3-3. Factions
The other girls are already assembled for this afternoon's celebration by the time Hürrem and I return to the harem. None of them are aware that Hürrem and I have spent the last hour with the Valide and Daye Hatun. Because of the war, this afternoon's celebration is to be a more modest affair compared to the one held before Sultan Suleiman departed. However the level of excitement is just as great, and everyone seems determined to have a good time. Esme has saved spaces for Hürrem and I around one of the low tables.
Mahidevran's scheming has divided the girls in the harem into factions which coexist in an uneasy peace. In one faction are those who support Mahidevran's vendetta … voluntarily or otherwise; and in the others are those who aren't intimidated by Gülsah's threats, and either support Hürrem, or remain neutral. The girls who remain neutral look to Ayşe for leadership, while Hürrem carefully looks after her own supporters. It is fortunate that both Ayşe and Hürrem are natural leaders, even if neither of them asked for the role.
Since Mahidevran rarely enters our part of the harem, and Gülsah only comes to bully and intimidate the new girls, leadership of Mahidevran's faction within the main harem is in the hands of a girl called Fidan. Until recently Fidan was one of Hatice's maids, but she remained in the Old Palace when Hatice returned to her own home. Hatice probably suspected that Fidan was one of Mahidevran's spies and Hatice took the opportunity to remove Fidan from those around her. Being a personal maid to a sultana is a coveted role because it increases your chances of being noticed by the sultan. Ayşe owes her position as a favourite through just such an encounter while she was Gülfem's personal maid. Being dismissed as a sultana's maid would normally spell disaster for a girl's future, but Fidan seems quite content with what has happened. She is clearly being well looked after by Mahidevran, and Fidan treats her dismissal as little more than a minor setback.
Mahidevran and her maids accompany Daye Hatun and the Valide when they join the celebration. Their arrival is the signal for the music and dancing to begin and the food to be served. Hürrem and I remain seated and wait nervously for the Valide to announce her decision about our future to the whole harem. Unfortunately for us, the Valide doesn't seem to be in a rush to make her announcement. Perhaps the Valide is getting her revenge for the inconvenience Hürrem caused when she said that she was pregnant. As strange as it may seem, neither of us know the outcome of the midwife's inspection of Hürrem in the Valide's suite. The Valide sent us both out of the room before the midwife told the Valide whether or not Hürrem is pregnant.
Everybody is having a good time and the conversation at our table is light and friendly. We watch the dancing and eventually I give in to Esme's urgings to join her on the dance floor. Hürrem is too nervous about the outcome of the midwife's inspection to want to dance. Perhaps I'm the more fortunate of the two of us. Whatever the outcome, the change for Hürrem will be much greater than for me.
We spend the next hour or so enjoying the party. Even Gülsah doesn't seem inclined to spoil the fun. I suspect her relatively good behaviour is because she believes the Valide is about to announce Hürrem's discharge from the harem. Unfortunately I've no idea what the Valide has decided. I'm busy dancing with a dozen other girls in the centre aisle of the harem when I notice Daye Hatun has taken Hürrem aside so that they may talk in private. I sense that the critical moment has arrived and that the Valide is about to make her announcement.
The Valide calls for silence as soon as Daye Hatun and Hürrem return to their respective places. The music stops and the dancers return to their tables. Daye Hatun quickly confers with the Valide while the harem settles down to listen to whatever the Valide has to say.
"I have an announcement to make," says the Valide. "Today seems to be a day full of news. I'm pleased to tell you that Hürrem is expecting Sultan Suleiman's child. As is customary, one of you will have the honour of being assigned to tend and support Hürrem during her pregnancy. Hürrem has requested that Gülnihal be given that honour. Do you accept, Gülnihal?"
"Yes. I accept," I reply, both surprised and relieved at the announcement of my role.
I add a thank you to Hürrem for saving me from the possible fate of being discharged into the harem of the young pasha on my own. I suppose the Valide will now need to find both a new husband and a maid for the pasha. The news that Hürrem is pregnant has the expected results. Mahidevran and her cronies are alarmed and thrown into confusion. Hürrem's supporters, together with many of the girls who have remained neutral in the clandestine battle between Mahidevran and Hürrem, seem genuinely pleased. Even the Valide seems happy at the news, despite the disruption to her carefully prepared plans. I suppose it means that Mahidevran's hold over the Valide is weakened, although it won't disappear entirely unless and until Hürrem gives birth to a new Şehzade … a royal prince. Giving birth to a girl would secure Hürrem's place in one of the royal harems, although not necessarily here in Constantinople. Only the birth of a boy would elevate Hürrem to a sultana and entitle her to a room in the royal wing of the Old Palace's harem.
