1-4. The Golden Path.
Since the favourite is talking to Alexandra in our native language, many of the girls in the harem don't understand her words. But her gestures and tone make her meaning clear. I doubt there is anything really wrong with the food. She has obviously taken a dislike to Alexandra, and is just trying to stamp her authority over her. I wonder how many other girls might try to bait Alexandra after her rebellious attitude has clearly earned her disfavour among those in power.
"Take it yourself if you aren't satisfied," replies Alexandra as she turns to walk back to us.
"Don't you turn your back on me, slave," snaps the girl. "You need to learn your place in the harem. You are a nobody. You are here to do the bidding of your betters. Now take this tray back to the kitchens and have them prepare our food correctly."
"I am not your slave," replies Alexandra. "I belong to Sultan Suleiman. I will obey his bidding. Not yours."
The favourite stands up and for a moment it looks as though she is about to strike Alexandra. Fortunately Nigar Kalfa has been watching the exchange from across the room. At a signal from Nigar Kalfa, the favourite's friends stop the girl before a fight breaks out.
"Nigar Kalfa!" calls the favourite, realising the cause of her friends' sudden intervention. Nigar Kalfa quietly walks towards the favourites' table.
"Ayşe Hatun," Nigar Kalfa says deferentially when she reaches the table. The rest of her words are spoken in Turkish, so I don't understand them. After a short conversation, Nigar Kalfa turns to Alexandra.
"Ayşe Hatun has given you an order," says Nigar Kalfa to Alexandra. "She is one of the sultan's favourites. You are merely an odalisque, so you must obey her orders. Esme, go with Alexandra so that the kitchen staff understand what is required."
Ayşe looks smug while Alexandra is fuming. Nigar Kalfa is clearly not going to stand for any nonsense and she waits while Alexandra reaches for the tray on the table. Ayşe moves to stand in Alexandra's way, determined to make it has hard as possible for Alexandra to carry out her task. Nobody will ever know whether what follows was an accident, or a deliberate act on Alexandra's part. As Alexandra struggles to pick up the tray, one of the bowls topples, and some of the contents spill over Ayşe's fine dress before the bowl can be righted.
"You clumsy oaf!" she snaps. "My dress is ruined. You will pay for a new one!"
"It was an accident, Ayşe," intervenes Nigar Kalfa. "And your dress is hardly ruined. There isn't even a mark on it. Clean up the mess Alexandra, and learn to be more careful in future."
If Nigar Kalfa hadn't been standing there, I'm sure a fight would have broken out. I wouldn't be surprised if Alexandra suddenly refuses, but Esme's urging doesn't give Alexandra time to think about rebelling. Alexandra and Esme take the tray to the kitchen while Nigar Kalfa calms Ayşe with the help of some of the other favourites. Nigar Kalfa's quiet but firm demeanour means she is obeyed, even though the favourites out-rank her in the harem hierarchy. With the immediate drama over, the girls settle down to eat. The favourites, of course, must wait for their meal.
After a few minutes Esme and Alexandra return carrying what suspiciously looks like the same food they had just taken away. This time Esme stays close to Alexandra as she places the tray on the favourite's table. Hunger, and Nigar Kalfa's watchful eye, seem to have overtaken the favourites' desire to antagonise Alexandra any further. With the briefest of curtsies, Alexandra and Esme leave the favourites' table and joins us at the table at the other end of the room.
"Are you all right?" I ask Alexandra when she sits down beside me.
"I will get my revenge on that Ayşe," mutters Alexandra, so only I can hear.
"No you won't," says Esme, who must have better hearing than Alexandra credited. "She is one of the sultan's favourites. You are playing with fire if you displease her. Your future success in this harem depends on attracting Sultan Suleiman's attention. You stand a better chance of that if you are friendly towards his current favourites … all of them."
We halt our conversation while we eat. The food is plain and not very appetising to look at, but it is the best meal I have eaten in nearly a month. Despite Alexandra's anger at what has happened she still manages to eat well. The girls around us stack their bowls onto the trays as soon as they have finished eating. We follow their example.
"Collect the tray you brought from the kitchen, and follow me," says Esme to Alexandra, Rebecca, Sarah and I.
Alexandra baulks at going back to the favourites' table to collect their tray. She's not the only one who anticipates trouble.
"I'll collect your tray, Alexandra," I say. "You collect mine."
"No!" replies Alexandra. "I will do it. I'll not let them think that I'm afraid of them."
She promptly walks over to the favourites' table to collect the tray. They must see her coming and two of them change their positions so that Alexandra cannot reach the tray. They blatantly ignore Alexandra's attempt to collect their tray. I look around to see if Nigar Kalfa is here so that she can intervene. Unfortunately she has left the room and none of the agas are nearby. Esme walks over to where Alexandra is standing. So far Alexandra is waiting patiently, but I can tell from her fidgeting that her patience is wearing thin.
