Espionagé

vii - murderer

"What do you want from me?" I managed to croak out, my voice barely above a whisper.

A slow, calculating smile spread across her face. "I want you to do something that will change the course of history. I want you to kill Sultan Murad."

***

The words Fatma Sultan said hung in the air, heavy and ominous for several minutes. My heart raced as the enormity of her demand sank in. 

This was no simple task—this was regicide, a crime that carried with it unimaginable risks and consequences. Kill? I'm like a teeny-tiny mouse in comparison to the Sultan's power.

"You want me to... assassinate the Sultan?" I asked, my voice trembling.

"Yes," Fatma Sultan replied, her eyes gleaming with cold determination. "You will be trained, equipped, and given everything you need to succeed. But know this, Azra: failure is not an option. Should you betray me, or should you falter, there will be no place on this earth where you can hide from my wrath. I may as well shove you into a sack and throw you into the freezing waters of the Bosphorus."

I swallowed hard, the gravity of my situation pressing down on me. My life had been irrevocably changed, and I was now a pawn in a deadly game of power and ambition. 

I was taken from my family against my will, and I have no way of getting home. My sister, my mother, my father... my friends. Everyone, gone.

As Fatma Sultan's words echoed in my mind, I realized that my only chance of survival lay in my ability to navigate this treacherous path and emerge victorious.

In that moment, I made a silent vow to myself: I would find a way to survive, to outsmart those who sought to use me, and to reclaim my destiny. My journey had only just begun, and the stakes could not be higher.

Fatma Sultan's eyes bore into mine, waiting for my response. Every instinct screamed at me to run, to find a way out, but I knew it was futile. 

The palace walls were seemingly impenetrable, and the Sultana's guards were everywhere.

"Why me?" I finally asked, my voice steadier than I felt. "Why not one of your loyal soldiers or a trained assassin?"

Seriously though, an Italian girl from nowhere?

She leaned closer, her voice a whisper but full of authority. "Because you are an unknown, Azra. You are invisible in this world of power and intrigue. No one will suspect you, and that is your greatest asset. Moreover, you have something they do not—an unyielding will to survive. I've seen it in your eyes."

I couldn't deny the truth in her words. My life had been one of constant struggle, always fighting to stay one step ahead of disaster. But this... this was something entirely different.

"I don't know how to kill a man," I admitted, hoping to appeal to any lingering sense of mercy within her.

"You will learn," she said simply. "There are those who will teach you the skills you need. And once you have done this, once Sultan Murad is dead, you will be free. You will have your life back."

Freedom. The word hung in the air, a tantalizing promise. But could I trust her? Would I ever truly be free of her grasp?

"Do I have a choice?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"No," she said, her voice like steel. "You do not. But if you succeed, you will have more than just your freedom. You will have power, wealth, and the gratitude of those who seek to bring about a new era. Fail, and you will be nothing more than a forgotten whisper in the dark."

With no other options, I nodded slowly. "I'll do it."