Being the sultan's daughter made everything easy to Nafize. But when she came of age marriage was a must and her parents chose the most unexpected person for her.
Malkoçoglu Bali Bey, was a military commander who was one of the most loyal men of th...
"How is he?" I asked Hürrem Sultan. We were standing in the infirmary in front of Beyazid's bed, he was sleeping like a baby and I dared say he even looked dead from how pale he was.
"The doctors are not looking forward to his condition" Hürrem answered. Despite everything that we had gone through I still get a little bad over her and even sympathized with her.
"He will get better," my father said. I sighed and turned to look at him sat on the bed beside Beyazid's side. Beyazid let out a small gasp almost like a wheeze making us all jump to his side. Beyazid opened his eyes a little, it looked like it was hard for him to even keep them open for a mere second and kept blinking them.
"Nafize" Beyazid said before coughing up a storm. My father pulled Hürrem a little away from Beyazid making her glare at me. I kneeled down beside Beyazid's bedside and placed a hand on his cheek.
"What is it, brother? Ask and you shall receive" I whispered. I ran my fingers through his brown hair feeling tears fill my eyes as he let out another fit of coughs. Beyazid placed his hand behind my head with difficulty and pulled my head closer so my ear was beside his lips.
"I forgive you for everything" Beyazid whispered. I shivered as his breath hit the side of my face. I pulled away and looked at him with shame in my eyes. Beyazid smiled at me before his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he gasped and then fell silent.
"Beyazid" I explained panicking. His words and forgiveness made me change my mind but it was too late. He wasn't breathing or moving. Everything in my body became numb and no pain filled me, I think my body couldn't handle so much pain at the same time, Selim and now Beyazid. Hürrem pushed me away from Beyazid roughly on the floor making Nur run over to me and help me stand up from the floor. My father took Beyazid's other side.
Hürrem let out a loud scream bringing me back to reality and at that moment pain hit me all over my body, my head and heart especially. Nur pulled me away from the bed and out of the room and I let her, I felt like a doll being moved around with no control over my own body.
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"Come on let's go" Nur whispered and walked me away from the infirmary. I stopped her from pulling me any further in front of the harem. I looked into the harem to find Dafne, one of Beyazid's favorites fallen on her knees in the middle crying and yelling as other girls tried to comfort her.
"Come on" Nur insisted and pulled me away from the scene and out of the palace. There Yusuf was waiting for us in front of a carriage. Yusuf helped me up the steps and into the carriage. The ride home was as quiet as possible with no one daring to utter a word. When we reached my palace, Yusuf helped me down the step and over to the door. I pushed his hands off of me and continued walking alone. I walked into the main room where I found my mother hugging Mustafa as he cried on her shoulder and Bali Bey was standing to the side.
"Nafize," Bali Bey said noticing my presence. He walked over to me and pulled me in for a hug and I let him for the first time since he returned from war.
"He's dead" I mumbled as the gravity of what happened truly fell on my shoulders. I took a deep breath feeling out of air and without a second thought I let out an ear-piercing scream before everything turned black.
"Here you go" My mother muttered placing Rukiye in between my arms. I looked down at my newest child as she slept like an Angel.
"She missed her mommy," my mother said pushing some of my hair away from my face. Since Bayezid died a week ago I have locked myself in my room and refused to leave except for the funeral and to let the maids bring me some food and to bath but otherwise I didn't see anyone, not my mother or brother or husband or even children but, today Mustafa finally had enough and knocked down my door and let my mother walk in with Rukiye while he stood by the door.
"Why are you acting this way, Nafize?" Mustafa asked suspiciously. I looked at him for a second before turning back to my children.
"I'm afraid" I answered. I raised my empty hand to run it through the soft and little hair on Rukiye's head.
"Afraid of what?" Mustafa asked stepping forward. He kneeled down in front of me and placed his hand on my knee.
"Of what the future has in store for us, for all we know I'm next to die or you" I shivered at the thought of death. I was afraid of dying and having to face the end and Allah who will punish me for all of my sins.
"Prayer may help you" Mustafa suggested. I looked at him and saw pure worry in his eyes. I sighed and handed Rukiye back to my mother and stood up from my bed only to feel dizzy. Mustafa jumped up from his position and caught me before I could fall.
"You need fresh air Nafize, you're only killing yourself in this room," my mother said. She had tears filling her eyes along with worry. Mustafa called for Nur who covered my head before he guided me out of my room. One of his arms was protectively wrapped around my waist to support my weight while the other held one of my empty hands. Mustafa squeezed my hand that he was holding encouragingly as we walked down the stairs.
Mustafa guided me out of the palace and into the back yard of my palace where I found my father standing talking with Bali Bey. Bali Bey was the first to notice me and his face brightened at the sight of me out of my room but his face fell when he noticed just how much weight I had lost. My father turned around and smiled slightly when he saw me walking toward him.
"Your majesty" I whispered attempting to bow but that failed as my knees buckled under me but Mustafa held me tighter to her chest refusing to let me fall. Mustafa sighed sadly and placed a kiss on the crown of my head and guided me to the sitting area in the backyard and sat me down on the bench and soon my father and husband joined us.
