-Four Years Later-

|Nurgül's POV|

The last four years were like a long nightmare, I faced more than five assassination attempts, every time I survived it was like I was born again and all I was worried about was protecting my children by any means... Many traitors were eliminated and many ministers were exiled or executed.

We didn't achieve much because of the greed of everyone around Selim, they wanted to manipulate his mind and they even wanted to poison his mind and make him turn against me but I raised a wonderful young man who always told me everything and promised me that we would stay together until death do us part.

There have been many rumors that are always against me... spy... murderer... liar... devil... witch... and more that made the people hate me and they always say that Sultan Selim should take the responsibility alone and banish me and my daughters and execute the rest of the şehzades, they think my sons are not worthy of being members of the dynasty simply because my British blood runs in their veins.

I would be lying if I denied that these accusations do not bother me, but what bothers me more is that I am sure that there is no smoke without fire... I must know the source of this fire and who is trying to tamper with my reputation and the reputation of the dynasty.

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|3rd Person POV|

Selim took his sword and looked with a smile at Ibrahim who was standing in front of him, the two of them are now fifteen years old and they really have a very handsome youthful appearance as they both look a lot like their father... Ibrahim was not interested in training at first but accompanying his brother Selim in the last few years made it seem fun especially since he is now considered the heir to the throne considering he was born a few minutes before his twin Bayezid and also considering that Selim did not have any children yet.

"Are you ready, brother?" Selim said with a confident smile as he moved the sword in his hand skillfully.

"More than ready, Your Majesty" Ibrahim ran his hand behind his hair then stood in a ready position watching Selim's movements closely.

"Everyone is ready" the coach said as he checked their positions and then gestured with his hand "Let's start"

The two of them ran towards each other and the duel began, all that filled the place was the sound of the two swords meeting and some instructions that the coach was giving from time to time without paying attention to those eyes watching from afar who were just waiting for the right opportunity.

The sweat began to cover their bodies but the enthusiasm was increasing little by little, Selim took a few steps back to take a short break to regulate their breathing but while he was doing that his eyes fell on a person standing next to a distant tree and aiming his arrows...

It didn't take him long to realize that that arrow were directed at his brother Ibrahim, Selim ran quickly then shouted "Ibrahim, be careful!" This wouldn't change anything as the arrow had already been fired but before it hit Ibrahim he found Selim's body protecting him.

"Selim!" Ibrahim lowered his eyes in shock and while the guards started to move, a second arrow hit Ibrahim who was still standing in the same position... The guards realized that this traitor would not try to escape, he came for one mission and he does not care if he dies while carrying it out.

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|Nurgül's POV|

"Aydan... My dear, where is your sister?" I said after entering her room, she is my only hope to know where is her sister who disappeared an hour ago, her maid said that she went out to the garden and did not return... This girl is still fourteen years old but she is very reckless.

"Mom.." she replied worriedly "I... I don't know"

"Aydan" I passed my hand over her cheek "You know very well that I know when you hide something from me" I sat down and put my hand over hers trying to calm her down so that she can tell me what she knows "Come on you can tell me..."

"Mother" she lowered her eyes and added in a low voice "Aysun..."

Before she could finish her sentence the door opened forcefully and Fahriye Kalfa stormed into the room making me stand up quickly.

"What's happening!" I raised my eyebrows angrily.

"Sultana" she stood in front of me with tears filling her eyes "Disaster! It's a disaster, Sultana"

"What..." That was the only word that left my lips as I felt dizzy but I put my hand on the table next to me for some support "Speak quickly"

"Sultan Selim and şehzade Ibrahim" she lowered her head "They are injured and their condition is very bad"

I collapsed to the ground crying while everything around me became blurry due to the tears gathering in my eyes, I quickly left the room not even knowing where I was supposed to go...

Feelings of anxiety and fear began to clash like raging waves in my mind while anger flared like fire in my chest, and sadness crept in like dark shadows looming over my heart.

I reached Selim's room which was the closest, I stormed into it angrily to see his body lying on the bed and suddenly that memory that will never leave me hit me... when Mehmet was lying in the same way and on the same bed.

"Selim... my son" I whispered brokenly as I approached him ignoring the doctors who were trying to stop his bleeding "What did they do to you.."

I raised his hand and placed a kiss on it then looked at one of the doctors "My son will survive if something happens to him I will never have mercy on you!"

The doctor nodded anxiously then continued his work while giving his team urgent instructions while I remained watching Selim who was unconscious.

I ran my hand through his hair and stood up again, my legs barely able to carry me... This time I was heading towards Ibrahim's room, the apple of my eye, who when I first held him in my arms I felt like I owned the world.

When the door opened the same memory invaded my mind... I never imagined that I would live that nightmare again, what kind of punishment is this.

I rushed to him then ran my hand through his hair and when I put my hand on his cheek I noticed his temperature which was very high.

