#so there was likely no conquest until at least his grandson's era

[secret-engima]

Where do you think the original Kingdom of Lucis was? And the original domain of House Fleuret before they settled in Tenebrae? (I'm trying to figure out how the Kingdom expanded over the centuries and I figured I'd ask you in case you had any notes from Deleantur.)

Uhhh, I'm not sure I ever worked it out in *detail*, but I've always believed that the island that Insomnia is on was the original kingdom of Lucis. It's covered in a city now, but it's modeled after Tokyo and that city is- huge. There's more than enough space on that island alone (not counting the tinier islands dotted around it) to establish a kingdom, and *tactically* it's in a good position. It's not so far from the Mainland that you couldn't establish a supply chain for trade or later military expansions, but canonically it took a really really long time for there to be any oceanic daemons. Water back then would have served as a barrier both for human enemies and *daemons*, which makes it an ideal spot for Bahamut to put the Crystal while it charges up.

By the time of Somnus and Deleantur, the Kingdom would have expanded to have some mainland territory, how large is variable really, but I ... personally HC that it covers Cavanaugh (the island next to Insomnia), and some (if not all?) of the Leide area (with part of it being territory/routes leading to the Galdin Quay area because Somnus would have picked Angelgard for a reason and needed a route to get there/have guards in the og timeline) with a port town likely formed either where the bridge will be built in modern times or the Keycatrich area, which we know in Noct's time used to be a town "for rich folks", which means it's probably old. I am- stupendously bad at distances, but I definitely think they're either edging into Duscae in places as well or have holdings up north in that (massive) area of the map we never get to go to.

Idk how big that is for an ancient kingdom, but we don't know how long the Lucis Caelums were kings other than "long enough for Somnus and Ardyn to be part of a lineage". But considering there is only medieval technology to fight them and the Lucis Caelums have both magic *and* the Nox Fleuret family of Oracles (and thus the gods themselves) backing them I can see them expanding either by conquest or just by *alliance*. Smaller kingdoms and nobles signing up for some of that sweet magic protection.

I never did figure out where the Oracles originally were located, but again, considering the tactical advantage of being an island and that the Oracles clearly used to be able to journey to commune with the Astrals via Crystal, I'd put them not too far away. Either on the island of Insomnia itself, potentially on the sister island of Cavaugh (we never see it so who knows what's on it, and hey, that means Titus could be an descendant of the original kingdom of Nox Fleuret), or again, up in that unexplored northern area of the map. It's close enough to Leide and Insomnia that one could journey there, and from oggling it from afar and staring at the map it appears to be heavily forested rather than desert, which fits with the Nox Fleuret's later jungle vibe.

Last minute edit: I cannot remember if I put Taelpar Crag as part of the Lucian kingdom in my Deleantur fic. The part of it we visit in the dlc is in Cleigne, which is pretty far from the island of Insomnia *but* that thing stretches on for *miles*. And I think that some of it goes up into the Duscae??? We just can't get to it because of Map Things.

I also always thought it edged into Leide, mostly because in the Kingsglaive there's a giant canyon that Niflheim hides in near Insomnia and I always assumed it was the shallow end of Taelpar Crag. Even if it's not- none of the ancient kingdoms would have claimed the Crag because it's known as rift formed by Bahamut fighting/killing Ifrit and it's also a very spooky place. So the Oracles of *this* time deciding to pack up and move to the highly magical Crag and surrounding area would not be contested. Heck the kingdoms would probably *give* the Nox Fleuret's some of the land around the Crag on the condition the Oracles make sure none of the daemons, demons, and ghosties they think live down there will come up *here* and harass them.

[yourcoolfriendwithallthecandy]

The Eagle of Unasta and The Dragon of Zarcade Part 1

So guess who had the most mindblowing dream and IMMEDIATELY had to write about it? Me. Tagging @waiting4inspiration​ because you’ll enjoy this, that and this has STRONG Witcher vibes and it features the same DRAGONS and dragoners as Keep Your Eyes On Me but like- midieval. it’s glorious. 

Anyway, enjoy. 

The Eagle of Unasta and The Dragon of Zarcade

Part 1 

“You called for me grandmother?” Zaq asked as he came into the room where his great grandmother was reclining in her bed as his grandmother and mother attended to her. 

“Yes, I have one last prophecy for you before you leave.” She informed him, her old hoarse voice cracking with her advanced age as Zaq came and kneeled next to the bed respectfully as he grasped her withered hands and eagerly awaited her words as her daughter and granddaughter eagerly and anxiously awaited this prophecy as well. 

“This weekend your betrothed will reveal herself to you, your Golden Eagle. Do you have her gifts ready?” Lena prodded her great grandson Zaq. 

“Yes, I just finished polishing the enchanted lapis in her dagger and her cloak just got finished this morning and the rest of her gifts are being put together as we speak.” Zaq nodded as she nodded in agreement.  

His great grandmother had announced at his birth that he was betrothed to someone who she simply referred to as “the Eagle” but would not tell anyone who exactly it was but even then, she made sure that the betrothal gifts would begin to be worked on so that they would be perfectly crafted by the time his betrothed would make herself known to them. 

