Orajta of Theebo

Orajta of Theebo (12 April 853 - 26 July 891) or Orajta of Sayamati, was queen consort and niece of King Isacca I of Sayamati. She was the eldest daughter of Miro III, Duke of Theebo, and her youngest sister Anmarie was the Eadien empress. Isacca I chose to marry her in order to give birth to an heir. Although she successfully gave birth to the future Joan II, her marriage was not happy and had been ignored by her husband for a long time. It was said that she was unfaithful to her husband and plotted against him.

Childhood
Orajta was the firstborn daughter of Miro III, Duke of Theebo, by his first wife, Ceisivey of Kuwenphrak. She was raised in the Sayamatian royal court by her grandmother Theona of Hsindra.

Her mother Ceisivey died after giving birth to Joan Isacca in 855. Shortly after, her father was wedded to Princess Madhri of Eadien, daughter of Reramonsi I and Sumanee of Eadien. Madhri was a warm and kind woman, who took the responsibility of raising her stepchildren by playing games with them and in charge of their education. When she had her children, Joan Isacca and Orajta were sent to the court because Madhri didn't have enough energy to take care of too much kids due to her bad health caused by childbirths. Orajta was taught by Anna of Mohal, who was as warm and kind as Madhri of Theebo. She taught Orajta with a cautious attitude, but she may never predict that this little girl will marry her husband one day.

Orajta was betrothed to Prince Minyaung of Hsindra, future Minyaung IV, while the king's daughter Madharia was betrothed to Reramonsi, Crown Prince of Eadien, future Reramonsi II. After Reramonsi's mother Atula died, Emperor Minsi II was not willing to follow his wife's idea that made her niece the future Eadien empress, so he began the marriage negotiation with Maharapura, planning to marry Reramonsi with a Maharapurese princess, which led to the cancel of Madharia's engagement. To make his daughter a queen, King Isacca I decided to marry Madharia to Minyaung of Hsindra, Orajta's fiance, then betrothed Orajta to his son Prince Oraj Sacario as a compensation. Orajta was 9 years older than the prince, which worried Duke of Theebo whether this marriage could consummate fluently.

Queen of Sayamati
In 865, Anna of Mohal died, and one year later, her only surviving son Prince Oraj Sacario also died. Isacca I fell into trouble that he lost all of his sons, with only a daughter Madharia survived. On the one hand, Isacca I thought a queen will make the kingdom fall into a period of unrest; on the other hand, Isacca didn't want Madharia's future husband Minyaung was crowned King of Sayamati. So Isacca I decided to remarry, and the object was his son's fianceé, also his niece Orajta. The royal family claimed that the king married his niece was for the purity of royal blood. However, a Sayamatian nobleman Kensa Cabina pointed it out that Orajta was raised by Anna of Mohal for several years, resulting Orajta had some behaviors and qualities similar to the deceased queen, which was the real reason of the king taking her for his wife. Kensa Cabina lampooned that if the father is allowed to marry his daughter, the new queen of Sayamati will be Madharia.

On 25 May 867, the wedding between Isacca and Orajta was celebrated in Ilkalo Temple, Kananive, when the king was 30 and queen only 14. Miro III said Orajta was too young to consummate her marriage, but Isacca I didn't want to wait because he was in urgent need for a son. A bitter quarrel happened between the brothers. Madharia also tried to persuade her father to delay the consummation. There was no specific record about the time of their consummation, but the next March after their marriage, Orajta gave birth to her first child, future Joan II, when she was not 15 yet.

Isacca married Orajta just for his need for children, so he never regard Orajta as his wife, even as a woman. The king wore black clothes all day to mourn Anna of Mohal, ignoring his current wife's feeling. After the death of Anna, the king almost closed his feelings. He rarely went to Orajta's chamber and cared about her. Every time he went, he just went to have sex to give birth to more children. Nevertheless, Orajta had only one child, Joan, in her entire life. She had been pregnant for at least 6 times, but she either miscarried her babies, or had stillborn children. She miscarried her child in 869 for the first time, the king didn't comfort her; instead, he complaint it and blamed her. After Orajta failed to have a health child for several times, the king thought her unable to have more children, so he didn't went to the queen's chamber anymore. It was said the king wanted to divorce Orajta and marry a younger and fertile woman, but his counselors suggested him to remain this marriage for Prince Joan.

