The Sultan's Rose

Despite her great beauty- equal to her cousin, Isabella- Sancha has been forcibly shoved aside, even buried by her family's history and image. Unacknowledged, alternately hated or forgotten by her wealthy duke of a father, Sancha initially resigns herself to the happy life as her loving and beloved cousin's lady-in-waiting, with few knowing that she was the duke's illegitimate daughter. But dark winds came, bringing foreign corsairs raiding close to their shores, thanks to the negligience and weakness of their king. Sancha risks her life to ensure her cousin's safety- something which causes immeasurable anguish to both 'sisters', as they will not see each other for many years to come.

Captured and and sold to Istanbul, the heart of the Ottoman Empire, She is brought and tutored her in a lady's education and court intrigues. Her purpose becomes clear: she is to enter the harem, as soon as a new sultan, likely the Prince Mehmed, ascends the throne, as a gift... And into his bed. While Sancha may mourn and grieve for her loved ones, there is only one direction: forward. But there are four paths one can go whilst inside the Ottoman harem: the first is to be killed; either by being stupid, or careless. The second, is to be good enough to stand out, but not as good as the others, which will guarantee your marriage to a wealthy nobleman or a high-ranking officer as a reward. The third option is to be so mediocre, so hopeless that she will disappear, forgotten, never to be freed, locked away for life. The fourth option is to enter the sultan's bed, and fight to become his favourite, bear and train his son, and fight to ensure your son survives to become the next sultan. But once she enters the game, she has to fight for the sultan's love and her children's survival, or they will die.
Yet is there more than this? Is there a way to capture the sultan's heart and keep it with her for life? Is there a man beneath the jewelled crown, hidden by the army?