Unprofessionalauthor
What if things had gone differently with Leo's storyline in the series Magnificent Century? Imagine if Nigar Kalfa had read his letter out loud willfully incorrectly...
Ottoman Empire, December 1525. Nigar Hatun is a highly beloved and respected Hünkâr Kalfa (Imperial Kalfa) of Topkapı Palace, and she shares a close bond with Hürrem Sultan, the favorite concubine of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent. Leo, a painter commissioned to portray Süleyman and Hürrem, also works at the palace. What not everyone knows is that Leo is the sultana's former fiancée. Since the day of her kidnapping by the Tatars, Leo has spent years searching for his lost love, and when he finally finds her, she has changed, she is no longer 'his Alex'. And he cannot accept it. Through Nigar, the sultana exchanges a few letters with him, trying in vain to convince him to leave Constantinople. One day, inexplicably, the Grand Vizier reveals to Nigar that he is aware of the ongoing correspondence. Cornered, Nigar lies, claiming those messages are for her, and through the intercession of Hatice Sultan, the Padishah's sister, it is decided that the two must be joined in marriage...