-Behiç, my beauty. I promise that we will always be together- Sultan Osman told Behiç. But, after battling with a disease, Sultan Osman dies suddenly, leaving Behiç to figure out how to move forward with her children. MC/K.
"I stood in the storm for all too long, it is time for the Almighty to take me to his home in the clouds" - Behic Sultan
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The words echoed in Behic's mind as she sat on her balcony, watching the golden sun sink lower behind the hills. The palace gardens were awash in hues of orange and red, but the beauty of the scene was a stark contrast to the weight she felt pressing on her chest. She had long battled the illness that had ravaged her body, and though her mind remained sharp, she knew her time was coming to an end.
Her children stood beside her, their presence both a comfort and a reminder of all she had fought for. Abdul, now a strong and wise Sultan, was every bit the ruler she had envisioned him to become. He stood tall, with his wife—a soft-spoken but cunning consort by his side—and their children playing at their feet. His new consort had proven herself loyal, devoted, everything Behic had hoped for when she set her final plans into motion years ago.
Sanavber stood close as well, her eyes filled with concern as she glanced at her mother. Behic smiled faintly at her daughter, remembering the countless moments they had shared, the whispered conversations late at night, and the strength Sanavber had shown when Behic had entrusted her with delicate matters of the palace. She had grown into a formidable woman, sharp and intelligent, a reflection of Behic's own spirit.
Behic's thoughts drifted to Mariya, the ambitious concubine she had once feared would tear everything apart. The girl had been removed, quietly and decisively, a pawn that no longer served a purpose in Behic's game of survival. In the end, Mariya had underestimated her, and now she was a distant memory—a footnote in the long saga of the Ottoman Empire.
The wind stirred, carrying with it the scent of the roses in the garden below, and Behic felt her breath grow shallow. Her gaze wandered to the horizon, where the sun was now almost fully set. Memories swirled around her—her childhood in Italy, her capture, the day she had first stepped into the Ottoman palace as a captive, and how she had turned her fate around. Sultan Osman, the man she had loved, the one who had given her the opportunity to shape history, was gone now, but his legacy, their legacy, remained.
"I see it now," she whispered softly to herself, her eyes glistening. "The end."
But there was peace in that realization. She had done what she needed to do. She had fought for her children, for her place, and for the empire. The future was secure, and she had no regrets. Her body may have been failing, but her spirit remained unbroken, unyielding.
The sky darkened as the last sliver of sun disappeared behind the hills, casting the world in twilight. Behic exhaled slowly, her eyes fluttering shut, a faint smile lingering on her lips.
"Until forever,"she murmured, her voice barely a whisper as the darkness gently took her away. Not Behic, but Valencia. The poor girl from Italy whose destiny never had, and never will, be forgotten.
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