A.N.: Dear Dolls, enjoy the Second day of Christmas Treat with continuing of Wanda von Rovno Gubernya's adventures :333 happy reading ;-)
With love and kisses your ZiZi xoxoxo
The very next day, eunuch gave to princess fresh clothes, took a small bag full of coins so he could borrow a room in an Inn each day on their trip, and together they began their long adventurous expedition into Algiers from where he and Wanda were supposed to set sail to Ceuta.
But little did she know, that her dear Eunuch had completely different intentions with her than taking her with him into Italy.
It was a difficult, long, and very exhausting 14 days lasting journey, but the hope and the vision of being able to go back home soon was encouraging Wanda to hold on, stay strong and keep walking further.
The day they have arrived to Algiers, eunuch told her, that he might as well pay a quick visit by the Dey of the province before they might take the ship, and that he would gladly introduce her to the Dey too.
Wanda agreed, unawares, that her handsome eunuch might betray her.
They slowly made their way through the busy market place, where princess had even a slight trouble with couple of men who were stopping at her beauty and the unusual color of her skin. She had to hold on tightly at her eunuch's arm, to make it towards the palace at one piece. After all, she could still vividly remember what happened to her mother.
When they arrived into the palace, they have been immediately showed through it into the audience hall. Wanda couldn't set her eyes off of the beautiful paintings on the walls, and tapestries hanging in each room. Everything looked so exotic and ostentatious, she was left in awe.
She saw many servants on their way, and also lot of guards with great sharp sabres at their belts.
The palace was absolutely stunning and majestic, but she hasn't seen a single woman until they reached the audience hall.
There sat the Dey of Algiers, and next to him was seated some woman, Wanda assumed it was his wife, but she looked a lot older than him to princess' surprise.
,,Your majesty," eunuch spoke, stepping closer to the Dey and bowing slightly before bowing in front of the woman too, addressing her ,,Valide sultan."
Wanda stood behind him, feeling quite exposed, not knowing is she might bow as well, or if she might wait until she is introduced or what she might do at all in presence of the Dey. After all, she's been royal too, so, it was difficult from her point of view.
,,I present to you princess Wanda von Rovno Gubernya," eunuch decided to speak in language both the Dey and the princess knew, so she would understand what he might say further. ,,She is the daughter of the princess of Palestrina, recently, tragically deceased, and I brought the young princess to your royal feet, as a gift, your majesty, to serve you," eunuch finished, bowing again.
Wanda's eyes widened, she couldn't believe it.
At that moment the Dey stood up from his throne with the valide sultan, both stepping towards the young princess, who's eyes started filling with fresh tears.
How could he do this to me, after I opened to him, and after I told him about everything that happened to me ?!
The Dey slowly circled her like a hungry vulture, just like the woman from the other side, both of them making Wanda more and more uncomfortable, she only sniffed, letting her tears roll down her cheeks.
,,I like her, good job bringing her to me my friend," the Dey smiled at the eunuch who proudly smiled right back. ,,What do you think of her mother ?" the Dey turned to the elder woman, and Wanda now understood more about the woman's importance and presence in the room.
,,She is very beautiful it's true. And if you say, she is princess, she might be educated as well, but she's been very mute ever since she's walked into our palace… tell me child, can you sing ? Can you dance ?" valide sultan asked kindly, placing her palm at Wanda's back, making her twitch away.
,,I am not a trained monkey to sing and dance for you. I have been kidnapped by pirates and was about to be sold on Morocco's market, I have seen my mother being quartered, and then the whole morocco covered in blood by all the moors who killed each other till the very last man. I have walked for 14 days to reach Algiers, and get to the ship to my motherland, so I could come back to my father ! I am not going to be your slave !" Wanda spoke firmly with all the dignity she had left, holding her head high.
Valide sultan only chuckled while her finger was tapping at her chin ,,The Great Archimandrite of Russia ? Don't you know he's been slayed a month or two ago ?"
My father is dead ?
,,You must know I am interested in things that happen in foreign lands, and I know exactly, who you are, I knew it the moment you stepped in this room, I just waited for the right moment to reveal it to you. I know that you and your whole ship had been attacked by pirates and send to the bottom of the ocean, and that your parents are both dead. The only thing I didn't know, that you have survived all the horror… but here you are, standing in front of me, all alive. You should feel lucky to be alive," Dey's mother continued, while walking around her again, to take a second proper look at her from all the ankles.
