Haseki Mihrişah Sultan| Not To Be Continued

Wounded

The next morning, I woke up from the loud voices of the soldiers. Soon as I opened my eyes, I saw that the nurses weren't at all in the tent. At first, I thought that maybe they had gone for a walk, but then I remembered my worries last night. Without even eating anything or even dressing properly, I got outside. There were soldiers running here and there. Absolutely something had happened. Then I saw one of those teen boys who took care of the horses. I called him from afar, but he didn't hear me. When I called him again, he looked my way and came closer.
- What is going on, boy? - I asked him, covering my face.
- The Sultan is wounded, hatun, - he said and walked away.
Wounded? How? Where? When? I knew it something was going to happen. My heart was experiencing feelings never felt before. I never worried about anyone this much except my family. I actually didn't even want to spend time with him, but now that he is wounded, all of sudden I care for him. God, I hate it when I fall in contradiction with myself.

I went inside and got dressed well. Then I got out and started gaiting around the camp to see if I could learn more about what had happened. For about one hour or two, I was unnoticed by the men there. I even stopped in front of the tent, but my tentative to go inside or even take a look was wasted, because the same fancy dressed man Murad spoke to that day told me it wasn't allowed for me to enter. There was so much movement in the camp and in and out of his tent. Soldiers, guards, the important looking man, the cooks, the nurses, and three men who looked like doctors. Everyone except me. I was so unnecessary and worthless that after this, the ladies got outsid, only to tell me to stay in my tent.

I had nothing to do, and even for the most important event that had happened, which had nothing to do with me, I couldn't find out anything. The pigeon, who I named Casimir, as one of the Ruthenian kings, would look at me anxious and concerned and would start flying around the tent just to cheer me up. Even if that wasn't the intention, it worked.

It was about midday when I decided to cook something to eat. I got outside to go to the cookers' tent, but also to check the state of the Sultan. When I got there, some of them didn't even notice my presence there. While picking some potatoes and onions, I saw that Safiye Hatun, the nurse, was there. I walked next to her, and she quickly stepped away.

- Oh please, - I sighed, - I only want you to help me a bit? - I told to her.

- Help for what? - she asked without looking at me.

- You know, - I said in a lower tone, - to get inside the...

- Forget it, - she quickly responded.

- Just a bit, - I replied right away, - I just want to see him.

Safiye still hadn't looked at me, but I could tell she was thinking of an answer.

- I can't, - she finally said and walked away.

- Please, Safiye, please, - I said, chasing her, and I felt a few people staring at us.

- Why? You don't even like him, - she said looking into my eyes and her words hit my soul.

- I...I do like him, - I said and she looked at me in disbelief with her arms crossed, - Please, I'll leave you alone after this.

Again silence between us. The noise of a cook chopping some carrots was heard in one corner of the tent, while the water that was boiling in a pot, in another corner. I realised that I had actually convinced her.

- Alright, - she sighed in the end and got out of the tent with me following her.

I went to our tent while she called for the two other nurses. Soon, we were all gathered. We planned that one of them was going to stay in the tent, while I was going to wear her clothes. When we'd pass near the Sultan's tent's guards, our faces would be covered, so they can not know. Then we'd put some medicine on the Sultan's wounds. In the end, the two others would go out while I would stay inside, just to spend some time with him, with the pretext that I was going to cool down his fever.