The Fortuna Harem

## The Royal Fortuna Harem

* First Consort (Primum Consortem)
* Pure Consort (Puriter Consortem)
* Noble Consort (Nobilis Consortem)
* Able Consort (Potens Consortem)

## About

The ranks of **imperial consorts** have varied over the course of Fortuna history but remained important throughout owing to its importance in management of the inner court and in imperial succession, which ranked heirs according to the prominence of their fathers in addition to their strict birth order. Regardless of the age, however, it is common in translation to simplify these hierarchy into the three ranks of **Patriarch, consorts, and concubines.**

The forbidden quarters of the harem is known as the 'Seraglio' although is sometimes referred to simply as the 'harem.' The forbidden quarters is huge and is conducted of many personal villas within a major atmosphere - it can only be accessed through a secret doorway in the Fortuna palace.

## Harem Rankings

### Ranking system for others

According to the *Rites of the State*, the aristocracy and clergy are entitled to 9 consorts in total, and cannot marry again after having 9 consorts, which makes for 1 spouse and 8 consorts. For other middle-ranked officers, they are entitled to 1 spouse and 1 consort. For casual citizens, only 1 spouse is allowed.

This is due to prowess reasons and a limitation to prevent the over-expansion of their harems - as of means to imply that the Fortuna royal harem is the most supreme and to ensure that the royal harem was exclusive to all others.

### ***Fortuna Royal Harem***

##### **Categorical ranks of the Fortuna Harem**

* Patriarch
* Consorts
* Husbands
* Royal Concubines
* Hereditary Consorts
* Lesser Royal Consorts

The Fortuna Royal harem had a **grand total of 121 men**; in addition to this, these men often came from families which had ascended into the royal aristocracy. Men from common families that contributed to the state government were permitted to have their sons entered into the harem, as such was seen as honorable and beneficial for families in the Fortuna state.

When the Fortuna princesses were of appropriate age, they'd have their own Seraglio; in the appropriate practice of obtaining concubines for themselves and move their harem to their respective provinces.

## **Ranks of the Fortuna Harem**

### **Highest**

* **Patriarch of Fortuna (Pater)**
* First Consort (Primum Consortem)
* Pure Consort (Puriter Consortem)
* Noble Consort (Nobilis Consortem)
* Able Consort (Potens Consortem)

#### Second Highest

* Monsieur's (Potentator)
* Noble Lord (Nobilis Dominus)
* Lord of Pure Handsomeness (Dominus Purae Pulchritudinis)
* Lord of Warm Ceremony (Dominus Calidum Caerimonia)
* Lord of Cultivated Splendidness (Dominus Culta Magnificentia)
* Lord of Cultivated Deportment (Dominus Coluntur Habitudo)
* Lord of Handsome Fairness (Dominus Formosus Aequitas)
* Lord of Everlasting Splendidness (Dominus Sempiterne Magnificentia)
* Lord of Sufficient Splendidness (Dominus Sufficientis Splendoris)

#### Third Highest

* Lord of Pure Beauty (Dominus Puriter Pulcritudo)
* Lord of Pure Countenance (Dominus Puriter Vulturis)
* Lord of Bright Deportment (Dominus Lucidus Habitudo)

#### Fourth Highest

* Handsome Fairness (Pulcer Aequitas)
* Lord of Bright Countenance (Dominus Luculentus Vultus)
* Lord of Bright Splendidness (Dominius Lucidius Praeclarus)
* Lord of Pure Deportment (Dominus Purus)
* Lord of Lovely Countenance (Dominus de Pulchra Facie)
* Lord of Sufficient Countenance (Dominus Sufficientis)
* Lord of Complete Deportment (Dominus Completum Habitudo)

#### Fifth Highest

* Lord of Inherit Honor (Heres)
* Lord of Kind Honor (Modus Gloria)
* Lord of Regular Talents (Iusto Ingenium)
* Lord of Talents (Ingenium)
* Lord of Virtue (Honestas)
* Lord of Beauty (Pulchritudo)
* Lord of Excellence (Praestantia)
* Lord of Treasure (Thesaurum)

##### **Sixth Highest**

* Upper Concubine of Great Honor (Magnus)
* Upper Concubine of Light Plan (Lux Consilium)
* Upper Concubine of Bright Instruction (Instructio Clara)

##### **Seventh Highest**

* Lower Concubine of Proclaimed Honor (Nuntiata)
* Lower Concubine of Proclaimed Brightness (Proclamavit Candor)
* Lower Concubine of Congealed Brightness (Celsitudo)
* Lower Concubine of Congealed Splendidness (Recondita Splendor)
* Lower Concubine of Conducive Splendidness (Conducit Magnificentia)
* Lower Concubine of Light Instruction (Lux Instructionis)
* Selected Lord (Dominus Electus)

###### Lowest

* Imperial concubines
* Noble concubines

## **Harem Practices**

#### **Fighting for the royal night**

In some periods of time, fighting for the *"right of the night"* was a concept in which the men of the harem would fight between themselves to conduct the necessary means for "fairness" in whichever male courtier of the harem was able to have their night to serve the matriarch.