The Valide has nothing further to announce and the party gradually winds up. As usual the sultanas leave the clearing up to those of us who live in this room. Even the odalisques who live in the other wing of the harem are sent off to their regular duties before they can help us. The rest of us set about clearing the food and restoring our living area to its normal state. By bedtime we have completed the task. Mahidevran's supporters are quiet and subdued. With the prospect of another Şehzade in the harem I suspect a few of them are wavering in their support for Mahidevran's vendetta. Gülsah and Fidan will have to work hard to keep their girls loyal to Mahidevran.
Hürrem had previously told me she would try and enlist the allegiance of Sümbul Aga and Nigar Kalfa. Until now I hadn't noticed any change in the behaviour of either of them and I feared that Hürrem had been unsuccessful. Now, for the first time, I see signs that Hürrem's efforts to attract allies from among the senior harem agas and kalfas is paying off. Nigar Kalfa quickly blocks Fidan's attempts to dampen the happy mood of the girls following the celebration and Hurrem's news. Nigar Kalfa is risking Mahidevran's wrath by challenging Fidan's actions, but she clearly believes Hürrem's fortunes are on the rise. Fidan could complain to Mahidevran in the morning, but the opportunity for Fidan to cause mischief tonight has been lost.
"Gülnihal. Gather your belongings," says Sümbul Aga unexpectedly.
Why?! I have a moment of panic before realising that I'm to be moved nearer to Hürrem. I'm to occupy a vacant place at the other end of the room so that I'm closer to the stairs leading to the mezzanine. Even though there are plenty of unused beds in the rooms on the mezzanine, only favourites are allowed to reside in them. I must perform my support duties for Hürrem while living on the main level of the harem. It's a pointless rule since the agas must allow me to go to the room which Ayşe and Hürrem share to perform whatever my new duties require. Not that anybody has so far told me what those duties include.
Everybody settles down for the night. My new location means I'm sleeping at the end of the line of girls on this side of the harem. On the other side of the floor, opposite my feet, is the staircase leading to the mezzanine. Hürrem can quickly find me should she need me at any time. The girl sleeping next to me is one of the new girls who arrived shortly after the sultan left Constantinople for the war. Her name is Nilüfer and she can't be more than 14 years old … almost too young to be trained as a concubine. As far as I'm aware, she hasn't been subjected to Gülsah's bullying … so far. During this afternoon's celebration, Nilüfer sat at Ayşe's table rather than with the new girls loyal to Mahidevran. Perhaps Gülsah believes Nilüfer is too young to be of much help to Mahidevran's faction. Unfortunately that may change now that I'm sleeping next to Nilüfer. I can well imagine how useful a spy would be living so close to me. Nilüfer is in a position to observe every time Hürrem calls for me. I make up my mind to try and recruit Nilüfer to Hürrem's cause before Gülsah gets her claws into Nilüfer. Talking is not permitted once the lamps are dimmed, so I must wait until morning.
It is near midsummer, so dawn arrives a short while before we are made to get dressed. I wake early and notice Nilüfer is also awake. She is watching me intently and I begin to worry that I am wrong in my estimate of Nilüfer's allegiance. What if she has already been recruited as one of Mahidevran's spies? Perhaps sitting at Ayşe's table yesterday was a clever ruse.
"Is anything wrong?" I ask Nilüfer quietly so as not to wake the others.
"No, I'm fine," replies Nilüfer. "I was just thinking about my sister. You remind me of her in some ways. She's about your age and has the same colour hair."
"Is your sister here in the Old Palace?" I ask.
"No," replies Nilüfer. "I don't know what became of her. Venetian pirates attacked our village and we were both captured. We were split up when we arrived at the slave market. A local bey bought me to give to Sultan Suleiman as a gift. I think he wanted to impress the sultan and prove his loyalty."
"Perhaps you will see your sister again one day," I say, trying to comfort her.
Nilufer's story is an all too familiar one. Unfortunately the chances of Nilüfer seeing any of her family again are extremely remote. In some respects I'm fortunate. I know that all my family died during the Tartar raid in which I was captured. At first it was hard for me to accept my loss, but I have moved on. I can think about my family without reducing myself into a blubbering mess.
"I know that is unlikely," replies Nilüfer. "I must make a new life for myself here."
I suddenly realise why Daye Hatun and the Valide have selected Nilüfer to be trained as a concubine. She shows a quiet confidence and resolve rarely seen in a girl so young. Most girls her age lack the self confidence for the more difficult and demanding task of becoming a hatun. If I can find out what Nilüfer wants to achieve, I may be well on my way to recruiting her as an ally.
"What sort of life do you want to achieve?" I ask. "A sultana? A favourite?"
"No," replies Nilüfer. "I know that is what we are supposed to want, but I don't want to end up trying to compete with the rich and fancy hatun who flutter around the Valide. And I don't want to end up like Mahidevran and be constantly afraid of a never ending list of rivals. Your friend Hürrem has an uphill battle. The Valide and all of the daughters of pashas and beys will never accept her as their equal, regardless of how many royal children she provides."
"So, what do you want to achieve?" I repeat.