“Good, your Eagle prefers blue, you will know her by the color shifting dress she will wear, royal blue in one light, majestic purple in an another- yet pink as the sunrise and blood red in another. She will be the most magnificent woman besides the bride to be- at the feast in everyone’s eyes, especially yours and to you- she will have no equal, but she will only have eyes for you once she really sees you for you. You will flatter her, and she will try to use your words as weapons against you because she will be naturally defensive as all eagles are. The other Zarcadians will surround her like a pack of wolves, you must be the dragon you are and rescue her and she will still think you are a wolf until you prove yourself to be a dragon. She has been taught to hold destiny in one hand and fate in the other and reject both so she can carve out her own of each with her own hands. But you are her fate and destiny and there will be no other than you for her so you will help her embrace both. You will be her friend first, love of her life second and marriage mate last for the rest of your days as she will be those things for you in turn and your love will burn brighter than dragonfire and will be the envy of all. You will break chains for her and she in turn will break your chains before you break hers so that both of you will fly free together and your nests and roosts will be each other. Beware though, she will come here and hold our downfall in one hand and our salvation in the other because her mind is sharper than her eyes, so you must help her choose the later. Leave her and our house will fall to rubble. Love her, be honest with her, remain loyal to her and prove true and she will build the foundations anew herself so that even if all the others were to fall, ours will stand to times indefinite and she will bring in a new era of dragons and dragoners and be the best dragoner the world has yet to see. Cast your pride and ego aside and humble yourself before her and she will build you up and make you stronger than all of us. You will be the first to achieve the impossible, but you will not be the last, pave the way for others to follow.” She prophcied, channelling her dragon’s magic to do so as it laid over her the way a beloved pet would as she used her free hand to stroke the old dragon’s face scales affectionately. 

“Let it be as you’ve said.” Zaq agreed before his mother and grandmother mirrored his words. 

Your name was Anya Unasta, you were the granddaughter of Eli Unasta, a great military commander and general in the kingdom of Suter. Your grandfather had married the love of his life- your grandmother- Sitka who came from a family of very humble birth but large and loving who accepted him with open arms. Because of your grandfather’s conquests for the Empire of Suter, your family was given nobility as Lords and Ladies and modest lands that were befitting of that title along with a yearly earning that would take care of them for the rest of their days and a small handful of slaves which your family immediately freed who stayed to be their loyal servants. 

Upon them moving into the lands, they proved to be as fertile as the days in the summer were long. Vivid green pastures made their flocks abundant and your family and their servants never went hungry because of the super rich soils which in turn gave you over abundant crops in addition to a surplus of meats, milks, butters and cheeses and wools from the flocks which you traded for fine silks and satins before mastering even those and created textiles that had no equal. Pure rivers, springs and lakes were abundant in your family’s property that watered all the lands well and even in times of drought, they were able to pull water from the deep wells and natural springs with surprising ease. 

Your grandfather encouraged his many, many children to pursue what they wanted to since the lands provided so well. So that your uncles and aunts were all artists and artisans in addition to being merchants, vintners, engineers and farmers and barrons of the flocks. Your large extended family unlocked the secrets to beef so marbled it practically melted in your mouth. Horses so fine- they could pull the war chariots of kings or carriages of any elite or run races with prestige. Pigs so huge they could feed a small tribe, sheep and goats with wool so fine and soft- it rivaled silk. They even made tea, wine and cheeses so delicious that they had no equal.

The designers, inventors and engineers in your family could design bridges and houses alike- that would stand for centuries without repair or much upkeep, houses that could have earthquakes right under their foundations or hurricanes or tornados right over them and yet the stones would never crack and the houses would never fall and to invent and embrace new technology in your homes and lives in addition to designing clothes that set the fashion standards of the times. 

They could even got into metals- both precious and common that rivaled the best foundries in the world so that the family’s weapons were on par with any other if not surpassing so that Suter's military carried Unasta steel swords that were second only to dragon tooth swords in Zarcade. And in the precious metal business you soon had gold, silver, pearls and jewels flowing  into the family like a mighty river so that every member of the family had an overabundance of jewelry of all kinds, even other kings and queens and empresses and emperors, czars and czarinas and sultans and sultanas were draped in Unasta jewelry because it was considered the best and finest and was without equal. 

Some of the Unastas got into pottery and glass and made it so magnificent that every wealthy family from all over the world felt they needed at least one piece among their treasures and collections which increased your family’s wealth so that you now could buy even more lands and build great mansions instead of houses and soon your lands were so vast, it became its own district with all of your extended family within it and your own family became famed so that whatever they touched became amazing and whatever they choose to do, they found success and notoriety. 

But yet there were a few that followed in your grandfather’s footsteps and became military strategists and were more victorious than your grandfather ever could be so that your family was even more elevated to Dauphins and Dauphines within the Empire of Suter so that you were among equals at the Emperor’s inner court. Some Unastas even went into politics and advisors to the Emperor himself after their military careers. 

You were all taught from infancy to be humble, to learn everything you could and to keep your curiosity, to pursue your passions yet treat those around you with respect and dignity and to free every slave you purchased, in addition to paying your workers and servants fair and thriving wages for their labor so that you practically had an army of servants and workers at your fingertips. 

Your grandfather forbade any of his children from orchestrating their children’s marriages and he wanted all of his descendants to marry for love like he did and how all of his children did as well- and to marry who they wanted except for Zarcadians, who were forbidden from entering the family by marriage and that any Unasta would be forbidden from leaving the family to join a Zarcadian one- which to you was puzzling and your parents and grandparents refused to tell you or any in your generation why but still, you were very grateful for this commandment since all of your peers had to bow to their parent’s will and arranged marriages were the norm, often a generation in advance upon a child’s birth and no nation was more famous for this custom than Zarcade, which clung to customs and traditions that seemed to be as old as time itself. 

This evening you found yourself at an engagement party for one of the “lesser” princesses, one of your best friends actually, Ester, a grand duchess of Suter, a younger sister to the crown princess- to Xander of the family Ceda, one of the noble families of Zarcade and everyone came from all over to celebrate with them, Your came the day before and watched from Ester’s balcony as all the Zarcadians flew in, landing their dragons in front of the palace since you came ahead of your family since you were involved in some of the wedding planning and finalizing the details and had spent the night with Ester in her room, laughing and giggling half the night. 

