2nd Chapter

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My name is Nadia Tofolpogova. I was bornt in Russia as youngest and only daughter. I had seven elder brothers which joined the Russian army. I lost five of my brothers during war. My two left brothers married and had a happily life in Russia. When I was ten years old, my mother Ludmila passed away. My father was merchant on Black Sea. He decided to move to Istanbul, capital of Ottoman Empire, because he said he could gain more money if he worked there.

My brothers, Anton and Pavel didn't want to go with my father. They had their family and they couldn't bring them all. As I was still young, I decided to go with my father into a city which is something totally different than where I have lived my whole life.

Religion, rule and traditions were a lot different in Istanbul than it was in Russia. It was hard to get used to it. My father, Alexander, bought a little house very close to the Bosphorus. Every day, he was working as a merchant there. He gained a lot of money and we didn't have to live so poor as we used to in Russia. He decided we will stay living here, and I didn't complain about it.

It passed six years since we came to Istanbul for the first time. I learnt Turskih so well that I became fluent in it. I oftenly helped my father in his buisness, because he was old and he couldn't do it all himself. I felt more at home in Istanbul, than I did in Russia.

Ruler of Ottoman Empire was Sultan Suleyman. He was already old, but people respected him very much. I heard many times how he killed his son Mustafa. Half of people hated Sultan because of that, because they wanted Mustafa to succed the throne, and other half respected Suleyman's decision.

While I was still young, I've heard a lot about his wife, Hurrem Sultan. Everybody in Russia knew about her, as she was Russian. She became the first woman who married with Sultan. People talked about her that she is witch and that she used magic to make Suleyman fall in love with her.

I was often with my father, so I could hear a lot of stories from merchants. I found out Sultan has two sons who are still alive, Selim and Bayezid. They talked always how Selim was alcoholic, while they prefered Bayezid.

I could see everyday girls came to the slavery market. They were took away from their homeland and they were brought here. Oftenly, rich officiers would buy them and send to Imperial Harem. I was so sad because of these girls who had to suffer and go to Harem. Some people told Harem was like a place from fairytales, while others said it was living hell.

I was thankful that I am here with my father and that I am not one of those girls who had to go to Harem.

That day, my father was sick, and I had to go to market to sell jewerly. My father was really professional in making jewerly. Everybody adored his works and people were buying it every day. That day, nobody was around. I thought the problem is that woman, me, is selling them. When I was with my father, we had a lot of customers. I was confused why nobody is coming when I had to work. I didn't want to disappoint my father. We needed money to pay for our house and for our food. Day without a money would mean a day without food for us.

I was desperate when nobody was coming. Everyone just measured me from head to toe and walk away from me. I wondered why nobody would like to buy our jewerly. My father was really professional, he would give even lower prices for people who didn't have money.

After hours, I was still standing there desperate. I was deciding should I return to my home or stay there, when a man came closer to me. He was very young man, and he had two friends who were standing behind him. I saw he is rich because of way he dressed.

- Hatun, why are you looking sad today? - he asked me worriedly. He looked at my eyes and then looked at jewerly again.
- I have no customers today. Day without customers means a day without food for me and my family. - I told him sadly trying to make him buy something.

He took emerald necklace in his hand.
- This is very beautiful, I want to buy this. - he said and smiled to me.
I packed it into a little box and gave him. He took a bag of gold coins and he gave it to me. I looked at him with shock.
- Bey, I can't accept that much money. - I told to him giving him back his bag of gold coins.

He smiled at me and he didn't want to take his bag back.
- This is all for you. - he said with a smile.
- But, bey, this is more money than I get in a month. - I told him. I was confused why he would give to me that much money. He must have been very rich.

- This is nothing to me, but at least will make you and your family have food. - he smiled at me gently.
- You must be very rich man. - I told him with a smile.

- I am. I want to know your name, hatun. - he said to me with a smile.
I felt shy and embarassed at that moment, but he was really beautiful man. I looked at his eyes and he gave me a huge smile.

- My name is Nadia. What is your name? - I asked him. I liked that man from the first moment. Many people would think it is because of money, but I had no heart to accept that much money.
- My name is Davut. - he said with a smile. He went away with his friends, but I stopped him.

- Davut-bey, God bless you. Thank you so much. - I told to him with a smile. He smiled to me back and said nothing.

He went away from market. I didn't care if I will have more customers today. Only thing I could think about was Davut-bey now. I never felt thing like this before. Like I had butterflies in my stomach. Oh, Nadya, you can't fall in love with man you saw only once. And you will probably never ever see him again.

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