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IT HAD BEEN two months since Kösem sultan and her daughters helped me out.
I got adjusted to the harem instantly, over time I have grown closer with Gevherhan Sultana, she's been through a lot but still, she smiles and acts kind to everyone.
Haci agha claps his hands loudly waking me up from my peaceful sleep, I yawn loudly and the girl who sleeps next to me throws a pillow towards me but I catch it mid-air.
"Try again, " I chuckle tossing the pillow back to her.
I get dressed quickly before I go off to find Gevherhan.
Hagi Agha stops me before I can sneak off, I groan and turn to face him with my hands on my hips.
"Yes, Agha?" I act innocent think he'd let me leave quicker. Hagi Agha sucks his teeth, "don't try to act innocent now Sofia Hatun, what are you doing?" He asks with a harsh tone.
I roll my eyes and throw my head back, I sigh and look at Hagi Agha, "I'm going to visit Gevherhan Sultan in the gardens, she said I could come see her at any time, and the other day she told me she would be in the Imperial Park at early mornings, " I explain quickly.
Hagi Agha chuckles, "You have work to do! After you finish you can be released but for now, you get to work!" He frustratedly says, I groan and my hands up, "All we ever do is clean! I want to have fun!" I whine, Hagi Agha raises his eyebrows and laughs at me before his face falls into a much more serious expression and pushes a sponge and bucket into my hands.
"Get to work or I'll cut your legs off, " he says before walking off to go bother other concubines.
I take a deep breath in before I go and get some water to fill the bucket up, the faster I get this the better.
As Im walking with the heavy bucket in my hands I hum a Greek lullaby to myself, not paying attention to anything I bump into something or someone spilling all the water on the floor.
I look up to see who it is and I see a young boy who looks around my age wincing in pain.
I groan, "thanks a ton! Now I have to go back and fill this bucket all over again!" I say standing up slipping a bit on the water, I hold on to the wall so I won't slip on the water and hurt myself, the boy just looks at me like he's about to throw a fit.
"You bumped into me, how can you be angry!" he raises his voice, I chuckle placing my hands on my hips, "Well, if you weren't walking there I wouldn't have spilled all this water!" I shout in a huff.
I look down at my dress to see that it is now covered in water, "great! Now I also have to change my gown!" I groan before storming off with the bucket.
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After I finished my work I found out that Gevherhan Sultana, her son, and brother the prince, were eating in the Imperial Park and she requested that I join them.
I got dressed quickly before skipping off, and after Hagi Agha found out that I spilled a whole bucket of water he forbid me from eating until I cleaned the harem and served the other concubines, which made me want to hit him so badly but I kept my temper down and I just kept thinking about seeing Gevherhan sultana and having a good meal for the first time today.
I walk into the gardens looking for Gevherhan and I notice a big tent and I see a little boy running around with a wooden sword, I giggle to myself before making my way over.
I overhear Gevherhan's brother talking about some rude girl he bumped into and I instantly recognize his voice.
Sehzade Ibrahim was the person I was rude to earlier–
I march closer to the tent and Gevherhan Sultana notices me and smiles, "Ibrahim this is the hatun I always speak about, " she smiles and gestures for me to sit down.
I try to hide my face from the Sehzade so he won't notice it was me who knocked him over and acted rudely towards him.
I really don't want to lose my head, because It really is such a good head...
"Sofia?" Gevherhan taps my shoulder softly, "why are you so distant today?" She asked in a worried tone, "lift your head I want to see your beautiful face, " she sends a warm and comforting smile my way.
I slowly lift my head and look at Gevherhan Sultana, "I am very sorry my sultana, I've had the worst day today," I sigh and begin to eat my food.
"That's too bad, Ibrahim had a bad day as well, " Gevherhan says sipping her drink.
I glance up at the Sehzade to see him not paying attention to anything that Gevherhan Sultan is saying and just fill his mouth with food.
I chuckle at his behavior, he's not too bad looking, but I definitely know nothing will ever happen between us, it's forbidden any so.
Lift my head slightly and the prince moves his head in my direction and our eyes connect and he stares for a few seconds before gasping dramatically.
"Gevherhan! She's the rude girl who knocked me over!" He says pointing his finger at me.
