|Helena's POV|

"Come on, Isabel!" I urged, trying to make my way to the small additional room in my chamber, which was supposed to be dedicated to all my clothes, jewelry, and personal belongings.

"Okay, I'm coming..." she replied, and moments later, she appeared, holding a necklace in her hands.. She draped it around my neck and admired my reflection in the mirror "So beautiful"

"Thank you" I said with a smile, taking a deep breath "Do you think it would be appropriate for me to ask Turhan sultan?"

"Of course" she said, adjusting my hair slightly "You should go before she leaves"

I nodded, then stepped out of the room. Turhan sultan and Zeynep Sultan were about to leave for their meeting with other women and their charitable endeavors. I wanted to join them, even though I felt a bit shy about asking.

"Come in" I heard Turhan Sultan's voice from inside her room then two maids opened the door for me to enter.

"Oh, my beautiful Helena" she said with a smile. After her maid finished placing a long, ornate crown atop her head, she waved her off to leave.

"Sultana" I approached her with a smile and sat beside her "It looks like you are about to leave"

"Yes, I'm just waiting for Zeynep" she chuckled lightly "She always takes her time getting ready"

I tried to laugh too, even though I was feeling nervous, scrambling to arrange my thoughts in my mind.

Some might think I was overreacting, but I had always been a shy girl. I wore a small smile on my lips and agreed to whatever my parents deemed suitable for me. Over the years, my mother tried to change that, wanting me to be more like her-bold and outspoken. But that never happened, and I believed I would always remain this way.

"Helena" Turhan Sultan said, pulling me from my thoughts as she placed her hand over mine, looking at me with concern "I sense that you want to say something"

"Actually" I hesitated for a moment "I wanted to ask if I could go with you and maybe help a little"

"Of course you can, dear.. there's no need to be so tense" she smiled widely "In fact, I wanted you to come with us, but I thought perhaps you might not enjoy that kind of work, so I decided to let you rest at the palace and do as you wish"

"Not at all..I would love to help" I finally breathed a sigh of relief and smiled "Thank you"

"I'm delighted to hear that, Helena" she raised an eyebrow with a grin "Being a sultana involves a lot of hard work, and it's not just about beautiful dresses and jewelry... It requires giving your all to serve the people and doing whatever you can for your family"

After a few moments, Zeynep Sultan joined us, and we headed to the carriage that would take us there. It wasn't long before the carriage stopped in a place bustling with houses and people.

"You'll love this place" Zeynep Sultan said with a smile then we disembarked and followed Turhan Sultan.

We entered a building that resembled a large house, but inside was a spacious area that looked like a kitchen, with several rooms around. Women and children were everywhere, and as soon as they saw Turhan Sultan, they began to greet her, clearly showing their affection.

We climbed to the upper floor and entered a room where Turhan Sultan was going to meet with other wealthy women.

"Most of them are the wives and daughters of pashas and well-known merchants of high status" Zeynep whispered to me, then began returning smiles to those who spoke with her.

"My daughter-in-law is here too" I heard Turhan Sultan say to one of the women, looking at me with a smile.

"Welcome, Helena Sultan" she said, bowing slightly before me.

"Thank you, I'm happy to be here" I replied with a smile.

After discussing various matters, I went downstairs with Zeynep, standing before large pots filled with soup and rows of people waiting.

"It's simple, Helena.. All you need to do is fill their plates" Zeynep said with a smile and began to demonstrate what she meant.. I returned her smile and followed her lead.

I was enjoying myself; this charitable work reminded me of my mother, as helping people was her favorite hobby.

She always told my father "You take care of politics, and I'll take care of the people" Seeing the sultanas here and their mentality reminded me a lot of that.

My mother and Turhan Sultan were the most important women in the two most powerful empires in the world... Looking up to them was something grand.

"Helena, I'll be back in a moment" Zeynep said, looking a bit rushed. When I nodded, she left and disappeared among the crowd. I busied myself with filling people's plates, trying to exchange a few words with them, even though I still struggled with their language.

"It's lovely to meet you again, Your Highness" I heard a voice beside me say.. Turning around, I saw a girl who looked about my age, with blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Thank you" I replied, a bit confused "Have we met before?"

"Yes, on your wedding day" she said, smiling while still filling plates and chatting with me "I'm Esma, daughter of Köprülü Mehmet Pasha"

"Oh" I said with a smile. I must have seen her on my wedding day, but I didn't remember her because I had seen so many people that day, and I'm not good at remembering faces and names.

"Have you gotten used to the palace a bit?" she asked, moving closer to me.. I looked around and noticed we had finished filling everyone's plates.

