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skzdarlings · 4 months ago

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the kingsguard ; jisung x reader ; part i

pairing: han jisung/reader summary: You are a queen. He is a kingsguard - a member of a holy order that vows to defend the king in the name of the gods. They forsake all earthly goods and swear a vow of chastity to avoid all worldly temptation. When he stands in as proxy for the royal wedding, all those vows are tested.

content info: later chapters get smutty. reader has some physical description: mentions of her having very curly hair and a more curvy body.

content warnings: a royal affair between queen reader and guard jisung. the king is a violently abusive man. this chapter contains a scene of physical violence and attempted sexual assault against the reader who later has a panicked reaction. reader also believes sex is not pleasurable (but learns different to say the least).

please proceed at your own discretion.

chapter word count: 5100 words.

There is no groom at your wedding. Your betrothed is too hungover to attend the ceremony.

You are disappointed but not surprised. Last night, your father hosted a welcome banquet but your husband-to-be ignored the lavish festivities in favour of drinking himself into a stupor. It did not matter that banners were hung in the great hall, that a feast was prepared, that the palace glittered in anticipation of his arrival. It did not matter that you were a vision, resplendent in ivory and pearl, prepared and perfected just for him.

The house, the money, the bride. It did not matter at all.

Such insult would not have been tolerated in any other man, but he is not just another man. He is a king. Only the heavens can issue him orders, just as he commands common blood like yours.

The king holds nothing but disdain for your union and last night it moved like a poisonous mist through your home. There was nothing you could do. You sat and watched your royal betrothed make a crude mockery of your arranged marriage. He travelled to your lands with a contingency of courtiers and they filled your house with his contempt.

They all detest you. Your family is wealthy but your father’s land sits at the border. Many at court consider you foreigners in all but paperwork.

Regardless of that status, your family owns the most prosperous land in the kingdom – a kingdom with coffers long since drained from an overseas war that reaped nothing but blood.

This arrangement will save the kingdom and your betrothed knows that, but he is not happy to marry for money when his bloodline is better. He spent the night belittling your family name, sneering at you, and pawing at the servant girls between drinks.

The king drank. The courtiers laughed.

Only one group extended any civility towards you at all.

“His Majesty sends his regards,” the leader of that group speaks to you now.

He is in black robes, a sword at his hip. He is the leader of the holy kingsguard, an ancient order sworn to defend heaven’s earthly sovereign. There is nothing holy about the degenerate king, but his kingsguard is an ordained ministry nonetheless. They surrender all earthly goods and fortunes, devoting themselves to service and soldiership. That includes a vow of total chastity, so they are the only men permitted to perceive the future queen prior to the ceremony.

What little remains of the ceremony.

The soldier – Chan, you recall – informs you the ceremony will now be conducted by proxy. The king is bedridden today, but the wedding cannot be delayed as he is needed back at court and the return journey is long.

Chan is polite and respectful. He does not mention that the marriage cannot be delayed because the king wants money now. You are certain your betrothed’s condemnation of his otherwise worthless bride was rather more unkind.

You remember the cold eyes of his courtiers, his even crueler sneer, and you blink back tears.

“I understand,” you say. You are practiced at maintaining grace in the greatest adversity. “Thank you, soldier.”

Chan wears a pitying expression. It looks like he wants to say more but he knows his place. The kingsguard is the strictest order in the kingdom. Only the most devout are granted the black cloth and silver sword.

“Your Majesty,” he says with a bow.

You are not a majesty yet. You have weddings vows to swear to a stranger first.

Until then, you are just another woman.

You made the wedding dress yourself. You have always enjoyed the craft of needlework, even where certain jobs could be passed along to a seamstress. Growing up, you spent more hours alongside the working women than at your mother’s table, a behaviour that was indulged until the war.

You run your fingers along every familiar stitch, tracing the embroidered floral patterns down your forearm. You always wanted a spring wedding, but it was not meant to be. You enter the hall with the hot summer sun pouring over the crystal and marble.

It is an ostentatious ceremony. Not even the king could afford such a spectacle. It makes you think he absconded on purpose. What better way to wrestle back his dignity than to disregard the expensive ceremony?

The king’s absence is felt more than your presence. It turns the grandeur of the hall into a theatrical farce. Courtiers giggle behind their hands, the traditionalists casting you withering looks of disapproval.

Your own family smiles and you smile weakly back.

For all their faults, you love your family. They thought they were doing something good by arranging this marriage. A small, childish part of you even hoped they were right, but that hope is gone now. You have resigned yourself to the sad reality of the world. Life is a dreary wash save what small bits of colour one dares sew into its seams.

There are flashes of black cloth around the hall. Chan is not among the present kingsguards as the leader stays close to the king, but a handful of the regiment has been spared to witness the proxy vows.

You recognize a soldier named Hyunjin, standing apart for his beauty as much as position. Several of the ladies tittered about him last night, lamenting that such a handsome form was sworn to a chaste life.

You do not recognize the other two. One is short and stocky. The other has silver hair and a freckled face, smiling at you from the far corner. You stare back at him, taking the proffered comfort of that open sweetness.

You finally reach the front of the hall. You step onto the dais. The minister rises and a hush cascades down the congregation.

You worry your pounding heart can be heard in the highest arches of the hall.

The first words of the ceremony are a name. “Han Jisung,” the minister says. It echoes with a swinging reverberation. “As an ordained soldier of the kingsguard, you have been called upon by His Holy Majesty to stand in proxy for the swearing of the vows.”

Footsteps break the silence, beat by beat. Someone ascends the dais.

At first, you do not look at him. You cast your eyes up to the arches of the great hall, tracing the grandiose architecture. It carries cultural traces of the borderlands. The art of this place is home to you, though it draws ire from the courtiers behind you.

You think that you may never feel so at home again, then you turn and catch the warmth of deep brown eyes. You see the man who will receive your vows on behalf of the king.

Your racing heart stumbles over itself.

Han Jisung. You recognize this soldier from the banquet last night.

The strange man stands beside you. His nails are painted black, stark where he rests his hand on the silver hilt of his sword. His hair is as black as his midnight robes, his brown eyes darkly lined, but his intimidating shadows are softened by the gentler slopes of his face. There is a raw and open tenderness, even where he tries to stifle it with appropriate solemnity.

Your eyes are drawn to his lips and you remember his smile last night. Jisung strode into the banquet with a sword at his hip and a guitar at his back. It is not unusual for the kingsguard to have a bard of sorts, someone who can conjure a flattering song at whim, someone who can perform as if the gods speak through his guitar strings.

Last night, while people danced and drank, you sank further and further into yourself. You smiled prettily but all the spring blossoms in your heart rotted as the summer sunset turned to a miserable black gloaming. Torches were lit and the cackling faces on spinning bodies looked like demons in the lamplight. The king ignored you so everyone else did the same.

Jisung, armed with a guitar, was enchanting a crowd of courtiers and some local palace residents. You watched from a distant seat. You could not help but stare, captivated by this stranger, this combination of soldier and musician and holy man. His glowing face in the torchlight was a solitary beacon, his smile more intoxicating than the ever-flowing wine. His laughter rang out like a symphonic chord, travelling the air to touch your ears where you sat alone.

The man was no one to you, just another stranger in your home, but there such a simple, honest delight to him.

He just seemed so alive.

You were not prepared for the moment he met your gaze. His black robes swished as he jumped, his dark hair bouncing. His eyes seemed to flash gold in the firelight. He stood on a chair above the crowd and said, “A song for the future queen!”

He could not know you loved the springtime but that is what he sang. Perhaps the gods really did speak through his guitar string as he sang of new beginnings and hopeful seasons and cherry blossoms. You smiled.

It was your first real smile all day.

