#iii. open verse / a daughter like her father.

[sofasoap]

Lastochka - Epilogue

Pairing : Nikolai x F!Reader ( OC/Mini MacTavish)

Summary: Family.

Part I , Part II, Interlude,Part III,Part IV,Part V

WARNING: Back to it's crack-ish fic route, with slight mention of PTSD, swearing, Mature theme.

I apologise if any depictions of symptons and military procedures might be incorrect.

Thanks to @homicidal-slvt for planting ideas into my brain. this whole series is all for you :)

My usual thanking @saltofmercury, mother of Mini, for lending me the character :) Please go and check out her fics!

“masterlist” for Mini MacTavish expanded verse.

“Papa, What’s that??”

“That is a C-27J Spartan.” “And and and that one??” 

“That my dear, is a Mi-24 Hind.”

“Papa knows how to fly all of these??” 

“Of course my принцесса. If it flies, Papa knows how to pilot them.”

Your daughter Anya, who is currently sitting on her father’s shoulder, looking down at him with her mouth wide open in awe. 

“If your papa knows how to keep your Ma and uncle Gaz inside the aircraft, that would be wonderful.” You mumbled as you came up beside your husband and daughter. “Oh my lastochka, you are still sour about it years later?”

“You nearly killed your wife that day.” you pouted, latching onto his arm. 

“I fell in love with my wife that day.” he looked down at you, winking as he pulled his aviators down. 

“Uncle uncle uncle poppaaaaaaa!!” Anya started wriggling around and waving as she spotted Ghost’s tall figure, followed by Gaz, Soap and Price. Lifting her off the shoulder with a bit of grunt, Nikolai sets Anya down. As soon as her little feet touched the ground, she ran straight to Ghost, latching onto his leg like a koala. 

“I win. Pay up.” Ghost smirks under his mask. He picks Anya up as she giggles away while he tosses her up high before catching her. 

Soap and Gaz grumbled as they fish out twenty pound notes each.

Gaz gave you a sheepish look, “ We were arguing who Anya’s favourite uncle is. So we thought this is the best way to settle.” You glared at the boys. “By betting money?” Gaz and Soap pointed at each other, ““His idea””.

You rolled your eyes. “Well, going by that, all three of you are losing. She’s going through the Poppa Price phase at the moment. She insists on taking her Poppa Price doll with her everywhere she goes.” pointing at the little backpack Anya has on, you can just see crochet doll Price’s head just peeking out from the opening of the bag. 

Gaz gifted you a whole set of dolls he crocheted when your daughter was born.

“.... Where did you get these made?” You gapped as you picked up the Soap doll, these are really well made, even down to the finest detail of the little scar on his chin. 

“ I made them.” Gaz smiled proudly as he took other dolls out of the bag. Ghost with his mask on and the forehead frown, Price with his signature boonie hat and little cigar in his mouth, Soap with his mohawk, Gaz with his Union Jack cap, Nikolai and his aviator and headset, and there is you too, in a little combat gear. “You need to give me photos of your parents, so I can make them too.” 

Who knows Gaz’s side hobby was knitting and crocheting? Now it make sense the scarf and jumper set he gifted you for your birthday years ago. 

“This is an odd place for a family outing.” Price commented as he came up and gave you a hug and kiss on the cheek, and turned to shake Nikolai’s hand. 

“What can I say, my daughter has inherited her father’s fondness for flying, she insisted us to bring her to the airshow when she saw it advertised on T.V.” you sighed as you looked at three boys playing with Anya. You were blessed to have your team family loving her as much as they have loved you. Few soldiers in their uniform walked past your group, gasping in awe. Taskforce one-four-one has a famous reputation and was well known amongst the military. You can just make out some of them mumblings,

“...isn’t that …Captain Price’s team….”

“Lady Fortuna??”

“... THE famous Lady Fortuna? The one that brought the Russian mafia to their knees?”

What? How did the rumour about your failed mission become a skewed legend? You shivered a bit, not a memory you wanted to recall. You clutch onto your husband’s arm. Sensing your distress, Nikolai pulls you in with his other arm, comforting you silently.

“... and she famously shut the Taskforce one-four-one men up over the chocolate biscuits.”

Oh heaven. The famous chocolate biscuit incident. You groaned as you can feel your husband’s body shaking with suppressed laughter, while Price facepalms, shaking his head. “I SPENT THREE DAYS BAKING THESE BISCUITS FOR THE WHOLE BARRACK, AND WHAT DID YOU BOYS DO??? ATE ALL OF IT?!!!!” 

Gaz and Soap sat on the mess hall dining bench, head bowing down, not daring to look you in the eyes. 

You finally came back to duty after over a year off to recover from your struggle with PTSD, and as appreciation and by popular demands by other soldiers, you baked a huge batch of your famous chocolate biscuit. 

And an hour later after leaving them on the kitchen bench, you discovered there were only a few crumbs and less than a handful left in the tupperware containers. 

You knew who the top two suspects were, and in no time you caught them in the other corner of the mess hall, eating away.

Ghost was watching the whole drama unfold, sipping on his tea. You turn and point your finger at him. “ YOU! I thought you would be the most sensible one, and don’t think you can get away with it! I can see the crumb on your lip!!” Simon quickly wiped his mouth and pulled down his mask, trying to deny any wrongdoing.You were in full lecture mode by the time Price swung by and looking for the biscuit, you dragged him by the shirt, not caring he is your superior, threw him onto the bench to sit with the other three men.

The four of them can see behind you as you yell at them without taking a breath, soldiers hearing there was biscuit but do a quick U-Turn when they see the hellfire that is on full flame.  You gained a second call sign after that, Lady of Hellfire.

“Ma!!!Papa!! Come come!! I wanna go see the planes!!” Anya’s tugging of your hand pulls you out from the memories of the past. Nikolai laughed as he picked his daughter up again and settled her into his arms.

“Alright! Now let’s go and look at that helicopter first… that’s the one Uncle Gaz and your Ma were rolling out from…and Oh that one over there.. That is a goodie too. I took your Ma on a date on that one…” You smiled as you looked at your teammate as they laughed at Nikolai’s conversation with our daughter.

Despite all the ups and downs. You were lucky to have Nikolai and your little Anya, and your brother and adoptive brother and uncle with you.

Makes all the challenges all worth it. 

принцесса= Princess Thank you to :

@homicidal-slvt,

@roosterr @preciouslittlecreature

@boughhs for sticking with me throughout the whole series. what started off as a joking idea for @homicidal-slvt, turned into a full fledge half crack half serious fic. It was a lot of fun writing it!! I might have two more drabbles for these two coming in next few days. If I can get my brains going :)

[stormbcrn]

the greens au –

daenerys targaryen was the eldest daughter of aegon and helaena targaryen. she was given a red & black dragon egg that did not hatch on her birth, and after years, it was believed not to be viable. on her brothers' and uncles' deaths, daenerys was left as the only remaining heir to aegon targaryen's throne; knowing this, her father quickly arranged for daenerys to seek asylum in essos in effort to protect her if rhaenyra took the city. his plans, however, did not unfold fast enough, with the black queen and her dragons at the city's walls.

four knights were assigned to help the princess escape. they thought her mad when she insisted to visit the dragon pits before fleeing. fire burned all throughout the pits, but daenerys would not leave her egg for the blacks to find. two of her knights followed her into the dark – two waited for her return at the mouth, their loyalty faltering – and all the while they begged of her to turn back. one refused to follow her any deeper, the fires and heavy smoke making it difficult traverse the pits. three stones were all she could carry in her arms from the embers where they rested: one black, one green, one gold. the knight at her side reached for an egg to help with the burden, but quickly pulled back in agony. his palms were red, already sweltering in places with the shape of the egg's scales burned into his flesh. dany was unharmed, though. she clung to the eggs, veins of orange glowing through them, allowing her guard to lead her from the darkness to where the ship waited for her in the harbor.

it was there she realized, watching the red keep grow smaller and smaller, that her escape would not be the temporary measure her father so wanted, but an exile if the dance ended in favor of the blacks.

in exile, this verse mirrors daenerys' canon in game of thrones. she escapes to pentos, where she finds refuge in illyrio mopatis' home as the last of aegon targaryen's bloodline. open to plotting how daenerys rises to power. i can see illyrio deciding to sell her to drogo / someone else after realizing that having her in his home is too big of a threat to his safety due to king aegon iii's hired assassins, or perhaps with having more autonomy, daenerys consents to her own marriage arrangement to secure an army. really, anything goes! daenerys, much like viserys iii in game of thrones canon, feels like the throne was taken from her. she's angry for being forced to hide in essos. she wants revenge for the tragedies the befell her family at the hands of the blacks.

[herstoriies]

v: This Royal Throne of Kings //  v: Diamond In The Rough

Author’s note 2023: Wow long post! But I am so glad I dug this up from ‘the archives’ :D Below is the unabridged story of Priscila’s fairytale verse: Diamond in the Rough. enjoy!

-----

Author’s note I: Why two verse names?? Well, surprise, surprise, amigos! Not only is Priscilla getting a spotlight in this verse, BUT SO ARE HER UNCLE THOMAS AND UNCLE CHARLES!

Author’s note II: TLDR; This also works as a fantasy / medieval / fairytale /disney AU! Priscilla’s story is like a combo of the Little Princess & Cinderella at her Uncle Henry’s residence… and meanwhile, (oblivious to what Pris is going through) Uncle Thomas & Uncle Charles are in another castle as Royal Advisors (to the king, crown prince and his brothers).

Author’s note III: This is the first time we get to see almost ALL of Priscilla’s family in one big verse, like wow! All it’s missing is cousin Emmett, and it’s everyone!

This was the House of Kimbleton, the children of Baronet Phillip and his wife Cecelia:

Henry, the eldest son, proud and imperious.

Charles, the second son, scholarly and restless.

Josephine, their only daughter, brave and compassionate.

Thomas, their youngest son, noble and principled.

There was a fourth son, the twin brother of Thomas, however, his name is never mentioned at the perennial grief of his untimely passing.

The Kimbleton children grew up and eventually dispersed. Henry succeeds his father as family Patriarch and parliament. Josephine - while still betrothed to a Duke in an arranged marriage - had eloped with a promising young Doctor. Charles and Thomas had both been called to arms - the former to the Army, and the latter the Navy.

This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle… This precious stone set in the silver sea… – King Richard, Shakespeare

Once upon a time, there were two brothers, and while they both bared the same resemblances and shared the same blood, they could not be more different from the other. Their names were Charles, the older brother, and Thomas, the younger.

And then this is when the narrator got lazy and decided to just bullet point the rest of their story:

Shortly after their brother Henry was married, Charles was set in an arranged marriage to an heiress. When they were married, Charles fell in love with his wife more than ever when they were courting and was a dutiful and faithful husband. Tragically she passed away a year later while still in her first trimester. After his wife’s passing, Charles refused any consideration of remarrying and focused his life around the sciences and wanderlust.

Later Charles entered the army and quickly rose in the ranks to be a Major General and accomplished Natural Historian.

Because during this time the Kimbleton family was in such upheaval with Thomas Sister Josephine’s elopement, Thomas wasn’t in any arranged marriages and had an unsuccessful love life.

(Tired of his mother’s pestering he should find a wife jkjk) Years later, Thomas entered the navy and equally became a medaled Rear Admiral and master strategist.

A war had emerged with a neighboring kingdom requiring both Land and Sea strength, so the King summoned the two brothers to join his highest ranking officers, and eventually earned the King’s closest trust.

After the war, the King brought the two brothers back to his court as trusted advisors.

Eventually, the King assigned the two brothers the position of Royal Advisors to the King’s young sons.

*insert drama here*

When I hear a command I obey But I know of a place Where no one can stand in my way On the wing of my fancy, I can fly anywhere and the world will open its arms to me

I’m a young Egyptian Princess or an Heiress I’m the greatest Prima Donna in Paris I’m a girl men go mad for love’s a game I can play, with a cool and confident kind of air

In my daydreams, I can be whatever I want to be…

– In my own little corner, Rodgers & Hammerstein (modified)

Once upon a time, in the House of Kimbleton, there was a beautiful maiden named Josephine. Josephine was raised as any of the nobles of the high court, but her heart was pure as gold. She cared not for the dainties and fanciful things which she was well acquainted with. She wanted to help others, to stand up for those who could not stand up for themselves, and aid those who could not aid themselves. And she did so. And in doing so she met the young doctor, Raleigh Duncan, who shared the same ambitions. Josephine and Raleigh fell in love. However, when Raleigh asked Baronet Phillip for Josephine’s hand in marriage, he was harshly declined, as Josephine’s father did not approve his only daughter to marry a commoner when the family had greater plans for her to marry a Duke.