,,My parents are both dead…" Wanda let out still in shock at the edge of collapsing to the ground.
,,Yes, so that means, you're no longer the princess, and you don't belong to anyone or anywhere. And if we let you go back to the port across the market place, it also means, anyone could claim you his. You wouldn't want that now, would you ?" woman kept talking, forcing Wanda to think, even though her mind was fogged now due the news she learned.
,,N-no," the princess gulped at her tears and shook her head.
,,We can provide you with shelter, food, drinks, and status if you'd like… you might be under palace protection, if you only said yes," valide sultan's words were actually inviting, and Wanda could use a shelter after all she's been through. She could calm her thoughts and later try and escape, to find her duke of Massa-Carrara.
,,Alright then," Wanda agreed, letting out feebly ,,I am grateful for your offer, and I'll gladly stay if you let me," she nodded, still sniffing, trying to not think of the inevitable thought of happening to be an orphan at an age of 15 all of a sudden.
,,Great, let me take you to the seraglio then, to let you meet your new friends," Valide sultan smiled at the child, and gently hugged her to her chest, to let her ease some of the sadness she's been keeping in. Despite how Wanda didn't want to, the woman's motherly embrace felt so soothing at the moment, she just leaned in, hugged the Dey's mother back and let all of her sobs into her ample bosom. ,,There, there, child… now you're in good hands, you have my word," Valide sultan consoled the princess, rubbing her back and gently combing her long dark brown locks with her fingers, observing how beautiful hair the young girl had.
Her son will be pleased, after she teaches her manners of ottoman court and the girls will teach her some good techniques. She might even become his favorite odalisque.
Wanda slowly, but surely stopped crying and lifted her face from the valide sultan who didn't move away from the young girl, offering her embrace for as long as princess needed to feel it. The young girl smiled at the elder woman and nodded.
,,Thank you," Wanda let out, receiving a soothing smile in response.
And as the valide sultan ran her hand around her shoulders and asked softly ,,Shall we ?" Wanda nodded again, and willingly let the elder woman lead her out of the audience room.
The Dey smiled at eunuch, thanking him for bringing the princess into the palace, before he looked to the door of audience room where his mother just disappeared with his soon-to-be new evening entertainment.
,,You shall call me valide sultan, or Behice," the elder woman introduced herself one more time and properly on her own now, since he led the girl across the entire palace again to its core, where was the seraglio.
,,Behice ?" Wanda softly asked, wiping her eyes, and looking at the valide sultan.
,,Yes, in our language it means beautiful and merry," Behice smiled at the young princess. ,,I'm sure we will find a nice new name for you as well, you might even choose it on your own," the elder woman continued, as they slowly stepped inside the enormous and quite opulent common room of the seraglio, where have been all the women in the palace. At least the important court women according to the hierarchy system of the palace. They were allowed to be in the Dey's presence or in the presence of the guests of the palace only if they were asked to, the rest of their time they were allowed to spend only in their seraglio.
As soon as Wanda walked in, her eyes widened and her beautiful rosy lips parted in awe once again.
The walls of the common room were covered with emerald green or dark blue tiles and golden engravings. Wanda's eyes were roaming the room, and the light which was illuminating it from the great windows.
This was completely different world then the rest of the palace, and absolutely different than what she had seen on the market place, where it looked rather like a sewer, but here… the grandeur of this whole common room was so overwhelming, she couldn't believe it.
Maybe she truly was lucky to be here. She could have ended up way, way worse than being part of this spacious seraglio meant for women only.
At that very moment she realized, that all of the women in the common room were staring at her and at the valide sultan beside her. Wanda gulped audibly, feeling the rush of heat in her cheeks from the sudden attention of so many eyes she was receiving at the moment.
Hearing very light Turkish music from the slight distance, probably coming from another room, it made her slightly curious how big the seraglio actually was.