"Yes, a little" I replied, smiling at her "The transition hasn't been easy, but I have good company"

"Yes, I know it's not easy when you marry a man who loves another girl.. Even on your wedding day, he seemed a bit pale" she sighed, lowering her eyes "I'm a girl like you, and I understand"

I felt as if I had been slapped hard across the face.. This was the last thing I expected to hear, and I had no idea what she was trying to get at or why she was telling me this.

"What do you mean?" was all that came out of my mouth, and I didn't even comprehend what I was saying.

"You know about the girl he loved.. His Majesty..." she said.. I turned my eyes away from her, feeling overwhelmed by the conversation and just before she could continue, Zeynep Sultan came back.

"Come on, Helena, we're leaving" she said with a smile but when she noticed I looked pale and that girl was standing beside me, she stepped closer "What's wrong? You look pale"

"No no" I tried to smile "I must just be tired, and it's a bit hot"

"Yes, you're right" she smiled, and we exited the place. We climbed back into the carriage, and moments later, Turhan Sultan joined us, and the carriage headed back to the palace.

All that filled my mind was what that girl had said to me. She must have been talking about Ahmed and Aysel's mother, and the Sultan's love for her must have been so obvious to everyone.

I felt uneasy, not because I was jealous or cared about his feelings, but because it hurt me as Princess Helena.

I didn't want to appear as that weak person whom people laughed at behind her back. I was certain that the story circulating was about how the Sultan had been unhappy on his wedding day and wished she were in my place while I was merely seen as the princess who hastily married the Sultan.

I understood how these wealthy women thought, for this was exactly what women from my country would do.

When we arrived and entered the garden, I deliberately walked slowly beside Zeynep Sultan, allowing Turhan Sultan to get ahead of us.

"Zeynep" I said quietly, turning to her "Can we take a stroll in the garden and talk?"

"Of course" she replied with a smile, then we veered towards the large garden "It seems something is bothering you" she said, looking at me with concern.

"No, no" I forced a fake smile on my lips "I just wanted to ask you something" I hesitated but gathered my courage "Could you tell me a bit about Ahmed's and Aysel's mother?"

"Helena" Zeynep stopped walking and looked at me with a serious expression "Is that what's bothering you?" She paused, her eyes widening "Wait, did that girl Esma...?!"

"Come on, Zeynep, no questions.. Just tell me about her, I want to know" I said calmly, as I really didn't want to delve into any more details.

"Alright, since you want that" she nodded.. Although she looked uneasy, she began to speak "Her name was Feyza.. She was a bit short, with fair skin, brown eyes, and light brown hair.. She was beautiful, but not the most beautiful in the harem.. Orhan was seventeen, and she was sixteen when he first saw her.. I think he liked her because she was a bit bold, but that made my mother dislike her" she said, looking somewhat anxious.. I lowered my eyes as we entered the palace, our feet leading us there.

"Suddenly, Feyza became pregnant and gave birth to Ahmed, which made her more special to Orhan.. After Ahmed was born, Orhan refused to look at other girls and spent most of his time with her and their son... Feyza was very proud and loved to show off that she was the mother of a prince... After that, she became pregnant again and gave birth to Aysel" she sighed a bit, lowering her eyes "But it was a very difficult night; she lost her life because the birth was tough, and minutes after it ended, she died while Orhan was holding her hand"

Zeynep's eyes filled with tears "We worried deeply about Orhan because he locked himself in his chambers for three days, refusing to see anyone.. But on the third night, my mother barged into his chamber.. I don't know what they talked about, but in the morning, he emerged looking strong and resilient, albeit a bit cold.. He held his daughter and spent much time with her, naming her Aysel"

Zeynep looked at me as we reached her room "I don't want to sound bad; I never wished death upon anyone.. But I think if Feyza were here now, she would have caused many problems.. She loved the power and status she was starting to gain and was trying to start a conflict with my mother, even though my mother ignored her all along" Zeynep took my hands in hers "We're not bad people... Look how much my mother loves you because she knows you are a well-bred and beautiful girl, and she knows you won't seek power because you already hold a strong name"

Our conversation was interrupted by footsteps, and when we turned, we saw Orhan approaching us. This was the last thing I wanted; I felt like my mind was about to explode.

"Brother" Zeynep said with a smile, bowing her head, and I did the same "How lucky I am that you came to see me" she said happily.

"You must have just returned" he said, placing his hand on her arm, then turning his gaze to me "Did you enjoy this busy day with our mother?"

"Yes, I did" I replied, avoiding eye contact with him as I bowed my head again "Please excuse me; I will go to my room to rest" Before either of them could respond, I turned and headed to my room

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Hey lovelies... I wanted to say sorry for this chapter being long and focusing on just one scene.. but it was very important and everything that happened or was said is significant 💌
In this story I want to focus on the main characters and develop their emotions and backgrounds very well that's why we will move step by step 🤍🦋