Twisted Reign | 𝔐𝔞𝔤𝔫𝔦𝔣𝔦𝔠𝔢𝔫𝔱 ℭ𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔲𝔯𝔶

𝟏𝟑

|Victoria's POV|

-After a week-

Time flew by, maybe because the air was calm and spring was just around the corner.

I stayed locked away in my room, lost in books—or at least pretending to be. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts... This whole situation is such a tangled mess.

Something unusual happened, Sultan Mustafa went out for a hunt. I heard he never did this before.

Halime Sultan even argued with him a bit, but he insisted on leaving for a few days.

This made me anxious... Halime Sultan could do anything—she might even try to hurt me.

Today, I felt restless and suffocated, so I decided to step outside to the garden... I thought it would be nice to catch a glimpse of the world outside and see when Sultan Mustafa would return.

"Nisa, do you know when the Sultan will be back?" I asked while gently touching some flowers.

"Maybe in two days, your highness" she answered quietly without looking up.

"Are you okay? You look pale" I said, noticing she seemed unwell, like she might faint.

"I'm fine, your highness" she replied, forcing a smile, which made me shake my head.

"The harem seems lively this morning" I remarked, remembering how noisy it was when we walked by "Shouldn't this make Halime Sultan angry?"

"Yes, your highness, but Halime Sultan left the palace early today" she cleared her throat "Yesterday, Dilruba Sultan fainted and then she found out she's pregnant, so Halime went to visit her"

"Oh," I said, smiling a little "Dilruba must be overjoyed, She told me how much she wanted to be a mother"

After spending about an hour enjoying the fresh air, I decided to head back inside; it was probably lunchtime, and my aunt was tired.

As I opened my bedroom door and stepped inside, I froze... It felt like time stood still.

A wave of shock washed over me, and my eyes widened in terror... My heart raced, pounding so loudly I could hear it in my ears.

I took a step back, unable to process what I was seeing. How could this be real?

There she was, lying still as if all life had been taken from her.. A chilling sensation crept through my bones, like I was trapped in a nightmare with no escape.

I screamed, but the sound was barely a whisper, as if the words couldn't capture the fear clawing at my insides.. In the midst of my panic, I wondered: who did this? Why?

My aunt rushed toward me, but before she could ask what was wrong, her gaze fell upon the body sprawled on the carpet; blood was everywhere... Rabia laid there, lifeless.

"How?" I finally managed to whisper after what felt like an eternity of shock.

"Victoria, we have to get out of here!" my aunt exclaimed, grabbing my hand "We can't stay here for another second... The idea of seeking refuge with the Ottomans was foolish and dangerous!" Her words tumbled out in a rush, tears shimmering in her eyes.

"Auntie, wait" I said, pulling my hand free and trying to soothe her, even though my own mind was in chaos "It's too late... It's—"

I sank to the floor, my head resting in my hands, feeling lost in a maze with no escape... Why was Rabia dead here? And in my room—wouldn’t that make them suspect me? What could I possibly do? Rabia was the only witness against Halime Sultan, and without her, my claims would hold no weight.

"Victoria?" A voice I knew all too well broke through the tension.

It was Mustafa.. I quickly lifted my head and saw my aunt and Nisa staring in shock.

<Destur, Sultan Mustafa Khan Hazretleri>

Just then, one of his men announced his arrival, but it seemed Mustafa didn’t give him a chance to finish.

"Your Majesty" I whispered in surprise, standing up quickly.

Wasn’t he supposed to be back in two days?

"What’s going on here?" he asked, confusion on his face as he approached me... Then, out of nowhere, he placed his hand gently on my cheek "Why are you crying, Princess?"

"I..." Words escaped me... How could I explain? He might not understand; his treatment wasn’t complete yet "I didn’t do anything.. I don’t know why this happened..." I said, trying to defend myself.

"Shh" he said softly, pulling me into an unexpected embrace "I promise, nothing is worth your tears" he whispered near my ear, ensuring no one else could hear "Is it the shad...?" He didn't finish his sentence as he fell silent, and when I raised my head, I found his eyes fixed on the center of the room where the body laid.

"What is this?" he exclaimed, his face draining of color, as if the worry he had kept at bay for weeks had suddenly returned... I could see the shock in his eyes "What..." He was really speechless.

"Your Majesty" my aunt said, summoning all her courage "We were taking a walk in the garden and then we found this in Victoria's room... It’s a clear threat to Victoria...If it’s not that, then this maid must have taken her own life for reasons we don’t understand... Someone is trying to play with Victoria, Your Majesty; we need your help"

Mustafa stood in silence for a moment, our faces growing pale with fear, but I knew this scene had awakened something deep within him.

"Mahmud" he finally said, pulling his gaze away from the body, looking very disoriented "Investigate this matter..." As soon as he finished, he hurried away toward his chambers, whispering words I couldn't make out.