ʙᴇɴᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏʏᴀʟ ᴠᴇɪʟ - ᴍᴀɢɴɪꜰɪᴄᴇɴᴛ ᴄᴇɴᴛᴜʀʏ ( SULTAN MURAD IV)

Two

We all sat around the long table, the silence pressing on us like an invisible weight. The air smelled of rosewater and incense, but it could not mask the unease. Kösem Sultan had just summoned every noble in the palace to attend the inauguration ceremony for her new charity foundation.

My mother, who served as Kösem Sultan's treasurer and managed all her personal revenues, sat beside me, spine straight and expression unreadable. She was one of the Sultan's most trusted advisers , this proximity to power was why I had grown up in the palace, attending every ceremony, knowing every royal face.

A woman across from us finally broke the silence.

No one spoke for a long while. The silence was a kind of test. Finally, one of the noblewomen cleared her throat, voice polished to near-perfection.

"It is a true delight to be here on this blessed day, Your Majesty. Your charity will bring so much good."

Kösem inclined her head slightly, acknowledging the compliment without humility. She had no reason to feign it. She had ruled the empire as regent, brokered marriages and alliances, and outmaneuvered enemies at every turn. I found myself admiring her as I always did , this woman who would go down in history, feared and revered in equal measure.

But beneath the formal praise, there was no mistaking the grief that had brought us here. Atike Sultan's death had left a raw wound in the family. Her sister had ended her own life in front of the entire court, leaving Kösem with a grief she had buried under duty and new plans. The orphanage was her offering to God, her way of seeking forgiveness or at least peace.

She eventually stood, her robes rustling as she rose. Chairs scraped back as everyone followed suit.

"I thank you all for your presence," she said in that calm, commanding voice that had quelled rebellions. "I hope you will one day visit the orphanage yourselves. See the children you will help shelter and raise."

Murmured blessings and pledges rippled through the hall. My mother was nodding gravely beside me. She would certainly be there; wherever Kösem went, my mother followed.

As the formalities ended, people began to leave in twos and threes, their hushed conversations trailing away into the marble corridors. My mother and I stayed back with Kösem's daughters, who were escorted out soon after. I thought we would be leaving too, but as I turned to follow, Kösem spoke without even raising her voice.

"Gülcihan. Stay."

My feet halted. My mother laid a hand on my arm, as if she had expected this.

Kösem gestured for me to sit near her, while my mother remained standing behind.

"I have spoken with your mother," Kösem began. Her tone was mild, almost pleasant, but it carried the finality of an imperial decree. "We have come to an agreement about something that will benefit us all."

I lowered my eyes, my mouth dry.

"Your Majesty," I said carefully. "What agreement?"

"You are a beautiful young woman, mashallah," she said, surveying me with critical approval. "Is it not time you had a family of your own?"

I hesitated, choosing my words with care.

"I... think it is too early for me, Sultana. I am waiting for someone worthy."

She lifted a brow, amused but not fooled.

"Your father tried to match you with pashas before. I remember you saying they were old and foul-tempered."

I tried to suppress a smile.

"You're right, Valide Sultan. But I don't want to make such a decision lightly. I want to find the right man."