You spent all day getting pampered and prepared for the feast side by side with Ester for this evening and even was her escort to the feast tonight, both of you being introduced in grand style before you spent most of it at her side at her table since you were going to be her maid of honor.  A great honor indeed as you feasted with her and stole looks at the groom’s table that was full of his friends and family, not a single Unasta among them while Ester had dozens of Unastas at hers- both tables eagerly stealing looks at the other since this was as close as the unmarried Unastas were allowed to be to Zarcadians. 

Zarcade was one of the oldest kingdoms of the world. It was situated on top of a high mountain, surrounded by even more high mountains and had never fallen to another kingdom. Zarcade was unique in that in the “old kingdom” which was the original city walls when the city was founded, stood over a dozen gigantic houses, all of them having super high towers so that they looked like they scraped the skies themselves and bases so large that it was only these houses could fit inside the old kingdom’s walls. 

However your grandfather and patriarch of the family hated Zarcade with a passion, something he tried to share with his family but it seemed that this hatred missed you completely. If anything, it made you curious about it. So much so that you fired a barrage of questions at Ester about her stay in Zarcade and about the family she was marrying into while you were with her. Your own appetite for it unquenchable as Ester happily and excitedly shared her answers with you, herself intrigued as to why there was this commandment in your family and even the Zarcadians were curious as to why one of the richest and most notable and successful families outside of Zarcade would keep politely declining their offers of marriage, no matter how much business they did with them or how friendly they tried to be or how handsome the offer. 

Unastas always seemed to have a protective invisible wall around them that the Zarcadians could not penetrate. It was like magic but none that they could understand or break no matter how hard they tried, to the point that even they secretly began to covet the possibility of having an Unasta, no matter how distant or lowly- in their family tree one day if it was the last thing they did, it was something that soon consumed almost all of them.  

Zarcade as a whole did their best to never an enemy of anyone, always doing trade and business with everyone all over the world and since your family were mostly merchants, your family did quite a bit of business with them, although you yourself weren’t personally involved in it. Your grandfather however demanded that everyone in the family demand top dollar for products sold to Zarcade- and the Zarcadians, seemed to have limitless wealth and paid those prices happily. The more expensive the better to the point that Zarcadian gold and silver boulin was the standard currency world wide. But if you ever tried to cheat them or sell them lesser quality items since they demanded the best in everything, suddenly you went out of business and no one would do business with you. A lesson you all learned by watching other merchants do business with them. So you all found you had to walk a fine line with Zarcadians. 

At the feast, there were young men from the noble families of Vaci, Boder, Silini and Ceda of Zarcade there who took one look at you at the bride’s right hand as you entered the feast with her and instantly became smitten and soon the Empress herself had the mothers of these young men asking her who you were and what family you were from and tried to get all the information they could get about you before they reported this information to their families, especially their sons who were betrothed to lesser ladies as you in turn asked Ester about the families in question as she told you all she knew that she was able to find out by talking with her fiance. 

When Ester’s attention was pulled elsewhere by the Empress, you went to the punch bowl to get more punch and a macaron from the dessert table before you found yourself instantly surrounded by hopeful Zarcadian suitors and you couldn’t help but feel like a sheep surrounded by a pack of wolves. 

“My Lady, your jewels are magnificent.” One complimented with a flattering smile with a glint in his eyes that you recognized in the eyes of wolves from watching them try to hunt your flocks and herds. 

“My Lady you are a great beauty.” Another added who looked at you like you were a fine pearl he was appraising that he was looking to put in his crown.  

“My Lady, your dress is exquisite,” A third chimed in who stared at your cleavage like a hungry nursing babe. 

“Would you like to dance?” A fourth, seemed to come to your rescue as he offered his hand with kindness in his eyes before you quickly put your hand in his, giving the others a polite smile as he pulled you out of kill circle and led you to the dancefloor. 

You however were still on the defensive as you tried to politely study your new dance partner. 

“What?” He asked, his amusement practically glittering in his eyes and dancing on his features. 

“Is there something on my face?” He asked and for some reason, you blushed as you couldn’t help but smile because he was rather ridiculously handsome. You recognized him. He was the younger brother of Ester’s groom Xander. Surely he could be dancing with any other woman here at the feast. But yet he chose to ask you. Odd. 

“Nothing more than the usual features.” You answered dismissively.  

“That’s because you’re hogging all the extraordinary ones.” He grinned and your eyebrows rose in surprise as your smile grew as you quickly tried to think of a way to turn his words against him. You would know he was Zarcadian even if you didn’t recognize him by the way he dressed in dragon silk, something dragoners dressed exclusively in and was twenty times as expensive as the finest silk but yet it was died and spun in such a way that it mirrored your own dress, like he had somehow knew what you were going to be wearing and dressed himself to match. You mused you looked like a couple to the common observer. Coincidence surely. 

“Isn’t ‘extraordinary features’ a term polite company uses to flatter the ugly?” You returned and he laughed, showing off his bright white teeth and genuine if not charming smile. 

“Only the beautiful swans who still think they’re ugly ducklings would think such things.” He replied and you had to admit he was at least quick and as witty as he was handsome as you playfully narrowed your eyes but you couldn’t wipe the smile from your face no matter how hard you tried as your cheeks blushed harder. 

“Swans and hens eat the same to wolves and foxes alike.” You bantered and he looked like he could kiss you as he simply beamed proudly at you. 

“But do not the eagles feast on the wolves and hunt the foxes?” He pointed out. 

“They do, only because they can fly faster than the persistent wolves can run and outsmart the cunning foxes, otherwise even they could fall prey to such hunters if they’re outnumbered.” You agreed. 

“So what can a wolf do to prove that he’s not out to hunt the eagle?” He asked metephorically. 

