The day after the party, I arose early in the morning, before dawn, so that I could roam the halls and explore the place. Generally from what I understand, they supervise and make sure the girls can't escape, but I need to begin plotting from the start. Home in Spain is where I belong, not in a land where girls are forced to be slaves to the likes of cruel men.

Elisabeth was fast asleep so I made sure not to disturb her. I opened the large wooden doors carefully as not to make them squeak, and on my tippy toes I walked out of the room and into the open corridor below the big Mother Sultan's rooms. 

I heard voices from above, people. Perhaps Valide was still awake, but I wasn't quite sure. The voices became more clear as I headed up the stairs and I paused to listen in.

"Hürrem is a threat to the dynasty. She must be extinguished as soon as we can!" I heard a female voice say.

"I will do whatever you order to do, my Sultana. Shall I murder her tonight or another time?" A man replied.

"Not tonight, but tomorrow would be fine. Come to her room carefully, and kill her with a knife. Take her body and throw her into the Bosphorus. I don't want any trouble. If you are caught, remember to not reveal our identity."

"I am always loyal to you my Sultana, and I won't betray you. Tomorrow Hürrem Hatun will be no more." The man finally responded. I heard feet shuffling as the door girls began to appear in sight. I rushed down the hall out of sight. A day in and I'm already hearing a murder plot in the Ottoman Harem? Oh Jesus Christ.

I then went down very carefully in the hall and tried to figure out which direction we had come from in the start. Hmmm, I thought to myself. Left or right? I chose left and began quickly going down the path until I saw some light. At first I thought it was perhaps a window, but then I realized the light was behind me. Someone was following. 

When I looked, I saw a light coming closer to turning the corner, so I dashed to the other side and found a marble wall to hid behind. I covered my mouth to make sure nobody could hear me. The light continued creeping closer and closer and I prayed that it wasn't any of the guards or anything like that, or I could probably get in serious trouble. I don't know what they could do to me here in the Ottoman Empire. This isn't exactly secure and safe Spain. If your beloved Spain is so safe and secure, how did you get kidnapped and taken here? A voice inside me whispered. 

"I don't know!" I muttered back angrily. Oh shoot. I muffled myself quickly. The person might've heard me. The light quickly began moving to my direction again, sensing my presence. I looked around, I'm doomed if I can't figure anything out. Besides myself, there was only a small torch with a flickering flame behind me... A torch. I could distract the person or something of the sort. I began standing high off my heels as I carefully pulled out the torch. Just as I got it out, I heard a voice behind me.

"Hey Hatun, what are you doing here!" A man, or perhaps a servant, barked at me. He was holding a knife in his hand with a fiendish gleam in his eye. It was the same one I heard in the room of Valide Sultan, the one who will murder Hürrem Hatun in her sleep tomorrow.

"Oh lord!" My eyes widened. He was going to kill me first. Perhaps he thought that I heard everything, which I did, and would expose the plot. I looked to my hand where I held the torch. 

The man went and swung towards me with the knife as I leaped out of the way. Just barely missed. He then leaned in to grab me as I stuck the torch out, and to our mutual horror, it lighted his face on fire. Instead of withdrawing, I continued pushing it in as the man screamed and fell to his knees and onto the floor, dead. I gasped as the man's face turned a pale white, and blood pours out of his nose from the burns. 

Hürrem should thank me for this, I think to myself. I killed her potential murderer. But if I tell anyone, I'll get in worse trouble than I could ever possibly imagine. No, it is better if this is kept between me and the dead man. No one will ever find out that Spanish Princesa Francesca Fortuna killed a man in the halls of the Ottoman Palace, which is still quite a sin. 

What now? I leaned up to put the torch away, and since I couldn't risk staining my hands touching the man and getting in trouble, I decided to leave his body in the hall. Perhaps nobody will notice till at least tomorrow. For now, I crept away, hidden by the dark shadows of the hall as I resolved to never do so, kill a innocent person that is, again.

Querido Dios, por favor no me castigues. Mi vida estaba en peligro y era todo lo que podía hacer para protegerme. Dear god, please don't punish me. My life was in danger and it's all I could do to protect myself. I have just gotten here and already a mess with my name on it. How do I expect to get out?

--------