Chapter 3
The voyage across the Mediterranean Sea was pleasant, and thankfully uneventful.
Francis and his party spent much of it playing cards in their private quarters, losing game after game to Maddie, in a bid to stay out of the crew’s way.
Even a galleon had limited space when the crew was large.
Sometimes the captain and first officer joined them for a game of cards and lost their coins to Maddie’s superior game.
When the deck was less busy, Francis passed the time whale and dolphin watching with Archie, having borrowed Captain Lenaert’s telescope.
Francis loved the whales for their sheer majesty, but it was the dolphins that brought him the most joy.
They swam right up to the ship, and the water was so clear it was easy to see them pass under the bow like shadows.
They glided effortlessly through the water and occasionally broke the surface in fluid jumps.
Francis asked Christian to sketch them, but the dear fellow struggled with moving subjects.
“What’s that supposed to be?” Archie questioned, leaning in to observe the sketch with his one good eye. “Looks like a flying ghost.”
“Well, you try drawing, then!” Christian grumbled. “They’re too bloody fast!”
Francis shared a look with Maddie and they smiled.
“Hopefully the one thousand cats will sit still, Christian,” she commented.
Christian sighed at the reminder.
Francis had tasked him with drawing the surroundings once they got to Türkiye. He would show the drawings to Granny when he returned, so she could share in the adventure.
“If there really are one thousand cats, then at least by the end of this trip you should have mastered drawing one animal,” Archie quipped. “Hopefully they’ll look better than your dolphins.”
“I’ll hear less of your lip, sir!” Christian told him smartly.
“Archie, stop teasing him,” Francis said. “Two more days, and we’ll be there.”
“Should we pick out our clothes for the arrival?” Maddie asked. “If it stays like this, sunny but breezy, it will be perfect!”
“It’s breezy because we’re at sea,” Archie pointed out. “But I spoke to Captain Lenaert, and I’m told the city is on a strait, so there may be a nice breeze even if it’s warm.”
“Like a river?” Maddie asked.
“No, it’s still the sea,” Archie explained. “Lenaert said we can sail in from the sea, right onto the palace’s doorstep.”
“Oh, that sounds useful!” Maddie said. “We’ll need hats, then. Can’t arrive with windblown hair. Especially you, Francis, with those floppy bits of yours.”
Francis raised his eyebrows in mock offense. “I’ve told you before, Lady Villiers, to not mention my floppy bits in polite company.”
They all giggled at the double entendre.
“No polite company in sight,” Archie teased.
Archie, the only straight man in their company, was happily married with two young children at home, but he was greatly amused by silly jokes. It was why he and Francis had always gotten along so well.
“Have you thought about what you’ll do in the sun?” Maddie asked Francis. “If it gets hot?”
“I’ll do what I always do in summer,” Francis assured her. “Find a shady spot and say a prayer.”
“Yes, that fair complexion of yours is delicate,” Christian said.
“You’ve caught the sun a little on your nose there,” Archie pointed out helpfully. “You’ve got freckles.”
Francis felt annoyed. He’d barely been on the deck for an hour. “Maybe I should go inside. Better not risk it. If I arrive as red as a beetroot, Granny will be furious.”
“Let’s pick out our clothes, then,” Maddie urged. “And stay in the cabin until we arrive. Better safe than sorry.”
* * * *
As they sailed past Greece and its smaller islands and toward the Dardanelles, the weather became noticeably warmer.
Francis only dared go up on deck when the sun had set, and only because he wanted to see all the islands they were passing.
Archie pointed to the land in the distance which he said was Türkiye. Instead of heading toward it, they continued on through the islands in a northerly direction.
They approached Türkiye from the southwest, following other ships and boats toward the open mouth of a large strait.
On the day of arrival, Francis couldn’t bear to be cooped up in the cabin any longer. They’d fussed enough with their outfits, choosing the nicest of summer clothes available from the trunks, and now Francis wanted to watch the city of Istanbul come into view.
