|Helena's POV|

"Oh God, finally" Sibylle said, standing up quickly as the door opened and I walked in.

"What's going on?" I asked, surprised as I took off my coat and veil.

"We're the ones who should be asking you that" she replied, moving closer to me "We were so worried when we woke up and couldn't find you anywhere"

"We asked one of the maids, and she said you left before dawn...Another guard said you left with his majesty" added Isabelle, also coming closer.

"Don't worry" I smiled as I looked at both of them, then sat down to rest.

"Look at her, we're worried, and she's smiling" Sibylle said then she quickly came over and winked at me "What's with your flushed cheeks?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked, surprised, looking at her "We just went to visit the graves of some sultans and princes"

"And whose idea was that?" Isabelle threw herself beside me, sitting down "Didn't you talk about anything?"

I paused for a moment, gathering my thoughts before replying... I recalled everything that happened, especially when we left, where Orhan had thanked me for what I did for the children during the fire and promised he would never forget it.

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-The Next Day-

"Dear Aysel" I smiled as I sat next to her, gently running my fingers through her hair "Why are you upset?" I asked in a calm voice.

Since the night of the fire, Aysel had been different.. She hadn't smiled once and simply sat quietly, staring ahead.. She wouldn't even eat anymore, and Orhan was struggling to convince her to eat even a little.

"Nothing" she said softly, looking at me with her blue eyes, which resembled her father's so much "Helena, when are we going back? I miss my grandmother"

"We'll go back tomorrow" I said with enthusiasm, hoping to make her smile, but she just nodded without saying anything.

"Maybe we can pick some flowers when we get back there" I tried again, but she simply stared at me, shaking her head.. I wasn't ready to give up, though.

"We'll also ask the seamstress to make us beautiful dresses" I said, and finally, I noticed a spark in Aysel's eyes, as if that caught her attention more than anything else "We can have matching dresses, what do you think?"

"Really?" she said quickly, and for the first time, a smile appeared on her face.

"Yes" I said happily, planting a kiss on her cheek "What's your favorite color?"

"Pink" she replied quickly, still smiling "I also love red and gold"

"Alright, then we'll get dresses in all those colors" I said with a soft smile then I opened my arms, and she rushed into my embrace.

"Aysel" we heard a voice from the door... it was Orhan, who had just arrived.

"Father" she said playfully, then ran to him as he picked her up and kissed her forehead.

"How are you, Helena?" he asked, walking over and making me stand up "Where's Ahmed?"

"Sibylle took him to the garden" I replied with a small smile then I gave him a quick look.

He looked at me cautiously, then set Aysel down and moved closer, speaking in a quiet voice so she wouldn't hear us "What's going on?"

"Ahmed isn't doing well.. He's been sad all the time, and nothing I've done to cheer him up seems to work" I said, glancing at Aysel, who had moved away and was playing with her doll "Aysel seems to have brought a few smiles to her, but Ahmed is older and more aware.. It seems like he's been really affected"

"Don't worry" he sighed as if pondering a solution then he looked into my eyes, gently placing his hand on my arm, stroking it reassuringly "By tomorrow, when we return, he'll feel better"

"Alright" I said, nodding, then we moved to the couch and quietly watched Aysel.

"The people responsible for the fire have been executed" Orhan suddenly broke the silence.

"Really?" I raised an eyebrow, my eyes showing a mix of emotions "When?"

"I just returned from there" he replied, looking at me "The delay was only because we were investigating and gathering as much information as we could.. As I told you before, the late Kösem Sultan had many men spread across the empire"

"I hope they catch all of them" I sighed, then turned my attention back to Aysel, though my mind was busy with thoughts.

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-Two Days Later-

I was watching the road through the small window, as the carriage moved at a moderate pace, when I was snapped out of my thoughts by Zeynep Sultan's voice.

"Let me hold her for a bit so you can rest" she said, smiling as she looked at Aysel, who was asleep in my lap.

"No need, we're almost there" I replied with a smile, glancing at her, then looking at Ahmed, who was awake and watching the road "Ahmed, are you excited to see your grandmother?"

"Yes, I missed her, and I want to tell her everything that happened" he said, looking at me, then turning back to the window, playing with one of the soldiers we had made.

I smiled, watching him for a moment... He liked me, I was sure of it I could see it in the way his eyes briefly met mine.. But there was still an invisible distance.

I had become a fixture in his life, yes, but I wasn't the one he would turn to when he needed comfort or reassurance... though I cared for him deeply, I hadn't yet bridged that quiet gap... the one where I would be more than just a woman who filled the space left by someone he couldn't remember.

I smiled again, a little wistfully... He was still so focused on the things that mattered to him: his toys, his adventures, his grandmother, his father, his auntie and his little sister but I wasn't one of them... Not yet.

Perhaps, in time, he would see me differently... But for now, I was content to be the one who made him laugh sometimes, the one who was there when he needed someone, even if he didn't realize it yet.

Finally, the carriage stopped, and the door opened.. Zeynep stepped out first, followed by Ahmed... I walked toward the door and saw Asiye waiting for me so I handed her Aysel, who was still asleep, and told her to take her to her room.

Stepping out of the carriage, I found Turhan Sultan standing nearby, speaking with Ahmed and Zeynep as she looked very worried.

"Thank God you're all safe" she said as I joined them with orhan "I haven't slept these past few nights, I've been so worried" She hugged her daughter again, placing her hand on Ahmed's back as he stayed close to her.

"Come inside, it's cold out here" she said, motioning for us to follow.

We went inside, and I excused myself to go to the bathroom... After the long trip on the ship and in the carriage, I was in desperate need of rest.

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Sorry for not updating yesterday, I've been really busy preparing for my exams 🤍

Anyway this is just a short chapter to focus on how Helena's relationship with Aysel is stronger than with Ahmed... this makes her realize that she still doesn't fully understand Ahmed's character, and he doesn't seem to care much about her or engage in long conversations with her... For him she's just a kind sweet lady but not a stepmother or a mother figure.... But this will change.

Also with the return to Istanbul..in the next chapter two new characters will appear who will play a major role in the story...bringing lots of drama with them.... Helena's struggles will really begin in the next chapter 🤌🏻