Mihrisah was walking with her maids early in the morning towards her father's chambers as her father had requested the night before, when she met Miss Gülfem.

—Sultana Mihrisah. —Gülfem greeted the sultana by bowing.

"Miss Gülfem," the sultana greeted Gülfem with a smile. "How are you?"

"I'm much better, Sultana," Gülfem replied calmly. "His Majesty asked to see me this morning, and I see you too."

"I am very glad," Mihrisah said. "Yes, that is true, but I have a bad feeling that this meeting is going to be a disaster. In case Hürrem says something to you, I want you to be calm. If my father does not put her in her place, I will take care of her."

Gülfem nodded gratefully. A moment later, Mihrisah knocked on the door and waited for her father to give her permission to enter his chambers.

"Come in." Mihrisah heard her father authorize her entry. Suleiman's eldest daughter entered her father's chambers followed by Gülfem.

—Good morning, Father. —Mihrisah greeted her father with a bow.

"Your Majesty." Gulfem presented himself before the Sultan, making the same bow.

—Gülfem, Mihrisah, please come in. —The Sultan cordially invited the two women in. A few minutes passed when I introduced them and they heard the door knock again. The doors opened again, Mihrisah observed with an annoyance that she hid very well on her serious face that the one who entered was Hürrem.

"My Sultan." Hurrem greeted Suleiman by bowing to him. Suleiman simply looked back at his wife coldly, which did not go unnoticed by Mihrisah and Gülfem. "Sultana Mihrisah, Gülfem."

—Well, the reason I called and summoned the three of you is because Miss Gülfem reported serious problems regarding the management of the harem's resources. —Suleiman began the meeting by staring at Hürrem, causing her to become intimidated. —As you may know, a significant embezzlement of the harem's funds was reported and my wish is to clarify the reason for the disappearance of those resources.

"Hürrem." Suleiman addressed her without any hint of emotion. "Since the embezzlement occurred when you were in charge of the harem, I demand that you explain to me why it disappeared. I am listening."

Gülfem and Mihrisah looked at Hurrem waiting for the answer. Suleiman seemed to be getting more exasperated with each passing minute.

—My lord, I am unaware of the circumstances in which the embezzlement that is being charged to my administration was carried out. —Hurrem responded without daring to raise her voice to defend herself as she usually did when she felt attacked. —I was deceived and I am as surprised as you are, Your Majesty. Besides, you know very well that there are people here who cannot stand me and who only want to make me look bad in your eyes. —Hurrem finished with venom, looking at Mihrisah.

Gülfem and Mihrisah glanced at each other but did not say anything. The tension was palpable and the awkward silence was broken again when Suleiman spoke again. Mihrisah stared at Hürrem trying to find any hint of inconsistencies in her story.

"That is not a satisfactory answer, Hürrem. I placed my trust in you with this responsibility, I gave you the opportunity and you did not rise to the occasion." Suleiman intervened again, openly disappointed with Hürrem. "This situation is as serious or more serious than Mahidevran's incident with the Jewish moneylender. Do you know what Mahidevran's punishment was? I dismissed her from her position."

—Suleiman, please, I beg you to give me the opportunity to clarify this whole situation and prove my innocence, I had nothing to do with it. —Hürrem begged Suleiman trying to inspire pity to save her position without success.

—For your own good, you will have to clear your name, Hürrem. But you must know that if I find out that you have done things you should not have, you will have to face the consequences. —Suleiman warned impassively and in a tone that was better not to be rebutted. —I have decided that I will establish an investigation to clarify this whole matter and establish the sanctions that I consider necessary.

—Sir, I... —Hürrem tried to intervene but Suleiman stopped her with his gaze.

—I don't remember giving you permission to speak, Hürrem. —Suleiman cut Hürrem off coldly.

"My lord, I would like to make an intervention because I have something to say," Mihrisah said calmly despite the tense atmosphere. "There is something that worries me."

"I'm listening," Suleiman replied, paying attention to his daughter.

—Well, there is a situation that worries me and I cannot let it go. —Mihrisah began to speak, looking directly at Hürrem. —When I arrived at the Palace, Miss Gülfem was very kind to give me the details regarding this incident to bring me up to date. However, she tells me that a few days after the embezzlement was reported, she informed me that she suffered an attack. Specifically a burn on her face.

—I had nothing to do with the attack on Gülfem Sultana, if that is what you are trying to imply. —Hürrem replied angrily.

"Fine, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, Sultana," Mihrisah retorted without lowering her gaze. "If you say that you had nothing to do with the attack on Miss Gülfem shortly after she reported the embezzlement to His Majesty, then why was this earring of yours in Miss Gülfem's chambers after the attack?" Mihrisah finished by taking out a very expensive earring that clearly could not have belonged to anyone else but Hürrem. She placed it on her father's desk, who looked at it closely. It was an emerald earring that he himself had designed for his wife.

"Gülfem, please show me the burn on your face," Suleiman asked. Gülfem silently lifted the lock of hair covering his burn. Suleiman examined the burn and frowned furiously.

"Hürrem," Suleiman spoke, his voice dripping with disappointment and fury. "Never forget that this incident has put you on the same level as Mahidevran in my eyes. You shame me and you must know that if anything else happens to Gülfem, you will suffer the consequences I deem fit. I have also decided that in the short term and since I cannot trust your behavior around Mihrisah and Gülfem, you will leave together with Selim to the province I assign to him as governor. Specifically to the province of Diyarbakir."