He looks at you now, a flicker of something kind in his dark eyes. You see that twinkle only briefly because he dips into a respectful bow.

You unravel at the sight.

You imagine truly marrying this man, swearing oaths to him and not some wretched figment he serves. You imagine the promise of laughter. You imagine those warm eyes seeking you across the room. You imagine a song every spring.

You know it is a fantasy. This man is a stranger and that version of him is a fabrication. But your heart breaks because that version of you – the girl who is happy for the rest of her life – is just as much an impossible fantasy.

Jisung looks up while bowing. He meets your gaze just as a tear trickles down your cheek. No one else notices, just like one else noticed you last night.

His eye twitches, his polite smile faltering.

He sees you. He straightens slowly. His brow furrows ever so slightly, his teeth tugging at his lip with thought.

You jump when he waves, flicking his wrist like he is batting a fly. The discreet sweep of his thumb across your cheek is so fast, you only know it happened because the tear track dries.

“In the name of the gods,” the minister speaks, “the ancient and the almighty, we gather here today to unite in matrimony the holiest of subjects. This couple has been brought together through heaven’s all-knowing divine intervention.”

You bow your head. There is nothing else you can do. You listen to the recitations and make your oaths when prompted. You swear before gods and men to serve your husband, to obey him, to always be pure and faithful to him.

“The gods grant you to speak on behalf of the divine blood,” the minister says to Jisung.

You look at Jisung. He is already looking at you. His gaze darts down your dress, across the floral embroidery, and lands at your feet.

Your breath catches when he slowly gets down on one knee, keeping his head bowed and eyes down. A gentle murmur disturbs the congregation, but there is no outrage. The king would not have bowed before the queen, but perhaps the genuflection of a proxy is appropriate.

“I swear,” Jisung says, his theatrical voice replaced with a gentler rasp that tingles up your spine, “I will honour you as a wife and a queen. I will revere you as the gods’ chosen consort.” He looks up, his lashes long and dark, his brown eyes so big and warm. You think he is so beautiful; it almost makes you sick. That dizziness worsens when he smiles and says, “I will be your protector. Until the day I die, no harm will ever come to you.”

He stands. Blessings are made. The minister pronounces the union has been sanctified by the gods. The congregation kneels in genuflection, respectful of the rituals even if they don’t like you. You stand on the dais above them all, maintaining a stoic expression.

You are a wife and a queen, though your husband is nowhere in sight, and your eyes stray to a head of dark hair, bowed with the rest of them.

Jisung looks up, a bit of hair falling over his eyes. He flashes a smile.

Your heart picks itself up and starts running again.

You cannot do this.

You thought you could try for the sake of your family. You thought you could try for the sake of the gods. You thought you could try for the sake of the kingdom and all the innocent people within it.

Then the king came to your chamber. He did not attend the wedding feast, just as he did not attend the ceremony. It was a fair excuse to make an early departure, returning to your room while the music played and wine flowed. You were exhausted, emotionally weary, and your face was sore from so many false smiles.

You discarded your elaborate gown. You were in a shift, sitting at your vanity and removing jewelry, when the king arrived. He did not announce himself or knock. He threw open the door and marched inside like a conquering force. He looked over your room with a scrunched face of displeasure, grimacing as if he was standing in a barnyard. He looked at you with the same hateful distaste.

Your throat closed up as if you inhaled poison.

You stood on shaking legs. You had practiced a speech for this moment. You thought perhaps you could convince the king to regard you as a decent friend if not a cherished wife. You were willing to compromise on happiness.

He backhanded you without hesitation. No one had ever hit you so hard. It felt as though he struck you with hot iron, your cheek a stinging welt. Bells seemed to drown out the music downstairs.

“Sire,” you said, your voice shaking worse than your legs.

You found you could not look at him directly. Your eyes burned just turning towards him.

“Get on the bed,” he said. “Wife.” He might as well have said whore for all that the word was spat.

You never expected to enjoy your wedding night. All women know there is no pleasure in acts of copulation. But this was something else entirely. You approached the bed like a deer skirts the edge of the woods. One wrong step and you knew it would be over.

He grabbed you from behind before you could sit. You slammed your eyes shut, curled your fists tighter.

In the darkness, you heard music, a distant voice belting some sweeter tune. You recognized Jisung, his crystalline voice soaring above the bells. Your heart chased the sound, a desperate stampede up your body. It seized control and before the king could do more harm, you blurted, “I’ve started my monthly bleeding.”

He stopped, the hem of your shift in his fists.

“Just – just so you know,” you said.

It was a lie. You braced yourself for the worst. If he chose to disregard it, if he chose to take you anyway, he would quickly see there was no blood and you were trying to deceive him. He had rights as a husband and it was sinful to deny him.

He made a sound like gagging. He shoved you forward. You collapsed in a heap on the bed.

He walked away.

“I will not have you on the road,” he said. You are not sure if he looked at you again because you hid your face in the blankets. Hiding, as if you could will the world away by not seeing it. “You’re filthy enough as is,” he continued. “When we reach civilized society, you will be made as appropriate as you can be. You will be cleaned, you will lose weight, you will be made to look halfway respectable, not like some borderland animal laying in its own filth. I will have you then without exception. Wife.”

You shuddered when the door slammed shut.

The sun was still setting when he left. It has long since vanished from the sky. You have not moved. You fear if you lift your head, he will be there, waiting to strike.

After a long, long time, you surface. Your room is empty. The lavender light of sunset is gone and there is a darker puddle of moonlight, trickling between the curtains, pouring down your back. You shiver. You touch your cheek and find it is still tender.

You try to pray but you are surrounded by silence. Even the music has ended.

In the ringing silence, you stand. Your body is sore from laying curled up for so long. It takes some pacing to straighten fully. Back and forth, across your room. Back and forth, in the silence.

I cannot do this, you think. Back and forth, the same thought, again and again.

Disobeying the king is unlawful. Abandoning him when you have sworn an oath is treasonous. Even the kingsguards are bound to their vows for life. If a soldier breaks his oath, he is put to death, swift and sure. The punishment for a disobedient wife is the same.

The silence is agonizing.

You know what you have to do. It will not be easy.

You have to try for sake of yourself.

The risks are great but you would rather die a swift death than suffer the slow poisoning of contempt.

Your adrenaline pounds. You pack all your jewelry in a sack to sell. You bring some clean clothes.

There are servants clothes in a stack by the unlit fireplace. You mend their worn garments during the busy seasons. They are always appreciative and you like helping people.

You don a pageboy’s garb and tuck your hair into a hat. The king commented on your build and you grant it gives you away, built with your mother’s curves with a cascade of your father’s curly black hair. You hide all your prominent features as best you can. You will be more inconspicuous as a roaming servant boy than as a notable queen.

You tip-toe into the corridor, uncertain if the hallway is guarded. The palace is usually safe but you are a queen now, so maybe the king sent guards. Protecting you was in his oath, after all.

Kings are not beholden to their oaths. The hallway is empty but you are hardly aggrieved. You seize the opportunity and let your racing heart carry you away.

Down the hall, down the winding stairs, through the kitchen, past the door. You slow to a nonchalant canter when passing other servants, making sure to turn your face down and keep to the shadows. Everyone is either busy, drunk, or tired, so you manage to slip past without notice.

Once you are alone outside, you break into a run. You do not leave yourself a moment to think. If you begin to doubt, you will falter, and this will all be over.

You are panting and sweating by the time you reach the stables. You are not exactly in the habit of great exertion. You take a moment to catch your breath while scanning for guards. There must be some. The courtiers have their animals in camps around the palace but the king’s horses are stabled. The kingsguards have alternated shifts to keep an eye on the king’s property.

