Empire of the Ring

When Syrian refugees entered the royal territory, the Kurds, who had already settled down, began to step up and take care of them voluntarily. It was because they used to be in a situation, and their sympathy was aroused.

The Kurds, who took root in the royal territory, were mostly living a stable life, and some owned a decent restaurant or store.

Syrians who emigrated from France were relaxed because they received a grant from the French government.

Having received as much as 50,000 euros based on the five-member family, each family could build a temporary home, but as soon as they saw the temporary camp, they realized that they did not have to build a temporary sloppy house.

They did not know that the temporary camp was not a tent but an assembly building and that it was also equipped with various amenities and temporary schools.

In addition, the administration of the royal territory promised to provide housing for migrant families soon.

As housing and land costs would be given under an exceptional condition of interest-free long-term repayment, they were inevitably surprised.

It really felt like they were in the legendary Eldorado, as the French government advertised.

Gaby Masho, a Syrian girl from Hama who spent five years as a building cleaner in France, persuaded his parents and brothers to go to Kazakhstan this time and was very confused when she arrived at the royal territory.

It was because she could not help but wonder how the Kazakh royal family’s financial resources could create a better temporary camp than France, the front-runner among advanced countries, and even provide homes and jobs for the refugees.

She initially thought that the royal family was going to exploit her people eventually.

But after spending a few days in the temporary camp, she immediately found out that all those ideas were wrong.

Gaby used to dream of making a great airplane her own by majoring in mechanical engineering.

Such a dream disappeared in a moment due to civil war.

As the civil war grew into a proxy war for big powers, her parents quickly escaped from the country, judging that Syria was no longer hopeful, and was able to settle in France before others.

But life in France was also not hopeful but gloomy.

Even if she wanted to go to college, no opportunity came for her.

After her parents got into a car accident, she had to take their place and work as a building cleaner.

Gaby, who dreamed of becoming a mechanical engineer as a teenager, was struggling to make ends meet, let alone plan for the future before she became a 22-year-old.

Then one day, she heard the good news.

The opportunity came to her, who spent five years in Paris.

Not only did Gaby get a chance, but her whole family also.

When she heard the French government’s announcement to give 10,000 euros per refugee if they moved to Kazakhstan, she decided to leave France so that her younger siblings could go to school and have a better life than her.

The 50,000 euros paid by the French government to Gaby’s family was the family’s last hope.

After spending a few days in a place called the Arirang royal territory in Kazakhstan, she had the hope that she could materialize the dream.

Within a few days after she moved, her younger siblings were able to go to school.

If they just studied hard, they could go to the Royal Medical School or the Royal College, and they could even enter the specialized school, as well as becoming an engineer after graduation.

When the younger siblings’ schooling issue was resolved, Gaby was also contemplating whether to join the Royal Bodyguards like young Kurdish men.

She had already passed the age of going to college, but she did not have to worry about her family’s livelihood if she became a member of the Royal Bodyguards.

***

“Your Highness, I don’t know how to thank you for accepting my family. I’m Ranim Muhammad. I was a freshman at the University of Aleppo before I left Syria.

I chose architecture for my major because I wanted to create a simple world instead of the complex reality that we live in. I had this big dream, but the world had a bigger challenge for me.

I was an honor student in my first semester of college. Before the war in my hometown of Aleppo, I was a very passionate and decisive person. I can’t forget what I felt just before the war on Aleppo broke out.

The day when the war began was just like any other day. I stayed up all night preparing for an exam and my brother drove me to school. I did well on the test. And at 1:00 p.m., I had the biggest shock of my life as the school was attacked by someone. I can never forget the screams of people running to survive.

I survived that day. But something in me didn’t survive. The flame in my heart that I always thought I lived with had disappeared.

When I saw the list of casualties in Aleppo, I thought, ‘My name will be on the list next time.’ It felt like I was in a coma.

Imagine an 18-year-old girl is feeling this way instead of being filled with dreams, hopes, precious friends, expectations, and excitement.

It’s my father who gave me strength. My father told me not to worry. His words had always given me strength. Music also gave me a lot of strength. Whenever I felt trapped, I held my guitar in my hand. Guitar became my best friend, and it was the only way I could stand in this dark world, but even this had to be put down soon.

One night. Dad woke us all up and shouted, ‘We have to go now.’ It was the first time I had ever felt such a deep fear in my father’s voice. A violent war hit the city, and we had to leave the house behind.