“I’m not sure. Wolves have insatiable appetites and we are at a feast after all.” You noted as you nodded out to the former young men who were now trying to pray on your sisters and your cousins who quickly ducked behind their parents and aunts and uncles who readily told the potential dance partners to look for another dance partner before they left and tried to “hunt” among any and all other young women there. Others gladly becoming their pray for the evening. 

“Then let this wolf differentiate himself. My name is Zaq, from the family of Ceda of Zarcade.” He introduced himself as he continued to dance with you undeterred, his hold on you respectful but not possessive in the slightest which surprised you considering the others did the opposite as he confidently took the lead and moved you all around the dancefloor with masterful precision and you found yourself easily following his lead. 

“And this eagle is Anya of the family Unasta of Suter.” You returned. 

“A golden eagle at that.” He appraised and you were instantly flattered and could do nothing but agree to that sentiment. “Your mother is Jezya of the family Sudi, one of the greatest horse breeders of the last century and your father is Leo Unasta, a horse trainer but yet that is not what you want for yourself.” He deduced. 

“Oh? And what would that be?” You asked curiously before he leaned forward, looking like he wanted to share a great secret which urged you to lean in too, turning your head to the side and tilting your ear towards his mouth so that he could whisper what he wanted into your ear. 

“You want to be a dragoner.” He whispered as you felt every hair on your body stand on end and now that he was so close- you could smell the smoke from dragon’s fire on him in addition to his cologne and his personal scent which you found intoxicating and could appreciate the dragon scales sewn into this dragon silk and the way they shifted beautifully in the light in the fabric on his shoulder. 

What made Zarcade- well- Zarcade- was that they had dragons and were dragoners and possessed the same magic their dragon’s possessed who lived at the top of all the mountains surrounding Zarcade, where massive dragon’s nesting sites were. Dragons loved to nest in the caves and hang out on the tops of the great houses and eventually over time- all the noble and royal families tamed and now bred the dragons the way your family did to other livestock. But only Zarcadians however could own dragons. They bought all the livestock from all over to feed themselves and their dragons who in turn defended the nation for them and why Zarcade had never been defeated or sieged. 

“What makes you an eagle, is that you want to be free to fly. Which is a sentiment I wholly understand because I am no wolf, I’m a dragon myself.” He continued to whisper in your ear his face gently nuzzled with yours so that your eyes fluttered closed, his hand coming to rest on the small of your back as he gently held you closer, your arm reached up and laid over his shoulder, your hand resting over the base of his neck so that your chest practically pressed up against his so that your hearts practically beat next to each other and you felt your heart leap for joy in your chest and go out to his before the song ended and he pulled away and damn your body, you found yourself leaning towards him like there was a giant magnet inside yourself being attracted to him, wanting to reestablish the closeness as you looked up at him in awed wonder. And for the first time, you didn’t see a Zarcadian- you saw him. You saw Zaq and when you looked in his eyes it was like you could see his soul as he could see yours. And he was beautiful inside and out and suddenly you were the one instantly smitten. 

“Who told you such a thing?” You whispered curiously, afraid to even breathe such words too loud for fear anyone else would hear you. 

“No one had to, your whole life, you try to pet every dragon you see, which they all seem to let you do- especially the ones who are lucky enough to land at your estate to pick up whatever the other Zarcadiens buy from you, they let you pet their faces and put your forehead to theirs and you feel connected to them, like you are destined to have them yourself some day. Plus you keep staring at our dragon silk and scales and you watched as all of us arrive on our dragons and watched us like the eagle you are before you went to the dragon’s stables and pet even those, recognizing the dragons before you recognized the riders.” He smiled proudly before he took the dragon tooth dagger from his waist and presented it to you- in it’s dragon leather sheath. 

“A gift- from one soarer to another, may the winds be kind to you and lead you to where you need to go.” He smiled before you took it from him and looked at him, wondering what he was going to ask from you for you to keep it but all he did was kiss your hand as he bowed respectfully which prompted you to bow in turn before he righted himself, smiled adoringly at you again before he turned away, leaving you to walk a few steps after him before you stopped yourself from following him further before you just stood there- dumbfounded, your cheeks and your ears burning and your soul on fire and your heart yearning and the hand that he had kissed felt like it had just gotten blessed as you were holding this oh so precious possession before you clutched it to your chest possessively before you turned to walk back to your family since Ester was now talking with her fiance and the Empress about the wedding details, before you casted a curious look over your shoulder at Zaq who was now talking with other members of his own family, in particular his grandmother and mother and holding a young niece in his arms as she rested her head on his shoulder as he was swaying in place to try to get her to sleep despite all the noise of the feasters, who was already half asleep as he rubbed soothing circles into her back and had his back to you as you walked back to your mother who had watched the scene unfold curiously. 

“What just happened?” You whispered to her. 

“You just got given a gift,” she mused an amused smile on her face. 

“No, like, I know dragoners are...different, their culture is different than ours, what does this mean?” You asked as you held up the dagger for emphasis. 

“I don’t think it means anything,” she shook her head before you put the dagger away into your dress. 

You didn’t believe her, you felt in your bones that this was something special and you couldn’t not touch it the rest of the night as you just stared at him from across the hall, watching as he sat down and held his now sleeping niece in his arms and you could not stop yourself from thinking what a wonderful father he would be some day and not being able to take your eyes off of him, for fear if you did, you’d lose him in the crowd for the rest of the evening as he simply smiled at you as you smiled back at him and watched him like the eagle he referred to you as, fingering the handle of the dagger he gave you like it was your own worry stone, the lapis stone of the handle pressing into your palm and fitting your hand like it had been made for you rather than him. 

After the feast your family went to their rooms that were being shared with them at the palace, and you were surprised when you were given your own room, right next to Ester’s, expecting to share one with your sisters and cousins now that they were here, but all of your things were now in here and you weren’t going to argue about the arrangements. 

