Laera Hatun

**Laera Hatun** (Yoman Language: لارا خاتون; birth name: **Laera Dolverbic**) was the daughter of Aear I Dolverbic and the consort of Yoman I of Yoman Empire (1199 – c. 1224), she first Valide Hatun of Yoman Empire.

## Personal life

### Dynasty

Dolverbic (by birth), Yoman (by marriege)

### Issue

Orhan I
 Sakizula Hatun
 Fatma Hatun ?

## First years of life

Laera was born in May 1159, she was the daughter of Aear I Dolverbic. According to the official version she was the daughter of the king's first wife, Lady Orenna Libert, but some suggest that she was a bastard of King Aear, one among many. This is reinforced by the fact that Laera's education was different from that of her other sisters, while her sisters, Oera, Resaenta and Mealys were taught by the poet Gragör Laera was taught by alternating lesser teachers.

Laera was a restless child and so even as a girl, it is said that she often frequented the male brothels of the capital causing disagreements between her and her parents, the fame of the princess turned more and more, reaching the point that the king had to consider the option of making the daughter a nun, she first tried in 1178 but for some reason, maybe for a pregnancy Laera didn't leave towards the Cathedral of the Sisters, then in 1180 she was finally sent to the Cathedral and made a nun. However, Laera did not stay long in the Cathedral and in 1781 he managed to escape.

## In the tribe of Servit

After she escaped there are no more records provided by Dolverbaic's archives, for a long time she was thought to have died but in 1606 writings were discovered which recognized a certain Hatun, wife of Yoman I as Princess Laera Dolverbic. Probably everyone thought she was dead including King Aear, and only a few of the Tribe of Servit knew the truth.

Laera managed to reach the Servit tribe around 1184, at the time the head of the tribe was Sahaer Bey but who really governed was his son the Yoman Bey, in fact Sahaer had retired to private life for thirty years, firstly for personal reasons, he indeed deemed his son capable, and then due to his failing health. Laera became part of el Bey's curators and was later taken as a concubine by Yoman once he became Müdür-Bey in 1191 after his father died.

## Relation with Yoman

Yoman already had two main concubines, Gal Hatun and Halima Hatun and at least seven other secondary concubines, Laera maintained her restless character which pleased Yoman who fell in love with the girl, however some historians think that Laera had become so close to the tribe of the Servit only driven by his ambitious dreams, in fact it was already known that Yoman Bey wanted to invade the kingdom of Ga Orsksarr and create a real state. For this reason, some think that Laera didn't really love Yoman and that she even cheated on him with some court men. However some are of the opinion that the princess found true love with Yoman and that she never cheated on him. As for Yoman, it is not believed that he stopped seeing concubines but it is true that he stopped seeing his previous main concubines, preventing the children he had with them from learning to fight and consequently ascending the throne, Yoman in fact imposed the law that the prince (bey) stronger (güçlü) had to ascend the throne following a struggle between them (law of the güçlü-bey).

### Rise of the Ottoman Empire

Laera followed Yoman in his conquest to the west by conquering the kingdom of Ga Orsksarr managing to reach the coasts and the Hai empire, entering into a 100-year peace with this in 1199, promising not to go against each other.

Laera remained with Yoman until the latter's death in 1224. Laera was still alive and her son Orhan became the new sultan of the fledgling Yoman empire.

## Issue

Laera is said to have become pregnant twice before being converted into a nun, in fact between 1175 and 1176 she retired to her rooms saying she was ill, in fact it is believed that it is for this reason that later in 1178 her father wanted to send her to the Cathedral of the Sisters, but later it is believed she became pregnant again and the journey was forced to be postponed until 1180.

Laera and Yoman had four children altogether, only two of whom lived to adulthood:

* Orhan I (August 1192 - March 1262) was the next Sultan of Ottoman Empire after his father;
* Bala Hatun (1193/1194 - 1999) died when her father was stipulating the treated with the Hai Empire;
* Sakizula Hatun (1198 - 1263) she married Mustafa I Capy.
* Malhun Hatun (1199 or 1200) she was the first Yoman princess born after the conquest of Yoman and the stabilization of the Yoman Dynasty

Maybe they have another daughter but her bith date is unknown:

* Fatma Hatun

## As Valide Hatun

Laera took the title of "Hatun" once she became Yoman's concubine and once her husband died Laera was granted the title of Valide Hatun once the construction of the Yşryin Palace was concluded making her the head of the palace staff and Orhan's concubines. She only managed the flow of concubines for her son, it was at this time when the real idea of ​​a yoman harem started.

## Death

She died at an advanced age like almost all of her Dolverbic relatives, in fact she passed his genes to her children who died (except those who died young) at 70 years old.

Upon her death she was buried in the Müdür-Bey Mausoleum but later King Astor II requested his aunt's grave and buried her in the family mausoleum in Aerendell.