Maddie had the novel idea to shade Francis with one of her parasols, and there was a minor debate over who should hold it for Francis. He was happy to hold it himself, but Archie reasoned that if anyone were to see, it could cause a stir. They ended up with two parasols, Archie insisted.
Once they were up on deck, Archie and Maddie flanked Francis with the two parasols in such a way that he was safely shielded from the sun’s glare.
Christian was busy, frantically sketching the view of the city on their approach.
The sailors buzzed around them on deck, adjusting the sails and calling out to each other in a flurry of activity.
At the mouth of the strait, they passed by two great stone towers. Captain Lenaert joined them and mentioned that in times of war, the towers pulled up a chain from the water to block the strait from enemy ships invading.
He had sailed to Istanbul’s port before and was a great source of information to Francis and his friends as they laid eyes upon the city.
As they sailed up the strait, which looked like a wide body of water, Lenaert explained each side of the land.
“This western side is our very own continent,” he said, gesturing west. “This eastern side is the continent of Asia. Istanbul is the only known city to straddle two continents. You’ll notice the small ferry boats crisscrossing the strait, taking people to and from each side at all times day or night.
Doesn’t take very long to hop over to Asia from the west.”
“Oh, how fun!” Maddie said.
Francis was inclined to agree. New places were always interesting to him. He loved to see different architecture and culture. This was the furthest east he had been, and he was eager to see what Asia had to offer.
“What are those curious chimneys?” Archie asked, pointing at tall structures dotted about within the city, standing higher than most of the other buildings.
“Now those are interesting,” Lenaert said. “If you use my telescope, you should be able to see the big open vents on the top. They’re designed to capture wind. That air is then funnelled down into the city streets below, to cool it off when it’s warm.”
“Ingenious,” Francis said. “A new design?”
“Quite old, I believe, your highness,” Lenaert said.
“Sounds a bit chilly for winter,” Archie said.
“I believe they can adjust or even close the vents whenever desired, sir.”
“Oh.” Archie made an impressed face. “Well, I say, that is clever.”
“Is that a mosque?” Maddie pointed at a stunning, blue, glittering building with several pointed minarets.
“It is, your ladyship,” Lenaert said. “I dare say you’ll hear the calls from it sooner or later.”
“That’s where the people go to pray instead of a church?” Maddie asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” Lenaert said. “Although, as I understand it, going is a choice and not a requirement these days, and some of the folk do their worshipping at home, too.”
“At home?” Maddie said in surprise. “Do they all have little mosques in their home?
“No, not mosques. They need very little to pray, actually,” Lenaert explained. “A prayer rug, quite small. Maybe some prayer beads. And they must face toward Mecca, which is a southerly direction from here.”
“Will we have to do all that?” Archie piped up.
“Yes, and will I have to cover my head?” Maddie asked.
“No, no,” Lenaert said. “From what I understand, foreigners aren’t expected to pray here.
And I’ve seen plenty of the women folk walking around without scarves or head coverings on.
Seems like a choice they make themselves, I’d say.
In fact, you’ll see the women walking without escort here. They go where they want to go.”
“Indeed?” Maddie made an impressed face. “That does sound forward thinking.”
“Things are not too traditional here, then?” Francis inquired.
“Rather hard to describe, sir,” Lenaert said.
“There’s traditions mixed in with new ways.
I’ve ventured into the city on both sides a handful of times, and it’s worth a visit if you get the chance.
Then you’ll see what I mean. And the port here has always been very welcoming.
We’ve never had any problems, the folk are friendly and they love visitors.
Anyone you meet on the street is always eager to talk to you and welcome you into their home.
It’s a friendly culture, that’s for certain. ”
This sounded promising to Francis. He’d had quite enough of strict customs growing up in Stormburg, with the threat of the church watching and judging him. He was looking forward to seeing things done differently for a change.
“Oh, look! Francis, look!” Maddie pointed at the eastern side.