It was a grand room though and it came with a private balcony and once you changed out of your dress into your nightgown and robe, taking your hair down from it’s special arrangement so that it fell like a waterfall down your back and taking off your makeup and jewelry and put it away- you walked out onto the balcony, you saw the people of Zarcade flying their dragons in the moonlight, doing flips and turns and corkscrews and you had never been so jealous in your life! 

Suddenly a dragon swooped down in front of you from it’s perch on the roof of the palace directly above you which made you gasp and fall back onto the balcony as you stared at the magnificent dragon flying in place in front of you and on it’s back was none other Zaq wearing an outfit that was clearly more dragon scale armor over more dragon’s wool and if he had been looking handsome before, his looks could kill now as your body betrayed you and you suddenly felt even more heated than if you were standing in front of a furnace yet cold in that you wanted him to warm you up. 

“Sorry to scare you. I didn’t mean to, but I was starting to wonder if and when you’d come out here.” He smiled apologetically as his dragon landed delicately on your balcony and helped you up to your feet by nuzzling it’s head to you and letting you grab it’s horns so it could lift you up. “Wanna go for a ride?” He offered hopefully.

“I’m clearly not dressed for it.” You gestured to your robe over your nightgown before you self consciously crossed your arms over your bosom so he wouldn’t see your nipples try to poke their way through both garments since you could sense they were hard enough to cut through glass right now. 

“Then put this on.” He gently tossed a dragon’s wool cloak at you from it’s spot tied behind him as you caught it and inspected it in the bright moonlight and it was the most amazing beautiful cloak you had ever seen in your life. God damn it. 

“Damn it.” you cursed yourself under your breath before you put it on and noticed it fit you like it was made for you and you were instantly comfortable before you pet the dragon he was on, happily petting the delicate scales on its face as it closed its eyes in serenity before you pressed your forehead to it’s forehead happily before the dragon turned and laid down, so you could get in the dragon’s saddle as you got behind Zaq and held onto him as you put your slippered feet into the stirrups before there was a belt attached to the back of the saddle that he had you put on that clipped into the saddle and his own special harness he was wearing so it would keep you in the saddle no matter at what angle the dragon would fly at. 

“Ready?” Zaq asked once you got settled as you were amazed that this saddle was practically made for your bountiful behind and was ridiculously comfortable.  

“As I’ll ever be.” You nodded as you felt your excitement rise before the dragon leaped from the balcony and flew away and it was better than any horseback ride you had ever had in your life and watching the ground below you shrink but yet the sky grow larger so that you felt like the world around you was 90% sky. Not even in your dreams where you flew was it this amazing and magnificent. 

“Wow,” you breathed in awe as you looked around, feeling like at any moment you were going to run into the moon before Zaq did a dive, which made you squeal and laugh in delight as you held him tighter as the other dragoners laughed and giggled before you peeked out and saw Ester riding next to you behind her groom as she waived and smiled at you which made you smile and nod back, not trusting that you wouldn’t fall right off if you let Zaq go. 

You lost track of how long you flew with Zaq for - but soon your sleepiness won out and when that happened, you didn’t even need to say anything- Zaq flew you back to your room, the dragon delicately maneuvering to land gently on your balcony again before Zaq unclipped himself and you from the saddle and carried you back into your room, since your limbs were exhausted from holding onto him and the dragon all night before he tucked you into bed. 

“Here,” you tried to sit up and take the cloak off but couldn’t even get that far, your hands blindly reaching for the waist of the cloak. 

“No, keep it. Another gift.” He insisted as he stilled your hands but held them, his hands surprisingly warm, a perfect mix of calloused from work but yet soft as his thumbs gently if not reverently stroked the back of your hands. 

“Why?” You asked sleepily.

“Because I want you to have it.” He answered simply. 

“Oh,” you nodded, your eyelids growing heavier and heavier now that you were in bed but your soul felt weightless as your heart soared with happiness. “Thank you for everything, I had so much fun...flying free.” You managed to say with a broad dreamy if not sleepy smile. 

“My pleasure Eagle, get some sleep.” Zaq urged before you did as you were told, your eyes closing and not opening again as your breathing slowed down before Zaq leaned down and kissed your forehead before he tucked you in with even more care and practically skipped out of the room and got back on his dragon, flying victory loops before going to his own room. 

His own mind, heart and soul were still soaring cloud high as he laid in bed, staring up at the ceilings as his hands fidgeted with the blanket over him. His great grandmother had been right on all accounts! You were The Eagle, The Eagle of Unasta! The family that appeared to be impossible for any Zarcadian to join for a reason that escaped them all, but if that wasn’t enough you were His Golden Eagle, he knew it in every fiber in his being and there was no mistaking it, your hair and a golden eagle’s feathers were the same exact colors. Your bright eagle eyes that saw and caught everything, missing nothing and that impressed him. You had a natural affinity for dragons. You instinctively tried to bond with every single one you met and you didn’t even know it and the fact that you said the exact words- fly free- meant everything. And once you had entered the feast, he couldn’t take his eyes off of you if he tried and after his dance with you- you didn’t take your eyes off each other and he could feel through his own enchanted lapis handled dagger that you were trying to figure him out, trying to figure everything out because your mind was sharper than any eagle’s beak or talons and it had pleased him so well that you looked at him with his niece and saw the kind of father he hoped to be someday. To dance with you was a rare honor, and you fit against him like your bodies were made for each other and he couldn’t get over your hourglass like curves and you were already so strong from riding horses all your life, you were a natural and to feel your body pressed up against his was sweet torture. That and his dragon loved and adored you, that in itself should have been all the vetting and approval he needed and you had set up such a strong connection to her too, so that when you felt sleepy, she sensed it and gave that sense to him so that you didn’t have to say a word. It would be nearly impossible for him to keep his distance from you now. He was so beyond smitten, he was falling head over heels in love with you already, heaven help him. 

