seventh sultan. The lad of great importance to him. He will want him returned."
That sir will never happen. Umar has taken a piece of my heart and that of Euthalia. We view him as truly a gift of god, who came floating on a piece of wreckage. Divine gifts can not be sent away, god has no return address. (TN: Arden wrote place, I think address is what he means.) When he is 18 he will have the same rights as every other citizen of Parga. He can go wherever he pleases but until that time, he is my ward and my responsibility. It is my duty to keep him safe and provide opportunity for him to prosper. It is a parent's duty to love his children, as that is all they have to exchange. You both know how I discharge my duty.
"You may be in infidel but you are truly a righteous man Arden. I am proud to call you friend."
Well it has started and I know not where it will finish. My brothers believe the sultan will offer money for his return. Father just shrugged and said, "his treasury doesn't have enough gold for Arden to part with him." He is correct. The children of Parga are not for sale. I did ask Umar if he liked it here. He was emphatic that he liked it very much. He was emphatic that he liked me very much too. I don't think he ever had much older male attention before. Now that he knows me, he is not shy about sitting on my lap and pressing his head against my body. Much like Alfred does to Iason.
1319, 6th month, 11 day:
Drakon flashed me the triangle sign and headed down a little used hallway. Iason and I were right on his heals. He let us into a little used storage room and closed the door. Princes I must talk to you about Princess Apparent Sophia. We nodded. Damao asked, "should we not invite Kastor and Polydeukus?"
"No, Drakon said, "this has to do with Iason's bothered. Arden and Iason are already bound so it involves him. I know this is complex but it is the way it must be."
"How about getting to the point Drakon," Iason quipped.
"The point is Sophia is having a sexual liaison with your sister Eudoxia."
Iason and I smiled, this was not news to us. I could see our guardians trying not to laugh. I knew my Iason would have some fun at poor Darkon's expense. He was doing his job trying to protect his princes, something he had sworn to do all those years ago when Iason and I were just starting in the prince business.
"Let me see if I have understood correctly, Sophia and Eudoxia are doing the same things Arden and I have been since we were 12?"
"Yes Iason that is it...." his voice trailed off realizing what he had just agreed to.
I don't see any problem here do you Iason. Correct me if I am wrong. Iason and I fuck each other almost daily and have so for almost 6 years now. We do the same with dozens of other males, you among them and many females too, recorder of castle births.
"However, our sister is not one of those females. Her betrothed on the other hand is a frequent visitor to our bed," Iason interrupted.
"Perhaps you should summon Alexandros," Pyrros added.
"No, I mean, yes, I mean you don't understand."
"That is correct we do not understand," Heron spoke up.
"If the princesses are having a love affair before they are married what will happen once they are. I mean women, who love women do not have children." (Drakon)
"No that is not quite true, Drakon, men who love men can not produce children. Women who love women can still produce children if they lay with a man. Just as our concubines produce children with us but still have sexual liaisons between themselves. Is that not so.?" (Iason)
"I think I know my sister. She is a good looking woman with much drive. She works as hard as any prince or page. I can see that she is just as sexually driven as any other person and why not. We boys fuck as much and as often as we can get our penises stiff. Don't you think women want sexual pleasure as much as we," Iason asked?
What is it you are concerned about Drakon. Surely you are not implying that sex between women is any more or less than sex between us men?
"Besides if it is between the two princesses at least it is all in the family," Iason quipped. Now poor Drakon was flummoxed. We had tied him up in his own words and were doing so with enough skill that he could scarily remember the reason he thought important.
"Iason, Arden it is not that they share pleasure. What goes on in the female pages dorm is no different than the male," Darkon said.
"Surly it is different, they lack a penis," Volos said.
"I mean, they enjoy pleasure between themselves as greatly and as frequently as the boys."
"That is a good thing I think, if it were not for my brothers, I don't think Sophia would still be a virgin by our wedding day and I suspect my sister as well."
I put my arm around Darkon's shoulders. Old friend, we are making light of your honest concern. Please do not take offense. Iason and Alexandros both know this already and both have sanctioned it by saying nothing. Neither are concerned that they will refuse to bare their children and be good mothers in the process. Our sisters know full well what goes on between all of us men and why and what benefit we and Parga receives from it. While all four know each other socially, the question still remains, will love follow duty as it has not had opportunity to precede?
"I think you will agree when my mother forced our fathers to open opportunities for the women of Parga, activities they had always enjoyed would become, ah more public. That is not to say some women will shun men, wanting to love other women. That is not to say some of those that do, will not want children. The desire for children seams to have more to do with having a vagina than anything else, as far as I can see," Iason added.
