Living a normal life was now impossible to Lily after being kidnapped by the tatters. She was stolen off of the boat that was supposed to take her to England to study from the White Sea after visiting her family that lived in Egypt because of her fa...
"What is it Hatice, you know you can tell me anything, right?" I asked my dear friend and sister-in-law. Hatice has been acting very weird lately as if she was somewhere else in her mind.
"It's nothing, I'm overthinking, that's all" she waved me off. Her smile was fake and her body language showed that there was something wrong.
"Tell me" I whispered taking her hands into mine. She let out a very long sigh showing just how much she had been hiding inside of her.
"I think Ibrahim is cheating on me" she answered. Her eyes welled up with tears and her hands started shaking. She loved him to the point that it hurt her to even think of him with another woman.
"How dare he? We should investigate and see what we can find" I suggested. Hatice looked at me with hopeful eyes yet they held dread.
"That is if you want to find out if there was something like this or not" I took a step backward out my words not wanting to anger her.
"I do want to know, I'm just afraid of the answer" she whispered. She pulled her hands away from mine and rubbed her face to rid it of any tears. I didn't know if I should feel happy that Ibrahim was digging himself into a hole or if I should feel sad about the sadness of my friend Hatice.
"I will be here for you no matter what the answer will be" I rubbed her back. She sat up straight and looked at me with a smile.
"Thank you, Qamar. I wish for this to stay between us though" she stood up from the couch. I followed suit feeling conflicted on the inside.
"My lips are sealed" I bowed to her as she walked out of the room. Gül walked in the second she left my room. I raised my eyebrow confused at his sudden appearance.
"What is it, Gül?" I asked sitting back down on the couch. Gül bowed to me with his head low and his watery.
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"I want to show my loyalty Sultanim. I beg you let me work for you" Gül's words made me burst out laughing, I almost cried as he looked at me with confused eyes.
"I am no idiot, Gül, why in the world should I believe you?" I asked raising my eyebrow. He seemed conflicted for a second but then his face lit up.
"Hürrem sultan was investigating Ibrahim pasha, she had an informer come to her and tell her about his infidelity" Gül answered. My smirk was wiped off of my face and I sat up straight. This was a weird coincidence, there was no way Gül heard me and Hatice because we were speaking in hushed tones. Hatice was right then, her husband wasn't being faithful.
"Get me the informer and then I will think about it" I waved him off. Gül stood up from the floor and bowed to me. He turned around and left me alone in my room again. Ibrahim pasha really was digging his own grave with his actions.
"Why are you giving us this sudden gift, Sultana?" Fatma asked. She was standing to the side with some of the maids that followed behind her. The rest of the maids in the harem were stood in a line receiving a bag of money from Halil agha while Hundi wrote down their names so no one takes too many bags. Gül's words were still running through my head even after a week has passed, he said he will bring the informer as fast as possible and I'm still waiting impatiently for Ibrahim's end.
"I didn't know I needed your permission, Fatma Hatun, to give our presents to the harem," I said sarcastically. Her face turned a little red and she glared at the maids that snickered around her.
"I didn't mean it like this, Sultanim, it's just sudden for you to care" she hissed back. Her words held poison and I wanted to rip her head off her shoulders but there was nothing I could do.
"I've always cared and I've always given presents and extra money just because you refuse them doesn't mean that I don't care, Fatma" she rolled her eyes as I spoke. Rosie took a step closer but I pushed my arm in front of her making her stop.
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"You're only trying to buy our loyalty, guess what I will never give it to you. My loyalty lies with Valide Mahidevran Sultan" she said proudly with her head held high.
"Fatma Hatun!" we all turned to the doors of the harem to find Hatice Sultan who had yelled. Everyone bowed to the ottoman sultana.
"What did you say?" Hatice stalked closer to Fatma who was trembling under the gaze of Hatice sultan.
"Sultanim, I-I-I d-didn't mean a-any harm" Fatma stuttered. I smirked as she shook with fear.
"This will be the last time I hear such words otherwise I will throw you to the wolves, do you understand?" Hatice stepped closer to Fatma in an intimidating way. Fatma nodded her head shakily, she didn't even dare speak anymore.
"You better start respecting the Sultan's wife and the mother of eight of his children" Hatice nudged Fatma angrily. Fatma jumped and let out a small squeak. Hatice turned around and gave me a signal to follow her. I smirked at Fatma and followed behind Hatice out of the harem and to a small corner near it.
"Did you find anything?" She asked anxiously. I didn't know if I should tell her the truth or not but I knew that she was burning on the inside so I had no choice.
"Gül told me that Hürrem was informed by a witness of Ibrahim Pasha's infidelity. Of course, I didn't believe him because he was loyal to Hürrem and demanded I see the informer and investigate them myself" I explained. Hatice's face fell at my words and it looked like her whole world crumbled around her.
"No" she let out a small whisper. I acted before I comprehended what was going on, I held Hatice in my arms as she fell to her knees. She let out a sob hugging me tightly. She buried her face in my chest as my words sunk in.
"I promise to tell you everything I find out and I could only hope that Gül was lying or the informer was wrong" I whispered in her ear as I rocked her back and forth. Hatice knew nothing of my hate toward Ibrahim, everyone thought Hürrem was the one who hated him and I used that to my advantage and used Hürrem as a front but now that Hürrem was gone I didn't know what to do. This plan of mine came in handy and Hatice thought that I was doing this for her when in reality I just wanted Ibrahim gone to make Mahidevran and Mustafa weaker.
"Come one, get up, Sultanim" I helped Hatice stand up straight and put on a fake sympathetic face for her sake. I raised my hands to her face and wiped her tears away from her face. She took a deep breath as she composed herself.
"Remember Hatice, don't let your children suspect a thing, okay?" I spoke softly to her as if she was a child. She nodded her head and raised her hands to fix her hair. Now all I can do was wait for Gül to bring this informer and make Ibrahim's end nearer.
