9-3 Veil dance

Palace entertainments are supposed to be artistic rather than crude titillation, although there is often a fine line between the two. A veil dance is traditionally reserved for smaller and more private gatherings, particularly if the dancer is expected to end up naked. Nobody is surprised that Şah Sultan has already decreed that the gathering tonight is too public for the girls to be expected to shed all their clothes. Not that a few veils can be regarded as more than minimal covering. Very few dancers will feel comfortable performing a veil dance before such a large audience. I suspect Kadir has had a hand in selecting this dance rather than one of the more appropriate alternatives.

The girls look nervous as they wait to begin, but I suspect each dancer will lose any inhibitions once the dancing begins. It is likely the dancers will become emotionally charged at the prospect of winning the purple handkerchief. As the dance progresses the audience and dancers may become lost in a frenzy, and each girl encouraged to do whatever is necessary to win.

I still feel worried about Anna's decision to dance tonight. Only a few weeks ago she was hesitant about undressing in the harem baths. Tonight she will be displaying her body in front of many strangers, most of them male. While she isn't being required to shed all her clothes, a few veils offer no protection to a girl's modesty once her body begins to sweat.

The look of anticipation on the three brothers' faces is almost comical. A herd of elephants could stampede through the room and they probably wouldn't notice. Their eyes are locked onto where the dancers wait for the signal to begin.

I study the six dancers in turn. Each girl is clothed in nothing more than three or four veils tied strategically around her body. The size and colour of the veils, and the extent to which their bodies are covered, differs from girl to girl. Gülriz has chosen four very long veils wrapped several times around her body. Collectively they hide most of her face, torso and upper legs. Only her arms and lower legs are uncovered. It's the most modest of the six girls' costumes, but it will also be the hardest to dance in successfully. If one of the veils slips slightly, then she could quickly become entangled in metres of the gauzy cloth.

Melek has chosen a three veil outfit which leaves her head and midriff bare. It's an unimaginative but safe option for a veil dance. If Melek intends to win the purple handkerchief, then her dancing rather than her costume must capture Ahmed's approval. Her choice of costume, however, suggests that she isn't really interested in winning tonight.

Emete has opted for three longer veils than Melek, which are draped around her in a more alluring way. She has shown some originality in the way the costume is fastened and I hope for her sake that it holds together. Perhaps she intends for the costume to be removed at some point, but it would be unfortunate if it fell apart in the opening moments. I can tell that she is going to try and win someone's favour tonight, but somehow I don't think that person is Ahmed.

I move my attention to Aysun, Nuray and Anna. None of them have had any experience in performing a veil dance, so they will have had to rely on Afife and her helpers to assist them in preparing their outfits. Fortunately they seem to have received sound advice and each costume is tantalizingly different. Aysun wears a daring four veil outfit. She lacks Gülriz's dancing experience, so Aysun has wisely chosen shorter veils. It leaves more of her body exposed, but reduces the risk of unfortunate accidents with the costume.

Nuray has opted for a more modest three long veil costume, which places her at a disadvantage if she hopes to win the purple handkerchief. I understand the reason for her choice, but this isn't the sort of competition which is won without taking risks.

Anna's choice of costume is in the daring category. Her costume alone would cause any man's temperature to rise. I'm not certain why she is trying so hard, since I doubt that she really wants to win the purple handkerchief. From where I'm sat it looks as though her costume is made up of a single long veil, but it will most likely consist of two or three identical smaller veils. The way it is draped over her body is unusual and alluring. I hope she realises that once her body starts to perspire during her dancing, then her gauzy costume will cling to her and leave nothing for the audience's imagination. Perhaps that is her intention, although I hardly recognise her as the Anna von Erdödy I escorted here to Edirne.

The music starts and the hum of conversation immediately stops. You can practically feel the anticipation of the audience. The dancing lasts for nearly ten minutes, with each girl given the chance to dance close to Ahmed and his brothers. Each girl puts on her best performance. Even Melek is wise enough to know that Şah Sultan will have her punished if she puts on a lacklustre show. As I anticipated, Emete's costume suddenly disintegrates while she is dancing close to the sultanzades. She quickly recovers her veils and wraps them around her as though it was an accident. A clever move which is certainly appreciated by the brothers. Şah Sultan is clearly less impressed and I fear Emete may feel the sultana's wrath tomorrow.

While Ahmed is the guest of honour, and it is he who will be awarding the purple handkerchief, I can tell that not all of the girls are dancing for his eyes alone. Gülriz and Emete have their eyes on Ramazan, while Melek looks at Kadir more often than not. Anna simply seems lost in the heady rhythm of the music, leaving Aysun and Nuray to compete for Ahmed's attention.

The dance ends to rapturous applause from the audience. The dancers are told to line up facing Ahmed, and Emete is given a couple of moments to rearrange her costume. The time has arrived for Ahmed to make his decision. He walks along the line of girls and thanks each one of them for their performance. Finally her returns to Aysun and tucks the purple handkerchief between her breasts. She grasps the handkerchief quickly in case it should fall to the floor. It's only a myth that allowing the handkerchief to drop to the floor is regarded as a rejection of the prize, but Aysun obviously doesn't believe in taking chances.