Josephine was horrified. In indignation to never marry for convenience when she had true love already in her arms, she and Raleigh eloped to the countryside to be married under a peach tree.

And what a scandal was caused! Josephine’s father was outraged, and her mother did her best to keep the disgrace as hushed as possible from society. What made matters worse, was when Philip shortly after fell ill to fatal sickness. This arose Josephine’s eldest brother, Henry, to grew a dark bitterness in his heart towards his sister’s rebellion, wrongfully blaming her for the strain on their father’s health.

Josephine’s other brothers were too busy over land and sea to weigh many opinions, and Cecelia desperately tried to pacify the situation, but to none avail. Josephine’s father and Henry chose to disinherit her from the will.

When Philip untimely passed away, it was was the first time in years the House of Kimbleton has assembled again. The first time in years Cecelia and her sons were able to see Josephine again. Josephine arrived with both her husband Raleigh, and their infant daughter, Priscilla.

Years passed. Henry had become the new Patriarch, Charles now a Major General and renowned Naturalist, and Thomas a Rear Admiral and heralded strategist. Meanwhile, little Priscilla was growing up to be a bright and happy young girl by her loving parents, who were aiding all in need as best they could. But unfortunately, Josephine and Raleigh’s stories were cut short with their sudden disappearance. And little Priscilla was left to fend for herself in the world. But how could she? She was but a child. So when attempts at contacting her father’s side of the family were unsuccessful, she was brought under the custody of her grandmother, Cecelia.

After losing both her husband and daughter, Cecelia saw that little Priscilla was a diamond in the rough of this drama. Priscilla was raised as her grandmother had raised her mother - to be poised and sophisticated. Like a little princess. (Not that it was an easy task, mind you, given the young child was a countryside wildflower and had an untamable free spirit).

If only those years could have lasted longer. When Cecelia departed this world to join her husband, she left in her will that Priscilla should continue to be raised by her Henry - Cecelia’s only son who had offspring of his own. Pity Cecelia could not see her son’s smoldering bitterness towards his sister bled into his impression of his own niece.

When young Priscilla arrived at her Uncle Henry’s residence, she quickly came to realize that she was unwelcome. What was formerly thought as aloofness from Uncle Henry turned to intimidation. And even though Cecelia endowed Priscilla with the Kimbleton surname to give her an identity, Henry instructed that Priscilla was to be treated “…as the bastard child and charity case that she was.”

Life had changed overnight from the privilege and love her Grandmother had given, to the cold punishment of servitude from her Uncle. Priscilla slept in a tiny guest room at the furthest end of the house near the servants quarters, instructed separately from her cousins (Henry’s children, who also remained aloof), and not permitted to dine with them. She was at her cousins’ beck and call, even when they already had ladies in waiting. Ironic that when they had a houseful of flunkies and servants that Priscilla was declassed to such ranks, even against what was in her late Grandmother’s will.

Fortunately, things were not so terribly miserable for Priscilla. She found her due deserved respect and tender care from the household staff and her tutors. At least whenever Henry and his family left for holidays and Priscilla was left behind, the staff insisted that ‘Miss Priscilla Kimbleton’ be treated as the ’lady of the manor’ that she was. They knew what Henry was doing was wrong, even though they had to stand by silently and watch.

Not that Priscilla minded. As she adjusted from her bucolic life in the country to the life of nobility with her Grandmother, so she would adjust to this new lifestyle. She had her imagination, where she could be anyone, and anyplace. And someday, hopefully, someday, she would be able to escape and live the life that she always wanted to discover…

[servitudeofsadness]

I’m pretty, sorry. (a response to “not like other girls” and self destruction)

i. Say to her I’m sorry - and she says back I forgive you, and We realise this one is real while the others weren’t. She's pretty and I’m pretty and balancing this on a tier of PRETTY pedestals are damnified fathers and perilous pesters. She and I. You and I, we deserve better—simpler sorrows and prettier pleasures.

ii. Why are girls criticised for being true to themselves and having interests that do not stereotypically suit their appearance? a girl can read feminist manifestos and be fashionable, another girl can be popular and enjoy makeup, alongside hardcore punk. they should be able to coexist with each other. withhold your assumptions about what caricatures of girlhood a girl has to suit to enjoy a specific niche interest. girls exist within various forms of expressions and identities; let us exist this way. let us go on our own merit, on our own choices. let us not conform to society’s whims. let us be.

iii. A girl’s destructive tendencies are bruised knees that kneeled too long on concrete floors. crouched back that forms a valley between the spine bone. pouty pig tails unraveling a mimicking of a “coquettish” girl in a magazine, lo-li-ta. the rabid sexualisation of girls at twelve. by creepy, evil, old, creepy. evil. old. men. (humbert humbert is akin to putrid rat reeking pus). puffy cheeks that gorged on sugar dipped crackers and tea to keep us satiated. pink-powdered fists that grasped bladed rocks till it bled red-burgundy. period pains. or perhaps the pain of no period because of the fear it invalidates you as a girl. it does not; you must know that. it does not. the struggles of girlhood exist but it does not just as tidbits of physicality. girlhood is raw, girlhood is bleeding, girlhood is destructive in what life it’s left, callously caressed by the sculpture and its sculptor. When we internalise this, it will be p a i n s t a k in g to get it out.

iv. Why do you think it is cool to hate your mother? Mothers who are good, may be anxiously raging. wants the best for their children and truly means it. My mum. Sculptor. My mum with an openness to love, who spent her first life escaping and learning. living. traversing and creating. The binding termination of yearnful youth when she had her firstborn at 41. “daughters take away beauty,” she says to me, chubby cheeks and sparkly eyes. In 5 years, I will be sitting in front of our neighbour’s lawn on deadly rocks, assumed lost or kidnapped. and as the sun sets, my mum goes hysteric, SCREAMING out my name as the wind answers back silent; soul-torturing sobs and evildoing hunches (5 years old at 5 PM on the 5th night). And later on as i turn 15, she tells me this story again, her song sung shaky with the same verses as when i was 10. Buddhists cherish life in its purest, most meditative form. Suicide is Insipid. My Mother says to me, “I would have given myself to death before having any horrible thing happen to my girl.”

I am just a girl. a girl. a girl. a girl.

[isadomna]

Fatima bint al-Ahmar

Within the history of the Nasrid kingdom of Granada, a number of women tresspassed the threshold of their harem to play important roles in different aspects of the court. This was specifically the case of the sultana Fāṭima bint al-Aḥmar, the daughter of emir Muḥammad II, who can be considered the first lady of this lineage to participate in the political affairs of the kingdom. Fatima was born in 1260 or 1261 during the reign of her grandfather, Muhammad I. Her father, the future Muhammad II, was heir to the throne, and her mother, Nuzha, was a first cousin of his father. She had a brother, the future Muhammad III, and a half-brother, Nasr, whose mother was the second wife of his father, a Christian named Shams al-Duha.

Her father Muhammad was known as al-Faqih (a faqīh is an Islamic jurist), due to his erudition, education, and preference for learned men such as physicians, astronomers, philosophers, and poets. He fostered intellectual activities in his children. Fatima became expert in the study of barnamaj, the biobibliographies of Islamic scholars, while her brothers, Muhammad and Nasr, studied poetry and astronomy respectively. Like her brothers, she likely received her education privately in the royal palace complex, the Alhambra. Her father Muhammad II took the throne in 1273 after the death of Muhammad I. He married Fatima to Abu Said Faraj ibn Ismail, his Nasrid cousin and influential advisor.

Muhammad III took the throne after his father’s death in 1302; Fatima appeared to maintain a good relation with his brother and her husband remained the governor of Málaga throughout his reign. Muhammad III was deposed in 1309 by a palace revolution in Granada, and replaced by Nasr. Unlike with Muhammad III, Fatima and her husband had poor relations with her half-brother. As his rule grew unpopular, she allied herself with factions seeking to overthrow him. Her husband Abu Said led a rebellion in 1311, seeking to enthrone their son Ismail. 

The rebellion was declared in the name of Ismail, because as Fatima’s son he was a grandson of Muhammad II and was therefore seen as having better legitimacy than his father. Their forces defeated that of the Sultan in battle, but Nasr managed to retreat to Granada despite the loss of his horse. Abu Said besieged the capital but lacked supplies for a protracted campaign. Upon discovering that Nasr had allied himself with Ferdinand IV of Castile, Abu Said sought peace with the sultan and was able to retain his post as governor of Malaga but paid tribute to Nasr.

Fearing the sultan’s vengeance, Abu Said negotiated a deal with the Marinids, in which he were to yield Málaga in exchange for the governorship of Salé in North Africa. When this became known to the people of Málaga, they considered it treachery, rose up and deposed him in favor of Ismail. Later, Ismail imprisoned Abu Said in Cártama after suspicions of attempting to flee Málaga, and later moved him to Salobreña where he died in 1320. With her son in control of the city, Fatima helped him engineer another rebellion against Nasr, enlisting the aid of Abu Said’s old ally, Uthman ibn Abi al-Ula, the chief of the Volunteers of the Faith, and various factions within the capital. Ismail’s army swelled as he marched towards Granada, and the capital inhabitants opened the city gates for him. Nasr, surrounded in the Alhambra, agreed to abdicate and retired to Guadix. 

Ismail took the throne in February 1314 and Fatima entered court as queen mother. Despite the falling out between her son and her husband, Fatima maintained good relations with her son, and appeared in various points of Ibn al-Khatib’s biography of the Sultan. She assisted Ismail in political matters, in which according to Rubiera Mata she was “as gifted with great qualities as her husband.” When Ismail was fatally attacked by a relative in 1325, it was to her palace he was brought before he succumbed to his injuries.

By the time of Ismail’s death, Fatima was a highly influential figure at court and she helped secure the ascension of her grandson Muhammad IV, son of Ismail. As Muhammad was only ten years old, Fatima, and a guardian named Abu Nuaym Ridwan, served as tutor and a sort of regent for the young sultan, and they took active role in government. According to historian Bárbara Boloix Gallardo, this was the peak period of Fatima’s political activity. The assassination of the vizier Ibn al-Mahruq, on the order of Muhammad IV in 1328, occurred while he was in the palace of Fatima discussing the emirate’s affairs as he regularly did. Boloix Gallardo speculated that she might have been involved in planning or masterminding this assassination.

Muhammad IV was assassinated in 1333 and replaced by his 15-year-old brother Yusuf I. Fatima again became tutor and regent for her grandson, who was considered a minor and whose authority was limited to only “choosing the food to eat from his table”. According to Rubiera Mata, Fatima likely influenced Yusuf I’s constructions in the Alhambra, the royal palace and fortress complex of Granada, but Boloix Gallardo argues that there is no evidence for this. She died on 26 February 1349 during Yusuf I’s reign and was buried in the royal cemetery of the Alhambra. 

The poet, historian, and statesman Ibn al-Khatib wrote a 41-verse elegy for her death, the only one ever dedicated to a Nasrid princess. In the elegy, he wrote that “She was alone, surpassing the women of her time / like the Night of Power surpasses all the other nights" .He also praised her as: “the cream of the cream of the kingdom, the great pearl at the center of the dynasty’s necklace, the pride of the harem, aspiring to honor and respect, the chain binding its subjects, the protector of the kings, and the living memory of the royal family’s birthright”. Professor Brian A. Catlos attributed the survival of the dynasty, and eventual success, as being partly due to her “vision and constancy.” Historian María Jesús Rubiera Mata compared her guardianship and tutelage of her grandsons to those of the contemporary María de Molina, who also played a central political role as regent of her son Ferdinand IV and grandson Alfonso XI of Castile.

(x)

[dwellordream]

“Perhaps the most degrading aspect of woman's subjection in the early modern period was a husband's right to strike his wife. A proverb recorded in 1475 allowed: ther be iii thyngs take gret betyng: a stockfish, a milston, a fedirbed, a woman. A century later, a jest tried to make the most of this mundane and unpromising subject: A certayne lytle boy seeing his father beating his mother every daye, and hearing him saye one night when he was abed, that he had forgotten to do one thing: I know what it is quoth the chyld, what sayd the father: Mary (sayd he) to beate my mother. While the merry books labored to wring humor from the thud of fist against flesh, church courts adjudicated horrific cases of male violence against women, whether maid, wife, or widow. 

English law allowed husbands to beat their wives as much as they liked so long as severe injury or death did not result. On this issue the law was more conservative than church doctrine, which was firmly, though not consistently, set against wife beating. Many preacher-pamphleteers cited the Pauline precept that husband and wife were one flesh, arguing that it was wrong to seek to harm oneself. Henry Smith held that "these mad men which beat themselves should be sent to Bedlam till their madness be gone." Although the one-flesh argument erases the individual woman on the receiving end, at least it could be invoked to stay men's hands. Popular literature did not fail to register the doctrine's attractiveness to wives. 

