|3rd Person POV|

"We can’t leave, Validem" Rana said anxiously, her eyes pleading as she looked at her mother "We haven’t accomplished anything during our time here"

"I know" Fatma replied, standing up and adjusting her dress.. then she began to walk slowly, her fingers laced together as she spoken"But leaving doesn’t mean we won’t get anything done" She turned back to her daughter, who seemed on the verge of collapsing on the sofa "I have something in mind, don’t worry"

"What is it?" Rana asked eagerly, rising from the sofa and stepping closer to her mother "I can’t keep leaving Orhan behind"

Fatma placed her hands gently on her daughter’s arms and looked into her eyes with a calm intensity "Rana" she began softly, a slight smile touching her lips "The first thing you must keep is your composure" Her voice was reassuring as she added "We’ll leave tomorrow, but don’t worry, we won’t be gone for long"

Rana hesitated for a moment, her face still marked by uncertainty... But, seeing the quiet resolve in her mother’s eyes, she nodded reluctantly. 

Though she hated the thought... there was a flicker of hope in her mother’s promise... If Fatma said she had a plan, then maybe... just maybe... she actually did.

With a resigned sigh, Rana turned and made her way to her room, her footsteps heavy with a sense of defeat... Leaving the capital had always been difficult every year, but this time, it felt much harder than usual.

»»————-　♔　-————««

|Helena's POV|

-The next day-

"So, they’re finally leaving" Sibylle's voice broke the quiet as she set a glass of juice on the table in front of me while I had been absorbed in one of my favorite books, one I’d been reading since I was nine.

"Yes" I replied, glancing up for a moment before offering a small smile "We’ll finally have some peace in this palace" I reached for the glass and took a sip.

"You didn’t give me a chance, Helena" Sibylle said, her tone half-teasing, half-irritated, as she raised a finger "If you’d left me to handle it, I would’ve set her straight"

I laughed softly, as did Isabel, who was sitting across from me, absorbed in embroidering a blue handkerchief.

"I hope we don’t see her again next year" I sighed, taking another sip of the juice... But as soon as the liquid passed my lips, a sudden wave of nausea hit me so I quickly pressed my other hand to my mouth, trying to suppress the feeling.

"What’s wrong, Helena?" Sibylle asked, her voice laced with concern as she quickly stood up and moved toward me "You look pale"

"I don’t know" I said, my face still pinched in discomfort. 

At that moment, the door creaked open, and Turhan Sultan stepped into the room... A stunned silence spread across us, and we all froze in surprise... She had never visited us before.

"Helena" she greeted with a smile, her steps graceful as she approached and sat down on the couch. 

She motioned for me to sit beside her... Hesitantly, I did, while the other girls quietly retreated to another room.

"It's a true honor to have you here, Valide" I said, forcing a smile as I straightened in my seat, though a knot of unease twisted in my stomach.

"Thank you" Turhan Sultan replied, her hands resting lightly on her lap while her eyes began to wander around the room as if she was taking her time to gather her thoughts "Helena, I’m here to talk to you about what happened yesterday" She looked directly at me again "When we were in the garden, and you had your coffee"

I blinked, my mind momentarily blank "Ah…" I stared at her for a moment, then quickly dropped my gaze, blinking rapidly "Yes, Valide .. What about it?"

"I have some suspicions, Helena" she said with a strange, knowing smile "Has it happened again?"

I fell silent, the uncertainty creeping into my thoughts... What was she implying? Was something wrong with me? Was I ill?

"I think so" I said hesitantly then I gestured toward the glass of juice still sitting on the table "It just happened a little while ago" I looked back into her eyes, trying to keep my voice steady "What’s going on.. Is there something wrong?"

"No, no need to worry, dear" she said, her hand gently resting on mine, a wide smile spreading across her face "I think you’re pregnant"

I froze, my heart pounding in my chest... Pregnant? ...I stared at Turhan Sultan, unable to fully grasp the reality of what she had just said... Was it possible? Could it be true?

