|| Highest Ranking in Historical Fiction: 286 ||
When Clarisse Barnes arrives at the Topkapi Palace she is unaware of what her future holds.
However a chance encounter with Kosem Sultan's begins Clarisse's journey from being a slave to becoming one...
As I enter through the doors my heartbeats so loudly that I am almost deafen by the sound. I greet him and stand across his desk with my head down where he seems to be working on something.
"Did you get yourself checked by the nurse?" He asks me without raising his head.
"There was no need for it my Sultanum." I reply.
"Very well." He replies and becomes quiet for a moment.
After a minute or two he stops what he is doing and turns his attention towards me and starts, "It is custom in my family that if someone serves or helps the Ottoman family they shall be rewarded in equal value. Since you saved my brothers along with the rightful king of the throne hence I want to finish this responsibility by granting you something of equal value. So say slave girl, what do you desire?"
I am taken aback by his question, mostly because I was expecting him to take his revenge on how I had spoken to him last time.
I don't realize how long it takes me to register his question since he follows up his question with a comment, "Why? Is there nothing of your standard?
The three of them are so similar.
I am about to answer that I don't need anything however I remember something in the moment.
It was an incident back when Sultan Mustafa had been in power and I was working under Sehzade Dilruba, she once asked me to check on the younger Sehzades who were imprisoned separately from Mehmed and Sultan Osman. I remembered how frustrated Shezade Murad was and how much Sehzade Qasim and Bayezid kept asking to see their respective mothers and the cries of Sehzade Ibrahim which would not stop. I remembered how miserable all of the younger Sehzades were and how at that time I thought that if Kosem Sultan came back they would be happy once again. However when I heard that Kosem Sultan had been banished from the Palace this was the first time it hit me that for those younger Sehzades nothing had really changed they were still separated form their mother whom they were desperate to be with again.
"I have a request Sultanum." I reply boldly.
"Tell me slave girl." He folds his fingers together in anticipation of my answer.
"I want you to allow the younger Shezades to meet their Valides, obviously under your graces supervision." I reply not too sure how my request will be perceived.
The calm on his face changes to anger and he hits his palm against the table. He then stands up and stands in front of me.
"Are you questioning my decision?" He asks me in a threatening tone.
I keep myself calm and my voice steady, "No your Sultanum. I do not have any such intention. You asked me for my desire and I told you."
"Why do you want me to allow the younger Shezades to see Kosem Sultan?"
"Because they have already spent too much time away from their mother and they are only children. It is not good to separate children of such young ages away from their mother for so long." I explain.
"That wasn't what I asked. My question was why do you want me to do that?" Sultan Osman asks.
I didn't know how to explain him what I was thinking so I replied with what I was feeling.
"That is because they need their mother more than I need you to fulfill my personal desire."
Sultan Osman looked at me annoyed. Then he turned his back to me and continued, "I cannot fulfill that wish hence if you want something else state it or leave the room."
I contemplated for a moment and then replied.
"Can I ask for something else?" I asked.
He nodded his head without turning around.
"Can you release Sehzade Mustafa from the Golden cage?"
Sultan Osman turned around very quickly and grabbed me by my arm. Though I could have easily stopped him from even touching me, I knew I had to control myself since my requests were insulting enough for him and I didn't want to give him another reason to get angry at me.
However how tightly he grabbed my arm shocked me and unconsciously I looked up and directly eye to eye. He must have sensed fear in my eyes as he slowly let go of my arm and asked me to leave his chambers.
As I am about to leave I gather my courage and comment, "You might not know but Sehzade Mustafa is suffering from a mental condition hence he isn't capable to ruling this empire and he wasn't responsible for the order of execution of you or the Shezades. It was Halime Sultan, it was all Halime Sultan; please Sultanum don't punish him for Halime Sultan's sins. He needs to be allowed to roam freely or else his condition will only worsen. Please Sultanum." I plead.
"Leave." Sultan Osman replies this time more softly than before, which made me believe that nothing I would say would matter in changing his opinions.
I spend the rest of the day working through my duties and I keep recalling my conversation with Sultan Osman.
Finally before dinner time I head back to Sehzade Mehmed's room to join him for dinner. He greets me in his room with a smile and a deep [passionate kiss. I decide to ask him about our earlier conversation after dinner.
As soon as we finish our dinner Mehmed goes back to reading a book he had left off earlier. I am about to touch the topic when there is a knock on his room.
"Enter." He replies.
The door opens and enters a figure beautifully dressed in a teal gown. It is Ayse Sultan.
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Shocked by her unexpected visit I quickly jump from my seat and greet her.
She doesn't acknowledge my presence, instead turns her attention towards Mehmed and starts, "Mehmed, we need to talk."
Then she turns her head towards me and continues, "Alone."
