Caterina spent her whole life being underlooked and misunderstood.
Hatice spent her whole teenage years chasing a man who loved another.
But Hüsniye became more than a pawn. She became a queen. She conquered the heart of the Ottoman Sultan, the hear...
"I love my aunt Giulia," Hanzade whispered as I tucked her in, her small face glowing with the kind of joy that made my heart swell. "Do we have any more aunts?"
"Yes, my dear—your aunt Gülbahar, your aunt Raziye, and your aunt Nilüfer," I replied, smoothing her hair.
"How is Aunt Nilüfer?" Selim asked, curiosity flickering in his tired eyes.
"Oh, I remember playing with her in Manisa. We had so much fun!" Mihrimah chimed in, her laughter a warm echo of better days.
"She had to stay in Manisa," I explained gently, "But I'll visit her soon."
"Can we come?" Rukiye's excitement sparkled in her voice, though she barely knew Nilüfer. It was obvious she wanted the chance to show off, to dazzle everyone with her charm. The other children joined in, their eager voices rising.
"Another day, my loves. You have lessons, remember?" I said, laughing softly. "Now, close your eyes."
"Sing to us!" Süleyman suggested.
I couldn't say no. Smiling, I began their favourite lullaby, my voice filling the room as they drifted into sleep. Their peaceful breaths filled me with contentment. For now, all was well.
‧͙⁺˚･༓☾ ☽༓･˚⁺‧͙
Manisa greeted me like a familiar embrace, its halls echoing with the memories of my children's laughter and the years that had passed. The scent of jasmine lingered in the air, and the old stones seemed to whisper secrets of the past.
I turned to Halil, who walked beside me with a careful step, his eyes scanning the surroundings. "Manisa hasn't changed a bit! Do you feel it, Halil? The warmth, the life this place holds?"
Halil glanced around, clearly absorbing the surroundings for the first time. "It is beautiful, Kadın," he said, his voice a mix of curiosity and reverence. "But I can't say I know it like you do. This is my first time here."
I smiled, realizing how much of this place was still a part of me. "Of course, it's new to you. But you'll see—there's something about Manisa. It's where I first became a mother. Where everything began."
"I can imagine," Halil replied thoughtfully. "It's a place full of history, I can tell."
"And memories," I added softly, my voice catching slightly. "Many memories."
"DESTUR! Her Grace, Hatice Kadın!" The harem girls bowed as we passed, their heads lowered with practised precision.
"She's in the kitchens," I said with a grin, recalling Nilüfer's last letter. "Let's not keep her waiting."
The kitchens were a warm, bustling place, filled with the scents of freshly baked bread and spices. Yet, when I asked after Nilüfer, the head cook hesitated, her face clouded with unease. "She's in her room, Kadın, resting. Shall I call her for you?"
"No, no." I waved her off with a smile. "I'll go to her myself. She'll be thrilled."
As we neared Nilüfer's room, I found myself humming softly, eager to see her again. Memories of her filled my mind: her bright smile, her joy at the smallest of things.
"Nilüfer? Honey, I'm here!" I knocked on the door lightly, my voice bright with anticipation.
Silence.
"Sweetheart, I'm going to enter, all right?" I called again, pushing the door open.
"Kadın, wait—" Halil's voice came in a gentle warning, but I was too eager to stop.
"Nilüfer, I'm—" The words died in my throat as I stepped into the room.
Her body hung lifeless from the ceiling, swaying slightly, her feet just above the ground.
My heart stopped.
I blinked, unable to comprehend what I was seeing. A part of me still wanted to believe it was some mistake—perhaps she was resting, cleaning, or arranging something. But my heart knew the truth far too quickly.
"Nilüfer?" My voice trembled, barely a whisper.
I reached out, my hands shaking, and touched her cold arm. The air seemed to freeze around me.
"No. No, no, no!" I cried, rushing forward, trying to lift her, but the weight of the situation was too much. I fumbled at the rope that held her, my fingers numb with terror. "Nadya!"
The door behind me slammed shut with a force that made me jump. "Stop screaming. It won't bring her back."
I spun around, still reeling from the sight of Nilüfer, and found Safiye standing in the doorway. Her pregnant belly loomed before her, grotesque and heavy, as if mocking the life that had once been here.
"You..." I whispered, feeling the ground shift beneath me. "You did this?"
Safiye's eyes gleamed with cold malice, her lips curling into a cruel smile. "I warned you, Hatice."
"What are you talking about?" I demanded, my voice shaking. But Safiye's gaze didn't falter.
Her hand shot out, slapping me with a brutal force that made me stumble back. "I told you to stay away from Murad!" she hissed. "I warned you to stop parading your perfect children in front of me. Don't you dare flaunt everything I've lost."
I clutched my burning cheek, my vision clouded with tears. "You've lost your mind, Safiye!"
Her laugh was bitter, hollow, and cold. "Have I? Or have I simply accepted the truth you've refused to see? You stole Murad from me, Hatice. If I can't have him, no one can." Her hand swept in a cold arc, pointing to Nilüfer's lifeless body. "Consider this your first warning."
Her words struck me like a dagger, cutting through my grief, and filling me with an icy dread that I couldn't escape.
As soon as she disappeared through the hidden door, a scream tore from my throat, raw and desperate. Halil rushed in moments later, enveloping me in his arms, his presence a fragile anchor in the storm of my grief.
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