"My little sapling, you have made so many sacrifices for the dynasty. Now it's your time to grow". Fidan Sultan's mother, Haseki Ayşe Sultan planned on marrying her to Mustafa Pasha, a loyal ally. Fidan, doesn't want this. She is secretly in love wi...
Diving deeper... I knew I had to take up my case with my valide, Haseki Ayşe Sultan. What happened wasn't good, and it threatened my safety above all things, Kumru Kalfa considered.
As soon as I was dressed, I marched to my mother's room with red eyes and fake tears dabbed on my cheeks. Afterwards, I planned on doing the same with my Baba the Sultan.
"Valide." I bowed, shaking. My mother jumped out of her seat after seeing what state I was in.
"Fidan! What happened to you?" She demanded. She touched my cheek and rubbed my shoulder. I was pleased by the rare and kind gesture of affection.
"They...attacked us at Kumru Kalfa's cottage."
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"What were you doing at Kumru's...cottage?" My mother sounded confused. I tried to explain.
"We found out where Kumru Kalfa was hiding. We came there with Mehmet Giray, but we got ambushed and then I had to fight..." I trailed off.
"I should have known..." My mother shook her head. I breathed a sigh of relief. "I should've known you'd go against me!"
I opened my mouth but not a single sound came out.
"I told you to stay away from the Crimean princes, but you didn't listen. On top of that, you act without my counselling on the pending issue with that rogue woman. You obviously weren't careful, so the people who attacked you knew everything and were a step ahead of you!" Haseki Ayşe Sultan hissed at me.
I felt a sting of betrayal mixed with frustration. My mother's fury was not without reason, but her words cut deeper than any wound. I had always sought her approval, and her disappointment was a heavy burden to bear. However, I could not afford to dwell on this now. I needed her support to navigate the dangerous political waters I found myself in.
"Valide, please," I implored, my voice barely a whisper. "We need to act quickly. They know too much, and if we don't move now, we could all be in grave danger."
Haseki Ayşe Sultan studied me with narrowed eyes, her mind clearly racing. Despite her anger, I could see the wheels turning as she considered the implications of my words.
"You were reckless, Fidan," she said finally, her tone softer but still laced with frustration. "But you are right. We cannot ignore this threat."
She turned away from me, pacing the room as she often did when deep in thought. I stood there, silent, knowing better than to interrupt her in moments like this.
"We must inform your father," she said at last, stopping in her tracks and looking back at me. "He needs to know what has happened, and we need to make a plan."
A sense of relief washed over me. Despite her harsh words, my mother was willing to take action. Together, we could perhaps find a way out of this mess.
"Thank you, Valide," I said, my voice trembling with emotion. "I promise I will be more careful from now on."
"You had better be," she replied, her gaze softening slightly. "Now, go and clean yourself up. We must present ourselves with dignity before the Sultan."
