Chapter 5: A Favourite’s Reward

Ayşe is helped in her final preparations by Nigar Kalfa and three of the white-and-grey clad odalisques. I’m surprised that the preparations are done in the main room, and not in the privacy of Ayşe’s room upstairs. All of the other favourites who were helping Ayşe earlier have disappeared back to their rooms. Ayşe is looking beautiful in her silk gown and plentiful jewellery. She is ready when Sümbul Aga arrives to escort her to the New Palace and Sultan Suleiman’s bedchamber. There is a buzz of excitement among the odalisques when Ayşe is escorted from the harem. Even I briefly imagine myself being in Ayşe’s place.

Once Ayşe has gone we settle down to talk and relax. My inability to speak Turkish means I can’t participate in the general conversation, and Alexandra is still brooding over her fight with Ayşe. My mind wanders to what is happening to Ayşe. Before my capture I was considered too young to engage in any activity that might be considered sexual. My mother taught me the basics of reproduction, but nothing about the emotional side of a sexual relationship. My two weeks in the hands of the Tartars added substantially to my knowledge about sex, to the extent my emotions are now a confused mix of desire and fear. Desire for the touch and intimate caress of a man, but fearful of being hurt in the way the Tartars abused the captured women they defiled. Will I ever overcome my fear and become a good concubine? That’s a question to which I would like to know the answer.

Before long an aga enters the harem and issues orders in Turkish which Alexandra, Rebecca, Sarah and I don’t understand. When we see the other odalisques taking bedrolls out of a large storage cupboard, we follow their example. Without further instruction, each girl lays out her bedroll next to the chest holding her belongings. She then places the sheet and quilt from the chest onto her bed. Esme watches us from her side of the room. She seems satisfied that we are following the example of the other girls and she doesn’t bother to come over to us. Once our sleeping mats are prepared, we follow the other girls towards the baths in the basement. Some of the girls take a quick bathe in one of the pools, but most simply wash their faces and arms in the large basins. After ablutions we return to the dormitory and we all change into our slips.

Many of the women are chatting as we change. Although I cannot understand what they are saying, I can hear Ayşe’s name mentioned several times. All conversation abruptly ends when Daye Hatun enters the room. Those who are not yet in bed promptly finish their preparations and get under their quilt. When she is satisfied we have all settled down, Daye Hatun snuffs out most of the candles and says what I assume is ‘goodnight’. The room is almost completely dark, with just sufficient light from the remaining candles to find our way to the toilets or baths in case of need. Most of the girls fall asleep quickly, but it takes me a while to stop thinking about today and what tomorrow may bring.

I don’t remember falling asleep, but I sleep well enough despite my new surroundings. It is still quite early when we are woken. The high windows at either end of the room provide the only natural light to reach our dormitory. The sky outside seems to be dark grey, with only a hint of coming dawn. Alexandra and I follow the other girls lead and wash and dress quickly. I notice that none of the favourites has been made to get up at this hour.

A different group of odalisques are assigned to the task of collecting our breakfast from the kitchens. We eat breakfast in relative silence so as not to disturb the sleep of those upstairs. We have all finished our breakfast and packed our bedding away by the time the early morning sun is brightening the room through the high windows. Nigar Kalfa arrives with three other similarly dressed women. We all line up either side of the central aisle. I realise the red costume Nigar Kalfa wears must be some kind of uniform.

“The new odalisques will come with me,” Nigar Kalfa says in our language. She then says more words in Turkish, which must be instructions to the other women. At her signal, Rebecca, Sarah, Alexandra and I follow her out of the room. She takes us along a narrow corridor and up a flight of stairs to a small room containing a large desk and benches.

“This is one of the teaching rooms,” says Nigar Kalfa. “You will soon become familiar with this room and those like it along the corridor. From now on you will spend every morning, six days a week, being educated. Firstly you will learn Turkish. Three weeks from today you will be expected to conduct all conversations in Turkish when you are inside the harem. So study hard.”

“What else are we to be taught?” asks Rebecca. “I didn’t think being a concubine required so much preparation.”

“You will be taught many things ranging from reading and writing, to the history of the Ottoman Empire. You will be taught how to behave, and how to address your betters. Should you be so fortunate as to be called to walk the golden path, you will be expected to have an intelligent conversation with the sultan. Later on, should you bear him a son, then you will be responsible for managing your son’s development. Any son of the sultan may become the next ruler of the Ottoman Empire, so your duty will be to make sure your son is ready and able to do so. This is not a task that can be assigned to some ignorant peasant girl. Only when you are suitably educated will you be allowed to walk the golden path.”