1-5. A favourite's reward.
Ayşe is helped in her final preparations by Nigar Kalfa and three of the white-and-grey clad odalisques. I'm surprised that the preparations are done in the main room, and not in the privacy of Ayşe's room upstairs. All of the other favourites who were helping Ayşe earlier have disappeared back to their rooms. Ayşe is looking beautiful in her silk gown and plentiful jewellery. She is ready when Sümbul Aga arrives to escort her to the New Palace and Sultan Suleiman's bedchamber. There is a buzz of excitement among the odalisques when Ayşe is escorted from the harem. Even I briefly imagine myself being in Ayşe's place.
Once Ayşe has gone we settle down to talk and relax. My inability to speak Turkish means I can't participate in the other girls' conversation, and Alexandra is still brooding over her fight with Ayşe. My mind wanders to what is happening to Ayşe. Before my capture I was considered too young to engage in any activity that might be considered sexual. My mother taught me the basics of reproduction, but nothing about the emotional side of a sexual relationship. My two weeks in the hands of the Tartars added substantially to my knowledge about sex, to the extent my emotions are now a confused mix of desire and fear. Desire for the touch and intimate caress of a man, but fearful of being hurt in the way the Tartars abused the captured women they defiled. Will I ever overcome my fear and become a good concubine? That's a question to which I would like to know the answer.
Before long an aga enters the harem and issues orders in Turkish which Alexandra, Rebecca, Sarah and I don't understand. When we see the other odalisques taking bedrolls out of a large storage cupboard, we follow their example. Without further instruction, each girl lays out her bedroll next to the chest holding her belongings. She then places the sheet and quilt from the chest onto her bed. Esme watches us from her side of the room. She seems satisfied that we are following the example of the other girls and she doesn't bother to come over to us. Once our sleeping mats are prepared, we follow the other girls towards the baths in the basement. Some of the girls take a quick bathe in one of the pools, but most simply wash their faces and arms in the large basins. After ablutions we return to the dormitory and we all change into our slips.
Many of the girls are chatting as we change. Although I cannot understand what they are saying, I can hear Ayşe's name mentioned several times. All conversation abruptly ends when Daye Hatun enters the room. The girls who are not yet in bed promptly finish their preparations and get under their quilt. When she is satisfied we have all settled down, Daye Hatun snuffs out most of the candles and says what I assume is 'goodnight'. The room is almost completely dark, with just sufficient light from the remaining candles to find our way to the toilets or baths in case of need. Most of the girls fall asleep quickly, but it takes me a while to stop thinking about today and what tomorrow may bring.
I don't remember falling asleep, but I sleep well enough despite my new surroundings. It is still quite early when we are woken. The high windows at either end of the room provide the only natural light to reach our dormitory. The sky outside seems to be dark grey, with only a hint of coming dawn. Alexandra and I follow the other girls lead and wash and dress quickly. I notice that none of the favourites has been made to get up at this hour.
A different group of odalisques are assigned to the task of collecting our breakfast from the kitchens. We eat breakfast in relative silence so as not to disturb the sleep of those upstairs. We have all finished our breakfast and packed our bedding away by the time the early morning sun is brightening the room through the high windows. Nigar Kalfa arrives with three other similarly dressed women. We all line up either side of the central aisle. I realise the costume Nigar Kalfa wears must be some kind of uniform.
"The new girls will come with me," Nigar Kalfa says in our language. She then says more words in Turkish, which must be instructions to the other girls. At her signal, Rebecca, Sarah, Alexandra and I follow her out of the room. She takes us along a narrow corridor and up a flight of stairs to a small room containing a large desk and benches.
"This is one of the teaching rooms," says Nigar Kalfa. "You will soon become familiar with this room and those like it along the corridor. From now on you will spend every morning, six days a week, being educated. Firstly you will learn Turkish. Three weeks from today you will be expected to conduct all conversations in Turkish when you are inside the harem. So study hard."
"What else are we to be taught?" asks Rebecca. "I didn't think being a concubine required so much preparation."
"You will be taught many things ranging from reading and writing, to the history of the Ottoman Empire. You will be taught how to behave, and how to address your betters. Should you be so fortunate as to be called to walk the golden path, you will be expected to have an intelligent conversation with the sultan. Later on, should you bear him a son, then you will be responsible for managing your son's development. Any son of the sultan may become the next ruler of the Ottoman Empire, so your duty will be to make sure your son is ready and able to do so. This is not a task that can be assigned to some ignorant peasant girl. Only when you are suitably educated will you be allowed to walk the golden path."