"This has been going on for some months. I am surprised you just now have discovered it," Damao interjected.
Iason and I kissed him, one on each cheek. "Thank you for your concern and your discretion Drakon. It is most appreciated. We should not have made light of you like we did," Iason said.
Another tempest in the kettle. I see it as an advantage for us. Sophia can scarcely pressure Iason to refrain from sex with boys, if she is participating in sex with girls, now can see. She is a women and from what I can tell, the supposition that women demand sexual fidelity, gender aside, may prove false. Since the traditions are as old as they are, surly others faced this problem and since we are here as we are, solved it. These arranged marriages can present problems but we know little else.
The poets speak of other things but they speak poetry not reality. The reality is women desire sex as much as men and were they able to have such, with out fear of children resulting, would gladly do so. Since it is not the case, they seek protection for themselves and those children. They trade limited sexual pleasure, confined to one husband or lover for that protection. The men desire to invest and protect their offspring above others, so they demand loyalty as part of their bargain.
We all know many are cuckolded and many are flanders. Some men believe they must spread their seed as widely as possible, others not. Many use sex and the family as tools of power and control. Others do not. Some men are like me, they use sex as a tool, not of control but of building loyalty to both person and office.
This leads me to think on the whole subject of male, and I would guess, but do not no for fact, women. From palace records and observations, I see that males born later in line are more likely to be men who love men. It seams not to be so much related to the father as the number of renters the mothers womb has seen before him. It is also clear that some mothers produce men who love men more frequently than others, even if the father is not the same in both.
I also see that men who exclusively love men or exclusively love women, are less common then those like us, who have sex with both. I am sure I am some place in the middle of all this. I love men and I love women and I want, pray need, sex with both. Some men and women too seam to desire sex more than others. I desire it all the time and have so since the first. Perhaps I will loose some of my desire as I grow older, perhaps not. I may not live to grow old, that too is possible, many do not. I think I shall continue fucking as much, as often and as many as I am physically able today, in the event I have no tomorrow.
Older men tell me our desire and need for sex moderates with age. When I look at our fathers I can see they have less on a daily bases then we and they are older but not old. Once Uncle Iason told me, "quantity is more important than quality when you are young. At my age quality is more important then quantity." Then he winked at me and said, "I can still keep up with you if opportunity presents."
Vitale came to see me today. I did not recognize him when he entered my office. He is well disguised, his beard is not trimmed and his hair has not been cut recently. Obviously he is still acting as a junior officer. He brought more good intelligence about the pirate harbors. We now have a good collection of information and maps of all these locations. Specifically he brought very detailed maps of Bejaia. It is as described, a moderately sized place with well built breakwaters. It entrance can be guarded and chained if they feel the need. Our frog men could easily get into this place and the skimmers launched from the breakwater itself and or small flat platforms, that can slip over the chain at high tied. He feels our ships could get reasonably close to the breakwaters and discharge rockets against the harbor and even the town.
He also told me, the talk in Bejaia was that the first wife was under a cloud for having done something, no one knew what. He told me it was possible she could loose her head. This was market gossip as nothing official was being said. The King's letter was now common knowledge and the Sultan was most up set that his armada had been crushed. He was said to have laid blame on everyone but himself. No one would say much for fear of reprisal. The senior princes and advisors are all pointing fingers at each other and their allies, who are pointing back. Those people that seem even to care at all, seem to think the old man had lost control of the younger men in his court.
"The talk in every port was of Prince Arden the great Admiral and his powerful ships. Others believe you are a magician or sorcerer and that you breath fire. Some say your flag ship, the Prince Arden has magic powers, that it creates its own wind and glides over the water on a magic silk blanket." We laughed much over this.
I will see this is filed with Hesiodos. I gave him leave until after the wedding, which is still four months away, insisting he and Raffaele come to our next family bath. He promised to do so, telling me no prostitute in any port can fill his needs like my penis and Kastor's kisses, except for Raffaele who he misses dearly. He will be staying with the General and Raffaele, so I suspect that need will be moderated.
I expect all of the sanctuary men, ambassadors, envoys and trade councils to be returned to Parga by the 9th month. Lugo and Dario should both be returned to us by then, as well. Given the number of foreign visitors we will need be greatly prepared for spies. We must do two things. One, make sure they learn or see only what we wish them to and two, co-opt as many as possible into our service. This is most important for states that have designs on us or that we have little trade and contact with.
