|Victoria's POV|

-Two Days Later-

I was deeply engrossed in my book when the door opened, revealing Dilruba Sultan with a kind smile.

"Am I bothering you?" she asked with a small laugh as she approached me.

"No... of course not" I said, standing up and exchanging smiles before both of us settled onto the couch.

"Were you reading?" She picked up the book, glancing at it "What is it about?"

"It's a book filled with healing recipes" I nodded slightly "I've always been obsessed with herbs and all that stuff"

"Oh... just like my mother" she said, still not taking her eyes off the pages.

That was a somewhat shocking revelation... I don't know why, but it shattered something inside me.

I had hoped to create a remedy for Mustafa... perhaps it would help him a little because I had truly started to consider him a friend, wanting to offer him this small assistance. But now that I knew his mother also mastered these things, my hope faded.

If there were a cure, she would have surely made it for her son... What was I even thinking? He is a Sultan, and not long ago he was a prince... The best doctors must have tried to treat him, but to no avail.

"Didn't she try to create any remedy for Sultan Mustafa?" I asked, curiosity pulling her attention away from the book.

"She did" she sighed deeply, setting the book aside "We tried so hard, but what Mustafa went through is stronger than any remedy"

"What happened to him?" My curiosity was stronger than anything, pushing me to ask the question quickly "If you don't mind, of course, Your Highness"

"No, I don't mind at all... It's something everyone knows; it's strange you haven't heard about it" she interlaced her fingers and lowered her eyes "Mustafa was just a small child when my brother Ahmed took the throne... That day felt like a nightmare for my mother and me... According to the rules, when one prince ascends, the others must die... I don't know if it was fortunate or not, but my brother Ahmed decided he didn't want Mustafa to die, and that made us extremely happy"

She paused for a moment, then looked directly at me "This experience made us realize that keeping princes alive isn't enough; it doesn't guarantee them a good life... In one way or another, they become the sultan's primary enemies and his darkest nightmare... They used Mustafa against my late brother Ahmed several times; they even poisoned his mind, and he almost got killed. But he survived, and afterward, Ahmed decided to confine him to a room alone and prevented us from seeing him... Years of isolation and fear led my brother to this state"

After Dilruba Sultan left, I returned to my book, but this time I was distracted by everything she had told me... Was this fate? I felt as if Sultan Mustafa and I had endured the same things... He was locked in a room alone while I was forced to hide with my aunt. He was terrified of being killed by his brother, and that was exactly what I feared now... Was I about to go crazy too?

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-The Next Day-

I headed to Sultan Mustafa's room, where he said he wanted to have dinner with me as a celebration that I was feeling better and also to play chess... I arrived a few minutes early because I wanted to discuss the recent attack with him.

When the door opened, the first thing my eyes landed on was the dining table right in front of me, while a maid was bending beside it.

It didn't look like she had set it up; before she could jump out of her spot, I saw her pouring something from a small vial onto one of the plates.

"You!" I yelled as I rushed toward her before she could hide the vial in her dress.

"Your Highness" she said, her eyes wide, stepping back a bit "What are you doing?"

"Do you think I'm stupid?" I grabbed her arm tightly; thanks to all the training I had undergone in my life, she couldn't escape from me "What were you doing?" I held her other hand with mine and forcefully pulled the small vial from her grasp "What is this!"

"It's medicine, Your Highness" her face started to pale, and tears filled her eyes.

"Oh really?" I opened the vial with my fingers, trying to pour it into her mouth "Let's see if it's medicine"

She began to resist, shutting her mouth tightly while tears streamed down her face... I had to act quickly before someone came... I needed to know what she was trying to do, especially since she was putting it on Sultan Mustafa's plate.

"Okay, okay, please" I pulled back my hands "I'll tell .. please"

"Finally" I released the vial and pressed her hand "Now, quickly! we don't have time"

"Your Highness" she hesitated, still sobbing but when she saw me bring the vial closer again... She shook her head quickly "Okay, okay... but please, let me go; and don't tell anyone"

"Alright, tell me, and then we'll decide your fate" I said quickly, trying to get any information from her.

"Everyone knows.. I mean the guards, but we can't refuse.. it's Halime Sultan's orders" she confessed in a low voice, glancing at the door as if afraid someone might show up.

"What do you mean?" I looked at the vial "What is this?"

"It's some kind of mixture" she glanced into my eyes, reflecting the weight of the words she was about to speak "To keep the Sultan in a bad mental state... that's what Halime Sultan wants, to control everything.. She has truly lost hope in her son... Sultan Mustafa wouldn't be happy if he knew what his mother had done when he took the throne"

And just like that, everything became clear... I now knew why there was no cure for him... or at least that's what everyone wanted us to believe.

Halime Sultan was obsessed with power and must have done crazy things to place her son on the throne and control the state.

"Now listen to me carefully" I said in a threatening tone, looking into her eyes as I heard footsteps approaching "You will change this plate quickly, and tomorrow we will meet in the garden... You know what will happen if you don't come"

The timing was perfect... As soon as she moved to take the plate and change it, I disposed of the vial, and just then, the door opened and Mustafa entered after reprimanding his guards to stay outside.

"Good evening" I smiled slightly, standing next to his desk where the chess table was set up... The warm glow of the candles created a cozy atmosphere.

"I'm late?" he said casually, removing his coat and looking at the dinner table "Where's my food?"

"The maid made a small mistake, so she went to change it" I said, keeping my smile as we sat down.

Our eyes met for a brief moment, and I could see a flicker of something unpredictable in his gaze-was it mischief or madness?

Sultan Mustafa began talking about various topics, but I could hardly wait for him to discuss the matter I wanted to bring up.

Dinner went well; I had gotten used to Mustafa's temperament, though it often swung between charm and chaos...Afterward, we played chess, and he beat me several times... Yet, he seemed genuinely frustrated for a moment when I managed to win once.

A laugh bubbled up inside me, but I swallowed it down, aware that in his eyes, victory and defeat were deeply entwined with his sanity.

As I looked at him one last time before leaving the room, I had made a decision I wouldn't back down from.