"I… I…" I stammered, my voice faltering, still trying to piece the words together "Are you sure? How can you…?"

"We'll make sure of it" she replied calmly, standing up as though she was about to leave, but then she added "I'll have them send the midwife" She gave me a small smile "Hopefully, we'll hear good news"

I simply nodded, my gaze following her every move until she left the room... The soft sound of the door closing was enough to make me stand up quickly, trying to calm myself and shake off the tension that had settled in my body... At that moment, the girls entered, and I could tell by their expressions that they had heard everything.

"Oh my God" Sibylle exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock "Oohhh my God" she repeated, clearly eager to show how stunned she was.

Moments later, the midwife arrived in my room... After a rather uncomfortable examination, she stepped back, washing her hands in the basin Anastasia was holding, while Isabel helped me adjust my gown.

"So?" I asked, unable to hide the nervousness in my voice, stepping closer to the midwife, eager to hear what she would say.

"Congratulations, Your Highness" she said, her features soft with a small smile "You are indeed pregnant"

I glanced at the girls, my thoughts momentarily interrupted by their stunned silence. 

Sibylle’s wide eyes were locked on me, her mouth open as though the words she wanted to say were stuck in her throat... Isabel, who had been adjusting my gown, had frozen too, her hands stilling mid-movement, her expression a mirror of disbelief.

I heard a light cough from my side, and when I turned, I saw Anastasia approaching my ear "Your highness... the midwife is waiting for her reward"

"Oh" I said quickly, gesturing for her to go and give the midwife some gold or whatever she needed and that's exactly what Anastasia did.... as soon as the midwife received her payment, she gathered her belongings and left.

"Congratulations, Sultana" Anastasia broke the silence, her voice full of joy, making me finally grasp the reality of the situation.

"Helena.. dear, you're going to be a mother" Isabel said, then moved closer and hugged me tightly "Congratulations... this will change everything"

As I returned Isabel’s embrace, Sibylle joined us, but Isabel's words echoed in my mind... This will change everything. 

I was going to be a mother.... The mother of the Sultan’s child... The mother of a şehzade or a sultana... a member of the dynasty. 

In that moment, it was as if the very soil beneath me had solidified, anchoring my place in this place... My roots were no longer tentative; they were firmly entrenched in this empire.

There was no denying that I was incredibly happy about the idea.... Beautiful thoughts filled my mind, but then, almost immediately, a more realistic side of me started to think.

As my mother had said, I was now a member of the House of Osman... My child, however, had no connection to the House of Habsburg... This meant that they would grow up with their father’s traditions and religion. 

I would be responsible for this, but the last time Aysel had asked me something about it, I wished the earth would swallow me whole.

I tried to push these thoughts aside and prepared myself for one last lunch with Fatma Sultan and Rana, which, of course, would take place in Turhan Sultan's chambers.

"Sorry for being late, Valide" I said with a small smile as I stood in front of Turhan Sultan. 

She returned the smile with an even bigger one, then gestured for me to sit, which I did, ignoring the looks from Fatma and Rana.

"Congratulations, Helena" Turhan Sultan said, still looking at me "The midwife just told me the news a moment ago"

"What news, Sultana?" Fatma asked, raising an eyebrow and giving me a wide grin, trying to hide her curiosity.

"We will be blessed with a new grandchild" Turhan Sultan said, her smile full of pride as she looked toward Ahmed and Aysel.

I slowly raised my eyes with a small smile, and the first thing I noticed was Rana’s pale face... The girl who had once told me I didn’t belong here would soon realize that not only did I belong, but I was now one of the most important people in this entire palace.

"Congratulations, Helena" Zeynep said with a wide smile "When my mother told me, I was so happy for you and his majesty"

"Thank you" I replied with a small smile, my fingers playing with my ring as I felt a little shy.