In an early Tudor example of gossips' literature, The gospelles of dystaves, women secretly gather to hear the following "gospel" preached by a wise shrew: "He that beteth his wyfe shall never have grace of our lady tyl he have pardon of his wyfe .... Mary faith it is great synne as he wolde despaire himself / for after that whiche I have herde our vicar saye it is but one body man and woman togather." Some conduct-book authors managed to find a loophole even here. William Whately's A Bride-Bush (1623) called wife beating permissible after all else failed because it could serve as a healing "corosive" to a husband's "owne flesh." In this perverse bit of sophistry, wife abuse becomes pious self-flagellation. Other godly pamphleteers urged husbands to be proactive. 

Robert Snawsel's A looking glass for maried folkes (1610) told husbands they had every right to control their wives by firm discipline, "including beating and deliberate changes of mood." One extremist even offered his readers lessons in wife beating, showing how husbands could measure and justify their blows. Certainly, the church did not fully or logically enforce its own strictures. In 1618, for example, an episcopal court judge chastised a Lincolnshire vicar for beating his wife in the churchyard. The offense lay not in his beating her but in doing so on holy ground. Faced with such acts of Christian instruction, wives were told to endure with patience and thank their husbands for the correction. 

Henry Bentley's The Monument of Matrones (1589) contained this prayer "to be used by the wife that hath a froward and bitter husband": O most wise and provident GOD ... if it be thy good pleasure with frowardness, bitternes, and unkindnesse, yea, the hatred and disdaine of my husband, thus to correct me for my fault, I most hartilie thanke thee for it ... and that I for my part may quietlie beare the frailtie, infirmitie, and faults of my husband, with more patience, mildnesse and modestie, than hitherto I have, so that mine example may be to the comfort and commoditie of other to doo the like. Many women refused to serve as comforting examples of patience, fighting back when attacked and crying out for help. Neighbors were their first line of defense because local authorities could not be counted on to prevent severe or mortal injury.

Gowing has shown that women under attack turned to women neighbors first and there is evidence that all members of the community expected women to risk their own safety for the well-being of other women. Some beaten women filed complaints against their husbands in church courts or (more rarely) in civil courts. Not surprisingly, women who sued men for violence usually brought other women to court as witnesses. Though many husbands bitterly resented the women neighbors who intervened, neighbors continued to act as a vigilant and moderating force. Because of the wider social conflicts wife beating engendered, the extent of a husband's right to correct his wife was a live issue in the courts and in neighborhoods.

Ballads show irate husbands grousing that their hands are tied, although they itch to pound their wives, because their wives' friends will criticize and slander them. Neighbors upbraid the harshest wife beaters with terms leveled at their sense of honor and rationality: vicious or repeated beatings could raise the cry that a man was "bedlam" or "unmanly." Being known as a wife beater could shame some men, but others ignored such pressure until either a wife's death or the law stopped them.Faced with intransigent offenders, neighbors sometimes escalated countermeasures. In a case from Bristol in 1667, a group of neighbors surrounded a notorious wife beater and threw dirt at him, creating "a loud mocking demonstration" that strongly resembled charivari.

Another example of neighborhood discipline concerns a child beater rather than a wife beater-making it a rare case because parents' right to administer beatings was seldom questioned-but it does shed light on the verbal arsenal that communities could deploy against transgressors. In 1622, neighbors of a prominent Essex citizen named Richard Turner wrote rhymes to mock him for brutally beating his daughter Anne. Among its many verses: Hye thee home Anne, Hye thee home Anne, Whippe her arse Dicke, Will have thee anon. All those that love puddinge, Come unto Parke Street, And learne the songe, Whip Her Arse Dick. As if that weren't enough, the song goes on to compare Turner to a child murderer who had just been hanged.

Written by artisans and tradespeople, the song spread from town to town through the posting of copies and constant singing so that even children came to know the song and torment Turner with it. For a time he was forced to stay indoors, hoping the "balleting" would abate. Visual culture bears evidence of the social pressures that functioned to limit male violence and to succor the abused. "Patience Baited," an emblem by George Wither, spells out collective limits on patriarchal privilege, warning that even the meekest wife will finally turn and fight. 

The image shows a sheep attacking its tormentor, a young boy. The poem informs readers that anyone who mistreats a friend or spouse runs the risk of social ostracism: Thus, many times, a foolish man doth lose His faithfull friends, and justly makes them foes .... And by abusing of a patient Mate Turne dearest Love, into deadliest Hate: For any wrong may better bee excused, Than, Kindnesse, long, and willfully abused.

Male drunkenness was a leading cause of "kindnesse long and willfully abused," and jests involving domestic violence are generally alcohol-sodden. Many merry tales strongly criticize alcoholic husbands who ruin their health and pauperize their families. Pasquils Palinodia (1619) blames husbands for driving wives to other men's arms because of their own alehouse haunting and violent drunkenness, while Thomas Heywood's Philoconothista, or the Drunkard, Opened, Dissected, and Anatomized (1635) shows brawling, puking asses and goats served by an alewife who looks on with a touch of scorn. In some jests, wives seize the position of agency in the narrative, in a brief but significant moment of linguistic mastery.”

- Pamela Allen Brown, ““O such a rogue would be hang’d!” Shrews versus Wife Beaters.” in Better a Shrew than a Sheep: Women, Drama, and the Culture of Jest in Early Modern England

[masterwcrk]

SEA SALT & AIR // ALTERNATE UNIVERSE ( MERMAID )

    repost.

she used to have a family. a mother, a father, & an older brother, but that was before. her father had wanted to show their people that human's could not be trusted, but his uprising was a failure. knowing that this alone wouldn't convince him to turn from his path, Jocelyn fled, taking her daughter with her. That was years ago, & now, after all this time, she's alone.

verse: ☆ ❛ sea salt & air ❜ || verse. ( au. — mermaid ) verse status: ALTERNATE UNIVERSE, open for interaction location: various age: varies; 26-29, thread dependent.

it wasn't always like this. she remembers a time when things were better; there was singing & dancing, a castle lit up under the waves. They may not have been royalty, but her father was one of the ruling elite, & advisor to the Inquisitor herself. She has memories of playing on the reefs with the other children, but all of those ended on the day of her father's uprising.

Despite years of promises by the surface, conditions in the ocean had deteriorated drastically, & Valentine wanted to rise against those on the surface, to show then the true might of the ocean kingdom. Knowing an all-out war, as well as the obvious hazard of revealing themselves, the council voted against such drastic measures. Valentine, having expected this, planned an uprising, intending to take power by killing all in attendance at the signing of the accords - the peace treaty between the kingdoms of the ocean.

His uprising was unsuccessful, largely in part because of the betrayal of his wife & former best friend. The two of them, having tipped off the other kingdoms, hatched a plan to stand against Valentine. Realizing he'd been double crossed, he quickly retreated & left his followers to the massacre. he managed to steal the Consul's trident in the chaos before disappearing.

he was apparently killed shortly after, when his grotto collapsed as the guards stormed it to try & recover the trident. he & his young son were supposedly trapped in the rubble, allegedly crushed to death. grieving for her son but suspicious, jocelyn left the kingdom with her daughter. the bodies of valentine & his son, as well as the trident, were never recovered. wherever valentine had hidden it, he had seemingly taken the secret to his grave.

unbeknownst to jocelyn or the others left in the city, jonathan & valentine had not died in the cave in. instead, the collapse was orchestrated by valentine to hide their tracks. he then took his son to the edges of the kingdom & raised him in THE TRENCHES on the very edge to the abyssal zone, forbidding his son from ever going to the surface, or beyond the dark depths of their home.

Jocelyn has not been back to Alicante, & Clary has limited memories of it. instead, they've traveled the expansive ocean most of her life, never settling in one place for too long out of fear something might find them.

options for interaction

option i. in the ocean.

as a mermaid, Clary travels the length & breadth of the world's oceans. given her vibrant coloring, she's more at home in the tropics instead of the color arctic & antarctic seas but she has been known to push her own limits. because of this, it's entirely plausible for someone to encounter her while boating, exploring islands, or scuba diving.

option ii. in captivity.

as with any rare & mythical creature, mermaids are highly valued & sought after. it's very possible that someone might ensnare her in a line or a net, & that a muse might encounter her during such a plight.

option iii. in conservation.

a less nefarious alternative to captivity, there's a chance that clary might be injured during her journeys & need rehabilitation.

verse specific notes

this is loosely a companion verse to my own Jonathan’s (@affcgato) mermaid verse, but other plotting is entirely possible for Jonathan’s.

Clary's tail is green with gold around the edges. She additionally has two pelvic fins on either side, close to her waist, as well as smaller finlets near her tail for stabilization.

she can technically shed her tail when entirely dehydrated, giving way to legs. This process is incredibly painful, & should only be used in an emergency -- while she would theoretically regain her tail in saltwater, it could take years for it to be the size & strength it was previously.

she can both speak & understand English, as well as a handful of other languages she would have become familiar with due to container shipping ports.

I am flexible in regards to Jocelyn in this verse. The default is that Jocelyn is no longer with her, & Clary has been alone for some time now (likely since her 16th birthday), but otherwise can be plotted for all TSC peeps.

[rosepyrearchive]

star  wars  verse  specific  drabble,     reposting  from  old  blog  x

QUESTION: what is the closest thing to divinity?

i.

a soon-to-be grandfather places a hand on the swollen turn of a soon-to-be mother’s stomach, feeling the curves and pointed edges of a spine all the way down to her navel. “you can feel the lad’s backbone already,” royce says with a grin. “he’ll be a strong one, i can tell.”

eirene only sighs, leaning back on the cushions of the chaise. “he’s tortured me this entire pregnancy. stars above, why would any woman want to be pregnant?”

a soon-to-be father laughs, the kind only a doting husband would have for his most dearest wife. “because creating life is the closest to godhood any of us shall be,” julian answers, brushing a golden curl behind her ear. “because you are a queen and we must have an heir, and you are glowing brighter than stardust.”

“i don’t feel very close to godhood, right now,” eirene says. “only sore.”

“there’s nothing like holding your son in your arms.” royce pats julian’s shoulder. “he is my pride, my joy, and my legacy. from the day you and your brother were born, you gave me purpose.”

“did you truly think so highly of us, father?” julian asks, wry smile on his lips. “i remember many times when you told us you’d sell us in a heartbeat if we didn’t behave like the princes we were.”

“it’s easier to praise you now that you’ve grown into a man,” royce teases. “a noble man, worthy of being king. i know this little prince will be as well.”

ii.

julian lays eirene on her back, his hand sliding from her heart to the base of her stomach. long, thick white marks cover her where she once held their son, once held other children who never lived to fruition, and julian can see it as nothing but beautiful. magical. even goddesses have scars, battle worn and unruly. eirene is no different. he presses his lips to her skin.

“i ask a gift from you,” julian says, kissing his way slowly up her body.

“i would give you anything,” the promise spills forth like rosewater.

“i saw a shooting star today.” his lips touch the underside of amelie’s jaw. “i want another child.”

“the act of creation certainly thrills you.” she giggles like summer, opening up like a morning glory. “what if we lose this one as well? it pains us both…”

“i’ve dreamt it, my love. a little boy and girl, beautiful, honorable, and kind. i want to meet this daughter i’ve dreamt of. she looks so beautiful, just like her mother. i truly believe it.. they will continue the work that i’ve begun, opening solelle to the rest of the galaxy.”

“and so they will.”

iii.

“hold on to me.” eirene’s grip is weak, and undulates by the second. this is too early, but the medical droids insist. otherwise they shall both be lost. “don’t let go.”

august is only a boy waiting outside, legs kicking on the chair next to a council member who wouldn’t know what to say to a boy who’s mother dies, so he prays that she lives. he’ll meet his littler sister sooner than he thought, and that’s exciting. how many times did he sing for her while she floated in their mother’s womb? he is eager to see this little girl, whom it is his responsibility to protect.

there’s more blood than either of them ever seen, and both little girl and woman are barely breathing by the end. this is the only place a goddess can perish, dancing too close to divinity. julian cradles the girl in the bed beside the woman. both are silent. eirene’s seams have come undone and the little glimmer of stardust in his arms struggles to breath, let alone cry. she’s taken by the medical droid and julian wants to shout no! she needs me!

but he doesn’t.

and it’s by some miracle neither girl nor woman leave him, not yet.

ANSWER: it comes at a cost.

i.

roses bloom brighter in her presence.

