( aldis hodge, cis male, he/him, 30) ** ♔ announcing AJANI TESFAVE, the CROWN PRINCE OF ETHIOPIA ! in a recent portrait they seem to resemble ALDIS HODGE. it is a miracle that HE survived the last five years and for that reason, they are FOR the kingdoms working together. reflecting on them now, they remind me of RAYS OF LIGHT BREAKING THROUGH SHADOWS, THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED IN AN EMPTY ROOM, THORNED BUSHES DRYING IN THE SUN, STANDING AT CROSSROADS .
(( he is astute, ruthless and calculating, the viper hiding behind a genteel upbringing and charming smiles; he preaches peace and compromise, feigns a veneer of patience and understanding that is gossamer thin ))
Thrust into a life of privilege, but also of great responsibility, Ajani grew up surrounded by vast opulence and, at times, unbearable restrictions.
He had always felt uncertain of his role as the second-born, though his tutors and family alike often reminded him of the importance of supporting his older brother, of closing ranks and maintaining a united front. In fact, he’d heard that so much that he began to resent and feel stifled by the implications – it felt to him as though he wasn’t important in his own right, just as part of a whole. And while he was willing to concede some of his individuality, he did not want to watch himself swallowed whole by the expectations placed upon him.
He loved his brother, but there were times when he hated him, as well. He would have liked a little more room in maneuvering through his emotions, but he learnt from a young age that that sort of freedom was frowned upon among his peers. Power and riches were not without cost. For him to become part of history, it meant he could no longer be a man, susceptible to all the foibles of humanity – it meant he had to pretend he was above all those conflicting feelings. For his country’s sake. Maybe for his brother’s sake, as well.
And his upbringing was certainly full of benefits – he was given the best tutors in a varied array of subjects from art to religion, history and politics, languages and tactics. He was expected to be a defender – of his country and of his king. He caved, quite quickly, at least outwardly. He honed his skills as weapons because that was what he was supposed to become – the hammer, the divine wrath that would smite all those who threatened his family and his country. And it was easy for a while. Despite it all, he does love his brother. He loves his country. And he loves his family and the power being one of them gives him.
But something happened during those past five years that chipped away at his better instincts in a fearsome way. His brother refused to help their own people, instead choosing to close ranks around their family. Ajani knows, or at least he thinks he knows, why his brother did it. But he still thinks it’s shortsighted and needlessly cruel. He advised against it, and when his arguments fell on deaf ears, he barely felt a tinge of regret for going behind his back.
The shame of not having done enough for his people is so much worse. What he and his siblings could do behind the king’s back lacked true power: a donation here and there, smuggling some food outside the castle; nowhere near enough to feed even the starving of their own capital, never mind encompassing reforms to help those at the farthest reaches of their kingdom.
Somehow, the little help they have been able to scrouge up made him feel worse. Knowing how full their treasury was, knowing how much food they hoarded made their attempts look all the more pitiful. And when the people began calling for their king’s death what he felt was more akin to resignation than surprise. He can’t find it in himself to blame them, and after five claustrophobic years with his family, he cannot think of a better solution either. He’s too jaded to believe in his brother’s capacity to change.
There are rumblings among the nobility, easy to ignore, at least for the moment, about who the next king should be. Ajani knows he’s the more popular choice to many – after all, he is still his brother’s heir – and he has already taken the dreadful step of not outright condemning such suggestions. He might not have acknowledged them, but he knows, just as the growing bitterness among the people, that in this case, his silence is to be viewed as accord.
In a way, his mind is made up, but this only makes the situation more terrible. He does not want to kill his brother. He does not think he can do it, and he doesn’t think he’d be able to wait idly on the sidelines while others do it, either. But he’s also unequivocally lost his faith in his brother’s ability to rule. A terrible king could ruin the most prosperous of kingdoms, he couldn’t bear to watch his country’s people broken down even further.
Either way, he’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t.
WANTED CONNECTIONS
DIPLOMATIC CONTACTS – Ajani would have been greatly involved in the ruling of the empire and he would have been responsible for keeping up with a large part of the correspondence. This is for characters with political or trading interests in Ethiopia. This can become a jumping board to something closer to friendship between our characters.
POSSIBLE BETROTHAL – because of the political situation in his country, Ajani isn’t entirely confident in his ability to return home after the summit. He’s concerned that if the people revolt while their entire ruling family is out of the country, they wouldn’t be allowed in. He would want to at least begin to formulate a different plan were that to happen, and his current idea is marrying a heiress – someone with land in their own name where Ajani could withdraw should he become an exile. If your character fits the description and you’d like to chat, hit me up on discord!
PERSONAL GUARDS/ADVISORS – Ajani is in need of the people he trusts most in the world. They would have grown up together, so y/m would have either been children of palace staff, or perhaps royal hostages from noble families, backstory is flexible, of course, but whatever brought them together as children, stayed with them as they matured. They trained together, studied together, and as Ajani was given more and more responsibilities, he made sure to keep both of them close. He depends on them to be where he cannot go and do the things he can’t be seen doing. How they feel about his older brother is utp, but on Ajani’s part it’s pretty obvious he’s not ready to take an active stance against the king, despite his soured opinion on him. He’s not incorruptible on the subject, but it seems unlikely he’d take part in an assassination plot against Iyasu, at the moment. Your muses might be wanting to change that, or perhaps they don’t care about the crown, but think that Ajani’s intention of marrying out of his problems (another course of action he hasn’t committed himself to, either – please this one needs to be browbeaten into making decisions for himself) is an eminently stupid idea for a plethora of reasons. Whatever the case might be, though, whether there’s tension between them or not, their natural inclination would still be to try and find a way through it together, just like all the times before. Honestly, I imagine their relationship as something of a queer platonic entanglement they’re hopelessly committed to, complicated by social expectations, status, politics & whatever baggage they each can’t help but drag into it on occasion.