There are no guards to be found. You approach the stable with cautious steps. No one appears and you slip into the stables unseen. There is a lit lamp, swinging as though recently bumped, but there is no one in here. Just the horses.

You step to the first stall. Your heartbeat is erratic and it pounds harder when you find a horse already bridled. Did they forget to remove the saddle? This is one of your father’s horses and that is unusual, but you do not question it.

You lead the horse out of the stall and into the middle of the stable. You speak gentle nothings to him. You have not often ridden this horse as he is one of the faster animals, but you will need that speed tonight.

Perhaps the gods are on your side after all.

You take hold of the saddle. You are about to hoist yourself onto the mount when a zing of metal slashes through the silent night. The tip of a sword touches your shoulder.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

You recognize that voice.

Of all the kingsguards to find you, of course it would be Han Jisung.

You are so startled that your adrenaline turns from fire to ice. You freeze solid.

“Hey! Little boy!” He lightly jabs you with the sword, just enough to scratch the material of your stolen shirt. “A kingsguard asked you something. Answer me! Now!”

Your hands are still raised when you turn around. It is a slow, begrudging reveal. Your eyes are on the hay-spattered stable floor. You look at his black boots, the silver sheath hanging at his hip. Up, up, up, your eyes slowly lift.

You meet his gaze. His brow is furrowed with frustration but it uncrinkles when he recognizes you. That irritation is smacked off his face, shock changing his whole disposition. The sword wobbles and he takes a startled step back.

“You—” he says. He looks at you, jaw-slacked, then rubs his eye as if he cannot believe what he is seeing.

Finally, the sword lowers to his side. His long black robes swish with the movement. His shock gives way to panic.

“What are you doing?” he demands, his voice breaking on a harsh whisper. He swiftly sheaths the sword and takes several determined steps closer to you. “Are you crazy? Where are you going? And what are you wearing?”

“I’m leaving,” you snap back. The burgeoning panic in your chest begins to putter, making you indignant in your desperation. “And I’m obviously in disguise.”

“Oh. A disguise,” he says, utterly dry. His face is theatrical by nature, brows jumping and eyes widening as he speaks. “Yeah, no one could recognize you like this. Except for, oh, I don’t know—”

Audaciously, Jisung snatches the hat off your head. You yelp, throwing your hands up to grab it, but he pulls it away faster than a blink.

Your hair tumbles free, curls even messier than before. You slap your hands over your head, frantically smoothing them down. Your arms start to shake, all that panic and adrenaline bubbling, needing somewhere to go. You feel as though you are going to burst, a screaming firework shooting through the roof of this stable.

“I would have been fine with the hat,” you snap. “I made it this far.”

“Only because half this house is drunk,” he replies with equal verve. “Look at you, your hair, your woman’s face, your – your woman’s body.” He stumbles over that one, eyes flicking down your form and up again. He clears his throat and shakes his head. “You would have been caught immediately. You were caught immediately.”

“I’ll be fine,” you say. “I know my way.”

“There’s no way a girl like you has ever ridden anywhere past your family’s land,” he says.

You are flushed with heat and aggravation. You want to argue but he is not wrong. You know the general direction to the nearest town but you have never ridden there on horseback.

“I know my way,” you say again.

“Do you?” He takes a step closer. “You go north – do you know which trail is overrun with bandits? And the east – do you know which path to take to avoid the mountain lions? Or the west – if you go over the border and the men who live in those woods discover you alone—”

“Stop it!” You throw your hands up over your ears. All that panicked heat simmers and spills. It turns to tears.

You sob.

He’s right. You know he’s right. You let your desperation and your adrenaline carry you this far, but you are not prepared for an arduous journey. You have a sack of jewels that are a greater liability than asset on dangerous roads. What would you have done if they were stolen? What would you have done if someone hurt you? You have nothing. No map, no direction, and no hope.

Jisung’s shoulders drop as he watches you cry. His own passion tempers itself, his frustration cooling in the face of your tears. He let himself get carried away too, but you don’t blame him. He is a kingsguard. He is duty-bound to protect the king and the king’s property, which you are.

He found you committing treason. You are lucky he did not hold a sword to your throat and drag you to the king.

His sword stays sheathed. He looks at you, expression morose.

“I’m sorry,” he says in a soft voice. “You know I can’t let you go.”

“I know,” you whisper, gasping through your tears.

If you were not so miserable, you might have laughed at the look on his face. You are certain this man has encountered many adversaries, but never a sobbing woman. He would have been happier dealing with a real thief.

His hand lifts and falls as he wars with himself, evidently debating whether he should touch you or not. You stand there, sobbing into your hands while he watches helplessly.

When he does touch you, it is careful. First, just his fingertips, light on your shoulder, then the slow curving touch of his palm as he gently squeezes. It is the first kind touch in days and it sends a shiver down your spine. You look at him, eyes wet with tears, imploring with no words.

His mouth opens but he doesn’t speak. A breath stutters past his lips. Slowly, he takes back his hand, curls his fingers into his palm. He swallows.

You stare at each other in the dim lamplight. You are not sure how long you would have stood there, silent, staring, but you are interrupted before you can find out. There is a soft knock at the stable door and Jisung jumps as if it was an explosion. His head whips around, looking between you and the door.

“Fuck,” he says. His brows jump and he covers his mouth. “You didn’t hear that. Quick.”

He does not stop to explain. You have no opportunity to ask questions. He swiftly ushers you into the empty stall, closing the door behind you. He races to the stable door to greet whoever is there.

You hold your breath, hiding in the shadows as someone enters the stable. Jisung and the intruder speak in hushed tones that you cannot decipher. You inch closer to the door, peeking through the slats between the wood.

It is another kingsguard. You recognize him as one from the ceremony, the silver-haired one with the face full of freckles, who smiled at you so kindly. You would recognize such a unique face anywhere, even though he is out of uniform. For some reason, he is dressed in civilian garb, even though you know the kingsguard is not allowed to wear anything but their black robes.

“Thank you again,” the silver-haired man says. You can hear better as they step further inside.

“Don’t thank me yet, Felix,” Jisung replies. “I still think you’re crazy, man.”

“Still,” the man, Felix, replies. “Not everyone would have helped. You didn’t have any problems?”

Jisung is adjusting the saddle on the horse. His eyes briefly lift and meet yours. You duck further into shadow.

Jisung sighs and shakes his head. He tightens the reigns then hands them to Felix.

“Nothing I can’t handle,” Jisung says.

Another figure steps into view, one who has been silent this whole time. You watch as the person draws back their hood, revealing a woman around your age. By the style of her gown, you can tell she is a courtier from the capital. She smiles at Jisung.

“Thank you, Han Jisung,” she says. “The gods will reward your courageous heart.”

“Ah-ha-ha.” He giggles nervously, scratching the back of his neck. “I already have everything I need. Some of us—” He casts a withering look at Felix, though his tone is light and teasing, “—can keep our chastity vows. I don’t need anything more than service.”

Felix chuckles, holding out his hand to the woman. She hurries into his arms.

“If that’s your path, I hope it will make you happy,” Felix says.

You watch as they help the woman onto the horse. Felix swings up behind her. They both pull hoods over their heads.

Jisung reaches up, offering Felix his hand. Felix clasps it.

“Brother,” Felix says.

“Crazy man,” Jisung replies.

Felix smiles. They drop hands and Felix takes the reigns. With an expert click, he marches the horse into a swift canter and rides out the open stable door. Jisung strides forward to watch them leave, craning his neck to see further.

Now you know why there were no guards. Now you know why the horse was prepared. Felix and Jisung must have been posted as guards and took the opportunity to sneak Felix away. Felix, who has evidently committed treason, breaking his vow as a kingsguard to literally ride off with a woman.

