"Sultana, are you up yet?" I heard Nafise Hatun ask quietly, as I arose from the bed.
"I am now, Nafise. Thank you. What is the matter?" I chuckled. Nafise quickly rushed over to me with a letter in hand, with the royal seal stamped on it. I looked at her, and she looked at me, so I took the letter and opened it.
In Arabic, it was written from my father, Sultan Ahmed Han who was on a campaign in Persia. I rejoiced as I began to read the letter.
My dearest sapling,
How are you? I am doing well if you ask. Pass along my kind regards to my beloved Ayşe, and your brother Sehzade Mahmud in Manisa. We have come very far in Persia, and with the help of Mustafa Pasha, we have progressed fine.
Your valide Ayşe Sultana told me in her last letter she was looking for a suitable husband for you. Her eyes are set on my aid Mustafa Pasha, and I must say that if you agree it would be a good match for you. He is a very dependable man, and I'm sure you will be happy together.
My sultana of the sun and sky, best wishes from your father
Sultan Ahmed his highness.
"Argh!" I groaned as I threw the letter on the floor and laid back in frustration.
"Sultana, I trust all is well?"
"No Nafise, my mother is clearly trying to get rid of me, or something like that. She wants me to marry that ugly old Pasha, Mustafa. What did I ever do?"
"Well," Nafise said delicately, "He's not that old, and not really that ugly either."
"Then you can marry him." I concluded, raising my chin.
"I am a Sultana, daughter of Sultan Ahmed the first. I get my choice of husband!"
"Suit yourself." Nafise shrugged, and bowed as she left the room. I giggled as I smiled at our childish jokes.
I like Nafise Hatun. She is very chill, funny, and knew how to lighten the moment when there was tension. I would choose her for a sister, if I didn't already have one...
Gülbahar Sultan. She wasn't really bad or anything, but she always seemed to get everything that was mine, especially since she is a year younger than me. Her mother, one of my father's concubines, died young so my mother cared for her and seemed to regard her like a daughter of her own.
I called one of the door women over to bring me some clothes, and I cheerfully [or so I thought] selected a light pink dress and my favorite jeweled slippers, as I slipped into them and left my rooms, headed for my mother's rooms.
________
As I burst into the chambers, my mother Haseki Ayşe Hatje Sultan, was situated on a couch in what used to be the rooms of Valide Sultan, but were bestowed to her upon my grandmothers death. She was drinking coffee, but set down her cup on a tray when I came in.
"Fidan! Who gave you permission to come into my chambers like this?" My mother questioned angrily. My Harem manners began kicking in.
"Forgive me valide, I didn't mean to." I breathed in, and exhaled slowly. "Baba sent a letter to me..."
"Oh thats all? and what did it say?" My mother smirked as she began to sip her coffee again slowly. I raised my voice.
"Hünkarim said you were planning to marry me off to that ugly old- I mean- Mustafa Pasha. I already told you, I am far too young to get married!"
"Mustafa Pasha is one of my closest allies. Such connections will make a long lasting alliance for the sake of our dynasty"
"WHAT ENEMIES! YOU ALREADY KILLED ALL OF THEM!" I yelled, stomping my foot. Oop, too much.
"Keep up that behavior and you will be a single old maid for the rest of your life, Fidan!" My mother exclaimed, shocked. "You are already 17 going on 18- you NEED to get married!"
"I won't hear a single word about this matter." She continued, as I opened my mouth to speak but she held her hand up in front of me, silencing me. I whispered I hate you as I left my mother's chamber. I didn't get anything out of this conversation, and my mother seemed more set on me marrying Mustafa Pasha.
As I left my mother's chambers, furious, I ran into Gülbahar. She was skipping down the hallway, and as she approached me she skidded to a stop and slightly bowed.
"Good morning, sister." Gülbahar says, grinning.
"Gülbahar, you are a Sultana. Don't tell me you are jumping in on the harem antics, too."
