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 Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:26 pm
 The day was warm. As the days were always warm. And all the days to come. Yet Scheherazade, Queen of the A'D herd, would not remove her black robes. She could feel the heat seeping in, warming her body beyond comfortableness. But to be without her robes was to be without her culture. Like she was turning her back on it. This she would never do.
Many didn't understand why she was proud of her culture. Being a mare meant her opinion and desires were less important. Often put on hold by the opposite sex who ruled her. She was property. She had always been property. Had Shah Ryar not gone on a murderous rampage, she would have been given to the best suitor who would advance her family.
Scheherazade was able to see the good in this. Because she was a mare, she had often been overlooked or ignored. When you are ignored, you are able to gather more information. When you are thought of as stupid or less of a creature, you are able to manipulate those around you without them knowing by playing up the views they see of you. For her, it was a good culture. The stallions thought they had the power. In reality, they were only ruled by the mares who were intelligent enough to see the advantages as they were.
The A'D was no different. Part of the influence of the herd came from her. Let them think it was all her husband. It suited her just fine.
The bay shifted her brown eyes around the private area reserved for the royal family. None of the others were around. There were not many to get in her way just yet. The only one in the area was Sooraya, her pretty granddaughter who had inherited the family color. The only Princess that shared her blood.
Scheherazade leveled the younger mare with a stare that ordered attention.
"Do you remember the prior lesson? What is this symbol?" With her hoof, the Elder mare drew a design in the sand, the language of the people she had left behind. It was important for her family to know of their heritage. Even if they would never be able to see it.
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Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 10:43 pm
She looked like her grandmother, grandfather and father, she was beautiful and did her best to stand as she was taught to appear as mysterious as she could, she today had even worn a veil as much as she hated it a blue veil, that matched her hood despite the great heat.
The younger mare watched her father leave with her older brother, how she wished she could have gone with them, if only she was a son. She wasn't, and so she remained here with her grandmother her ears lowed a little, Quyen wasn't even here the guardian mare was on the outskirts of the area after all only the royals were allowed in here. She often enjoyed spending time with the feistier mare she was allowed to be a warrior despite her grandfathers protests, somehow she never could find out how the queen had convinced her grandfather to allow Quyen to keep her position. But, enough of that, no amount of her wishing was going to change things and despite everything she could complain about, she was proud to be born into her family.
Sooraya could feel her grandmother's gaze calling her to attention, the gave the elder mare her full attention deep brown eyes gazed at the drawing in the sand it looked like a reverse half moon with a stick coming out of it. "Yes Queen of Queen's I do," she replied with full respect to her grandmother "It is rā’ part of the old alphabet, it translates to r." she finished.
She didn't mind this part, learning her heritage did pique her interest a little, though not as much as the fighting style, she loved to watch her father train her brother, and when no one was around she'd practice what she's seen, she couldn't help gaze back in the direction her father had gone. they were no doubt practicing without her, even watching would be enough for a little while.
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Ice_Dragon_Demon
Ice_Dragon_Demon
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Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2012 11:10 am
Scheherazade would have smiled, had her mouth not been hidden. It wasn't a huge enough smile to reach her eyes, so she kept her mouth a straight line underneath her cloth. Her brown eyes, reflective of Sooraya's, remained calm. They didn't flicker around her surroundings in impatience as her granddaughter's did. Little escaped the eye of the Queen.
"Very good, my dear," she praised, not being shy on the pride in her voice at the younger mare listening to her lessons. At least this one. Scheherazade was all too aware of how she disliked most of the lessons she was required to have as a Princess, but there was nothing to be done about it. As a member of the royal family, she had a duty to uphold to ensure she represented her family in the best possible way she could. Unfortunately for girls, that meant studying language, arts, and proper behavior. As well as how to dress. Something that Scheherazade was quick to note Sooraya also obeyed despite her feelings.
The Elder mare did, however, let a sigh escape her at her granddaughter watching where her son and grandson had gone. The plight of being female in this culture struck so many mares.
Scheherazade moved to a large boulder and rubbed her muzzle against it until her cloth caught. She pulled away from the rock, letting the veil release itself from her face. This made her feel a bit naked, but if it would help her granddaughter to be more comfortable, she would do it. It wasn't like Scheherazade was very expressive, anyway. Veil or not, she always managed to keep her mystery.
"My child, do not lament what you do not have. Embrace instead what you do posses." Her impatience she shrouded in another lesson, wondering if Sooraya was aware of the power her sex gave her or just seeing the weakness everyone else saw.
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 9:14 pm
At least she had gotten that right, she turned her head back to her grandmother, understanding the gesture "You don't have to..." she said underneath her own wrap very quietly almost ashamed, she could never be the way she was supposed to be, she'd tried everything she'd done everything as her grandmother instructed, as best as she could. She loved the sword, loved watching her father, grandfather and brother practice she loved being a 'boy' why was she a girl.
"I learn this all some is interesting, but it does not make me happy, I know you speak true Grandmother I should embrace what I do have I am part of you as well, but I am stronger than most mares I know I am, a child, a daughter of in the line of great warriors, I feel that part of my blood within me calling me." she was too was part of her grandmother but she hardly ever heard the other, she could only pretend. Only pretend for the sake of her family.
"I know I should embrace my femininity as you do, Your intelligence and memory are respected by even grandfather in private." a little secret among the royal family, the stallion so protective of his mate truly hid some respect for the mare above all else sometimes he would show it but not often in the presence of others, let they think her grandfather any less a king. It often was secretly the Queen of Queen's who had final word, after all grandfather trusted her council her gaze still on the road her father left.
