|Helena's POV|

I looked at my reflection in the mirror as Anastasia placed the crown on my head... Sibylle and Isabel stood next to me, pretending to admire how elegant I looked, saying the green dress suited my eyes perfectly.

"I'm really nervous" I said anxiously, standing still and nervously twirling my fingers then I took my perfume and sprayed a little.

"Don't worry" said Sibylle, stepping closer to me.. she gently lifted my chin to meet my eyes "Focus, Helena... Keep your head up... It’s normal not to know everything because you come from a different culture... If anyone tries to bother you, annoy them right back... If anyone looks at you with disrespect, do the same... After all, you are a princess and a sultana... Your father is an emperor, and your husband is the sultan... and you are... Helena" she said the last part dramatically... Although I was trying to focus, her words made me laugh.

"Alright, alright" I sighed deeply, then looked back at the mirror, reminding myself that everything was perfect.

I knew this dinner wouldn’t be simple, but what made me feel a bit better was the presence of Orhan and Turhan Sultan, which meant Rana wouldn’t dare cross any boundaries.

Still, I wasn’t ready to face Orhan after what happened last night... I had let him smile at me and given him a cold look before retreating to my room... He would probably think I’m mentally unstable.

»»————-　♔　-————««

The room felt calm, and the scent was as pleasant as ever... As per tradition, we were sitting on the floor around a long, low table.

Orhan was at the head of the table, with his mother, Turhan Sultan, sitting directly across from him... I sat to Orhan's left, with Aysel beside me, then Zeynep next to her... On Orhan's right was his son, Ahmed, with Rana beside him, and Fatma Sultan next to her.

Everyone looked stunning... Orhan wore a black silk kaftan with golden threads, while Turhan Sultan caught my attention with her golden dress the moment I stepped into the room.

Zeynep’s white gown and her unique crown made her look enchanting... Fatma Sultan was also dressed in a beautiful blue gown, and of course, Rana looked as if she's attending a wedding with her red dress and a crown adorned with red jewels... I thanked God I hadn’t chosen a red dress like hers... Instead, Isabel had helped me pick this green one.

The table was beautifully set, with every dish perfectly arranged... The aromas of the food filled the air, making me eager to begin... But the problem was, I wasn’t comfortable at all, and I knew I probably wouldn’t touch my plate.

"Your Majesty, how are state affairs going? Is everything alright?" said Fatma Sultan with a wide smile, breaking the silence that had filled the room.

I knew that her opening line might lead to a series of conversations where I would only understand a few words, especially because she and her daughter spoke so fluently and quickly.

"Yes, everything is fine" Orhan said, raising his eyes while his back was already straight "Are you enjoying your time here?"

"Yes, of course, I am" she replied happily, then turned to her daughter "This morning, I went to the garden with Rana and şehzade Ahmed, and I really enjoyed it there"

"Yes, indeed" Rana quickly replied, not even giving Orhan a chance to respond...But looking at him, it seemed like he had nothing to say anyway.

"Ahmed told me about what he did in his lesson, and he was really enjoying himself with me" she added with a broad smile, running her hand through Ahmed's hair "Maybe Aysel can join us tomorrow"

She looked up, but she wasn’t looking at the child... Instead, she was looking at me, which made me glance at her from head to toe, then I picked up my spoon again, hoping to distract myself with the food and not focus on her fast and annoying voice.

"I can't do that, because tomorrow Helena and I are going to pick some fabric for our gowns" she said innocently, looking at Rana and then eagerly at me, as if saying -Finally, the day I've been waiting for is here-

"Our elegant, beautiful sultana" I said with a smile, gently running my finger across her cheek and gazing into her eyes with affection... I love this girl, and I enjoy her company... She really makes it easier for me to understand her language when she speaks slowly.

I turned to look at Rana again, who seemed to not like Aysel’s response and appeared embarrassed.. Honestly, I secretly enjoyed that, as it looked like she wanted to compete with me over the children... I didn’t mind them having a good time with her, but I didn’t want her to turn it into a competition.

