"Kalfa shouldn't I be in a more suitable attire than this to be in front of the Sultana?", I asked the shorter woman in front of me who had paid no attention to my words.

   "By God you need to stop ignoring me", I sighed making the comment to myself.

   "Keep talking non sense and one day you'll wonder how did you go from being graced by her royalty to the appetite of rats", kalfa warned me and knocked the door.

   "Come near hatun", her excellence said after the bowing and greeting. I made my way towards her and bowed again.

   "So what happened last night?", she asked whilst a slave poured her tea.

   "Sultana, our prince is really intelligent and talented. Do you know how he knows all those languages? He even learns Bulgarian! You know he said we can communicate in my native language once he gets a good hold of it! He has all these books and everything he studies and he even-", my babbling was stopped by the laughing Sultana who couldn't drink her tea due to laughing at my gibberish.

   "Slow down slow down hatun", she said recovering from the small laughing attack, finally sipping the tea.

   "Forgive me Sultana I just- I had no one to talk to since a long time and I got excited", I said sheepishly earning a nod from her.

   "Alright then?", she asked, an interested look painting her prominent features.

   It took me a minute to understand what exactly she wanted to hear. Gaining all the words I formed a sentence and presented to her, "Sultana nothing happened between us because we both weren't ready for such an intimate act".

   Her interested look as now replaced by an unreadable one, scaring me. Silence filled the room while she drank her tea.

   "Is that so?", she finally broke the silence, placing the empty cup on the table.  I nodded and looked down.

   "Go back to harem", she said dismissing me. I had a scared look on my face thinking I had disappointed her.

   I bowed and made my way out almost knocking the door when the doors opened and the young blue eyed prince stepped in. If I hadn't stopped my hand I would've hit the prince square in his face.

   After a minute of being statues at our respective places with humorous wide eyed looks on our faces, I was shocked from the fact I had almost hit the prince whilst he from the fact he had almost gotten hit by a slave, we let out breaths we hadn't realized we held.

   The voice of Hurrem Sultana clearing her throat echoed around the room making me bow in front of the now smiling prince. A quick smile was shared among us and I left the chambers as quick as one could. 

Meanwhile

   The smiling prince made his way towards his mother who was amazed from the scene unfolded after her.

   "Valide", he said kissing her hand and sitting next to her.

   "My Cihangir", she said regaining her posture.

   "Maşallah you're practically glowing my sun", she said not noticing the pun she just made unlike her son who laughed noticing the pun.

   "I saw my mother of course I'll glow", he said charmingly making his mother laugh and lightly smack his arm.

   "You're reading a lot of love stories I see", she commented.

   "How was last night?", she asked not being able to contain her curiosity.

   "Hatun talks a lot, time passed by quick with her. Couldn't tell when the moon reached its peak and when the sun rose", he said smiling fondly at last nights events.

   "Hope you are not tired my son", she asked/wished worried if he missed sleep.

   "I'm fine my valide", he replied reassuring Hurrem.

   There was a comfortable silence in the room whilst the queen and the prince ate their breakfast.

   "Come", Hurrem allowed.

   A woman walked in with a plate, bowing and serving the royals, though her gaze stayed on the dark haired prince who had looked up to see when he felt a face on him.

   "Hatun", Fahriye kalfa said making the girl jerk up and leave the room after bowing. Cihangir laughed at the girl's reaction and ate the dessert.

   "Allah Allah why do these girls think they can act clumsy to get my princes attention", Hurrem asked no one specific.

   "I'm glad Katerina isn't like them", she added trying to find out if her son really wanted the familiar girl.

   "She really is different", the young prince said after a short pause.

   "Is that so?", she asked fascinated by her sons habit of protecting the girl, "then why dont you make her your favourite?", Hurrem pressed.

   "You know valide she thinks if a girl is taken to halvet and then known as the prince's favourite, she has no way to go back home whereas those who are the opposite are sent back considering they are useless", he said laughing at the girls words.

   A surprised sound was made by Hurrem making Cihangir laugh harder.

   He continued, "That's nothing you know who told her that? Baffos daughter."

   "Baffo who?", Hurrem asked confused.

   "I think our prince means Cecilia Baffo,  the girl who approached you at the feast", Sumbul aga said making Hurrem nod in recognition of the name.

   "She really is stupid", Hurrem said agreeing with Cecilias words at the back of her head.

   "Innocent", Cihangirs voice was heard. Hurrem looked at her son curiously waiting for him to complete the sentence.

   "She's a little too innocent for this palace valide", he once again protected the girl.

   "Being too innocent in this palace is also stupidity my lion. She will learn that sooner or later", Hurrem sprinkled a small piece of her insight upon her son before taking a bite of her favourite dessert.