Slaves for the Harem - Cover

Slaves for the Harem

Copyright© 2023 by Rachael Jane

Chapter 36: Edirne

Pargali Ibrahim said that I would be reunited with my husband, Hasan, as soon as Hasan has completed whatever mission Sultan Suleiman has sent him to do in the east of the Ottoman Empire. Neither Ibrahim nor Hasan would tell me exactly where Hasan is going, nor how long he will be away. I just hope that he returns before my baby is born in six month’s time.

My journey to Edirne with Anna von Erdödy provides me with plenty of time to get to know her better. I am a year older than Anna, and we share the same temperament. In other circumstances I’m sure we could be friends. As it is, our relationship is confusing. Technically I’m Anna’s temporary maid, responsible for tending to her needs. But my role is going to be more complicated than that. I’ve been given the task of inducting Anna into life in the Imperial Harem at Edirne, as well as being her interpreter and jailer. None of those tasks are normally associated with a maid’s duties.

Fortunately my task is suddenly made easier when Anna admits to being able to speak German. While my ability to speak German is far from perfect, it at least means we can have something approaching a normal conversation. It also helps me teach her Turkish, and for her to improve my Hungarian.

Anna says that she accepts the consequences of her actions, and she appears resigned to her fate. Her husband’s failed attempt to free her from captivity has resulted in her no longer being a hostage under the terms of the peace treaty. Instead she is now the property of Sultan Suleiman to do with as he wishes. And for the moment, he wishes Anna von Erdödy to be confined in the imperial palace at Edirne.

Of course, Anna knows that she is partly to blame for the failure of the Count von Erdödy’s men to rescue her. She wasn’t a willing bride to the much older man, and she openly admits that she dreaded returning to him. So much so that when her secret lover, Nebi, offered her a risky chance to escape with him, she leapt at the opportunity. Unfortunately for her, the outcome was that both rescue attempts failed, and Anna is now effectively Sultan Suleiman’s slave. I wish I knew what happened to Nebi, but Ibrahim refused to answer my questions about his fate. I fear that Nebi is either dead or enslaved. Anna must also sense that she will never see Nebi again, and I sometimes see her shedding a tear or two in private.

The journey to Edirne takes several days. Our coach travels no faster than the foot soldiers escorting us can march. I use the time to tell Anna some of what she will need to know about life in the Imperial Harem. My experience, however, is of life in the main harem in Constantinople, and not in one of the smaller Imperial harems in the provincial cities. My brief stay in the small harem in Salonica provides me with no guidance at all.

Edirne boasts the largest Ottoman palace outside of Constantinople. It was once the centre of Ottoman power until the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans seventy years ago. Although Ottoman sultans now rule from Constantinople, Edirne’s strategic location still makes it an important commercial, religious and military centre. Many battles have been fought over the last thousand years for control of the city. But both the city and province of Edirne are now well inside the borders of the Ottoman Empire, so its inhabitants have enjoyed nearly two centuries free from invading armies.

The palace complex at Edirne is huge, with well over fifty buildings. It is home to several hundred government and provincial officials, and their families and servants. Anna and I, however, aren’t likely to see the inside of more than a few of those buildings, nor meet many officials. I can’t remember which pasha or bey is the current governor of Edirne, although he’s likely to be the husband of one of Sultan Suleiman’s sisters. The palace at Edirne is too important to be left under the control of someone who isn’t tied by blood or marriage to the Ottoman dynasty. The sultan ensures the continued loyalty of the governor by linking his political appointment to his marriage to an Ottoman sultana. At least, that’s how it works in theory.

Anna gets noticeably more nervous as we approach our destination. I’ve never been to Edirne before, but I’ve heard descriptions of the palace. Knowledge of Edirne’s history has been drummed into me as part of my training to be a hatun. In the Imperial Harem, being able to hold an intelligent conversation with the sultan is just as important as being able to please him sexually. I do my best to reassure Anna, even though I have no idea what reception we will receive.

We arrive at the palace gate where the officer in charge of our escort hands over a letter from Ibrahim conveying Sultan Suleiman’s orders. The guard at the gate passes the letter to his officer, who in turns passes it to a more senior officer. Finally the order is given to allow us to enter into the palace grounds. Our escort and coach driver are replaced by palace servants and we are taken to the side door of one of the larger buildings. Once again there is a delay while the man in charge of our new escort discusses something with the servant at the door. Eventually Anna and I are told to leave the coach and enter the building.

An elderly woman meets us, and we are taken to a side room and told to wait. The woman introduces herself as Afife Kalfa, the head servant in this part of the palace. There is nothing to indicate which part of the palace we are in, or what this building is used for, but it doesn’t lack for servants. Every corridor seems to have a male servant standing ready to perform whatever task is required of him. A few moments later our baggage is deposited in the room with us. I don’t have many possessions, but what I have is valuable and a temptation to any would-be thief. Fortunately all my possessions are still in my bag. Anna and I wait for nearly an hour before Afife Kalfa returns.

“The sultana will see you now,” says Afife Kalfa. “Follow me. One of the servants will bring your belongings.”

“Which sultana are we to meet?” I ask as we walk.

“Şah Sultan,” replies Afife Kalfa. “The favourite sister of Sultan Suleiman.”

The source of this story is Storiesonline

To read the complete story you need to be logged in:
Log In or
Register for a Free account (Why register?)

Get No-Registration Temporary Access*

* Allows you 3 stories to read in 24 hours.

 

WARNING! ADULT CONTENT...

Storiesonline is for adult entertainment only. By accessing this site you declare that you are of legal age and that you agree with our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.


Log In