Our university has just received another well known Alchemist. He presented himself to the council. That now makes 6 new professors of Alchemy to come here, since Pope John the 22nd banned it in 1317. Alchemists seam in two classes, one is trying to transmute base metals into gold. The other, the ones we have, are interested in how these compounds work and what things are composed of. If gold can be transmuted all well and good but I have my doubts. It seams that metals will often mix such as gold and silver or copper and tin. None that I know of combine to make any other so why should gold be different or transmutable? Several are making catalogues of different metals and substances, as well as minerals. Those found in Parga are being inventoried by one of the recent State Service Core school graduates.
I also learned today that a Frenchman named Jean Buridan has proposed an addition to Aristoteles law of motion. He is saying that a moving body does not need to be continuously pushed to stay in motion; due to something he calls, impetus, provided by a violent motion upon it. I see that in the instance of the sailing ships the wind must blow to make it go forward. I think in the instance of my arrow the impetus of the bow string imparts the motion and it moves without any additional action. Now it makes sense to me. This must also be true for Kannon projectiles. The rockets are different, they go forward until the gunpowder is burned up or used. They get continual motion, as Aristotle thought. Now this all makes sense to me.
At least something makes sense to me, other then food and sex.
(TN: This is most strange for Arden. He has skipped two weeks or so of entries and without some note of explanation. No pages are missing and everything is quite readable.)
1319, 6th month, 30 day:
A letter arrived late yesterday afternoon from the Seventh Sultan of Bejaia. The letter was signed by his Vizier and was written in Greek, with no translation provided. I was beginning to wonder if this sultan ran things or just kind of coordinated. I can not imagine Uncle Iason letting one of our council knights or even one of us, write a letter like this. It was more personal than state but it did have some political implications on his side.
Perhaps he was being condescending by not signing it itself. We did not expect it in his own hand, even we use scribes, since they tend to have a lot clearer hand than even me. This morning we met right after breakfast, just the seven of us. Tertius joined as this was both family and state. We asked everyone, even our guardians to give us privacy.
One of the scholars, called in to consult, told us that the Sultan was not condescending. He was being political. "As you will notice the Sultan is showing much more humility than is normal for those of his station." Being a vassal state of the Ottomans his titles and power are already reduced and he is very proud. He told us it has many more political implications in his own court than between other states. "Also notice, it is written in Greek and not translated. Few if any will be able to read and write Greek, probably not even his Vizier. Should this translator scribe ever breath a word of its content, he would loose his tongue at a minimum."
In the letter the Sultan said he had not been aware that his young son Umar, whom he love very much, had been sent away from his household by disloyal and disobedient servants. For a proud person this would be a major admission of failing, one it was best he did not make himself but would let his underlings make. I also thought it strange that if the first wife or a senior princes had done this he would refer to them as servants. He may view them as such or he may not wish to admit to us that his court has these problems.
He went on to say that those responsible had been punished and such a thing would never be allowed to happen again. Perhaps the market gossip reported has some truth at its base. The boy's mother had not reported him missing, believing he was with his brothers at a school, in another part of the state. That is plausible. Umar has just 8 years and can be recognized by a crocked left eye tooth and a dark brown birth mark on is right buttock. "We have learned that Umar was placed on one of the galleys, which had been sunk just off the coast of Parga." I guess that is a polite way of describing what happened. I doubt that much detail has reached them, unless the Sicilians are doing much talking. "We have also learned that a boy named Umar was saved from drowning and is now living in the household of Prince Arden. We have every reason to believe this boy is the Sultan's missing son.
The Sultan desires his son be returned." I noticed that he was rather solicitous by desiring and not demanding. Then he is in no position to demand much. His title gets him little in Parga and he must realize this. "The Sultan has instructed me to meet the demands of your previous offer: that of forbidding our privateers from attacking the ship of Parga and funding the university chair. In addition we offer another 1000 florins for his safe return."
I was expecting just this sort of thing and so were my brothers. King Iason and Father, who were not privy to our information or our previous actions, were not.
"Is this true Arden, is this boy the sultan's son," Father asked.
I believe he is, based on two things. He told Odo he was and he has the birthmark and crooked tooth as described. I forbid Odo from telling anyone else of this to protect Umar. If he is to prosper in our meritocracy, people must believe it is his merit and not his parentage that have caused it. Officially he does not know I know this, as I asked Odo to tell him not to tell me. I wanted him to understand he is loved and accepted by us, as Umar not as some sultan's 22nd or 23rd son.
"Are you prepared to send him home?" Father he is home, here in this castle, under our protection.
"Arden is not prepared to send Umar anyplace but to his bed in Euthalia's apartments," Iason added.
"Arden, you know Karyakos and I will support you. This is not a matter of state. It is a family matter. Like everything in this family, politics can not be completely removed. You have claimed Umar's guardianship, as is you right by our long standing custom."
