THE SULTAN'S HEART| MAGNIFICENT CENTURY| I

CHAPTER 116

"Come on, girls, we do not want to be late." Diler Kalfa raised her voice as she spoke. She saw some girls with their things bundled up scurrying past her in the direction she was pointing. It was early in the morning, so early that the light had not even come up yet.

A black-haired girl paused in front of the harem door as the others hurried past her, afraid they would miss the carriage, which would be impossible; no one would move without them all, protocol after all. Diler sighed, annoyed, her eyes stopped on the black-haired girl, she walked over to her and stood beside her, she looked in the directiont he girl looked at, curious what caught her attention.

The black-haired girl was watching a brown-haired girl in the harem. The brown-haired girl stood with Canfeda Kalfa, Șehzade Selim's head kalfa. The brown-haired girl turned to look at them by coincidence, and the two girls locked eyes, as if by natural force, they both glared heatedly at each other. Diler noticed Șehzade Murad's new favorite tightened her grip on her bundle.

"Nurbanu, it is time to leave, Șehzade Murad is waiting for his harem so we can move to Manisa," Diler spoke softly to not startle the favorite. Nurbanu's eyes snapped to Diler Kalfa. She knew who she was, after all. Diler was the one to pick her up from the harem to take her to the Halvet the night prior, and then picked her up again earlier to bathe quickly before their trip. Nurbanu would never forget the previous night. She was grateful Qamar Sultan had chosen her to go to Șehzade Murad the night prior to their travels. Nurbanu knew how to leave a lasting impression. On top of it, thanks to Diler Kalfa's help, she left some of her perfume on the Șehzade's Kafta,n so whenever he made the slightest movement, her perfume would waft up to remind him of her atop his horse, she wanted him to squirm, to yearn for more, for him to beg for her once they set camp by night fall.

"Why are you standing there?" A voice interjected before Nurbanu could respond. Nurbanu turned to look behind her, and there stood the woman she had begun to loathe, Dürrinev. If only Nurbanu had been brought to the palace a little earlier than she was, she would have been in Dürrinev's shoes, his absolute favorite, pregnant with his child. Now Nurbanu could only hope it was a girl like his previous favorite, so she could be the one to bring him his first son, his heir.

"Nothing, Hatun, come on, Nurbanu." Diler Kalfa answered for her. She wrapped her hand around Nurbanu's arm and started to pull her to walk to the exit. Valeria was no longer on Nurbanu's mind at the moment; her new mission was to get under Dürrinev's skin.

"Sorry, Diler Kalfa, my legs are still weak from last night; his highness was so dreamy; the thought of him makes me weak in the knees," Nurbanu spoke, acting innocent as she walked slowly. She hooked her arm with Diler Kalfa as if they were the best of friends, just to spite Dürrinev even more.

Dürrinev huffed angrily as she watched Nurbanu and Diler round the corner with barely a side eye from Nurbanu as she rounded the corner. She turned to look beside her at Pakize Hatun, whom Qamar Sultan had assigned to Dürrinev to help her with her pregnancy and birth. Pakize was glaring after Nurbanu, also annoyed, the two women shared a look before they followed after Nurbanu and Diler to join the party of Șehzade Murad's harem to travel to Manisa.

Unknown to all of them, Qamar Sultan was watching all of this from above, on the balcony of her chamber with Halil beside her. Qamar had to hold back a laugh at Nurbanu's actions. Nurbanu reminded her a lot of Hürrem's antics when she was first brought here, and they were all young concubines.

"I chose the right girl for my lion." Qamar nodded approvingly, yes it may cause madness in his harem, but what harem did not have madness? This way, Murad will have many heirs. The way she and Hürrem competed to have more children, Nuranu and Dürrinev will do the same with each other.