You doubt this was a whim. You wonder how long the trio has been planning this. If there was ever a time for a guard to steal a horse and sneak away, it would be in the busy chaos of a wedding week. Like Jisung said, most of the household is drunk. Others are tired and resting. A long journey back to the capital begins tomorrow.

A journey you will have to make.

You nudge the door open. Jisung’s shoulders jump, eyes wide as he looks at you, as if he forgot you were there. He regards you warily as you step forward.

“So,” you say. “It’s okay for some people to commit treason.”

“It’s not the same thing,” Jisung answers quickly. “And Felix can handle himself out there.”

You have both witnessed the other commit a treasonous act. You could rat him out to the king, just as he could drag you back and do the same. Instead, you stare at each other, your gazes measuring. They meet in the middle.

“Do you think we understand each other?” he asks.

He holds out his hand in offering. You remember his quick but substantial touch at the ceremony, that moment he wiped the tear from your cheek. For all that darkness circles the periphery of him, there is something warm at the centre of his character. It compels you to trust him.

You take his hand.

“I do,” you say.

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labuenosairesfrancaise · 5 months ago

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Halton House

Hace un instante

Hi guys!!

I'm sharing Halton House. This is the 15th building for my English Collection and the second Rothchild house I recreated.

I decorated some interiors for reference, but I could not find the real distribution of the house, so I just worked with pictures I found.

You might be familiar to the central hall and stairs, as they are the ones used for Bridgerton House in the series.

I chose to build the version with the conservatory, as I think this was a glory lost to time.

History of the house: Halton House is a country house in the Chiltern Hills above the village of Halton in Buckinghamshire, England. It was built for Alfred Freiherr de Rothschild between 1880 and 1883. It is used as the main officers' mess for RAF Halton and is listed Grade II* on the National Heritage List for England.

There has been a manor house at Halton since the Norman Conquest, when it belonged to the Archbishop of Canterbury. Thomas Cranmer sold the manor to Henry Bradshaw, Solicitor-General in the mid-16th century. After remaining in the Bradshaw family for some considerable time, it was sold to Sir Francis Dashwood in 1720 and was then held in the Dashwood family for almost 150 years.

The site of the old Halton House, or Manor, was west of the church in Halton village. It had a large park, which was later bisected by the Grand Union Canal. In June 1849 Sir George Dashwood auctioned the contents and, in 1853, the estate was sold to Lionel Freiherr de Rothschild.

Lionel then left the estate to his son Alfred Freiherr de Rothschild in 1879. At this time the estate covered an approximately 1,500-acre (610-hectare) triangle between Wendover, Aston Clinton, and Weston Turville.

It is thought the architect was William R. Rodriguez (also known as Rogers), who worked in the design team of William Cubitt and Company, the firm commissioned to build and oversee the project in 1880. Just three years later the house was finished.

The house was widely criticised by members of the establishment. The architect Eustace Balfour, a nephew of the Marquess of Salisbury, described it as a "combination of French Chateau and gambling house", and one of Gladstone's private secretaries called it an "exaggerated nightmare".

At Halton all were entertained by Alfred Freiherr de Rothschild. However, Halton's glittering life lasted less than thirty years, with the last party being in 1914 at the outbreak of World War I. Devastated by the carnage of the war, Freiherr de Rothschild's health began to fail and he died in 1918. Alfred had no legitimate children, so the house was bequeathed to his nephew Lionel Nathan de Rothschild. He detested the place and sold the contents at auction in 1918. The house and by now diminished estate were purchased for the Royal Air Force by the Air Ministry for what was even then a low price of £115,000 (equivalent to £7.08 million in 2023 pounds).

Architecture

For the style of the house Alfred was probably influenced by that of plans for the nearly completed Waddesdon Manor, the home of Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild, his brother-in law. While not so large there is a resemblance, but other continental influences appear to have crept in: classical pediments jut from mansard roofs, spires and gables jostle for attention, and the whole is surmounted by a cupola. The front of the house features a porte-cochère. A Rothschild cousin described it as: "looking like a giant wedding cake".

If the outside was extravagant, the interior was no anti-climax. The central hall (not unlike the galleried two-storey hall at Mentmore Towers) was furnished as the "grand salon". Two further drawing rooms (the east and west) continued the luxurious theme. The dining and billiards rooms too were furnished with 18th-century panelling and boiseries. The theme continued up the grand, plaster panelled staircase to the bedrooms. The whole was furnished in what became known as "Le Style Rothschild", that is, 18th-century French furniture, boulle, ebony, and ormolu, complemented by Old Masters and fine porcelain.

A huge domed conservatory known as the winter garden was attached to the house.

For more info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halton_House

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This house fits a 64x64 lot (You can fit the main building to the 50x50 or 50x40 lot if you lose the garden and conservatory)

I furnished just the principal rooms, so you get an idea. The rest is unfurnished so you create the interiors to your taste!

Hope you like it.

You will need the usual CC I use:

all Felixandre cc

all The Jim

SYB

Anachrosims

Regal Sims

King Falcon railing

The Golden Sanctuary

Cliffou

Dndr recolors

Harrie cc

Tuds

Lili's palace cc

Please enjoy, comment if you like it and share pictures with me if you use my creations!

Early access: 08/18/2024

DOWNLOAD: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=75230453

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beardedmrbean · 2 months ago

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Cats have more freedom than women in Afghanistan, Hollywood actress Meryl Streep has said in an appeal to the international community to stop the Taliban's repression.

Speaking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the actress pointed out that even animals had more rights now in Afghanistan following increased restrictions on women.

In response, a Taliban spokesman said they "highly respected" women and would "never compare them to cats".

Streep's comments come after the Taliban government last month introduced a new set of "morality laws".

Among other things, these rules state that women's voices can no longer be heard in public and that they are not allowed to look directly at men they are not related to by blood or marriage.

The measures add to a litany of restrictions that the regime has imposed on Afghan women and girls since returning to power three years ago.

Women have to completely cover their faces and bodies when leaving their homes. Women and girls are also prevented from going to schools, parks, gyms and sport clubs. There are restrictions on the type of work that they are allowed to do.

"Today in Kabul a female cat has more freedom than a woman. A cat may go sit on her front stoop and feel the sun on her face, she may chase a squirrel in the park," Streep said on Monday at an event to raise awareness of Afghan women's rights at the UN headquarters in New York.

"A squirrel has more rights than a girl in Afghanistan today because the public parks have been closed to women and girls by the Taliban.

"A bird may sing in Kabul, but a girl may not in public. This is extraordinary. This is a suppression of the natural law.

"The way that this culture, this society has been upended, is a cautionary tale for the rest of the world," said Streep, who called on world leaders to "stop the slow suffocation" of Afghan women and girls.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who attended the same event, said Afghanistan "will never take its rightful place on the global stage" without educated women and women in employment.

In response to Streep's remarks, a Taliban spokesman said that "none can deny women the rights which Islam has given them".

"We highly respect them in their role as mother, sister, wife. They are [an] essential part of [the] family and society but we never compare them to cats," Suhail Shaheen, the head of the Taliban's political office, told the BBC.

He added that currently hundreds of thousands of women work in various government ministries and as entrepreneurs.

Western countries, led by the United States and the European Union, have condemned the new laws, but the Taliban has defended the edict saying it is in accordance with Islamic Sharia law.

The Taliban has also said they are trying to change the education system to more closely align with Islamic principles, and have repeatedly promised that women would be readmitted to schools once those issues are sorted. To date, however, there has not been any movement.

#nunyas news #waiting for her to be called islamophobic #or something stupid like that

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mesetacadre · 2 months ago

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Latest News from Ukraine

❗️Mobilization

The U.S. is pressuring Zelensky to low the mobilization age to 18 years.

