The Chief Eunuch wiped the sweat from his brow and took a step back, as if the words he had just heard had thrown his mind into chaos.
"God forgive me… This woman has completely lost her wits!" he muttered to himself.
Then, turning to Cevher Kalfa with a suspicious glare, he asked,
"Has this woman even entered the private chamber yet?"
Cevher lowered her gaze, her hands clasped in front of her. Her face flushed with a mix of fear and shame.
"No, my lord, not yet," she said softly.
The Chief Eunuch's expression twisted with a blend of anger and disbelief.
"Then what in God's name is she talking about?!"
Ayşen froze for a moment, her breath caught in her throat. Her mind was just beginning to grasp the weight of the words that had spilled from her lips. But she had no intention of backing down.
Lifting her head defiantly, she snapped,
"So what if it didn't happen in the palace? Must it always be under royal roofs? Didn't our Sultan specifically ask for me? We met beforehand!"
Her own voice echoed in her ears. And in that very moment, a chilling thought crossed her mind:
"What did I just say? What if they accuse me of adultery and hang me?"
The Chief Eunuch's face grew darker.
"Woman, your body is broken in every way!" he growled through clenched teeth. "You think a woman in such condition could carry a child safely? And even if she did… that child would be born damaged!"
Ayşen's panic swelled inside her, but she masked it well. There was no turning back now.
"I'm not leaving!" she shouted firmly. "If Sultan Murad doesn't come, I will take my own life! Didn't he order you to protect me? If you disobey his command, it's your head that will roll!"
The air in the room turned frigid.
The Chief Eunuch squinted at her, silently measuring her words. He knew she had a point. If anything were to happen to a woman under the Sultan's protection, the blame would fall squarely on him.
A heavy silence fell over the room. At last, he took a deep breath and muttered with gritted teeth,
"Fine! I'll see what I can do!"
With a sharp flick of his robe, he stormed toward the door, grumbling as he went,
"And fix her manner of speaking while you're at it! She sounds like some foreigner!"
Cevher Kalfa immediately bowed respectfully.
"Yes, my lord. I'll handle it."
When the Chief Eunuch slammed the door behind him, Ayşen exhaled deeply. She had just saved her life… but this was only the beginning.
As her gaze drifted into the void, she whispered to herself,
"I've bought a little time… but what now?"
Inside her, both Mahperi's voice and her own fears echoed. She would have to face Sultan Murad… and not just for her own fate, but for the fate of the past and the future.
Cevher Kalfa, eyes wide with horror, hissed angrily,
"Woman, you've truly gone mad! Pregnant?! They'll take your head, and you won't even see it coming!"
She smacked Ayşen's arm in frustration.
Ayşen yelped in pain and grabbed her arm.
"Ow! Why'd you hit me?" she protested. "Of course I know! But I can't leave! I need to figure out what's going on here! If I don't… my mother will have never lived!"
Cevher threw her hands up and shook her head.
"God above! Have the jinn taken hold of this woman?!"
Ayşen sighed. She had made up her mind. No matter what happened, she had to stay. But she couldn't do it alone.
One person… at least one person had to believe her.
And even if Cevher went and told others about what she said, the worst they'd call her was "mad."
Which let's face it was already her nickname.
Slowly, Ayşen reached out and held Cevher's hands. She looked deep into her eyes, her voice steady.
"Listen, Cevher," she said gently. "I don't know what kind of bond we share, but… I can't be alone in this. I need someone I can trust. I'm going to tell you everything. Will you protect me?"
Cevher's stern gaze softened. She took a deep breath, eyeing Ayşen from head to toe. Then, narrowing her eyes, she furrowed her brow.
"Speak, then," she said impatiently. "I'm practically your older sister. Let me hear it so I can help you… Come on now, spill it."
Ayşen inhaled deeply and whispered,
"Alright… but first, sit down properly. Because what I'm about to tell you might just blow your mind."
Cevher stared at her in disbelief.
"What are you saying, woman?! Are you telling me your soul comes from centuries in the future?!"
Ayşen hesitated.
"Um… Yes," she said with a nervous gulp. "But I won't give you the exact date. You know, like in the movies time travel rules and such. Better not risk it."
Cevher squinted, her lips pressed into a tight line. Her face was drawn tight with the shock of hearing something so absurd.
"Movies? Time travel? Woman, you're absolutely raving mad!"
Ayşen rolled her eyes, leaned back on the pillow, and sighed.
"Ugh… I'm completely alone in this giant palace, aren't I?"
Cevher put her hands on her hips and shook her head.
"I already thought you were insane, but this… This is a whole other kind of madness!"
But then she saw the desperation in Ayşen's eyes. Her expression grew serious. She took a deep breath and thought for a moment.
"Alright, let's say you're telling the truth," she said at last. "So? What do we do now?"
Ayşen's eyes lit up with hope.
"Sit down. I'll tell you," she said, tugging Cevher down beside her.
At the heart of the palace… Sultan Murad awaited.
Ayşen's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Sit down, I'll tell you everything," she said, pulling Cevher gently by the arm to sit beside her.
In the very heart of the palace Sultan Murad's private quarters the palace eunuch sent for Mahperi had just entered the royal presence.
Sultan Murad was seated at his wooden desk, studying a newly acquired book on the science of measurement mathematics.
The eunuch bowed respectfully and spoke, "My Sultan, I am your servant, Nedim Agha. Do I have your permission to speak?"
Without lifting his gaze from the book, the sultan replied, "Come forward, Nedim."
But the eunuch's silence quickly bred unease. Sultan Murad fixed his eyes on him and raised an eyebrow. "Have you swallowed your tongue, Agha?" he asked sternly.
Nedim Agha swallowed hard. "Forgive me, my Sultan… the matter is complicated. I'm not sure how to explain. I couldn't make sense of it myself."
Growing impatient, Murad ordered, "Just tell me exactly what happened, Agha!"
Nedim Agha took a deep breath and began:
"Lady Mahperi said, 'I'm not going anywhere!'"
Sultan Murad's brow arched slightly. "And why is that? Didn't you tell her, 'The Sultan commands it'?"
"Oh, of course, my Sultan, that was the first thing I said. But she told me, 'I don't care! I can't leave! I won't be separated from Sultan Murad!'"
Intrigued, Murad leaned in a little. "Why not? Tell me."
Nedim Agha lowered his head, visibly uneasy. "My Sultan… The lady, who hasn't even entered the harem chamber yet, insists she is… with child."
Sultan Murad tilted his head, his eyes narrowing. "What did you just say?"
The eunuch continued helplessly. "She claims she's carrying your son. The palace physician says she's out of her mind… but honestly, I don't know what to believe."
At that moment, Sultan Murad's lips parted and first came a chuckle, then a deep, resounding laugh that filled the entire room. It was the kind of laughter the palace walls had likely never heard before.
"You may go," he said at last. "Have a private chamber prepared for Lady Mahperi. And send word she is to join the harem as soon as she recovers. Everyone had better tread carefully from now on!"
The agha bowed and hurriedly took his leave.
Sultan Murad, still chuckling, stroked his beard and stared into the distance.
"Just like your father… You have a rare sense of humor.
What are you hiding, Lady Peri?"