TURHAN | PAYITAHT

Chapter 1

Doors of the carriage opened to show me beautiful Yildiz Palace. Palace my father gave to build, but didn't have a many time to spend there.Residance of Ottoman Dynasty. Place where Sultan held his politic meetings and place where he lived with his family, Harem.

Palace where I was supposed to live, but never had ability to be there, because since my birth I was unfortunate.

My name is Melike Turhan Sultan. Daughter of Sultan Abdulaziz and his consort Raziye Fatma Sultan. Melike meaning queen or angel, and Turhan meaning of mercy.

I was born on 19th December, excatly six months and fifteen days after my father died. I never had oportunity to meet my father. I never even knew how he looked alike, only thing I had from him was a photo of him, and necklace he gifted my mother with when she became pregnant.

My mother Raziye Fatma Sultan was of Caucasian origin. She was sent to Palace and she was sixth wife of my father. She gave birth to a son, named Mustafa three years before I was born. Unfortunatley, my brother Mustafa died when he was only one year old due to health problems. My mother lost hope in everything, and two years later she became pregnant, with me.

Everything seemed perfect, but when she was in her second month of pregnancy, they dethroned my father and he died very soon. My mother was banished from Dolmabache Palace and she was sent to live in Çigran Palace.

She gave birth to me on that cold December night, being all alone, without anyone loved next to her.

My mother knew that in Çigran I would have no peace, because at that time my father's cousin get to the throne, and only three months later he was dethroned. He was locked in Çigran Palace where whoever goes away from, could never return again. At that time, Sultan Murad's brother and my father's cousin Abdulhamid ascended the Ottoman Throne.

I would always remember the words I heard: If you leave Çigran palace, you will never be able to return there.

In my young age, only persons I remember were Hatice and Fehime Sultan, daughters of Sultan Murad who was together with us in Çigran Palace after he was dethroned.

I never saw my mother happy, always I would see only tears on her face. As I was young, I never understood why couldn't my mother be happy even for a moment. When I was six years old, she sent me on education in Paris. She sent me with my nanny Gülbahar and Sultan gave me a lot of maids to take care of me.

Twelve years I have been living in Paris. Fourteen years only communication with my family I had with my cousin, Seniha Sultan. Fourteen years I haven't seen my mother.

Until I was 12 years old, my mother would usually send me letters to check how I am. But after that, she stopped writing me. She didn't send me even a word in those six years.

Gulbahar nanny told me my mother fell in deep depression and she had no will for life. I couldn’t believe my mother who was only one to me wouldn't send me even a word. I couldn’t believe how she could do this to her only child, making her feel like she is orphan.

I felt like a orphan for almost six years. I had no father, and my mother didn't even care about my existance. I tried to give all of myself to understand my mother and her pain after the death of my father, but none reason to abandon your child like this is suitable. None mother could do something like this.

Only for one time I saw someone from my family, from Ottoman Dnyasty. That was my cousin Seniha Sultan, but I prefered to call her aunt, since her son was my age, not her. She visited me in Paris three years ago, and she begged me to return in Istanbul with her, but I didn't want to. I wanted to continue my education in Paris. I had no will or hope to return somewhere where I would also have no one.