At the same time, the police is actively uncovering schemes to evade mobilization.

- In Kiev, the deputy head of a city college and two teachers were detained for retroactively enrolling conscripted men into graduate programs ("the price of the service" was between $5,000 and $10,000 per person);

- In Zakarpattia, the rector and former rector of a private university were issuing education-seeker statuses to conscripts for €1,500 ($500-1,000);

- In Cherkasy, two healthcare workers were detained for issuing conscripted men with certificates of fake diagnoses ($2,000).

❗️Toretsk

"The city now more closely resembles a deserted planet: there are no shelters for civilians or military personnel, which allows the enemy to occupy new areas, but only those of scorched earth." No single intact house or shelter is left for civilians or the military.

❗️Money Laundering

The head of the Khmelnytsky Medical and Social Expert Commission (MSEC) was found to have another $590,000 in a Polish bank. Tetyana Krupa deposited the funds into her account at Bank Polska in October 2022. As a reminder, this is the same "queen" who had around $6 million discovered in her home.

❗️Offensive

In the past two months, Russian forces have taken control of 5.5 times more Ukrainian territory than they did throughout the entire year of 2023.

❗️TRC

The Uzhhorod TRC has canceled previously granted deferments from conscription for 225 "dodgers" who used the "student scheme." If fines imposed by the TRC are not paid, the state may forcibly recover the debt by debiting funds from bank accounts or seizing property, according to the Ministry of Justice. If the debtor owns property jointly with others, the seizure will be applied to their share.

via Union of Communists of Ukraine

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fundielicious-simblr · 2 months ago

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Narrator: Claire also loves a good family round up, with the year she's had she must tell everyone all about it. The lady has finally married off her on-the-shelf daughter AND has 5 grandbabies about to join the family in the coming new year - the world must know.

Text under the cut!

Hi all, Claire here!

This past year has been full of examples of the Lord’s everlasting goodness, and we are so undeserving but nevertheless grateful! The Lord has seen it fit to bless us in so many ways! If I sit here and start writing them down this might be hundreds of pages long, so I’m going to tell you about a few.

This year has been filled with homeschooling, homemaking, and music - lots and lots of music. Conner and Jarrett graduate high school this spring, bringing an end to 27 years of homeschooling for me. How time has flown! They’ve grown into such wonderful young men and it makes this mama’s heart proud to see the men they’re going to continue to grow into! 27 years ago little Carter was my only student, with the rest of the kids following suit as they grew. At it’s peak I had 8/10 kids actively being taught, that season of life was organised chaos, but leaning on the Lord brought us all out the other side to praise him for his goodness.

This year has also been full of babies! This summer Kristyn gave birth to her second child, a boy she and Gregory named Wyatt. Wyatt joins older sister Kayla (2) and the happy parents at their home in Oasis Springs where they all joyfully serve the Lord as a family.

On the heels of her sister’s birth announcement, Sabrina and Tucker announced to to us that they’re expecting another blessing next spring! This baby shall join older brother Campbell (1) and is already so loved!

Almost a few weeks after the above announcement, Alan and his wife Tessa announced that they’re expecting and that its twins! These babies will be joining the family in the spring, soon after their cousin.

Not to be outdone by his siblings, Jarrod and Madison also announced that they’re expecting twins! I could’ve fainted right then and there! This makes 5 new grandbabies on the way in the new year!

The Lord has blessed the music ministry at Newcrest Baptist, we’ve had the pleasure to host music camps yearly where we’ve helped many to learn how to use music to praise the Lord. Our church choir has a travelling sector that will be invited to sing at various revivals, camp meetings, and hymn sings, so it’s been such an enriching time travelling with them and getting to sing the Lord’s praises.

Our family has been growing in more ways than one! Earlier this year Celeste met a young man named Reid Robbins. Reid comes from a Godly family in Northbury that we’ve had the pleasure of getting to know. Their relationship has been written by the Lord from the very beginning, they grew their friendship by challenging each other in their individual walks with the Lord, where soon after they started praying about each other. Soon after Reid was at our door asking to court our daughter! They’ve been such wonderful examples of respecting your parents and glorifying the Lord. Parents, let this be an example to show that raising your children in the way of the Lord is always the right way! We closed out the year celebrating their union in marriage with the Lord’s blessings, how great it is to see our children be joined in holy matrimony with the one that the Lord has for them! As we enter this new year, my the Lord bless and keep you all in his eternal memory!

Love,

Claire for the Paulsons

#fundie sims #fundiesims #quiverfull sims #collins family #quiver full sims #modest sims #sims 4 legacy #collins legacy #homeschool sims #gen 2 #gen 3 #gen 4 #post #this was thankfully much shorter #a proper round up #the highlight of this is the 5 new grandchildren on the way for claire #she even forgot to mention the courtship but its fine she'll let simbook know when they're engaged.

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stephensmithuk · 5 months ago

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"The probable Liberal candidate for Mid-Devon at the next election"

I thought it might be worth discussing this line in more depth, with some further points about elections in late Victorian Britain, with some reference to the recent one.

Funnily, you can actually got through this largely word by word.

The

While many of them had been abolished, there were still a number of seats that elected two MPs, such as Bath and Devonport.

You still had some "university constituences" where Masters and Doctorate level graduates could vote for two MPs. These would persist until the 1950 General Election.

The UK has pretty much always used the plurality system for General Elections aka "first past the post". Highest number of votes wins. This can result in someone getting in with 34% of the vote, which happened at the 2024 election.

In the case of a two-member seat, the top two candidates got elected. This multi-member practice is still standard for local council elections.

Probable

The UK election period is pretty short. The last election had Rishi Sunak ask the King for a dissolution on 22 May, Parliament dissolved on the 30th and the deadline for nominations on 4 June, a month before the actual election on 4 July.

The Victorians had the actual voting spread over 24 days in the 1892 election; it was possible for a candidate to lose one election, quickly get nominated in another seat and win that one.

Candidates would not therefore be fully confirmed under the formal nomination by their local party, although today the national party has a good deal of control over the process:

However, it is today common place to have "prospective parliamentary candidates" in place before an election is called. This allows them to campaign without becoming formal candidates and being subject to our strict electoral spending rules.

The UK also has its own equivalent of "carpetbaggers", known as "parachute candidates". Party HQ will "parachute" someone they want into a safe or winnable seat, frequently to the at least mild displeasure of the local party. Notable parachutists include George Galloway, Boris Johnson, Margaret Thatcher and Roy Jenkins.

Liberal

The UK had three major parties in 1889:

The Conservative and Unionist Party, generally shortened to the Conservatives or the Tories. Led by the Marquess of Salisbury, the incumbent PM since the election of 1886 gave him an overall majority. The latter is an insulting term derived from an Irish word for "outlaw", but today can be used in a neutral way - the BBC's Style Guide allows it to be used for later references. The Conservatives do not use it themselves formally. The Unionist part referred to their support for the union between Great Britain and Ireland; they had significant support in the (more Protestant) Ulster province of the latter, six of the nine counties of which would become Northern Ireland. As such they opposed "Home Rule" i.e. Irish self-determination in domestic affairs with their own parliament, although Salisbury's government did implement various reforms in Ireland seeking to "kill Home Rule by kindness". They generally favoured protectionism and a policy of keeping Britain out of foreign alliances.

The Liberals: Led by William Gladstone, considered one of our greatest Prime Ministers. Known as the G.O.M. (Grand Old Man or God's Only Mistake, depending on your POV), he had been Prime Minister for the third time during a short-lived 1886 ministry started and ended over Home Rule - he'd forced out Salisbury by a defeat over the matter with Irish support, then had his legislation defeated in the Commons, forcing an election. The Liberals had split over Home Rule, a Liberal Unionist wing aligning with the Conservatives and eventually merging with them. The Liberals favoured increased worker rights and expanding the franchise.