SHE: little, blonde, named after a grandmother who cried the first time she saw her. breathing is difficult when she gets worked up, her droids used to carry a pail for her to either pile blossoms in or lose what little snacks she ate in.

some said she wouldn’t live a year, then that she wouldn’t live three. five years come and go, and serena is still small, still weak — but she is growing. and she is alive, against every expectation she is alive.

a legacy lives deep within his bones.

HE: a man grown at only a tender age, duty and honor set deep into his veins. ichor must flow there, not the blood of the normal man. tall, blond, and autumn at its most beautiful and dormant. he knows what kind of road lies ahead — hardship, hard work.

he is a boy of summer, no matter how hard he tries to force winter into himself.

HE: smiles at her, and only her.

SHE: is braver when he is there.

he is a prince. she is a princess.

and they are julian’s life.

ii.

eirene can’t function the same. he’s gone too often, coruscant is so far away — she covets their children, keeps them in the palace and holds them close. only august ever sleeps in his own bed anymore; serena shares the largest, canopied one with her mother.

(august stays up all night reading, learning, studying the force that eirene wishes serena would swallow then spit up. ignore it, she tells her. i can’t, serena always cries. i want to know what it is!)

he is too old to be owned, so he does it for her. lets her practice feeling his thoughts, lets her guess what he’s wanting (it’s always the same thing; make their father proud). august watches her float a rose, shaking and her forehead scrunched, across a small space into his fingers.

“mama said i need to stop,” serena says. “but i hear them. the voices, and the visions. i think it’s calling for me.”

“the only person calling for you is me,” august replies, hand brushing her pale gold hair from her crown to the tips of her curls. what visions are from the force, and what voices are created from her own mind?

“your voice is the loudest.” his little sister giggles, tiny bells chiming in the air.

iii.

the end of story is like this: you pay a price for godhood. you pay for the life you create.

julian’s blood seeps into the streets of coruscant, the holo jagged and serena’s screams piercing. people crowd but no one helps. eirene falls from her tower of stone; did she fall, or did she step into the unending abyss?

[crueldesignarch-blog]

          ‘  did you know that you’re  absolutely  insane?  ’

@sinbcrn  |  sc.

[frmartinshomiliesandreflections]

15th September >> Fr. Martin’s Gospel Reflections / Homilies on John 19:25-27 or Luke 2:33-35 for Our Lady of Sorrows: ‘A sword will pierce your own soul too’. 

Our Lady of Sorrows

Gospel (Europe, Africa, New Zealand, Australia & Canada)

John 19:25-27

'Woman, this is your son'

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son.’ Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ And from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home.

Or

Luke 2:33-35

'A sword will pierce your soul too'

As the child’s father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected – and a sword will pierce your own soul too – so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.’

Gospel (USA)

John 19:25-27

How that loving mother was pierced with grief and anguish when she saw the sufferings of her Son (Stabat Mater).

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

Or

Luke 2:33-35

And you yourself a sword will pierce.

Jesus’ father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Reflections (8)

(i) Our Lady of Sorrows

There is a hymn associated with today’s feast called in Latin, ‘Stabat Mater’, literally, ‘The mother stood’. The title is taken from the opening verse of the hymn, ‘At the cross her station keeping, Stood the mournful Mother weeping, Close to Jesus to the last’. This memorial of Mary is closely associated with the crucifixion of Jesus, which is why it is celebrated the day after the feast of the exaltation of the cross. There is no greater sorrow for parents than the sorrow brought on by the death of their child. Most of us here this morning will have grieved the death of a parent or both parents, and we accept such grief as part of life. However, the grief of a parent for a deceased son or daughter is of a different order. In today’s gospel reading, Simeon closely associates the coming suffering of Mary’s child and her own suffering. Jesus is destined to be a sign that is rejected and a sword will pierce her own soul too. Because of her unique relationship with Jesus as his mother, what was to happen to him would have a significant impact on her. The opening verse of the Stabat Mater concludes, ‘Close to Jesus to the last’. Mary’s sorrow was the inevitable consequence of her closeness to Jesus in love. Mary shows us our own calling, rooted in our baptism, to remain close to Jesus in love to the end. We are called to be as faithful to him as she was. Our closeness to the Lord, our commitment in love to him, will sometimes take us to the foot of the cross, as it took Mary there. Yet, if we remain faithful to the Lord, we will experience his even greater faithfulness to us, as Mary did when Calvary soon gave way to Easter Sunday and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

And/Or

(ii) Our Lady of Sorrows

We tend to suffer when those who are close to us suffer. When children are sick, parents go through agony. Conversely, when parents become ill, their adult children become emotionally involved in their struggles. The sufferings and sorrows of Mary are intertwined with the sufferings and sorrows of her Son. Simeon highlights this intertwining of the life of Mary and the life of her Son in today’s gospel reading. He says of Mary’s son that he is destined to be a sign that is rejected and immediately says of Mary that a sword will pierce her own soul too. Michelangelo’s Pieta is the perfect expression in stone of that intertwining of the suffering and death of Jesus and the sorrows of Mary. Because Mary was so close to Jesus, she suffered when he did. Just as it is said of Christ in the first reading that ‘he offered up prayer and entreaty aloud and in silent tears’, the same could be said of Mary. Mary was faithful to her Son even though it meant sharing in his way of the cross. As disciples of Jesus, we look to Mary to inspire us to be as faithful to Jesus as she was even when that means the way of the cross. Like her we are ready to have a sword piece our own soul when faithfulness to the values of the gospel requires it.

 And/Or

(iii) Our Lady of Sorrows

Yesterday we celebrated the feast of the Triumph of the Cross. Today we celebrate the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. The gospels recognize that the sufferings of Jesus impacted on his mother. The suffering of both is brought together very clearly by Simeon in today’s gospel reading, Mary’s child is to be a sign that is rejected and a sword will pierce her own soul too. Just as Jesus’ way of cross began long before he got to Calvary, so too did Mary’s. Luke’s story of the finding of Jesus in the temple when Jesus was only twelve years old highlights the pain of both Mary and Joseph. When they found their son after much searching, Luke has Mary ask the question of Jesus, ‘Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been searching for you anxiously’. Jesus replied, ‘did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’ Luke presents a scene in which Mary experiences the pain of letting her son go to a greater purpose, God’s purpose. Therein lies the sword that Simeon refers to. Throughout Jesus’ life Mary struggled to let him go to God’s great purpose for his life. Her final and most painful experience of letting go was as Golgotha. We too struggle to let people go to what God desires for them, especially when what God desires for them is in conflict with what we want for them. In that struggle we can certainly look to Mary for help, asking her to pray for us and to give us a greater share of her spiritual freedom.

 And/Or

(iv) Our Lady of Sorrows

When someone we love suffers, we suffer along with them. The more we love someone, the more we suffer when they suffer. This is especially true of parents when their children suffer. When a son or daughter is suffering physically or emotionally or mentally, the mother and father is suffering just as much as their child is suffering, and sometimes even more so. You give your heart in love to someone and, invariably, it will be broken. There is no love without suffering. The only way to avoid that kind of suffering is to lock our heart up. The temptation can be to refuse to give our heart to anything or anyone, so that it is kept intact and never gets broken, but to do that is only to be half alive. The only way to live is to love and to accept the suffering that love inevitably brings. This morning we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. She gave her heart to her Son and when her Son’s body was broken, Mary’s heart was broken. Michelangelo’s Pieta captures that very powerfully. Simeon in today’s gospel reading makes that connection between Jesus’ suffering and that of his mother. Jesus is ‘destined to be a sign that is rejected’ and, as for Mary, ‘a sword will pierce your own soul too’. When our own heart breaks because of love we can look to Our Lady of Sorrows as our inspiration and our support.

 And/Or

(v) Our Lady of Sorrows

The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows is always the day after the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. That wonderful Latin poem, the Stabat Mater, captures the sorrow of Mary very powerfully. It begins, ‘At the cross her station keeping, Stood the mournful Mother weeping, Close to Jesus to the last; Through her heart, his sorrow sharing, All his bitter anguish bearing, Now at length the sword had passed’. The ‘sword’ there is a reference to the sword that Simeon prophesied would pierce her heart, on the occasion of Mary and Joseph bringing the child Jesus into the temple. The most powerful depiction of Mary’s sorrow in marble is the wonderful Pietá by Michelangelo in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. One of the greatest human sorrows is that of a parent who has had to live through the death of his or her son or daughter. There is a particular quality to that sorrow which is unique in the land of sorrows. This was the sorrow that Mary endured at the cross of her Son. The physical agony of Jesus was balanced by the agonizing sorrow of Mary. It is a very dark scene. Yet, the portrayal of that scene in John’s gospel, which we have just heard, has a certain quality of light to it. The dying Jesus entrusts his mother and the beloved disciple to each other’s care. The words addressed to the beloved disciple are addressed to every disciple, to all of us gathered here this morning, ‘This is your mother’. In and through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we have been taken up into a new family, which looks to God as Father, to Jesus as brother, to Mary as mother and to one another as brothers and sisters. From the cross, Jesus bequeaths his mother to us all. In our own times of sorrows we can look towards Mary asking her to pray for us, sinners, now, and also at the hour of our own death.

 And/Or

(vi) Our Lady of Sorrows

We are all very interdependent. What affects one person can impact on many others. This is especially true within a family. When one family member suffers in some way, every family member is affected. If we are close to someone in love, the pain and struggle of the loved one becomes our pain and struggle. In this morning’s gospel reading, Simeon announces that Mary’s child whom she has just brought into the Temple will become a source of division. Some will accept him and ‘rise’; others will reject him and ‘fall’. His presence will be divisive and those who reject him will bring him much suffering. Mary as the mother of this child cannot escape his dark destiny. A sword will pierce her own soul too. She was the closest human being to Jesus and, inevitably, what happened to him would impact on her. Her sorrow reached its pinnacle as she stood by the cross and watched her son dying a painful death. Perhaps there is no sorrow greater than that of a mother who loses a son or daughter at the prime of their lives. Today’s feast of Mary brings her very close to us. It reminds us that she entered into the depths of human pain and suffering. The greatest saint of all time, the one who was closer to Jesus than any other human being, travelled the way of the cross. Our own relationship with Jesus does not preserve us from life’iscs sorrows and pains, no more than it preserved Mary. Yet we can be assured that as she went on to experience her son as risen Lord and the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, we too will be sustained by the risen Lord and his Spirit on our own way of the cross.

 And/Or

(vii) Our Lady of Sorrows

I have a crucifix in my room which I like. It is a small replica of a crucifix in Assisi, the one before which Saint Francis was praying when he heard the Lord call on him to rebuild his church. Initially, Francis understood that call in a very physical, practical way, and he started helping to repair the local churches. He came to see that the Lord was calling him to rebuild his church in a much deeper sense. The church was in need of reform and Francis was to be one of the Lord’s instruments in that reform. Beneath the outstretched arms of Jesus are five figures, on one side is a group of two, a man and a woman, Mary the mother of Jesus and the beloved disciple, traditionally understood as John. This is the same scene that is depicted in words in today’s gospel reading. Today’s feast reminds us that Mary, more than any other human being, shared in the Lord’s passion and death. When a young man dies, no one suffers more than his parents. Yet, the cross of Jesus can never be separated from his resurrection. The same Mary who stood at the foot of the cross in deep sorrow and anguish was also present at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came down upon her and the other disciples. Her sorrow, like that of the other disciples, turned to joy. It is striking that in the crucifix from Assisi, the crucified Jesus is depicted as calm and serene, almost glorious, and Mary and John and the other figures beneath the arms of Jesus appear to be smiling. It is a crucifix that is shot through with the light and joy of Easter. Even this feast of Our Lady of Sorrows is bathed in Easter light. All our sorrows are bathed in Easter light, because the risen Lord is our light in every darkness and our strength in every weakness.

 And/Or

(viii) Our Lady of Sorrows

Although today is the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, it is not a sorrowful feast. Mary’s sorrow was the consequence of her motherly love for her Son, Jesus. Those we love invariably bring us suffering and sorrow. If we give our heart to someone, sooner or later it will be broken. The only way to keep our heart from being broken is to keep it locked away, not giving it to anyone or anything. However, that would be to live a very impoverished life. Our fundamental call as human beings is to love. Our basic call as followers of the Lord is to love others as he has loved us. The more we love, the more we expose ourselves to sorrow and pain. Jesus was loving in a way that was unique because he fully revealed God’s love. He loved more completely than any other human being ever did or could. That is why his suffering was greater than that of any human being. I mean not so much his physical suffering as his suffering of heart, the suffering which comes from the rejection and betrayal of love. Mary was the human being who was closest to Jesus. Her love for Jesus had a special quality, the quality of a mother’s love. Because of her unique love for Jesus, she shared in Jesus’s suffering in a unique way. It is her love for Jesus that is at the heart of today’s feast. The depth of her sorrow and suffering reflects the depth of her love for the Lord. We can learn from her to stand in love at the foot of other people’s crosses. She also inspires us to remain faithful to Jesus her Son out of love, even if that means we have to travel the way of the cross.Today’s feast also reminds us that we can turn to Mary for help and strength when our love for others, and, in particular, our love for the Lord, brings us sorrow and suffering.

