|Helena's POV|

-One week later-

I took Orhan's coat and began helping him put it on, all the while watching him in the mirror.. I then turned, standing in front of him, adjusting the coat's front, trying to maintain my calm, though I could feel his eyes on me, watching my every move.

"Take care of yourself" he said softly, causing me to place my hands on his chest and lift my gaze to meet his eyes "If you can't make it to the party, don't worry.. You can just relax in bed all day"

"Don't worry, nothing will happen" I replied with a small smile, enjoying the advice he'd been giving me ever since he found out about my pregnancy "Will you be late today?"

"I don't know, but I'll try to come back early" He tilted his head slightly, then placed a kiss on my cheek before stepping back toward his desk. I closed my robe, watching him with a small smile that I didn't fully understand.

"Since Aysel will still be sleeping when she wakes up, give her this" he said as he approached me again, holding a small wooden box, which he placed in my hands.

I opened the box and saw a small necklace, almost identical to the one Orhan had given me the night before as a gift.. There were slight differences, but it looked like a miniature version of it.

"I'll do that" I said, my smile growing as I realized why Orhan wanted this necklace to reach Aysel quickly.

Since she found out about my pregnancy, I'd noticed a bit of jealousy from her, something I wasn't used to... But we all suspected that the source of her jealousy was the baby, the one everyone kept talking about.

I watched him leave, and as usual, Anastasia and Sybille arrived to help me get ready.. Today was a little different because Turhan Sultan was hosting a party at the palace in celebration of my pregnancy, with many guests in attendance... But more than anything, I was looking forward to meeting Zühre.

Once I was ready, I left the room, heading to Turhan Sultan's, where she would no doubt offer me more advice... On my way there, I ran into Ahmed, who was with Marissa, placing a veil over her head, seemingly on their way to his lesson.

"Good morning, Helena" he said, flashing a wide smile that made me wonder about his unusually high energy today.

"Good morning, little Prince" I replied with a smile, running my hand over his cheek "You seem very excited about your lessons today, Ahmed"

"No, it's not about my lessons" he quickly corrected me, then added "There's a big celebration today, so I'm happy"

"Oh, so our little prince likes celebrations" I teased, grabbing his hand as I decided to take him to his lesson myself "What do you like about celebrations?"

"I don't know, maybe the sweets and the music" he said, his eyes lighting up as he smiled "I didn't get the chance to say this earlier, but I'm happy about your pregnancy, Helena"

"Thank you so much... You're going to be the best big brother, Ahmed" I said, running my hand through his hair, feeling relieved by his positive reaction...As I'd mentioned before, it seemed like he didn't care much about the pregnancy, but he seemed happy at the idea of having a new brother or sister.

We reached the door to Ahmed's classroom, and I saw Mansur Pasha standing there, speaking with Ahmed's teacher.

As soon as they noticed my approach with the child, they quickly straightened up and lowered their heads.. Moments later, Ahmed entered with his teacher to begin the day's lessons, while I remained standing, watching him and just a few steps away, Mansur Pasha was standing.

Curiosity led me to turn my head toward him, glancing from bottom to top, my mind swirling with questions, especially about Zeynep Sultan.

"Is Ahmed's old teacher coming back soon, or not?" I asked quietly, without looking directly at him.

It was just an attempt to start a conversation, though I wasn't sure what exactly I wanted to discuss... I still needed to extract answers from this man.. he was so mysterious, never giving me a sense of comfort... I couldn't quite decide where I stood with him.

His response came calmly, his words brief "His mother's health is not good at all, and it seems he won't be returning anytime soon"

"I hope she gets better soon... Ahmed wants his old teacher back" I sighed, thinking of the little boy... despite having said before that he liked his new teacher, over time, he had started complaining about missing his old teacher terribly and wanting him back as soon as possible.

I fell silent again, my thoughts drifting to Zeynep and her marriage, which she still had no knowledge of... It seemed that Turhan Sultan hadn't yet broached the subject with her son, but I knew it would come as a surprise one day, just as it had for me months ago when my parents had told me, on that strange night, about my marriage to Orhan.

"When do you plan to talk to Orhan about you and Zeynep Sultan?" I asked, my voice steady... This time, I turned fully toward him, waiting for any response, hoping to use my position to push him into doing something useful for Zeynep.

"Your Highness... this is neither the place nor the time..." His words were hesitant, and his eyes were lowered, but I could sense the unease seeping from him.

