Esmahan was getting married to Ayas Pasha today. She's lucky Mehmed doesn't think like others and married her off to a young man in his early twenties or else she could have been married off to someone who was probably the age of her grandfather. Against her mother's wish but Esmahan was very much happy about it.

Only I knew, Esmahan had an affair with Ayas Pasha when she was probably 13 when the late Sultan was still alive and wanted his sisters nearby him.

"ATTENTION. HER MAJESTY HASEKI HALIME SULTAN."

"Welcome Sultanam." Firuze Kalfa welcomed me as I entered the Harem that was now fully decorated with the girls dancing, singing and enjoying themselves.

"Thank you, Firuze Kalfa." I smiled at her before walking in. I was about to sit down when Ayşe ran in with tears running down her eyes.

"Ayşe, what happened?" I asked her before bending down a little to meet her eyes.

"Sultanam, please do something. Valide is going to ask permission from Hünkarım to marry me off to Lala Yakup Pasha. I was. . . I was about to talk to Hünkarım before that but my Valide prevented me from entering Hünkarım's chamber. Please do something Sultanam, please." She cried out in a low voice so that only I could hear.

Of course Hafsa. As soon as her daughter came of age to get married she decided to take advantage of it.

The girls in the Harem were looking at us with curiosity when another devil entered the scene.

"Haseki Sultan, Sultanam." Gülbahar bowed as she walked towards us. She turned towards Ayşe. "Sultanam, I wanted to congratulate her in person after hearing it."

"For what?" Ayşe asked with a puzzled face.

"I thought you knew Sultanam or are you just joking around?" Gülbahar replied with a fake confused expression. This dumb bitch thinks I can't see her act.

"Gülbahar, stop hitting the bush and come to the point." I gritted out in annoyance.

"Ayşe Sultan is to wed Yakup Pasha a month from now." She said in a chirpy-annoying voice. Ayşe turned towards me with a pleading eye.

"And who told you?" I asked Gülbahar.

"Hafsa Sultan, she went to ask Hünkarım about it and if His Majesty agrees, Inshallah we'll have 2 weddings in just a month." She replied before turning towards Ayse. "You will be very happy with him, Sultanam. He is a good man."

"Who are you to decide what is good for me, Gülbahar. Stay within your limit." Ayşe yelled at her and by now everyone had stopped doing whatever they were doing.

"Forgive me Sultanam, if I said something wrong." She apologized.

"ENOUGH!" I yelled, annoyed by all her dramas. "Hünkarım still hasn't decided, Gülbahar. Be careful with your words. Or I'll have you whipped next time."

Her face turned sour. "Who are you to threaten me? Just because you are the Haseki Sultan doesn't mean you can punish everyone. I'm the mother of a Şehzade."

I cocked my eyebrows at her before taking a step forward. How dare she? "You are a slave Gülbahar whereas I'm the legal wife of Sultan Mehmed Han. I didn't enter this palace as a slave unlike you, don't forget it."

"I'm letting you go this time Gülbahar. But if you repeat that mistake again. I won't hesitate to punish you." I said with a hard glare before turning back and walking out of the Harem with Ayşe following me.

Iskender was outside the door, pacing back and forth but stopped as soon as he saw me before bowing. "Sultanam, Hafsa Sultan is inside." He inform, his eyes never left Ayşe's.

Then I saw it and I immediately knew it.

Ayşe Sultan married Iskender Pasha, who later on became the 2nd vizier of the Ottoman empire.

I took a step towards him. "Iskender, do you love her?" I asked and he immediately looked away from Ayşe before looking down while Ayşe looked at me with a shocked expression.

"Sultanam. . . I. . . I." He stammered.

"Tell me, do you really love her?" I asked with my eyes narrowed at him.

"Yes, Sultanam. With all my heart."

I turn towards Ayşe. "What about you Ayşe?" I asked and she glanced at Iskender before turning her gaze back at me.

"Yes, Sultanam." She replied. Good.

"Then come Ayşe." I pulled her in despite Iskender trying to stop us.

Hafsa was standing in front of Mehmed who looked like he was in deep thought. "Halime?" Mehmed looked at me with a puzzled expression before dismissing Iskender who came in with us while trying to stop us.

"Hünkarım." Ayşe bowed.

"Ayşe, what are you doing here-" Hafsa gritted out as she marched towards Ayşe but I blocked her way.

"I brought her here." I gritted out.

"Enough." Mehmed said and Hafsa moved away from me. Mehmed motioned for me to come closer to him as he stood up. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"There is a rumour going on in Harem that you have given your blessings to Ayşe and Yakup Pasha, is it true?" I enquired.

"Who told you that? I still haven't decided?" His eyes turned dark before turning it towards Hafsa who was looking down with her eyes closed and lips pursed tightly.

"Damn you Gülbahar." She cursed in a low tone but I obviously heard it.

"So you already told everyone my decision even before I decided huh?" Mehmed asked in a furious tone and Hafsa Sultan looked up with a panicked expression.

"Forgive me Hünkarım but there must have been some sort of misunderstanding there. Maybe Halime Sultan misheard it." She replied with a sour face.

"Oh I'm pretty sure I didn't misheard it. Gülbahar said it very clearly in front of the whole Harem. The whole Harem is my witness." I gritted out before turning back to Mehmed. "I want to talk with you and Ayşe. Alone."

He nodded before turning to Hafsa. "Wait outside. I'll call you in after I make my decision." Hafsa nodded and went out but not before sending a hard glare towards Ayşe who was shaking like a leaf.

"Ayşe, my dear sister. Come here." Mehmed opened his arms and Ayşe walked towards her. Mehmed kissed her forehead before wiping her tears. "What happened? Tell me what upsets you?"

"Abi,I don't want to marry Yakup Pasha, please." She started to cry again and my heart ached for her. She was just a 16 year old girl born in the era where it was the appropriate age to get married. That too, an arranged one by their Valide.

"I made a promise to our Sultan baba that I will take care of you and won't let anything hurt you or make you cry Ayşe. If you don't want to marry Yakup Pasha, you don't have to." Mehmed wiped her tears away before giving her a hug.

"Thank you Abi." She replied.

"You will marry whoever your heart desires and no one can stop it. It is my promise to you." He kissed her forehead once again before pulling away.

My heart warmed as I watched the two interact. Mehmed is the best brother, I swear he is the best in everything. I didn't know people like him would ever exist in this era where male are considered superior and females are treated like a piece of trash.