|Helena's POV|

-One month later-

"Good luck, darling" I said with a warm smile, watching Ahmed as he got ready to head out for his classes.

"Thank you, Helena" he replied calmly, returning my smile with a small one of his own.

Just when I thought he was leaving with Marissa, he surprised me by stepping closer and planting a quick kiss on my cheek.

I smiled happily as I watched him and Marissa leave, and then, with the room finally quiet, I took the opportunity to open the letter my mother had sent me, which had arrived this morning.

My Dearest Helena,

I received the news with such joy, my heart overflowing with love for you and the little life you now carry... I am filled with pride, knowing that you are soon to become a mother, just as you have always been a daughter I hold close to my heart.

I can hardly believe the woman you've grown to be... It makes me so proud, and just moments before I wrote this letter, I was sharing some joyful tears with your father, who is thrilled to know that he will soon be a grandfather.

I know you may be feeling overwhelmed right now, carrying so many emotions and questions in your heart, but remember, my darling, that motherhood is a journey like no other, one that will test your patience and your heart, but also reveal parts of you that you never knew existed.

A mother's heart and her love know no bounds, Helena... The moment you hold your baby in your arms, you'll realize that you've never loved anyone as much as you will love that tiny little being... You may even become a lioness, ready to protect them with your life... I know you will be an incredible mother.

Send my greetings and congratulations to everyone, especially to Orhan... Although I haven't met him yet, I hope to one day.

With all my love,
Your Mother

By the time I finished reading the letter, tears had already filled my eyes, making the ink a bit smudged... I gently set it down, not wanting to ruin it any further.

Reading each word made so many thoughts rush through my mind... The fact that my mother wasn't here, and would never be here to witness my pregnancy or the arrival of my first child, felt so heavy.

My father, too, would never get to meet his grandchild, even though he was thrilled about becoming a grandfather... Unlike my brother, who would get to raise his children in front of my parents.

That realization hit me harder than I expected, despite knowing the path I had chosen, or rather, the path that had been chosen for me.

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"What's wrong, Helena?" Orhan asked, lowering his spoon without letting go of it, his eyes scanning my face carefully.

"I..." I hesitated for a moment, setting my spoon down, then ran my fingers along the side of my neck, feeling a slight tension along with other emotions I couldn't quite put into words "Nothing important, it's just..."

"Just tell me" he said softly, finally putting his spoon aside and reaching over to gently place his hand on mine, which rested calmly on the table.

"This morning, I received a letter from my mother" These words were meant to be the beginning of explaining what was happening, but as soon as they left my lips, I felt a tightness in my chest, the kind that makes you realize an overwhelming flood of tears is coming, and if you don't close your mouth, you won't be able to hold them back.

"Did you receive bad news?" he asked, concern lacing his voice... this made me feel the need to keep talking, to reassure him and dispel the negative thoughts likely swirling in his mind.

"No, no, everything is fine there" I said quietly, trying not to look directly into his eyes "My mom and dad are happy about the news and excited to become grandparents for the first time" I paused again, feeling a lump in my throat.

"So what's the matter? I can see something is troubling you" he said, his voice calm as always... though his eyes were fixed on me, I could tell he wasn't rushing me for answers... He gave me the time I needed to speak when I was ready.

"It's just... I felt a bit sad because my mother and father aren't here with me, and I don't know if they'll ever meet their grandchild" I blurted, speaking quickly as though trying to get the words out before the emotions overwhelmed me... distracting myself, I began stirring my spoon in the soup in front of me "The thought just bothered me for a while, but I tried to distract myself with the history book you recommended, and I think it worked" I added with a faint smile, but it quickly faded from my face "For a while"

"Don't worry, Helena, of course, they'll meet him or her one day" he replied gently, not taking his eyes off me then he raised his hand to brush a few strands of my hair away from my face "I know it feels hard"

"Yes, exactly" I finally surrendered, trying to speak more freely, as I couldn't keep my thoughts to myself anymore "It makes me wonder if I can do this without my mother, how it will be, and if I will succeed, or if I'm just not qualified for all of this" Though my words were somewhat jumbled because of my tension, I knew Orhan understood exactly what I was saying.

"Helena, of course, you can do this... You're underestimating yourself... Everyone here loves you, and even though your parents aren't here, their prayers will be with you" he said, pausing as if deep in thought for a moment... Then, he suddenly stood up, gently pulling my hand to guide me to my feet, which surprised me.

"You've given me an idea" he said with a calm smile, as he took my hand and led me out of the room.

I followed him, confused by what was happening, as we had been talking so quietly, and now he was leading me somewhere, step by step, into the unknown.

"Where are we going, Orhan?" Finally, I couldn't contain my curiosity any longer and asked the question I'd been holding back.

"You can consider this a second historical tour" he replied, glancing at me with a hint of amusement.... Did he mean the tour he'd taken me on in Bursa?

We arrived at one of the palace doors, a familiar one .. the library door, one I had entered about three times before.

As soon as we stepped inside, Orhan closed the door behind us, and I immediately began looking around, as I always did in this magnificent room... The shelves were stacked high with books, and I marveled at how grand and beautiful it was.

