"Don't you even try to mess with me. You can be successful in this palace, only if I am by your side. I am the fire, and you can't mess with me. I will burn you."
After everyone has been going on my nerves, I decided I should go to the Gardens to relax on fresh air. Nothing could help me better than sitting in the gardens, listening the bird's song and smelling the sence of flowers.
Meryem Kalfa, my right hand was with me in the Gardens while I was sitting on the sofa in tent in Garden.
At that moment, a familiar face came to the Gardens. I saw Rana is coming to me. At the moment I needed to rest, she came just to provoke me, as she usually did.
- Aslihan, what are you doing here? - she asked me as she was really surprised to see me there. She was looking like she is waiting for someone.
- Better question should be what are you doing here, you shouldn't mind my buisness here. - I said to her with poker face because I wasn't really in the mood for her.
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- That's none of your buisness. Why are you always walking somewhere around the Palace? You never keep an eye on your children, you should be more careful. - she said to me seriously which made me kinda afraid, but at the end I knew I shouldn't be afraid of Rana because she has no one to stand by her side.
- Instead of threatening me with my children you should rather take care of your son. - I said to her and looked away from her.
- My Suleyman is with his father, our Şehzade Bayezid. Sehzade decided to spend time in nature together with Suleyman, unlike he does with your children. - Rana said proudly and her goal was to touch me with her words.
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- That is only what you think, Bayezid usually spends time with our children. - I said to her and looked away as she already pissed me off and my day couldn't go worse.
- Then why he haven't invited them to go with him? He only invited Suleyman. - Rana said and laughed.
I didn't want to look at her anymore as she went away from the Gardens. I may act like I don't care in front of her, but the fact that Bayezid went somewhere with Suleyman and he never took my children to go anywhere with him hurted me.
- Sultana, you shouldn't worry for her words, she told it just to annoy you. - Meryem said to me trying to comfort me, but there was nothing that could help me now.
- Bayezid is angry on me and I know he is ready to do whatever is needed to make me angry now, but he shouldn't do anything related to kids. - I said to her.
My thoughts even hurted me even more because for real Bayezid never decided to go somewhere with my children.
I hated his mood swings because I knew he is really angry on me because I have read his letter, and I know he won't easily get over it.
His mood swings were my fear because he wasn't in good relationship with Rana, and I never knew if that situation could just change while he is angry on me.
- Sultana, look over there. - Meryem said to me and pointed to me to place where I could see Rana.
I stood and went to see what is that and I saw Rana talking with a very tall man with black hair. He looked really strong from far and I have never seen him before in this Palace.
- Rana visits a man, this is very interesting. - I said to Meryem as I was happy as I saw something that will definitley help me to deal with her.
- Sultana, this is bad. This is obvious she is making political alliances. - Meryem said to me very seriously which showed me she knows something about that man.
- Who is this man, Meryem? - I asked her.
- Sultana, this is Sokollu Mehmed-paşa. He is one of Sultan Suleyman's closest friends and everyone is talking how at next Divan he will be named as new Grand Vizier. - Meryem told me and could hear she is upset while she is talking me all of this.
- Sultana, let's go to the another side. If we go there and we are silent, we might hear what are they talking about. - Meryem gave me idea which I really liked.
- What if someone sees us? - I asked her as I didnt want Bayezid to see anything bad from me again.
- They won't, there is only one way to go there, follow me. - Meryem said and took the lead on the way.
We stood at the another side of the fountain where they were, and as everything around was full of trees, they couldn't hear us.
- Paşa, you will help me to do it. I have a plan and if you want bright future you will help me in that. - I heard Rana telling him very seriously.
- I am listening to your offer, Sultana. - Sokollu Mehmed-paşa said to her.
- We need to get Şehzade Bayezid to the throne. We will get rid of Sultan Suleyman as soon as possible, because we don’t have any goods from him. - Rana said proudly to Mehmed.
- And what favour you have if you put Şehzade Bayezid on the throne? I am not into harem things, but even I know how big is his love with Aslihan Sultan. Sultana has more elder princes than your son Suleyman is, and has more of them who are potential to the throne. - Mehmed said which made me happy kinda, because he wasnt into harem things and he knew how Bayezid loved me. At that moment that took me into my mind remembering all the happy scenes with Bayezid, but I heard something which drove me back to reality.
- Bayezid won't be at throne for long time. We will get rid of him and put my son Suleyman on the throne. Then I will be Valide Sultan, and as Suleyman is underage, you will be Grand Vizier and regent of the Empire. That will be your reward. - Rana said to him proudly.
I couldn’t believe what I have heard with my ears. They want to dethrone Suleyman, and then put Bayezid on throne and then also dethrone him.
- You know I can't have much power in Divan if I am not son-in-law of Dynasty, and you don't have any daughter to marry me with. - Mehmed said and that made me realise what kind of person he is because he also wanted more power for him, a Sultana for wife.
- Don't worry about that, late Şehzade Selim's daughters are here and you could marry one of them and become Imperial Damat (son-in-law). - Rana said proudly. Mehmed kept silence for few minutes, and then continued.
- But how will you put Suleyman on the throne if there are elder Princes than him? - Mehmed asked her curiously.
- Because very soon I will get rid of Şehzade Murad and no one will know that I have my fingers in it. As you know, Prince is very sick, so no one would think there was someone who did it, everyone would think its natural cause. - Rana said and laughed.
Her words killed me in heart. I decided there is no more time to listen them, but to go inside Palace and take care of Murad.
I couldn’t let something bad happen to my son. I couldn’t let something bad happen to Bayezid also.
I will do whatever is important to take care of my husband and my family no matter what it takes. No one will touch what is mine, because if someone dares to, I will become their worst enemy.
