Chapter 25: Return to the New Palace

Hürrem’s injuries soon heal and there is no further mention of the assault on her. Even in private, Hürrem never mentions the attack. It’s clear that she knows something about Sümbul Aga’s investigation which isn’t being shared with the rest of the harem. Even the gossip about the attack soon stops due to the lack of fresh information to fuel the intrigue. Life returns to normal for most of the harem. But not for me.

I don’t fool myself into believing I can replace Hürrem in Sultan Suleiman’s eyes. There is a strong bond developing between them. I hesitate to call it love since I’ve no experience in how true love really appears. Even the Valide seems resigned to the almost constant presence of Hürrem in the sultan’s personal life. As for me, the fire inside me which the sultan ignited during our night together begins to falter.

Falter, but not extinguish entirely. I don’t allow my disappointment to overwhelm me. Unlike Fidan, I don’t sulk or mope about lost opportunities. I study hard. I also follow Esme’s example and keep an eye on what is going on around me inside the harem. Keeping track of the constant change of friendships and alliances is an art that takes a lot of practise. Through my observations I detect a growing amount of unease among the odalisques about their life in the Imperial Harem.

If the stories are true, then many of the previous sultans have made regular use of the women in their harems. This not only keeps the sultan well entertained, but also provides many concubines with the opportunity for advancement within the harem hierarchy. The hatun in the harem exist solely for purpose of entertaining the sultan and providing dynasty babies. To achieve this mission, hatun are trained in many arts to provide the sultan with the most exquisite entertainment. But like a well trained soldier, a hatun can become restive if her skills are not used. Between them, Sultan Suleiman, Hürrem and Mahidevran have condemned the rest of the harem to idleness. In this environment, idleness soon becomes dangerous. No amount of lessons and chores can suppress the tendency for bored women to get into mischief. Daye Hatun and Nigar Kalfa do their best to contain the growing trouble, but they are powerless to remedy the cause.

The Valide has plenty of experience in managing the harem and the growing unease cannot have escaped her notice. Unfortunately she must rely on the cooperation of Sultan Suleiman to solve the problem, and that cooperation doesn’t seem to be forthcoming. Even Mahidevran appears to have been cast aside in favour of Hürrem. The sultan visits Hürrem every morning and the only thing preventing him calling her to his room every night is Hürrem’s advancing pregnancy. The doctors are satisfied with the progress of Hürrem’s pregnancy, but advise her to rest more often. When the sultan hears of this advice he promptly stops calling Hürrem to his room at night.

Rumours are starting to spread of another war brewing ... this time in the east. Whether the rumours are true or not, the sultan is kept busy. It also provides enough fresh material to keep the gossip-makers in the harem out of mischief. Nobody expects the sultan to call another concubine to his bed, so the purpose of Daye Hatun’s visit to the harem one afternoon takes everyone by surprise. I’m to go to Sultan Suleiman’s room tonight.

Enough time has passed since my last visit to the sultan’s room for me to know that our previous union hasn’t resulted in a child. When I shared that piece of news with Hürrem, she struggled to contain her glee. She at least made an effort to disguise her happiness on that occasion, but she makes no such attempt to hide her displeasure at my summons tonight. I can’t tell whether her anger is directed at me or the sultan ... I suspect both of us. I’m not in the mood for trying to mollify Hürrem’s temper, so I arrange for Esme to sit with Hürrem while I prepare for tonight.

Once again Fatma and Efsun are to escort me to and from the New Palace. I’m pleased that Sümbul Aga has selected the same pair as last time; not because they are close friends, but because they and I share a similar taste in clothes. My own dresses and jewellery are good enough for everyday use, but only the jacket the sultan gave me is suitable for an occasion like tonight. For the rest of my attire I must again rely on the common collection of clothing provided by the Valide. Selecting something suitable is a considerable challenge, and I value Fatma and Efsun’s advice.

I feel very apprehensive about my preparations for tonight despite having done this once before. I suppose I’ve only myself to blame. It was my comment about the pointlessness of some of the customary preparations that struck a chord with the sultan. Do I now attempt to put my words into practise, or do I conform with tradition and show my brave words were nothing but empty talk. Is the sultan aware of my dilemma and is he testing me?

“I shall wear my hair loose,” I say when Efsun brings the combs and clips to fix my hair.

If Efsun is surprised by my deliberate break with tradition, she takes it in her stride. We know each other well enough for her to be aware of my occasionally rebellious nature. If I’m to succeed in achieving my ambitions, then I must take a few risks tonight. I take a few more risks with my preparations, but they are for the sultan to discover later ... assuming our union progresses far enough for it to matter.

We arrive at the New Palace at the appointed time and are met by Ibrahim. Last time I was here, Ibrahim made a point of trying to intimidate me. Tonight he is more polite and simply announces my arrival. Ibrahim indicates I should enter the room and Efsun quickly wishes me good luck before we part.

Ibrahim leaves as soon as I’m inside the sultan’s room. By tradition, the sultan should be standing facing the door so that I can kneel before him and kiss the hem of his gown. It was where he stood on the previous occasion when I was in this room. This time, however, he is standing on the large balcony looking out over the palace grounds to the city and harbour beyond. What am I supposed to do now?