Irish Parliamentary Party: Made up of Irish nationalists (commonly, but not always Catholic) who wanted autonomy and land reform, they were led by Charles Stewart Parnell. Opposed to militancy in the name of Home Rule or even full independence, which was getting quite common at this time. Parnell would foil an attempt to smear him as pro-violence by forged letters claiming he was complicit in a double assassination in Phoenix Park in 1882; he requested an official enquiry and the journalist, Richard Piggott, broke down under cross-examination. Piggott was then sued for libel by Parnell, lost, then fled to Madrid where he shot himself. However, the following year, Parnell was revealed via a divorce trial to have had a long affair with a married woman called Katharine ("Katie" to her friends, "Kitty" to her enemies, the latter being a slang term for prostitute) O'Shea, fathering three of her children and "living in sin" with her. The scandal was huge, with the Catholic Church coming out against him. Refusing to resign, the party split, with the majority becoming the anti-Parnell Irish National League. Parnell married Katherine in 1891, but his health was failing due to stomach cancer and heart disease - he would die in her arms four months later. His minority faction collapsed shortly after.

While trade unions were a growing political force, the Labour Party had yet to really come into being.

Candidate

In 1892, there were 6.16 million registered voters, therefore eligible to run for the House of Common. As is obvious, universal suffrage was not a thing at this point.

This page covers the qualifications to vote and ergo, I believe, run in 1900:

For further explanation:

Of full age means over 21. The UK lowered the age to 18 in 1969, two years before the US did.

Receipt of what we would today call benefits, bar medical ones, meant no vote. Insert your own joke here.

Conviction for corrupt electoral practices also cost you your right to vote. Being incarcerated after a conviction (but not if you are on remand) today also bars you from voting, but this does not carry over after your release.

Alienage means being a foreigner, not being an extraterrestrial.

Looking at this, I believe that both Watson and Holmes would have been eligible voters. Certainly later in their careers.

Peers were and still aren't eligible to vote or run for the House of Commons. Baronets are hereditary knights and therefore not peers.

You could run as an independent candidate, but these winning were pretty rare. Having just two candidates on the ballot paper was not uncommon either.

The secret ballot having been introduced in 1872, voters would now going into a booth or partitioned area and mark their choice with a 'X', the traditional signature of the illiterate. We have never used voting machines here. It would then be dropped into a padlocked metal box.

The ballots would contain the name of the candidate and their residence. It would not have their party affiliation on it. Candidates would have to explain via posters and leaflets who supporters should vote for:

A candidate could not pull out after nominations closed - if they died and weren't an independent, the election would have to be re-run. In 2024, a number of candidates lost their party endorsement due to various controversies at the point it was too late to take them off the papers.

Mid-Devon

Our parliamentary consituencies have names, unlike the numerical districts used for the US House of Representatives.

Redistricting or boundary changes were and are done by independent boundary commissions. The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 created three commissions (England & Wales, Scotland and Ireland) with the new requirement to keep elector populations broadly equal in each seat. Seats were expected to be compact and follow local boundaries where reasonably practical; none of those silly American district shapes here, thank you.

No further boundary changes would be done until 1918.

Mid-Devon is fictituous - I have not been able to find the name of the relevant RL consituency for the area.

Next Election

Barring the period between 2011 and 2022 where elections were fixed or required the Commons to authorise them by a 2/3 vote, the date of the next election is in the gift of the Prime Minister, who must call it within five years of the last election. In 1889, it was seven years.

The PM can ask for a dissolution and new election from the monarch at any time in that period, which is nearly always granted unless there is a viable alternative government available.

PMs generally try to call an election at the best time for them politically; sometimes it's expected, other times it will wrong foot people. The 2024 election being held in 4 July surprised nearly everyone, including many in Sunak's own party.

Salisbury called the election for 4 to 26 July 1892. The results saw the Conservative/Liberal Unionist alliance lose its overall majority, but Salisbury hung on until 12 August when the Liberals and INL collectively defeated the government in a vote of no confidence. Salisbury resigned and advised Queen Victoria to send for Gladstone. The latter, now 82, formed a minority government reliant on Irish Nationalist votes and made another attempt at Home Rule in 1893, blocked by the Lords.

Gladstone would resign the following year on health grounds and Victoria then selected Lord Rosebery to succeed him, basically as he was the only Liberal she liked.

Further notes

The House of Lords and the House of Commons were equal in power at this point; the former could therefore veto bills and block the budget.

Results were and still are announced in public declarations, these days televised. The candidates going up on the stage are privately told by the Returning Officer the results, then told not to show any sign of what has happened as they go up. It's very much poker face time.

Postal ballots are a thing, but they must be returned by close of poll on election day.

The former practice of "chairing", basically a victory parade involving the new elected member sitting on a chair and being carried around the town, had stopped in 1880.

The Oaths Act of 1888 eliminated the requirement of members to swear an oath of allegiance to the monarch, allowing them to affirm instead. This allowed non-Christians to take their seats, as well as those Christians who do not agree with swearing oaths. It is now possible to use any religious text you like when doing the oath or affirmation. However, the allegiance to the monarch bit remains to this day - Sinn Fein, who wish to see Northern Ireland become part of Ireland, refuse to take their seats because of this, while a number of MPs did this bit under protest because of their opposition to the monarchy.

#letters from watson #sherlock holmes #history #factoids #acd canon #the hound of the baskervilles #houn

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nerdygaymormon · 1 year ago

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Congratulations to Nepal!

Here's a brief history leading up to today.

Nepal has tried to stamp out social discrimination ever since a decade-long Maoist rebellion ended in 2006 and the 239-year-old Hindu monarchy was dismantled in 2008.

In 2007, Nepal repealed laws against gay sex and introduced several laws which protected "gender and sexual minorities". The Supreme Court ruled later that year for the government to create laws to protect LGBTI rights, and for the government to form a committee to look into legalizing same-sex marriage. Successive governments failed to change the law on same-sex marriage.

A lesbian couple held a traditional Hindu marriage ceremony in 2011, but the marriage has no legal status in Nepal. More and more public parades and unofficial weddings started being held in Nepal.

A new constitution was adopted in 2015 which recognized LGBT rights as fundamental rights, and while it didn't specifically list same-sex marriage, it did list several other rights, such as being able to acquire a citizenship certificate according to one's gender identity.

In July 2017, Monica Shahi and Ramesh Nath, successfully registered their marriage. Shahi is a third gender person, with their sex recorded as "other" on their official identity documents. The Nepal Home Ministry said the marriage could be invalid.

In October 2017, the Supreme Court ruled that the government was wrong to deny a Visa to the American wife of a Nepalese citizen. The government argued it rejected the application since Nepal doesn't recognize same-sex marriages. The Supreme Court ruled that the law is as long as they have a valid marriage license, a foreigner who is married to a Nepali citizen is eligible for the Visa, the rules do not specify that the foreign national must be either same or opposite gender. Furthermore, it pointed to the Nepal constitution that an LGBT citizen is entitled to live life with dignity without discrimination.

March 2023, the Supreme Court ordered the government to recognize the marriage of a Nepali citizen and his German husband and to issue a spousal visa. It also directed the government to draft legislation for full marriage equality in Nepal

In June of 2023, the Supreme Court ordered the government to make necessary arrangements to temporarily create a separate register for marriages of "sexual minorities and non-traditional couples" until lawmakers come up with a new legal framework to uphold such unions permanently.