Esme says something in Turkish to the favourites. They ignore her and Esme repeats what she said. One of the favourites replies in a sharp tone that is obviously a rebuke. Esme looks shocked and she quickly curtsies and backs away.
"They require you to apologize for your behaviour earlier, and to go down on your knees to beg for their forgiveness," says Esme to Alexandra.
"They will have a long wait before that happens," replies Alexandra, folding her arms as a sign of defiance for the benefit of those who don't understand her words.
The whole room waits in silence for what seems like an eternity, but in reality can't have been more than a minute. Ayşe tires of waiting and she stands up and turns towards Alexandra.
"You need to learn your place, slave!" she snaps at Alexandra.
Ayşe lifts her arm and tries to strike Alexandra's face, but Alexandra blocks her swing. A tussle between the two girls breaks out before any of the nearby girls can react. Before they can be parted there is a loud voice which receives instant obedience. Since the command is in Turkish I don't know what was said, but it's meaning is very clear. Both Ayşe and Alexandra stop fighting and look towards the source of the voice. I too look up at the mezzanine above us. Daye Hatun and two other finely dressed women are looking down on us. The expressions on their faces indicate that they are far from happy.
"Alexandra! You have a very short memory," the older of the two women with Daye Hatun says in our language. "Have you forgotten our earlier conversation?"
"No, Valide Sultan," replies Alexandra with a deep curtsey. "I was trying to collect the tray and these girls prevented me from doing so."
"I saw what happened," replies the Valide Sultan. "You are new here so I shall make allowances. Just this once. Now collect your tray and take it away."
Ayşe looks daggers at Alexandra, who quickly obeys the Valide's orders. Esme ushers the four of us out of the room with our trays. As we leave the room I hear the Valide say something in Turkish to Ayşe. Something which turns Ayşe's scowl into a smile. It is obviously good news, as several of Ayşe's friends look pleased as well. I just hope the cause of their delight is not going to be at Alexandra's expense.
Esme takes us to a basement room fitted with a number of large sinks along one wall. The girls from the other room are already here. They are busy washing the bowls and stacking them inside a line of cupboards along the opposite wall. We do the same under Esme's supervision. The whole process takes about half an hour. We return upstairs to our room to find a buzz of activity around Ayşe. Most of the girls are sat watching while several girls add the finishing touches to Ayşe's outfit. She's wearing the most magnificent gown I have ever seen, and is adorned in expensive jewellery. Her hair is immaculate. It's amazing that such a transformation has been achieved in little more than half an hour.
"What's going on?" I ask the girl I met earlier who speaks our language.
"The sultan has summoned Ayşe to his chambers. She is to walk the golden path tonight. It is the fifth time she has been summoned, although it's the first time since he has become sultan. There were rumours spreading that he no longer had time for the pleasures of his harem. Fortunately that rumour seems to be untrue. Perhaps Ayşe will become the sultan's new first favourite. If that happens then Mahidevran Sultan won't be pleased."
"Mahidevran?" asks Alexandra. "Who is she?"
"The mother of the sultan's eldest son, Mustafa. It was Mahidevran who you saw with the Valide and Daye Hatun earlier. Mahidevran doesn't like competition for Sultan Suleiman Khan's favours."
"What about the other favourites?" continues Alexandra. "Don't they get jealous?"
"Sometimes. But they know the sultan may be watching us at any time, so everyone is on their best behaviour."
"Watching us? How?"
"Do you see that grill in the wall over there?" says Esme, pointing to a thick metal grill in the wall at one end of the room. We nod in response. "Behind the grill is a viewing room for those privileged to use it. Sultan Suleiman, or Ibrahim, the Master of the Royal Bedchamber, may go there at any time and watch us. It is one of the ways a girl is selected as the sultan's next bed partner."
"Do you mean Sultan Suleiman could be watching us now?" asks Sarah.
"It's possible, but unlikely," says Esme. "Ayşe has been ordered to go to the New Palace, where the sultan normally resides. This is the Old Palace and Sultan Suleiman only visits here when he wishes to visit his mother, the Valide."
"When do we get to meet the sultan," asks Alexandra.
"You only get to meet the sultan if he or the Valide orders your presence. You don't speak any Turkish, so you are far from ready for that privilege. But you may glimpse him from time to time as he moves about the palace."
"So what do we do in the meantime?" asks Rebecca.
"You work; you learn; and you prepare yourself for the day that you are lucky enough to be called to walk the golden path."