Fr. Martin Hogan.

[hannah-writes]

Her Daughter’s Kingdom

So @beamirang and I were talking about rule!63 and somehow this is what happened. This is, as many things are nowadays, 100% Bea’s fault.

Featuring rule!63′d Alex, loosely inspired by The King is Dead ‘verse. There might be more, depending on if anyone’s interested.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.  Alex had definitely imagined that her reunion with Michael would have been a little more smooth,. A lot more smooth, actually, and probably with a lot less yelling and threats of war and world domination. As it was, she was standing in her throne room (which, if you asked her, was still something she had trouble accepting because honestly, leading people to their freedom didn't warrant them instituting her to the monarchy no matter how grateful they were), eyes on the door as General Rath of Antar (or, as she knew him better, Michael Guerin of Roswell, New Mexico) shouted at the guards standing outside to open the door.

She'd sent comms to Antar as soon as the political situation on Karras III had settled. It had taken longer than she would have wanted considering there were still a few rebel factions which needed to be defeated so that their airspace was safe to enter and, honestly, she was willing to concede that they had a point in disliking the fact that an off-worlder had been elected to the highest position on the planet in a way that was possibly the least democratic she had ever seen in her life, it was one of the reasons she was 'Queen Alexandra' rather than 'Empress' or 'Supreme Ruler' (both titles she'd politely declined). She knew that Antar's forces had been laying siege to the outlying planets trying to narrow down which one Alex was on and talk of Rath the seventeenth being just as much of a warlord as his predecessor was vastly exaggerated considering Alex knew him as the one who kissed her fingertips in the warmth of the morning, whispering prayers against her skin. Still, there were people out there that would have used her connection to him to their advantage, that may have tried to use her and her planet as leverage in the ongoing unrest in the system, so the comms had been coded.

Obviously, from the way the doors to the throne room banged open with Michael mid-rant, too coded.

"I swear, if you don't release her <i>right now</i> I'll take over this whole fucking planet and leave nothing but ashes behind, don't test me I'm-"

"Michael."

God, how was he so smart but so dense? 

He'd always said that he'd conquer planets for her in a way she'd always thought was a joke even after it had become apparent that Michael was, along with Max and Isobel, heir to not just a single planet but an entire system. Still, the fact that he was, very loudly, threatening to conquer what was now her planet was a little uncalled for.

Her voice cut through what was definitely the beginning of a declaration of war and she watched the way that his whole body froze, the sound of her voice was obviously not what he'd expected when he’d stomped into the throne room. Then again, the last time they'd managed to communicate properly she'd just been taken hostage by rebels who wanted to force the young clones to forfeit their rights to Antar. A lot had happened since then, to them both it would seem.

"Michael," she said again, more softly this time, and he blinked, yanking off his ornate helmet and allowing Alex to see his face for the first time in seven years. His curls fell around his face, a little longer than she remembered them being. His eyes were- they were almost the same but they were more haunted now, shadows that sat behind the amber irises that Alex wished she could wipe away. "If you can stop threatening my guards for five minutes, you'd see that as I said in the communication, I'm <i>right here</i>."

He made to move towards Alex but was stopped when she lifted her hand. He was in his full regalia and dressed for war which wasn't really an easy outfit to hug someone in and he'd seemingly forgotten. When he looked confused and crestfallen that she'd stopped him coming closer, it only took her arching her eyebrow and looking at the large and imposing spikes that were on his armour before he was fumbling for the hidden buckles, a hand shooting out to shut the main doors and shedding pieces as he rushed to close the gap between himself and Alex.

He was within arms' reach when another voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Mom?"

Alex wet her lower lip and looked not in the slightest bit surprised to hear a little person calling her 'mom'. Michael, however, ground to a fucking halt and stared at the little person looking as though all the oxygen had been sucked from the room.

"Mom?!" Michael all but exploded and was immediately levelled with a Look from Alex that was, somehow, mimicked on the face of the little person who had long sandy coloured hair and large amber eyes that were obscured a little by ringlets that she kept having to push out of her face. The expression of frustration as she did was one Michael knew well.

"Yes, Michael," Alex deadpanned in response, "that's what a child calls their birth parent."

"Birth-"

"-parent."

"You-"

"-have a daughter? Yes." She held her hand out and the little girl walked over, tucking herself at Alex's hip, looking up at Michael curiously.

"You're right mom," she said with a little frown, her brows creasing in a way that Michael absolutely didn't find soul-meltingly adorable, "he is an idiot."

Michael opened his mouth to argue before he shut it again and Alex watched him visibly retreat, fold into himself and she hated that small part of her that wished he'd just finished closing the gap and hugged her. Instead, her daughter looped her arms around her waist and tipped her head so that it was resting against her side. She pushed her fingers through the girl's hair.

"I'm not an idiot," is what Michael replied with, defensively, and was proud of the way he didn't shrink under the twin looks of utter disbelief that were shot in his direction.

Alex bent and pressed a kiss to the top of her daughter's head before she returned her attention to Michael.

"This is Maya," she said, and Maya gave Michael a little curtsey.

"Nice to meet you," Maya said with a lift of her eyebrow, "finally."

"Confident, isn't she," Michael muttered with a little nod in Maya's direction. "Her father must be proud."

Alex didn't miss the tone that was wrapped around the words. The way that Michael's expression stuttered shut and the armour that he'd shed in his haste to get to her started moving a little, picked up by the invisible hands of his telekinesis slowly. She didn't miss the bite that was underneath the words because Michael was many things and subtle was not one of them.

"I don't know," she replied, coolly, "are you?"

Michael's armour hit the ground with a clatter.

[mvsquerades]

⋆ ° ⟡ ( KELSEY MERRITT, twenty-five, cisfemale, she/hers ) has AVELINE DAYAO, the HEIRESS from THE PHILIPPINES arrived yet? i heard they can be quite HEADSTRONG, but also DYNAMIC. there’s rumours they’ve come to genovia to ESCAPE THE PRESSURE OF HER FAMILY, but you never know. SCATTERED SHEET MUSIC, RUNNING THROUGH OCEAN WAVES, & BRIGHT LAUGHTER HEARD IN A CROWDED ROOM always remind me of them. ( isa, 23, gmt+1, she/hers )

like this & i’ll slide into your dms to plot !!

history

i. the daughter of french cinematic royalty and a filipino business tycoon, aveline “vivi” juliet masson dayao is given the world but expected it of her. pressure is placed on her at a young age to be the best ; as the oldest, she’ll inherit the company and oversee its operations. her family is splashed all over european and asian magazines and newspapers — her mother is a former actress turned entrepreneur / philanthropist and her father is the CEO of one of the biggest conglomerates in southeast asia, with interests in department stores, finance, real estate, telecom, transportation, and power. to think it started all from one tiny store in the 60s!

ii. she’s put into fencing lessons, ballet & tap, violin & piano. there’s swimming lessons and tennis practice ; her parents believe in being well-rounded and trying at least once. one by one, she quits ( some sooner rather than later ), but swimming and piano stick. she can spend hours at the piano, practicing classical pieces or improvising, and she nearly went to school for music.

iii. she spends equal time in manila and the french riviera, getting to know both sides of her family, and her love of travel spawns from her grandfather. his stories of all the different film locations & the myriad of paths he’s taken inspire her to see the world ; she’s a jet-setter & a trendsetter. she explores phuket and marrakesh and los angeles ; she parties in berlin and monte carlo and seoul. she lounges on the white sand beaches of el nido and eats breakfast in paris all while looking fantastic while doing it — the philippine tatler adores her.

iv. she completes primary education at a private school in the philippines, and then attends boarding school in europe. away from the prying eyes of her parents, she’s given free reign to do what she wants as long as she delivers high marks. college takes her back to the philippines, and after graduating from ateneo de manila, she attends the university of oxford for her MBA. she completed the program last year and has since been dedicating time to traveling & philanthropy. she works hard & plays harder ; aveline’s schooling years are spent pulling all-nighters to study for a midterms & go clubbing until 5 am.

v. though there always was a looming pressure to join the family company, her father never really pushed it until now, having assumed aveline would do so after completing her education. but aveline has big plans, and that includes forging her own path. his patience is wearing thin the more she champions for what she believes & the more outspoken she gets.

vi. ( cheating tw ) the tumultuous marriage of ophelie masson and ramon dayao and its jagged end is largely kept secret from the press — they were once madly in love, but that infatuation ran its course. they adore aveline, and dote on her so, but it’s always a tug of war between them. aveline’s brought up in two countries, yet doesn’t feel at home full in neither. there have been extra-marital affairs on both sides ( though her father started it first ) and the result is a years-long separation culminating in divorce. aveline’s father has currently remarried. her mom’s dating.

about

a whirlwind of a woman, aveline is vivacious, compassionate, and open, the type to treat you like an old friend even if she’s only known you for a few hours. she’s well-versed in intercultural communication and business ; understanding cultural nuances is just as important as understanding what people are saying. 

passionate and tenacious. she puts in 110% into her interests and goals, though she can be single-minded in this sense — if something doesn’t interest her, she won’t put the effort in. generous & loyal to those she cares about. stubborn to a fault ; she’s firm in her opinions and it’s difficult to get her to budge once she’s set her mind on something. she’s known for pissing her parents’ friends & associates off, as she can be quite blunt when she wants to be, and refuses to change herself for the sake of appearances. altruistic to the point of self-sacrificing, she has a tendency to give too much of herself — whether that’s her time, affection, or both — even when she shouldn’t.

fluent in french, english, tagalog, and bicol. 

taking a note from her mother, aveline is heavily involved in philanthropy. she’s primarily interested in working with children and women, including victims of trafficking & abuse, education, and human rights. she both donates and participates, and has since started a charity of her own. she’s also openly bisexual ( which caused a fair amount of friction in her family ) and advocates for lgbt rights in the philippines.

she’s done a few modeling campaigns, but has known since she was a child acting is not for her. 

wanted connections

ride-or-dies & close friends, the people she’d do anything for. drinking buddies, party friends, a looser sort of friendship. travel buddies. exes. flings. current flings. one-night-stands. skinny love. first love. enemies. frenemies. flirtationship. friends with benefits. will they won’t they. the bad influence. the protective friend. confidants ( midnight talks & that sort of thing ).

( pinterest. )

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Two Hundred Eighty-Eight: Sifting Through Sand ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata, Hyūga Hiashi ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: Best Years of Your Life ] [ AO3 Link ]

“So...any ideas of what you wanna do before Summer break ends?”

Lying in the shade of a tree in her backyard, Hinata stares up into the leaves. A gentle breeze sways them to and fro, speckles of sunlight filtering through and dancing over the pair of them. There’s only a handful of weeks before the Summer between high school and college is over, and they officially enter the next phase of their lives. By some grace, they’re only going to be about two hours apart. More than doable for a continued relationship, in her humble opinion.

Taking time to think over Sasuke’s question, she heaves a long, thoughtful sigh. She’s been taking this Summer slowly, doing her best to make it last. But they have a bit of time left for one last hoorah. Maybe a trip, or...a day for some event…?

“...what about you?” she asks to stall for time, earning a chuckle.

“I asked you first.”

“I’m thinking.”

A few seconds of contemplative silence pass. “...I’d like to go to the coast for a few days.”

That gets her to glance over to him, brows lifting a bit. “...oh?”

“Yeah. Just to hang out, have a change of scenery...maybe act like a tourist for a bit,” he explains, unable to help a hint of a grin. “Leave stuff here behind and sort of...recharge the batteries before we head out, huh?”

A slight weight sinks in HInata’s gut at the notion. While many of her classmates are excited for college...she’s a little scared. Striking out (mostly) on her own, in a place she doesn’t know, surrounded by thousands of strangers...her introverted nature makes the prospect seem extremely daunting. The only person also going to her school that she knows is her cousin’s girlfriend, Tenten...but she’s a year older. Ino is attending a cosmetology school in the same city, and Sakura is diving right into nursing at a school along said coast.

“...I think...that sounds like fun,” she eventually replies, nodding.

“You wanna go?”

“Mhm! Like you said, it...it would be a nice change of pace. And the weather should be nice, right?”

“I’ll have to check the weather app. When do you wanna go?”

