Saartjie
It was true that Gaal's disappointment that she failed to give him any children was dangerous -- noble women that were unable to bear children were useless and usually cast aside. Gaal had not been willing to toss her aside so quickly and though she had been marked no one else had known besides her, Gaal, and the man that tattooed her. It was his anger and frustration with the situation and her lack of upset that had brought on the mark. He was trying to draw some reaction from her, trying to shame her and it still had not worked.
"Gaal would not have cast me aside." Saartjie assured her brother. "He didn't want Shaju to know that we couldn't have children. In his head he thought that having a son, giving Shaju a grandson, would win him more favor. So … he began sleeping with other women. Poor women who were not from noble houses. If they fell pregnant and suddenly disappeared after their baby was born who would question it? He wanted to pass off that child as ours, but it didn't work." Unfortunately for Gaal, the poor women he had been sleeping with had easier access to birth control -- something that noble houses new next to nothing about.
Saartjie sighed heavily at her brother's question. Was it true? Was she unable to have children? "No, not really," she began as she crossed the room to the bed, "I did end up pregnant, but I didn't want to be. I didn't want to have children at all. Not with Gaal. Not with anyone as long as I was stuck in Korofi. I didn't want my children to grow up like we did." She sat down next to Sunjata and leaned against him, her head on his shoulder. "I didn't want to end up like mom." She was silent for a moment before continuing. "I bought this stuff and forced a miscarriage. Gaal was angry and I was relieved so he marked me." But there was more and Sunjata would know it. The tattoos were a series of three for the woman and it was something all Korofi noble men knew about.
"Do you remember Gazali?" She asked next, hoping the name would ring a bell from Sunjata's time in the rebellion. "I was able to get in touch with him and got these birth control pills to keep myself from getting pregnant again. I took them right in front of Gaal." Noble men were surprisingly stupid when it came to anything involving conception. All they really knew was that sex was required. "I told them they were supposed to increase my fertility. When I didn't fall pregnant even with the fertility pills he was angry and just completed the mark."
Saar reached for Sunjata's hand and squeezed it gently. "I'm not ashamed of this tattoo. I'm proud of it." it had been her own personal act of rebellion and the first step in trying to take control of her life.
"Melita." She repeated. Her first instinct was that she didn't want to meet the girl, but hearing about how she felt about Gaal changed her mind. "Okay." she agreed. "I'll meet her when she gets back"
"Gaal would not have cast me aside." Saartjie assured her brother. "He didn't want Shaju to know that we couldn't have children. In his head he thought that having a son, giving Shaju a grandson, would win him more favor. So … he began sleeping with other women. Poor women who were not from noble houses. If they fell pregnant and suddenly disappeared after their baby was born who would question it? He wanted to pass off that child as ours, but it didn't work." Unfortunately for Gaal, the poor women he had been sleeping with had easier access to birth control -- something that noble houses new next to nothing about.
Saartjie sighed heavily at her brother's question. Was it true? Was she unable to have children? "No, not really," she began as she crossed the room to the bed, "I did end up pregnant, but I didn't want to be. I didn't want to have children at all. Not with Gaal. Not with anyone as long as I was stuck in Korofi. I didn't want my children to grow up like we did." She sat down next to Sunjata and leaned against him, her head on his shoulder. "I didn't want to end up like mom." She was silent for a moment before continuing. "I bought this stuff and forced a miscarriage. Gaal was angry and I was relieved so he marked me." But there was more and Sunjata would know it. The tattoos were a series of three for the woman and it was something all Korofi noble men knew about.
"Do you remember Gazali?" She asked next, hoping the name would ring a bell from Sunjata's time in the rebellion. "I was able to get in touch with him and got these birth control pills to keep myself from getting pregnant again. I took them right in front of Gaal." Noble men were surprisingly stupid when it came to anything involving conception. All they really knew was that sex was required. "I told them they were supposed to increase my fertility. When I didn't fall pregnant even with the fertility pills he was angry and just completed the mark."
Saar reached for Sunjata's hand and squeezed it gently. "I'm not ashamed of this tattoo. I'm proud of it." it had been her own personal act of rebellion and the first step in trying to take control of her life.
"Melita." She repeated. Her first instinct was that she didn't want to meet the girl, but hearing about how she felt about Gaal changed her mind. "Okay." she agreed. "I'll meet her when she gets back"
but close my eyes for a while
and force from the world a patient smile
and force from the world a patient smile
