HOŞYAR SULTAN ✔️

4th chapter

Since entering the Palace I couldn't stop admiring all the beauty it provides. The palace was modernly furnished and was decorated in a much different style than ours in Venice.

Murad separated from us and left us to a woman he said was called Lalezar Kalfa. He told her to introduce us to his Mother, Kosem Sultan.

Lalezar just weighed us and directed us to Kosem Sultan.
- Watch out girls, when you come in, bow down and kiss her hand. Don't talk until the Sultan gives you permission. Try to please the Sultan because that is the only way to get to the Sultan's heart. said Lalezar, trying hard to help us.

A black door with golden frescoes opened in front of us and we entered those chambers one by one. We walked with our heads bowed until we came to the part where the Sultan was sitting. One by one we kissed her hand as she held it out to us and we went back to stand where we were.

Kosem Sultan weighed us from head to toe and looked at us suspiciously. Next to her were three other women who were very elegantly dressed.
These women weighed on us the same way, but less suspiciously than Kosem.

- What's your name?- she asked us. We were not allowed to raise our heads to look at her, it was hard for me because I hated having my head down in front of someone.

We introduced her to our names.
- Great, so you're Venetian. Like our glorious Nurbanu Sultana. Follow her example and maybe one day you will become a famous Sultan like her. - Kosem Sultana told us proudly.

- Sultan, our Sultan Murad is legally married to me and he cannot have more wives. - said one of those three elegant women in a very rude tone.

- Enough Farya, don't forget that Ajse is the first woman. Just because you're married to my hero doesn't mean you have the right to behave like that around me! Kosem told her in a sharp voice that froze the blood in her veins.

I saw that Cecilia and Anna were quite scared of Kosem, but it didn't react to me.

- Lalezar Kalfa, prepare these two redheads for my hero Murad. Let them dance tonight at a party for him. said Kosem, which really struck me. Cecilia and Anna were red-haired, while I was brown-haired. I lost my first chance to meet Murad again.

Cecilia and Anna bowed to her and let go of the chambers which left me alone with four Sultans in the room.

- Your name is Rachela, right?- Kosem asked me, to which I gently raised my head.

- Yes, Sultan. I told her with a smile.
- You understand Turkish well, how do you know it? she asked me with great interest, to which I replied with a smile.

- I studied Turkish from a young age. - I told her and bowed to her. It was interesting to her to know Turkish.

- I see you have good manners. From now on, I want you to take care of my three grandchildren. You will take care of them. - she told me.

- Your wish is my order, Sultan. I hope to be able to fulfill your wishes. I told her, smiling.

- Great. - she told me and signaled me to leave her chambers.

Lalezar Kalfa directed me to the hammam to wash and change my clothes. There I saw Cecilia and Anna getting ready to dance at Murad's. I felt very jealous, but I don't want a man I will have to share with hundreds of other women.

- Rachel, what do we do? We don't even understand Turkish and we go to the Sultan. Cecilia told me worriedly.

Lalezar Kalfa heard it all and told me to translate her instructions for them. I translated for them everything that Lalezar Kalfa said.

That evening I slept for the first time on a mattress on the cold floor of a harem among other women. Everyone was measuring me and wondering who I was. It didn't bother me at all. I spent the whole night in jealousy thinking of Murat who is now with Cecilia or Anna.

Early that morning I got ready and Lalezar Kalfa took me to the Sultan's children. I went inside and bowed to them. I saw one beautiful girl who is about ten years old, it was Ismihan that Murad told me about. Next to her stood Prince Ahmed, her twin brother. And next to him stood a young prince, Suleiman, who had she could judge six years.

I tried to please the kids because I didn't want to disobey Kosem Sultan's decisions. She was the most powerful woman in the empire and I didn't want to be in a bad relationship with her. I knew that if I resented her I would be expelled from court quickly.

I took the princes and Sultana to the courtyard because they wanted to play, and I supervised them there. Ismihan looked most like Murad, she had the same eyes and the same face shape as her. When she first smiled at me, I saw the smile I saw yesterday at Murad's.

At that moment I heard the aga yell, "Attention! His Highness Sultan Murad Khan!"
I bowed to him at that moment, though he hadn't even noticed me yet. His children ran into his arms and he hugged and kissed them all.

- Kids, why are you alone in the garden? he asked them confused. He did not see their mothers with them, which surprised him.
- Kosem Sultan ordered Rachela to guard us from now on. - Ismihan said and smiled at me.

Murad looked at me at that moment and did not smile at me.
- Ismihan, let's play with the brothers. - he told her and they occupied themselves with the game.

Murad came close to me and I bowed to him and looked into his beautiful eyes, even though I knew I shouldn't.

- So the woman who wanted to kill me was in charge of babysitting my children? Interesting! said Murad with a laugh.
I just looked at him and smiled slightly at him because I didn't know how to react differently.

- Take care of them like an eye in your head, I entrust you with all the care around them. he told me with a smile.
- Do not worry. I told him, smiling at him.

- Your mother sent me your friends last night. - he said and stood next to me watching the children play.
- I know, I heard. I told him in a disappointed voice.

- They didn't spend five minutes in my quarters. - he said which shocked me at that moment. That means he wasn't with any of them.I was very happy at that moment, but I tried to hide my happiness so that Murad would not notice.

- Why did you drive them away? I asked him with interest.
- I don't like them, my mother never knows what kind of women I want. he said and inhaled.

I just looked him in the eye.
- And what kind of women do you love? I gave him a provocative look.
He just turned to me and looked me deep in the eye.
- I love women like you. - he said and left me breathless.
- Sultan! - I saw that a woman came cheerfully to Murad and bowed to him.

I bowed to her because I had seen her before in the chambers of Kosem.

- Rachela, this is my first wife, Ayse. Murad told me, pointing to Ayse. I bowed to her once more and smiled at her.

- Rachel, leave me alone with the Sultan. Take the children to their chambers.- she told me rudely.
- As you wish. - I bowed to her, and bowed to Murad. I looked him in the eye once more and he smiled slightly at me.

I picked up the children and took them to their chambers. I went back to the harem in the evening and I couldn't stop thinking about Murad.

He preoccupied my heart. I felt in love with him. But I couldn't afford it. I couldn't afford to become another of his concubines. Which changes whenever he gets bored. If I am with Murad, I will be his only wife. I will not allow other women nearby. If I have to be with him, he will only be mine.