I ignore his words and continue to stuff my mouth with food.
"So you two have met before?" She asked shocked by what her brother just said. I raise my head to look at Ibrahim giving him a death stare.
I can't believe he just exposed me like that!
Ibrahim looks at me like he's terrified of what I would do so he looks away from me and watches Gevherhan's son play around.
I sigh and look at Gevherhan, "I'm so sorry my sultana, I was really frustrated because I could not come to see you sooner but then I bumped into the Sehzade, and I did not know it was him, " I explain quickly.
All of a sudden Gevherhan bursts into laughter, she almost chokes on her water because she was laughing so much. "I can't believe you spilled water all over my brother and then you called him out!" She says while laughing and clutching her stomach.
I glance over to Ibrahim to see him smiling just a bit, I have never seen him smile, he always looks sad but his sister's laughter has seemed to cheer him up.
I chuckle softly before Gevherhan Sultan's son comes rubbing over shouting in excitement about how he found two butterflies.
We all joke and laugh around until the sun begins to set, Gevherhan sends her tired son to bed while she walks off somewhere and I don't want to be a bother so I decided not to follow her.
I look over in the distance to see Sehzade Ibrahim stand there watching the sunset, I had decided to stay behind and help the maids clean up the food for a bit because I felt bad for just eating and then leaving a big mess.
When finished cleaning the maids thank me for helping before leaving the gardens.
I walk over to Sehzade Ibrahim and I tap the Sehzade on the shoulder softly and he turns around quickly looking terrified.
I take a step back from the Sehzade with my hands up in defense, "I only bring peace, " I jokingly say as I put my hands down crossing them over my chest.
Ibrahim gives me a gentle smile before turning back to look at the sunset.
I take a moment to think of my actions before I get closer to Ibrahim by standing next to him with my hands folded behind my back.
"Why are you so uneasy sehzade, you always look frightened, " I ask looking up at him.
Ibrahim sighs and ignores me rather rudely and I look at the ground before getting an idea.
I slowly sit on the ground with my legs out and I gaze at the sunset, Ibrahim looks down at me confused and I just smile and pat the space next to me, and his eyes widen, he quickly shakes his head, and he moves away from me an inch.
"I will be killed if my brother sees me talking to one of his concubines, " he explains as he fidgets with his hands, I sigh and stand back up going right in front of him.
"Do you see his majesty around? Because I do not, and besides–" I look at the ground before slowly sitting back down where I was sitting just a second ago.
"I know the story of your brother Kasım and I surely don't want anything bad to happen to you, " I say looking up at the prince.
Ibrahim looks around a bit before he hesitantly sits down next to me, I smile and fall back so that I am laying down and I look up at the stars.
Ibrahim glances at me and sighs before he lays next to looking at the stars as well.
There's a comfortable moment of silence before Sehzade Ibrahim speaks up out of nowhere.
"I love the way the stars look at night, I feel safe when looking towards them, " Ibrahim admits in a gentle voice.
I take a deep breath in, "I was taken from my family, my little brother was killed along with my mama and papa..." I randomly reveal, Ibrahim turns his head to look at me, it takes me a second to realize his eyes on me but I turn my head, and our eyes connect for a second before Ibrahim turns back to look at the sky.
"I'm sorry, " he mutters and I nod my head looking back at the sky.
I yawn softly while I sit up running my hands through my hair.
A wind blows past and my body shivers, the Sehzade notices and sits up beside me and takes off his robe, and hands it to me, I look down at his hands with eyes widen and I push his robe back declining him.
"my sehzade I'm not cold–" I lie
Ibrahim sighs frustratedly and wraps me in his robe and lays back down and continues to gaze up at the sky.
My face turns a rosy color but since it is dark outside it's impossible to see to it works out for me in the end, I hold Ibrahim's robes tightly around my body, and I lay back down next to Ibrahim.
I slowly start to get tired and my eyes begin to close, but before I can fully fall asleep I feel strong hands wrap around my waist pulling me closer to them. But I decided to stay calm and not react and besides, with myself being extremely exhausted and I definitely know Hagi Agha will punish me with tons of cleaning to do the next day it's best that I just fall asleep while I can.
My eyes fully close and I fall asleep satisfied dreaming of an open sea with a beautiful sun...
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