I wore a beautiful pink dress and draped a white shawl over my head to modestly cover my chest. After some thought, I realized the weather was a bit chilly, so I added a cape over my shoulders for warmth.

With permission from Fahriye Kalfa, I made my way to the garden. I wasn't even sure where we were supposed to meet-the place was enormous.

Just as I began to feel lost again, I heard footsteps echoing from one of the corridors. Instinctively, I hid. I had no idea why I reacted that way-it just felt natural. Suddenly, a tall man appeared before me, eyes lowered. I recognized him immediately-he had been with the prince in the garden that day.

"Mary Hatun?" he asked in a calm voice.

"Yes, it's me," I replied, trying to sound composed, though I felt ridiculous for hiding like that. I truly hated this confusing garden.

"I'm Aymen Pasha," he said, stepping aside. "Come with me. Şehzade Mehmed is waiting for you-in his favorite place."

His favorite place? I was surprised and intrigued.

I nodded and followed him. We entered a wide, open green space with a large pond, colorful flowers, and a decorative fountain. They really seemed to love fountains here. Everything was meticulously arranged-the garden was stunning.

I glanced around but couldn't see the prince. Aymen noticed and stepped closer.

"Şehzade Mehmed is taking a ride on his horse. He'll be here shortly."

He was right. Within moments, I saw the prince approaching swiftly on a black horse. As soon as he arrived, he dismounted.

I gave a respectful bow. "Aymen, take Bora to the stable," he instructed, then walked toward me. "Good morning," he greeted, a puff of breath visible in the cold air.

"Good morning," I replied, then added curiously, "Bora?"

He nodded, glancing at his horse as Aymen led him away. "Yes. Bora means 'storm.' He's full of energy-it suits him."

I smiled softly. "I see. I'll add that word to my vocabulary."

He looked at me as the horse disappeared into the distance. "Yes, I can tell you've been studying. But your tone is a little slow," he said with a smile, taking a seat under a tent and gesturing for me to sit across from him at a low table. "But you'll learn quickly."

"I hope so... so I can send you letters, too," I said with a shy smile.

"That would be nice." He waved to one of the Aghas. "I think it's a good time for breakfast."

As the Agha walked off, I turned to him. "So you invited me here just to have breakfast with me?" I looked down and played with a loose thread on my shawl. "I must be lucky. I assume you have breakfast with a different girl each day."

Mehmed looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

I raised a brow. "Didn't you have breakfast with Eylem yesterday?" I quickly looked away. "Not that it's any of my business, your highness." I hadn't meant to bring that up. Now he'd think I was jealous.

He placed his hand on his leg, clearly amused. "No, I didn't have breakfast with her." He looked around, still smiling. "And it's not just breakfast today-we'll do something else afterward."

I tilted my head. "What is it?"

"You'll see," he replied with a calm smile.

Once breakfast was served, we began to eat. "So, where are you from, Mary?" he asked while reaching for some olives.

Nervously, I took a sip from my cup to buy myself time. "Your highness, I came from Britain-a small village."

He nodded with a gentle smile. "That's wonderful. Tell me, what was life like there?"

Was he trying to make me cry?

I lowered my gaze, and suddenly, it felt like my heart was speaking instead of my mind.

"Life was... somewhat beautiful. Actually, I tried to make it beautiful for myself. I didn't see my parents very often."

That was true. My father was a wealthy man, constantly busy and absent, though he provided for everything I needed. My mother, enjoying her status, was always preoccupied with redecorating the estate, socializing over coffee with other noblewomen, or throwing lavish parties that even royalty sometimes attended.

"Mary? Mary?" His voice pulled me back to reality.

"Yes, your highness?" I blinked, startled.

"You seemed lost in thought," he said, waving a hand. "I asked you-why?"

"Why what?" I asked, flustered.

"Calm down," he chuckled, his voice surprisingly comforting. "Why didn't you see your parents much?"

I forced a smile, knowing the lie I was about to tell. "We were very poor, so they had to work long hours."

He placed his cup down thoughtfully. "It's not only poor families that suffer from absence. Even in royalty, we don't always get time with our parents."

I leaned in, genuinely interested. "Don't you spend time with them? I assumed-being the only prince-you must be very spoiled."

He laughed, but it was a strange, slightly bitter laugh. "Being the only prince of the empire isn't exactly fun. Some people think I'm lucky because I have no rivals." He looked away. "My mother is a remarkable woman, and she loves me deeply. But sometimes, I wonder if it's because I'm all she has left. After losing my brothers, I became her miracle. While I was growing up, she was caught up in her feud with Safiye Sultan. As for my father-he's the Sultan of the world. I only see him when politics require it."

I felt a wave of sympathy but didn't want to press him further. Instead, I smiled. "By the way, the Sultanas here dress so beautifully. I was really struck by Safiye Sultan's elegance-and Hürrem Sultan's hair is stunning."

He chuckled. "Yes, my father does seem to have excellent taste."

I hesitated, then dared to ask, "And what about your taste?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

I pushed my hair back. "Tall, blonde... I don't know, that sort of thing?"

He burst out laughing. "You believed the rumors?"

I felt a little awkward. "So... they're just rumors?"

Still laughing, he nodded. "From the beginning, the choices weren't mine. My mother and sister made them. For some reason, they kept choosing the same type, and soon everyone thought that was my preference."

I paused, understanding dawning. So the people who sent me assumed I was his type-but it was all coincidence. "I see. That makes sense now."

Mehmet stood and extended his hand. "Come on."

I blinked. "Where are we going?"

He smiled, eyes meeting mine. "I've decided I want to draw you."

A whirlwind of emotions stirred within me, but above all, I felt an overwhelming sense of happiness.

We settled in a quiet spot-he positioned in front of me with his sketchpad in hand, eyes observing me intently as he began to draw. Time slipped away unnoticed, carried by the soft rhythm of our conversation, the lingering glances we exchanged, and the warmth of his smile that made the moment feel almost unreal.

Then, out of the corner of our eyes, we noticed figures slowly approaching.

"That's my sister, Mihrimah Sultan, and her daughter Zeynep," Mehmet said, standing. I rose as well and bowed when they reached us.

"Brother," she greeted him with a smile, then glanced at me briefly before focusing back on him.

"Hello, uncle," the little girl chimed.

He smiled and brushed her hair back. "Hello, beautiful." he turned to his sister. "I didn't know you'd be visiting the palace today."

She nodded. "It was a last-minute decision." She smiled again, eyes flicking back to me. "It seems you're busy-I just wanted to take a short walk with my daughter."

"That's lovely," he said, just as Aymen approached to whisper something in his ear. "Alright, I'll go now. Something urgent has come up."

His sister offered a soft smile. "Good luck."

He nodded, then looked at me. "I'll see you later."

I smiled and nodded, suddenly shy. I watched him leave, then realized I was now alone with the Sultana.

"It seems my brother is quite taken with you," she said, a curious smile playing on her lips.

I wasn't sure how to respond. "Thank you," was all I managed.

She stepped closer, her tone serious. "Just be careful. Everything can change. Look at his favorite-she's pregnant, and yet..."

What was she implying?

I kept my gaze down. I couldn't afford to ruin everything with a single misstep. If we were in Britain, I might have responded differently-made her regret that little jab.

"Anyway, good luck," she said with a cool smile. "All we want is strong, intelligent women in this dynasty." With that, she took her daughter's hand and walked away, her maids trailing behind.