Talk of the Harem

In the Gregorian Calendar: 12th August 1723

I keep turning the pages lazily. All of those closely packed letters are full of information, yet they don't look readable, often getting blurry due to my drowsiness. Drilling went rather hard today. The birds' melodious chirping outside makes it even harder to not fall asleep.

Gulbahar Sultan sent me to the palace library to fetch a book called "Religious and Civil Laws of the Osman Empire". She said she needed it by evening. The sun is halfway down at the moment, so I decided to read the book myself till then, sitting on by a long desk.

The sound of faraway footsteps breaks the silence. I don't bother to check who that is. The room is too large anyway. Though, the sound does break me from my dozing.

I'm currently in the chapter on Sha'ria laws. I spend some time reading them, and then the subject changes to slavery, ironically.

"The child of a slave woman and a free man is legitimate."