"Yes, children are really delightful companions" Fatma Sultan said happily once again when she noticed the tension starting to spread but what startled me was her gaze landing on me "Helena, we really can't wait for you to have children for our family... Ahmed and Aysel need some brothers and sisters"

Her words hit me like a rebellious storm; I didn’t know where they came from or why... I stared at her with a frozen expression, as if I had lost the ability to hear, understand, and speak.

I wished someone would make any move to save me from this situation, as it felt like everyone was waiting for my response.

"InshaAllah" Orhan said calmly, placing his hand over mine, which was resting on the table... this made me turn toward him, and my eyes met his directly.

His calm words made everything feel a little less overwhelming.. His touch made me feel safe, like I wasn’t alone in this awkward moment.

That storm I was just talking about seemed to have been lifted by Orhan’s words, drawing all attention to him... Some repeated what he said, while others continued to focus on their food.

I’m not sure why, but I gave Orhan a thankful smile, even though I was a bit upset with him for an unknown reason... However, his gesture earlier proved to me that he’s someone who notices things, acts quickly, and knows how to use just the right word or movement to calm my nerves.

I turned my attention back to my food, while conversations continued between Zeynep and Rana, and Fatma Sultan with Ahmed sometimes.... While Turhan Sultan and Orhan rarely intervened.

I felt like I was sitting in a room full of people speaking a language I didn’t understand which was true.... They weren’t even trying to consider me in their conversation anymore, speaking freely with each other, which made me lower my eyes and focus on eating.

Time passed slowly, and everyone had almost finished their food, while I was still eating slowly... I started feeling embarrassed, almost ready to put my spoon down, but then I noticed Orhan was still eating... This made me feel a little better, so I continued.

"Helena, since you follow a different religion and don't celebrate Ramadan, what do you celebrate?"

When I heard my name, I looked up at Rana, but she was speaking quickly, almost as if she were doing it on purpose, with a wide smile.... To make it worse, I wasn’t really focused on what she was saying.

"Uh..." I said, putting my spoon down, feeling tense as my chest tightened... I looked at her, hoping she would repeat the question, but she was staring at me, waiting for an answer as quickly as possible.

"Helena doesn't speak our language fluently" Orhan intervened, breaking the silence... then he turned to me with a calm, reassuring expression "Rogavi, quoniam es ex religione diversa et non festum Ramadan celebras, quae res festivas celebratis?"

-She asked, since you are of a different religion and do not celebrate the Ramadan festival, what festive days do you celebrate?-

I caught his eye, and without thinking, a smile crept onto my face... He mirrored my expression, and for a heartbeat, everything else seemed to disappear.

I even forgot what Rana had been trying to do, and all I was doing was admiring the man in front of me... If it weren’t for him, I would have really cried by this point, and that’s exactly what I was about to do before he intervened.

In that moment, he was my protector, my savior... It wasn’t something I expected to feel, especially not here, not in this world that still felt so foreign to me.

He wasn’t just a Sultan... King... ruler or whoever.... He was someone who made me feel seen, cared for... something I hadn't realized I longed for.

After realizing that I had been lost in the gaze of his eyes, I tried to straighten up and turn...  this time, making an effort to keep my head held high with confidence and calm.

I was certain now that Rana was looking for a fight with me, and if she wanted to provoke me because I wasn’t confident in something, I would use the same weapon against her.

"Nativitatem Christi et Pascha celebramus ut maxima, deinde Corpus Christi et Assumptionem Beatae Mariae Virginis. Postea, Immaculatam Conceptionem, diem Sancti Stephani, festum Annuntiationis, et Epiphaniae celebramus. Denique, Pentecosten et Omnium Sanctorum diem observamus" I replied with a little smile, in my own language... I won’t try hard to please her and speak in her language when I can simply use mine and tell her to try to understand it.

-We celebrate the Nativity of Christ and Easter as the greatest feasts, followed by Corpus Christi and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. After that, we celebrate the Immaculate Conception, St. Stephen's Day, the Annunciation, and the Epiphany. Finally, we observe Pentecost and All Saints' Day-

Once again, silence fell, and for the first time since dinner began, my eyes met Turhan Sultan's, who gave me a small, proud smile... Then she looked at Rana, and I truly felt that she knew things I didn’t.