"A new grandchild?" Aysel asked, lifting her eyes from the doll she carried with her everywhere.

"Yes, my dear, a little brother or sister... A new member of our family" Turhan Sultan smiled warmly at her, her voice tender.

The room fell silent for a moment as Aysel’s gaze shifted to me, and I could see the wheels turning in her young mind... She was still too young to fully understand the significance of what was happening, but her curiosity was evident.

As for Ahmed, as usual, he had no reaction... He simply observed us quietly, as if the whole thing didn’t matter to him at all... after that, everyone began eating their lunch in a calm atmosphere, except for Aysel, who kept glancing at me now and then, still stuck on the idea but I simply smiled back at her each time.

The day passed in quiet serenity.. Fatma and Rana left in their carriage, accompanied by their guards, and soon after, Turhan Sultan departed for a meeting concerning her charitable work.

Zeynep and I sat for a while in the garden with Aysel, who was engrossed in play.. I tried to distract myself, but every time I thought about what Turhan Sultan had told me about Zeynep’s upcoming marriage, a wave of guilt washed over me for not having shared it with her yet.

I wasn’t sure what I could do to help, but I was certain that if Orhan made any decision, I would intervene.. I would try to persuade him to reconsider and give Zeynep the space to express her own wishes, to let her decide what she truly wanted.

When we started feeling the chill of the evening, each of us retreated to our rooms... Aysel, of course, followed me to mine, where she enjoyed the company of the girls, especially Sibylle, who always knew how to fix her hair just right.

I sat in a corner, my hands resting in my hair, watching Aysel, who was deep in conversation with Sibylle... Then there was Isabel, once again embroidering that handkerchief, while my mind was on the verge of shutting down from the swirl of thoughts racing through it.

I didn’t know whether I should tell Orhan about it, or how, or even when... Should I tell him as soon as he returns to the palace, or wait for a more appropriate moment?

Destur Sultan Orhan Khan.

For a moment, I thought I was imagining it, but when I saw Isabel and Sibylle jump to their feet and rush toward the other room, I knew that the moment had arrived.

"Daddy" Aysel was the first to speak, her voice full of excitement as she ran toward him the instant he stepped into the room.

"My flower" Orhan lifted her into his arms and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek, his calm, familiar smile never wavering.

"I missed you" she said, wrapping her little arms around his neck and after a brief hug, she looked into his eyes, her expression earnest "I’ve been waiting for you to come back"

"How are you, Helena?" he asked, directing his attention toward me with a calm expression and a small smile.

"I'm fine" I replied with a stiff smile, trying to hide my nervousness as my hands began to sweat.

"Helena's going to have a baby, a little brother or sister... Grandma told me there's a baby in her belly" Aysel said quickly, out of nowhere, her eyes still wide with confusion.

I froze, my face instantly flushing with warmth..the overwhelming shock left me speechless, and I stood there, unable to form a coherent thought.

Orhan blinked, his brow furrowing in confusion.. For a brief moment, it seemed like he didn’t understand, his eyes flicking between Aysel and me.

"Helena?" His voice was gentle, almost a whisper.

I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat making it difficult to speak and for a moment, I could only look at him, lost in my ideas.... I had wanted to tell him, wanted to share this news with him in my own time, but Aysel had blurted it out first.

I finally managed to nod, a soft, shy smile playing at the edges of my lips "Yes" I murmured "I’m pregnant"

For a moment, there was a long silence... Orhan simply gazed into my eyes, while Aysel ran her little hand behind his neck, waiting for him to explain the situation.

Suddenly, he raised his empty hand and wrapped it around me, pulling me into his embrace from the right side. 

He placed a soft kiss on my forehead, and I couldn't help but smile in relief... At first, I had thought this whole moment might feel awkward, but his touch made it feel natural, comforting.

"Yes, Aysel, your grandmother is right" Orhan said, his voice warm and gentle then he turned to kiss Aysel's forehead as well "You're going to be a big sister"