Chapter 13 #3
“My lord, I would ask a boon of you. I would have Azura come to the Moonlight Serai as my legal wife. Will you represent her before your personal imam so this may be done today?”
“Of course!” the sultan said enthusiastically.
“You do this lady great honor, Amir.” Then he called for his imam to come to them.
A scribe joined them in order to write up the papers that would make the woman known as Azura legally married to the Ottoman prince known as Amir ibn Jem.
Under the law, it was not been necessary for Azura to be present at such an event.
When it was done, the imam prayed for the health of the sultan and his empire before Amir departed back to his ship carrying the legal parchments declaring Azura to be his wife.
He found her and Agata in the large cabin of the vessel eating their main meal of the day.
While Azura bemoaned the lack of that wonderful Florentine invention, the fork, she seemed content enough to use her fingers now, picking up small pieces of roasted lamb with two fingers and scooping the saffroned rice up with three in a spoonlike motion.
He joined them, seating himself cross-legged at the head of the small table.
“You found your grandfather well, my lord?” she asked him politely as she ceased eating herself and prepared him a plate of food with Agata’s help.
“Very well, and pleased enough with me to have his own imam and scribe see to the legalities of our union, beloved. You are now officially my wife,” he told her.
“Do I not get to come to my own wedding?” Azura asked him, sounding slightly annoyed. “Remember that you swore I should not have to give up my own faith, Amir.”
“You do not,” he said.
“Then we must have a priest of my faith bless this union,” she told him.
“You will not find a priest in all of the empire who would bless such a union, beloved,” he told her honestly.
“You must be content to know that within the laws of my grandfather’s empire you are now considered my legal wife, Azura.
” He drew the parchment he had carried from the palace out of his robes.
Unrolling it, he held it out to her. “There is the sultan’s signature on this document.
He acted for you as your parental guardian. He did you a great honor.”
The old Bianca rose briefly, but she forced her away, allowing the woman she now was, and must be, to speak for her.
She had chosen this life freely. She had gladly walked away from everything she had been born into so she might be with this man.
“Was it a nice wedding?” she asked him mischievously.
If she was already damned to a fiery hell for this marriage, her words were not going to make it any worse for her with God.
“It was simple and quick,” he said, reaching out to grasp her hand and squeeze it. He was not a fool. He knew how much this acceptance cost her, but that she was willing to endure it only proved her great love for him. He kissed the hand in his.
“Shall I leave you, mistress?” Agata asked. The servingwoman could feel the tears pricking at her own eyelids. The love between these two people was overwhelming.
“No.” The prince answered for them both. “I had best go topside and give orders for our departure.” He scrambled to his feet and left them.
“How very much he loves you,” Agata said.
“I know,” Azura responded. “I know.”
Their ship sailed from its dock on the Golden Horn and made its way through the narrow straits of the Bosphorus.
On either side of them, beautiful green hills edged the water.
Finally they exited the straits into the Black Sea.
Their route kept them within sight of the shoreline, for this sea could be fickle.
The storms that came up quickly were apt to be very dangerous and deadly.
Then, on the third morning, Agata awakened Azura excitedly.
“Come! Come and see,” she said to her mistress.
“We have anchored, and Moonlight Serai is within sight! It is like a pristine white jewel in the green hills, mistress! It is beautiful. In all of Florence or Venice, I have never seen anything so beautiful!”
Azura arose from her bed and came to look.
“Oh, how lovely!” she exclaimed, gazing out at the small palace that would soon be her home.
It was set upon a high cliff above the sea.
There would be outbuildings, of course, and gardens, for Amir loved gardens.
She didn’t think any place that he called home would be without gardens.
She was eager to see all of it. “Let us quickly dress,” she said to Agata.
The cabin door opened and Amir came in. “Ahh,” he said, pleased, “you are awake and can view your new home, beloved.”
“When may we go ashore?” she asked him excitedly.
“Shortly,” he told her. “I must go and see that the messenger I sent from Istanbul arrived safely and that all is in readiness for you.”