"What do you mean, Fidan?" She meekly respondes, sensing something was clearly wrong.
"Valide decided to marry me off to Mustafa Pasha. The details aren't set yet, but he can't refuse and her heart is set on it happening. You know how she is." I expected to get at least a bit of sympathy from my sister, but all she did was laugh cruelly.
"Oh Fidan, it's not that bad. I'm sure he's a wonderful man!"
I groaned. This was the response I've been getting all day.
"Fidan you'll be so happy, Fidan he's a nice man," I mimicked. "Well you all aren't marrying him- I have to!"
"Then you can appeal this to the Sultan. Bye now!" Gülbahar skipped up as I did a side eye. I really did envy her- she was awfully beautiful, with a cheery disposition and as I said before, she always seemed to get what she wanted.
I continued walking, my arms swinging, until I reached the entrance to harem. Many girls were doing various activities- sewing, drawing, and gossiping. An agha announced my arrival, and all the girls immediately rushed forward to form two neat and bowing lines, except for one. I noticed her still eating as I entered.
"Hatun! Who do you think you are to not bow when I come!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. The girl still shrugged and went on eating grapes like it was nobody's business. Oh Allah, I hate when these kinds of things happen. I could feel the harem shaking as I boiled over. "I am FIDAN SULTAN!!"
"Agha's, whip her feet until she learns a lesson!" I commanded as I began walking to my usual couch in the harem.
"No, sultana! Forgive me! Please!" The woman protested, as I ignored her and sat besides some of my harem friends.
The eunuchs dragged her out by her feet from the harem as she kept screaming, so much that Meleki Hatun, the harem treasurer came in and raised her brows at me. I winked, and she smiled.
"So girls, besides the unspeakable events right now, what is happening?"
"Well, nothing new Sultana, but I'm afraid there's a problem. Some of the other girls are getting upset that they haven't been paid yet by Sultana Ayşe. They might do something bad."
"Say no more," I waved my hand outwards as I called out, "I will distribute money from my own funds this evening if the girls need it."
All the girls in a mile radius turned and gasped. Polye Hatun, a woman I knew, clapped her hands together.
"Oh thank you Sultana!" Polye pipped up happily. "You are true royalty."
I smiled as I got up and waved my friends goodbye and set back to my room, where Nafise was tidying up the area.
"Nafise Hatun," I sighed dramatically, flopping down on a plush cushion, "will this day ever end?"
Nafise chuckled, setting down a folded cloth. "Sultana, it is barely past midday. What troubles you now?"
I recounted my encounter with my sister Gülbahar, complete with her infuriatingly cheerful response. Nafise listened intently, her brow furrowing in concentration.
"Hmm," she said thoughtfully when I finished. "Gülbahar can be...insensitive at times. But Sultana, perhaps there's another way to look at this."
"Another way?" I scoffed. "How else is there to look at being forced to marry some old, wrinkled Pasha?"
Nafise sat beside me. "Mustafa Pasha may not be the dashing young prince of your dreams, Sultana, but have you considered that your mother might have your best interests at heart?"
I blinked. That hadn't occurred to me. Or at least not the way I thought of it. I only ever considered her ideas as ambitions for her own gain. "But why Mustafa Pasha then? Surely there are other options."
"Perhaps," Nafise conceded, "but your mother might believe an alliance with Pasha would bring stability to the Empire. And as your husband, Pasha would be beholden to you as well, not just the Sultan."
An idea sparked in my mind. "So, you're saying if I play this right, I could gain some influence?"
Nafise's eyes gleamed. "Exactly, Sultana. You wouldn't be a mere wife, but a partner. Think about it. Mustafa Pasha may not be a dreamboat, but perhaps he's more pliable than you think."
A slow smile spread across my face. "Nafise Hatun, you're a genius!" This marriage proposal might not be a curse after all. It could be an opportunity, if I played my cards right.