I felt like I was having a nightmare, but it wasn’t a nightmare, it was a reality. When I left, I found my guitar and my father said I couldn’t take it. I left my best friend, the guitar, behind, carrying my clothes on my back. I remember getting in the car and looking back at the house for the last time.

For two years, we moved from place to place aimlessly, and I always wondered if I could see my friends again or touch my guitar again.

The last place we settled in was Paris, France, where we spoke the same language, but there was nothing we could do. There was no future, and because of the problem of making ends meet, my parents and big brother had to work from dawn to late at night leaving my younger siblings and I home.

One day, a man I met on the street recommended me to be a model, but actually, it was not modeling, it was prostitution against tourists. I was going to do it in spite of my parents’ and brother’s opposition. At that time, the French government suggested moving to Kazakhstan, so I was able to come here.

We were worried that another harsh refugee life was waiting for us, but contrary to our concerns, we found that the royal territory was a very kind place and a good place to live. I was able to come here and play the guitar again, and I was able to meet my scattered relatives and friends again.

I think it all stems from the warm hearts of Her Majesty and the Duke, who have pitied the Syrians. Kazakhstan is now our second home.

When I finish studying later, I want to be a small help for the Kazakh royal family and Kazakhstan. I learned ‘humanitarian love’ after watching people dying in misery and realizing the dignity of life while helping each other.

Please understand that my writing has become a rambling one since I haven’t written in a long time. If I get the chance, I’d like to study at the Royal College…”

The letter continued after that, but Jelyan could not read anymore.

She, who was reading the letter, was already in tears and could not keep reading.

It was a plain letter, but it was a story that one could not hear without tears.

Fatima, Zeynep, and Rena, who were listening to the story together, were all in tears.

A Syrian refugee girl who recently emigrated from France sent a handwritten letter to Youngho, so he asked Jelyan to read it in the evening, which stimulated everyone’s tear glands.

Many young Syrians, who spent more than seven years in Syria’s civil war since 2011, were growing up overcoming the pain of losing their families and friends and holding themselves together.

“Dad, I really want to meet this girl named Ranim. I think she’s a very courageous person.”

“There are many people like her. They’ve made it through difficult times.”

“I’ll have to ask the Kurds to be more active in helping the new Syrian people.”

“Yes, no Kurds would dare disobey you. If there’s anything you can do for the Syrians, I’ll support you. I’m so proud of them for thinking of this place as your second home, regardless of nationality and religion.”

“If Dad hadn’t saved me from the Iraqi refugee camp, I would have gone through all sorts of hardships like them. After reading this letter, I can see how lucky I was.”

“What are you talking about? Dad and you were already connected by the thread of fate. If it weren’t there, we would’ve met somewhere else anyway. Don’t you think so?”

Jelyan was crying again, so Youngho quickly gestured to Fatima for help.

“Of course, she’s been with us since our previous life. Jelyan, you are the pride of our royal family. Your dad and I would have found you no matter where you were.”

“So I’m always thankful for you, but if we had met earlier, my brother wouldn’t have died…”

She sobbed as she was recalling her painful memories after reading the letter.

For Jelyan, the escape route from Syria to Iraq remained an indelible pain.

After barely appeasing her, Youngho promised to leave the work of helping Syrian refugees to Jelyan.

To erase painful memories, the only cure was to confront Syrians and understand each other’s pain.

“Jelyan, can you treat Kurds and Syrians alike?”

“Yes, they used to speak the same French language, and both people are from Syria.”

“This time, we received a lot of funds from Europe. It is going to be used to settle down the Syrians, so try to get a good look at what they need and help them settle down here quickly.”

“Dad, I’m going to be absent from school for a while, and you have to understand that.”

It was fortunate that Jelyan was showing desire.

If she recalled her painful memories because of Syrian migrants and was affected by them, Youngho would be distressed.

To heal Jelyans sore wounds, the Syrians must also settle down quickly.

If they failed to settle down, the way to heal her pain would never come to rest.

In order to help the refugees to be assimilated into Kazakhstan’s life, they needed a sense of pride that they were needed in the community.

Fortunately, the presence of a Kurdish Syrian princess in the Kazakh royal family would also help the Syrians settle down, but another way was for them to join the Royal Bodyguards. Having a sense of duty installed in their mindset would speed their settlement process.

“Why don’t you encourage young people who dropped out of colleges in Syria to join the Royal Bodyguards?”

There were many young people who were well over the age of being admitted to college due to their long refugee life. For many of them, joining the military was a more preferable option than working in the factory.

“Is it okay for women to join the Royal Bodyguards?”

“If people want to join, of course.”