Nov 29, 2023, a same-sex couple officially registered their marriage

#nepal #same sex marriage

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zvaigzdelasas · 11 months ago

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International recognition has been a long-sought goal for Somaliland, a region in northern Somalia that has enjoyed de facto independence since 1991. But the groundbreaking agreement has created shockwaves in the region and fury in Somalia, which views it as a hostile violation of Somalia’s sovereignty.[...]

While Somaliland insists that recognition has already been agreed upon and settled, Addis Ababa has been reluctant to firmly address the matter of statehood. In a published communique, the government said it had yet to formally recognise Somaliland. But social media posts by Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs official Mesganu Arga this week appear to support Somaliland’s interpretation of the deal.

The ambiguity of the messaging continues to fuel speculation. A draft of the agreement has yet to be published, but all indications suggest that it would all but nullify a 2018 tripartite treaty cementing ties between Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea, details of which were similarly never made public.[...]

Domestically, conflict with Faro militiamen in Amhara and unrest in Oromia has weakened key support bases for Abiy. Failure to make payments on Ethiopia’s eurobonds at the end of 2023 has also heightened pressure on the prime minister.[...]

There are also domestic woes in Somaliland, which has known relative stability for decades. The enclave is struggling with an uprising by local clan militia who pushed its forces out of the disputed town of Las Anod in August.[...]

Diplomatic ties between them date back to the 1980s when Ethiopia supported Somaliland rebel fighters who helped win its de facto independence in 1991, the same year Ethiopia became landlocked after Eritrea’s successful war of independence. Ethiopia continued to use Eritrea’s Red Sea ports until the two states severed ties and fought a 1998-2000 border war, which killed 70,000 people. Since then, Ethiopia has used Djibouti’s port as its main trade conduit, but the billions Djibouti is believed to charge Ethiopia annually in port fees has had it exploring alternatives in Sudan, Somaliland and Kenya since the mid-2000s.

Agreements between Ethiopia and Somaliland over the use of its Berbera port date as far back as 2005, but issues including logistics and potential harm to relations with Mogadishu have prevented Addis Ababa from implementing a wholesale shift from Djibouti. In 2017, Ethiopia acquired shares in Berbera port as part of a deal involving Emirati logistics management company DP World to expand the port and turn it into a lucrative trade gateway catering to the needs of 119 million Ethiopians. At the time, Somalia denounced the deal as illegal. Ethiopia did not follow through on commitments and eventually lost its stake by 2022.[...]

After Somali independence in 1960 and until the end of the Cold War, the status of Ethiopia’s Somali region, its second largest by area, has been hotly contested between the two countries. The region, also known as Ogaden, is home to ethnic Somalis, who make up about 7 percent of Ethiopia’s population. It has witnessed numerous conflicts. One was the Ogaden War from 1977 to 1978, which killed tens of thousands of people before Ethiopia, with the assistance of Soviet military advisers and Cuban troops, reasserted dominance over the land.

Under the governments of Ethiopia’s Mengistu Hailemariam and Somali President Siad Barre [supported during the war by the US], both countries supported rebel factions in each other’s countries, which would go on to weaken and eventually lead to the overthrow of both leaders by 1991.

Somalia has never regained the stability it knew during the Barre era. [...] A considerable segment of Ethiopian troops has been part of the African Union peacekeeping mission mandated to fight the rebels in Somalia. Their semi-permanent presence in the country since 2006 has fuelled further resentment.[...]

“It’s possible that the UAE, which has cordial relations with both Ethiopia and Somaliland, may have encouraged the parties to proceed with the deal,”[...]

Meanwhile, Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip has had a ripple effect, including most recently, Houthi rebel attacks on ships in the Red Sea, impacting the strategic Bad al-Mandeb Strait [just off Somaliland's coast]

4 Jan 24

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magickfromscratch · 8 months ago

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According to the article (3/18/2024):

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to send a team of Israeli officials to Washington.

Each side is looking to make “clear to the other its perspective,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.

The disagreement between Biden and Netanyahu is over the food crisis in Gaza and Israel’s conduct during the war, according to the White House.

The White House is skeptical of Netanyahu’s plan to carry out an operation in the southern city of Rafah, where about 1.5 million displaced Palestinians are sheltering.

Biden has once again urged Netanyahu not to carry out a Rafah operation.

U.S. officials will lay out “an alternative approach that would target key Hamas elements in Rafah and secure the Egypt-Gaza border without a major ground invasion.”

“The president has rejected, and did again today, the straw man that raising questions about Rafah is the same as raising questions about defeating Hamas,” Sullivan said. “That’s just nonsense. Our position is that Hamas should not be allowed a safe haven in Rafah or anywhere else, but a major ground operation there would be a mistake. It would lead to more innocent civilian deaths, worsen the already dire humanitarian crisis, deepen the anarchy in Gaza and further isolate Israel internationally.”

Israel has yet to present a credible plan to ensure the safety of innocent Palestinian civilians., according to White House officials.

Biden administration officials have warned that they would not support the operation in Rafah as presently constituted.

A new report warned that “famine is imminent” in northern Gaza, where 70% of the remaining population is experiencing catastrophic hunger, and that a further escalation of the war could push around half of Gaza’s population to the brink of starvation. The report came from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a partnership of more than a dozen governments, U.N. aid and other agencies that determines the severity of food crises.

Netanyahu lashed out against the American criticism on Sunday, describing calls for a new election as “wholly inappropriate.”

Biden after his State of the Union address earlier this month was caught on a hot mic telling a Democratic ally that he has told Netanyahu they would have a “come to Jesus” meeting over the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. His frustration with Netanyahu’s prosecution of the war was also on display in a recent MSNBC interview, in which he asserted Netanyahu was “hurting Israel.”

Israel's actions in Gaza have been described as one of the deadliest and most destructive military campaigns in recent history. The war has killed over 31,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Around 80% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million have fled their homes, and a quarter of the population faces starvation.

#gaza #palestine #israel

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cytherealarsen · 6 months ago

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🚨: Terrorist attack on Hindu pilgrims in Reasi district, Jammu and Kashmir, India.

In a tragic event, a group of pilgrims met with a devastating accident when their bus careened off the road and plunged into a gorge near Teryath village in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. Reports indicate that at least ten individuals lost their lives, while over 30 sustained injuries in the incident, which occurred on Sunday. The bus, returning from the Shiv Khori cave shrine to Katra, a town renowned for the Vaishno Devi temple, was traveling along a link road of NH144A, navigating through dense forests and hilly terrain. Prompt response from locals and authorities led to rescue efforts, while security forces, comprising personnel from the police, Army, and CRPF, initiated a search operation to apprehend the assailants. The area, located 100 kilometers northwest of Jammu, has been cordoned off in response to the premeditated attack. Reasi SSP Mohita Sharma disclosed that the terrorists had orchestrated the assault, targeting the bus as it passed through the area. The driver was struck by gunfire, causing the vehicle to veer off course. Evidence, including bullet casings, was recovered from the scene, indicating the involvement of two masked assailants. Although the identities of the deceased and injured have yet to be officially confirmed, it is suspected that the pilgrims hailed from Uttar Pradesh. This incident underscores the potential spread of terrorist activities into previously unaffected regions, as Reasi district had hitherto remained insulated from the surge in attacks witnessed in neighboring districts such as Rajouri and Poonch. The Pir Panjal route, notorious for its rugged terrain, serves as a favored infiltration route for terrorists moving from the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch and Rajouri towards Kashmir. Intelligence sources suspect the participation of Illiyas Fauji, a former Pakistani army SSG commando turned LeT operative, along with two other militants from Pakistan who have evaded capture since the deadly assault on an IAF convoy in Poonch on May 4. This recent attack in Reasi follows a similar incident on May 13, 2022, when terrorists targeted a bus transporting pilgrims from Katra to Jammu using "sticky bombs," resulting in four fatalities and 13 injuries. The assault evokes memories of the July 10, 2017, attack on a bus ferrying Amarnath pilgrims, which claimed seven lives and left 19 others wounded. Despite facing heavy gunfire, the driver in that instance managed to safeguard 52 passengers. According to data from the Union home ministry, eight civilians have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir in the first five months of the current year up to May 31. Concerns regarding security have been heightened in anticipation of the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, prompting Jammu ADGP Anand Jain to oversee security arrangements on Friday night. The review encompassed preparations not only for the annual Amarnath Yatra but also for the Mata Kheerbhawani mela, Budha Amarnath Yatra, and Shri Machail Yatra, emphasizing the establishment of joint control rooms to enhance coordination among all concerned agencies. The Amarnath cave shrine, nestled at an altitude of 3,880 meters in the South Kashmir Himalayas, is slated to host its annual pilgrimage from June 29 to August 19.

