CONQUEROR| MAGNIFICENT CENTURY|

CHAPTER 04

I walked down the stairs from the favorite's room to see the girls crowded by a couch. I walked over to see who they were crowding or what. There sat a woman with a very young girl, not older than three, sat in her lap.

"Who's she?" I asked the girl beside me not taking my eyes off of the baby who was laughing.

"She's the sultan's daughter and that's her mother Hatice sultan she's his majesty past chief favorite but stopped being that when he met Fatma hatun" she explained. I turned my gaze to Fatma who was standing at the balcony watching everything going on down here with her head held high like she owned the place which made me hate her even more.

"So girls who's the new girl?" The blonde woman asked moving her gaze between the girls. The girls standing in front of me moved to the side to show me to her.

"Ah you come here" I walked over to her. She moved her hand to the couch, I sat down beside her. To my shock she placed the baby in my lap, I held her carefully to not drop her.

"So new girl, how long have you been here?" She asked turning her full attention to me after she dismissed all of the other girls.

"Not long, sultana" I answered cooing down again the baby girl in my lap.

"What are you doing here Hatice?" I looked to the left to see Fatma standing there with her hands on her hips glaring at Hatice sultan.

"It's Hatice sultan to you Fatma or do I have to remind you that I am of higher status than you," Hatice sultan said calmly moving her gaze to Fatma.

"It doesn't matter to me," Fatma said making me feel irritated but held it in as a harem agha walked into the harem and over to where we sat.

"Katerina hatun prepare yourself, his majesty, is asking for you to join him in his trip to the hunting lodge," the harem agha said making me grin happily and handed the baby back to the blonde sultana.

"That's impossible, his majesty, only asks for me to go with him to the hunting lodge," Fatma said furiously. I stood up and walked back upstairs ignoring her yells at the poor harem agha.

I packed a couple of my dresses and some of the jewelry his majesty sent me this morning and yesterday. I walked down in my cloak holding my stuff, all of the girls watched me as I followed Darvis agha out of the harem and into the garden where I saw in the distance a carriage.

I gave Darvis agha my stuff to be added to his majesty's in the second carriage. I got into the first one to his majesty already there so I sat down beside him since it was impossible to bow to him in here.

"Your Majesty," I said grinning brightly at him. He placed his arm around my shoulder and bought me closer to him.

"Good morning, Katerina," he said kissing my cheek making me blush. If only my mother could see me now she would probably get a heart attack.

"If you don't me asking your majesty-" I looked at him for permission to continue which he nodded for me to do.

"Why did you ask for me? Fatma told me that it was only her you take with you to the hunting lodge" I looked down at my hands scared that I overstepped my boundaries but he only chuckled and pulled me closer.

"I do not like Fatma anymore, she loves the idea of being with me and doesn't love me and that's why I'm giving you a chance to prove yourself as my concubine" he answered looking out of the window to show trees passing by very fast as we drove to the hunting lodge.

When we reached the lodge a couple of hours later the sultan himself helped me down from the carriage and let me hold on to his arm as we walked in.

"This morning I saw your daughter, Nuricihan sultan and she's a very beautiful girl," I said as we walked to the private garden and over to the sultan's tent that has been set up before our arrival.

"Is that so? She's a very smart girl too" he said proudly. He sat down on his throne and motioned for me to sit down in front of him on a cushion.

"Yeah but I still haven't seen your son, prince Isa, I'm really excited to see him," I said grinning brightly up at him.

"Leyla is scared to bring him out, he is still a couple of months old," he said nodding his head at me.

"Come here," he said putting his hand out for me. I took his hand and he pulled me up so I was standing up in front of him. He turned to look at his guards who bowed and turned their backs to us before turning back to me and pulled me into his lap.

I wrapped my arms around his neck pulling myself closer to me. I placed my lips on his feeling his fingers wander around my waist tickling me a little making me giggle against his mouth.

"You look very beautiful today, Katerina" Mahmoud complimented making me blush. I looked behind him to see some roses planted not far from here, they reminded me a lot of my younger sister who used to love their smell before she died years ago because of the plague.

"You seem to like roses," Mahmoud said earning my attention. I turned back to him and smiled lightly as the memories of my sister flooded my head.

"Yes I do, they used to be my younger sister's favorite flowers" I answered him placing my hand in his cheek and letting it run through his beard.

"Used to be?" He asked rubbing my back lightly almost like he was trying to comfort me.

"She's no longer in this world," I said smiling at him sadly. He kissed my forehead before leaving his against my own.

"I will fill the private garden of them," he said. I giggled and pulled him in for a very tight hug.