,,Girls, I have brought you a new friend to chat with. It is a former princess and the daughter of the princess of Palestrina. The one I have been reading to you about. Our dear Nazim has brought her to us today, and she on my wish became an odalisque, so she is one of us now. Be nice to her, she recently lost both of her parents," Behice very quickly introduced Wanda, while stepping even further inside the common room with her, slowly sitting her on the very soft cushioned floor.
,,She is so pale !" one of the younger girls, probably in Wanda's age quickly jumped right next to princess.
,,Yes, she will gain some color during her stay in our lush garden, you may show her around the seraglio, before I shall come back. Now I have other things to do, but until I come back, why don't you show her to our bath, and maybe feed her," Behice looked over Wanda again, leaning down to her to ask ,,Are you hungry ? You must be, look how skinny you are ! Did the pirates treat you like a piece of rag ? Ohh –poor girl lost her words ever since she is in the palace…"
,,Pirates ?!" a tall, older girl who's been holding a book asked, her palm on her chest to which valide sultan nodded.
Behice kept explaining to the young girls and adult women of the seraglio, who start appearing from all the different rooms to look who's been added to Dey's collection to his ottoman imperial harem. Explaining everything she knew so far about Wanda, who kept looking around herself.
All those women… to serve one man ? And my pirate captain was about to satisfy with my pettiness…
Wanda's head was spinning and it wasn't only because of Behice's fast speech to the girls, but also due to the heat to which she wasn't entirely used to, and due dehydration after very long travel by foot in here, and also due to those overwhelming, sweet, but very heavy scents that were spreading across the common room, making her feel all so dizzy, and more and more sleepy.
The next thing she remembered was falling to the soft cushions, letting the moment completely overwhelm her and set her asleep.
When her eyes fluttered open, she spotted a pair of other chocolate eyes looking straight into hers from above her.
,,Good morning," the magnolia lips smiled at her, making her eyes open further wide.
Wanda slowly narrowed to a sitting position with a loud groan of surprising comfort. She felt so relaxed after so long time since she dropped off in soft cushions.
,,Here, drink this, you must be thirsty," another girl sitting on her side offered her a chalice of water.
Wanda did not hesitate and with humble smile she took the chalice and drank the surprisingly fresh water bottoms up.
After she cleared her throat and softly rubbed her eyes, she finally was able to see all the women surrounded her, all of them smiling at her. Actually, Wanda was so delighted to see their warm smiles.
,,So… how do you feel after your sleep ?" one of the older girls asked, taking the chalice from her and pouring her from carafe another full one.
Wanda took it again and drank this time slower than before and then putting a half-empty chalice on the short table in front of her.
,,Better, thank you. How long was I asleep ?" the princess asked slowly, scooting her knees to her chest, and thoroughly looking over each girl sitting in a circle around her.
She studied their faces, which were all so beautiful, but everyone even the valid sultan thought she was so far the most beautiful of the odalisques.
,,Well you were sleep for nearly a day," the young girl just beside her to her left smiled widely. ,,You must have been really exhausted…" her grin made Wanda somehow ease.
,,I was… umm, how is it, you talk my language ?" that was the only thing princess was thinking about at the moment, not about her lack of sleep in last past weeks, neither of her hunger nor thirst.
,,We are well educated," a tall blonde girl nodded.
,,We know a lot of languages-" another smaller blonde agreed.
,,-And we also know a lot about the land you come from," the raven-haired older girl smiled, lying on the cushions not so far from Wanda.
,,So you are the daughter of the princess of Palestrina ?" another woman asked curiously.
,,Yes, I am," Wanda was only able to nod, when she realized, that she is not longer princess, because both of her parents were dead. In fact, she was truly an orphan. Tears start welling in her eyes, the young princess confused all of the girls.
,,We know about your parents…mine are dead too. I've been rescued from the street, because Behice found me wandering across the market place, and she found me very beautiful. Now I'm in the palace for the seventh year, and I feel so grand to be part of the Dey's seraglio," the young girl beside Wanda nodded, trying to somehow soothe her, that she was in the right place by now, and that she didn't have to be afraid.
,,I am grateful to be here and to be part of your company too, but… nothing can change the fact I shall never see my mother nor father again," Wanda cried softly to her shirt, shaking with her head.
,,Sadness will pass with time," older girl nodded, smiling at young princess with compassion and scooting closer to hug her and try to soothe her.
