UNWAVERING.

AYŞE, haseki sultan of the ottoman empire. i can say that i can change the world, but if you let me i can make another world for us. let me suffer all for you.

[hasekiayse]

AYŞE, the 36 year-old HASEKI SULTAN has arrived from THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE. The UNWAVERING resembles TUBA BÜYÜKÜSTÜN and is both +STRONG WILLED and –CALCULATED. They are a member of the HOUSE OF OSMAN and remind the poets of THE CRESCENT OF A NEW MOON, A LIONESS LYING IN WAIT, A FIGURE DANCING BEHIND FLOWING FABRICS. In the annals of history, they will be remembered in the year of 1319 as a PLAYER. One day they may rise to greatness, though greater men and women have surely failed.  (jess — she/her  — 27  — gmt)    

birth  name:  milica  (MILL-ITS-UH),  meaning  kind,  dear  or  sweet. date  of  birth:  14th  of  august, 1283  (zodiac  sign:  leo). place  of  birth:  glubočica,  the  kingdom  of  serbia. faith  at  birth:  serbian  orthodox  christian.

current  name:  ayşe  (EYE-SHU),  meaning  well  living  one. current  home:  the  harem  of  the  ottoman  imperial  palace,  edirne. current  title:  haseki  (HA-SE-KI)  sultan,  meaning  chief  consort. current  faith:  islam.

at the age of sixteen, ayşe’s home in serbia experienced a great deal of civil conflict and it was during the chaos that the young woman was taken from her home and later sold on to a land entirely unknown to her. ayşe cannot (or wishes to not) recall of how long she and the others were transported or awaiting their fates for, to her it felt like a life time, but it was her fate that truly did change once she found herself at the doors of the ottoman imperial harem.

ever the survivor, ayşe sought to play by the harem’s rules in a bid to one day free herself and return home but soon found that the way of life in which she now found herself suited her quite well. in time she spoke the ottoman tongue almost as well as her own, she found peace in her old god but with a new name and eventually found her place when she had been called upon to comfort the grieving sultan. 

now, a mother and the closest thing that the empire has to a queen, ayşe recognises the role that she must play and the price that it puts on her head and yet she continues to do it all seemingly flawlessly. though her son and the sultan are her main priority, ayşe seeks to run the harem with a firm hand in order to maintain its graces and safety for the women inside, seeking to find the woman who might one day continue her work when young quasim takes his place on the throne.

during the gathering of the greats...

above all ayşe seeks to leave a lasting impression upon the great and noble stage in moscow, hoping to strengthen the reach of the ottoman empire through ALLIES and to show the world that the empire is as progressive and successful as ever. 

after many years spent in the same company day in and day out ayşe seeks new COMPANIONS, perhaps to even unite with those she has corresponded with previously, and to advance her inner circle.

though her son is currently only young, ayşe knows that one day he will grow and need to have the right woman by his side in order to strengthen his claim upon the sultan’s throne. whilst in moscow the haseki is open to talks of a FUTURE MATCH FOR HER SON if the offer meets her wishes.

the thing ayşe is most prepared for during her time in moscow is CONFLICT, given the current political climate she expects to come across and to gain an ENEMY or two and she is quite ready to take them on.

[ilymym]

The Ottoman Imperial Harem

❝ The imperial harem was much like the household harem, only more extensive and with a more highly articulated structure. In our period, the head of the harem was the mother of the reigning sultan. The queen mother exercised authority over both family members — royal offspring; the consorts of the sultan, who might themselves acquire considerable power; and unmarried or widowed princesses — and the administrative hierarchy of the harem. [...] as the more astute and well informed of European observers commented, the imperial harem was more like a nunnery in its hierarchical organization and the enforced chastity of the great majority of its members.❞   — Leslie P. Peirce, The Imperial Harem: Women and Sovereignty in the Ottoman Empire 

❝ It was [Hürrem] who transformed the imperial harem from a residence for women of the dynasty into an institution that wielded political influence. Royal women following in her footsteps crafted powerful roles in Ottoman politics while serving as advisers to their sons and, in the seventeenth century, rulling as regents.❞ — Leslie P. Peirce, Empress of the East

[hasekiayse]

cfcyprus​:

@hasekiayse​​

If Marguerite was to defend her son and her country from the eventual invasion of the Byzantine Empire, then the Dowager of Cyprus had decided to seek new and influential allies. The Russians had already made their ties with the other, lonely empires — alongside her own brother, who had to (she understood) support the Kingdom of France above all else. So, she did not blame him for not looking around himself to the supporting countries who had been made part of the Capet family due the political schemes of their late father, King John. 

