The other woman

Life goes on.

A month has passed and hurrem sultan has just revealed she is pregnant her self, she is not very far along but we will be close togeather I am 3/4 of the way through my third month and my bump showing off my baby has grown. Valide sultan has me with her regularly by her side. Today I was lounging in my room when there was a knock
" come in " I yell out. Suddenly Maria comes in quickly and shuts to door. I jump to my feet quickly ." Please don't harm us we have done nothing wrong, you know that Maria " I yell as she comes closer to me.
" i know you have done nothing wrong, just tell me how this all came about, your lucky " she says drawing closer
" your, your not to harm me ? Hurrem hasn't sent you to kill us ? " I ask shaking in fear.
" oh dear I see why your fearful of me, but no I'm not here to kill I am unable to do that, besides hurrem has to live in peace with the women in the harem even you and she would not harm a child especially a unborn one, she knows the feeling, tell me how this babe came about we are friends aren't we ?" She asks.i nod and she helps me sit down. I tell her of how I came into the sultans favour .
" yes it is not your fault indeed, and you have been blessed" she said placing a had on my ever growing bump.
" do you forgive me " I asks close to tears. She looks at my eyes and smiles.
" of course you have done nothing wrong hurrem couldn't have stopped you then even if she had known, we were miles away" she said smiling. I smile back and my tears receded.
"I hear your to be very important an ambassador to England " she says. I look at her puzzled.
" hurrem, she know, she is very good at finding information " she says. I nod hurrem could easily have spies to discover things.
" well I will be off hurrem needs me now that's she is pregnant again she is so sure it's a prince again" she says rising
" really?" I respond. " yes she is convinced she needs another prince to topple Mahidevran From power, she is truly power Hungary in her love of the sultan" Maria says shaking her head. I try to get up but my bump seems to work against me so Maria seeing me struggle helps me up.
" well those to can play war games against each other all they want as long as they don't involve me " I say walking her out of my chamber.
We walk all the way to the harem.chatting about life till esma hatun comes running saying hurrem wants her. Esma smiles as me and smiles at my bump.
They both take off to deal with hurrem. The sultan still calls me from time to time to chat and desire each other but hurrem takes up his days and nights many times over.
Suddenly a voice pulls me out of my trance." Valide sultana wishes to see you"
I turn and see a servant. I smile and nod and be on my way. When I arrive I bow and smile at valide sultana. " sultana you called for me?" I say as I come closer.
" you may call me valide, after all you carry my grandchild ,come sit with me " she says ushering me over.i come and sit next to her and she immediately places her hand in my stomach.
" how is everything, your healthy, the baby ?"she asks. I smile as I feel the baby move.
" everything is good all treat me well, the doctor keeps checking in me and the baby is doing well it's quite big though but very healthy" I say rubbing my stomach.
" any cravings ?" She asks taking a sip of her drink.
" oh yes like me the child has a sweet tooth and we love chicken with lots of rice and potatoes and puddings with lots of different sharbet to drink" I say laughing.
"Very good eat a lot it will help the child" she says rubbing my stomach.
" sadika tell the kitchen to make chicken with rice and potatoes and lots of sweets every kind they can make and some lemon and mint sharbet , we will eat togeather!" Valide sultan says to her servant. Rumour had it sadika hatun would become hatice sultan maid of honour which I was glad of she had an evil look to her and freaked me out to no end. The servant bowed and left to inform the kitchen ." Oh sultana it's too much I feel spoiled" I say.
" nonsense you carry a grandchild of mine you are well taken care of, from what I hear though you have not given birth they call you sultana" she said sipping from her cup.
"Oh sultana I don't wish for them to call me that , I try and tell them to call me hatun but they don't listen" I say. " nonsense let them call you it, you have earned it" she said patting me on the back. " my lion tells me you will be an ambassador , you will help create an alliance with England possibly, you are very good you help us a lot " she said smiling.
" I am glad to help, and to be able to talk to my homes people and help the empire will be wonderful" I say. " you will cover your face , unless Ibrahim pasha is with you or the sultan as per tradition " she says. I nod. It's tradition for the sultans women not to be seen by anyone other than the servant and those who are selected or eunuchs.
A knock on the door comes and the sultana users them in. All the sweets I could ever eat and the fattest chicken someone could find is delivered just for me. My eyes glisten at the sight of all the food I was gonna consume. Valide sultan get the servants to set the table then we sit down. To be honest I gorged my self I was probably to be full for days becuase of this meal.
When we were done I clutched my stomach in happiness. Soon Mahidevran Came with şehzade Mustafa. The little prince was no longer little but a fine strapping boy who had grown since the time I had known him. He was absolutely thrilled by the news I was to give him a sibling. I promised I would still play and sing for him, and he was quite happy about that, he was also happy to have a new baby besides hurrems children to play with. He loved all his siblings but he was over joyed with the prospect of mine.
" I can't wait for this little one to be born I'm impatient " I say to Mahidevran sultan as she smiles at my stomach. " don't be too impatient soon enough it will be here and your wish that it had been there longer" she said smiling. I smile and nod while rubbing my belly.
" I hear his Majesty is trying to make you an ambassador you're quite lucky not only are you blessed with a child but with a high position as well" she says.
" yes I will try and getting us an alliance with England, I wish for my homelands because of my home is also there and here now to be at peace with each other, the English master should arrive in about three months by then I'll be six months pregnant or more" I say.
" well I hope only good things come from it, I don't know much about the English they have a king like us correct?" She asks. " yes they have an English king but he does not have a harem, he has a wife but I do believe he has no son and heir, it has been a while since the queen gave him a child his eldest and only legitimate child is Princess Mary, rumour has it he wishes to marry another, thank goodness our sultan does not have that problem" I say smiling. " would you and trying to gain that kings favour if you were home?" She asks. " I doubt I would be able to, though my mother's family was of nobel blood, we would have to invited to court besides I am young probably to young for him " I say with a chuckle. We both laughed and continue to talk for quite a while.