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redheadspark · 2 years ago

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characters who’ve been married for years falling in love all over again with oliver wood please 💞

A/N - YAY! Oliver Wood for the win with this request! Thank you or requesting, anon!

Once Again

Summary - Attending a friend's wedding brings out old memories for you and your husband

Warnings - Just some magical fluff for our Quidditch Captain!

"And now it's time for the first dance of our newly weds! Please welcome up to the floor, Mr. and Mrs. George Weasley!"

The married couple walked over to the center of dance floor under the massive tent, the rest of the guests stopping their chatter with each other at their tables to watch as a soft melody was playing over the top of their heads. Molly Weasley, with Misty eyes and a grin on her face, flicked her wand and the lights were dimmed to set the midd as her son and her daughter-in-law started to sway together. It was a romantic site for certain, a site of new things to come and a great future ahead for all in attendance.

The first great thing to happen right after the war and the defeat of Voldermort.

Towards the back of the cluster of tables, at the Quidditch table with the older teammates of the newlywed couples, was Oliver Wood in his kilt and tie and a soft smile on his lips. Watching his two friends tie the knot (Finally, in his opinion) was a the highlight of the year for him, even more so than be promoted to being a starter at Puddlemore United.

Oliver knew that both Angelina and George wanted and desired a normal life after all they went through at the Battle of Hogwarts, even with the loss fo Fred Weasley and plenty of others at the hands of Death Eaters. Everyone wanted to forget the pain and the grief that they have had to endure for months after, and once they all got the invitations to this wedding, it was a pure sign of hope.

So he sat with Katie Bell, Lee Jordan, Dean Thomas, and a few others while the first dance was being held, his eyes started to wander from the wedding couple to the others that were watching. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were watching with massive smiles and tears on their faces, snuggled together at their own table with Angelina's parents who were just as moved. Harry Potter and his wife Ginny Weasley were sitting with Hermione and Ron Weasley over at the side near the Bridal table, wrapped in each other's arms. Even Hagrid and Professor Magonagall were there too, just a touched at the sight. But one person did catch Oliver's eyes, over near the opening of the tent and out next to the massive field that was perched in front of the Weasley's home.

You, Oliver's wife of 3 years.

Your wedding was a bit different from this one, it wasn't even a wedding really. It was a secret union that was during the dark times of the Death Eater's roaming the countryside and Voldemort taking over the Ministry of Magic. You were more worried about being discovered since you were a Half-Blood, hearing stories of others being taken from their homes in the dead of night and never being seen again.

Oliver swore to you he would protect you, but he too was just as worried since you both were already living together right out of graduating Hogwarts. You were already planning on getting married anyways, but since time was not on your side and Oliver was beyond wired you were going to be taken, you two were married by a muggle priest in the dead of night at a local church, both of your parents being witnesses.

Now that the war was over, Oliver made a promise to himself he would give you a proper wedding.

He got up from his chair was the song was still playing, the audience cooing as George gave Angelina a twirl while Oliver moved along the back of the tent to not make a seen. HIs eyes were on you though, dressed in deep red gown and you hair in a delicate bun. One hand was bracing a pillar that was up next to you, which was other was on your stomach.

Your stomach with a very slight belly evident.

"Honey, you okay?" Oliver asked as he approached you. You nodded while he slipped an arm around your waist.

"I'm alright, Oli. I just needed to walk around is all," You reassured him. Oliver hummed, knowing you wouldn't lie to him as you both were watching the dance come to an end. You leaned back against him, his head connecting to your as you grinned.

"Took them long enough to get together," You murmured.

"Aye, the boys and I had a bet on how long it'll take for them to be married," Oliver whispered, you giggled and swatting his arm.

"That's horrible," You scolded, though you were grinning.

"What, you weren't thinkin' the same?" Oliver challenged. You just gave him a playful glare as the guest clapped. George and Angelina still held each other as the rest of the guests walked onto the floor to join them, another song being played and the lights coming back up.

"Wanna dance?" You asked Oliver, but his arm around your waist was a bit tighter then as he shook his head.

"Not yet, luv. I wanna just stand here, with ya." Oliver explained, you were about to ask him if he was alright when his hand slightly touched your lower stomach. You paused, feeling the tenderness of his fingers against the fabric of your dress and how gentle he was in that moment.

It was still a secret for you two when you found out you were pregnant, something you wanted to keep to yourselves for a little bit more before you would tell anyone. Especially at this wedding, this was meant for George an Angelina. Oliver was over the moon when you told him after your doctors appointment, wishing he could tell everyone about it. Yet you both decided to wait a few more weeks until things were cooled down.

"I owe you a weddin'," Oliver reassured you as your classmates were dancing together on the floor, "A proper one at that,"

"We had a wedding," You reminded him, "And although it wasn't ideal, I'm glad we got married when we did."

"Even during a war?" Oliver asked, you looked over your shoulder at him as he was giving you a pensive stare. You had to smile at him, moving to face him and wrap your arms around his neck while his own arms slipped around your waist with ease.

"Even during a war, in a cellar, with our parents there. It was perfect, Oliver," You promised him, you both taking in a moment to be in your own little world as the wedding was still going on. Oliver loved holding you like this, and he would whenever he could.

It made him remember you two being together in your days at Hogwarts as students. Oliver was never girl crazy in his earlier years, up until you came along in your fourth year. He thought of you as smart, one of the best Gryffindors in your year when it came to Potions and giving Snape a run for his money. Oliver had no idea why you both never got together sooner since you were both the same year, but once you starting dating, he was a goner. You were snarky, always keeping Oliver on his toes with your comments and humor, incredibly sympathetic and fierce with younger students, and would come to every game Oliver played as the Quidditch Captain.

He's heard stories on what falling in love would do to a man, but he thought he would have that himself. But he did, thanks to you.

Now, so many years later and with a few years of marriage under your belts and a little one on a way, Oliver was still finding himself utterly in love with you. You both were hiding with his parents when Muggle Borns were disappearing, never doubting your choice of being married for a second since you both knew that surviving that dark time alone was no option. Even when you both were called to defend the school from Voldermort and his followers, Oliver was hesitant to have you go. Yet you grabbed your wand, took his hand in yours and gave him a hard look.

"We go together, Oliver." You reminded him.

"I love you," Oliver hummed as you both were hugging, swaying to your own music as the breeze from the field was coming through the open tent. The rest of the wedding was going on, paying you two no mind as you grinned against his chest.

"I love you too, Oli," You said back to him, "Always have, and always will,"

The End.

Tagged: @a-lumos-in-the-nox

Valentine's Prompt Session

#oliver wood x female reader #oliver wood prompts #oliver wood fanfiction #oliver wood x reader #oliver wood #harry potter fanfiction #harry potter writing #hp fic #hp fanfic

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