|3rd Person POV|

-June 13, 1665-

"Let it be known, by the will of Allah, His Majesty Sultan Orhan Khan and his wife have been blessed with a son, Şehzade Ilyas. The empire rejoices in his arrival. May his life be filled with health and fortune"

"Ilyas, you say? A fine name, indeed.. May Allah protect him and grant him a long and prosperous life"

"Another son? How many does that make now? Four?"

"Yes, four sons, but the eldest is Şehzade Ahmed.. he is already ten years old, while the others are still so young, they can hardly speak... from what I've heard, Şehzade Ahmed is exceptional. He excels in archery and rides horses like no other. Truly, he is a future Sultan in the making"

"Ah, you worry too much about the future.. you speak of Şehzade Ahmed as though he's already twenty! He's just a child, ten years old, TEN"

"Why all this debate? The outcome is already clear, is it not? Have we forgotten who is the mother of these young şehzades? If it were truly Şehzade Ahmed's destiny to ascend, one can be certain she would never let anything stand in the way of her own blood.. History has shown us the lengths to which stepmothers have gone, using all manner of cunning and manipulation to see their sons rise to power"

"That same woman again? Does His Majesty not have a whole harem? Why is it that we hear nothing but news of her? why does she seem to occupy all the attention?"

"And let's not forget, His Majesty is already in the process of building a mosque in her name.. to me, that speaks volumes about the future"

"Let us not be hasty.. the mosque thing could simply be a rumor, one cannot take such a monumental decision lightly.. I have doubts that His Majesty would make such a move so soon"

"Enough of this idle chatter.. You're all meddling in matters that are not yours to concern yourselves with.. It is far too early to make judgments. In the end, whoever ascends to the throne, we will all obey and follow.. so, why waste time speculating on matters of the royal family, when they likely care little for our opinions?"

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|Ayleen's POV|

-August 1, 1665-

"Oh, I see you've woken up" I whispered softly, gazing at Ilyas, who was moving his tiny hands while lying in his cradle, and just from the subtle movements of his lips, I could tell he was hungry.

I reached out and gently rocked him in my arms. As I placed my lips on his forehead, a wave of peace washed over me. The scent of his baby skin, soft and milky sweetness, was incredibly comforting.

"Alright, alright, Mommy's going to give you some milk" I murmured with a smile, quickly moving to my place when I saw the hint of discomfort on his face, signaling that he was on the verge of crying.

"Ayleen... again?" I turned slightly to see Madame Louise standing with her hands on her hips, a calm smile on her face, gently reminding me of what I had forgotten.

"I simply forgot" I replied with a smile. She walked over to me, taking a small medicine bottle and a spoon.. with practiced ease, she helped me take a sip, as she always insisted I do before nursing Ilyas.

"You'll need to remember, as I won't be here for the next two years" Madame Louise remarked, her smile understanding, as she gathered the bottles and carefully placed them into one of the designated cabinets.

"Oh, we've discussed this before, Madame Louise," I replied, meeting her gaze with a serious expression.

It had been nearly two months since I gave birth, and she had mentioned that she was satisfied with my progress and that it was time for her to leave. But I had refused, even telling Orhan that I wanted her to stay at the palace.. she's been such an immense help to all of us, we truly need her.

"I love you" I whispered to Ilyas after he finished feeding, kissing his forehead as he started to make soft cooing sounds, his chubby hands reaching up to touch my face.

"Oh, he's awake" Ayse remarked softly, stepping into the chamber with a shy smile.. she hesitated for a moment before adding "I hope I'm not disturbing you so early"

"No, please, don't say that" I replied with a warm smile. She settled beside me on the sofa, and I gently handed her the baby.

"I look forward to coming here every day" she murmured, pressing a tender kiss to his hand before meeting my gaze "I love spending time with the children"

"So, you're here only for the children and not for me?" I teased, prompting a laugh from her.

I then left Ayse with the baby, with Ebru's help, and headed outside to bring Aysel back from her lesson as promised, since she would be assisting me in choosing two new maids to add to my service.

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"I wasn't very impressed with the fabrics I brought last time" Zeynep remarked, picking some grapes while expressing her dissatisfaction with the fabrics she had recently bought, only to discover that she didn't like them after all.

"Why not donate them to charity?" Turhan Sultan suggested, placing her coffee cup gently on the small table beside her.. she then turned her gaze toward me "Why didn't Aysel and Nuray accompany you?"

"Aysel is reading a book, and Nuray stayed behind with her out of curiosity" I smiled softly, absentmindedly tracing my finger over my ring "She's eager to begin her lessons since she admires Aysel so much"

"If she's so determined, let her begin with some short lessons" she replied, taking another sip of her coffee just as the door opened and Turhan Sultan's loyal kalfa entered.

