Chapter 30: An Important Decision

“Gülnihal has listened to my proposal,” says Ibrahim to Hasan and Nur when they rejoin us. “She hasn’t told me her decision, but she hasn’t dismissed my suggestion out of hand.”

The look of expectation in Hasan’s eyes gives me a pleasant feeling. I hope I understand the cause of his eager look correctly, and that it’s because he likes me as a person rather than as a valuable prize. As much as I distrust Ibrahim’s motives, his proposal at least promises an easier route to a new life for me.

“I should like to hear Hasan’s view on Ibrahim’s proposal before I give my decision,” I say. “In private.”

Ibrahim doesn’t object to my request and he and Nur move into an adjacent room. It isn’t quite the privacy I really wanted, but I don’t insist. There was little privacy in the harem, so I’ve become accustomed to having others constantly around me.

“Do you wish to marry me?” I ask once Hasan and I are alone.

“Yes. I would feel privileged to love you, care for you and protect you. But Ibrahim is sending us on a hazardous mission. Are you sure you wish to undertake such a task?”

“Mission?!” I say, trying and succeeding in keeping my voice calm. “Ibrahim didn’t say anything to me about any mission.”

“Ah ... ermm...” mumbles Hasan, realising he has said something Ibrahim only intended me to know about once I have agreed to his proposal. Fortunately, knowing Ibrahim, I have anticipated some unexpected twist to his proposal. I’m not as shocked at this revelation as Hasan thinks I might be.

“I’m sorry. I’d assumed that Ibrahim had told you everything,” continues Hasan. “I suppose this means you will refuse to marry me.”

“What makes you think that?” I ask. “Do you think me to be some timid girl who runs at the first sign of danger.”

“Ibrahim has told me very little about you,” replies Hasan. “But nothing about you leads me to think you to be timid. On the contrary, you show remarkable courage and presence of mind. I merely thought that having gained your freedom so recently, you wouldn’t want to take the risk the mission entails.”

I suspect Hasan really means that being pregnant I wouldn’t want to place my child at risk, but he’s being careful about what he says.

“Ibrahim told me that you believe that I’m pregnant. What leads you to that conclusion?”

“Yesterday you were walking through the jostling crowds in the street. On several occasions you placed your hand over your belly when you were close to another person. It’s an instinctive action a mother takes to protect an unborn child. Of course, there could be other reasons for you to do that, but it’s the most likely one.”

I begin to understand what Ibrahim means about Hasan’s observation skills. I also realise that Hasan must have been watching me yesterday for longer than I thought.

“As it turns out, you are correct about my being pregnant,” I reply. “Does that change your wish to marry me? I’ll understand if you don’t want anything more to do with me.”

“It changes nothing,” replies Hasan without hesitation. “Ibrahim isn’t the sort of person to offer a lowly soldier like me the opportunity to marry a hatun from the Imperial Palace. Even before I saw you, I suspected there was some catch to his offer. Am I to assume that Ibrahim is the child’s father?”

“You may assume that,” I reply, thankful that Hasan has given me a chance to broach the subject without telling a blatant lie. I don’t like lying to Hasan, but doing otherwise places him in great danger. Ibrahim might have him killed if he ever thought Hasan knew the truth about the identity of my child’s father.

I’d prefer to spend more time alone with Hasan so that we can get to know each other better before giving my answer to Ibrahim’s proposal. It’s an important decision which will affect the rest of my life. Unfortunately Ibrahim decides that we’ve had enough time to ourselves and he comes back into the room.

“Hasan mentioned something about a mission,” I say to Ibrahim as soon as he enters. “I don’t recall you mentioning that to me when we talked. What mission?”

“It’s a mission for Hasan and Nur to undertake,” replies Ibrahim as though I’ve no right to know about the mission. “You only need to be with them and play the part of Hasan’s loving wife. Do that, and you will be perfectly safe. Besides, I would have placed Hasan and Nur in danger if I had told you the details, only to find that you won’t accept my proposal.”

I suppose Ibrahim has a point about his reason for not telling me earlier, but I’m not willing to let him off so easily.

“Hasan believes this mission carries some risk to me,” I reply. “So I would like to hear more about this mission before I give my answer to your proposal.”

“Only if you promise to keep what I tell you a secret if you decide against marrying Hasan,” growls Ibrahim, clearly unhappy at my truculence. I simply nod in agreement to his condition.

“Many prisoners and hostages were taken during the recent Hungarian campaign,” says Ibrahim. “Many more than you saw before you left the Imperial Harem. Some are wives and daughters of Hungarian nobles and military leaders. They are being held as hostages to deter any insurrection in the captured territory now that the main Ottoman army has returned home. It is likely some of those hostages will try to escape, or their family will try to rescue them. Consequently the most important hostages are going to be held under guard at a hunting lodge not far from Constantinople. Hasan’s and Nur’s mission is to mingle with the extra servants being sent to the lodge, and keep a watch for any signs of an escape or rescue attempt. As Hasan’s wife you will also be among the lodge’s servants, but I don’t expect you to be a spy.”