sweet seduction

chapter 6

For the next two days Gülnihal had not been seen near the golden path nor had she come across the sultan. Actually she had seen him passing by or when he requested to meet his children, but other than that the once in "love" couple hadn't been seen together.

Defne hatun told her the growing gossip, the girls were convinced that Gülnihal had been replaced. That she was just a way to punish his one true love before he decided to forgive her. Gülnihal had scoffed at that but she couldn't help but feel nervous. What if it was true? Had she been forgotten?

" Defne, bring me my dress, the one I selected last night" she ordered as she took out her hair from their braids. Zehra hatun sat rocking orhan, he had been having trouble sleeping and had kept his mother up for majority of the night.

" Zehra, Ahmed is dining with the valide, he'll be escorted back by defne hatun. I would like him to have a nap before lunch" she ordered as defne helped her wear her dress

That day she chose a beautiful blood red dress, it had a slightly off the shoulder look but nothing to scandalous. She paired it with a head chain of Rubie's in the shape of small hearts, and a lovely matching necklace.

The last touch was a long gey fur coat, it had been a gift from the old palace. Gülnihal still a mere concubine then didn't know when to wear such a beauty. Now it was her first pick out of all her first.

After a lot of consideration she had decided to let her hair down , they had been washed with a rose scented perfume.

As she walked out of the palace and into a gold carriage, her nervousness hit a new high. She couldn't help but second guess herself.

Two agas had escorted her, but she told them to remain outside whilst she entered. They nodded, bowed and left to stand outside the door as she entered

" sultana this way, she's been waiting for you inside" said huma hatun as she sat down on the chair provided. Huma hatun had been absent since the morning, obviously making preparations for Gülnihal's arrival. Huma left the room saying she'll be back soon.

She was sat in a lodge belonging to this stranger, it was empty yet full. As if it did not lack anything.

The lodge was simply furnished with a medium sized table and four chairs and a fireplace in the main room.

As she waited, she got lost in her own thoughts. Thinking about her children and the sultan. Would she be able to fix this crack in their relationship? Would she only ruin things with what she was going to do? Hopefully not, she thought.

The door opened and in came huma hatun and a woman.

She was younger than Gülnihal had expected. She had dirty blond hair which lay in thick glossy curlers, she had a strange attire of clothes as well.

It was a black dress that reached the floor in a pool of black ink, nothing special yet she made it seem pretty. Gülnihal could not see her face since it was hidden with a vail covering the bottom half of her face. Her eyes though were a forest green, looking at them sent shivers down the Sultana's body.

" Sultana" she said bowing, her hair moving around as she did so. Gülnihal nodded with a half smile.

" Gül- I mean sultana, this is Alara hatun, she is the woman I told you about". Gülnihal showed no reaction as huma hatun introduced her.

Apparently huma had met her whilst trying to find a antidote for Gülnihal's own burns. She was suggested by daye hatun but Alara and daye were no longer in contact. Strange she thought as she kept her eyes on her.