8. Harem inspection
Constantinople, December 1538
News arrived today informing us that Sultan Suleiman's campaign in Moldavia has come to a triumphant end. On the political front, the Ottoman Empire has acquired new territory, and Moldavia has a new king. One who will hopefully remain loyal to the empire. If all goes well, then it means an end to the cross-border raids and unrest which have plagued my home town of Chilia for over two years. Even though I know I'm never likely to see Chilia nor my family again, I often think about them.
While I feel relieved at the news, Mihrimah is downhearted about what her father's return to Constantinople is going to mean. His return will almost certainly be the signal for a fresh round of matchmaking by Hürrem. Mihrimah's brief respite from vetting prospective husbands is likely to soon be over. Fortunately the preparations for the celebrations which will greet the triumphant sultan's army are keeping everyone busy, so Mihrimah doesn't have much time to mope. It goes without saying that if Mihrimah is kept busy, then Nisa, Ayşe and I are rushed off our feet. I only manage to snatch a few hours sleep for several days. It's only the intervention of Hürrem, who orders us all to stop and rest for a while, which saves us from total exhaustion.
Despite her almost disastrous liaison with Yahya, Mihrimah keeps up her sponsorship of a group of local poets and artists. I don't know if this is a subterfuge to divert Hürrem's attention away from matchmaking, or whether Mihrimah has a genuine interest in the artists' work. I'm always in attendance as Mihrimah's secret bodyguard when she meets with the artists. Thankfully, nothing happens to cause either of us any concern. Discreet enquiries confirm that both Yahya and Nur have left Constantinople, although nobody seems to know where they've gone.
Many of Mihrimah's aunts and cousins are using the upcoming celebrations as a reason to visit the Imperial Palace. Some of them haven't left their home provinces for several years, and preparing for their arrival is a big chore. None of them will be travelling with less than three female servants, all of whom must be accommodated somewhere within the harem. Before long all the suites in the royal wing are occupied, and the more distant relations of the sultan are forced to content themselves with the rooms normally allocated to the sultan's favourites. Fortunately many of those rooms are empty these days. Sultan Suleiman only has eyes for Hürrem, and she has made sure any potential rival is quickly transferred to one of the remote palaces before the rival comes to the sultan's attention.
Not every guest is happy with the housing arrangements, and before long tensions start to run high. The kalfas do their best to satisfy each sultana's needs, but it's a thankless task. Being in overall charge of the Imperial Harem, Hürrem is overwhelmed by the constant flow of problems to solve. She enlists Mihrimah's help, which of course means Nisa, Ayşe and I become involved.
"The rooms you have assigned to me are simply not good enough," complains Esmehan Sultan, daughter of one of Sultan Suleiman's sisters, and a girl not much older than Mihrimah. "I require a suite in the royal wing. Arrange it at once or Sultan Suleiman shall hear this insult."
Had Esmehan Sultan's words been spoken to me, then I would have had to apologize and make what efforts I could to comply with the sultana's wishes, even though I knew it would be fruitless exercise. But her words were addressed directly to Mihrimah and Hürrem. Given their respective positions within the dynasty, Esmehan's arrogance is ill-advised. Esmehan, like her mother, regards Hürrem as an uneducated usurper of lowly birth, and neither mother nor daughter pass on the opportunity to try and embarrass Hürrem. I don't know what Esmehan Sultan is hoping to achieve, but she is goading Hürrem into anger. If that is Esmehan's aim, then she appears to be succeeding.
"The only unallocated suites are in the royal wing of the old palace," replies Hürrem, suddenly regaining her composure as though a brilliant idea has just struck her. "They haven't been used for several years, but I'm sure they can soon be made ready. If you wish to be moved there, then I'll be happy to allocate a suite for you."
Although most of the Imperial Harem is housed in the new palace these days, parts of the harem in the old palace are still used. Most of its residents are women who, for various reasons, are no longer required to perform duties in the new palace. They include the infirm and the elderly, as well as those who have been sent there as a punishment for some misdemeanour. The agas enforce the rules of the Imperial Harem without mercy, and those inclined to be disobedient or cause trouble run the risk of temporary or permanent exile to the old palace. Generally, no woman volunteers to be transferred to the old palace, although it is a better fate than being transferred to one of the remote Ottoman palaces scattered around the empire. Esmehan Sultan storms out of the room without bothering to answer Hürrem's offer.
"If we have many more relatives suddenly arriving on our doorstep, then we may need to use the suites in the old palace," says Hürrem to Mihrimah. "The kitchens and laundry here in the new palace are already working at full capacity servicing those already here. A further eight sultanas and their maids are expected in the next few days ... and they are just the ones we know about. Your cousin Esmehan isn't the only one to simply arrive without any prior warning."
"Do you want me to check the suites in the old palace?" asks Mihrimah. "As you said to Esmehan, they haven't been used for several years. I wouldn't mind seeing my old room once again. I've almost forgotten what it looks like."
"You were only nine years old when you last stayed in our suite in the old palace," laughs Hürrem. "I'm surprised that you remember it at all. The agas at the old palace should have been keeping the suites ready for use, but it wouldn't do any harm for them to be checked. Very well. But take Nilüfer with you. Some of those living in the old palace might use your visit to start trouble."
