|Helena's POV|

As planned, I woke up early in the morning and had breakfast with my father. I told him I would be going to the market with Zeynep Sultan, and I could see that he was happy because I was starting to connect with the royal family.

I was informed that the carriage had arrived and Zeynep sultan is waiting outside.

I left with my ladies-in-waiting... We climbed into the carriage alongside Zeynep Sultan after exchanging morning greetings, of course.

In no time, we had reached the market... We covered our heads with our hoods, although Zeynep was already wearing a shawl over her head, which I understood was related to culture and religion here.

We began to stroll while her maids followed behind her, and my ladies-in-waiting trailed behind me, along with some of my guards and Zeynep Sultan's guards.

"The atmosphere here is so beautiful" I admitted with a smile, looking around at the bustling place filled with people and lovely shops.

"Yes, I was sure you would like it" she replied with a smile "This place represent our culture"

"I can see that" We entered one of the shops, and I turned to her "Oh, look at this box it's pretty!"

"Yes, it's beautiful" She looked at the vendor, who surely recognized her status as a sultana "How much is it?"

"You can take whatever you want, Your Highness" he replied respectfully, clearing the shop so we could move around comfortably.

We picked out everything we wanted, and after her maid paid for our purchases, we started to leave. For some reason, Zeynep froze in place, and before I understood what was happening, a word escaped her mouth that shocked me "Your Majesty"

A tall, strong man entered the shop, dressed in ordinary clothes like everyone else, followed by two men who looked similar... What was happening? Why was everyone bowing before him?

"Brother" Zeynep Sultan added with a smile.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as he approached and stopped in front of her.

"I brought Princess Helena to shop together and help her get used to the place" she replied with a smile... He seemed very attentive to what she was saying until he heard my name, raising his eyes to meet mine... It appeared he had just noticed that I was there.

"Welcome, Princess" he said, nodding after looking at me for a moment, then added "How do you find the place?"

"It's beautiful, Your Majesty" I finally managed to say quietly after trying to control my nerves.

It felt like a slap of reality that I was about to get married; before seeing my future husband, it had felt like a lie or a dream, but now it seemed like a real situation.

"Yes, she liked the place a lot, and we just bought some things" Zeynep Sultan broke the strange silence after noticing the odd atmosphere.

"Well, enjoy your outing, and return to the palace quickly" said the Sultan, but before he moved to leave, a small door opened behind me, causing me to turn quickly.

Before I could make sense of the situation, one of my guards burst into the shop like a thunderstorm, pointing his sword dramatically at the door. Just then, a young boy strolled in, munching on an apple like he owned the place.

"Your Highness, that's just my son helping me with the business!" the shopkeeper exclaimed, his face turning as pale as a ghost.

Zeynep was biting her lip, trying not to laugh, while I placed a hand over my heart, gasping for breath because I was genuinely startled by the ruckus. My eyes fell on the Sultan, and I noticed his gaze was fixed on my guard.

"Who are you?" he asked, placing his hands behind his back.

"Your Majesty" my guard bowed his head "I am the head guard of Princess Helena"

"There is no need for you to bring your guard, Princess" he said calmly  "You are about to become an integral part of our dynasty, and from this moment onward, your safety is our solemn responsibility.. Do not fear, for nothing will harm you while you are under our care"

What is he going on about? Did I annoy him by bringing my guard? Is this a big insult to the state? Am I making him feel less important by having a sword-wielding friend with me? I just thought I'd bring some protection.

"Thank you" I said quietly, lowering my head.

"Assign some guards to Princess Helene" he instructed, signaling to one of his guards, then turned to his sister "Have a good time" he smiled at her before leaving.

When I wondered what the sultan was doing there and why he was wearing ordinary clothes, Zeynep told me that the sultan does this as a weekly routine, and it is something that has been passed down from the sultans... They pretend to be common people to stroll around and get to know the opinions of the people and what's going on.

After finishing our shopping, the carriage took me back to the palace, and Zeynep Sultan headed to Topkapi Palace.

When I tell you that the girls didn't stop talking about what happened, they truly didn't. They thought the first meeting was strange and lovely, but for me, the whole situation was embarrassing.