[urfavmurtad]

What is your opinion on Khawla bint al-Azwar and Nusaybah Bint Kaab?

You mean if they were real or not? (Or if the stories about them are real or not, rather.) Nusaybah has more points in her favor than Khawlah does. Khawlah seems mythical whereas Nusaybah was at least a real person.

For those who don’t know, these are two ladies who were supposed to have taken part in some battles. Khawlah appears during the Islamic conquests and has a kind of Mulan-esque story, where she disguised herself and fought after her brother was captured by the Byzantine army. Nusaybah on the other hand appears earlier on in Islamic history, supposedly taking part in at least one of the battles against the Quraysh (and is sometimes said to have also participated in the Ridda Wars) with the knowledge of men around her.

As far as I know, Khawlah only begins appearing in medieval times (~1000s AD). Her first appearance is in a book attributed to the historian al-Waqidi called the Conquests of the Syria Region (Futuh Sham). This has long been recognized as a false attribution; the author is sometimes referred to as “Pseudo-Waqidi” in Western writings. The book has a bunch of colorful anecdotes and is generally meant to be entertaining rather than an actual historical source. So based on her total absence from any earlier or more reliable texts, I would classify Khawlah as a folk heroine.

Nusaybah is more interesting because there might be an actual basis to her story. She is listed as one of the early Ansar (Muslims from Medina) converted by a missionary Mohammed sent to the city. Apparently she was one of only two women present at the whole pledging incident that got Mo kicked out of Mecca. A bunch of sources say that she was at the Battle of Uhud, and sometimes she’s mentioned in other battles as well. Nusaybah is mentioned in some legitimate sources like Ibn Saad’s Tabaqat and Ibn Hisham’s sira, and her son and grandson transmitted some ahadith from her so at least she was a real person. The question is how much of this whole combat thing is based in historical accounts.

It was fairly common for pre-Islamic/early Islamic Arab women to be at battles, we at least know that much for a fact. They weren’t fighting, usually–they provided supportive roles like medical care, giving men water and supplies, or singing songs and reciting poetry to pump up their side and demoralize the other side. There are a small handful of semi-reliable stories placing women in combat, both on the Muslim side and on the enemy’s side, but it seems as though it was very rare.

So it’s possible that Nusaybah was at least present as a helper or whatever during some battles (if you’re picturing like… hellish, world-ending battles, it wasn’t like that, most of these were fairly low-casualty conflicts with less than 100 dead in total). And the story of her at the Battle of Uhud basically says that she didn’t set out to battle, she only ended up fighting when the Muslim army started to flee, leaving Mohammed behind with only a small group.

There are at least five versions of this story just in those two sources I mentioned. The one that both versions share was transmitted via Abu Zayd al-Ansari. I have no idea how reliable the story is, but it’s at least in legitimate ~800s AD sources. There are later and less reliable versions of the story that elaborate on it, but this is what it says:

I went out at the beginning of the day to see what the men were doing, carrying [water], and I came up to [Mohammed] who was with his companions while the battle was in their favour. When the [Muslims] were defeated, I [went to Mohammed] and stood up joining in the fight and protecting him with my sword and shooting with my bow until I suffered many wounds.

It goes on to say that she tried to stab a guy but couldn’t get past the armor he was wearing.

Now I will add that this story is absent from earlier (and other ~800s era) sources, and it wasn’t part of Ibn Ishaq’s original sira. The Battle of Uhud is portrayed as, like “the Muslims lost but the Quraysh just went home and said they’d meet again at Badr” in early sources and then it gets very dramatic as time goes on. Also, the pledging incident I mentioned involved the Ansar pledging to support Mohammed in battle (which is why the Meccans were pissed off about it), so this story may well have been created to show that even the women who pledged to him did in fact stand beside him in battle. But hey, I’ll grant it the “plausible” label, and we can at least say Nusaybah has a much stronger basis in history than Khawlah does.

Nusaybah is often said to have also been in the Battle of Yamama, which was part of a frustratingly vaguely-documented era called the Ridda Wars during the caliphate of Abu Bakr. After Mo died, various people tried to get in on his whole prophet-warlord technique, and one such guy was Maslama from the Najd region. Abu Bakr ordered his forces to put down Maslama’s rebellion, and so they battled at a place called Yamama. The Muslims won but endured a lot of casualties.

What she actually did at Yamama tends to vary from source to source, and in general this story is shakier than the one at Uhud. Some of the stories cast Nusaybah as an old woman whose son had died at Maslama’s hands and she wanted to avenge him. Some have her losing a hand or losing a whole arm; some have her killing Maslama himself (the more legitimate stories say he was killed by one of Abu Bakr’s soldiers), etc. These stories vary way too much for us to say they have a solid basis in history imo. Some other stories place her in other conquest expeditions like Khaybar, Hunayn etc but that’s where you start to get into really dicey sources.

The most I can say here is that it’s possible Nusaybah was at Uhud. Everything else is kinda “ehh it makes for a good story” territory.

[wecityguidecom]

Grand Bazaar Guide: Shop Like an Expert

Grand Bazaar is one of the oldest covered markets all around the world with its history over 500 years located within the heart of Istanbul. This unique place should be on your top at the place to see the list during your time in Istanbul. There are more than thoughts of small shops at Grand Bazaar were are selling a variety of goods, mostly jewelry, silk garments, carpets, and leathers. You can see from the video given below how the Grand Bazaar is big! 