"Valide, Your Highnesses" she greeted, bowing her head respectfully before meeting Turhan Sultan's gaze "There is urgent news"

"What is it?" Turhan Sultan inquired, raising an eyebrow as she gently shifted her coffee cup.

"Fatma Sultan has passed away" the maid's words caused my eyes to widen as I listened closely "It was an accident, she fainted in her hamam, and it seems her maids didn't notice until it was too late"

"That's dreadful.. May she rest in peace" Turhan Sultan replied, letting out a soft sigh.. she motioned for the kalfa to leave and resumed sipping her coffee, which caught my attention and stirred my curiosity...

Could it be...?

"This feels suspicious.. her maids should be held accountable for such negligence" Zeynep sighed softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face as she spoke, then added "Anyway, may she rest in peace"

"Amin" Ayse replied, tilting her head gently as she adjusted her posture "Are we still going to sit in the garden for a while?"

"Yes, of course" Zeynep Sultan replied, rising to her feet with a smile, offering us a quick glance.

"Please, go ahead; I'll check on the children and join you soon" I suggested, managing a faint smile and once the door closed behind them, I turned to Turhan Sultan "Is it what I think it is?"

"Yes, wait a moment" she replied, rising and walking steadily upstairs to her private chamber.. she was gone for a few minutes, then returned holding some papers, which she handed to me "I kept a close eye on Fatma and Rana.. they were scheming something dreadful, so I chose to wait a few months to ensure no one would suspect anything"

I waited for her to finish speaking, then lowered my gaze and began unfolding the papers to glance through them quickly. As I did, a lump formed in my throat, horrified by the vile plans they had been conspiring to harm one of us.

Turhan Sultan and I were meant to die!

"Oh God" I whispered, still struggling to comprehend it, a sharp pain settling in my chest.

I had hoped they would regret their actions and vanish. Allah would not forgive them for what they had done, and neither would we. But I never imagined they would take things any further.

"What about Rana?"

"Soon, it will be her turn to pay"

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-August 18, 1665-

"I'm doing everything I can to convince her" I exclaimed desperately, helping Orhan remove his coat "She can't leave.. I know she has to be out there, but I just can't let her go"

"If you'd prefer, I'll have a word with her.. she won't be able to refuse" Orhan suggested with a knowing smile, turning toward me and gently placing his hand on my arm, once again offering to help resolve the issue I had been troubled by for days.

"I don't think that would be fair" I sighed, turning my gaze away as I gently folded my hands, then met his eyes again "I'll try speaking with her one last time"

"Whatever decision she makes, it should be respected" he murmured, lifting my hand and placing a soft kiss on it, his piercing blue eyes fixed on mine "She did everything to ensure you could be by my side today.. I still can't figure out how to repay her"

"Don't worry about that" I smiled faintly, placing my hand on his chest as I adjusted his clothes "I know she helps the most needy women without expecting anything in return, so I'll make a donation to her, ensuring she can continue doing that without any obstacles"

"Alright then" he replied, moving slightly away to pour himself a glass of water. As he took a sip, he turned back to me, his gaze holding the kind of intensity that always signaled something important was coming.

"Asim Pasha spoke to me today about something important" he paused, meeting my curious gaze before continuing "He wishes to marry Zeynep"

At first, a wave of surprise washed over me. Asim Pasha had been here the past few weeks, attending to important matters with Orhan... But Zeynep? She had rejected him years ago, would she accept him now? Did she already accept, and she knew this was coming?

"Asim Pasha..." I repeated quietly, weighing the news in my mind "I didn't expect this, but... perhaps it's for the best.. Asim Pasha is loyal and highly respected. He would... provide her with a good life"

"You're right, she deserves nothing less" he replied, nodding thoughtfully as he took a deep breath "That's why I'm giving it serious thought and will speak to her about it"

After a moment, his hand hovered near mine, his fingers grazing my skin with a tender touch. Slowly, he reached out and cupped my face gently, his thumb gliding over the curve of my cheek, sending a warm shiver down my spine.

"I've missed you" he murmured quietly, and I found myself stepping closer, standing on my tiptoes as I leaned in, reaching for his lips.

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Hey guyss!! so that was just a quick chapter to clear a few things up before we skip ahead in time.

I think we've seen enough of Ayleen as the innocent, sweet princess.

In the next era she'll step up and truly showcase her strength as a woman and a haseki sultan.

The princess phase will be left behind and it's time for her to break out of her comfort zone and prove herself in new exciting ways 💌