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When the ship reached the shore, one of the savage men splashed a bucket of water on her, waking her up. She jerked up and snarled at him, making him grab her hair tightly in a fist before bringing her face close to her.

"Women, don't test my patience." He gritted out before letting go of her hair and storming out. Not long after, he returned with a man who looked quite noble.

Alexandra instantly knew he was the men she was being sold to as a slave.

The noble man looked at her with sympathy before turning towards the barbarian then did the most unexpected thing. He punched the barbarian.

"Yasuf Effendi, what is this!?" The noble man yelled in Turkish. Alex understood. She understand the language, it was just that she couldn't speak properly.

"Didn't I tell you to bring her carefully? She is for Hünkarım. He will kill you if he sees the cuts and bruises on her." He gritted out in a lowly dangerous voice making Alexandra a little scared. Who was Hünkarım? Why will he kill the barbarian for her? Alex thought.

"Forgive me, Pasha." Was all the barbarian said before walking out leaving her alone with the noble man.

The noble man walked towards her making her squirt in her place. "No. Don't come closer. I will not serve anyone." She whisper-yelled at him in Turkish, making the man quite surprised.

"So you speak our language too huh?" He said as he sat down beside her, she moved far away from him. "Look, Hatun. I'm Ibrahim Pasha. Grand vizier of the great Ottoman empire."

"As long as you listen to me carefully and obey me, nothing bad will come to you." He explained.

"How will I guarantee that you aren't lying?" Alex asked, making him nod in understanding.

He took out something from his kaftan pocket and Alex craned her neck to take a peak of it. He forwarded his hand and showed her the seal carried only by the high authorities of the Ottoman empire. "You might have read about it or heard about it from people. This is the seal carried only by the Grand vizier. With this seal you can do anything. Anything."

"Anything?"

"Yes, anything." Ibrahim repeated.

"Then send me back please. I will repay your debt with everything I have, please send me back." Alexandra pleaded as fresh tears started to fill her eyes. Ibrahim sighed.

"Hatun, I can't do that. You were brought here on the order of the great Sultan of the Ottoman empire. I cannot defy his orders and send you back. But I can make all your other wishes come true." He added.

"Who is this Sultan? Why does he want me?" Alex cried out in frustration.

"You will know that soon." He replied before standing up. He forwarded his hand to her. "We need to leave for the palace, come on."

"Please, please don't do this. Please." Alex pleaded as she shook her head and kept on crying.

Ibrahim did felt sorry for her but his duty came before everything and right now, it was his duty to bring this woman to the Sultan.

"Don't make this harder for me because whatever you do will go in vain, you're coming with me either way." Ibrahim stated before grabbing her arms and pulling her up in one swift.

"Please, Ibraim. Please don't do this."

"It's Ibrahim. Ibrahim Pasha for you Hatun." Ibrahim corrected her as he dragged her out along with him. On his way out, he took out two big pouches before throwing it at the barbarians.

"So much for this lady?" One of the barbarians gasped, making the head one among them glare at him before turning to Ibrahim. "Thank you Pasha. We hope you come to us next time too."

"That won't be needed." Ibrahim stated coldly before walking out of the ship. A large number of soldiers stood in line with their heads bowed as they walked out and that's when Alex realised that Ibrahim was really someone of higher rank.

He threw Alex to one of the lady there who immediately grabbed her arm tightly.

"Handle her with care, she is brought here specially for Hünkarım." He said it loud enough for everyone to hear it and the lady nodded before she bowed at head and pushed her inside one of the carriages and soon they took off for the palace.

Alex weeped as she thought of all the things. Her father was dead, so was her lover, her whole village was destroyed and now she was about to face God knows what.

But she silently promised herself that she will avenge them. She will destroy whoever was behind all these.

They reached their destination soon in silence. The woman who was with her grabbed her arm again before dragging her out of the carriage. By now she was super pissed but didn't dare to utter another word. After seeing that many soldiers, she knew that one mistake from her will cost her her head and she was not going to take the risk.

Ibrahim jumped off his horse before walking towards them but Alex did pay any attention to them as she was busy ogling over the beauty of the famous palace, the Topkapı palace. She had heard of it once from her father when she was a child but never imagined it to be this big and magnificent.

"Take her straight to the favourite floor and give her the biggest room there. Let One of the concubines be her maid and serve her. She is not just any concubine. I hope you understood me, Kalfa."

"Yes, Pasha."

                        ꧁ ☪ *ೃ༄꧂