A few more months pass hatice sultan wedding preparations are really underway we are all excited for her. My baby is now grown a lot and kicks me quiet a bit. Hurrems pregnancy has also progressed. The English ambassador is arriving today, Ibraham pasha will be with me as i talk to him. The girls continue to call me the Sultana, I can see it even irritates hurrem as much as it does me but I ignore it for the sake of my baby. My health is quiet good. Valide has begun preparations for my chamber which will be done soon, so I can settle in before the baby comes.  My room will have a very big bed as well as a large sitting area in a separate room for my maid and the baby. Valide sultan has made sure my room is bigger then Hurrems , as she wants me to be comfy and at peace.
Today hurrem has called me to her room I will take my concubines with me for protection, they have been trained to protect at all cost included forfeiting their lives.
I arrive and I don't bow a sign normally of disrespect but with my baby I am her equal now, she doesn't deserve my respect even if I was her slave once.
" hurrem sultan you called " I say smiling holding my large baby bump proudly, valide sultan has been helping me gain my confidence as has aya. I need to be strong for my baby. She may be hurrem but she is also human. She frowns looking at my baby bump." I wanted to talk with you and see how you were doing " she said smiling. " me and my baby are fine, the doctors are sure it will be a prince as does valide sultana " I say smiling. I was bluffing myself the doctor was unsure by the size of the baby I was carrying. I would dare go to a seer either, I won't let myself get involved in witchcraft. But valide sultan was determined for me to give the sultan a son just to spite hurrem. Hurrem just smiled but you could tell the fire was stirred in her once more. " wonderful Süleyman will gain two princes, he will be so happy " she said smugly. Suddenly a knock at the door came and hurrem yelled for them to come in.
The concubine bowed " Sofia sultana , İbrahim paşa calls you he says the English ambassador has arrived and he will receive you in the garden, you don't need to wear a face veil as he will be with you" she said. She quickly bowed and left. Hurrems smile then turned into a frown. "Well if you excuse me I have political empire duties that need to be attended to I hope you will excuse me " I say. As I pick up my train and slowly walk away.
I had never felt powerful but in that moment I had shown I could be a sultana with power, maybe not like hurrem, I would be better then hurrem I would be Sofia sultan, grace and merciful. I held my bump, I would not have my son fighting for the throne he would not fight his brothers and die pitiful death. I would make sure my son survive even if his brothers took the throne that would be my legacy. Of course if I have a daughter should be powerful she will make sure that her brothers will be in line she will show who is boss. I have now excepted my title of Sultana and I will wear it like a badge of pride.