CONQUEROR| MAGNIFICENT CENTURY|

CHAPTER 52

"Is everything ready?" I asked, fixing my dress. Daphne huffed angrily as she fixed the end of my dress. She was anything but happy with Warda Sultan's arrival.

"Yes sultanim, the party will begin shortly" she responded. We both turned as the doors to my room opened. It was Darvis with two girls, one was a blonde girl who looked tiny and very petite while the other girl was brunette and oozed out confidence. I turned around to face the two girls fully and they both went down in deep bows.

"Are these the girls you chose, Darvis?" I asked. I stepped closer to the girls. The brunette looked up at me almost curiously.

"Yes Sultanim, Fiolla is from Albania and she is for Sehzade Ahmed and Irina is from Rus lands and she is for Sehzade Suleiman" Darvis pushed the brunette girl first, she kneeled down in front of me and kissed the end of my robe before returning to her spot followed by the blonde girl.

"Good, have you told them what would happen if they did not remain loyal to me?" I questioned. The two girls eyed each other showing how intimidated they were by my power. I made Darvis tell them in graphic detail what I will do to them if anything happens to my sons.

"Of course, Sultanim," Darvis nodded. He looked at the girls to see their expressions of fear. The brunette stepped closer to me much to the shock of everyone.

"Sultanim, you do not have to worry about my loyalty, I am ready to die for you" Fiolla spoke. I smiled seeing a young girl like her so willing to serve me.

"Leave us" I ordered. Darvis pulled Irina out of the room and Daphne followed silently. Soon enough we were all alone. I moved to sit on my throne on the other side of the room. Fiolla followed after me silently. I signaled for her to sit by my feet.

"It makes me very happy to see people your age so willing and loyal. However you know what will happen if you do not remain loyal, your new home will be the Bosphorus" She only smiled and nodded, showing no fear at all.

"As a peace token I will give you a new name, Gülistü" She grinned happily and nodded. Her brows furrowed after a couple of seconds and she looked back up at me with curious eyes.

"What does it mean?"

"It means, a rose in a garden. I want you to be the rose of my son's garden" I responded. She nodded but something seemed to still be on her mind.

"Speak, girl" I ordered. She looked hesitant and almost afraid to ask the question. I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, I was trying to show her that I was no monster and that I would not hurt her with a mere question.

"Will Sehzade Ahmed still marry Gülcemal Hatun?" She asked. I smirked, noticing that rivalry will surely rise between these two women.

"Of course, in a couple of months' time, they shall marry before Ahmed leaves for Manisa" I responded. Gülistü's frown deepened even more and her posture slumped down slightly.

"But that does not mean he will love you any less, believe me. A man can have a hundred women in his heart" Her eyes widened in shock.

"A hundred?!"

"That is called a Hyperbole, not literally. Now go to Darvis so he can take you to the halvat" She stood up from the floor and bowed to me, she twirled around making her blue dress flair around her before leaving my chamber. She reminded me of myself when I was her age, still young and full of life before I was forced to serve Mahmoud and bare his children, I would never choose to change any second of my life but maybe I would have chosen to live my life a little more than I did now.

I heaved a sigh and got up from the throne noticing that I was late for the party. I looked one last time at myself in the mirror before making my way out of my chamber. What I was met with was not something I had expected, I was met with screams. I ran down the steps leading to the harem and found the concubines scrambling around. Yenisah, Gevherhan, and Warda Sultan were crowded in the corner, I made my way over to the sisters confused.

"Sultanas, what is going on?" I questioned. I eyed the maids running and midwives scrambling around with pots of water and blood.

"Emine Hatun went into early labor" Yenisah responded. My eyes trailed up to the favorite's room, we had not even fully prepared her chamber that she would have moved to before giving birth.

"She is only six months along" I gasped, shocked. As a mother, such matters made my fear increase. No matter the rivalry between us I would never wish another mother the pain of losing a child.

"Maybe you had a hand in this" Gevherhan Sultan hissed. I had no idea why Mahmoud chose to name our daughter after her after everything she had done.

"What in the world could she have done? Think before you speak Gevherhan" To everyone's shock it was Warda Sultan who had defended me. I did not know how to respond, I could not thank her, this woman killed my mother and made my life a living hell since the day I moved into this palace.

"Warda?" Gevherhan Sultan gasped in shock. Yenisah Sultan eyed her sister before her eyes trailed to the other side of the harem. I followed her eyesight to find Gülcemal trying to comfort her terrified sisters.

"Gülcemal, take them back to our palace" Yenisah ordered the twenty-one years old girl. Gülcemal stood up and helped her sisters out of the harem followed by harem aghas to lead her out of the palace.

"Do you think she will survive?" Warda questioned. All of us looked up at the balcony of the favorites. A scream was heard before silence. No sound of a newborn cry followed the silence. I sighed feeling heartbroken for Emine Hatun. Ayse Kalfa walked down the stairs with a somber look on her face.

"An angelic Sehzade, he was stillborn" Ayse mumbled before leaving to inform Darvis wherever he was so he could tell Mahmoud. I couldn't find an ounce of relief knowing my sons had no rival. I remembered when Mustafa died months after his birth, I can still feel the ache in my bones over his death.