I set out to find out where Marie -Mihrişah- was from and how she got to the Topkapi Harem. And after the events that occured, I had a hunch Kumru Kalfa was somehow tied with Mihrişah, and I hadn't seen her since Mihrişah was sent to my Baba's rooms before.

My father finally was prepared after state affairs for the naming ceremony. We were all waiting in the rooms of the Valide Sultan, occupied by my mother Haseki Ayşe Sultan. It was her, me, Mahmud, Zeyneb, the babies, and Gülbahar. Surprisingly, aunt Neylan was not invited to the ceremony, which made me happy as I didn't want any drama.

"Destur! Sultan Ahmed Han Hazretdleri!" We all bowed as my father entered the rooms. He seemed very excited about the babies, seemingly not noticing the mildly upset look on my mother's face, which in turn angered me.

"Mahmud! You leave me for one year and already have not one, but two children?" My father laughed as I forced myself to smile. Mahmud and Zeyneb didn't know what to say, so I giggled and said,

"InshAllah hopefully more to come."

"Amen." Everyone agreed. My father then took hold of the first child, a boy.

"Your name will be Orhan. Your name will be Orhan. Your name will be Orhan." My father repeated, and then kissed baby Orhan, who squealed in joy.

"What a beautiful name, your majesty." Zeyneb thanked my father as he exchanged Orhan for the other unnamed child, a baby girl. My father took a moment to think up a name.

"Your name shall be Fatma. Fatma. Fatma." He repeated 3 times then kissed my niece Fatma. I saw how proud Mahmud was at that moment, and I almost wanted a child myself. But with whom?

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. 

"Open it!" My Valide ordered, and who came in? Mihrişah. Always there to spoil things.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded as I stomped over to her.

"Well, h-h-his maj-j-jesties ordered to s-s-send me here." Mihrişah stuttered as everyone but my father glared at her.

"I didn't though-" My father the Sultan started saying, but he was interrupted.

"How dare you interrupt the naming ceremony of my children? Who do you think you are!" Shouted Mahmud, who then stormed out of the rooms with Zeyneb at his heels holding the children. I could smell the tension in the air as I was consumed by it too.

"Get out of here!" Valide yelled as I broke into tears and ran out in front of Mihrişah as guards pulled her out. Only my father and mother remained, as Gülbahar came out after me.

"Fidan!" I ignored Gülbahar as I ran without stopping from her. "Fidan!" I kept on ignoring her as I eventually got away from her and into the royal gardens. So much for a family reunion. I kept walking in the gardens till I ran into Mahmud, who was fuming.

Mahmud stood there, his expression a mix of anger and frustration. I approached him cautiously, unsure of how he would react to my presence.

"Fidan," he said, his voice heavy with emotion. "I'm sorry you had to witness that. I didn't mean to lose my temper."

I reached out and placed a comforting hand on his arm. "It's okay, Mahmud. I understand why you're upset. Mihrişah's presence was unwelcome, especially during such an important moment."

He sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. "I just can't stand the sight of her. The audacity to disrupt the naming ceremony of my children, my first ones too..."

"I know," I said softly. "But we can't let her actions ruin this moment for us. We'll find a way to deal with her, I promise."

Mahmud nodded, his jaw clenched. "We have to. For the sake of our family and the stability of the harem."

I glanced around, noticing the serene beauty of the royal gardens surrounding us. "Let's take a moment to breathe and clear our minds. We'll figure this out together."

As we walked through the gardens side by side, the tension began to ease, replaced by a sense of determination. Whatever challenges lay ahead, we would face them as a united front.

"We'll get through this," I reassured Mahmud, and for the first time since the confrontation in the Valide's chambers, a glimmer of hope flickered in his eyes.

With renewed resolve, we continued our stroll through the gardens, ready to confront whatever obstacles awaited us.

As we were walking through the gardens, a girl almost crashed into me.

"I apologize, Sultana." She bowed to me respectively. I nodded.

"Um, may I speak to Sehzade Mahmud...Alone?" She asked, her voice with uncertainty. I looked at Mahmud, who seemed okay with it, so I walked away further into the gardens, keeping a quick glance at them and then continuing on.

As I kept on walking, I almost crashed into another person. This time, I tried apologizing, until the man held up his hand.

"No need, Sultana." It was Mehmet Giray!