Captured For The Sultan’s Pleasure

She pointed to Aabdeen next. “This means that you are the Sultan of Jedi? Why then did you disguise yourself? And you were both going to kidnap me? Why?” Roksolana asked with a surprised tone.

Aabdeen sighed and rose from his seating position beside his sister. He knew that he had only two choices and that was either to kidnap the Sultan’s favorite mistress or tell the harem leader the truth. He decided to just kidnap her but his sister spoke up before him.

“Yes, we are from the Jedi sultanate and he is my brother. It’s also true we wanted to kidnap you but it was because we had no other choice and that was why we did everything that we did,” she explained.

“You had better start explaining yourselves before I let the Sultan know about your true identities,” Roksolana told them in an angry tone. She felt betrayed by the people she thought were a friend to her and Jamal because they turned out to be a charade.

Princess Azeezat took her time and explained to her how their sultanate had been at war with some strange men they couldn’t comprehend where they had come from. Aabden had asked her to come over to the Wadai’ sultanate just because he wanted to protect her and Aabdeen had arrived there too because he wanted to seek help from the Suitcase privately but the way they had been talking about attacking the Jedi sultanate had stopped her brother. When they saw that they didn’t have any other choice, that was when they decided that kidnapping her would be a better option.

When the princess was done with her explanation, Roksolana sighed. Even though she was still angry with the two siblings for thinking that the only solution they had was to kidnap her, she could understand where they were coming from and the desperation that had gotten them to that point. If Roksolana had also thought about a single way to save her family from being breached back then, she would have taken the chance, regardless of how dangerous it was or who would be getting hurt in the process.

“Why didn’t you at least try to tell the Sultan who you are? You’ve been here for more than six months now,” Roksolana queried Aabdeen.

“Because he’s been busy looking for ways to destroy my sultanate instead of thinking about peace talks between the two lands,” Aabdeen retorted.

“You threatened him first!” Roksolsna screamed a little.

“Only because I thought that he would wage war against us if I did that. That way, his army and the army of the other man trying to kill us would kill each other off and the Jedi sultanate can have peace without suffering any casualties,” Aabdeen explained.

“The army just recently attacked our fortress again and they injured our uncle. We desperately need help and a solution to our predicament, Roksolana,” the princess voiced out.

Roksolana looked from one sibling to another. She could feel their plight and dejection since she had lost her land and had suffered on another soul. She would have to talk to Jamal on their behalf and see if there would be a positive response from him. She looked directly at Aabdeen and the man shrugged.

“Okay. I promise I would talk to the sultan and also try all I can to convince him to help your sultanate. But until then, I don’t want your identity leaking out or you trying any funny thing. Do I have your words on that, Sultan Aabdeen?” she asked the man after the explanation.

“On my honor, Lady Roksolana,” Aabdeen assured her.

“Thank you,” the princess said and got up to hug her and Roksolana hugged her back.

“Now that the issue is settled, I think you might need to leave now before the other kafes women wake up and find you here,” Roksolana told Aabdeen.

The man nodded at her, looked at his sister with a smile on his face, then went out the door. After he was gone for a minute, Roksolana looked at the princess and saw that she looked nervous to be alone with her. Roksolana knew that the princess must think that she was still angry, so she spoke up.

“Azeezat, let’s go visit Seyiddah and we all can have breakfast together.”

The two women moved out of the harem together and went straight to the kitchen. On the way, they talked and gossiped and the princess told Roksolana about how life was in the Jedi sultanate. Roksolana also took the time and shared what life in the Dar Sila sultanate had been about. They were almost at the kitchen when they spotted Hassan, Roksolana waved at him and he went over to where they were.

“Where have you been, Hassan?” Roksolana asked as soon as he got to them.

“I’ve been very busy, my lady. Even now, I have to deliver this to Lady Miriam since her father asked me to. Then, I need to get some food for myself as I haven’t had breakfast yet and if I don’t eat now, I don’t know when next I will be able to do so,” Hassan explained.Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

Roksolana’s thoughts ran wild. If Lady Miriam’s father had sent a letter for her, that had to mean that there could be something important in the letter that she could learn from. Perhaps, she could even get a clue about the vicious lady’s next move since Roksolana was sure she was still planning a move against the Sultan especially now that she was no longer the harem leader.

“Actually, you could give me the letter and I would help you to deliver it to her since I am going back to the harem to pick up something, then you can eat on time,” Roksolana told the second in command after she thought of the way. Hassan handed the letter to her with a grateful smile.

“Thank you,” he told her.

“You’re welcome,” she answered him and turned back to the princess.

“Go in and wait for me with Seyiddah. I’ll join you both very soon,” she announced to her and the woman nodded in agreement.

Roksolana moved away from the two of them. When she was at a safe distance and knew that no one would look for her, she stopped and opened the letter. She read through it and the disappointment she felt at the content of the letter was visible in her countenance. Instead of the secret she hoped to see from the letter, all it contained was the finances janissary advising his daughter to calm down and not act stupid until they could think of a solution.

She folded the letter back as neat as she had met it. She made her way back to the harem and walked to the private headquarter that Lady Miriam was yet to vacate. When she got to the door, she placed her hand on the doorknob and paused when she heard voices from the inside. She grimaced when she thought about why it was only her who kept arriving at moments people were having discreet conversations. She wanted to turn back, but the words she heard next froze her in a spot.

“What do we do next?” Lady Miriam asked in a weak tone.