The next morning, Mila and Leo prepared nervously for their visit to Topkapı Palace. Mila carried her sketchbook close to her chest, while Leo had a few of his best paintings rolled up and tied securely. The grandeur of the city seemed to weigh heavily on them as they made their way through its bustling streets.

When they arrived at the palace gates, the guards scrutinized them with narrowed eyes. "State your business," one of them demanded, his tone firm.

"We were invited by Matracki Nasuh Effendi," Leo explained, trying to remain calm under the piercing stares.

The guards exchanged skeptical looks. "Wait here," one said gruffly before disappearing inside. Mila glanced at Leo, who gave her a reassuring nod despite his own unease.

Minutes later, Nasuh Effendi appeared, his demeanor calm yet authoritative. "These are the artists I spoke of," he said, gesturing toward Mila and Leo. The guards hesitated for a moment but finally stepped aside to let them through.

Nasuh led them into the sprawling palace complex, the grandeur of which left Mila and Leo awestruck. Ornate domes glistened in the sunlight, and intricately tiled walls seemed to tell stories of their own. Nasuh glanced at them and smiled faintly. "Stay close. The Harem section is strictly forbidden to outsiders, but I will take you to where the lawmakers convene."

They followed him through a labyrinth of corridors until they reached a stately room that looked like an office. Inside, a man with a commanding presence sat at a desk, his dark eyes sharp and calculating. His black beard was meticulously groomed, and his posture exuded authority.

"This is Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha," Nasuh said, bowing slightly. Mila and Leo quickly followed suit, their nerves prickling under the Vizier's scrutinizing gaze.

"I have heard of your work," Ibrahim Pasha said, his voice measured and calm. He gestured for them to come closer. "Show me."

Mila stepped forward, trembling slightly, and opened her sketchbook, displaying her intricate drawings of villages, cities, and landscapes. Leo unrolled his paintings, revealing vivid depictions of life in Ruthenia and their travels. Ibrahim examined each piece carefully, his expression unreadable.

"The style is unmistakably European," he said after a long pause. "Detailed, bold, and precise. Different from what we are accustomed to, but... intriguing."

He lingered on one of Leo's paintings, a dramatic scene of a storm over a village, before nodding approvingly. "Leo, I will commission you to create a mural for one of the walls in my palace. You may begin as soon as you are ready."

Leo bowed deeply. "It would be my honor, Pasha."

Ibrahim turned his attention to Mila, flipping through her sketchbook again. "As for you," he said thoughtfully, "there is a portrait much needed. I will request from the Sultan that you paint a likeness of Hürrem Sultan herself."

Mila's breath caught. "Hürrem Sultan?" she echoed softly, the name unfamiliar yet important-sounding.

"Yes," Ibrahim said. "She is the chief consort and a woman of great influence. This task is of the highest importance."

Mila nodded, her voice steady despite the flutter of nerves in her chest. "I will do my best, Pasha."

The Grand Vizier's gaze lingered on them for a moment longer before he gestured for Nasuh to escort them out. As they left the room, Mila and Leo exchanged a glance, both exhilarated and overwhelmed by the magnitude of what lay ahead.

Neither of them knew that Hürrem Sultan was none other than Alexandra La Rossa, the woman Leo had been searching for all along.