Haseki Mihrişah Sultan

Harem

That night, I slept. Finally, I slept. I literally just laid my head on the pillow and slept. It wasn't a total bed, just a mattress, but I finally slept! The shower washed away all the dirt, and I started smelling good. They gave us some white and blue clothes that were of course old and couldn't be compared to the the ones that the other girls had, but I believe that these clothes made the difference between us in here. The next day, we woke up and removed our mattresses from their place, as we were told from the lady who was in charge. Some guards brought the food for us, and I was starving. One weird thing was that there was no table and chairs. We had to eat sit on cushions, and the food was on a table laid upon a stilt. The rest of the day went by cleaning and fixing everything that place had. It was a large courtyard, but it was closed. There was no balcony, no windows. The only light came from a corridor that had many flowers, and it was open enough for the sun's light to enter. The rest of the place had candles, but in the hall where was the gate from where you could enter in the courtyard it was with windows so during the day it was visible in there.
Strange. I haven't heard any girl talk my native language in here. There are so many, though. Some of us, new girls, began counting them, but impossible. It seemed like they kept growing. Guards, maids, servants, and girls like us who had been there for a while, girls who had been for more than a while, and a few really pretty girls who were in the second floor of our corridor. They had better clothes, and they definitely took better treatment than the rest of us downstairs.
I began to like this place as the days passed by. Except for the fact that it was really crowded, we wouldn't do much there, but clean the place up and do chores. To be honest, after one week, I hadn't understood the reason why I was there. If I was going to be just a servant, was it necessary all those measurements they had when I came here? I was a stranger in here. No girl spoke my language, and I didn't hear anyone speak Italian, but the man I had met outside at the gate of the palace.
When the other girls would chat with each-other at night before sleep, I couldn't help, but watch them all angry.

Just gossiping, just laughing, just working, just wasting time. This could not be my life. I did not survive death to hang around in vain. I need to find out where I am, I need to know who owns me. I have to escape from here, but how? Is it impossible to leave this corridor without being accompanied by a guard, not from the entire courtyard. There must be a secret passage. Every royal palace has it, even though this palace has no known beginning and no known end.

Than the lady who was in charge of us came and shouted at us something in her language, but she could've told us to go to sleep since every girl started make ready her mattress. Than an idea popped in my head. What if I asked the woman? She seemed like a nice lady and so far I haven't seen her be unjust to any of us here. Should I ask her? Should I not? 

I didn't understood how I ended up in front of her, but my legs had started walking while my mind was busy deciding. She looked at me from head to toe and gave me a look at to ask me what i wanted.

- Signora, - I began to talk trying to make her understand what I was saying with my hand movements, - I need to learn your native language, - I continued stalking slowly. 

The lady smile and than called from a far a man named Alexi and my face lit up for a second only when I saw that it was a woman not named Alexi, but Ayperi. Strange. 

- Why did you request from Lalezar Kalfa? - the girl named Ayperi asked. 

At first I didn't understood it. who was Lalezar? Then my eyes went to the lady in charge. Now I understand! She was Lalezar!

- I...I want to learn your language, - I answered. 

Ayperi translated what I said to Lalezar and her smile was even bigger. Lalezar then said something to Ayperi and this last one translated it to me.

- Don't worry girl, you together with the other new ones will begin learning ottoman tomorrow.

She then signaled me to join the other girls and to start fixing my bed.

I was happy! I laid down waiting for sleep to come. Finally I was going to know what they were saying. I remember that my father told me and my brothers once, after he had finished telling a story that: "The best way how to defeat someone, is by becoming their friend". I don't know what those other girls thought about their future. I don't even want to know what they thought about me.  I only know one thing: that no matter how difficult life is going to become from now on, I will survive!

So I will learn this new language otto....

- Oh, no! - I said quickly and got up from my mattress.

I looked around and there was a girl who had lifted her head watching me, but then she turned it on the other side and continued sleeping.

"Ottoman?" Am I...? Am I...? No...! 

I am in the Harem of the Ottoman Empire.