2-4. Harem celebration
The afternoon celebration in the harem gets underway. I've never attended one of these events before, and I'm confused by the strange mix of formal and informal partying. The Valide and Hatice each occupy one of the two divans placed on one side of the harem, about halfway along the room. Gülfem joins them but sits on a cushion to one side. A group of girls are sat with their musical instruments on the other side of the central aisle, facing the Valide. Everyone is dressed in their finest clothes and jewellery. Although I don't possess more than the standard white and grey dress we were issued when we arrived, it's a chance for me to wear the necklace Sultan Suleiman gave me. Hürrem and the other performers from last night do likewise.
Those higher in the harem hierarchy are sat closest to the Valide and her maids. Hürrem, Efsun, Esme and I are sat at a low table some distance away. Despite the earlier tension between Hürrem and Ayşe, everybody is enjoying themselves. Even the arrival of Mahidevran and her maids doesn't break the mood. Gülsah roughly barges through a group of girls dancing in the central aisle but they simply regroup and continue with their dance. Mahidevran sits next to Hatice while Gülsah finds a space nearby so that she is ready if Mahidevran needs anything.
"Hürrem," calls Daye Hatun when there is a break in the music. "Come over here."
Hürrem stands and goes to where Daye Hatun is waiting besides the Valide. The Valide is busy talking to Hatice and Mahidevran, so at first she doesn't notice Hürrem's arrival in their midst. Hürrem makes a quick curtsey in front of the Valide, who finally acknowledges her presence and invites her to sit with them … not on one of the divans, but on one of the nearby cushions used by Gülfem and the favourites. This places Ayşe and Hürrem within striking distance of each other. I just hope Hürrem realises she is being tested, and I breath a sigh of relief when I see that she does.
With Ayşe and Hürrem busy watching each other like hawks, I don't think either of them notice the look of pure hatred on Mahidevran's face when she looks at them. It is common knowledge in the harem that Mahidevran is the jealous sort and that she ruthlessly uses her position as a sultana in the royal household to protect her interests. The Valide may want Sultan Suleiman to sire many more male heirs from his concubines, but that isn't a goal which is shared by Mahidevran.
Regardless of Mahidevran's own personal agenda, she dare not openly defy the Valide. Her actions are therefore always done in secret through intermediaries such as her maid, Gülsah. Conversations within earshot of the Valide are all polite and kept to safe subjects. The party continues for a couple of hours with plenty of food and dancing, before the Valide finally calls a halt to the merriment.
"Your attention please girls," says the Valide. "I hope you have enjoyed this afternoon's celebration. I regret it will be the last for a while. Our army is preparing for war and we must all make sacrifices to help raise the money to pay our gallant warriors. From tomorrow the stipends paid to everyone in the palace will be reduced and we shall make other economies where we can."
There's a groan from some of the girls. We get paid next to nothing as it is. Reducing our stipend further will mean we can buy even less from the market women who visit the harem from time to time. Daye Hatun quickly silences anyone who is complaining. The Valide refuses to answer our many questions about the pending war. All she will say is that Sultan Suleiman will join his army in a few weeks time and will be away for quite a while.
I look at Hürrem to see how she is taking the news. From her point of view the timing couldn't be worse. Her scheduled assignation with Sultan Suleiman may be postponed for months … and even if it does occur tomorrow, there will be little opportunity for Hürrem to become a favourite. Few girls become a favourite after only one night with the sultan. The current favourites all achieved their position while they were in the then Prince Suleiman's harem at Manisa during Sultan Selim's reign. If Ayşe is to be believed, the current sultan made much more frequent use of the girls in his harem before Mahidevran was elevated to the rank of sultana. It is only pressure from the Valide for more heirs which is making Sultan Suleiman take other girls to his bed.
The pending war is the sole topic of conversation as we help tidy the harem after the party. As we expected, the sultanas and the favourites returned to their rooms as soon as the Valide departed, leaving us to tidy up our living space by ourselves. There's plenty of food left over which will apparently be distributed to the poorer citizens of the capital. Nigar Kalfa arrives and under her supervision we soon have our room back to normal.
Hürrem is very quiet that evening as though she is thinking deeply about something. The discussions about the war have finally stopped … there's only so much you can say when you have no information. Tomorrow is Hürrem's big day, and as her best friend, I intend to do all I can to help her make tomorrow night a success.
My good intentions unfortunately come to nothing. Daye Hatun takes Hürrem away after breakfast for some final tuition and to help her prepare for tonight. I and the other trainee concubines must attend our usual lessons. I do my best to concentrate on my lessons, but it is obvious my mind is elsewhere today. Fortunately the tutors seem willing to overlook my distraction.