I'm delighted for Aysun, despite my belief that a more experienced girl may have been a better choice for Ahmed on this occasion. Nuray is disappointed, but she is must learn that she is one of many concubines, and that she must earn her place in Ahmed's affections. That means taking risks from time to time. As for the other four dancers, I think none of them are disappointed at the outcome. Kadir is looking at Melek with new interest, although he's probably furious at Emete for encouraging Ramazan's attention. However, Melek is keeping Kadir preoccupied, so he doesn't notice that Ramazan, Gülriz and Emete are already leaving the gathering together. I call Anna over to where Irem and I are sitting.

"That was a fantastic performance," I congratulate her. "Your costume is clinging to you. It might be better to go and change before Afife Kalfa takes your things back to the harem. The party will continue for a few more hours yet."

Anna makes a move to leave, but Irem grabs her hand and pulls her back to the cushion. Anna's face lights up in response. I suddenly realise something I only subconsciously noticed before. Irem and Anna are attracted to each other. Suddenly I understand Anna's motives. Anna's decision to dance tonight was for Irem's benefit. By dancing Anna not only made it clear that she didn't see her marriage as a barrier, but also to encourage Irem's interest. It wasn't a very wise thing to do. Intimate relationships are prohibited between slave girls in the harem, and those rules should apply to members of the dynasty. Şah Sultan in unlikely to approve of her daughter having deep feelings for another girl, particularly if they are displayed in public. A few moments later, Irem and Anna excuse themselves and leave the room.

"Our rebellious countess likes playing with fire," says Şah Sultan when she sees me watching them leave the room. "My daughter will be married soon and she'll learn to favour a man soon enough."

I'm not certain changing Irem's sexual leanings will be as easy as that, but it's none of my business. I'm more concerned that Şah Sultan isn't pleased about Irem and Anna, and that there may be consequences which Anna won't like.

"I'm very pleased with your work in training Ahmed's girls," continues Şah Sultan. "I've persuaded Ahmed to allow the girls to complete their concubine training. I should appreciate it if you would continue to assist Birgül and Didem with the girls' training while you are here."

"I'll be delighted to help," I reply, realising that I've become close to the girls. "Have you received word on how long I'm likely to be here?"

"Missing your husband already?" laughs Şah Sultan. "I'm sorry to say that I haven't received any news on that front. But something is brewing. My husband has received instructions from the Grand Vizier in Constantinople to muster the Edirne regiment and have it march east. Kadir will be taking command of the regiment within the next week. I looks like another war is close at hand."

I'm disappointed but not surprised at the news. I knew Hasan wouldn't have been sent on his mission unless there was a good reason. Unfortunately, if war breaks out, then it could be months, if not years, before I see him again. In the meantime, I suppose I will have to get used to the frustration I feel at the moment. Like many others here tonight, I've been affected by the heavy sexual overtones of the entertainment. A few hours alone with Hasan would be the ideal cure for the emotional tension which has built up inside me. It looks like I'm going to have to settle for a cold bath once I get back to the harem. In the meantime I make small talk with Şah Sultan, Leyla and Candan while we enjoy more of the food.

A few hours later Serhan Pasha signals that the gathering is over, and the audience starts to disperse. Şah Sultan, Leyla and Candan leave almost immediately, but Ahmed seems to be waiting for his father. A few of the guests have taken the opportunity to talk with Serhan Pasha, so Ahmed could be waiting for quite a while. I'm the only girl from the harem still here. Emete, Melek and Anna are occupied elsewhere, and all of the others who arrived with me were escorted back to the harem shortly after the dancing finished.

While the corridors should be safe enough for a woman to travel alone, I decide against walking back unescorted. I've never forgotten that time when Hürrem was attacked while she was returning alone to the harem in Constantinople. I'm about to ask a servant to find an aga to escort me back to the harem when Ahmed comes over to where I'm sat.

"Do you require an escort back to the harem, Gülnihal Çelebi?" asks Ahmed. "If so, I would be pleased to be your escort."

Ahmed's offer takes me by surprise. He's only briefly glanced in my direction all night, even when his two brothers left him on his own. Neither I nor anybody else regard it as Ahmed's duty to see to my safety, but it's an offer I can't really refuse without the risk of causing offence. I accept his offer and moments later we leave the hall together.

"Tell me about the girl who received the purple handkerchief," says Ahmed as we walk along the corridors. "Have I made the right choice?"

The reason for Ahmed's offer to escort me becomes clear. He wants to interrogate me for information about Aysun. He knows nothing about her. I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't even know her name.

"Despite their inexperience, each of the girls bought for your harem is eager to do her best to please you," I reply carefully. "I don't know enough about the other dancers to compare them to your girls. They are older, of course, and more experienced. Only you can say whether you made the right choice tonight."

"I was never going to choose one of Ramazan's or Kadir's girls," laughs Ahmed. "I may be young, but I'm not stupid. But what about the girl I chose. Tell me about her. Kadir tells me that she's Austrian."

"Aysun is English. None of your girls are Austrian. Aysun has been a good student and has worked hard at her lessons. As you saw tonight, she is a graceful dancer who will undoubtedly become a great dancer with more practise. She has a better understanding of Turkish than some of the others, although she needs more lessons before she'll be able to hold a long conversation."