“Um...I don’t care.” It’s not like she has any other plans, really.

“...how about Thursday? We’ll drive in, have Friday and the weekend...and come back Monday.”

“I guess I need to c-check with my dad first, but…” Well, Hiashi’s already begrudgingly accepted the fact that his daughter is dating...and she is an adult. Surely he’ll let her go...right?

“Okay, cool. I better double check, too. I’ll let you know once I’ve got an answer.”

“Yeah, me too. But for now, I’m...very comfy,” Hinata admits with a giggle.

As if to agree, Sasuke rolls over and drapes an arm over her waist, chin over her head as she laughs a bit more. “...are you comfy?”

“Mm, very.”

“...good.”

After a day of relaxing together, the pair go their separate ways. Sasuke heads home, and Hinata heads inside. Her father has yet to return from work for the day, and her sister is at a Summer camp. It’s been rather nice having the house all to herself. Or...well, more often than not, to herself and to Sasuke. Hiashi hasn’t asked, and she hasn’t told...but part of her suspects he assumes as much. Hinata’s a smart girl, though - she’s drawn her boundaries well. And Sasuke respects them.

So she hopes their good behavior thus far will work in her favor when she asks.

Putting together a dinner for the pair of them, she greets her father when he gets home around five-thirty. “How was...h-how was your day?”

“Adequate,” he sighs, dropping off his things by the door. “Seems you’ve been busy in the kitchen.”

“Mhm! When was, um...Hanabi getting home again?”

“Next Monday, I believe. I have to go pick her up.”

“I see.” Setting the table and subtly watching to gauge her father’s mood, she then lightly notes, “It’s hard to believe Summer’s almost o-over already…”

“Excited for school?”

“Um...sort of. Pretty nervous…”

“I’m sure you’ll be fine. Everyone is nervous to some degree,” Hiashi offers as he takes his seat.

“I guess so…” Poking at her food a bit, there’s a pause before she offers, “I, um...I was thinking about maybe taking a quick trip to the...to the coast this weekend.”

“...oh?”

“Just, you know...one last little thing to do before school starts.”

Hiashi takes a bite of his dinner, chewing and thinking that over. “...I’m assuming you won’t be going by yourself.”

“Well...no. It was actually...Sasuke’s idea.”

...the chewing stops.

Hinata fidgets under the table.

”...I see. And how long would this trip be for?”

“He thought we could...leave Thursday to have a day to drive, and...come back Monday.”

“...four nights, then.” Hiashi leans back in his chair, sighing thoughtfully. “...and what would your hotel arrangement be?”

“W-well, we...didn’t get that far. We needed to ask, first.”

He nods slowly. “...if...you promise me you will have a two bed room, and keep your behavior appropriate...then I see no reason why you cannot go. To my knowledge, you have handled this...relationship responsibly. I trust you.”

For some reason...those three words bring a tightness to her chest. She can’t remember ever hearing him...say that before. “...thank you, Father. I...I will be on my best behavior. I promise.”

“I expect you will be. Be sure to check in every so often so I know you’re safe. And remind Sasuke it’s not just your actions I’ll be expecting to be kept in check.”

“Y...yes.”

Once dinner is over and the kitchen tidied, Hinata rushes to her room to text him the good news.

Yeah? Mine said I can go too. Guess it’s a go?

It’s a go!

Come Wednesday night, Hinata is packed, having gone through her inventory no less than three times to ensure she’s not forgetting anything. She supposes if anything is missing, she can always pick up a spare if it’s not too expensive. When morning rolls around and Sasuke swings by to pick her up, she pauses in the foyer as Hiashi calls her name.

“...do be careful, and text me when you get there.”

“I-I will. See you when we get back, Father.” She accepts a hug, finding it to be a little less...tense than usual. Waving, she then puts her bag in the back seat and hops into the front with Sasuke.

“Ready?”

“Yeah…!” A giddy excitement finds her, unable to stop a smile.

The drive takes a smidge over five hours, the pair making it to their hotel just a bit after midday. Checking in, they find their room, two beds as requested. Hinata sets her bag along the foot of one, Sasuke checking their view as she sends Hiashi an arrival text.

“Think we should head to the beach?”

“Can we eat first? I’m starving…!”

“I think there’s a place to eat along the sand - might be kinda spendy, but...we’re here to have fun, right?”

“Right!”

The cafe in question is a bit busy, but they get in after a half hour wait. The entire place is pretty much outdoor, and the floor is simply open to the sand beneath them. Sitting at a tall table atop stools, they order their food and watch the waves roll.

“I dunno about you...but I feel relaxed already,” Sasuke offers between bites.

“Yeah, me too...it’s so nice. Now I wish I’d applied for schooling over here!”

“We’ll just have to come back next Summer, or maybe over Spring break, huh?”

“Sure!”

After lunch, they walk around a few shops nearby the hotel, letting their meal settle. Hinata buys a few little trinkets, mostly souvenirs for Hanabi and her father. Sasuke indulges in one for Itachi, too. It’s then they return to their room, changing into swimsuits and heading out to the beach.

A bit self-conscious, Hinata at first stays sat on her towel, a bit huddled up. But Sasuke slowly urges her back up, the pair taking a leisurely walk along the beach.

“Hey, let’s look for some shells.”

“Think we can find some…?”

“Maybe.”

They move to a less trafficked part of the sand, sifting through it and looking for tidbits. They actually rummage up a decent sized pile, Hinata oohing at each find.

“Look at this one! It’s so tiny…”

“Y’know that a lot of sand is actually tiny little shells?”

“Really?!”

“Mhm. We’ll have to take some home…I’ve still got that little telescope. Maybe we can see some.”

As the day wanes, the pair take up their treasures and head back toward the hotel, a bit too tired to swim. Hinata sorts through the shells again, dividing them up so they can each have some to take home come Monday.

“Can I have this one?”

“You take whatever you want. I’m good with whatever.”

“...but -?”

“All I care about is having a few to remember today by. Doesn’t matter.”

Hinata goes a light shade of pink, sheepishly setting the shell on her pile.

They go to a fast food joint for dinner to save a little money, watching the sun set from their table. Then back to the hotel, lounging and browsing on their phones.

“Well...not bad for a partial day. Think we should turn in early so we can head out in the morning, get some touristing done?”

Hinata giggles. “Sure.” She slips into the bathroom to change into her pajamas: bunny-print shorts and a tank top. Sasuke dons only a pair of silky pajama pants, making her blush again.

“...you saw me shirtless earlier. And several times before now.”

“I-I know that! I just...I thought…”

Sasuke just snorts, making his way into bed. Hinata sets the alarm, and then turns out the light.

“...goodnight, Sasuke.”

“Night, Hinata.”

                                                     .oOo.

     Well, this one's a random stand-alone oneshot for once, lol - just some modern fluff, really.      Also I'm sorry I've been so behind as of late - life is kicking me in the pants and my mojo has been rather low. Add in some health trouble and I've just not been able to keep up ^^; Hoping I can play catch-up once October is over. We'll see. But one way or another, I WILL finish this challenge. Just...please bear with me while life is in a bit of a lurch <3      Anywho, not...too much to say otherwise? It kinda speaks for itself I guess lol - but for now III need some sleep :'D Thanks for reading~

[minervacasterly]

Henry VIII & Catherine of Aragon: Once Upon a Time there was a young handsome man who swore he'd marry a beautiful, destitute royal lady ... their story is often glossed over and considered unimportant but it remains an important chapter in English history, one that sowed the seeds for her intellectual successors, her daughter, the first English queen and her successor. Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII are the perfect example of a fairy tale gone bad. Their story starts very idyllic. Boy meets girl, promises he will marry her after his older brother dies and like in the promises that couples still make today at weddings, the swears that he will love her until the death. But as it is common with most fairy tales, there is a darker element in the story, one that makes their relationship even sadder. Recent historians have done a great job documented the early years in their relationship, describing how Henry VIII were well-matched and she was often the go-to- person for foreign ambassadors who wanted to see His Majesty's favor. Henry VIII's disillusion with Catherine is the product of his ancestors' dynastic warfare, going all the way back to the Normans and the Angevins. England had been this close to having its first female monarch when Henry I made all of his barons swear allegiance to his remaining legitimate offspring, Matilda who was quickly married to Geoffrey, Count of Anjou and Maine in an effort to secure the Dynasty for him by providing her father with male heirs. Unfortunately, this was not to be. Matilda fought hard against her cousin, the barons' choice and her father's successor, King Stephen, for the English throne but following his son and wife's death, the two of them had no choice but to accept an uneasy truce in which Matilda gave up her claim in her oldest son, Henry FitzEmpress favor. Fast forward to three hundred years later and the country is yet facing another civil war, this time between two other powerful branches of the Plantagenet dynasty. Once again, it was up to a man to put an end to this war through his mother's claim, also using his wife's claim to give legitimacy to their offspring. Giving all that England had to endure for three hundred years, Henry VIII knew that it was up to him to secure the Tudor Dynasty. And the best way to achieve this was by having a male heir -and if possible, a spare, in case the crown heir died. Henry VIII was after all the "spare" and he knew all too well that there were other potential claimants who could easily take advantage of the succession crisis to garner support in the same fashion his father did. In spite of Catherine's miscarriages, Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon still enjoyed a happy existence with Henry still visiting her chambers in the mid 1520s. After she gave birth to Mary, Henry VIII consoled her and told her that just as they had a healthy daughter, they could have a healthy son. One wonders if Anne Boleyn knew what Henry VIII told Catherine after she had given birth to a healthy daughter since those were almost the same words he told her when she gave birth to another healthy princess. In any case, the first years of their lives were purely idyllic. As Amy Licence, author of In Bed With the Tudors, notes in her biography on the six wives of Henry, Six Wives and the Many Mistresses of Henry VIII: "In 1510, Thomas More wrote a poem which he called 'The twelve properties or Conditions of a Lover'. With the happiness of the newlywed royal couple evident to all, More explored the contemporary ideals of amatory behavior, which included fidelity and devotion as well as the more specific examples of dressing, or adorning, oneself for the pleasure of the spouse, being frequently in their company and coveting the lover's praise. It was also essential to 'believe of his love all things excellent, and to desire that all folks should think the same' and 'to serve his love, nothing thinking of any reward or profit'. This accorded with the advice given to Henry in 1501, by his tutor John Kelton, to 'choose a wife for yourself and always love her only'. With Henry soon to adopt the title of 'Sir Loyal Heart', his devotion to Catherine was beyond doubt. Henry had certainly grown into an impressive young man. According to Thomas More's coronation verses, he had 'strength worthy of his regal person' and stood taller than his companions. There was 'fiery power' in his eyes, Venus in his face and 'such colour in his cheeks as is typical of twin roses'. Yet he possessed other skills, too. He was skilled in the physical arts of war, with 'his hand ... as skilled as his heart is brave' with 'the naked sword, or an eager charge with leveled lances, or an arrow aimed to strike a target'. More also described how Henry's virtue 'shone forth from his face' and his countenance bore 'the open message of a good heart'. Wisdom dwelled in his judicious mind and his breast was untroubled; he bore his lost with modest chastity, his gentle hearth was warmed by clemency and his mind far from arrogant. He and his natural gifts had been enhanced by a 'liberal education', with his father's wisdom and his mother's 'kindly strength'. Henry was also Catherine's intellectual equal, having studied the Classics, French, Latin, Italian, theology, modern sciences and composing music, as well as playing upon the flute, virginals and recorder ... This was the man with whom Catherine fell in love. In all things, he seemed to be her perfect match just as she was his. More's praise for the new queen extolled her birth and qualities as qualifiers that made her Henry's true equal ..." Giles Tremlett, Patrick Williams and Julia Fox in their respective biographies of Catherine, were highly descriptive of Catherine's childhood and her education, pointing out that she and her sisters were among the most learned women in Christendom, with their mother, Queen Isabella I of Castile, wishing they'd receive the education that she never had. In addition to being taught about the usual domestic arts which included how to run a household, they also had a Humanist curriculum which included learning about the classics, art, music, dancing, and of course, canon and civic law. After Henry VIII wrote a powerful spiritual tract against Martin Luther, he was given the title "Defender of the faith"; not wishing to be left behind, Catherine also wrote something, although less incendiary, defending the papacy which also earned her the title of defendress of the faith. When Anne Boleyn, then Henry's intended wife, learned that Catherine had been allowed to speak at the Blackfriars trial, she reprimanded Henry, telling him that he should have known the dangers to let her speak since, she was sure to win every time. Bottom line: Henry VIII was prince charming who knew everything there was to know about sports, Humanism and faith, but when it came to winning an argument, Catherine of Aragon was a far superior at being a drama queen. Other interesting curiosities about Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon: 1. While Henry VIII claimed that he married Catherine to fulfilled a "long lost promise" to his dad because he was such a good son, the truth is that nobody bought it and as I suspect, some of you might not either. The truth is that people expected that Henry VIII, unlike his maternal grandfather, Edward IV, would listen to his councilors and marry whomever they'd tell him to aka someone who brought more to the marriage instead of a former widow but like his grandfather, he showed them that he was going to be his own man, subject to no one but his desires. 2. After Richard III and Anne Neville's joint coronation, Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon were the other glorious coronation that symbolized the coming of something new and hopeful. 3. Catherine of Aragon was the FIRST and only one of two Tudor Consorts to be appointed Regent while her husband was away fighting the French. In spite of Henry VIII's meager victory which he called one of the greatest that had ever been achieved, it was Catherine who won a bigger one and secured his throne from any future threats from his Northern neighbor, Scotland. By defeating James IV, King of Scots, Catherine's leadership, left a power vacuum in Scotland which had terrible repercussions for the Stuarts that lasted until Mary, Queen of Scots and sowed the seed for her terrible fate. 4. The similarities between Henry VIII and his maternal grandfather, Edward IV have long been established, but it is not so often that his relationship with Catherine is also paralleled with that of Edward and Elizabeth Woodville. Just like Elizabeth was a widow and five years and a half older than Edward, so was Catherine, five years and a half older to Henry VIII. History does repeat itself sometimes doesn't it? ;) It's a shame that Catherine and her beloved daughter didn't have a happier ending. 5. In her biography on Isabella I of Castile, Kirstin Downey says that out of all her daughters, Catherine of Aragon was the one who inherited her countenance. And while I am no fan of Feminist Karen Lindsey's short biography on the six wives, she is right when she wrote that had Catherine had been born a boy, Spain would have had one of its greatest Kings. 6. Catherine of Aragon was the first Female Royal Ambassador in Western Europe! While Catherine and her mother were very similar, she could also be as conniving and deceptive as her father. In fact, knowing that there was no other best person he could trust than his youngest daughter at a time when her future seemed uncertain and war was once again brewing in Spain over who'd control Castile, Ferdinand II of Aragon appointed her his Ambassador. 7. She set the stage for other learned women, including Queen Catherine Parr! Like Margaret Beaufort and Elizabeth Woodville's family who sponsored many renowned religious scholars, Catherine sponsored artists and humanists as well but she took a step further, inspiring other women to get an education for themselves and their daughters, one of those women was Maud Parr whose daughter was possibly named in her honor. She became Henry VIII's last wife and the second and last Tudor consort to also be named his regent, once again when he was away fighting the French. In his book on the education of Christian princes and women's intelligence, Juan Luis Vives, dedicated his texts to her, calling her a role model for all women. 8. Defendress of the Faith: As previously stated, besides Henry VIII writing an incendiary tract against Luther in support of the Catholic faith; Catherine also wrote her own defense which earned her the unofficial title of defendress of the faith. 9. Gentle, sweet but strong as her lady mother and pragmatic as her father: Appearances can be VERY deceiving. This is certainly true when it comes to Catherine of Aragon. She appeared sweet and meek on the outside but get into a verbal row with her, you were sure to end up being devoured! Not only that, this was a woman who had been witnessed to her parents' conquest. She was a child when she saw the way her mother inspected her troops and how her father played coy with the politicians, saying one thing but doing another behind their backs. During her regency, after she had received news of King James IV of Scots' demise, she coldly inquired as to why she was not being shown his body. They told her that it would be too much to send his body to His Majesty; something she didn't look too kindly upon. So she had no choice but to settle for his bloody cape, sending it to her husband as "proof" of her victory which she attributed to him. This just shows you that besides being a good politician, she was like her father, tough as nails. And like him, she was subtle but deadly in her letters. When she found out that the pope had not yet reached a decision about her marriage, she told Charles about it and told him to hurry up and exert more pressure on the pope. When -in her view- Charles wasn't doing enough to help her cause, she put pressure on Chapuys and finally on the pope himself, daring to questioning his commitment to the Catholic faith. Talk about audacity! 10. A Woman for all Seasons: Besides being praised by her allies, she was also praised by her religious enemies, including Luther who greatly admired her and like Juan Luis Vives and Thomas More, considered her a good role model for women and was deeply saddened by her death. 11. The longest Tudor marriage: Out of all the Tudor unions, including Henry VIII's parents, it was Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon's union that lasted the longest. Twenty four years! (More if you don't count parliament's ruling) Additional sources: There is one good book that gives a possible explanation into Henry VIII's degeneracy; it is by Kyra Cornelius Kramer and it is called "Blood Will Tell". The first chapters go deep into Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon's relationship, as well as their education. Other books I have found very useful when it comes to this topic are Catherine of Aragon by Garrett Mattingly, Six Wives, the Queens of Henry VIII by David Starkey and Wives of Henry VIII by Antonia Fraser.

