ASLIHAN SULTAN ✔️

7th Chapter

Next morning, I woke up when it was a dawn. I barely could sleep last night because of Bayezid's offer. He offered me to go to Kutahya with him, even thought that would mean I would have to be a concubine in his harem and I should share him with all another women? That offer sounded like a joke to me, but I knew if I wouldn't go with Kutahya with him, I would never see him in my life. I didn't know what I should do. Why he has to be a Prince? My life would have been more easily if he was only Davut-bey as he presented to me for the first time we met.

I was locking the doors of my house, when I saw familiar voices calling me.
- Nadia. - I heard and turned around to see who it was. There were standing two man who were looking at me. We all three looked really alike. Those two men were my brothers, Anton and Pavel.

- Brothers. - I told them happily and hugged them both at the same time. I haven't seen them for six years since I moved with father in Istanbul, and they decided to stay with their families in Russia. I was so happy to see them.

- Nadia, we missed you so much. We wanted to se you and father. - Anton, the one which was a bit more taller than Pavel and me, and which had black eyes unlike us, told me.

I looked at him sadly because I knew they didn't knew what happened.
- Anton, our father died few days ago. - I told to them sadly. They looked at me shocked. They didn't knew about it. I could see sadness in their eyes.
- May he rest in peace. - Pavel said sadly.

- Come inside. - I told them and unlocked the doors of the house. They came after me into my house and sat on the sofa that was standing there.

- Nadia, when father is dead, you should return to Russia with us. You have nothing to do in Istanbul alone. - Pavel told me worriedly for me. I knew it was dangerous for a young woman like me to live alone in capital of Ottoman Empire.

- You can come to live with us until we found you a husband which will suit you good. - Anton agreed with Pavel. I was disappointed in what they said, but they were my brothers and they were worried about me.

- I want to stay here. I feel like my home is here. - I told them which kinda disappointed them.
- You should marry, Nadia. Our mother already had children in your years. I will be afraid if you live here alone without a husband. - Anton told me.

- A lot of Russian live here, you could find some russian man you could marry and have a family with him. - Pavel said.
- Look, I don't want to do that. I already got one offer which I don't know what should do about it. - I told them looking at the floor, because I was ashamed if I should tell that to them.

- What offer? - Anton asked me curiously, he hoped I had marriage offer from some russian man living here.
- Prince Bayezid offered me to go with him in his harem in Kutahya, but I dont want to be a part of a harem. - I told them ashamedly.

- A Prince? What? Where have you met Prince Bayezid? - Pavel asked me angrily. I didn't know why he reacted angrily like that.
- I met him on the market. - I told him. I could see my brothers are angry on me because of that.

- You arent a slave, Nadia. You shouldn't go to a harem. You have opportunity to live freely, why would you abandon that opportunity? - Anton asked me worriedly.

- I like him very much. - I told them ashamedly. I knew they would judge me for saying that, but I had feelings for Bayezid which I've never felt before in my life.

- You will be his concubine like all others. He has thousands of girls in his harem and they all like him. Why would he care about you more than other concubines? You wont be special to him and he will treat you badly. - Pavel said to me which really frustrated me.

Anton was sitting next to me, and he immediatley took my hand on which was bracelet which Bayezid gifted me.
- What is this? Those are emerald crystals, how could you wear something expensive? Where did you get it? - he started yelling on me.
I was silent for few moments because I knew if I would tell to them, they would start be agressive.

- Nadia. Speak right now. Who gave it to you? - Anton yelled so loudly that I was afraid of him at that moment.
- Prince Bayezid gave me. - I told him.

He was looking at me disappointedly and took it from my hand. How he was taking it, it broke into a thousands of little parts. I couldn't believe what he has done. I got up from the sofa and looked at him angrily.

- Why are you like this? Why are you acting like this? - I asked him madly. I was frustrated but I was even more sad and hurt because he broke only thing that I have from Bayezid.

- I don't want you to ever think about him again. You will return with us to Russia. - Anton said when he stood up. He slapped my face. I couldn't believe he would do that to me.

I looked at him with a distrust how he could be like this.
- I am going to market now. - I told them furiously and left the house.

I went to market to buy some indirgents to make lunch today, because I had nothing at home. I was so frustrated, I couldn't believe how my brothers behaved like this to me.

While our father was alive, they were never like this. They always listened to father and they always behaved good to me. When I saw how they are acting today, I stayed shocked. Those weren't my brothers I knew. Those were totally different persons.

Good air helped me to calm a bit. It took me a hour or two to buy everything for a lunch. I went to a boat and came back at the side of Istanbul where my house was. I came closer to my house and I saw the doors are opened. That shocked me.

I went inside right now because I was afraid what happened. I saw my brothers laying on the floor in a blood, and next to them was standing a man which was janissary.

I stayed shocked at that moment what happened and I couldn't believe. I looked at them with tears in my eyes. They were dead. I looked at them, and then again at the janissary man.

He just smiled arrogantly to me and said: "Nurbanu Sultan sends her regards!", and he left my house leaving me with dead bodies of my two brothers.