This practice varied within the periods, due to naturality the men of the harem casually fought one another regarding this, they'd often weaponize themselves and in some incidents cause serious injuries; in much worse cases - death. To prevent the outrage of families, Marcia the Wonderful completely abolished this practice and outlawed it in the harem because there was a complete outburst of concubines killing each other for the right of the night, later Septimia II had removed the clause and made it permissible; however members of her harem did not practice this due to most being feminine in nature.

#### **Adoption**

A practice which was introduced by Sempronia the Lawgiver, when Caetronius intended on taking the son of his servant as one of his sons; the matriarch allowed it however he died before it could occur. For future instances, Sempronia had permitted harem concubines to adopt each other's children; male or female as long as they were born to a Fortuna matriarch.

This statement was only made true in the following instances:

* In the event that the father of the child has been deceased before the appropriate age of 15
* In the event that the father of the child had been sentenced to execution or exile
* In the event that the father was of low birth, and as a result their child is subject to adoption from a harem concubine.

In the final instance, permission is to be sought however the Fortuna matriarch can provide a commoner a title and grant him aristocratic value in order to avoid his child being up for adoption.

#### **Morning Assembly**

There used to be a practice enacted by Gallius Julius Vospasius, Noble Consort, the concubine of Maria the Incompetent. The practice was not in use for many periods of Fortuna history afterwards; this was because the consorts were constantly rivalling one another and sometimes issues would even resort to the murder of each other and the disposal of one another through plots and schemes.

The practice enacted was called a "morning assembly," where all the concubines of the harem of the highest consortship would visit the patriarch everyday and talk with one another; the practice was rather formal and was created with means to create peace with one another however due to the attributes of consorts this seemed unlikely in future generations. The practice itself fell out of grace in the modern period.

### **Selection of harem concubines**

#### **With the aristocracy**

During the early modern period, it was imperative for Fortuna sovereigns to have powerful husbands; during this specific period of Fortuna history; plenty of concubines in the harem were muscular as it became more significant for the Royal House of Fortuna to achieve and conquer more land with the support of the other aristocratic families and the native people. After this era, a majority of Fortuna concubines were considered "feminine" and "passive" in their roles. This was determined via a combatting contest, where each candidate would fight for their chance to join the harem.

In later periods, a majority of aristocratic concubines were chosen based on the value of their family and their contribution to the state. This made the harem a political-associated institution and plenty of consorts in the harem rivalled one another in their role to commit and perform their reproductive duties to produce a princess.

Due to the masculine traits of the Fortuna sovereign, some princesses and queens preferred a selection where they would hand pick beautiful men and base them on their personality traits; although plenty of queens and princesses were said to be masculine orientated and conscripted men into the harem.

A lot of these men were physically vulnerable and joined the institution in their early teenage years. To please the aristocracy, the much-higher categorical ranks of the harem were naturally selected to the aristocratic men; whereas ranks that are beneath the third or fourth category were given to concubines of lesser prominence of backgrounds such as commoners or the sons of middle class families.

#### **With commoners**

During the era of conquest and expansion of the Fortuna authority (early period), a lot of harem concubines arrived as slaves if they were commoners and were often discriminated against, they were obtained and arrived in the harem in two seperate forms and as the harem became more politically orienated and prominent, it became rarer for concubines to be of lowborn origins. The only well-known concubine of this origin is the famous Caetronius; who was named and became the first patriarch consort to be coronated alongside his wife, Sempronia the Lawgiver.

These concubines were casually captured by Fortuna troops and many died or were physically abused, some became conscripts of the Fortuna army while a great many concubines that were deemed as "beautiful" were sent to the royal harem; a lot of these concubines had traumatic experiences from their hometowns - on the fortunate side plenty of them lived comfortably at the former residences of the Fortuna royal assembly.

As the harem became more associated with the outside world and politics, harem selection was conducted by the Four Consorts; however the patriarch always had authority over these consorts and could request, decline and accept any concubine of any origins. However, for a lot of lowborn concubines they were chosen based on their merits or looks in later years and common families sent their most handsome male relatives to the capital to join the harem - in hopes they would become consort dowagers.

### **Death of a matriarch**

The death of a matriarch is a major event and is mourned by all for a minimum of 2 weeks, however several religious officials such as the Priest/Priestess Maxima intend on calling for an auspicious week for a mourning period that lasted as long as 4 weeks. During the reign of Marcia the Wonderful however; her mourning period lasted a full year. This would include many aspects of the harem being impacted.

#### **Concubines**

After the death of a sovereign, the concubines have three options as to what they intend to do - however all the concubines are to immediately leave the palace unless they were the patriarch or if they had fathered a prince or princess; in this instance the consort that fathered said child would depart the palace with their child, or in the event they only had a prince some consorts would be designated a palace for themselves.

