|Helena's POV|

-The Next Day-

I sat at the table, feeling nervous as I looked at the beautiful dishes before me. The aroma of delicious food filled the air, but I couldn't focus on it because of my anxiety.

Tonight, Orhan and I were supposed to have dinner together. This was Turhan Sultan's idea, and while it was sweet of her, I didn't want her to end up disappointed in me.

We had only just sat down, maintaining a polite silence. I couldn't help stealing glances at him as we prepared to eat. I had to admit, he looked incredibly handsome in his elegant clothes, and the colors suited him perfectly.

"I hope you enjoyed the garden yesterday" he said, his voice calm and soothing, as if he wanted to start a conversation.

"It was lovely" I replied, forcing a small smile to my lips.

"I'm glad Aysel and Ahmed had a good time with you" he continued, looking into my eyes for a brief moment before returning his gaze to his plate.

"Spending time with them is such a joy" I smiled more genuinely, recalling Aysel's sweet words "Aysel is so charming; you never get bored when you're with her"

His face lit up at the mention of Aysel's name, and for a moment, a beautiful smile crossed his lips as his eyes sparkled. It was clear that he cherished her.

"Yes, she's a delightful companion" he said, raising his gaze to meet mine again "She's an angel" His voice softened, and he sighed deeply "She never even had the chance to be held by her mother, so I always try to give her anything she desires"

I understood instantly why his expression changed so suddenly.. He must have been remembering his children's mother. I felt a pang of sadness for him and his children; that experience must have been so hard for them all.

"You are really doing a great job keeping them happy" I said with a small smile, then tried to change the direction of the conversation "Aysel has a big imagination.. This morning, she told me she wants to be a princess who can talk to animals"

"That's because of the stories Zeynep tells her" he replied, and for the first time, I saw him laugh..It was a short laugh but it lit up his face "But don't be surprised if you find her chatting with a cat one day"

"I will join their conversation " I said, taking a sip of my juice "Ahmed is so curious, though.. He asks about every little detail and has such a strong personality"

"Yes, he's very clever" Orhan agreed, nodding his head.. I watched as a proud smile was playing on his lips "You should see him when I'm working in my desk and he's with me... He doesn't let a single question go unasked... he has a thirst for knowledge that I admire"

As he spoke, I could see the pride in his eyes, and it made me smile. Orhan seemed to come alive when talking about his children, and I could sense the deep love he had for them. It was a side of him that was charming and genuine, and I appreciated how open he was when it comes to them.

We found ourselves once again engulfed in silence, with the sound of the spoons clinking being the only thing filling the room. Yet, despite the quiet, my initial tension eased, and I began to enjoy our small talk.

"What are your plans for tomorrow?" he asked out of nowhere, looking as though he had just finished his meal.

"Nothing much, really.. I'll try to keep myself busy" I replied, forcing a small smile as I set my spoon down "I heard that Turhan Sultan is involved in many charitable works and is always busy with other women.. So, I thought I'd go to her and ask if I could join her.. That way, I can keep myself occupied and have some purpose"

"That sounds like good idea" he said, offering me a comforting smile.

"And... Helena, if you're planning something and want to do any charitable work or have any ideas, know that you can come and discuss them with me at any time" He gently placed his hand over mine, and at that moment, I felt a rush of shyness sweep over me.

It wasn't because I had any feelings for him; rather, I wasn't used to being touched by a stranger, and I could feel my cheeks turning red as I looked at his hand.

"Thank you" I managed to say, quickly averting my gaze.. I scrambled to change the subject "What about you? What will you be doing tomorrow?"

"I have a lot of work to get done" he replied, his voice serious "I'll be reviewing everything tonight, and there's an important Divan tomorrow.. After the execution of my grand vizier, a new one will be appointed" He spoke with genuine interest, but the fatigue on his face was evident.. He still had long hours of work ahead of him.

I realized that the execution had taken place before my arrival, and although I didn't understand much about politics, I knew that the grand vizier held a very important position.

"Well, good luck with that" I said, maintaining my smile as I looked at him "If you don't mind, I'll go join my ladies-in-waiting.. We were planning to spend the night together and have some fun" I gestured with my hand, encouraging him to focus on his work.

"Yes, of course" he replied with a smile.

We both stood up, and he turned toward his desk while I made my way out of the room. As I left, I instructed the maids to clear the table.

When I opened the door, I found Sibylle and Isabel already sitting on one of the sofas by the window. Their laughter filled the room, and curiosity bubbled inside me as I wondered what they were talking about.

"Here comes our beautiful princess" Sibylle exclaimed, jumping up and twirling around me like a playful butterfly.

"What were you two laughing about?" I asked, hurrying to take her place on the sofa.

"That's not fair" she said, feigning annoyance as she stood close to me.

"It is fair; I found it empty" I replied, laughing with Isabel.. Sibylle shot us a mock glare before sitting down beside me.

"Okay, you tell us first what happened" Isabel said, her eyes shining with curiosity.

"It was nothing special" I said, lowering my gaze and fiddling with a piece of my dress "We talked about the children, and he seems like a great father"

"Oh, things are happening" Sibylle said with a wide smile, clapping her hands "Come on, Helena.. We want a wonderful love story"

"No need to rush" Isabel said seriously "Relationships like this take time to build strong foundations"

They were about to dive into a debate, each one of them expressing our personalities, but I quickly stopped them.

"Girls, please stop" I said quietly but firmly "Anyone listening would think I had a romantic dinner" I shook my head, wanting to change the topic "Now tell me what you did while I was gone and why you were laughing"

"Alright, listen" Isabel giggled, leaning in with interest "There's an Agha in..." She paused, searching for the word, and Sibylle jumped in to help her.

"The harem" Sibylle exclaimed.

Isabel nodded eagerly "Yes, exactly! We were there because we felt bored and wanted to tease some of those girls.. Anyway, we found him teaching one of them how to dance"

Both Isabel and Sibylle stood up, demonstrating some funny dance moves. "This and this" Isabel said, placing her hands on her hips, then added "No, what are you doing, you silly? Learn from me" She mimicked the Agha's moves and went back to dancing, and we all burst into laughter.

"I need to meet him" I said, still giggling "It must be hilarious"

"Yes, and you might learn some dance moves to impress Orhan" Sibylle said, repeating the silly movements.. I picked up a small pillow and playfully tossed it at her.