|Helena's POV|

-Three days later-

I felt a little more at ease because, finally, here I was having some quiet time with the children, alone, without anyone else around.

We sat on the balcony of my room.... I was sitting on a small couch while Aysel played with several dolls she had made with Elena's help.

On my right side was Ahmed, who, surprisingly, had decided to join us... He seemed a little upset, though, which I noticed.

I spoke to him softly, hoping to get his attention "Ahmed" I said gently, then added, "How are your lessons going? Are you enjoying them with the new teacher?" I looked into his eyes with a smile, waiting for his response.

Just a few days ago, his old teacher had left because he needed to visit his sick mother in another city.

"Yes, he's nice, and he answers all my questions" he replied, turning to face me.

Despite the small smile on his face, it didn’t quite reach his eyes, and soon, his expression shifted back to a sad one.

"Okay, what did you do today?" I asked, trying to understand what might be bothering him.. He had been so cheerful just yesterday, especially around Rana.

"After my lessons, I spent some time with my father" he said quietly, then sighed as he stood up "I'm feeling sleepy, Helena.. I want to go to bed"

"Okay, dear" I said, smiling softly, then kissed his cheek "Goodnight"

I stood behind him and called out to Marissa to take him to his room... Before she left, I whispered in her ear to return to me after he fell asleep.

I watched him leave with a smile, but I felt a little worried... I had never seen Ahmed like this before... Even when the fire thing happened.... He had been strong and active the past days, but today, he seemed so down.

I turned to Aysel, then knelt down to her level "Honey, you need to sleep... It's late"

"But the girls aren’t feeling sleepy" she said, looking at the dolls as if she truly believed they didn’t want to sleep.

"Oh" I smiled softly, thinking for a moment... then I looked at her again "Okay, if you go to sleep, I'll take care of them"

"Okay, Helena" she replied, standing up and placing all her dolls in front of me "Goodnight" She kissed me sweetly on the cheek, which made me hug her tightly and tickle her a little.

Afterward, Elena came and took her to her room, leaving me alone on the balcony.

I sighed with a smile, then walked quietly... I stood at the edge of the balcony, resting my hands on the short marble wall.

The air was calm, and the sky was filled with stars... I really wished every moment could feel like this, away from the tension I felt whenever I was with Fatma Sultan and her daughter.

At that moment, Orhan crossed my mind... We hadn’t spoken at all in the past three days... He was always so busy and spent most of his time outside the palace.

As these thoughts lingered, I raised my eyes to his balcony, and to my surprise, I saw him standing there.... A rush of emotions hit me, and my smile began to fade slowly because standing beside him was Rana.

A strange feeling stirred inside me.... It was as if my heart tightened and my chest felt heavier... my eyes couldn’t help but linger on the way they stood together.. talking to each other while Orhan was looking at the sky and she was looking at him... Was I really feeling this way? I wasn’t sure, but my stomach churned with a feeling I couldn’t quite place. ... Is this jealousy?

My mind raced, but I quickly tried to ground myself.... They are cousins, I reminded myself, nothing more.... Of course, they would talk... They had known each other for years.

I took a slow breath, trying to calm the tightening in my chest... I knew it was foolish... there was no need to entertain these feelings, especially not now.... Focus, Helena.

The knot in my stomach refused to loosen.... I tried to shift my focus, glancing back at the night sky, letting the cool evening air wash over me, but my eyes kept drifting back to them.

I couldn’t help but notice how comfortable they seemed with each other... It was hard to ignore how easily they interacted... while I felt like I was walking on eggshells every time we were near each other.

I clenched my hands against the marble railing, my knuckles turning white... This is ridiculous, Why should it matter? It wasn’t like I had any right to feel this way.

I glanced down for a moment, trying to compose myself, and when I lifted my eyes again, his blue eyes met mine, just for a fleeting moment, but it was enough.... my heart skipped a beat, and for the briefest second, I forgot about everything... the uncertainty, the tension, the... jealousy.

He smiled softly, a look I couldn’t quite interpret, and my breath caught in my throat....Why is this so difficult?

