Centre Of The World

In Gregorian Calendar: 2nd July, 1723

"What is it? Have we reached the Ottoman hell?" I ask, as the loud squealing and chattering sound wakes me up

"Well, doesn't look much like hell to me, come on Razia!" Fatma exclaims, already beside the window.

I roll my eyes and push my way towards Fatma. Everyone (except the ones that are sleeping) is muttering, gaping and staring at the little round window.

"It's just like in the fairytales..." Someone mutters.

I cannot deny that, because when I peek out, I turn speechless.

It's dawn, and the sun is set in just the perfect angle to make the palace shimmer as if it were on fire. It's about 600 yards or so away, but still looks giant. The big dome shaped roofs, the pointy towers and the mix of gold and white colours are something like I've never seen before. There are some sloops and other ships anchored by the coast. So this is Constantinople, center of the Ottoman Empire, of three continents. I've seen sketches of the famous Topkapi Palace, but I hadn't believed it's beauty could be so vast. The Mughal palace back in my homeland, which I've seen once from afar from a distance much similar to now, was just as beautiful, but there is some aura in the one before me just making me wish I could fly around the great building, round those towers that seem to point towards heaven...

No, I can't fly when I'm not a free bird. This palace is a hell in disguise.

I well remind myself that.

Last night I had a lot of explaining to do to my 'shipmates' on why I was dragged by a soldier into the hold. I wasn't the only one questioned, Sibyl was taken too.

"Do they think we're spies?" Sibyl asked, frowning, after returning to the hold last night.

"You punched him, Razia! You're crazy!" Fatma exclaims.

I shrug. "It was fun." Fatma gapes at me.

"Is he handsome?" Raysha asks, twirling her soft brown hair, a habit of hers.

"Raysha, he looks like a petulenced, frightful wench, every Othman looks like that," Nadia snaps. I laugh at her sophisticated insult.

But Raysha only giggled. "You think we don't?"

It's also impossible to believe how much Raysha's opened up to me since the first day I met her. She would hesitate to even ask someone to make space. But something yet feels off. How is she even normal so quickly, after all the things that happened? Hadn't she lost a lover? Maybe time will explain her to me...

The sudden creak of the door brings me back from my thoughts. It's another soldier I don't recognize. He has a long stick in hand. It's very annoying that the men just barge in without any notice, as if they own us lot- well- they do own us but that's not the way...

"Wake up, all. Hey- you- stop snoring and wake up!" He pokes all the sleepy ones awake. "You all be leaving the ship soon. Go to kitchen, stop standing!"

"God knows what they're going to do with us," I say, bowl in hand, sitting in a sort of dress circle among the others.

Fatma shrugs, "I guess we'll be taken to the palace, and there we'll spend our days until we rot."

"How are you so calm?"

"After I was betrayed by my own family, do you think anything surprises me anymore?" There is no anger, just pain etched on her pleasant face. I am not sure how to continue the conversation, so I decide to drink the soup and let Fatma brood for some time.

Last night, I told her everything about that interrogation. It's only obvious now that Kasim wasn't the good old man I thought he was. It took Fatma some time to understand, or accept, but she did, and I was there to comfort her.

"Hey, this is actually good!" I say after taking a sip.

"It has chicken in it!" Sybil, who's sitting beside me, exclaims.

I gape, and remember the odd conversation I had about the shooting star last night. Well, that was quite nice of the admiral...

The next events that take place gets much complicated. We all were grateful to finally leave the damned ship. But I took a look back to see how beautiful the galley was. The gold paint made some of the planks look as if they were made from golden trees. All the long rows gave it an oddly satisfying beauty. Too bad I didn't get to enjoy it like some pleasure trip.

As if things could not get any worse, everyone got lined up and my foot was tied with each other's, walking on the plank. As soon as I let my feet touch the solid ground after lots of bumping and near-tripping, I squint my eyes to see a huge galley, followed by half a dozen shorter ones, laying anchor. It is getting greeted with great celebration. People are whooping, clapping and whistling. It's the flagship, I suppose.

"Razia! Stop walking so fast!"

"Maybe if you tried to move that big arse of yours, Fatma, you wouldn't have to say that."

"Your one's bigger!" She replies, or shouts. How can she be so loud when literally everyone is dying by heat and lack of water?

It starts to get really annoying, I bump into a girl at least twice. At least she accepts my apology politely. One or two even faint. Maybe I should pretend to faint too-

"Don't! Don't do it!"

Sibyl, who is much behind me, screams as the next girl her feet is tied to attempts to jump into the shore. After lots of tugging, the rope loosens and the girl attempting her doom frees herself and runs. But in the state we all are in, I am not surprised when she makes a miserable effort to be quick enough for the soldiers not to catch her. Her feet only touches the water when two men drag her back.

"Let me go! Dogs! Whelks! Arseholes!" The girl...must have gone mad.

Soon, we all get crammed yet again in a wagon. Thank God. I wouldn't be able to walk all the way without getting a heat stroke. I cannot sleep, however. The girl's eyes...they looked almost inhuman, full of insanity. Will I be like her someday?

It doesn't take long to hear a loud horn as the wagon halts. I look outside the small window. It's a giant golden gate, with intricate designs, shimmers against the sunlight so much that it hurts my eyes. Imagine what it would look like at noon.

When the well oiled gate is finally opened by men with carbines behind their backs, I see a vast garden, with a giant, beautifully designed building, joined to the palace.

It must be the infamous harem I've heard about so much.