{we're still in Ep10, towards the end :). The time jump in Ep10 is actually two months, but I've changed it to four to realign the story to the show}
Istanbul, Turkey
Sultan Süleyman had been on campaign for four months.
Sultana Zeynep was nine months old now, she would happily crawl about the floors of Kelebek's chambers, pulling herself up on the furniture and declaring 'mama'! The Valide was hard at work trying to get the little girl to pronounce her title, though she had not succeeded yet and likely wouldn't for a while.
With her pregnancy in its sixth month, Kelebek was forced to rely on the other Hatuns more and more. Often, it was Banu holding Zeynep instead of Kelebek, the latter's arms feeling cold and lonely without the comfort of her daughter.
Luckily, she could still do her embroidery for she often found herself summoned to the Valide's chambers to join her, Sultana Hatice, Gülfem Sultan and Mahidevran Sultan to do so. Of course, the latter's eyes were less than welcoming, and her attendant Gülşah's eyes outright hostile.
The Harem on a whole remarkably dull. Kiraz had been confined to her rooms the entire time thanks to Kelebek, and the Valide had saw fit to tell Hürrem not to leave hers either.
Idly, Kelebek wondered when the tension between the Valide and Hürrem might come to a head, and decided she would be watching eagerly from the sidelines when the time came.
Still, Kelebek was all too aware that if she didn't play her cards right she could end up in Hürrem's position. The Valide's favouring of Mahidevran Sultan was all too painfully obvious.
"Kelebek," Defne shouted, breathless from having ran to her rooms. "Kelebek, news has spread around the Harem, Kiraz Hatun has gone into labour!"
It seemed the moment of truth had arrived before the Sultan. Soon, Kelebek would find out if getting rid of Kiraz would be possible - after all, it was unlikely Kelebek could get her banished if she became a Sultana.
"I'll have to attend the naming ceremony after the birth," the Croatian Hatun said. "What's considered an appropriate gift from a fellow Hatun?"
Presumptuous perhaps to presume the child would be born healthy considering the dangers of childbirth, but Kelebek would not stoop so low as to wish a baby ill.
No, if it was a son that would threaten her own children's inheritance, she would deal with him accordingly when he grew.
A small mercy.
Defne, who had grown up in Turkey so better knew the Ottoman customs, thought about it for a moment. "A semi-precious jewel perhaps? It is different because you are a Hatun with a far lower allowance than the Sultanas."
Kelebek sighed, glancing adoringly over at her daughter giggling at Banu Hatun pulling funny facial expressions.
Her moment of peace was interrupted by Meltem Kalfa shoving open the door to her chambers, her normally stern expression broken by concern.
"Meltem Kalfa?" Kelebek asked, struggling to raise herself up from her sofa. "What is it?"
The Kalfa shook her head. "Sit back down, Hatun, and prepare to remain calm."
Something in Kelebek's stomach dropped.
She lowered herself back down. "What is it?"
"His Majesty's galley has sunk," Meltem announced. "His body has not been found, but the Sultan is presumed dead."
Oh. Oh.
She was going to be sick.
If His Majesty was dead now, then Şehzade Mustafa would surely become the Sultan. And by the law of Mehmed I, when he did so, he would put Şehzade Mehmed and Kelebek's unborn child if it was a son to death.
Everything had come crashing down; all her hopes were at the brink of collapse.
Then she heard Sultana Zeynep coo, and Kelebek Hatun pulled herself back together. She put a protective hand across her raised stomach.
"Please inform me the moment there is any more news, Meltem," Meltem Kalfa, looking somewhat taken aback, nodded. "I must put my faith in the Sultan, and that he will return safe. Please pass on my condolences to the Valide, but I feel unwell so I will remain in my chambers."
Meltem nodded. "Yes, Hatun."
Then, she turned tail and headed out of Kelebek's chambers.
"This doesn't bode well," Sevil commented, looking worriedly at Kelebek.
Perhaps Mahidevran would even have her slaughtered while still pregnant, to ensure another son of the Sultan would never see the light of day.
The blonde Hatun breathed in sharply, and resolved herself to focus on finding an appropriate gift for Kiraz Hatun's child.
If Şehzade Mustafa did ascend, perhaps she would be able to take advantage of the inevitable chaos and escape. She could not think that all was lost.
Kelebek had just about found an almost heart shaped jade stone before the doors to her chambers were opened once again.
"News has just reached the Valide, the Sultan is alive," Meltem declared, and Kelebek almost collapsed in relief. Her unborn child's potential death warrant no longer hanging over her head - but it only reinforced the knowledge that one day, in the battle for succession, it would hang once again. "Though it is reported that Hürrem Hatun collapsed in the Valide's chambers earlier, she is bleeding and it is thought she may have an early birth."
Kelebek looked at her incredulously. So much for relief, now she needed to find two gifts.
~•~•~•~•~•~•~
As it turned out, Hürrem Sultan regained consciousness without any effect being had on the child in her womb.
Kelebek supposed that at least she already had a gift ready now. A fiery agate stone for the child of the redhaired Sultana.
On the other hand, Kiraz Hatun had laboured long into the night before the announcement finally came.
Just as Kelebek had, Kiraz Hatun had birthed a healthy daughter.
With the jade stone in her palm, Kelebek travelled the halls to enter Kiraz's modest chambers for the naming ceremony.
She had no doubt that she was the last person Kiraz wanted to see, but Kelebek cared very little.
When an Agha opened the door to Kiraz's chambers for her, she found that the Valide was already there, but they were still waiting on Mahidevran Sultan.
Kiraz was lying in the centre of her bed, red hair sticking to her forehead and heavy circles beneath her eyes. Still, she had the energy to narrow them in Kelebek's direction with distaste, her lips curling downward.
The Valide saw her expression and frowned, but did not reproach the woman who had just birthed her second granddaughter.
Instead, she moved to recieve the babe that Agelaeia Hatun took from Kiraz, looking down at the child with love.
Kiraz watched on from the bed, her expression unwavering.
Finally, Mahidevran Sultan arrived with a gift, placing it atop the babe the Valide was holding. Kelebek followed suit.
"Your name is Nefise Sultan. Your name is Nefise, your name is Nefise," the Valide told the small babe over and over.
"What does her name mean, Valide?" Agelaeia Hatun asked.
Ayşe Hafsa Sultan smiled down at the child in her arms, who already had a small tuft of dark red hair protruding from her head. "It means precious."
And, Kelebek recalled from the history she had learned from Defne, the name of the daughter of Murad I; the first politically active Princess.
Selfishly, Kelebek hoped she would not follow in her relative's footsteps, for she had every intention to ready Zeynep to wield the most political power of any Ottoman Princess to date.
And it would be just like Kiraz to get in her way. That was, unless Kelebek got her banished first.