Set against a picturesque backdrop of green forest hillside, on its very own private quay, stood a splendid, square shaped, white painted house, different from the more rounded houses with umber tones on the west side.
This house was protected behind shiny golden gates, offering a tantalising peep into what promised to be very pretty garden grounds.
On the quay itself, Francis spotted at least a dozen cats lazing in the sunshine.
“I believe that’s one of the palaces,” Lenaert said.
“Looks a bit small,” Archie said.
“He said one of the palaces,” Christian told him, frantically sketching away. “I’m sure the king has a few to spare.”
Francis watched the small, square palace and its cats recede from view. He realised the architecture resembled a classic French style pavilion, which was probably why the building looked so unique and unusual here.
A piece of French style over here, and on the other side a veritable cityscape of smooth-shaped, dark clay-coloured buildings, with the occasional pop of blue, white and gold spikes from minarets.
Further along the strait, the forests on the east side gave way to buildings mirroring the west side, and they passed by some splendid institutional buildings situated right on the waterfront that looked to Francis like they were from ancient Greece.
Captain Lenaert explained that the long, pretty buildings were Byzantium era and used as universities and state offices currently.
As their ship approached its destination, Francis spotted Gustav waiting out there on the quayside, along with a dozen armed and exquisitely dressed royal guards lining the space to keep it clear.
Instead of his usual drab black suit and white wig, Gustav was dressed in a most flattering ensemble consisting of white flowing linen: loose trousers that nipped in at the waist and ankles, a long tunic with narrow sleeves, a matching white turban with a flowing white scarf on top of his natural grey hair, finished off with a beautiful patchwork waistcoat in red and gold, with matching red slippers.
“I say, is that Gustav?” Archie commented. “He’s gone native.”
Maddie gasped. “He’s dressed better than I’ve ever seen him! Look, even the guards are dressed beautifully. I can’t wait to see the fashions here.”
Gustav waved at them as their ship came slowly into dock.
“Gustav, old boy!” Archie called down to him from the height of the deck. “Love the outfit!”
Francis could understand the benefit to wearing mostly white. He felt jolly hot in his wool suit and layers already. He longed to take his jacket off and feel the breeze through his linen shirt, but he dared not arrive so casually.
Protocol.
“Archie.” He nudged his friend’s arm to remind him to hold the parasol. “Don’t let me burn.”
“Sorry, sir.”
Archie and Maddie jostled with their parasols to shield Francis from the sun, which felt dangerously warm despite the breeze.
When the ship was safely tied to the quay and the gang plank lowered, Francis and his party were first to disembark.
“Your royal highness,” Gustav said, bowing his head. “I trust your journey was a pleasant one?”
“Apart from the sun,” Francis replied. “Speaking of the sun, can we get out of it swiftly? Granny won’t forgive me if I show up to the palace red faced.”
“Oh. Yes, certainly, your highness. If you would please follow me.”
Gustav turned to walk away, and Francis couldn’t help admiring his new clothes and feeling a tad jealous.
The dock workers and local sailors looked rather fabulous as well, wearing similar white or light-coloured linens, their trousers were baggy above the knee, then nipped in at the calves and ankles.
The men wore dainty slippers in varying colours, matching colourful waistcoats or coats, and a variety of headgear from turbans to little round hats, or sometimes loose hair.
A young family with children passed by, on their way to another ship.
Probably important people, judging by their clothes.
Francis noticed the variety of fashion among the women: beautiful flowing clothes in different colours, a loose headscarf worn by one woman, and no headscarf worn by another in favour of a sun hat in a bonnet style, her dark curls blowing in the breeze.
“Where’s our carriage, Gustav?” Maddie said, snapping Francis out of his daydream.
“No carriages, as such, ma’am,” Gustav replied. “We just walk up here to the platform and wait for the tram.”
Maddie and the others turned to Francis with perplexed expressions, as if he’d magically have the answer.
But Francis had no clue, so he shrugged.
“Gustav,” Archie said. “What the devil is a tram?”