Chapter 9: Harem Celebration

The afternoon celebration in the harem gets underway. I’ve never attended one of these events before, and I’m confused by the strange mix of formal and informal partying. The Valide and Hatice each occupy one of the two divans placed on one side of the harem, about halfway along the room. Gülfem joins them but sits on a cushion to one side. A group of young girls are sat with their musical instruments on the other side of the central aisle, facing the Valide. Everyone is dressed in their finest clothes and jewellery. Although I don’t possess more than the standard white and grey dress we were issued when we arrived, it’s a chance for me to wear the necklace Sultan Suleiman gave me. Hürrem and the other performers from last night do likewise.

Those higher in the harem hierarchy are sat closest to the Valide and her maids. Hürrem, Efsun, Esme and I are sat at a low table some distance away. Despite the earlier tension between Hürrem and Ayşe, everybody is enjoying themselves. Even the arrival of Mahidevran and her maids doesn’t break the mood. Gülsah roughly barges through a group of odalisques dancing in the central aisle but they simply regroup and continue with their dance. Mahidevran sits next to Hatice while Gülsah finds a space nearby so that she is ready if Mahidevran needs anything.

“Hürrem,” calls Daye Hatun when there is a break in the music. “Come over here.”

Hürrem stands and goes to where Daye Hatun is waiting besides the Valide. The Valide is busy talking to Hatice and Mahidevran, so at first she doesn’t notice Hürrem’s arrival in their midst. Hürrem makes a quick curtsey in front of the Valide, who finally acknowledges her presence and invites her to sit with them ... not on one of the divans, but on one of the nearby cushions used by Gülfem and the favourites. This places Ayşe and Hürrem within striking distance of each other. I just hope Hürrem realises she is being tested, and I breath a sigh of relief when I see that she does.

With Ayşe and Hürrem busy watching each other like hawks, I don’t think either of them notice the look of pure hatred on Mahidevran’s face when she looks at them. It is common knowledge in the harem that Mahidevran is the jealous sort and that she ruthlessly uses her position as a sultana in the imperial household to protect her interests. The Valide may want Sultan Suleiman to sire many more male heirs from his concubines, but that isn’t a goal which is shared by Mahidevran.

Regardless of Mahidevran’s own personal agenda, she dare not openly defy the Valide. Her actions are therefore always done in secret through intermediaries such as her maid, Gülsah. Conversations within earshot of the Valide are all polite and kept to safe subjects. The party continues for a couple of hours with plenty of food and dancing, before the Valide finally calls a halt to the merriment.

“Your attention please girls,” says the Valide. “I hope you have enjoyed this afternoon’s celebration. I regret it will be the last for a while. Our army is preparing for war and we must all make sacrifices to help raise the money to pay our gallant warriors. From tomorrow the stipends paid to everyone in the palace will be reduced and we shall make other economies where we can.”

There’s a groan from some of the women. We get paid next to nothing as it is. Reducing our stipend further will mean we can buy even less from the market women who visit the harem from time to time. Daye Hatun quickly silences anyone who is complaining. The Valide refuses to answer our many questions about the pending war. All she will say is that Sultan Suleiman will join his army in a few weeks time and will be away for quite a while.

I look at Hürrem to see how she is taking the news. From her point of view the timing couldn’t be worse. Her scheduled assignation with Sultan Suleiman may be postponed for months ... and even if it does occur tomorrow, there will be little opportunity for Hürrem to become a favourite. Few girls become a favourite after only one night with the sultan. The current favourites all achieved their position while they were in the sultan’s harem at Manisa during Sultan Selim’s reign. If Ayşe is to be believed, Sultan Suleiman made much more frequent use of the women in his harem before Mahidevran was elevated to the rank of sultana. It is only pressure from the Valide for more heirs which is making Sultan Suleiman take other women into his bed.

The pending war is the sole topic of conversation as we help tidy the harem after the party. As we expected, the sultanas and the favourites returned to their own rooms as soon as the Valide departed, leaving us to tidy up our living space by ourselves. There’s plenty of food left over which apparently will be distributed to the poorer citizens of the capital. Nigar Kalfa arrives and under her supervision we soon have our room back to normal.

Hürrem is very quiet that evening as though she is thinking deeply about something. The discussions about the war have finally stopped ... there’s only so much you can say when you have no information. Tomorrow is Hürrem’s big day, and as her best friend, I intend to do all I can to help her make tomorrow night a success.

My good intentions unfortunately come to nothing. Daye Hatun takes Hürrem away after breakfast for some final tuition and to help her prepare for tonight. I and the other trainee concubines must attend our usual lessons. I do my best to concentrate on my lessons, but it is obvious my mind is elsewhere today. Fortunately the tutors seem willing to overlook my distraction.