Anastasia, a young country girl in her 20s, who lived in ruthenia was kidnapped and sold as a slave concubine to the ottoman empire. Her fate is for sure, either try to escape and get killed or become the wife of Sultan the king. But that path isn't...
"Anastasia! Anastasia! Food is here." I was woken by my friend Maria. I looked around to realise that I was in a ship in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. Maria gave me a loaf of bread and the worst bowl of soup I had in my entire life. There were about twenty girls with us in the galley. "Where are they taking us?" I asked Maria; but I never expected that kind of a reply from her. We are being transported to istanbul as slaves and be sold in auctions in the slave market. I felt like I lost all hope of returning to my village and live with my family.
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For you who don't know much about this; selling slaves to noble families and even to the ottoman empire as maids or concubines were popular those days. Many girls were taken from there families to be sold in auctions in the market.
* * *
A huge brassy horn blew as our galley enter the harbour. They took us into the country as we were some animals. Soon me, Maria and the other girls were taken to the slave market. Among all the noble men, a man dressed in royal looking clothes appeared. Who knew that man was the one who will change my fate.
He took nine girls with him including me and Maria. It seems we are being taken to the Imperial Palace of the King, whom they call the Sultan. Large wooden doors opened leading us in to a huge room which almost look like a living room. They call it "The harem". If I described it; " The room was huge enough for two hundred people. On one side there were beds and curtains that covered them. In the middle, a pathway to another door which opens up into the palace. On the other side, long couches highly decorated and tables with gold and silverware. Large chandeliers hanging from the roof and a lot of candles lit around the room".
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An young looking lady came to us and introduced her self as Nigar Kalfa ( Klafa means a headworker). She shouted at us saying to stand in a line. Damn! Who knew she was that tough? The doors from the palace opened. Nigar Kalfa ordered us to look down and never look up. A lady entered the room and everyone was dead silent. Is she the Queen? Maybe? My curiosity made me lift my head. I messed up-
