THE VALIDE SULTAN| MAGNIFICENT CENTURY|

CHAPTER 02

Gevheri paced around her room feeling anxious in a tight corner. She needs to change Beyazid's mind before Mahmud does something to his throne. She was still in her old chamber since the Valide chamber was already occupied by Hatice Sultan but not for long, she will be sent to the old palace after Beyazid sits on the throne according to traditions, this was not the biggest of Gevheri's problems right now, Hatice sultan has always loved her unlike her daughter, Beyhan Sultan who was very much younger than her brother, she hated Gevheri and blamed her for the death of her husband the traitor when Gevheri had no hand in his death.

"Valide, you are stressing over nothing, Beyazid is not stupid, merciful maybe, but not an idiot, believe me, he has a plan" Ferahsah tried assuring her mother. Gevheri was thankful that her daughters were not biased toward anyone but her and Beyazid. Both girls got married recently to the first vizier in the empire, Ferahsah married Numan Pasha, and Sahihuban married the second vizier, Hasan Pasha.

"I know he is not stupid otherwise your late father would not have kept him in Manisa, but not knowing his next decision is what scares me" Gevheri responded. She moved towards the ottoman in front of the fireplace and sat down. Her chamber may not be the Valide chamber but it was almost just as big being favored by Sultan Osman Khan from the very moment he met her as a Sehzade in Manisa just over twenty years ago.

"You are worrying for no reason, mother" Sahihuban moved first and sat by her mother's feet. Gevheri smiled down at her youngest daughter and child, she was barely sixteen in age and very mature in mind.

"Sahihuban is right, mother" Ferahsah sat on the other side of Gevheri. Ferahsah was twenty in age and had a strong personality, mirroring the one her father had when he was alive. Beyazid was Gevheri's eldest child being twenty-three and the eldest of Osman's sons.

Sultan Osman Khan had many women which is a fact known by the whole world. It was rumored that he had bedded over thirty women but that was just a myth. Osman received Gevheri as a present just after receiving his first sword when he was sixteen and she was fifteen from his mother Hatice Sultan. Gevheri fell pregnant only a year later with Beyazid but that was too long for Hatice Sultan who gifted him Sayeste Sultan five months after Gevheri, it was a tense competition when both women fell pregnant around the same time, however, Beyazid was born three months before Mustafa giving him the right to Manisa. After Mustafa Ferahsah was born and then Sahihuban from Gevheri was Osman's favorite however while Gevheri was giving birth to Sahihuban she faced many complications and ended up bleeding until she lost consciousness and was instructed to never get pregnant ever again for her safety and Osman went crazy with the possibility of losing her and assigned midwives, especially for her to make sure she never gets pregnant again. That is when Nergissah Sultan gifted Cihan the snake to Osman, she was a very nice girl at first before she turned into an evil woman after giving birth to her son Mahmud. Around the time of Mahmud's birth Beyhan Sultan's husband was killed only days after their wedding and she decided to get revenge on Osman by gifting him a concubine named Ayse and she mothered Sehzade Ahmed, she was executed after attempting to murder Sultan Osman in his sleep. Nuricihan was born shortly after from Sayeste and only four years ago the snake Cihan birthed Hümasah Sultan.
Someone knocking on the door made the conversation between the three women halt. Ferahsah and Sahihuban eyed each other as their mother tried to compose herself. "Come in," Gevheri called, fixing her dress. The doors opened and Sayeste walked in with her daughter, Nuricihan.

"I figured you were stressing out and decided to come and see how you are holding up" Sayeste spoke first, breaking the silence. Ferahsah and Sahihuban adored their stepmother, she used to let them stay up late whenever they used to sleep over at her chamber to have fun with their siblings.

"Believe me when I say it is not because of Mustafa" Gevheri stood up from the ottoman and moved to stand closer to Sayeste Sultan.

"I know, it is about Mahmud" Sayeste shook off Gevheri's worry forgetting for a second that she was the Valide Sultan now but seeing as the other woman did not comment on it she decided to act like it did not happen. Nuricihan stepped beside her mother, shifting the attention to herself.