Chapter 7

After glancing at Miss Farha, Sultana Habiba gave the following instruction: "Tell the girls to pack their belongings and send them to the concubine's chamber." She and her servants walked out of the room in broad steps. "There was no opportunity for negotiation because she had already made up her mind" Aylin thought.

After Sultana left, Miss Farha eagerly instructed the girls to collect their belongings and asked the male servants to move them to the concubine courtyard. The girls were experiencing a mix of anxiety and exhilaration.

With their hearts racing in anticipation of what awaited them in the concubine courtyard, they hastily started gathering their possessions. Leanora was absorbed in her own thoughts as Aylin awkwardly turned to look at her.

Leanora ignored Aylin's attempts to speak to her and instead sat on the bed, where she continued to lie. Aylin decided to wait and avoid bothering Leanora because she had high hopes of becoming the concubine but it was not to be.

Miss Farha became agitated and exclaimed at Aylin, "Aylin Khatun, do you need a personal invitation to pack your stuffs or do you expect us to wait here until tomorrow morning huh?!," when she noticed that Aylin was not packing her belongings. When the other females heard miss Farha's sarcasm, they started laughing. Embarrassed, Aylin hastened to pack her belongings.

The male servants picked up their belongings once they had finished and went to move them to the concubine courtyard. Aylin went to her bed to say at least " Bye" to Leanora but Leanora laid there with her eyes closed as the new concubines were leaving the odaliques room .

Aylin said, "Leanora," in a sorrowful manner. I'm sorry for what happened, but I hope you'll be successful in the future and we may work together in the future. So Be careful." Aylin couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness as she concluded her sentence.

She was aware that Leanora's desire to become a concubine had not been granted, However, she hoped that her friend would discover inner fortitude and resiliency. Aylin made a self-promise to always treasure the memories they had created together and to eagerly anticipate their reunion.

She turned away with a broken heart, hoping that Leanora would find happiness and contentment in the future, and joined the other girls.

In the Arena

With his warriors, Sultan Yakub was practicing with his sword, and each motion was fluid. Sultan Yakub's men observed in awe at their mastery and accuracy as he completed his training. Even while his sword swings appeared effortless, they were incredibly powerful.

He rehearsed his moves constantly, showing his commitment to perfecting his combat skills. The soldiers looked up to their leader's dedication and tried to match his skill on the field of war.

They were aware that Sultan Yakub would lead them to become a powerful force capable of protecting their realm from any danger. Yakub was honing his sword technique. Yakub was improving his sword skills when Yasir Pasha arrived with Bashir, and Bashir moved ahead to alert the sultan.

As a result, Yakub stopped training his sword skills, threw the sword to the ground, and proceeded to meet Yasir Pasha, who he asked, "Let's head to a private place." After that, they went to a room that was empty.

Yakub sat down on the sofa and said, "My Sultan, one of the servant overheard the conversation of concubine Leila and her son Shehzad Habil." Yasir Pasha informed.

Sultan Yakub and Bashir looked at each other with interest as he awaited the next sentence from Yasir pasha. "They are preparing an attack against you, my Sultan, Yasir continued. The desire of concubine Leila and Prince Habil to inherit the throne and remove you from it and they are planning something huge."

The revelation made by Yasir Pasha shocked everyone in the space. Sultan Yakub's complexion darkened as he considered the seriousness of the issue. Prince Habil's and concubine Leila's loyalties always looked dubious.

To defend his reign and keep his position of authority, the Sultan felt he had to act quickly. "What is your order, my sultan?" Bashir enquired. Sultan Yakub inhaled deeply as his thoughts were filled with numerous possibilities.

He came to the conclusion that he could no longer afford to blindly trust anyone, not even his closest friends and family. "Now I get it why my half brother Habil was being so overly friendly with me, to gain my trust and use it against me," he stated in a stern voice, without responding to Bashir.

Yakub then expressed gratitude to Yasir Pasha as he turned to face him. "Thank you Yasir Pasha for the information, but I need to speak with that servant first, so bring him over". Yasir nodded before going to look for the servant.

"My sultan, don't overthink it; Allah will make things right," Bashir said. He is the most upright. Yakub nodded and grunted.

Yakub needed to find evidence against them or else they will make up something to save themselves.

In the courtyard

The porticoed courtyard is surrounded by restrooms, a laundry fountain, a coffee kitchen, a laundry, dormitories, the apartments of the Sultan's Chief Consorts, and the apartments of the stewardesses (Kalfalar Dairesi), as Aylin discovered upon entering. The same two-staired chamber configuration that faces Stone Courtyard is present here as it is in other Stone Courtyards.

There is a hamam, a heater, and a pantry on one side of Stone Courtyard where it connects to Black Chiefs. The kitchen, laundry room, and bathrooms are on the narrow side. There is a dormitory for concubines with an sirvan on the Haliç side.

One can descend to the Harem gardens, concubine dorms, and hospital parts by using the stone stairs on the side of this dormitory.

Aylin then proceeded to her dorm after being led there by a maid who identified herself as being her personal maid. Hana showed Aylin her room and her stuff; each concubine had a private space of their own as well as a personal maid.

As she made herself at home in her new dorm, Aylin experienced a mixture of thrill and trepidation. the stepping stones leading to the hospital sections, concubine lodgings, and harem gardens.

Aylin couldn't help but be enchanted by the beauty and peace that surrounded her as she explored the courtyard with the assistance of maid Hana, who seemed to be a really kind girl.