There's something special about a woman who dominates in a man's world. It takes a certain grace, strength, intelligence, fearlessness and the nerve to never take no for an answer.
Mehrnaaz Sultana was the firstborn daughter of Sultan Suleiman the...
"Here you go, take it." A smirking Gulsha, Hurrem Sultana's new personal maid, said while distributing pouches filled with silver Asper. The cariye who received the pouch thanked Gulsha respectfully, her face full of happiness. The other cariyes along the line barely suppressed their excitement and stood up straight, waiting for their turn. Cariyes like them were dispensable to this Harem. Their daily salary being only 2 aspers. So they looked forward to this kind of gift very much.
"Don't worry girls. I have enough silver for everybody." Gulsha reassured while handing a pouch to the next cariye. Behind her an agha was distributing sherbet. "Now that Hurrem Sultana is in charge of this harem, occasions like this won't be rare." Gulsha continued, her face smug.
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From the second floor corridor, Fatma Hatun, one of Mahidevran Sultana's close confidants, was watching the whole process with a set jaw and venomous eyes. If looks could kill, Gulshah would have dropped dead by now.
"Fatma Hatun, what are you doing standing there like a statue? Don't you have any work? Off you go then, don't dawdle around." Sumbul Agha, Hurrem Sultana's close adjutant, noticed Fatma's gaze and rebuked. He was here to see if the proceedings were going accordingly or not. After reminding Gulsha to hurry up, Sumbul turned to leave only to see Hatice Sultana entering the harem.
"My Sultana, you honor us with your presence." Sumbul bowed low to welcome the arrival of the Sultan's favorite sister, but she didn't even notice him and passed by without a word. Sumbul didn't mind, he straightened and made his way towards Hurrem Sultana's chambers to inform her of the arrival of Hatice Sultana.
In another part of the harem, Mehrnaaz Sultana, the eldest and beloved daughter of Sultan Suleyman, was inspecting her new chambers. The adolescent Sultana carefully looked around the spacious room. These chambers were probably one of the best ones in the entire harem bar the chambers of the late Ayse Hafsa Valide Sultana. Mehrnaaz had heard this chamber belonged to Zeynep Hatun, a Polish beauty who became the favorite consort of her late grandfather Sultan Selim the Second during the later stages of his reign. Apparently, Sah Sultana had wanted these chambers but Zeynep Hatun liked these exact chambers and asked Sultan Selim for them, the said Sultan giving them to his favored consort instead of his daughter. Some say she did it for revenge as Sah Sultana had humiliated her a lot at the beginning when she had just entered the harem and wasn't favored yet. It is also said that it was Zeynep Hatun who caused Ayse Hafse Sultana to lose favor. Zeynep Hatun was dearly loved by Sultan Selim and was also deemed as the reason for the gradually worsening relationship between the late Sultan and the current Sultan during the formers later years. Zeynep Hatun was also the supposed mastermind behind the poisoned kaftan incident. It is said that it was only Ayse Hafsa Sultana's swift actions that saved her only son, the current Sultan Suleyman's life. So, the late Valide Sultana had many reasons to hate this particular hatun and the hatred showed in her actions. These chambers had been under lock and key since Suleyman's accession to the throne and it was only after the Valide's death that the room saw light again.
