" Not all women have bright future. Between thousands of girls which come to Harem, maybe three or four of them will become Sultanas. Out of them, only one will be able to become powerful Sultana. And you have everything what is important to become...
We entered Topkapi Palace. It was huge. The biggest Palace I've ever seen. Sumbul-aga directed us to a large room where there were a multitude of girls. Everyone gathered to see us.
- Girls, these are new slaves who have arrived from Bulgaria. I hope you will help them learn the rules of the harem. - Sumbul-aga said to the girls.
The girls measured us from head to toe. I could see their jealousy because new girls were coming. I saw on Katya that she was thrilled to come to the Harem. I was horrified by this place. How was it possible for one man to have so many wives? How would a woman who loves her husband want to share him with others?
Sumbul-aga instructed us to go to the hammams, wash ourselves and find new clothes, and go to work in the harem.
He said that Hurrem Sultana is supposed to come later, and choose one of us to dance at the princes' party.
From what I heard from the conversation with Katya, Hurrem was the legal wife of Sultan Suleyman. She was the mother of his sons. She was thrilled because she hoped Hurrem would just choose her to dance at the party for her son.
I sincerely hoped it wouldn’t be me. I hadn’t been to the harem for an hour, and I didn’t like it already. I will not follow anyone's rules. Especially not from some women who run a harem. I will not dance for any Prince, who can have hundreds of wives.
So thoughtful I walked to the hammam and didn’t see where I was walking. I accidentally bumped into a man with blond red hair who looked at me in astonishment.
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- Hatun, watch where you walk! - he yelled at me angrily.
- What Hatun? My name is Alexandra, not Hatun. What are you talking about? - I told him confused by his answer.
- Watch how you talk. Here even the walls have ears. Learn to speak our language properly first. - he answered me and laughed at my words.
- I'm not interested in this language, or the harem, or the princes. I’m not like these other girls here who can’t wait to become Sultanas. - I told him, rolling my eyes at him. He kept laughing at what I was talking about.
- And who are you anyway? Are you some kind of harem keeper so you don't have a smarter job than complaining to me that I don't understand Turkish? - I answered him arrogantly.
- You'll find out soon who I am, Hatun.- he said and smiled. - I'm not Hatun, don't call me that. - I told him angrily.
- Hatun means lady in our language. And what do you think you are, Sultana? - he told me in a mocking tone.
- No, and I never will be. Get away from me. - I told him, pushed him away and left, but he took my hand and looked me in the eyes.
- Be careful how you behave in the harem, you'll run into a prince one day, so it won't be funny if you tell this to one of them. - he said and winked.
I dropped his hand angrily.
- And to see the Prince what then, I don't care. I am who I am, I don't care if it's a servant or a prince. - I told him angrily and continued walking towards the hammam.
I was so annoyed that not even the hammam could calm me down. I couldn’t stop thinking about that man. I wonder what he does in the palace. He was obviously not a prince when he warned me about the prince. But neither can a prince be so rude. Ah, just get it out of my head because I'm going crazy.
After the hammam, I returned to the harem. There I was greeted by Katya and a few other girls with whom she soon became friends in the Harem.
Katya introduced me to Salih Hatun who told us about various incidents in the harem. She told me how Hurrem Sultana sent her to Prince Selim and how he drove her out. It was a shame for her.
- Prince Selim drove away every concubine his mother would send him. He doesn't like any of them. In every he would find only something bad. He has a wife, Nurbanu, with whom he has a son. Their love used to be great, but now they are in a bad relationship. He found out that Nurbanu has collaborated with Hurrem, and he is angry at her for interfering in such affairs. He hasn't wanted to see her lately either. - Saliha Hatun told us.
Everyone was listening about Prince Selim, and I was just thinking about that stranger I met on the way to the hammam. If only I knew his name.
- Attention! Her Imperial Majesty Haseki Hurrem Sultana!
Sumbul-aga shouted at the door to which the whole harem bowed. It was an older woman who held up well. She was very beautiful for her age. She had red hair that set her apart from all the other women in this harem. She was specific in appearance.
- Girls, today I will choose some of you to dance at the party for my son Selim. I hope you will satisfy him. - Hurrem Sultana said to us.
She walked around us, no girl looked her in the eye. She came up to me and I looked at her right away.
- Do you know that the head is kept bowed in fronf Hurrem Sultana? - Sumbul-aga asked me, to which I just rolled my eyes.
- What's your name, girl? Hurrem Sultana asked me. - Alexandra. - I replied, looking her in the eye.
- Same as me, interesting. Don't you have any respect for addressing me with the Sultan? she asked me.
- Excuse me, Highest Sultana., hI told her in a mocking tone. Katya slapped me with her hand as a sign to stop, but I paid no attention to it.
Hurrem slapped me across rhe face. The whole harem was left in the shock while I continued to laugh.
- Don't worry, it doesn't hurt. - I told her while I was laughing laughing. Katya kicked my arm again to stop.
-Aghas! - Hurrem shouted and rhwn aghas immediatley came
- Take this girl to the dungeon, let her spend the night there, and I guess she'll learn to be smart and behave better towards Sultana. - Hurrem said, glaring at me.
I tried to abduct myself but it didn't work, aghas were taking me to dungein. On the way there I saw that same stranger. The Aghas stopped and bowed to him. He stopped them.
- What is this? - mysterious stranger asked. At that moment, Agha slapped me in the arm.
- Why are you beating me? - I asked him angrily, I didn't want to let anyone hit me anymore.
- It's Prince Selim, bow to him. - Fahriye Kalfa, the chief Kalfa in the harem, told me, and slapped me.
- How can he be a Prince, isnt he some harem guard? - I asked them confusedly. Fahriye Kalfa took my hand so strongly that it hurted so much.
- Kalfa, Aghas, what is this behavior?- Selim asked them impudently.
I stayed in the shock. That stranger. It is actually Prince Selim. That stranger in front of whom I said everything about princes, was a prince.
- What did the girl do? - Selim asked angrily. - She was rude to Hurrem Sultana. - Fahriye Kalda replied.
- Is that why you're sending her to dungeon? So are you normal? Return her to the harem immediately. - he yelled at them angrily.
I was left in the juice. That stranger, who is actually a prince, opposes his mother to let me out of the cell. Why? Apparently he wants to settle accounts with me in private.
- Come with me now. - Selim told me, and I continued to follow him to his chambers.