I finally get to see Hürrem a few hours before she is due to walk the golden path to the sultan's bedchamber. She is already looking gorgeous and has been provided with a choice of beautiful gowns. Several girls have been assigned to help Hürrem and I'm surprised to see two of the favourites helping her as well. If the favourites are plotting any sabotage, then it is well disguised and escapes the watchful eye of Nigar Kalfa.
The moment arrives when Hürrem is to walk the golden path. Sümbul Aga arrives to escort her to where Sultan Suleiman will be waiting.
"Esme, Gülnihal," calls Sümbul Aga. "Get yourselves ready. You will come with us as Hürrem's maids of honour."
I gasp in surprise. It is customary for a girl summoned to the sultan's rooms to be accompanied by two maids. It's a service Hürrem and I performed for Mahidevran not that long ago. It was the occasion when we first spoke to Sultan Suleiman. To be selected tonight is both an honour and an arduous duty. Esme and I must wait outside the Sultan's room until Hürrem is dismissed and then escort her back to the harem.
Sümbul leads us along the corridors to the waiting carriage which will transport us from the Old Palace to the New Palace where Sultan Suleiman normally resides. This is the first time Hürrem and I have been out of the Old Palace since we arrived. On the previous occasions when we have seen the sultan, he has been visiting the Old Palace. The thick curtains over the door and windows of the carriage mean we cannot see out during the journey between the two palaces.
We soon arrive at the New Palace and are ushered through a side entrance. Sümbul Aga allows us a few moments to straighten Hürrem's clothing and hair before leading us along yet more corridors to the sultan's bedchamber. There are considerably more guards on duty here in the New Palace. Every corridor has at least one guard stationed somewhere along its length.
Finally we near our destination. Suddenly Sümbul Aga pulls us up before we reach the grand door with two guards stationed outside. I look around Sümbul Aga to see what is causing the delay. There, looking very smug with herself is Gülsah. She is with another girl whom I recognise as another of Mahidevran's maids. It must mean the Mahidevran is with the sultan at this moment.
Sümbul Aga is undecided about what to do. His dilemma is solved with the arrival of Ibrahim, Master of the Royal Bedchamber. As strange as Ibrahim's title sounds, his position wields great power. Ibrahim effectively controls access to the Sultan Suleiman while the sultan is in his room. Which means Ibrahim is aware of Mahidevran's presence with the sultan.
It strikes me as strange that the sultan would summon Mahidevran when he knew Hürrem would be arriving at any moment. It would be tactless in the extreme to allow Mahidevran to witness Hürrem's arrival given the purpose of Hürrem's visit. It is more likely that Mahidevran chose to visit his rooms at this moment. As a sultana, she is permitted to leave the harem when she likes unless the Valide has expressly forbidden it.
"You can return to the Old Palace," says Ibrahim. "The arrangements for tonight have been changed."
Hürrem is furious and I grab her arm in an attempt to stop her from letting fly with a string of curses. Sümbul Aga clearly thinks this change of plan is most strange, but he must take orders from Ibrahim. Between us we might have taken Hürrem away without any trouble had it not been for Gülsah making it obvious that Mahidevran's presence here tonight is a deliberate move to sabotage Hürrem's tryst with the sultan. Gülsah may be strong and fiercely loyal to Mahidevran, but nobody would ever call her clever. Ibrahim is more than a little annoyed that his obvious complicity in Mahidevran's scheming has been revealed by Gülsah. Hürrem tells Gülsah what she thinks of her and her mistress in a loud voice. The effect of Hürrem's tirade is lost on Gülsah, who can only understand Turkish. Hürrem had slipped back into using our native language in her anger. Fortunately only I understood her invective about Mahidevran. Had anybody else understood her words then Hürrem would be punished severely.
Sümbul Aga takes us back to the Old Palace where Esme and I help Hürrem change back into her ordinary clothes in a side room. The other girls in the harem must realise something has gone wrong but know better than to ask. Nigar Kalfa arrives and I explain what has happened. She does her best to calm Hürrem although I fear it is an uphill battle.
"Stop your sulking, Hürrem," snaps Nigar Kalfa. "Don't forget your status in this palace. You will face stronger challenges than this if you still plan on gaining Sultan Suleiman's affections. The sultan will call for you another night if he wishes. If he doesn't, then there is nothing you can do about it. Your immediate task is to face the other girls in the harem. Do that with grace and you might survive in this harem."
To my surprise Nigar Kalfa's words do the trick. Hürrem calms down and composes herself before we join the other girls as they prepare for bed.