“Sultana, it is a great honor to be your guest at the Palace,” my mother said as we bowed to Hurrem and her daughter Mihrimah with whom she sat in the chambers. Mihrimah was the wife of the Grand Vizier Rustem Pasha who was on good terms with my father.
"Welcome, please," Hürrem said and motioned for us to sit next to her. I’ve had enough of obsequiousness of my mother even though we’ve just arrived. Obsequiousness didn't do her any good because she didn't even dare try to talk to her about her father anyway.
"It is a great honor for me to work with the wife of the commander of the Ottoman Navy. You know he is a very powerful person and with his work he contributes to this Empire," Hurrem said, reaching out to my father's subject. I saw that my mother was about to say something, but I interrupted her at the right moment.
"How lucky if everyone recognized his efforts, Sultana. Prince Mustafa and his army constantly complain about my father and want to remove him. They send spies who visit us all the time, but what can we do when it is the provisions of one prince," I told her. and at the same moment she looked at me with a smile on her face. I knew how much Hurrem hated Mustafa and in my father’s plan she was the perfect collaborator for us.
"The prince does not know what he is doing, he is only working against his father. I will never allow such behavior. My sons are not like him," Hurrem said proudly to his sons.
"We met one of your sons, we're just not sure who it was," my mother said and looked at Sumbul Agu who was supposed to give an answer to her question.
"They met Prince Bayezid," Sumbul said, and Hurrem smiled at that. Now I only knew who that man was, Prince Bayezid.
"Bayezid is my strongest lion, one day on the throne I certainly want to see him," Hurrem said proudly to which Mihrimah agreed with her.
At that moment, the door to Hurrem's chambers opened and her youngest son, Prince Çihangir, entered. At that moment my mother and I got up and bowed to him as they ruled and dictated. Prince Çihangir was unfortunately hunchbacked and for that reason he could never inherit the throne, but he was the most beloved of his children. Hurrem showed him to sit next to her, so he was just sitting across from me. I saw the prince looking at me the whole time and I was a little embarrassed. I couldn’t focus on anything in this conversation after seeing Bayezid, but I told myself I had to flinch and get back to reality.
"Mihriban, do you want to come with me and Çihangir to visit the Palace?" Mihrimah asked me why I got up immediately and went with them, because I knew that Hurrem wanted to talk to my mother in private. But it was a bad idea for her, because her mother was not interested in political issues at all.
Mihrimah and Çihangir took me to the terrace of the Harem from which the whole of Istanbul and the surrounding area could be seen. Everything was in the palm of your hand. The whole Bosporus was seen. Everything that was happening could be seen from the Palace.
“This is a magnificent view,” I said enthusiastically when I saw everything in front of me. Although I lived in a rather wealthy family and went through many places, nothing fascinated me like the view from Topkapi Palace.
“And then they talk about how bad it is in the Palace, how concubines are treated badly, and they can enjoy the most beautiful view in the world,” Mihrimah said.
“I wouldn’t like to be in their shoes,” I said and continued to watch Istanbul at night.
"Why?" Prince Çihangir looked at me confused.
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MIHRIBAN | YOURS FOREVER
Historical FictionMihriban was born in Dukagjin mountains as villager's daughter, but only at the age of four she was captured and sold as a slave on Istanbul market. She had luck that she was adopted by Chief of Ottoman Navy Ali Reis and his wife Mersiha Hatun. Baye...