"My soul" tears started to flow from my eyes quickly "I can't stand seeing you like this"

"Sultana you need to move away a little" one of the doctors said "We have to do our job properly so don't worry we will try to do what we can"

"Of course you will" I stood up quickly and sent him angry looks "This is your job and you will save him!"

I moved back angrily... My greatest fear was to live the same nightmare again... I wasn't ready.

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-After five days-

I spent the past few days moving between Selim's room and Ibrahim's room, no mother deserves this pain and suffering... My sons are between life and death and my children need some support and in the midst of all this people started demanding to see their Sultan believing that I killed him and hid him from them and also there are the janissaries who have been demanding their money for almost two months.

I wiped my tears as I stood watching Ibrahim who was still unconscious and his temperature refused to drop... I turned when I felt someone standing behind me.

"Sultana" Alice kept her head down which made me know that she had bad news "There is a problem"

"Is Selim okay?" I started to panic but before leaving she quickly stopped me.

"His Majesty is still in bad condition but..." She raised her head worriedly "There are many people gathered at the palace gate and they threaten to storm it and destroy anything in their path until they make sure that Sultan Selim is still alive"

"This is what was missing!" I squeezed my hand and quickly left the room... It was a good thing I was wearing a black shawl so I covered half of my face well... After all, I am the wife of a deceased Sultan and no one has the right to see my face.

"Where to, Sultana?" Aymen Pasha cut me off and I have no idea where he appeared from.

"To stop this farce" That's all I said before I stood in front of the big palace gate "Open the door"

The guards kept looking at each other in surprise which made my anger grow more and more.

"I said open this damned door!" I shouted impatiently.

"Didn't you hear the Valide Sultan's orders!" Aymen Pasha shouted at them which made them lower their heads and open the door quickly.

My eyes fell on a crowd of men and women, some of them were screaming and others were cursing and swearing, they were carrying lanterns and daggers and trying to get past the guards... As soon as I took a few steps, a strange silence prevailed and signs of shock appeared on their faces.

I wasn't someone you could recognize anywhere, I didn't leave the palace and mingle with people because it was dangerous for my life so this was the first time I as Valide Nurgül Sultan stood in front of my people.

"We wanted to see Sultan Selim and you sent a woman instead!" One of the men shouted from the middle of the crowd, and his sentence was enough to start their uproar again.

I quickly raised my hand and shouted "I'm Nurgül"

Silence fell again, and this time I could feel that curiosity was eating them up, while I had to take advantage of their silence to speak.

"I know very well why you are here, and I appreciate your concern for the Sultan and your love for him, but you are making it difficult for us" I said my last words brokenly, which made me pause to gather my strength a little.

"You have hated me for years but you claimed to love the late Sultan Mehmet... Do you think he would have been happy if he saw how much you hated me?... You said that I bewitched him and killed him but what you don't know is that I loved him and he loved me"

I put my hand on my heart without realizing it "Everything you accused me of was just rumors spread by the enemies and they left you to attack your Sultana... I didn't do anything bad except that I truly loved the state, its ruler and its people... I have always tried to solve your problems but you always prayed for my death as soon as possible"

Tears started to fall from my eyes so I quickly raised my hand and started wiping them... This was supposed to be a strong move and not a sensitive one but remembering all the hatred I was exposed to in silence made me feel weak.

"Here you are again causing troubles and accusing me of killing Sultan Selim" I pointed my finger at the door "The ones facing death inside are my sons... The only difference is that I gave birth to one of them and raised the other... How can you say that I would hurt him when I carried him when he was six months old... I took care of him, fed him... I saw his first steps and heard him call me mother for the first time" I tried to gather my strength "I swear to God I have not and will not do anything that would harm this state... All I need is your support in these difficult times.... The title of Sultana does not mean that I am a strong rock wall without feelings... I am just a mother"

After finishing, I turned around again and went back inside... What I said made me drop a heavy burden from my shoulders... I can no longer bear this wave of hatred and perhaps now they will know that they have been wronging me for the past years... I hope so.

As I was removing the scarf from my face, I saw Fahriye Kalfa running towards me, her eyes swollen with tears, just seeing her face was enough to make me fall to the ground as my legs could no longer carry me.

‹Şehzade Ibrahim has passed away› was what was echoing in my ears as I felt some people surrounding me but my mind seemed to be slowly leaving me and I felt like I was going crazy.

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|3rd Person POV|

-The Next Morning-

As if the disasters refused to end, while Nurgül was still trying to comprehend that her son's funeral was only a few hours away, she received news of Selim's poor condition in the middle of the night and when she rushed to him, all she heard from him was ‹I did this to protect Ibrahim... I wanted to protect him... Take care of yourself, mother, I am going to my father› A few minutes later, he died too, leaving his mother unconscious.

After spending long hours next to the bodies of her two sons, she was sitting in her dark room, refusing to talk to anyone. All she did was ask Aymen Pasha to postpone the funeral for at least two days.