Fidan Sultan

CHAPTER 05

"Sultana!" Nafise Hatun rushed into my rooms. She didn't look happy, I observed. Nafise instead looked very nervous. She was, in fact, a bit pale.

"What happened?" I demanded, getting up from my seat. 

"A r-r-rumour spread around the Harem that you have a s-s-secret affair with Mehmet Giray!"

I moaned in shock. A rumour? That's just what I needed. Not.

"Who spread it? Who did you hear it from?" Nafise shrugged. She didn't know who could do something like that. Then it snapped in my head. Aunt Neylan Sultan must have done it.

I ran out the door without telling Nafise, who rushed after me, and headed straight for Neylan's rooms. I brushed off any flakes of dust on my dress, fluffed my hair, and momentarily knocked on the door three times.

"Come in!" I heard a sing song voice call out. I pursed my lips as the doors opened for me. There, Neylan Sultan was sitting on the couch. She was peacefully drinking tea as I bowed and raised my chin.

"Fidan, to what do I owe this pleasure of having you here?" Neylan asked with a smirk playing on her lips. I started getting a bit angry. I tried to keep my composure as I shaked a bit.

"Sultana, were you the one who spread the rumour about me and Mehmet Giray?" 

Neylan put down her dessert that she was nibbling on in surprise. "You? And Mehmet Giray? This I did not hear about yet."

"Where did you learn that...Wait...ARE YOU SECRETLY MEETING WITH MEHMET GIRAY??"

I shook my head quickly as my cheeks turned red.

"Oh darling, why didn't you tell me before? I could help you out here. I didn't think you wanted to marry that old Mustafa Pasha anyways."

"Thank you, but I don't know what you are talking about." I told her delicately. She chuckled in response. 

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me!"

I hope so, I thought. 

____________

Even after aunt Neylan reassured me she would keep the secret safe, I couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. Specifically to me.

Every single time I heard footsteps outside of my rooms I jumped and got ready to hide. I had to admit, Neylan Sultan was a bit spooky when she said that my secret was "safe" with her. I knew that my aunt would do anything to sabotage my mother, and that included putting me up as a tool for revenge.

"Sultana Fidan," an agha came in to my room suddenly.

"Evet, agha? [yes]"

"Hünkarim [his majesty] wishes to see you urgently."

Oh no. What did I do now?

I quickly got ready, spritzed some perfume, and ran to my fathers chambers. Thankfully, nobody saw how I was in such a rush.

When I arrived at my fathers chambers, I was immediately let in, and the first thing my eyes saw was aunt Neylan Sultan. And my mother, Haseki Ayşe Sultan. And my father. And finally, Gülbahar Sultan. I bowed to my father, and when I took a look at his face, he looked mad.

"My Sultan, what happened?" I asked, as if I didn't already know.

"Fidan, I heard from your aunt Neylan," and at that moment he motioned toward her, "That you are in some sort of secret relationship with Mehmet Giray. Is this true?"

"Why father!", I said shocked, "Forgive me, but how could you ever think such a thing?"

"I would never think of committing such a crime, it is a unforgivable sin. The thought of it is sinful too."

My father nodded slowly. I hope he'd fall for it. 

I turned towards Neylan Sultan. I gave her a quick cheeky smile, and continued.

"Aunt Neylan, with all due respect, I think it is rather terrible of you to spin such tales in the harem. They can take a toll on not just my reputation, but that of the entire dynasty." 

"Baba, would you believe I'd do something that could put the dynasty at risk?" I asked innocently.

"My Sultan! Can't you see she's lying! I know for a fact because she-" My father interrupted her.

"Enough Neylan. We have enough on our plate and here you are accusing my daughter, who has done nothing wrong. I demand you apologize to her!"

"But, Hünkarim I-"

"Apologize, now Neylan." Aunt Neylan sighed as she puckered her lips in anticipation. Internally, I laughed.

"I am sorry, Fidan." I took this as an opportunity to show her my place in society.

"Fidan Sultan, Aunt!"

"Well, now that this is all over you all may leave, apart from Ayşe." I bowed as I made my way out, until someone grabbed my arm.

"Fidan, what do you think you are doing?" I tried to shake off her grasp, but she just dug her fingers further into my skin. "Try this again, and you will regret it!"

"Watch your words, I am Fidan Sultan, daughter of Sultan Ahmed. You cannot speak to me this way, and much less THREATEN me!"

She let go, and I walked back to the harem. As I passed through without getting my name announced, I noticed the girl who disrespected me before. She is still here?

I took my usual seat as my harem friends, including Polye surrounded me.

"So good to see you again, Sultana Fidan!" Polye chirped. I gave her a kind smile. Though this was my father's harem, I knew that it was unlikely that most of these girls would be sent to halvet with him- For instance, Polye and Nafise are both in their 20s, and my father is in his late 40s, and my mother is 38.

I saw that many other harem girls were surrounding the nasty girl who was rude to me across the harem hall, and I decided to pause and listen to their conversation.

"That's Marie Hatun, she's French!" Polye quickly whispered. I motioned for silence as we listened in.

"Well Marie, you really think you have a chance?" A girl smirked. Marie twirled a strand of hair around her finger.

"A better chance than you, old witch." Everyone laughed.

"Besides, I'm pretty sure that Sultan Ahmed is getting sick of that old wife he's had. He needs someone new and exciting like me!"

At this I got up and went over to her.

"Didn't have enough last time, Hatun?" The other girls gasped as they bowed to me. I leaned in to Marie Hatun.

"How dare you speak about my valide, Haseki Ayşe Sultan like that!" I slapped her in the face. She turned red and her eyes became wet.

"You'll regret that!" She exclaimed as she ran out of the Harem, with all the other girls booing at her. At this point even Nafise came to check out the action. She slapped her forehead when I told her what happened.

"Not to be rude Sultana, but I think you could've handled that better." I shrugged.