History of Grand Bazaar

Actually, although controversial there is a building at the center of the bazaar with dimension is 48 x 36 meters which thought belongs to the Byzantium period of Istanbul. After the conquest of Istanbul, Mehmed the Conqueror ordered the construction of a "bedesten" which means a bazaar in Turkish. His aim was to create a new attraction and commercial center for the new capital of the empire. You may encounter "bedesten" almost every historical Turkish city but this one is the biggest in the country maybe even the world. This second building the new bazaar calls as a "Sandal Bedesten". Here, the fabric called Sandal sold that contains silk and cotton. The year of 1460 when the construction of the Grand Bazaar started, accepted widely as the establishment time of this historical bazaar. The main big bazaar by using wood constructed during the reign of the Suleiman the Magnificent.

You may understand how the Grand Bazaar is big when you see it from above (Source). With its 66 street, over a for thousands of shops and 30700 square meters covered area Grand Bazaar is a place to travel through the history of Istanbul and the Ottoman Empire where is located at the heart of the historical peninsula of Istanbul. Until recently, there were 5 mosques, 1 school, 7 fountains, 10 wells, 1 fountain, 1 fountain, 24 doors, and 17 inns. When you take look to the image given above you will see the main building. it was surrounded by a thick wall from the 15th century, covered with a series of domes, became a shopping center in the following centuries by covering the developing street and making some additions to it. Basically, Grand Bazaar grew and added the neighboring street to itself during the time. But today, its growth stopped as you expect :) In this past, this bazaar where certain professions took place in each thematic street and their controls was under very strict control by the empire. Also, commercial ethics and ceremonies were highly respected. Grand Bazaar was and is the center of all kinds of fabrics, jewelry, antiques, weapons past and today. Expect, today there are no shops selling guns at the bazaar :) Also there was another tradition which today still stand partly, selling goods were offered by the families who were specialized over them by the generations. So, that was very normal for a good which is selling by grandfather and a grandson after him. All shops at the bazaar built to be with the same width. In every street, expert sellers of the good were found in the guild. For example, there were a guild for the people who were selling jewelry of slippers. Competition between the guilt was strictly forbidden. Each seller was helping each other. Even, a master could not process the product by bringing his counter in front of his own shop to show the crowd and attract customers. Also, it was forbidden to sell the goods with prices over the empire has set. There was no free market :) How is It Today? Grand Bazaar became more like a shopping center for tourists from the 1970s. Today, tourists visit the bazaar more than locals. Because locals can buy anything from anywhere in Istanbul but tourists also came here to see the long-standing history of Istanbul and the Ottoman Empire. You can find almost anything to buy at the bazaar. Also, the bazaar tradition changed over the years and centuries. Unfronuatly shop owners may hassle and try to scam you which is really bad for Turkish tourism. But always there are tourist police and officials around the bazaar who are waiting to help you. By the way, if you see a tourism police and officer with a badge be sure that they can speak at least one foreign language.

Where is The Grand Bazaar?

Grand Bazaar is located at the historical peninsula of Istanbul at the Fatih district with other unique heritage of Byzantium and the Ottoman era, like Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Beyazit Mosque, Nuruosmaniye Mosque, Grand Viziers Mosque, Gulhane Park and many more. You can use the interactive map given below to have more idea about the location of the bazaar and important spot to see while your time in there.  How to Go to The Grand Bazaar? It is very easy to go to the Grand Bazaar because of its central location. There are multiple ways to go there. I will ignore the bus lines because you have a Marmaray suburban train line, metro and, tram options which are more way faster and comfortable. My suggestion is to take the T-1 tram line (Kabatas-Bagcilar) from Kabatas, Karakoy or Eminonu and get off at the Beyazit station which is near the bazaar. Also, it is possible to go to the Grand Bazaar by using the M2 metro line (Haciosman-Yenikapi) and get off at the Cemberlitas or Vezneciler station near Istanbul University Beyazit Campus. From here you just need to take 5 minutes to walk to reach the bazaar.

You will enjoy a ride through the historical peninsula of Istanbul with tulip-shaped trams (Source). Your last option is to use the Marmaray suburban line which operates between the east edge of Istanbul to the west, Gebze-Halkali. Sirkeci Station is the place that you will get off from the Marmaray train. From here you can take the T1 tram line but I'm suggesting to take 20 minutes to walk through the history of Byzantium and the Ottoman era. You may find all the options on the interactive map given above. Also if you have a question please ask them in the comment section. By the way, you need a taxis to go there at least before the shopping :) Shopping Like an Expert at Grand Bazaar As I wrote above Grand Bazaar is one of the oldest and biggest ancient markets in the world. With its gigantic size and labyrinth style, it gets more and more complex. So, you should know where to go and how to shop :) There is around more than 25000 full-time staff working at over 4000 shops. Also, Grand Bazaar covered 66 street and 18 gates each one is opening the different points of the historical peninsula of Istanbul. There are also mosques, fountains, rest houses that still keep the old atmosphere. Especially during the summer, there will be around half a million visitors per day which is quite high.

One of the main gates of the Grand Bazaar is the Beyazit Gate (Source). Where to Start? If you know what will you buy from the Grand Bazaar you may use the specific entrance to handle everything fast and easily. For example, if you want to buy gold and jewelry you should use the south-eastern entrance of the Grand Bazaar, Nuruosmaniye gate (Gate 1) where is the closest entrance to the streets of these kinds of shops. Or, if you are looking for a fabric you should use the northern entrance Oruculer Gate (Gate 14). I think you get that you have knowledge about a bit about Grand Bazaar layout to shop like an expert :) I'm going to guide you for an all-inclusive Grand Bazaar experience. So if you are looking for specific suggestions please write your question to the comment section. Also, I added this information to the interactive map which you can use anytime, anywhere.