Her son however, was in a precious and weakened position. As the King of Cyprus and a Lusginans, he had the natural backing of France. But the country had been ravaged by the civil war, by those who supported his aunt’s claim to the crown — this John, who looked more like her than his father, had a marriage to make and a Kingdom to strengthen, if the threat of the Byzantine-Russian alliance was to take a foothold in history. 

After prayer and meditation, she had sought the halls that were held by the Ottoman Empire, of which were heavily guarded against both enemies and the cold that, despite it being Summer, held a stubborn grip on heavy stone walls. Approaching the country’s esteemed ambassador, Marguerite announced herself a Princess of France and the Dowager of Cyprus, with her head held high and her caulette snug around her visage. 

She had spent more of her life in the sunshine, and Marguerite had developed a natural fear of catching the cold in her lungs. Tightening her cape around her shoulders, she waited till she was given entry into another room, a room backing onto what she assumed was where the Sultan’s curious harem remained. Having been told to wait there, Marguerite went to the window and peered through the Russian stonework, awaiting the presence of the one she had asked for — Ayse, Haseki of the Ottoman Empire.

        under the guise of friendship the haseki sultan had met many a figure who sought her ear in a bid to seek protection or an arrangement of sorts, but none had been quite as unexpected as marguerite had been. though now a dowager, before ayse had even surfaced to meet with marguerite she gained a curiosity and respect for her due to the fact that she had requested their meeting for what she imagined would not merely be for a beverage and idle talk. ayse too had a son whom held a claim which placed a target upon his head - upon both of their heads - and if there was anything she could understand it was that of a mother’s desire and need to secure a future for her offspring.

with the haseki approaching the doors which welcomed deserving guests into the quarters deemed appropriate enough to be a temporary harem, a loud knock echoed from beyond to signal that the male guards present were to divert their eyes, which they did quickly, before the doors opened and ayse was free to step beyond the threshold. whilst a welcoming smile played upon her lips, she walked towards the princess with the confidence and poise of a crowned queen before coming to a stop and bowing her head towards marguerite.  “  your highness, it is a most welcome surprise to receive you here.  ”  due to her roots in serbia - a nation no stranger to the byzantine empire - it came as a surprise to many that their haseki was able to speak greek; a skill which would no doubt prove useful during their meeting.

“  might i invite you into our quarters? there we might talk in private.  ”  gesturing beyond the doors through which she had entered, ayse stepped to begin to lead the way back behind the safety of their harem. it was there she found that women felt most able to be themselves, to express freely what it was they wished to say, and it was also where conversations of sensitive matters could be had openly without fear of lingers eyes or overly curious ears. the guards remained firm with their gazes upon the ground, awaiting the departure of their haseki sultan before they might look ahead once more.  “  i am most curious; to what do i owe the pleasure of your company this day?  ”

[hasekiayse]

matildaempress​:

Matilda bowed her head briefly as well as she laid eyes on the haseki sultan.

“Oh she certainly does. She is beautiful yet I noticed her to be briefly hesitant. I hope it all goes well for her, God willing. And the festivities indeed agree with me. What about you? Are you liking Russia thus far?” Matilda asked.

        “  i think it to be understanding, marriage is a great commitment and the festivities are quite grand in attendance.  ” a smile curved upon ayşe’s lips before she looked from the empress towards the celebration around them, watching as men lost themselves at the bottom of their cups whilst others danced until their feet would certainly be sore in the morn. “  you are kind to ask, your imperial highness, i am indeed. i was born in serbia and i feel that i see a great deal of my birth home and faith here, it brings much comfort.  ” 

giving another person a small piece of yourself was a small price to pay for potential trust you might gain in return, she believed, and as ayşe turned her gaze to look upon matilda once more she wondered if trust was something she might gain between them. the ottoman and holy roman empires were equally as frustrated by the power this union might create and so she believed there may be friendship to be found. “  if i may be so bold, it appears to me that russia agrees with you for you are most enchanting this evening. how does she compare to where you have seen on your travels?  ”

[hasekiayse]

closed  starter:  @maxlmllian​ location:  gardens  within  the  kremlin.

        the haseki’s silence during the festivities which has transpired thus far could easily be mistaken for submissiveness or her being amenable, as often wrongly assumed of those in the imperial harem, but it was much the opposite. ayşe sought to observe those in attendance at the great spectacle before making her move. she watched on from both near and far, admiring the way the kings and their pawns moved around the black and white board or court, and getting the measure of who was allied where so that when she spoke up she may do so with certainty. the holy roman emperor was one such piece upon the chess board which had intrigued ayşe for she wondered how the marriage of byzantine and russian blood sat upon the tongue of his own empire; perhaps this joining of two greats might cause the joining of two others.

within the harem ayşe held a great deal of power and control and it was she who had eyes and ears in most places, but she was no fool and knew better than to assume that such advantage extended further than those protected walls. to seek the company of someone of such status as emperor maximillian had would not be a well kept secret, certainly not on foreign soil, so she sought the assistance of a ‘happy coincidence’. having uttered to her most trusted kalfa that she sought the company of the emperor, the haseki sultan ventured into the gardens of the russian kremlin where she would discover that the emperor was coincidentally doing the very same.