"Are we going to read history books, or what?" I asked with a smile, turning my attention back to him, trying to push aside the wave of sadness that had overtaken me just moments ago... Yes, this was the power books had over me.

"We're not going to read history, we're going to see its remnants with our own eyes" he said, his words enough to freeze me in place, trying to process what he was talking about... But he didn't give me much time to think as he pulled open one of the shelves, revealing a hidden black door... If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have sworn it was a dream.

"This room used to belong to Safiye Sultan" he said as he opened the door, revealing three small steps leading down... He gestured for me to go first, but I didn't need to be asked, my feet carried me inside almost on their own.

Once we were both in the dimly lit room, Orhan began lighting candles, and with each candle that flickered to life, a small section of the room became visible, making my eyes widen in awe.

Orhan didn't need to speak; I immediately understood what was happening around me... The room was filled with paintings, swords, crowns, jewels, books, and gowns .. all meticulously arranged.

"Come" he said, guiding me toward the first portrait "This is Nurbanu Sultan... She was the wife of Selim II and the mother of Murad III, a powerful woman who was loved by everyone, especially by her husband and son... Beyond her beauty, she was an incredibly intelligent and wise woman, who carried out many charitable works throughout her life. She even had political opinions that were respected by both her husband and son"

As I listened to his words, my eyes never strayed from the beautiful woman in the painting... Her long, jet-black hair and piercing gray eyes seemed to radiate cunning, not to mention her enchanting figure in a light orange dress.

"This is her with her husband, Sultan Selim" Orhan said, pulling me from my trance and pointing to another painting.

In it, a man with red hair sat on a throne, with a stunning woman standing beside him... Nurbanu... after seeing her, I knew I wouldn't be able to shake her image from my mind... She stood with such grace, yet power, wearing a beautiful blue gown and a simple crown atop her head.

"This is the crown of Hürrem Sultan" Orhan spoke again, and I noticed he'd taken a few steps back, holding a golden crown in his hands... Its design was unusual but very beautiful "A woman who made a name for herself from nothing"

I approached him with curiosity, raising my fingers to trace the crown's surface... For a moment, I felt as if I were brushing my fingers through Hürrem's own hair... How must it have felt to wear something so magnificent?

"And if you wish to see her, here she is" Orhan said, lifting his gaze.

I followed his lead, and my eyes landed on a large painting hanging on one of the walls... There she stood, in a brown dress, wearing that very crown atop her fiery red hair... It seemed her son, Selim, had inherited that same red hair.

As Orhan returned the crown to its place, my eyes drifted to a golden book placed beautifully on one of the tables, adorned with sapphires, rubies, and emeralds... I couldn't resist and moved closer, running my fingers across its surface.

"It's a Qur'an... It belonged to Sultan Bayezid II" Orhan's voice came from behind me, answering a question I hadn't even asked.

"Now, I know you'll love this" he said, capturing my attention then he gestured to a dress that blended shades of green and gold "This belonged to Safiye Sultan... the Sultana of elegance and wealth... She wore it on the wedding day of one of her daughters"

I had read about Safiye Sultan in some books, and what I saw before me was a true reflection of what I had imagined.. she was an incredibly wealthy woman, said to be the richest of all.

I could hardly tear my eyes away from the dress when I began wandering again, trying to absorb every little detail around me, until Orhan's voice broke my focus once more.

"Beyond power and wealth" he said, lifting one of the books and flipping through its pages "This belonged to Emine Gülbahar Hatun... She was a refined poet who wrote beautiful poems throughout her life, and this book contains some of her works, whether written by her hand or simply recited by her"

I glanced at Orhan, and he quickly picked up on the question forming in my eyes... He pointed to the wall with a slight shake of his head "There is no painting of her"

"Helena, look at all these women" Orhan said, placing the book down and slowly turning in a circle, his gaze drifting over the paintings "We're here for these women.. We won't focus on the men"

I looked at him in surprise, noticing that he was deliberately ignoring the swords, rings, and paintings of men, most likely sultans, whose names I didn't recognize.

"These women, Helena, came here when they were very young... They had nothing and no one" he continued, studying my eyes carefully "They had to go through everything alone... But look at what they made of themselves"

He stepped closer, his fingers gently wrapping around my hand, warm and steady "If they could do it, despite having never been prepared for such a life, you can do something even greater"

His words lingered in my mind, allowing me to truly absorb their meaning... I understood exactly what Orhan was implying.. and why we were here in the first place.

These women were very young when they became mothers, and they had no one to wipe away their tears or send them encouraging letters.... Perhaps they had never heard the words I'm proud of you when they gave birth to their first child... Or don't worry everything will be fine when they missed their families on some nights.

They had to find strength within themselves, build their own paths, and make their own way in a world that had no place for them... And yet, here they were.. iconic, powerful, respected and remembered.

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So guys... I'm not sure if you'll enjoy this chapter but I really wanted to take a moment to appreciate those amazing.. independent women who made a name for themselves... Our dear sultanas especially my favorite Nurbanu 🤍✨

I had to cut out a lot of other names to avoid making it too long and boring but I just wanted Helena to see these women up close in a more personal way.