Don't forget to take a look at the Cemberlitas before you enter the Grand Bazaar (Source). Start with Gold, Silver, and Jewelry Ok, let's start! So based on my plan you should get off at the Cemberlitas tram station where is very close to our starting point at Grand Bazaar voyage :) From here you just need to take a walk which only 250-300 meters long. You may find your route on this link. If you took the right path you should see the Nuruosmaniye Gate (Gate 1) just in front of you.

You probably won't miss the Nuruosmaniye Gate :) (Source). Just a second later when you enter from the Nuruosmaniye Gate you will see the Sandal Bedesten just on your right. Sandal Bedesten has more than 2000 square meters of area. From time to time some organizations held at the place. You may see from the first image of this post at Sandal Bedesten have 20 small domes. There are lots of shops selling silk carpets, paintings, antiques, jewelry, Turkish delights, nuts, teas, Turkish coffees, and other traditional Turkish souvenirs. There are also places to eat and drink at Sandal Bedesten. Zinrcli Han is also another spot them at this part of the Grand Bazaar. It is located the very north of gold, silver and jewelry shops. It is also possible to go to the Zincirli Han directly by using the Sari Odalar Gate (Gate 17) or Mahmutpasa Gate (Gate 18). At the beginning of this part of the post, I told you that you will enter start with gold and jewelry. But inside Sandal Bedesten you may find a variety of things to buy. To the north of the Sandal Bedesten, you will go to the gold, silver and jewelry shops. These shops are mostly located between the 4 parallel (Aynacilar, Aga, Muhafazicalar, and Kalpakcilar) streets from north to south.

One of the streets of Grand Bazaar, a place for gold shops (Source). Check the interactive map: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd stops Ic (Interior) Bedesten Now, I think it is better to go to the Ic (Interior) Bedesten. You will see the location of the Ic Bedesten in the first image, the center of the Grand Bazaar. There are lots of shops that are selling antiques and copperware at Ic Bedesten. It is thought and also controversial but most historians think that the Ic Bedesten built at the Byzantium era. You will also see the heavy, giant doors of the Ic Bedesten. All of those doors closed every night by the Grand Bazaars officials.

One of the dozens of antique shops in the Grand Bazaar (Source). At the northern street from the Ic Bedesten there are shops that sell carpets, copper, souvenirs and leather. To the southern side of the Ic Bedesten, you may find a shop that are selling gold, carpets, and souvenirs. It is also possible to find small places to eat and dring around the Ic Bedesten. Also, there is a small furry's bazaar (Kurkculer Carsisi) at the southern of the Grand Bazaar where is the center of leather at the Grand Bazaar. Check the interactive map: 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th stops Kalpakcilar Street Kalpakcilar Street is the most famous street in Grand Bazaar. It is located in the very south of the bazaar. Over the street, it is possible to find wide selection of jewelry from traditional harem styles to modern settings. This street may be very crowded during the day. Don't forget to be careful about your belongings while you are walking. Check the interactive map: 8th stop Denim and Fabric The west side of the Grand Bazaar reserved for the shops selling denim and leather. It is always possible to find anything made from blue jean material in this part of the bazaar. Also, you will buy one of the colorful T-shirts. Dontforget to bargain! There are also a couple of Hans at the western side of the Grand Bazaar worth to visit; Bodrum Han and Evliya Han. Check the interactive map: 9th  and 10th stops End of The Shopping After spending a couple of hours shopping and journey through the centuries it is time to finish this experience. You should find the Sipahi Street before you leave. From the starting point of Sipahi street, you just need to walk to the north. On your right side, there will be souvenirs shops and the left side leather and denim shops. While you are walking to the north you will see the shops both on your right and left selling fabric. Follow the street until you reach the Oruculer Gate (Gate 14). From here you can turn left to reach the Fuat Pasha Avenue where you can get in a taxi. Also, it is possible to take a downhill walk to the Eminonu ferry and tram stops. I try to be as brief as short as possible. Because I can write thousands of words for each street of Grand Bazaar. My main aim is giving an idea of how to visit Garand Bazaar and giving the pleasure of discovery to you. Please share your own experience in the comment section.

Grand Bazaar Opening and Visiting Times

Grand Bazaar is not like a regular shopping center. It has its own opening times. You can find the Grand Bazaar opening times below. By the way, Grand Bazaar closed on Sunday. It is possible to visit and shop at the Grand Bazaar from Monday to Saturday between 10.00 and 18.00.

Grand Bazaar Shopping Traditions

While you are shopping at Grand Bazaar you always follow these traditions. If you do, it will be lucrative for you. It is not really possible to see the all part of the Grand Bazaar in a couple of hours. You should share your entire day for this historic part of Istanbul. Sleep well before you came here because you will get tired. You will talk a lot, a lot and a lot if you want to buy the thing at reasonable prices. Considering the number of shop at the Grand Bazaar you will encounter numberless of sellers. Always chat and bargain to get the right price. Never say your final price and don't show the money. They may hassle you to sell the things. Feel free to leave and move on to the next shop. They are used to this not get offended. Don't forget to go to Kalpakciler Street, a place for high-quality pieces of jewelry. See antiques at Sandal and Ic Bedesten. See carpets and kilims at the Zincirli Han. It also buys things made-to-order. The video given below is the opening scene of the James Bond Skyfall (2013) at Grand Bazaar. Some of the scenes dramatized of course for the promo worries. You won't see most the type of people, cars, and places when you visit the Grand Bazaar :)  İstanbul Tourism Police Also, it may be helpful for you to know the contact information of the tourism police in Istanbul. They also have an active Instagram account. 📩 istanbulturizm@egm.gov.tr ☎️+902125274503 📞 Wp:+905051876614 I just added to the interactive map below for you. I hope that this post will help you visit and shop at Grand Bazaar. Please share your own experience and thought in the comment section. Also, feel free to ask a question about Grand Bazaar.  Read the full article