Diving deeper... I knew I had to take up my case with my valide, Haseki Ayşe Sultan. What happened wasn't good, and it threatened my safety above all things, Kumru Kalfa considered.

As soon as I was dressed, I marched to my mother's room with red eyes and fake tears dabbed on my cheeks. Afterwards, I planned on doing the same with my Baba the Sultan.

"Valide." I bowed, shaking. My mother jumped out of her seat after seeing what state I was in.

"Fidan! What happened to you?" She demanded. She touched my cheek and rubbed my shoulder. I was pleased by the rare and kind gesture of affection.

"They...attacked us at Kumru Kalfa's cottage."

"What were you doing at Kumru's...cottage?" My mother sounded confused. I tried to explain.

"We found out where Kumru Kalfa was hiding. We came there with Mehmet Giray, but we got ambushed and then I had to fight..." I trailed off.

"I should have known..." My mother shook her head. I breathed a sigh of relief. "I should've known you'd go against me!"

I opened my mouth but not a single sound came out.

"I told you to stay away from the Crimean princes, but you didn't listen. On top of that, you act without my counselling on the pending issue with that rogue woman. You obviously weren't careful, so the people who attacked you knew everything and were a step ahead of you!" Haseki Ayşe Sultan hissed at me.

I felt a sting of betrayal mixed with frustration. My mother's fury was not without reason, but her words cut deeper than any wound. I had always sought her approval, and her disappointment was a heavy burden to bear. However, I could not afford to dwell on this now. I needed her support to navigate the dangerous political waters I found myself in.

"Valide, please," I implored, my voice barely a whisper. "We need to act quickly. They know too much, and if we don't move now, we could all be in grave danger."

Haseki Ayşe Sultan studied me with narrowed eyes, her mind clearly racing. Despite her anger, I could see the wheels turning as she considered the implications of my words.

"You were reckless, Fidan," she said finally, her tone softer but still laced with frustration. "But you are right. We cannot ignore this threat."

She turned away from me, pacing the room as she often did when deep in thought. I stood there, silent, knowing better than to interrupt her in moments like this.

"We must inform your father," she said at last, stopping in her tracks and looking back at me. "He needs to know what has happened, and we need to make a plan."

A sense of relief washed over me. Despite her harsh words, my mother was willing to take action. Together, we could perhaps find a way out of this mess.

"Thank you, Valide," I said, my voice trembling with emotion. "I promise I will be more careful from now on."

"You had better be," she replied, her gaze softening slightly. "Now, go and clean yourself up. We must present ourselves with dignity before the Sultan."

I nodded and quickly left her chambers, my mind racing. The attack had left me shaken, but I could not afford to show weakness now. I needed to be strong, not just for myself, but for the sake of my family and the empire.

Once I had freshened up and changed into more appropriate attire, I made my way to my father's audience chamber. As I approached, the guards stationed outside nodded respectfully and opened the heavy doors for me. Inside, the room was grand and imposing, with high ceilings and walls adorned with intricate tapestries.

My father, the Sultan, sat on his throne, surrounded by advisors and courtiers. He looked up as I entered, his expression stern and unreadable. My mother was already there, standing beside him with an air of quiet authority.

"Fidan," my father said, his voice commanding and filled with concern. "Your mother has informed me of the situation. Come forward and tell us everything."

I took a deep breath and stepped forward, feeling the weight of every eye in the room upon me. Summoning all my courage, I recounted the events of the attack, sparing no detail. I explained how we had discovered Kumru Kalfa's location, the involvement of Mehmet Giray, and the ambush that had nearly cost us our lives.

As I spoke, I could see my father's expression darken. He listened intently, his eyes narrowing with each passing moment. When I finished, there was a heavy silence in the room, broken only by the occasional murmur from the gathered courtiers.

"This is a grave matter indeed," my father said at last, his voice low and filled with menace. "To think that such treachery exists within our own borders... we must root out these traitors and bring them to justice."

He turned to his advisors, his gaze fierce. "We will not allow this affront to go unpunished. I want a full investigation launched immediately. Find those responsible and bring them to me."

The advisors nodded and began to murmur among themselves, already making plans to carry out the Sultan's orders. My father then looked back at me, his expression softening slightly.

"You have done well, Fidan, in bringing this to our attention," he said. "But you must be more cautious in the future. The palace is filled with dangers, and you must always be vigilant. InshAllah this doesn't happen again."

"Yes, Baba," I replied, bowing my head in respect. "I will be more careful."

He nodded, then dismissed me with a wave of his hand. As I left the audience chamber, I felt a mixture of relief and determination. The threat was far from over, but at least now we were taking steps to address it.

Over the next two days, the palace was abuzz with activity. The Sultan's orders had set a flurry of investigations in motion, and no corner of the empire would be left unexamined. Meanwhile, I kept a low profile, focusing on gathering as much information as I could about our enemies. Sultana Neylan and Sitişah Sultan hadn't left their chambers since, and I knew for a fact they were plotting their next move.

One evening, 3 days later, as I sat in my chambers, a soft knock at the door startled me. I opened it to find a young servant girl, her eyes wide with fear.

"Sultana Fidan," she whispered, glancing around nervously. "I have a message for you."

She handed me a small, folded piece of parchment and hurried away before I could ask any questions. Puzzled, I unfolded the note and read its contents. It was a warning, written in a hurried, almost frantic script.

"They know. Be careful."

My heart skipped a beat as I read the words. Who were "they"? And how much did they know? The note offered no further explanation, leaving me with more questions than answers.

Determined to get to the bottom of this, I decided to seek out Mehmet Giray. If anyone could help me understand the full extent of the danger we were in, it would be him. I made my way to his quarters, my mind racing with possibilities.

When I arrived, Mehmet greeted me with a concerned expression. "Sultana Fidan," he said, ushering me inside. "What brings you here at this hour?"

I showed him the note, and his eyes widened as he read it. "This is serious," he said, his voice low. "We must be very careful. There are forces at play here that we do not fully understand."

"What should we do?" I asked, feeling a surge of anxiety.

"We need to find out who sent this note," he replied. "And we need to be ready for whatever comes next."

_________________

Nafise was unfortunately busy when I returned, but she left a note about what she had been doing recently.

Sultana Fidan,

Sitişah and Neylan Sultan have been quiet recently, but I was curious when I saw Mustafa Pasha enter a harem hallway and talk with one of the doormen. I barely caught anything of the conversation, except for "My Sultana will be waiting." and "Fidan Sultan is overstepping the boundaries." I think these are threats you should take note of, and we will all try and keep you safe.

Mihrişah Hatun still thinks she's a Sultana, but she hasn't gone to the Sultan in a few weeks. I am still skeptical of her being tied to Sitisah and Neylan, but Kumru Kalfa is definitely involved in this.

I will give you more updates InshAllah soon.

Your servant, Nafise Hatun.