"I, I have never felt like a mare, I have tried everything." she turned back to the path her father and brother took "Why was I not a son Grandmother?" she gazed back painfully at Scheherazade.
"Why not?" her shoulders sank as she looked to the desert beneath her feet. If Grandfather herd her lament she knew she would be in for a reprimand.
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Ice_Dragon_Demon
Ice_Dragon_Demon
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Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2013 8:05 pm
The impatience melted away at the words of the younger mare. Scheherazade was not blind to the still lingered look where the two male relatives had gone. She could relate to her granddaughter her grieves, but she couldn't stop wishing she would find her true and proper voice in this world.
The unfairness of the female life hadn't escaped even the great Scheherazade. She had the true misfortune of being born in a more male dominated world than the herd she founded now was. Back when women were just pawns to improve one's own family standing through aristocratic marriages. Where they were trained only to raise children and take care of the home. If they wanted to do anything else with their life, it depended on what their father or husbands allowed. That was not a future Scheherazade had wanted for herself. She want a little something more. Something to make it her own and not like any other female of her region.
If she had known exactly how different she would have made it at the time...
But back then, her father had little time for her with his duties occupying his time. He left her to her nurse and her mother. From the first week of Scheherazade's life she had developed her fondness for books when she stumbled into her father's library one day. There had been an open book on the desk he had been studying, all about the neighboring nation he was trying to council the Sultan of. Despite the calling of her nurse, she had stayed by the book, looking at the words though she didn't know what they said. She knew enough of the world to know those little symbols were words and words told stories. She liked stories.
But this quest for stories wasn't something her father thought dignified for a young lady. Being the eldest, he wanted to find a good match for her. So the Queen knew where Sooraya was coming from. She had found her passion in something not deemed suitable by her male elders. Now it was her duty to find a way to keep her passion and be the young lady she would have to.
"Life is not always fair for mares," the Queen tried to sooth. "Fate sometimes feels like it deals unfair cards. You just need to work extra hard at working with the cards you do have. That doesn't require you to embrace your femininity. Just work with what you're limited to."
Scheherazade moved back to the marks in the sand, scratching them out with a hoof. She kept her eyes downcast. "If it interests you, Sooraya, mares are not treated this way everywhere."
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Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 1:55 pm
Sooraya's ears stayed down though her grandmother would not yell there was a tone of voice she looked for and listened for Sooraya was certain she would hear it soon. Her grandmother however was silent for a long time, making Sooraya almost restless, She was far from the patient mare she should be she'd rather go on a long run through the desert than stay here and sit around and look pretty.
Silence broke and Sooraya turned her attention to her grandmother again rather long faced. No but it should be she thought, she could do just as well as the stallions. She bet, she KNEW she could do better. But like always grandmother was correct she needed to do better with what she had, not that it was easy. The mare's Gaze fell back to the ground "I know Grandmother, it's just hard..." she her voice softened to a whisper.
Sooraya's gaze left the ground and settled back on the great Queen. Sooraya nodded solemnly and gave a little smile toward the elder mare "It would very much grandmother."
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Ice_Dragon_Demon
Ice_Dragon_Demon
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Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2014 8:17 pm
A small smile was allowed to play across the Queen's lips. It remained while she spoke, her voice as always calm and unreadable. More out of habit than anything else. All those years of keeping her emotions to herself, breaking that now at her age was impossible. If she even wanted to. Even now, the matriarch of a herd with a growing family, she found she didn't want to let go of her hold over her own feelings. It gave her mystery. Made others look upon her with more respect and dignity than she felt they would if she decided to show everything she felt as a mare was always expected to.
But it was a power that was not easy to gain. Just like finding one's place in a society such as this.
"Life was not meant to be easy," Scheherazade continued with the same tone of voice, that air of authority always in the back of her words. She expected you to listen. She didn't always expect you to obey, but she always expected you to listen. When the mare spoke, it was only when speaking was necessary. Listening was important when she did speak. "I know of many herds or small groups where the mares are treated the same as a stallion. And one where the stallions are in our position. If you leave to find them, you may not have a warm welcome upon your return." Here she looked at Sooraya, her eyes slightly lidded as she kept her muzzle down towards the sand. "But they are there. Some members of the herd may be able to tell you of them. Aludra, I believe, came from such a place. Cultures also change. Depending on who runs them."
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Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 11:42 am
Sooraya Settled into listen, she could hear the authority in her grandmother's voice. her grandmother wad always been amazing, The stories her grandmother had told her about how she stopped her grandfather's cruelty and fear with stories had been a wondrous tale. Grandmother was truly amazing, could she be the same? She knew her place and She did yet try and obey every lesson yet her yearning still remained. She yet wished to be able to fight like her father. In a more open setting.
Paying full attention to her grandmother Listening in awe, so many others different, and able to do the same as a stallion. But what her grandmother had said earlier was true Life was hard, especially for mares here. And she herself was considerably more lucky and yet unfortunate. Though Mares in the lower class were looked down upon, they were able to do as they wanted. She was not in a 'position of power' per sae, but she was well looked after in retrospect. But this was her home, and she wouldn't trade it for anything. She loved and respected all of her family as much as the longing of being equal was there it would never come to pass.
Sooraya gave her grandmother a nod once she finished. "Thank you Grandmother, it was most informative, perhaps I will speak with Aludra once our lesson is complete." she said formally. Aludra had come with another, one of Badr's son's Nahusha he was strange and had odd wings, Dragonfly wings and odd horns. His eyes two were bright pink. her grandfather didn't bother giving him a second look after all he was the son of the trader. But he was doing his best to change the perception her family had of him. Aludra spoke well of him too.
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Ice_Dragon_Demon
Ice_Dragon_Demon
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