Haseki Mihrişah Sultan| Not To Be Continued

Influence

Usually, you wait until a woman has given birth to ask her about her pregnancy so that she can give you a correct answer. I don't need to endure the next seven months to say that pregnancy is very difficult. Not only do I have frequent vomiting, but also the headache does not stop. Then came the problems with appetite, which increased not only because the child inside me wants to eat to be nourished, but also because my body needs to gain energy after the incident with the poison. Sometimes it seems like I eat a lot and I feel full, but when I wake up in the middle of the night to vomit, I realize that I haven't eaten enough and I feel like eating again.

Kösem Sultan ordered the Harem cooks to hire extra workers just to cook for me whenever I was hungry. I even moved to another bigger room, which was not far from the chambers of Atike Sultan. It was required that I choose two or three girls to be with me as my maids, and I immediately chose Olga, Eudokia, and Ardita. Of course, they accepted happily as we had one more reason to spend time together. Also, Murad gave me many dresses and jewels, but the Sultanas did not hesitate either.

The girls and concubines in the Harem have become familiar with me. For the festivities that were held in honour of my pregnancy, I decided to give the girls fabrics and silver coins. I didn't mean to look arrogant or selfish, but I just wanted to help. I've been like them once, and I can't ignore and forget that.

Since I entered Murad's chamber for the first time, no other concubine has gone to him, and he has not asked for another. Ayşe Sultan has not been seen in the corridors of Harem for some time, and the girls say that she is sad and angry, especially with me. When Murad wants to visit his children, he simply calls them to the room without their mother. The worst is the fact that they at least manage to spend time with their mother, while Şehzade Selim the Young has his mother away from here. No news has come from Meltem Sultan, but most likely things are going well.

Not for nothing did I say Selim the Young, as the Old Şehzade Selim is one of Murad's brothers, and that's exactly the one who hated me. Since that day we have not met and this is a good sign. I told the girls what had happened, and they were speechless. Naturally, it was unbelievable and strange. Ardita even said that he must be supporting Ayşe Sultan and therefore was against me, but it was impossible since the Sultan's harem was not seen by any other man except him and the eunuchs. Three days ago, he left the Palace to go on a visit to Edirne on Murad's order to calm the situation between the two of them. I tried not to worry myself much about this, but instead focused on my and my child's health.

That day me, Olga and Eudokia went to the hammam. My belly still hasn't grown bigger, but I felt like I needed to relax. I sat down while Olga and another girl were washing my hair and arms. Soon, one of the maids who were outside the hammam came inside.

- Mihrişah Hatun, Ayşe Sultan is coming here, - she said.

- Okay, - I answered and motioned for him to leave.

It was certain that in a place where Ayşe and I would be together, some problem would definitely happen, but I had to control myself and not fall into her traps. It didn't take long, and Ayşe came in accompanied by her maids. We had to stand up and bow whether we wanted to or not, because she was a Sultana.

- Aha, Mihrişah Hatun, what a coincidence, - she said and sat in front of me while the girls served her drinks and fruits.

- Sultanim, - I said and turned my head away so as not to give him a chance to continue more.

In fact, she didn't speak much either, but I knew from her hateful look that she would say something sooner or later. After I was done, I stood up and bowed to her lightly.