Once again, I looked at him with a frozen expression, then turned and entered my room while I was mentally scolding myself... I shouldn’t feel like this... the whole thing is so trivial in every way.

As I walked past the door, I heard a soft knock.... I turned, and there stood Marissa, her face filled with concern as she looked at me "Everything alright, your highness?" she asked, her voice gentle.

"Yes, just... thinking" I replied while I forced a smile, but it felt heavy.

"I wanted to talk to you about something important" I said, gesturing to the couch, then we both sat down "What's going on with Ahmed? He seems upset today?"

"Yes, you're right" she replied, nodding her head "After his lessons, he insisted on going to his father, but he didn't tell me why... When I took him there, he spoke with his father for about half an hour... I didn't know what was so important, but after that, his majesty came out and told me to get him ready because they were going somewhere.... So, I did, and a few minutes later, the carriage took us to a place... It turned out that şehzade Ahmed’s mother is buried there"

"Why do you think they did that?" I asked, feeling a mix of confusion and worry, absentmindedly fiddling with the ring on my finger as tension built in my chest.

"Ever since his teacher went to visit his sick mother, Ahmed has been talking a lot about his own mother... He says he doesn’t remember her at all" she hesitated a little "I didn't want to tell you at first"

All that was going through my mind now was little Ahmed... I felt a pang in my heart as I tried to understand everything that had happened.

"Marissa, from now on, I want you to tell me everything that happens" I said in a calm voice with warning eyes "Even the smallest and most trivial details, I want to know everything about our little prince" after that, I decided to go and check on the little child.

As I stepped into Ahmed’s room, I froze for a moment.... His soft breathing had been the only sound in the room, but as I approached his bed, I noticed his brown eyes were open, staring up at the ceiling.

I stood quietly for a moment, watching him, unsure whether I should disturb the silence.... after thinking I took a step closer, my voice soft and gentle.

"Ahmed" I called his name, my heart tight with concern “Why aren’t you asleep, dear?”

He turned his head slowly to face me, his eyes tired... he didn’t speak immediately, and I could see his lips trembling slightly, as if he was struggling to hold back what he was feeling.

"I... I couldn’t sleep" he muttered softly, his voice barely above a whisper while his small hand curled around the edge of the blanket.

I sat at the edge of his bed, my heart breaking for him... this wasn’t like the Ahmed I had come to know... a boy full of life and energy, always eager to learn and play.

"Is something troubling you?" I asked, trying to sound calm, though my own heart felt like it was beating painfully in my chest.

He hesitated, his eyes darting to the side, as if unsure whether to share what was on his mind.

"Helena... I don’t remember mommy" His words were soft, but they hit me.

I reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair away from his forehead, my fingers trembling slightly.

"Ahmed, darling" I began, my voice steady "sometimes memories can fade, especially when we are very young... But your mother... she would be so proud of you"

He looked at me, his eyes searching mine, as if trying to find comfort in my words... I could see the doubt in his gaze, the confusion... It was as if he didn’t quite understand why this memory was slipping away from him.... His mother's face.

He nodded slowly, his eyes focused on our intertwined hands "I wish I could remember her... I really do"

"I know, my dear... I know.... But just remember that she loved you very much... And she always will" I replied gently.

Ahmed stayed quiet for a moment, his eyelids fluttering as if he were about to drift off to sleep... I watched him carefully, making sure he felt safe.

He looked up at me, his eyes softening a little, and for the first time tonight, I saw a small glimmer of a smile tug at the corner of his lips... It wasn’t much, but it was enough to reassure me that I was reaching him.

"Goodnight, Helena" he whispered, his voice finally quiet, as sleep began to claim him.

"Goodnight, darling" I whispered back, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead.

I stayed there for a few moments longer, watching him finally drift into a peaceful sleep.

When I returned to my room, I changed into more comfortable clothes and collapsed onto my bed... Two thoughts consumed my mind, and I had no choice but to lie there, waiting for the storm within me to subside.

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Idk why but writing a small note here has become a habit... Instead of a long chapter I chose to separate this from the rest for two reasons... to show the beginning of Helena's jealousy and the development of her relationship with Ahmed 🤍🪄