"I'm ready to help if it concerns Zeynep's happiness" I sighed, feeling a slight hesitation, as though my sixth sense was warning me that I wasn't entirely certain about my own words "To be honest, I didn't like what you said to Zeynep that day... I don't understand why the topic of the Grand Vizier's position is tied to your marriage to her"

"Your Highness..." He fell silent for a moment, and for a second, I thought he wouldn't speak again.

But, to my surprise, he raised his eyes boldly, looking at me with something like hatred "There are some things you know nothing about... or perhaps many things... And you cannot intervene now in such a sensitive matter that began long before you came here.. Certain things have been set in motion in a specific way for years, and they still are.. You can't change them"

He lowered his gaze again "Things are different from what you've learned, Sultana.. So please, leave my matters with Zeynep to us.. We don't want you to cause any trouble for us... And don't get involved with the issue of Ahmed's teacher either... If there are any problems there, the Valide Sultan will speak to His Majesty"

"Do you think I care about your opinion, Pasha?" I raised my eyebrows, astonished by the amount of words that escaped his mouth, words that were completely unnecessary for him to say... But as I said, this man harbored some deep hatred toward me, a hatred I didn't understand the origin of "What matters to me is zeynep sultan"

"If you care about her happiness, then stay out of it, Your highness" he sighed deeply and raised his eyes once more "In Sultan Orhan's palace, no woman should meddle in matters that don't concern her"

At that moment, I knew exactly what kind of man I was dealing with... complicated, resentful, twisted... The type you might meet only once in a lifetime... There was something off about him, a sense that he saw himself as superior to everyone else.

Ever since our first meeting, he had been trying to push me away from everything, treating me as if I were an intruder, a guest whose stay was only temporary.

"Let me remind you, Pasha, of who you're standing in front of" I looked at him again, from below, determined to make him realize that if he dared disrespect me, I would return the favor, even if it meant using my title "Who bows to whom here? You, of course... Why? Because I am not like other women, Pasha... I was born a princess... not just any princess, but the daughter of the Holy Roman Empire's Emperor, with blood from the Habsburg and Bourbon dynasties flowing through my veins"

I smiled slightly, savoring the look of disbelief in his eyes, then added "If that's not enough for you, I am now the wife of the Sultan of this empire, placing me at the top of the hierarchy, Pasha... Soon, you'll find my roots firmly planted here, and I will be remembered far more than you ever will, even in the pages of history" I looked into his eyes with newfound confidence... I wasn't sure where I had found it, but it felt right "Your arrogance will be the very thing that brings you down, Pasha... You may have power here, but I wield an influence that no Pasha could ever dream of possessing"

"Do not mistake your title for invincibility, Mansur... I've seen many men of your station fall, and I assure you, you will be no different if you continue to underestimate me" That was the last thing I said, a small smile playing at my lips, almost like a final piece of advice.. Then, without waiting for his response, I turned to leave.

I hadn't addressed the issue I truly wanted to discuss, but what he had said was enough for me to know exactly where I stood with him.

Defending myself, I had to speak the way I did... For most of my life, I avoided using the title I was born into... like the golden spoon they say I was born with, one I never had to earn... But in front of someone as narcissistic as him, those words were necessary to shatter his inflated ego.

The feeling of being lost took hold of me again... The knowledge that this man is no good at all makes me question why Zeynep loves him so much, why she desires to marry him above all others, no matter who they are... I have to do something, but I don't know what exactly.

I entered Turhan sultan's chamber and tried to put a smile on my face... I sat next to her, listening to her talk about today's guests, the traditions I must follow, and some advice about pregnancy and all those things.

"Valide" I finally spoke after a brief silence as she sipped her herbal tea "Has there been any progress on your decision about Zeynep Sultan?"

"Zeynep..." She looked at me in confusion, quickly masking it as if she remembered what I was talking about "Oh, right... I remember now... I'll postpone it a bit... Orhan is very busy in the coming months, and I think it's not the right time... But I'm still determined on my decision" she added with a smile... Just then, we were surprised by Zeynep's entrance, wearing a beautiful pink dress and one of her unique, stunning tiaras.

I barely returned her smile when she sat across from me, but soon I lowered my eyes, nervously fiddling with my ring, thinking about her situation.

I need to open her eyes.. she doesn't have to throw herself at a narcissistic man just because she finds him handsome, while all he wants is power... I saw it in his eyes... He wants the position of Grand Vizier, no matter the cost.