Sultan Mahmoud was the most lustful sultan the Othman empire has ever known since it rose from nothing to the strong dynasty it is now. He was a womanizer and the whole dynasty knew that but they didn't care as long as he was leaving for campaigns t...
"Are you cold?" I asked the brunette beside me. Her name was Daphne and she came from a nearby island, we were both in a carriage right now moving towards the grant castle.
My name is Katerina, I just turned eighteen when I was kidnapped from my house in Russia and sold to Othman pirates who now sold me to the castle.
I was sitting in a carriage with three other girls including Daphne who was in the same boat as me when we were bought here to Istanbul. We were sold as the new maids for the castle as a present from one of the Pashas to the sultan as his coronation gift like he needed more women.
"No, I'm good" Daphne gave me a small smile which dispersed in seconds as the carriage came to stop. The doors were pulled open to show a guy in blue looking up at us.
"Come on now, we don't have all night," he said taking my arm and pulling me forcefully down the steps making me almost fall on my face.
We walked into the grand castle and straight to the baths. I hated everything about them, they were so smooth and slippery that they were dangerous to walk on.
"What is she gonna do?" I asked out loud as a woman walked in and asked the girls to take off their towels for a moment before she would take them to the side and check somewhere very private.
"She's checking for any sicknesses," Darvis agha said. What kind of name is Darvis? I'd rather cut my arm off than name my son that.
"You next" he pulled me roughly towards the woman before leaving that side of the bathroom so she can check me up. I opened the towel like the other girls before she made me sit down to do whatever she does which was very uncomfortable.
We walked back into what looked like a huge hallway but they called it the harem. Girls left and right were watching us as we walked in and were given our clothes.
Two women cladded in jewelry walked making the chatter stop and all of the girls bowed to them. I looked at Daphne who only shrugged her shoulders not knowing who they were.
"Where are the new girls?" The elderly one asked. Darvis walked over and pointed at us as I pulled down my dress and placed on the blue overdress.
She walked over and stopped in front of us making as halt our movement and watch her as she looked at us. I fixed my belt before we all stood in a line in front of her. I wish I could just bolt to the door and get out of this hell.
"Hmm good," she said eyeing us before leaving with the other girl. I couldn't help but look after them as they walked away.
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This was gonna take me a while before I am able to run away from this horrid place and its rules.
"Don't stand like this all day, your teachers will teach you the rules and how to be useful here" Darvis Agha said clapping his hands snapping me back to reality.
We were handed books and pushed into a line immediately. We followed a woman dressed in sugary white and red into a smaller room and we sat in rows on cushions.
This will be a long day, I thought as I watched one of them draw letter on the huge paper in front of us. Why did they write from the right to the left? Who could we possibly learn that?
I looked at Daphne who was watching intensely before moving her gaze to me and quirking her eyebrow up in confusion.
I moved my eye back to the two women and listened to them which was all we did for the next god knows how long before we were led back to the harem.
It was nightfall and everyone was getting ready to bed so we did too. I and Daphne placed our mattresses beside each other and laid down very close to each other.
"Do you think there's a way out of here?" Daphne asked pulling her covers over her head as a way to not be heard which I thought was pretty useless.
"I'm not sure" I muttered truthfully. I too pulled the covers up but to keep myself warmer.
"We should search the castle when everyone's asleep" she suggested. I nodded my head in confirmation.
After we made sure everyone was asleep we got out of bed slowly and in complete silence. We pulled the huge Harem doors slowly trying as hard as we can to not get them to squeak. We walked out with small footsteps and down the corridor.
When I heard footsteps I hid behind a column and so did Daphne. We watched as a very muscular mad walked by like a breeze. I sighed in relief but accidentally did it too loud, I slapped a hand over my mouth to not make a sound.
I closed my eyes tightly as the man stopped in his tracks with his back still to me. I reopened my eyes and flicked them to Daphne signaling her to get back to the Harem from behind my column before the man turned around. She hesitantly ran to the harem not caring if her footsteps were heard as long as she wasn't seen.
The man turned around and faced me. Our eyes clashed together making me hold my breath in both fear and awe as his ocean blue eyes met mine. He placed his hands behind his back and stepped over to where I stood. I immediately put my hand down and held them in fists by my side in case I had to punch him.
"What are you doing out of the harem so late?" He asked sounding kind. I gulped trying to think of something to say but nothing came up.
"I-I-I w-wanted to-" I stopped closing my eyes tightly as nothing came to my mind.
"Runaway?" He asked or more like suggested. My eyes widened at the suggestion which was partially true.
"No!" I said immediately which probably gave away the lie. I sighed and looked down at my hands.
"I just didn't want to be toyed with" I admitted. He only shook his head with a small smile.
"Go back to the harem and don't even think about running away, this palace is filled with guards," he said before turning around and walking away. I sighed sadly and walked back to the harem and to my mattress and laid down.