“  your imperial highness.  ” the haseki feigned surprise as she - followed shortly by her female attendants - paused in her tracks and displayed her most polished and respectful curtsy. “  do you take to the gardens for peace also? so many still reside in their beds or are holding court inside that i selfishly was beginning to wonder if i had these gardens to myself.  ”

[ilymym]

“Because there's no other place on earth, where you enter a slave and become a sultana who rules the world.”

“The haseki, a slave concubine and no blood relation to the reigning sultan, ranked higher than the sultan’s own sisters and aunts, the princesses of the dynasty. Her elevated royal status derived from the fact that she was the mother of a potential future sultan. 

Kösem was the last of the colorful and influential hasekis of the “sultanate of women”. Henceforth, the position of haseki would lose its special status. The presence of more than one haseki was a significant change in the reigns of Murad and Ibrahim, signaling that the age of the favorite was coming to an end. In this period the meaning of the title haseki begins to shift from a single “favorite” to something more general like “royal consort”, similar to the earlier khatun.”– Leslie P. Peirce - The Imperial Harem: Women and Sovereignty in the Ottoman Empire

[hasekiayse]

matildaempress​:

Open starter!

Location: The Palace of Facets in the evening

Matilda was the best at playing pretend. Truth be told she didn’t want to be there, there was enough going on back in England and within The Holy Roman Empire. Though there was nothing wrong with a bit of preening and posturing… nothing wrong with showing off to all the other monarchs, especially when you’re an Empress… after all, Empresses are far more important than Queens.

She just so happened to approach someone… a smile on her face as she spoke.

“Enjoying yourself?” She asked.

        an unexpected companion was a companion nonetheless but ayşe knew better than to allow anything to capture her by surprise, certainly not when standing in the middle of a lion’s den, and so the approach of the holy roman empress was quite welcome. a mirroring smile was offered in exchange along with a respectable bow of the head as matilda approached for the haseki sultan welcomed the meeting. 

“ quite. the princess makes a very beautiful bride, do you not agree? she appears something of a sacrifice and yet so beauteous. do the festivities agree with you? ”

[marchenvillain]

— OC QUESTION MEME !

no particular theme to them, just what i could think of~ feel free to reblog and use for your own oc blogs! sorry if any questions repeat ;;