Although had a bad relationship with the king, Orajta still enjoyed great power as she was mother of the future king. According to tradition then, she didn't raise her son by her own, but she often visited her son and keep a close relationship with him. Compared with her, Isacca didn't care Joan enough, who only cared Princess Madharia, Anna's daughter. Isacca I cried and said he had no family around him when Madharia left Sayamati to marry Minyaung. Orajta was infuriated by her husband's words. She thought she can't bear her husband anymore, so she moved to her father's household, where she took care of her youngest sister Anmarie, and contributed to the marriage between Anmarie and Reramonsi II.

Political actions
Orajta wished her son could marry Sumanee, the heiress of Yorte, so Joan can get the duchy of Yorte in the future. Isacca did not care about his son's marriage, so Orajta can only seek help from her father Miro III, who agreed to negotiate with Yorte, however, in 882, Miro died.

Joan Isacca succeeded as Duke of Theebo, and was objected by some nobles abetted by Theebo Supreme Court, who asked to enthrone Belfante Isacca, Miro III's youngest son, as the duke, because Belfante was still young and immature, and his mother Madhri knew little about politics. If Belfante became the duke, nobles can get the domination of Theebo. Orajta wanted to help Joan Isacca, especially she looked forward to reaching the marriage contract between Joan and Sumanee with her brother's help, thus she forced herself to return to her husband for asking him to send troops to quell the rebellion in Theebo.

The king disappointed her again, who refused Orajta's request as for him there's no difference no matter who was the duke. Orajta lost her affection for Isacca I since then. As the guardian of Joan, she mobilized armies of Prince of Basha to Theebo. Joan Isacca also got help from other lords. Unluckily, Joan Isacca died in a fall from a horse in the battle, and his 3-year-old son Sacario became the new duke. Nobles stopped their rebellion as Sacario was young enough to be controlled.

Knowing her brother's death, Orajta fell into depression, with her emotion towards Isacca I turning to abomination. Sacario's mother Madharia of Inmey was held in a temple by nobles, then she was saved and brought to the royal palace by Orajta, who tried to seek chance to send her back to Theebo.

Orajta gained the support from Joan de Baikansi, Marquess of Varbo, who was willing to negotiate with Duke of Yorte on behalf of the queen to reach the marriage contract. Orajta send a territory belonging to Sayamatian queen to Sumanee as a present, which displeased Isacca I, but Orajta said that Sumanee will become Queen of Sayamati one day, thus it's just a matter of time of her getting this territory. Isacca accused Orajta of profligacy and lack of vision that he planned to reduce her annuity, but it didn't succeed because the majority in the council of nobles stood by the queen.

Orajta achieved her wish in January 883, when Joan married Sumanee. There're so many reasons of this marriage made. In addition to efforts of Orajta and Baikansi and others, another important reason was the death of Sumanee's father, making her Sumanee II, Duchess of Yorte, who needed a proper marriage to strengthen her domination over the dukedom, and to deal with ambitions from other monarchs. Sayamati was a great power, and can protect her interests.

Madharia met her trouble in Hsindra, who was challenged by Ophia de Mesarol, Minyaung IV's mistress, and the latter will successfully marry the king, while Madharia was announced marriage annulled and banished. Madharia died in exile. Some rumors spread that she was poisoned by Minyaung IV and Ophia de Mesarol. Isacca was painful about her daughter's tough situation. Orajta also showed her sympathy to her cousin, but she didn't want her husband to be hostile to Hsindra on account of Madharia. She gave up persuading the king as she knew it useless, while she plotted to force the king to relinquish his power even to abdicate with nobles that she allied who was dissatisfied him, then make Prince Joan rule.