—There is one last thing you must know, Hürrem. I have decided that the new headmistress of the harem will be Mihrisah. —Suleiman continued. —That means one thing. You are dismissed from the direction of the harem, leave my chambers.

Hurrem did not reply but glared at him for not knowing what to say to her husband's eldest daughter, for causing her the greatest humiliation of her life in less than fifteen minutes without even raising her voice or insulting her in a basic way as Mahidevran had done. With tears in her eyes, she bowed to him and left Suleiman's chambers. One way or another and before she knew it, she would take revenge on Mihrisah.

—Sultan, I didn't want to be the cause of all this trouble... —Gülfem began to apologize but Suleiman stopped her.

—It is not your responsibility. The one who should feel ashamed of having betrayed my trust and, not content with that, of having attacked you, should be Hürrem. —Suleiman intervened, feeling ashamed of Hürrem's attitude.

"Mihrisah," Suleiman continued, exhausted. "From now on, you are in charge of the management of the harem. I trust in your sense of justice and your honesty, my daughter."

"I will not fail you, Father," Mihrisah replied calmly.

Suleiman watched his eldest daughter closely. He wondered at what moment the little girl who played in the gardens with her brother Mustafa had transformed into the responsible, diligent and mature woman he saw before him.

—My little one. My princess. You remind me so much of my dear mother, I am so glad to have you here. —Suleiman commented with nostalgia as he kissed her forehead. —You may leave and do not hesitate to come to me for whatever you need. The same goes for you, Gülfem.

Both women bowed to the Sultan and left their chambers.

***

Hürrem locked herself in her chambers, frustrated, tired and fed up with everything. Although she rarely cried, she couldn't help but fall to her knees in defeat. She hated seeing and feeling vulnerable, especially in front of His Majesty, and she found it hard to understand how the work of so many years to earn everyone's respect had gone to waste in less than half an hour. But she promised herself that she would take revenge on Mihrisah for the humiliation she had put her through. She, Gülfem, Mahidevran, anyone who was a hindrance to her and her plans was going to be eliminated without any consideration.

"You may have won a battle," Hurrem promised herself, wiping away her tears. "But I will win the war the day Selim or Bayezid ascends the throne, I promise you that, Mihrisah."

But deep down, she couldn't deny that she was terrified. Although she was Mahidevran's daughter, Mihrisah was diametrically different from her mother in almost every way. Reserved, austere, studious, gentle, assertive... she was a serious rival. But she would find that woman's weak point and seek to sabotage her.

Seconds later a possibility began to take shape and strength in his mind. He would attack the two by harming Mustafa.

***

Mihrisah was in her chambers surrounded by maids who were helping her put on a very fine blue silk dress that she had for special occasions. She had also chosen a series of sapphire necklace with hoops and a matching tiara that matched her dress. Everything had to be perfect because she had to demonstrate strength above all. And implicitly, her new position as director of the Harem.

He left his chambers with his head held high and walked energetically towards the harem.

—ATTENTION, SULTANA MIHRISAH CICEK IS HERE! —a guard shouted as Mihrisah walked through the harem hallway.

The Sultana's imposing bearing inspired respect and obedience, causing those present to bow before her. She climbed onto the balcony and watched the maids and agas pay their respects to her as the new head of the harem.

"This is the beginning of your end, Hürrem," Mihrisah thought to herself. "You will not even notice when I, Mihrisah, daughter of Mahidevran Gülbahar, am the cause of your downfall. This is only the beginning, Hürrem."

***

"Sultana Mahidevran, there is some correspondence for you from the capital," a maid informed Mahidevran, handing him the scrolls while bowing.

"Thank you very much, you may leave," Mahidevran thanked the maid. Once the maid closed the doors, he sat down in the armchair to read the letter Mihrisah sent him.

"Dear mother, I am writing this letter to let you know that I have arrived safely in the capital." Mahidevran began to read the letter in a very low voice. "I also wanted to tell you that the content of this letter must not be divulged to anyone other than my brother, so I demand the utmost discretion in this regard. Burn this letter after you and Mustafa read it. His Majesty has asked me to take over the administration of the Imperial Palace harem as director, because Miss Gülfem reported a huge embezzlement in the harem coffers during the time that Hürrem was in charge as director. His Majesty dismissed Hürrem from her position and although she does not show it openly for fear of my father's reaction, she is truly furious with His Majesty and me. His Majesty also wants me to find out why that money disappeared and for what purpose." "Even though I know it is a daunting task, I am confident that I will get to the bottom of this matter so that I can nullify Hürrem's influence with His Majesty permanently. Please act carefully and do things right in the province, Allah willing we will one day see the fruits of all our hard work. I love you all very much and I hope we will see each other soon, the three of us. Love, Mihrisah." Mahidevran finished reading the letter with a smile on his face at the good news.

"May Allah guide and bless you, my daughter," Mahidevran commented as she finished reading the letter, a feeling of tenderness flooding through her as she thought of her daughter. Although in many ways, she and Mihrisah were like water and oil, she could feel nothing but pride for her daughter.