We spend the entire morning learning Turkish words and grammar. It is tedious, but by midday we at least know enough to hold a stilted conversation in Turkish. Nigar Kalfa is a patient teacher and never raises her voice, even though our frequent mistakes must frustrate her.
"We are done with your lessons for today," says Nigar Kalfa several hours later. "I suggest you practise what you have learned this morning while you are busy working this afternoon. But before we go, I must warn you about one of the traditions in the Imperial Harem. Any slave entering this harem puts her past behind her. You must forget your lives before you came here. Dwelling on your past life will only bring you grief. To emphasise your subjugation to the sultan and the Ottoman Empire, you will each be given a new name. Daye Hatun will tell you your new name before the evening meal. Thereafter you must only ever use your new name. Please remember this because you will be punished if you fail to obey."
The four of us look at each other in shock. Our names are our last links to our previous lives, and now even those are to be taken from us. We do our best to put on a brave face as we collect the writing book we have been given and follow Nigar Kalfa back to our room. I feel like crying at the thought of being made to use a slave name, but I know it won't make any difference in the end. In my heart I will always be Maria. I will just have to hide Maria deep down inside me.
As we walk back to our room we notice the other odalisques have also been at lessons. Even some of the favourites are with them. When we reach our room I see a group of five favourites clustered at one end of the room. As Alexandra and I walk closer I realise one of them is Ayşe. She is full of excitement and busy showing off a new ring and necklace.
"A present from the sultan," observes Esme who has moved next to us. "He must have been pleased with Ayşe's company for him to give her such expensive gifts. Perhaps she will now be in a better mood."
Unfortunately the moment Ayşe sees Alexandra her happy face turns into a scowl and she walks towards us. If there was anywhere to go to avoid conflict I would pull Alexandra away, but there is nowhere for us to go.
"See what Sultan Suleiman thinks of me," Ayşe says to Alexandra as she flashes her new jewellery in front of our eyes. "Do you think Roxelani peasant girls are ever going to deserve such a gift. Learn your place, slave, and submit to those who are your betters."
The whole room has goes silent. Ayşe and Alexandra face each other as though daring the other to blink. Esme intervenes before something bad happens.
"Your ring and necklace are magnificent, Ayşe," says Esme with a slight curtsey. "Did Sultan Suleiman make them himself?"
"No, but these are from his personal collection," replies Ayşe. "He only gifts the jewellery he makes to the sultanas."
Despite the impasse between Ayşe and Alexandra, the tension eases. Esme's intervention has diffused the situation. Taking advantage of the lull, Esme quickly ushers Alexandra and I to another part of the room.
"Is what Ayşe says correct?" I ask. "Does the sultan actually make jewellery?"
"Yes," replies Esme. "He is a skilled jeweller, and a poet as well. When he gets the time."
"Well I shall earn a piece of his jewellery. And soon," says Alexandra with determination. "Then that Ayşe will be put in her place."
"Hush, Alexandra," I whisper. "You don't know what you are saying."
The arrival of more girls diverts our attention to other matters. Trays of snacks arrive from the kitchen, which must be our midday meal. We follow the other girls' lead and help ourselves to food from the trays. As we sit in a group I'm pleasantly surprised that I can actually understand snippets of the conversation going on around me. This morning's lesson on the Turkish language has been very helpful.
The afternoon's activities, however, are less educational. All the odalisques spend the afternoon sewing. Some girls spend their time repairing the sultanas dresses, while others make new garments. My fingers are quite sore by the time we are ordered to put our work away. Daye Hatun enters the room with the ten other girls who arrived with Alexandra, Rebecca, Sarah, and I. The four of us are told to join the other new arrivals on one side of the room. Everyone else gathers on the other side of the aisle. Their chattering stops when Daye Hatun gives them a fierce look.
"Every slave girl who enters the service of the Ottoman sultan must give up her past," says Daye Hatun to the fourteen of us. "There is only a future before you. The Valide Sultan has decided on names for you all and you shall bear your new name with pride. Your old name is no more."
Daye Hatun walks along our line. As she stops before each of us, she says our new name so the whole room can hear.
"Gülnihal" she says to me.
"Hürrem," she says to Alexandra.
Maria and Alexandra are no more. Except deep in our hearts. From here on we begin our new lives as Gülnihal and Hürrem.