“A messenger?” Azura said, curious.
“A pigeon,” he told her. “It is how I communicate with my grandfather or my women when necessary, or my captains communicate with me when their vessels arrive in port after a voyage. It is very convenient.”
“Oh, look!” Agata cried. “A flag has just been raised from the rooftop of the Serai, my lord. It is green and has a crescent moon upon it.”
“We are being welcomed,” Amir said with a smile. “Obviously my message was received by my head eunuch, Diya al Din. He manages my household as a majordomo would serve a noble house in Venice or Florence. The eunuch serving as guardian of my harem is called Ali Farid.”
“Have you other women in your harem besides your first two wives?” Agata inquired of the prince boldly. It was a query she knew her mistress wanted to ask but would not. Agata also understood that once they left this vessel her ability to ask such candid questions would be severely curtailed.
Amir looked amused by the question. “I have no need for a harem filled with quarreling women,” he told them both.
“There are none I need or wish to impress. The only other females in my household are servingwomen. Perhaps your mistress has not told you, Agata, but my first two wives were taken at my lord grandfather, the sultan’s, request to honor the political allies from whose families these women came.
Their positions are to be respected, but it is your mistress who has my whole heart.
“Now do not dare to question me again, woman. Though you are not a slave, you are a servant in my household and subject to the same rules and customs as all the others who serve me. Such boldness will disturb the eunuchs. Do you understand me?” He looked directly at her, his blue eyes grave.
“Yes, my lord prince,” Agata replied, bowing from the waist as her mistress had recently taught her was the polite action to go with any response to him, be it yes or no. “Forgive my boldness. It will not happen again.”
His mouth twitched but he managed not to laugh. This sort of adjustment was going to be very difficult for the outspoken Florentine woman, but Amir knew she would try hard for the sake of her mistress.
“If we have been welcomed, my dear lord, then are we free to go ashore?” Azura asked him, smiling. “I will admit I am eager to take a bath, for certainly I am rank after our many days at sea.”
“Get dressed and put on your pelisses,” he told them as he left them. “I will go now and make certain the boat is ready to take us ashore.”
Shortly after he had gone, the two women, cloaked and veiled, joined him upon the deck.
They were settled into a boat, which was then lowered from the vessel into the choppy sea.
Despite the sunlight dancing upon the water, Azura could comprehend how the Black Sea had gained its name.
She had never before seen waters so dark and forbidding.
She thought of the bright blue and blue-green waters of the Adriatic, the Mediterranean, and the Aegean seas through which they had traveled.
Even the little sea of Marmara had a far friendlier look than these waters.
Both women were relieved to have their transport rowed quickly to the rocky shore, where a party of people awaited their arrival.
“My lord prince, welcome home!” A tall, thin black man stepped forward, bowing.
“Thank you, Diya al Din,” Amir said. “The lady with me is my new wife, Azura, and her servant, who is called Agata. Know that Azura has my full love and trust, old friend. I have waited long to find and claim her.”
“I am happy to hear it, my lord prince,” Diya al Din said. Then he turned to Azura, and bowing, bade her welcome to the Moonlight Serai.
A litter had been brought down from the little palace, for the climb up was considered too strenuous for a woman.
Both Azura and Agata were ensconced and carried up by the four bearers, who didn’t seem in the least winded.
They went at a trot through a magnificent garden now giving way to autumn, then into the palace itself.
When they finally set the litter back down, its curtains were drawn open by a light-skinned eunuch, who helped them out.
They found themselves facing another tall, coal black man.
This eunuch, however, was larger boned than the elegant Diya al Din.
“I am Ali Farid, master of the prince’s harem.
” He introduced himself in a high-pitched voice.
“I welcome the lady Azura to the Moonlight Serai. Be advised that you will answer to me in all that you do, and your servingwoman as well. I will not allow disobedience among the women for whom I am responsible. As my master’s third wife, you are the least among them.
Now follow me, and I will take you to your quarters. ”
Agata looked as if she were going to explode like a Chinese firework, but a warning look from her mistress aided her in keeping silent.