Princes 11 (Penultimate Chapter)

(or ‘WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO THE PRINCES IN THE TOWER’)

by Pueros

Chapter 11 – Teheran

(August 1484)

Teheran did not become the capital of Persia until 1788 but it was the relatively unimportant town in which Selim and Edward found themselves within two months of their capture. The main city of the short-lived Turkuman Ak-Koyunlu (‘White Sheep’) dynasty of Persia of the time was Tabriz. However, this grand metropolis was considered too vulnerable to Turkish rescue attempts for comfort and so the hostage Ottoman Prince was sent further east.

The Arab Emir of Aleppo had purchased both 13 years old captives from the mercenary cavalry, having listened to Selim’s entreaties to keep his young personal servant. The ruler did not mind the additional large outlay to the original huge cost of acquiring the heir to the Ottoman throne. After all, he would receive much more from Tabriz for sending the precious prisoner to that city and he had to be looked after by someone on the way. He also had to consider his situation if the Turks did conquer his lands. Looking after the captured Prince’s welfare might enable him to keep his exalted position.

Selim, with his servant, was eventually incarcerated in heavily guarded but luxurious quarters in the Governor of Teheran’s palace, waiting to hear the result of the negotiations for his release between the Ak-Koyunlu and Ottoman dynasties. Unfortunately, when news filtered through to the town, it was not good. Bayezid had told his Persian counterpart that he could do what he wanted with Selim as he had other sons who could take his place.

As a result of this communication, Selim lost the little finger of his left hand, returned to Bayezid with the threat, despite Muslim conventions that forbade emasculating others of their faith, of an even more important part of the Prince to follow if the Sultan did not stop his attempted invasion of Syria. However, the boy’s father remained unflinchingly stubborn. The Governor of Teheran therefore received instruction to have his important prisoner nullified, the severed genitalia to be conveyed initially back to Tabriz. He was additionally told that he could do whatever he wanted with the unimportant young servant, who was merely an infidel Christian. The local ruler thought that the latter would probably just lose his testicles, a young eunuch with his very rare features being more valuable than a boy still with his full masculinity.

The Turkish Prince became very depressed after the loss of his digit, not being able to understand his father’s attitude. After all, surely Selim was more important than Syria. In his terror after being taken prisoner, the heir to the Ottoman throne had been desperate to retain at least one face that he knew near him and was glad that he had retained the rightful English King’s services, as the latter was now gently nursing the former through his misery.

In his need since their capture, Selim had treated Edward much more respectfully, now performing many of his own menial chores and not forcing himself sexually on his fellow 13 years old. Their relationship grew into more equal companionship, given lives now forcibly spent living closely together and in mutual peril. Lovemaking eventually resumed, stimulated not just by sexual passion but also by awakening desire for intimate friendship. The Ottoman Prince had also allowed the previously unthinkable when he permitted the English Prince to deflower him. Having overcome initial reluctance and pain, the young Turk came to enjoy the experience.

The Governor did not consider his home to be an appropriate place in which to profane Muslim doctrine and so sent Selim, with his servant, to the local slave market, where the former could be nullified and returned whilst the latter was sold and probably subsequently gelded. The frightened boys were not told what was going to happen but feared the worst when they were packed one morning into the back of a covered horse-drawn wagon, escorted by a number of gubernatorial servants and soldiers. The vehicle conveyed them through the narrow busy streets of Teheran to the large building where their genitals were to be in great danger.

The scared Princes were unloaded from the wagon by the servants and taken through the front entrance to a large hall where there were many other boys, all naked. It was the day of the month when pretty young males were sold. Travelling castrators had set up their stalls in adjacent smaller rooms to accommodate the wishes of purchasers. Most of the boys for sale were in groups, supervised by adult slaves and their trader masters. All had their hands and feet chained together. Many were non-Muslim captives, including some white Christians from the Caucasus, slightly darker Zoroastrians from Persia itself, brown Buddhists and Hindus from the east and black spiritualists who had come from the south via Arabia.

Many buyers and voyeurs helped to fill the hall almost to capacity. Deals were struck with the traders and the boys who had achieved the required price were led away by their new owners, some to the rooms where the castrators practised their expertise. The risk of unmanning new young acquisitions successfully always fell on the purchasers, although this was usually minimal as, at this place and time, the skills required had been honed almost to an art form.

To their undisguised shock and shame, Selim and Edward quickly joined the other boys in nudity, although not in chains. Both, like many of the others, displayed unwanted erections. The Ottoman Prince was led to a side doorway where he was kept outside as the craftsman inside, the acknowledged local master of nullification, was busy attending to a 12 years old black. The English Prince was taken to the middle of the hall where he was immediately surrounded by men eager to examine the rare delicacy.

Many hands prodded and probed the aghast and deeply humiliated Edward. The various careful attentions included his mouth being checked, genitals fondled and weighed, buttocks rubbed and anus inspected for previous usage. A very substantial tender from an ugly squat fat brothel-keeper was eventually accepted, not as much as the boy could have attracted if he had still been virginal but nevertheless a worthwhile addition to the Governor’s coffers. The appalled and tremulous 13 years old was then escorted to a different side door, inside which the talented craftsman specialised in removing testes.

The doors to Selim’s and Edward’s rooms of destiny were opened almost simultaneously. Both could see inside previous young victims lying on mattresses, loins swathed in bloodied bandages, and the bloodstained tables to which the new eunuchs had previously been strapped. Both Princes now guessed what type of fate imminently awaited them as they were dragged, struggling uselessly, towards the respective entrances.

(To be concluded in chapter 12 – ‘Rewards’)