"Names change, but a person's being doesn't change. We women are called different things, daughter, wife, mother, perhaps even Sultana - but the important thing is which name you choose to define yourself by." Safiye Sultan
What would happen if all...
The men of our empire go into battle desiring to appear fierce in their armor. Us women, we are born into a war-zone of luxury; daily preparing ourselves for fights laced in fatal nuances and violent beauty.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Manisa, 12th January 1512
"Sümbül Ağa, you chose very well raised concubine. What is your name girl?" A beautiful woman named Ayse Hafsa asked me when I entered her chambers.
Never in my life I have seen a woman so beautiful, but will all manners that suited her so well. You couldn't look at her because she had so much power even in her way of acting, when she spoke, everyone trembled at her word.
"Sofia, Your Highness," I muttered, being afraid to say anything else beside my name to this woman. She nodded with her head, not caring for my bad turkish, which I had only a month to learn.
"Where are you from?" She asked me and once again I felt fear if I would say something wrong in front of her. Only her gaze made me feel afraid if she would do anything to me if I am not like she wants me to be.
"I'm from Albania," I said.
She measured me once again before whispering something to her servant which I learned her name was Daye, and she was her servant for her whole life.
She nodded me and I didn't know what did that mean, but Sumbul and Daye left her chambers so I followed them as I still didn't know the rules. I have been in harem of prince Suleiman for two months and I still didn't have any ability to see the prince. No one here actually saw me as someone who is supposed to go to the prince, but when they saw I have talents in poetry, they decided to send me there.
"Did I do anything bad?" I asked worriedly Daye and Sumbul because I didn't know why Ayse Hafsa Sultan has nodded to me to leave. I might be here for two months but I never encountered someone from royal family so I didn't know what is something like that.
"Indeed, our Sultana liked you and tonight you will go to havlet with prince Suleiman," Daye said and I was so confused.
"What is havlet?" I asked.
"You will spend a night with Sultan, now you should get prepared," she said and I felt happiness in my heart, because I knew this is the way for me.
This is the way in which I will be successful and I will be someone respected, someone at who all the others concubines will tremble as when I saw Ayse Hafsa Sultan.
"Do you remember everything we said to you?" Daye asked as she and Sumbul walked with me in front of prince's chambers. I just nodded with my head and took a deep breath before arriving to the place in the time which will make my fate bright and become someone like magnificent Ayse Hafsa is, or I will spend the rest of my life miserably as it is now. I was worried about the prince, how old is he, how does he look, how is his personality, will he like me or I will be here just for one night for him to make his prince duties? Thousands of questions were in my head when two guards opened the doors of the chambers where my fate will be decided.