[myxcenterxstage]

v: This Royal Throne of Kings //  v: Diamond In The Rough

Author’s note: Why two verse names?? Well, surprise, surprise, amigos! Not only is Priscilla getting a spotlight in this verse, BUT SO ARE HER UNCLE THOMAS AND UNCLE CHARLES!

Author’s note II: TLDR; This also works as a fantasy / medieval / fairytale /disney AU! Priscilla’s story is like a combo of the Little Princess & Cinderella at her Uncle Henry’s residence... and meanwhile, (oblivious to what Pris is going through) Uncle Thomas & Uncle Charles are in another castle as Royal Advisors (to the king, crown prince and his brothers).

Author’s note III: This is the first time we get to see almost ALL of Priscilla’s family in one big verse, like wow! All it’s missing is cousin Emmett, and it’s everyone!

This was the House of Kimbleton, the children of Baronet Phillip and his wife Cecelia:

Henry, the eldest son, proud and imperious.

Charles, the second son, scholarly and restless.

Josephine, their only daughter, brave and compassionate.

Thomas, their youngest son, noble and principled.

There was a fourth son, the twin brother of Thomas, however, his name is never mentioned at the perennial grief of his untimely passing.

The Kimbleton children grew up and eventually dispersed. Henry succeeds his father as family Patriarch and parliament. Josephine - while still betrothed to a Duke in an arranged marriage - had eloped with a promising young Doctor. Charles and Thomas had both been called to arms - the former to the Army, and the latter the Navy.

This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle… This precious stone set in the silver sea… -- King Richard, Shakespeare

Once upon a time, there were two brothers, and while they both bared the same resemblances and shared the same blood, they could not be more different from the other. Their names were Charles, the older brother, and Thomas, the younger.

And then this is when the narrator got lazy and decided to just bullet point the rest of their story:

Shortly after their brother Henry was married, Charles was set in an arranged marriage to an heiress. When they were married, Charles fell in love with his wife more than ever when they were courting and was a dutiful and faithful husband. Tragically she passed away a year later while still in her first trimester. After his wife’s passing, Charles refused any consideration of remarrying and focused his life around the sciences and wanderlust.

Later Charles entered the army and quickly rose in the ranks to be a Major General and accomplished Natural Historian.

Because during this time the Kimbleton family was in such upheaval with Thomas Sister Josephine’s elopement, Thomas wasn’t in any arranged marriages and had an unsuccessful love life.

(Tired of his mother’s pestering he should find a wife jkjk) Years later, Thomas entered the navy and equally became a medaled Rear Admiral and master strategist.

A war had emerged with a neighboring kingdom requiring both Land and Sea strength, so the King summoned the two brothers to join his highest ranking officers, and eventually earned the King’s closest trust.

After the war, the King brought the two brothers back to his court as trusted advisors.

Eventually, the King assigned the two brothers the position of Royal Advisors to the King’s young sons.

*insert drama here*

When I hear a command I obey But I know of a place Where no one can stand in my way On the wing of my fancy, I can fly anywhere and the world will open its arms to me

I'm a young Egyptian Princess or an Heiress I'm the greatest Prima Donna in Paris I'm a girl men go mad for love's a game I can play, with a cool and confident kind of air

In my daydreams, I can be whatever I want to be...

-- In my own little corner, Rodgers & Hammerstein (modified)

Once upon a time, in the House of Kimbleton, there was a beautiful maiden named Josephine. Josephine was raised as any of the nobles of the high court, but her heart was pure as gold. She cared not for the dainties and fanciful things which she was well acquainted with. She wanted to help others, to stand up for those who could not stand up for themselves, and aid those who could not aid themselves. And she did so. And in doing so she met the young doctor, Raleigh Duncan, who shared the same ambitions. Josephine and Raleigh fell in love. However, when Raleigh asked Baronet Phillip for Josephine’s hand in marriage, he was harshly declined, as Josephine’s father did not approve his only daughter to marry a commoner when the family had greater plans for her to marry a Duke.

Josephine was horrified. In indignation to never marry for convenience when she had true love already in her arms, she and Raleigh eloped to the countryside to be married under a peach tree.

And what a scandal was caused! Josephine’s father was outraged, and her mother did her best to keep the disgrace as hushed as possible from society. What made matters worse, was when Philip shortly after fell ill to fatal sickness. This arose Josephine’s eldest brother, Henry, to grew a dark bitterness in his heart towards his sister’s rebellion, wrongfully blaming her for the strain on their father’s health.

Josephine’s other brothers were too busy over land and sea to weigh many opinions, and Cecelia desperately tried to pacify the situation, but to none avail. Josephine’s father and Henry chose to disinherit her from the will.

When Philip untimely passed away, it was was the first time in years the House of Kimbleton has assembled again. The first time in years Cecelia and her sons were able to see Josephine again. Josephine arrived with both her husband Raleigh, and their infant daughter, Priscilla.

Years passed. Henry had become the new Patriarch, Charles now a Major General and renowned Naturalist, and Thomas a Rear Admiral and heralded strategist. Meanwhile, little Priscilla was growing up to be a bright and happy young girl by her loving parents, who were aiding all in need as best they could. But unfortunately, Josephine and Raleigh’s stories were cut short with their sudden disappearance. And little Priscilla was left to fend for herself in the world. But how could she? She was but a child. So when attempts at contacting her father’s side of the family were unsuccessful, she was brought under the custody of her grandmother, Cecelia.

After losing both her husband and daughter, Cecelia saw that little Priscilla was a diamond in the rough of this drama. Priscilla was raised as her grandmother had raised her mother - to be poised and sophisticated. Like a little princess. (Not that it was an easy task, mind you, given the young child was a countryside wildflower and had an untamable free spirit).

If only those years could have lasted longer. When Cecelia departed this world to join her husband, she left in her will that Priscilla should continue to be raised by her Henry - Cecelia’s only son who had offspring of his own. Pity Cecelia could not see her son’s smoldering bitterness towards his sister bled into his impression of his own niece.

When young Priscilla arrived at her Uncle Henry’s residence, she quickly came to realize that she was unwelcome. What was formerly thought as aloofness from Uncle Henry turned to intimidation. And even though Cecelia endowed Priscilla with the Kimbleton surname to give her an identity, Henry instructed that Priscilla was to be treated “...as the bastard child and charity case that she was.”

Life had changed overnight from the privilege and love her Grandmother had given, to the cold punishment of servitude from her Uncle. Priscilla slept in a tiny guest room at the furthest end of the house near the servants quarters, instructed separately from her cousins (Henry’s children, who also remained aloof), and not permitted to dine with them. She was at her cousins’ beck and call, even when they already had ladies in waiting. Ironic that when they had a houseful of flunkies and servants that Priscilla was declassed to such ranks, even against what was in her late Grandmother’s will.

Fortunately, things were not so terribly miserable for Priscilla. She found her due deserved respect and tender care from the household staff and her tutors. At least whenever Henry and his family left for holidays and Priscilla was left behind, the staff insisted that ‘Miss Priscilla Kimbleton’ be treated as the ’lady of the manor’ that she was. They knew what Henry was doing was wrong, even though they had to stand by silently and watch.

Not that Priscilla minded. As she adjusted from her bucolic life in the country to the life of nobility with her Grandmother, so she would adjust to this new lifestyle. She had her imagination, where she could be anyone, and anyplace. And someday, hopefully, someday, she would be able to escape and live the life that she always wanted to discover...