Euthalia and I are not about to give Umar up. I promised him that he would be loved as Umar, our son. He has endeared himself to Euthalia and calls her mother, he is not shy in seeking her affection. I can do nothing else.
"You will find a cold bed should you try. I think you had better start at the beginning of this business. Karyakos and I need be appraised of all that has been said and done since the boy's arrival." He looked at Iason, "I mean all. This may be a family matter but I am sure the state will be involved to some extent. It can not be avoided," Uncle Iason said.
We four princes explained what we knew and what we did and when it was done. Tertius sat quietly observing and not saying anything through all of this. Everything right up until this letter arrived.
"When you confirmed to the Imam that Umar has those features, you knew some kind of letter would be forthcoming?" Yes Father, I did. I could be only honest with the Imam, as I had asked him to be honest in his response. I did not tell him or anyone else what Odo had told us for the reasons give before. I will not live a lie.
"What if the council gets wind of this and demand you accept those or some other terms," Kastor asked?
"Since Umar has been reborn a citizen of Parga it will take a majority vote of all and the king's agreement or three quarters of the council, to effectively banish a citizen, who has not transgressed our laws or customs. Should that happen they will need find a new Crown Prince Consort."
"Should that happen they would need replace about 5 other princes as well," Iason boldly announced. Kastor and Polydeukus were nodding in agreement.
"Well that is settled then, Umar is here to stay. I understand the sultan has over 50 children, at least half are boys or men. He has no great need for this one. Still I understand his concern. He probably does have some affection for his later born children. He must appear to be making a true effort to recover him, to keep his wives, all of them happy; and he must not appear to be impotent, to keep the younger nobles in line," Karyakos said.
Tertius spoke for the first time. "The Sultan is caught between domestic peace and political power struggles. By making an honest effort to recover Umar he gives the late wives some confidence that their interests are being protected by the patriarch. If his senior princes and nobles see him as weak or ineffective, he must struggle to hold power. The first wife will not loose her head. She will be punished in some political and social way. He can not allow this harem intrigue to flourish. He can not eliminate it either. Those that did her bidding will be severely punished. If some senior princes or nobles were involved he will be very harsh with them. He will do this very publicly, he has no choice. One hopes it is not his eldest or favorite. My guess is the youngest of his first wife and or the eldest of the second. They have the most to loose if a much younger boy finds the Sultan's favor. We do not know for sure who was behind this, since the first wife is the de facto leader in the harem, she will bare the responsibility."
"Have we not forgotten one thing in all this," Poly asked, `What are Umar's wishes? Should we not at least ask him what he wants? If we do not at least ask, we are no better than this barbarian who asks his return."
"You are correct Poly. I think Kary and I should spend some time alone with him so he will not feel intimidated by his father and uncles."
Odo and Umar were summoned and went into the royal apartments. We did not see or hear anything for a long time. When they came out. Odo looked rather bored and Umar just ran to me and took my hand. "I want to go home now daddy, mommy need my help," was all he said. I guess he voted. This evening after our meal Father asked me how I intended to respond. I told him I was of two minds. One was just to say no, the other a long explanation and then say no.
He thought about it a bit. Tell him: given the birth mark you believe your Umar and the boy he seeks are likely one in the same. Tell him of your first encounter with him. That he was forced to witness things no child should ever need see, how he survived clinging to some ships wreckage. Tell him you invoked your ancient right of granting your personal protection, you made him your ward and placed him with Euthalia and your two infant children. Tell him you had not and never will ask him where he was from or who his parents had been or even how he came to be on that galley.
Go on to say that the terms the proposal had expired. Those terms were a proposed political settlement for a political situation. You believe they are inappropriate, as the welfare of the child is paramount, not negotiable and not political. That is why your uncle the king has asked you to respond, not as a Prince but as parent. You should sign the letter Arden, son of Prince Karyakos of Parga.
Say, something like this: Umar has taken a place in my heart and that of Euthalia. We view him as truly a gift of god, who came to Parga floating on the sea. Divine gifts can not be sent away but must be honored. Divine gifts are priceless and beyond all treasure. Umar is now my ward and my responsibility. His full name is Umar du Parga Ward of Prince Arden du Parga. It is my duty to keep him safe and provide opportunity for him to prosper. It is a parent's duty to love their children as that is all children have to give.
One thing you should not say but you should know, is this. Umar told us he has spent more time in his grandfathers company since he came to Parga than he did with his sire during his previous 7 years. That may be an exaggeration but it also tells you something about being a younger child in a harem with 50 other children.
It tells me something about how other places are organized as well. It also tells me that Kastor and Polydeukus need continue to assist me in making sure all place children enjoy the love of a father.
I wonder if we have heard the last of this business?