|Helena's POV|

It took us three weeks to travel from Vienna, the capital of the Holy Roman Empire, to Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire. The journey was tiring, and I struggled a lot with sleep. My anxiety kept me awake, and being on a ship for the first time made it worse. I felt nauseous and couldn't relax enough to sleep.

The carriage stopped in front of a palace called Ibrahim Pasha Palace, according to our information... We were told that we would stay here until the wedding.

I had heard that this palace belonged to Ibrahim Pasha in the last century... He was a clever man and had a significant influence in the state... This palace had remained empty for decades after he and his wife passed away, and now it was allocated for us to stay in.

The carriage door opened for me and I saw my father had already dismounted from his horse, with our guards standing on either side, while other people I didn't know stood in front of the palace... some armed, others not.

"Welcome, Emperor Rudolf" one of the men said as he approached my father, bowing his head in respect "I am Mansur Pasha, the Grand Vizier of Sultan Orhan... We have met before at the meeting"

Sibylle stepped down from the carriage and offered me her hand, helping me down so that I could hear their conversation more clearly while standing a few steps back.

"When your ship arrived, I was informed, and I hurried here to welcome you" he looked at my father seriously "Also, the Sultan will arrive shortly; we informed him of your arrival, and he wants to greet you as well"

"That's good" my father motioned for his guards to step back "The weather here in Istanbul is mild and pleasant"

"Yes, but it seems we are about to face a harsh winter" Mansur Pasha replied, nodding his head.

"Yes, I think we'll have heavy snowfall this year," my father said, making me suppress a laugh. I was used to hearing him talk about these things in the palace, but now, hearing him discuss the weather as an emperor was just funny to me.

"Welcome to you as well, Princess Helena" Mansur Pasha's voice broke me out of my trivial thoughts as he seemed to be addressing me without raising his eyes.

"Thank you" was all that escaped my lips in a low voice.

We entered the palace, with my father talking to Mansur Pasha while Isabel, Sibylle, and I headed to the room designated for me.

"Your highness" a servant bowed before me "This is the room where you will be staying during this period... If you need anything, I am the head maid, and you may request anything"

"Thank you" I smiled kindly, looking around the room before turning to her "What is your name?" I managed to say in their language, as I had truly spent the last three months trying to learn this language with Sibylle and Isabel... an endeavor suggested by my mother.

"Esra... Your highness" she replied without raising her eyes.

"Alright, thank you, Esra" she left the room... Then it was just me, Isabel, and Sibylle while other servants came in and out for over an hour to bring my belongings.

We received news that the Sultan had indeed arrived and was sitting with my father, exchanging conversation... surely the political discussions would be intense there.

"This seems amazing" Sibylle said suddenly "I never imagined in my life that we would come to live here"

"Yes... I still feel as if I am in a dream" I replied, standing in front of the mirror adjusting my appearance.

"Destur... Valide Turhan Sultan Hazretleri"

This voice made me jump from my spot after being immersed in conversation with the girls... Is this a declaration of war or what!

The door opened, and a stunning woman walked into the room, dressed in a luxurious dark red gown and wearing a strange yet beautiful crown... I was so busy admiring her beauty that it took me a moment to notice the girl beside her. Both of them seemed to hold high status, judging by their elegant dresses and crowns.

"Welcome, Helena" she said with a calm voice and a comforting smile on her lips.

"Oh.. hello" I replied, and although I tried to sound polite, there must have been question marks covering my face.

"I am Valide Turhan Sultan... mother of Sultan Orhan" she smiled and gestured to the other girl who looked happy "This is my daughter, Zeynep Sultan"

Did she just say she is the mother of the Sultan?... Well, my mother is also young and beautiful, but I did not expect to see the same here... I thought the mother of the Sultan would be an elderly woman who appeared wicked... the stories I had heard about Turhan Sultan made me imagine her differently.

"It is an honor to meet you, Queen..." I quickly corrected myself "I mean sultana" I smiled and turned my attention to the other girl "I am pleased to meet you, Zeynep Sultan"

"It is good to see that you arrived safely, Princess Helena" the girl responded with a gentle and sweet voice... she truly looked like an angel.