The Mesarol family was in crisis when Ophia de Mesarol died in power struggle, and Orajta saw her chance coming. She contacted Nipofe de Mesarol, Ophia's brother, showing her willingness of enthroning Prince Fabio, Ophia's son, as well as sheltering the Mesarols if necessary, while the Mesarols must provide money for possible coup in Sayamati as exchange. Nipofe de Mesarol was a cautions man. He considered it for a long time, but he immediately agreed after he had an audience with the queen in Sayamati in March 883. It was said Nipofe and Orajta fell in love with each other at the first glance, and they even betrayed their marriages for each other. Pyinsa de Mesarol, Nipofe's illegitimate daughter, served Orajta as a maid-of-honor, who will be a mistress of Joan II later.

In February 884, Isacca I travelled to Ranbin, during which time a coup happened in Fwabosi that part of aristocrats headed by Sacario, Count of Malaydeine, plotted to make Joan king. Few days later, Isacca dressed up as an attendant and sneaked into the Apina Palace, then got his crown back. No evidence showed that Orajta was in connection with this coup, because she didn't stay in Fwabosi, but went to Theebo to negotiate with local nobles on behalf of her sister-in-law Madharia of Inmey. Nevertheless, some historians still regarded this coup was planned by her by reason that Count of Malaydeine had received 17,000 nelas from the Mesarols prior to the coup, but he had no relationship with the Mesarols. Orajta was never suspected, and she didn't attempt to stage a coup after that.

Actions to the Eadien empire
Orajta had no longer lived with her husband, moving to the Pziwa Palace, where she continued her attention on politics. Isacca I ignored her sister Eadien empress Anmarie's request; at that time she and the emperor were confronting the emperor's uncle Kanaunt, Duke of Insa. Orajta tried to help her sister. She condemned Kanaunt a shameless traitor, and mocked that Kanaunt's wife Elanche Thiri Morkin was a courtesan. Sick of Orajta, Kanaunt sent a letter to Isacca I in which he claimed that the queen was a dangerous woman who had some unnecessary connections with foreign states, warning the king to be aware of his wife.

Isacca thought there's no need to be involved in confrontations between the emperor and his uncle, regardless of his niece Anmarie's situation. Orajta incited her son to oppose his father's view and ask the king to support the emperor. Orajta's attitude on this issue greatly influenced Joan, resulting relations between Sayamati and the empire reached the lowest point during Joan II's reign.

There're three kinds of points in Sayamati about the dispute between Reramonsi II and Kanaunt. First, Support Kanaunt. Because Reramonsi II was incompetent while Kanaunt had potential to be a good ruler; also, Kanaunt had a great possibility to replace Reramonsi II as the emperor. Supporting Kanaunt was benefit for the friendship of two countries. Second, Sayamati and the empire had allied for many decades, so Sayamati should support current emperor, and oppose the traitor Kanaunt. Third, abandon morality and interfere in Eadien's domestic affairs, take the opportunity to seize benefts from Eadien. The king was indifferent to the matter, and the queen and prince supported Reramonsi II, enabling the king to gain the support of other two factions. Orajta was unable to exert her power and influence in the matter, and Sayamati remained on the sidelines of the struggle between the emperor and Duke of Insa.

Later years and death
Orajta gradually slipped into seclusion. She invited many nuns and priests to hold religious activities in the Pziwa, and didn't concern politics anymore.

Orajta had fought for many years in politics, but she was failed in most of time. She didn't overthrow her husband, didn't get her nephew out of Theebo nobles' control, and didn't help her sister successfully. She was haunted by her failures, which may be the reason of her into religious activities.

It can be known through her talks with Priest Henther de La Til that she was not reconciled to her political failures, and she thought that it's all Isacca I's fault, so she was looking forward to her son's accession because they had same ideas on many issues. Pitifully, she can't see it coming. She died in the Pziwa on 26 July 891. The death reason was cancer caused by depression. Two years later, Isacca I died and Joan succeeded as King Joan II. If Orajta can live longer, she may have chance to achieve her political goals.

Orajta abominated Isacca I. According to tradition, a queen whose children were crowned should buried with her husband, but she left words that she should be buried solo. But she was still buried with Isacca I in El Bahal.