* Join the Holy Temple as a cleric
* Return to their homes and families
* Sent to another palace to be married away or collected
* Left the palace with their son / daughter

##### **The Holy Temple conscription era**

During the era of Ophelia the Founder up till Fortuna Maria the Incompetent, the concubines of the harem were usually captives aged 14-24 years of age, however some sources indicate that the harem males were all teenagers; this is because their physique was built weaker compared to their adult versions. In this addition, concubines that fathered no princes or princesses were casually conscripted into the Holy Temple of the Priest/Priestess Maxima and would perish away in the temples, unless they were aristocratic in which cases said concubines could become priests, being spouses and creating a luxurious lifestyle for themselves.

Fortuna Maria the Incompetent's most prominent concubine, Pomponian (son of Pomponius Aemilianus) outlawed the practice as it provided aristocratic families free prestige and religious status, in addition to this plenty of commoners that joined the harem had no future within the temple. Pomponian (according to most sources) stated; *"The practice is an insult to our common people and must be abolished instantly."*

With much pressure from her harem, Fortuna Maria outlawed the practice during her entire tenure, in addition to this she accepted the alternatives in the event that she should die which are set in stone as harem rules till modern date.

Due to the pressure from her courtiers and the mass decline of the religious sector, Fortuna Marcia the Wonderful permitted aristocratic concubines the option to join the Holy Temple however she refused to conscript her former husbands in death. During her period, a majority of her concubines returned to their homes and were remarried; although plenty joined the magic knights as well.

#### **Leaving the palace**

##### **With Concubines**

A majority of concubines that left the palace never returned again, although it wasn't an official alternative a lot of masculine-natured men preferred the magic knights in the event that they failed to be summoned to produce a child with the sovereign. Some families in addition to this would shun their sons, brothers or nephews for leaving the harem without having bore either a son or a daughter as doing so was deemed embarrassing to some very high value families of the Fortuna state.

In later years, Fortuna Tarquitia the Economist (who was known for her economic work) felt it was financially crippling that these concubines were socially rejected and wasted. She had convinced her aristocratic courtiers to remarry their sons to other prominent nobles or even to hard-working commoners, although plenty felt this was insulting to the aristocratic assembly a majority concurred with her reasoning and as a result many concubines returned to their families. Due to her kindness, Fortuna Tarquitia also compensated for the sons of commoners with a suitable dowry.

After departure, plenty of concubines are noted to have remarried and even took upon political and military positions within the Fortuna state; this was a major social shift from the reign of Fortuna Ophelia-Fortuna Maria as concubines of the sovereign were thought of as constitutional property, this mindset having been shifted saved the lives of hundreds of male adolescents in the harem.

##### **With Consorts**

Due to the female reproductive system and the low rate of child morality, plenty of men in the harem didn't father princes or princesses, during the Ophelian-Tarquitian eras of the Fortuna state joining the harem was an alternative for feminine-natured men or sons that patriarchal families of the state deemed as "useless" or "good for nothing." Only to be returned to their families While this was saddening, a handful of concubines did father children with the sovereign, and although they were not deemed as suitable in the workforce they had a major political influence over their sons and daughters. In their roles, a handful of concubines became subject to prestige and were showered with gifts and jewels.

According to Marius Caetronius (patriarch for Fortuna Septimia the Mad), he had recorded in his surviving memoirs that for centuries the harem courtiers would often depart with their property and gifts from either the matriarch or from their families and would reside at the former palace of the Fortuna state in the event that their families did not accept their return; Marius recorded that at the former palace the concubines would dine all day long and live out the rest of their lives as esteemed dowagers. This institution was most likely set by Fortuna Tarquitia, as she disliked the disposal of harem concubines unreasonably and felt it had an impact on the harem's personal economy.

It is recorded from the Tarquitian era, that the fathers of princesses and princes had the title of **"Consort Dowager"** and would live out the rest of their lives in their own palaces or with their children depending on specific circumstances. It was recorded during the reign of Fortuna Germanica the Conductor; that at court the widowed concubines were still treated as royals, to please her aristocratic families any concubine having a title on the *Third highest level of ranks or above* were treated as royal husbands and also held the title of Consort Dowager.

The same rules of the matriarch's harem, applied for the harems of her daughters that had harems of their own as well as they were categorically classified as members of the same royal institution.

##### **With Fortuna Royals**

Although it wasn't in practice during the tenures of early-period sovereigns, the Fortuna princes and princesses were often sent away to other palaces to be married away; although due to the Fortuna esteem on royal women and their prominence over royal men, a majority of princesses were sent away as provincial governors while the princes were married to aristocratic families or individuals worth their hand in marriage.

Depending on the era however, in the early-modern period plenty of Fortuna royals were still recorded as residents of the royal court at Fortuna Villa; in addition to this some princes were never remarried and plenty lived out their lives in luxury. (During the early and early-modern period of Fortuna sovereignty), a majority of princesses on the other hand never returned to the capital of the state and lived out the rest of their lives in their provinces; although a majority died or were killed for the most part.