,,I hope so," Wanda sniffed, wiping her tears away with the sleeve of her shirt.
,,You know what will help you now to relax your mind ?" the older girl who kept still hugging her asked softly, still gently hugging her and caressing her back in soothing circles.
,,What ?" Wanda sniffed again, looking up in those emerald green eyes of a brunette.
,,A nice, odorous bath and fresh clothes, and then some good food, how about that ?" brunette smiled at the princess who slowly nodded.
The girls around her cheered, and start standing up and rushing across the common room, and towards the bath in other part of seraglio, to prepare it for them all, so their newest odalisque wouldn't feel so lonely in there.
Only a tall older brunette with green eyes stayed by her side, helping her slowly up.
,,What is your name, darling ?" she asked, and princess only sniffed again, before letting her name slip off her lips in near whisper.
,,Wanda."
,,It is a truly beautiful name. It almost sounds like Vahide… that means unique," the brunette smiled down at the princess.
At that moment Wanda realized what valide sultan had said before about her name, and that she could choose her new name on her own. She decided that unique sounds perfect to her, because despite being in this seraglio, despite everything she's been through so far, she will still think of herself as of princess Wanda von Rovno Gubernya, and she will always be princess in honor of her parents.
,,Vahide sounds beautiful," Wanda murmured, before adding ,,I have been told, I could choose my new name on my own… I think Vahide is appropriate."
The young princess nodded up at the tall brunette, who smiled widely back at her ,,I quite like it too. Alright then Vahide, my name is Rabia."
Wanda smiled at the melodic name, asking curiously, while her new friend let her towards the baths of seraglio ,,And what does it mean ?"
,,It means forth one," Rabia smiled at Vahide, who found a great shelter in brunette's green eyes.
She felt like she could trust her and share with her anything, quite unawares, that Rabia might become her closest friend and guidance in their following days spend in the seraglio, and shall teach her a lot of useful things.
The very same evening after Wanda, now being newly called as Vahide, got to know every girl and adult woman in seraglio, the eunuch appeared in its common room.
Only eunuchs were allowed to set a foot in the seraglio, to look after the odalisques, slaves, concubines, and the Dey's siblings.
He found Wanda very quickly and approached her with a smile.
,,Wanda-"
,,It's Vahide now. What do you want from me… I have nothing to tell you after you sold me to be a slave," the princess briskly answered, turning away from him, trying to ignore him.
,,Let me explain why I did that," he uttered, putting his palm on her shoulder, but she twitched away, turning to face him and look him in the eyes.
,,I don't want to hear it ! I'm not saying I don't like it here… I don't want to hear anything you say, because you might as well lie to me again… how can I trust you after you did this to me ?" princess said with deadly honest tone of her voice, her eyes piercing his with her question.
,,True, but would you say yes, if I offered you the option of being a part of the Dey's seraglio ?" the eunuch asked very carefully, not wanting to anger her more than she was with him.
Wanda thought for a brief moment before lowering her voice ,,I probably would not."
,,See ? I knew that after your parents' death you might become a target in your motherland, and I wanted to protect you from the horrors of this world after what you've been through. So I decided the best option will be to hide you here… where you shall be taken care of, and where you might find friends. I only meant good for you, you have to trust me princess," eunuch smiled, taking her hands gently in his and offering to her the truest smile of his, just like when he rescued her from the beach.
,,I'm no longer princess here," she uttered sadly, sniffing.
,,To me you still are, and always will be a princess in my eyes, Vahide," eunuch nodded sincerely, squeezing her hands ever so lightly in reassurance.
Her chocolate orbs filled with tears. His words made sense to her, and after his endearment with still thinking of her as of a princess, she felt like she could trust him when he said he didn't mean to hurt her.
Only then Wanda slowly nodded ,,I do trust you-"
,,-Nazim," he smiled, before she repaid his smile with a low nod, her tears escaping her eyes at the moment she hugged him.
,,So you will take care of me here, Nazim ?" she asked, her voice muffled in his chest, while she let her tears cover her cheeks and the fabric of his shirt.
,,Yes, I promise to you I will," the eunuch agreed and with his promise he looked in her eyes, wiping the teardrops off her cheek with his thumb and caressing her cheek to comfort her.