1. What’s a unique skill they have? Is their any reason why they can do it?

2. What are their favourite possessions? Why? (sentimentality, history, price, etc)

3. Do they get jealous easily? If so, what usually causes it?

4. Are they a good gift-giver? What do they tend to give as gifts?

5. What’s their reputation like? Does this reputation contrast what they’re really like?

6. Do they prefer to have a big social circle, or a few close friends?

7. What’s their “type”? What romantically attracts them to another person?

8. What does their dream house look like?

9. If they could change one part of their appearance, what would it be?

10. What’s a simple thing that brings them joy?

11. What is their dream pet?

12. What’s their position in their friend group? (leader, mom friend, chaos goblin, etc)

13. How forgiving are they? What do they consider unforgivable?

14. Who do they go to in a crisis/emergency? Any particular reason why they choose that person?

15. How good are they at conversation? Are they a small talk master, bad at initiating, etc?

16. What food do they absolutely hate?

17. Do they show a lot of affection, or are they pretty reserved?

18. If you had to represent them with a flower, colour, and animal, what would you choose?

19. What’s their unusual quirk?

20. Are they easy to wake up in the morning, or grouchy and sleepy?

21. What’s their ideal date like?

22. What’s their silliest or most unusual fear/phobia?

23. Is their pain tolerance high or low?

24. Are they a fussy eater?

25. What are their dreams like?

26. Are they technologically savvy?

27. Are they forgetful? What do they tend to forget? (plans, phone, keys, etc)

28. Describe their morning routine.

29. Are they a good cook? If they are, what do they like to make?

30. Do they consider themselves a “hero” or “villain”?

31. What holiday do they like the most? (Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day, etc)

32. What are they like at parties? Party animal, or awkwardly sitting in the corner drinking punch and reading?

33. Are they adventurous, or do they prefer to stay in their safe zone?

34. What’s their favourite drink? (Coffee, tea, juice, hot chocolate, soda, etc)

35. Are they good with children?

36. Do they trust easily? What would you have to do to earn their trust?

37. Are they a hopeless romantic, or is that stuff just not for them?

38. Do they get lost easily, or are they good with directions?

39. Are they superstitious?

40. Do they like physical activity, or staying inside?

41. What would they dress up as for Halloween?

42. Do they like fast food, or fancy restaurants?

43. Are they a chaotic bastard, pure angel baby, or tired mom friend?

44. Do they have a good attention span?

45. Are they always late, on time, or early?

46. Do they cry, gasp, laugh, etc, while reading a book, or do they remain relatively stone-faced?

47. Do they keep a diary?

48. How dramatic are they?

49. Do they put a lot of effort into their appearance, or do they just make themselves presentable and go?

50. Why would they be a good partner for a road trip?

51. Why would they be a BAD partner for a road trip?

52. What topic should nobody bring up around them, lest the other person be subject to a massive ramble/rant?

53. Are they clumsy?

54. Are they a law breaker, or stickler for rules?

55. Choose a vine you think perfectly encapsulates their character.

56. Do they like to share?

57. What’s the most chaotic thing they’ve done?

58. Which friend do they immediately become a zero-braincelled idiot around?

59. Do they love or hate surprises?

60. What sappy thing will they cry at? (romance movies, cute cat videos, etc) Would they deny crying about it later on?

61. What’s their favourite and least favourite subject in school?

62. Do they take a lot of photos? If so, what of?

63. Do they wear makeup?

64. Describe what their social media would be like.

65. Do they give people a lot of nicknames?

66. What nicknames do others call them by?

67. What’s an outrageous story about them nobody believes?

68. Are they easy to fluster? What would you have to do to truly fluster them?

69. What’s their dream vacation like?

70. Are they a good liar?

71. What do they want to do in the future?

72. How do they feel about love?

73. Are they more book smarts, or street smarts?

74. What’s their guilty pleasure?

75. Is there anyone they consider their rival?

76. Do they have any notable physical features?

77. What’s their music taste like?

78. What’s something they’re really bad at?

79. Do they have a good sleep schedule?

80. What’s their aesthetic sense like?

81. What’s something they’re really proud of?

82. How would they spend a free day?

83. What are they like as an s/o?

84. What’s one thing they like that they don’t want anyone to know about?

85. Do they have a sweet tooth?

86. How would you describe their fashion sense?

87. Do they like spicy food?

88. Are they lucky? Do they believe in luck?

89. What would they get into a petty argument over?

90. Are they a good artist?

91. Do they prefer hot or cold weather?

92. Can they play an instrument?

93. What type of movies do they like to watch?

94. What does their room look like?

95. How do they feel about bugs? Scared? Fascinated?

96. What’s their sense of humour like? (Dad jokes, morbid humour, basic knock-knock jokes, stand up comedy, etc)

97. What do they keep in their bag?

98. How competitive are they?

99. What would they wear to a formal event? Describe their outfit!

100. If you, the creator, met them, would you two get along?

[hmnbd]

— random character description questions on various topics 👀: a small list

as someone who constantly struggles about how to describe their characters, what to mention, and where to start, I've compiled a small list of things and scenarios to consider about your characters, focusing on random habits and traits that aren't just physical/visual to add some spice to your descriptions and help you figure them out a little bit better. feel free to use it to better flesh out your characters while writing, or have your followers send you one of these and answer to let everyone know your ocs/muses better!

how's the sound of their laugh? (if they laugh, that is!)

how do they respond when someone's feeling down?

how do they act around children?

do they make eye contact with others look at their feet/somewhere else?

how do they act when they cry? (if they ever do it)

are they a hug person or a handshake person?

what makes their eyes light up?

how do they react when they're caught in a lie?

do they smile with their teeth?

do they stand up with their back straight or slouched?

what do they do when they start getting impatient?

do they like to talk about themselves?

what's an item they always carry with them?

can they tell a joke without laughing before finishing it?

do they like to take pictures?

do they have any pets? do they like animals in general?

what's their comfort meal?

is there any subject they don't like to talk about?

how's their relationship with their immediate family?

are they chatty or reserved?

what do they do with their hands during a conversation? cross their arms? fidget with something?

[haticesultanas]

𝑀𝒶𝓇𝒶 𝐻𝒶𝓉𝓊𝓃 + costumes