[modestybae]

Salam, can you send me all the rulings and fatwas on wearing niqab please I want to convince my husband

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa baraktuh habibti 🌸

1. Evidence from the Qur’an: 

(i)

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer palms of hands or one eye or dress like veil, gloves, headcover, apron), and to draw their veils all over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband’s fathers, or their sons, or their husband’s sons, or their brothers or their brother’s sons, or their sister’s sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islam), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of feminine sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful”

[al-Noor 24:31]

The evidence from this verse that hijab is obligatory for women is as follows:

(a) Allaah commands the believing women to guard their chastity, and the command to guard their chastity also a command to follow all the means of doing that. No rational person would doubt that one of the means of doing so is covering the face, because uncovering it causes people to look at it and enjoy its beauty, and thence to initiate contact. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The eyes commit zina and their zina is by looking…” then he said, “… and the private part confirms that or denies it.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6612; Muslim, 2657.

If covering the face is one of the means of guarding one’s chastity, then it is enjoined, because the means come under the same ruling as the ends.

(b) Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “…and to draw their veils all over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms) …”. The jayb (pl. juyoob) is the neck opening of a garment and the khimaar (veil) is that with which a woman covers her head. If a woman is commanded to draw her veil over the neck opening of her garment then she is commanded to cover her face, either because that is implied or by analogy. If it is obligatory to cover the throat and chest, then it is more appropriate to cover the face because it is the site of beauty and attraction.

© Allaah has forbidden showing all adornment except that which is apparent, which is that which one cannot help showing, such as the outside of one’s garment. Hence Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “…except only that which is apparent …” and He did not say, except that which they show of it. Some of the salaf, such as Ibn Mas’ood, al-Hasan, Ibn Sireen and others interpreted the phrase “except only that which is apparent” as meaning the outer garment and clothes, and what shows from beneath the outer garment (i.e., the hem of one’s dress etc.). Then He again forbids showing one’s adornment except to those for whom He makes an exception. This indicates that the second adornment mentioned is something other than the first adornment. The first adornment is the external adornment which appears to everyone and cannot be hidden. The second adornment is the inward adornment (including the face). If it were permissible for this adornment to be seen by everyone, there would be no point to the general wording in the first instance and this exception made in the second.

(d) Allaah grants a concession allowing a woman to show her inward adornments to “old male servants who lack vigour”, i.e. servants who are men who have no desire, and to small children who have not reached the age of desire and have not seen the ‘awrahs of women. This indicates two things:

1 – That showing inward adornments to non-mahrams is not permissible except to these two types of people.

2 – That the reason for this ruling is the fear that men may be tempted by the woman and fall in love with her. Undoubtedly the face is the site of beauty and attraction, so concealing it is obligatory lest men who do feel desire be attracted and tempted by her.

(e)       The words (interpretation of the meaning): “And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment” mean that a woman should not stamp her feet so as to make known hidden adornments such as anklets and the like. If a woman is forbidden to stamp her feet lest men be tempted by what they hear of the sound of her anklets etc., then what about uncovering the face?

Which is the greater source of temptation – a man hearing the anklets of a woman whom he does not know who she is or whether she is beautiful, or whether she is young or old, or ugly or pretty? Or his looking at a beautiful youthful face that attracts him and invites him to look at it?

Every man who has any desire for women will know which of the two temptations is greater and which deserves to be hidden and concealed.     

 (e) Al-Bukhaari narrated that ‘Aa’ishah said: “May Allaah have mercy on the Muhaajir women! When Allaah revealed the words ‘and to draw their veils all over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)’ [al-Noor 24:31 – interpretation of the meaning] they tore their aprons and covered their faces with them.”

(f) Shaykh Muhammad al-Ameen al-Shanqeeti (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: This hadeeth clearly states that what the Sahaabi women mentioned here understood from this verse – “and to draw their veils all over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)” – was that they were to cover their faces, and that they tore their garments and covered their faces with them, in obedience to the command of Allaah in the verse where He said “and to draw their veils all over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)” which meant covering their faces. Thus the fair-minded person will understand that woman’s observing hijab and covering her face in front of men is established in the saheeh Sunnah that explains the Book of Allaah. ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) praised those women for hastening to follow the command of Allaah given in His Book. It is known that their understanding of the words “and to draw their veils all over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)” as meaning covering the face came from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), because he was there and they asked him about everything that they did not understand about their religion. And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And We have also sent down unto you (O Muhammad) the Dhikr [reminder and the advice (i.e. the Qur’aan)], that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they may give thought”[al-Nahl 16:44] 

(ii)

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And as for women past childbearing who do not expect wedlock, it is no sin on them if they discard their (outer) clothing in such a way as not to show their adornment. But to refrain (i.e. not to discard their outer clothing) is better for them. And Allaah is All‑Hearer, All‑Knower”

[al-Noor 24:60]

The evidence from this verse is that Allaah states that there is no sin on old women who have no hope of marriage because men have no desire for them, due to their old age (if they discard their outer clothing), subject to the condition that their intention in doing so is not to make a wanton display of themselves. The fact that this ruling applies only to old women indicates that the ruling is different for young women who still hope to get married. If the ruling on discarding the outer clothing applied to all, there would be no point in singling out old women here.

The phrase “in such a way as not to show their adornment” offers further proof that hijab is obligatory for young women who hope to marry, because usually when they uncover their faces the intention is to make a wanton display (tabarruj) and to show off their beauty and make men look at them and admire them etc. Those who do otherwise are rare, and the ruling does not apply to rare cases.  

(iii)

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e. screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allaah is Ever Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful”[al-Ahzaab 33:59]

(iv) Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“It is no sin on them (the Prophet’s wives, if they appear unveiled) before their fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their brother’s sons, or the sons of their sisters, or their own (believing) women, or their (female) slaves. And (O ladies), fear (keep your duty to) Allaah. Verily, Allaah is Ever All‑Witness over everything”

[al-Ahzaab 33:55]

Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: When Allaah commanded the women to observe hijab in front of non-mahram men, he explained that they did not have to observe hijab in front of these relatives, as He explained that they are exempted in Soorat al-Noor where He said (interpretation of the meaning): “and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands…”  

2. Evidence from the sunnah: 

(i)

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When any one of you proposes marriage to a woman, there is no sin on him if he looks at her, rather he should look at her for the purpose of proposing marriage even if she is unaware.” Narrated by Ahmad. The author of Majma’ al-Zawaa’id said: its men are the men of saheeh.

The evidence here is the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said there is no sin on the man who is proposing marriage, subject to the condition that his looking be for the purpose of proposing marriage. This indicates that the one who is not proposing marriage is sinning if he looks at a non-mahram woman in ordinary circumstances, as is the one who is proposing marriage if he looks for any purpose other than proposing marriage, such as for the purpose of enjoyment etc.

If it is said that the hadeeth does not clearly state what is being looked at, and it may mean looking at the chest etc, the response is that the man who is proposing marriage looks at the face because it is the focus for the one who is seeking beauty, without a doubt.

(ii)

When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded that women should be brought out to the Eid prayer place, they said, “O Messenger of Allaah, some of us do not have jilbaabs.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Let her sister give her one of her jilbaabs to wear.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim.

This hadeeth indicates that the usual practice among the women of the Sahaabah was that a woman would not go out without a jilbaab, and that if she did not have a jilbaab she would not go out. The command to wear a jilbaab indicates that it is essential to cover. And Allaah knows best.

(iii)

It was narrated in al-Saheehayn that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to pray Fajr and the believing women would attend the prayer with him, wrapped in their veils, then they would go back to their homes and no one would recognize them because of the darkness. She said: If the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw from the women what we have seen, he would have prevented them from coming to the mosques as the Children of Israel prevented their women.

A similar report was also narrated by ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him).

The evidence from this hadeeth covers two issues:

1 – Hijaab and covering were the practice of the women of the Sahaabah who were the best of generations and the most honourable before Allaah.

2 – ‘Aa’ishah the Mother of the Believers and ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with them both), who were both known as scholars with deep insight, said that if the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had seen from women what they had seen, he would have prevented them from coming to the mosques. This was during the best generations, so what about nowadays?!

(iv)  

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever lets his garment drag out of pride, Allaah will not look at him on the Day of Resurrection.” Umm Salamah said, “What should women do with their hems?” He said, “Let it hang down a handspan.” She said, “What if that shows her feet?” He said, “Let it hang down a cubit, but no more than that.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

This hadeeth indicates that it is obligatory for women to cover their feet, and that this was something that was well known among the women of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them). The feet are undoubtedly a lesser source of temptation than the face and hands, so a warning concerning something that is less serious is a warning about something that is more serious and to which the ruling applies more. The wisdom of sharee’ah means that it would not enjoin covering something that is a lesser source of temptation and allow uncovering something that is a greater source of temptation. This is an impossible contradiction that cannot be attributed to the wisdom and laws of Allaah.

(v)

It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah said: The riders used to pass by us when we were with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in ihraam. “When they came near us we would lower our jilbaabs from our heads over our faces, and when they had passed by we would uncover our faces.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1562.

The words “When they came near us we would lower our jilbaabs from our heads over our faces” indicate that it is obligatory to cover the face, because what is prescribed in ihraam is to uncover it. If there was no strong reason to prevent uncovering it, it would be obligatory to leave it uncovered even when the riders were passing by. In other words, women are obliged to uncover their faces during ihraam according to the majority of scholars, and nothing can override something that is obligatory except something else that is also obligatory. If it were not obligatory to observe hijab and cover the face in the presence of non-mahram men, there would be no reason not to uncover it in ihraam. It was proven in al-Saheehayn and elsewhere that a woman in ihraam is forbidden to wear the niqaab (face veil) and gloves.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: This is one of the things which indicate that the niqaab and gloves were known among women who were not in ihraam, which implies that they covered their faces and hands. 

(vi) 

It was narrated that Asma’ bint Abi Bakr said: We used to cover our faces in front of men. 

Narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah, 4/203; al-Haakim, 1/624. He classed it as saheeh and al-Dhahabi agreed with him. It was also classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Jilbaab al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah. 

(vii)

It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah… that Safwaan ibn al-Mu’attal al-Sulami al-Dhakwaani was lagging behind the army. He came to where I had stopped and saw the black shape of a person sleeping. He recognized me when he saw me, because he had seen me before hijaab was enjoined. I woke up when I heard him saying ‘Inna Lillaahi wa inna ilayhi raaji’oon (verily to Allaah we belong and unto Him is our return),’ when he saw me, and I covered my face with my jilbaab.”

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3910; Muslim, 2770)

(ix) 

In the Sunnah there are many ahaadeeth, such as: the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The woman in ihraam is forbidden to veil her face (wear niqaab) or to wear the burqa’.” This indicates that when women were not in ihraam, women used to cover their faces.

This does not mean that if a woman takes off her niqaab or burqa’ in the state of ihraam that she should leave her face uncovered in the presence of non-mahram men. Rather she is obliged to cover it with something other than the niqaab or burqa’, on the evidence of the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) who said: “We were with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in ihraam, and when men passed by us, we would lower the khimaar on our heads over our faces, and when they moved on we would lift it again.”

Women in ihraam and otherwise are obliged to cover their faces in front of non-mahram men, because the face is the center of beauty and it is the place that men look at… and Allaah knows best.

Fataawa al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah, 1/396, 397

3. Views of scholars: 

(i)

Shaykh Muhammad al-Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

The hijaab prescribed in sharee’ah means that a woman should cover everything that it is haraam for her to show, i.e., she should cover that which it is obligatory for her to cover, first and foremost of which is the face, because it is the focus of temptation and desire.

A woman is obliged to cover her face in front of anyone who is not her mahram (blood relative to whom marriage is forbidden). From this we learn that the face is the most essential thing to be covered. There is evidence from the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the views of the Sahaabah and the imams and scholars of Islam, which indicates that women are obliged to cover all of their bodies in front of those who are not their mahrams.

Fataawa al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah, 1/ 391, 392)

(ii) Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve him) said: The correct view as indicated by the evidence is that the woman’s face is ‘awrah which must be covered. It is the most tempting part of her body, because what people look at most is the face, so the face is the greatest ‘awrah of a woman. This is in addition to the shar’i evidence which states that it is obligatory to cover the face. 

4. Opinions of the 4 madhahib on niqab: 

Imam Abu-Hanifa, and Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on them)- the face and palms is excluded from hijaab but the condition is there should be no fear of fitna. The Hanafi and Maliki Jurists have said due to the immorality of times and weakness of resistance, it is compulsory for a female to cover her face which is the focus of her beauty.

Imam Shaf’ie, Imam Ahmed (may Allah have mercy on them) –It is not permissible for a lady to expose her face and palms whether there is danger of fitna or not. 

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

May Allah allow you to wear the garment of our mothers, and may He bless you immensely and may He make you righteous and may He guide your husband to the straight path. Jazaki Allah khair. May Allah grant you happiness in both worlds xx 

PS. keep asking Allah for it, and He will bless you with it inshallah nevermind the circumstances. 

PPS. Please know that niqab isnt the end of the road, it’s only the beginning.