I had always known that this palace was never mine , and yet as i walked through the palace halls one last time it felt like i was peeling a piece of myself with every step .

Everything was eerily silent since Mustafa left but today was worse , it felt like the walls mourned what was about to happen .

This was the place where I had cried , laughed , and where i had fallen in love . It was in these endless corridors where i watched him leave to war , the weight of the empire on his shoulder .

I looked at my room one last time and closed the door , would they remember that they once had a life between these walls ? Will they remember that we lived here all together with their father ?

I dragged myself away from my room and stood infront of Mustafa's room as they emptied it , His books that he loved more than anything were casually arranged and being packed away .

The faint scent of him still lingered in the air , a reminder that he had lived in this room , this is where he dreamed and grew his ambitions and talked to me about his dream expedition and how he would love to conquer lands .

But now there was only silence , Would he ever return to this place or would this be his last trace of existence here ?

I swallowed the lump in my throat and stopped one of the guards when i saw him pick up his stuff , i put my hand on one of the pieces he was working on , an unfinished necklace .

It was very small and i knew that it was destined for my daughter , i grabbed it and put it on my pocket before i dismissed them .

« You did everything you could » I heard Mahidevran sultan speaking from the end of the hallway.

« Did i truly ? »My voice was barely above a whisper trying to hold my tears back . She stepped closer to me , her dark eyes searching for mine .

« I remember when i disliked you at first , i did everything to get rid of you but now - I wouldn't ask for a better daughter in law » she grabbed my hand and pulled it closer to her .

My gaze fell to the ground forcing a smile « I remember i am thankful that we got to share a lot of times together sultana »

« But you are not running away , think of it like this . You are ensuring his legacy survives , Mustafa will live through them »I blinked back tears .

« What about you ? will you go back to the old palace ? » She straightened « My place is here , I won't leave Amasya , I will stay here and honor his name in the land that loved him » The silence stretched between us .

« Go stella , before the empire decides it wants more from you » I nodded « I will not let you down »

« Promise me one thing » she grabbed my hands tightly « Take care of them , No matter what happens raise them with the love their father would have given them » I nodded , my throat too tight to speak .

"I promise , and if you want to see them someday you're the most welcome . You can come whenever you want i will take care of everything" She seemed relieved that she could at least see her grandchildren another time .

"Take care of yourself , if there is anything new i will write to you" she let go of my hand and hugged me for some time " Stay strong Sultana and take care of yourself and the little sultana , Melek" I said as i broke the hug and walked away as i was already running late , Atmaca and Yahya were already waiting for me .

" We are ready" i stood infront of the carriage as Atmaca was waiting for my approval , he nodded and opened the door for me .

I entered the carriage and sat down infront of Nergisşah who was already seated , i opened my arms for one of the attendants to hand me mehmet who was peacefully sleeping .

"Come here" i whispered as i pulled him close , Atmaca closed the door behind me but i could see from the small cracks of the door the palace , the place i once called home .

I kissed mehmet's forehead and leaned back on the cushioned seat , Nergisşah watched me , her dark eyes wide with curiosity sensing the tension in the air though she was young to understand .

3rd person pov

Hurrem sat in the golden glow of her chambers , the air thick with the scent of burning incense. The news had spread through the palace like wildfire .

Victory had never come without sacrifice , but this time it was different . Mustafa's exile has been inevitable and now she was finally at ease because now the road was clear , no one stood in her way anymore .

Still something gnawed at her , she had expected him to be stubborn , to fight until his last breath but no , he had simply abdicated without shedding a drop of blood .

Hurrem clenched her jaw , Mustafa's exile should have satisfied her and should have been the end of the war but a part of her couldn't shake that the pieces were still in motion .

This was so far from over for her , it should have been the rest after the end of war , sleepless nights thinking about an empire with mustafa as a leader , hidden meetings but instead it left a silence she did not trust .

The door of her chambers opened revealing her son beyazid and Mihrimah « You called for us Valide ? » Mihrimah asked taking a seat across from her mother .

« So Mustafa is gone right ? » She asked looking at beyazid who was clearly not enjoying this situation « Yes he is , but i don't believe any of what he was accused of is real » he received glares from both his mother and sister .

« No resistance , No blood .. He just gave up his title ? » hurrem ignored his words and continued . « He didn't give up » He snapped before he knew « He gave everything , his name , his future , his children's birthright even just to not spill blood in his father's palace , it takes more strength than any sword »

Hurrem's eyes narrowed slightly , her voice sharp « Do not romanticise this foolishness Beyazid , its cowardice »

« Is it cowardice to choose peace over death ? He chose to walk away rather than fight his father »

Mihrimah , ever the mediator stepped in placing a hand on her brother's arm « Enough Beyazid »

« No let him speak » Hurrem said coolly waiting for him to continue « He was a good man , Maybe too good for all of this , he loved his empire and look where it brought him »

« Love doesn't rule empires , Strenght does . Cunning and Sacrifice »Hurrem retorted . Her gaze drifted again toward the window as if seeing something beyond the garden « He was never going to be sultan , Not as long as i had breath left in my body »

Her children stared at their mother unsure about what would happen later .

« We must be ready , his wife is not someone that would forget . She's not a fool and she'll raise those children to remember what was taken from them , they may grow away from here but blood remembers and memory .. Memory is dangerous » Mihrimah knew that her mother was right .

« She may be leaving quiet now but women like her don't vanish , They wait.. » Hurrem's gaze didn't waver « I would've preferred if she stayed , where we could at least see what she is doing but now i am sure his majesty will cut ties with her kingdom and that'd be the end »

Beyazid rose from his seat « You've both declared victory but something tells me this isn't over »

Hurrem watched him for a long moment « It's only starting »

Stella's POV -

The road felt endless .

Each turn of the wheel , each bump in the dirt path carried me farther away from the life i built , from the man i loved and the empire that once called me its sultana .

Nergisşah was curled beside me , her head rested against the cushion , thumb in her mouth fast asleep . Mehmet stirred gently occasionally whenever the carriage started moving abruptly .

« We're almost there » Atmaca said from outside , pulling back the curtain a bit . I nodded and looked outside from the small creaks of the carriage, the sun dipped behind the hills as we approached the gates of my homeland , my heart stirred as familiar banners came into view , banners of a place i haven't seen for years .

The guards by the entrance opened the huge door letting us in , we continued moving for some time before the carriage stopped . Atmaca hopped off his horse and opened the door for me , I stepped out of the carriage with mehmed and Nergisşah between my arms .

My feet touched the old stone courtyard and for a moment i felt the child i once was running through these halls barefoot , dreaming of a future that never looked like this .

My brother appeared at the center of the hallway , the moment his eyes met mine , something in me cracked . Some maids came by my side and took my children in their arms . My brother rushed down and pulled me into his arms without a word then embraced the children next pressing his lips to their foreheads

« You're safe , welcome back home sister » he said to me and i couldn't help but stare at the palace looming behind him .

the place i once called home was going to be the eternal home of my children and of me again .