Hürrem doesn't elaborate on the type of trouble she anticipates. I only know of one girl transferred to the old palace as a punishment since my arrival, and she would have more to lose than gain by causing trouble in the old palace. But I take note of Hürrem's concern, even though Mihrimah seems quick to dismiss her mother's worries.
Early the next morning Mihrimah, Ayşe and I arrive at the old palace. It's my first visit to the old palace and the splendour takes my breath away. Several girls have told me stories of life in the harem of the old palace, which is attached to the side of main building. The old palace is a few hundred years older than the new one and is built in a much different style. Despite several additions over the years, the old palace is a lot smaller than the new one, which is why the gradual move to the new palace became necessary. The expanding empire requires more and more officials to run it, and a larger harem to house the increasing number of daughters gifted to the sultan by fathers wishing to prove their loyalty. My own father being one such example.
I'm momentarily distracted by the view and my thoughts. Consequently I don't notice two agas quickly approaching us until almost too late. Had they been assassins, then I would have almost certainly failed in my duty to protect Mihrimah. I reproach myself for my inattention and belatedly focus on the two agas. They seem agitated, as though our visit has caught them doing something they shouldn't be doing.
"My Sultana!" greets one of the agas in a voice bordering on alarm. "Welcome. My apologies, but we weren't warned about your visit. Would you care for some refreshments?"
"We will take refreshments later," replies Mihrimah, becoming suspicious of the agas concern about our visit. "You will accompany us on our inspection of the harem."
If it had been Mihrimah's intention to confine her inspection to the rooms in the royal wing, then the nervous behaviour of the two agas promptly changes her plans. What started out as a quick visit is now likely to take most of the day. Mihrimah takes her time and is very thorough in her review, despite the subtle attempts by the agas to hurry inspection. At odds with the agas behaviour, the women in the harem are much more friendly in their greeting of Mihrimah. I suspect it is many months since a senior member of the dynasty has visited the old palace harem, and Mihrimah's visit is causing some excitement.
The main harem is not as clean, nor as well maintained, as the one in the new palace, but Mihrimah doesn't feel it necessary to comment to the agas. Whatever is causing the agas to become agitated doesn't seem to be anything in the main harem. The kitchens, store rooms and training rooms all pass inspection. The agas make more blatant attempts to divert our inspection away from the rooms designated for the infirmary. They don't dare to block Mihrimah's way, but there is clearly something in the infirmary which they want to keep a secret.
There have been no reports of any dangerous contagious diseases in the harem since long before my arrival in Constantinople. Such things have been known to decimate harems in the past, and is one of the reasons for the strict rules around cleanliness inside the harem. The agas would risk execution if they've failed to disclose the spread of a dangerous disease.
There are six patients currently resident in the infirmary. Four are suffering from injuries or ailments which the woman healer assures Mihrimah are not life threatening and the patient simply needs time to recover. The condition of the other two patients are of greater interest. Not because of their health, which seems to be excellent. Both are young women about 18 or 19 years of age. Both are pregnant and are nearly full term. This should be an impossible situation. As the sultan's slaves, only Sultan Suleiman would have the right to father their child. Either his devotion to Hürrem isn't as strong as everyone believes, or these two young women have been with another man.
That the two women weren't banished from the harem as soon as their pregnancy was discovered speaks volumes. Despite the agas' watchful eyes, opportunities for secret liaisons exist. Usually between a girl and one of the Janissary guards, or a male palace servant. It's a stupid risk but sometimes passion overrides common sense. Upon discovery, the man is usually executed, and the pregnant girl thrown out of the harem in disgrace. These two women are still in the harem, which means they each must carry a child of Ottoman blood. Not necessarily fathered by the sultan, but someone with strong family ties. Prince Mustafa, perhaps.
"Who is the father of your child?" demands Mihrimah of one of the pregnant women.
"I am forbidden from saying, my sultana," whimpers the woman, clearly terrified of Mihrimah's interest in her plight.
"My sultana," intervenes the healer. "Please do not distress Beyhan and Afife so close to their time. Sultan Suleiman is aware of their circumstances. It is on his orders that they reside here in the old palace harem."
"Are these the only two in this situation?" asks Mihrimah of the agas and healer.
"No, my sultana," replies one of the agas. "There are two others, but they are several weeks away from giving birth, so they still reside in one of the favourites' rooms."
"I shall discuss this situation with my mother," replies Mihrimah.
"No!" cries one of the pregnant women. "Please, my sultana. Don't inform Hürrem Sultan until Sultan Suleiman returns. Please let him be the one to inform your mother."
Terror has made the woman bold enough to speak to Mihrimah in this way. She risks terrible punishment for making such demands. Fortunately, Mihrimah has enough presence of mind not to inflame the situation. She doesn't reply to the woman, but I can tell from her manner that she is inclined to wait until her father returns. If Sultan Suleiman is the father of these soon-to-be-born children then Mihrimah knows her mother well enough not to want to be the messenger of such news to Hürrem.
With the immediate excitement over, Mihrimah resumes her tour. By comparison to the events in the infirmary, the inspection of the royal wing proves to be uneventful. Even the visit to Mihrimah's old suite only raises mild interest. As expected, all of the suites could be made ready for use in a matter of hours. This is what Mihrimah reports back to her mother. She makes no mention of pregnant women residing in the old palace. Only time will tell if that is the right decision. Sultan Suleiman might be returning to a surprise gift or two. Gifts which might not be welcomed by all concerned.