Turhan Sultan looked at the girls who had already bowed, prompting me to gesture to them "These are my ladies in waiting... Sibylle and Isabel"

She nodded her head and then we sat on the couch while Sibylle and Isabel left out, respecting our privacy, but in reality, they knew I would tell them all the details later.

"If you want my advice, do not arrange all your belongings here" Turhan Sultan said, looking around the room "You will have to move them again to the palace later" She smiled at me "The wedding will be next week, so you won't be staying here for long"

"Yes, of course, I won't do that.. I will only arrange the important things I need daily" I replied with a smile, trying to calm my nerves... I wish my mother were here.

"You will love Topkapi Palace and we will have a lot of fun there" Zeynep said excitedly, which made me relax a little as she seemed shy yet cheerful at the same time.

"Yes, I am sure of that" I smiled warmly, looking into her eyes.

"Everything is ready, and the celebrations will begin" Turhan Sultan broke the silence "Everyone will be talking about this wedding" All I could think of at that moment was my mother; if she were here, she and Turhan Sultan would surely agree on these matters.

"Mother, what do you think about me going to the market tomorrow with Princess Helena?" Zeynep asked her mother then quickly added to persuade her "She will get to know the place well, and we will buy many things"

"If she wants to, of course" they looked at me with smiles.

"Yes, of course, that sounds like a good idea" I smiled for the thousandth time, trying to hide my anxiety.

The door opened, and they began to set the lunch for us... After a good meal and exchanging some conversations, the two sultanas left, and Zeynep Sultan promised me she would come by carriage tomorrow morning to take me to the market.

I can say that Turhan Sultan is a woman who loves her family very much, she looks at her daughter warmly and speaks of her son with pride, she also told me a little about her grandchildren, five-year-old Ahmed and three-year-old Aysel, she said I would love them very much when I meet them... undoubtedly, I do love children.

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In the evening, Sibylle, Isabel, and I sat on the balcony after I had taken a warm and relaxing bath for over an hour.

"Finally, it's gossip time" Sibylle said, clapping her hands excitedly.

"What gossip, girl?" Isabel replied "We are just talking about some people and not gossiping about them"

We all laughed because Sibylle was impulsive and bold, while Isabel was wise and measured in her words... Their discussions were always entertaining, as their advices reflected their differing personalities.

"Well, you go first" Isabel said, looking at me with interest.

"Me first?" I raised my eyebrows "Does that mean you two also have something to tell me?"

The two girls looked at each other with strange smiles and then said simultaneously "We have a lot!!"

Despite my curiosity, I ignored the matter, straightened in my seat and began to tell them how my meeting with Turhan Sultan and her daughter went, along with all the details of our conversation.

"She is really a beautiful woman" Isabel said after we discussed Turhan Sultan and her crown.

"Of course, she would be" Sibylle replied, explaining "Only the most beautiful girls are allowed in that palace"

What she said reminded me of a piece of information I had only recently discovered... I heard that in the Sultan's palace, there is something called the Harem where the most beautiful girls from various parts of the world reside and are all considered the Sultan's women or concubines... the information bruised my pride.. Even though this is a political marriage and nothing more, the Sultan has more than a hundred women and then decides to marry a princess of high status like me!

"Helene!" Sibylle said impatiently, waving her fingers in front of my eyes... it seemed I had drowned in my thoughts and didn't notice what they had said.

"Alright, it's our turn" Sibylle smiled as she adjusted her sitting position as if she was about to reveal the most important news ever "We saw Sultan Orhan!!!"

"What!" I exclaimed without even thinking or processing what she had said.

"Well, don’t get carried away, Sibylle" Isabel said, raising an eyebrow "We only saw him for a second! When we left you with your future mother-in-law, we went to explore the palace... We ended up outside in the garden and, out of nowhere, we spotted a tall, handsome fellow who looked like he was about to leave... Then someone called him ‘your majesty’ and we nearly fainted! We ducked behind a tree like a couple of silly rabbits, trying to catch a glimpse!"

"Don't worry girl" Sibylle began to play with her hair "Your future husband is so handsome, he might need a whole army to fight off all the girls trying to steal him away!"