Tunisian Dreams Ch. 01

And to his surprise his demure lady started to sing in a foreign language "Al die willen te kaapren varen moeten mannen met baarden zijn."

His jaw was almost on the floor.

She laughed and kissed his hand. "It means that if you want to be a corsair you need to have a beard."

"Sara says that when they have to rule when they are grown up or when they are married and have to teach their children and help their husband it is good to know about what is going on in the wide world."

He turned round to look at the foreign woman again.

She was now held by her upper arms by one of his black harem guards from behind. Thus keeping her frozen. Her breasts pushed forward.

"Why has this woman never been in my bed Tulip," he roared.

"Master," bowed the eunuch. "This woman is too old to give you sons."

He saw the thin lines around her eyes and mouth and realised she was not that much younger then he was. He now noticed she had eyes the colours of the bay today. Smart eyes. Her skin was as pale as Leila's but more pink. Her hair the colour of honey.

"Where are you from woman?" he asked.

"Holland," she whispered.

"Holland my lord. Holland master. This is our lord the Dey you fool," scolded Tulip.

She looked up quickly before bowing her head again and said: "Forgive me ya Sidi. I am learning still to speak Arabian".

"Yes," he said. "How can you teach my children

when you are still struggling to speak in Arabic?"

"Franco my Lord."

"I am translating my Lord', said the old Frenchman. "Sara speaks French."

"She is from the Dutch ship that brought your concubine Leila, my lord." said Tulip.

Ali felt a hand tug on his robe. He looked down and saw one of his daughters trying to get his attention.

"Please father. Sara was just telling us about the Dutch pirates who managed to capture all those Spanish ships filled with silver. And about that Willem who sailed to the seas filled with ice to find a road to far away Sjina but then had to live with snow bears. Please father let her tell us another story".

"Snow bears?" asked the Dey and looked at that strange woman who seemed to be a storyteller like the old men on the marketsquares.

He sat himself down next to his first wife and then commanded: "Woman what snow bears?"

She started to speak in presumably French and Franco picked up speed to translate.

"My Lord to avoid the Spanish and to have a shorter route my countrymen tried to sail to China via the polar region. But after not that long their ship got stuck in the ice that covered the sea. And all they could do was walk to a nearby island and built a hut to survive the winter so they could try and find a way home when the weather would be warmer again. They built a big house and all of them stayed there. Surrounded by snow and ice and hungry polar bears. They did manage to get home in the next spring but the man who had been able to save them all winter died en route. I was telling that story but then more thrilling like it was a fairtale."

"Right", the Dey said. "And how can those stories be educating?"

"Well," she said, now looking him in the eyes. "It depends on what you want to teach your children. In this case it was about that in other countries it is not always warm like her in Tunis. That some are covered in show and the seas turn to ice. But I can also tell stories that will help the boys when they are grownups and have to think about military strategy."

He nodded and waved with his hand. "Continue".

"My Lord once upon a time in the land that is now ruled by your brother-in-law, the Sultan, lived a tribe called the Trojans. They were mighty warriors and were at war with the Greeks about a woman but that is another story. Their defence was so good that after many years the Greeks abandoned the siege. They left a huge statue of a horse on the beach, made of wood. The Trojans thought it probably was an offering to the Greek gods and ferried the horse into town as a trophy. Then they went to sleep. In the death of night the horse opened up and Greek warriors crept out. They opened the gates and the whole army flooded Troy killing everyone."

"My country was at war in the times of my grandparents and parents with Spain. The Stadhouder, the leader of the rebellion, was just murdered and his sons were still young. Prince Maurits was send to university with his cousins and no one of the ruling class payed them any attention. The young men studied engineering and history and law and all they could lay their hands on.

One story they read was of the Trojan horse. So Maurits put together a fighting force. He knew that every week a ship would sail into a city bringing material to warm the houses. Under this peat he hid soldiers. As always the ship was allowed to enter the Watergate because the guards knew the captain. A brief inspection showed nothing out of the ordinary. At night the soldiers crept out of their hiding place under the peat and opened up the gates. Before the Spanish were awake the city was won. The government acknowledge Maurist' skill in strategic warfare and made him supreme commander. A bit a ruler like you are my Lord."

She bowed her head to show the story was finished.

"Yes," the Dey said to his wife and head eunuch. "These stories are good to learn and instructive."

"Why are you teaching them those foreign words too woman?"

In case they have to negotiate and need to be able to check their translators my lord. Or if they get really good in a language to be able to absorb the knowledge of such a country."

"You can keep teaching my children woman but now undress. I want to judge if Tulip is right not to send you to my bed."

He saw her freeze. The old eunuch issued a command and the guard seized her again.

"My lord" said Tulip. "I beg you pardon but I thought her too old to breed."

"How old is she?"

"Thirtyseven my Lord."

He untied her sash and lifted up her dress over her head till it rested on her arms kept behind her back.

The Dey looked fascinated at skin the colour of milk. At ripe and full heavy breasts with aureoles that light they hardly contrasted with the white skin and that covered the whole tip of her breasts. The nipples red and stiff probably from fear. His mouth watered.

The old eunuch bent down and untied her thin bell- formed pantaloons and dropped them at her feet. Wide hips and plump lips. Full legs. He felt himself harden.

"Tulip I have enough fertile fields to plow. Send her to my bedroom tonight".

"Lord she is just a servant. We did not instruct her in any way".

She now looked straight at him. Her eyes filled with silent tears.

He shrugged and walked over to her and tilted her head with a finger under her chin so she looked up into his eyes. Her naked skin touched by the fabric of his robes when they moved in the slight breeze that had picked up.

"Why are you crying woman? It is an honour to be chosen."

He saw her swallow and then she whispered. "I am scared my Lord."

"Probably," he thought. "And you are also ashamed to have to be a slave and sleep with your lord."

"Woman there is no reason to be afraid. Women have a body made for a man. The man will find pleasure in the body of the woman but will also give her pleasure. And maybe that will give her a child. Do you not want a baby of your own?"

He saw an emotion cross her face. Her lip trembled and the tears now fell down her check.

"I always longed to have a child my Lord. So very much."

"Well my sweet then I will try my best to give you one," the Dey said and bent down to kiss those pink lips.

He straightened again and stepped away from her.

"Dress her again Tulip. Make her comfortable and send her to the ladies to prepare her."

He turned to his wife asking if she wanted to walk with him to the palace. He was surprised to see her smiling.

When they were walking arm in arm slowly uphill to the palace, he asked her why she was so pleased.

"Sara is a good woman and she yearns for a child. I can feel that. I am pleased you will sleep with her even if she is older."

"Old? What old. You and me are as old hahahaha. We are even older... Yes I know what you mean. Tulip will only send me the young ones thinking a man can only be aroused by youth. But look at her. Her skin is flawless and she has spirit. To be honest she is more attractive than a giggling sixteen year old."

"That is why I still like you my husband. You have a few grey hairs in your beard but you have spirit. I cannot understand what I saw in that young boy my father married me to."

They both burst out in laughter.

(To be continued)

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Dear readers there is a reason why these two stories intertwine but that will become clear later on. Please leave suggestions, plotlines, spelling mistakes clearups and all that can be of help for me in the comments. I hope you will like this new story.