"Bold text" - conversations on Persian

"Nafise, daughter come here. We must talk about something very important," my father Shah Tahmasp ordered me. Without any negotiations I went inside his chambers where he has awaited for me.

I knew my father wouldn't call me if there wasn't something very important, because for him I wasn't anything precious. I was his only daughter and instead of being pupil of his eye, I was shame for my mother who didn't gave birth to a son.

"Father," I said and bowed to him when next to him I saw a man which I have never ever seen before in my life. He was dressed into long brown kaftan and had black fur around his head.

"This is Ibrahim Pasa, Grand Vizier of Ottoman Empire," father said to me and I nodded with my head showing a little bow to pasha who was standing there and I had no idea what was the reason.

Ibrahim looked at my father like he wants to tell something but he couldn't before my father would approve him. At that moment he nodded him with his head as approval to finally speak.

"Nafise Hanim, as you know for a long time Safavid and Ottoman Dynasty weren't on good terms, but the change for that has come finally. We must do everything to unite our powers and our strength to fight our enemies on the west," Ibrahim Pasa said turning to me who was confused.

"What should I have with this?" I asked my father as I was confused why should I hear those political allies and things that my father usually never wanted me to know about.

"Because as a promise that I will keep peace I will send you into Ottoman Harem where you will marry with heir to the throne," my father said to me and smiled proudly like he has done some very good deal.

"No, you won't trade with me like I am a slave, I won't marry any Ottoman and not even a Prince," I raised my head and looked at my father without any good thought about him anymore.

I couldn't believe he would sell his only daughter only to make a peace with Ottomans whom he hated so much for all those years.

"Nefise Hanim, you shouldn't worry. Our heir to the throne Prince Mustafa is very well raised and good-mannered prince who would never make you feel bad," Ibrahim said like he could understand everything that we were speaking on Persian.

"I don't care, I said that I won't go," I said harshly to Ibrahim making my father very angry on me so he stood up and looked at me so seriously, without any kind of emotions towards his daughter.

"No one asked you what you want or not, prepare your things tonight you will leave with Pasha and go to Istanbul," father said walking away not even looking at me whose eyes were covered in tears already.

Ibrahim Pasha just looked at me and hoped to make the situation be at least bit better, I didn't want to listen to him and so I went to my chambers.

"My daughter is gonna be Prince Mustafa's bride," my mother awaited for me with a smile in my chambers, happily like never before.

"I am the only one who doesn't want this and this is the thing about my future. I don't want to leave you mother and our brothers, I don't want to go there," I said as I sat next to her and couldn't hide my tears anymore.

"You shouldn't cry. You got perfect opportunity, people of our country will be thankful to you because of your marriage we saved ourselves from Ottomans," my mother said thinking I would really be proud of marrying someone from enemies dynasty just to make people of our country happy.

"It is things about me and you say that I should make whatever is needed to make people happy? I should marry a prince to make them happy? I won't go in Ottoman Empire," I said coldly to her.

"Not that only my daughter, you will help your whole family because of your knowledge of Turkish," mother said on Turkish which surprised me how did she even know it. She never wanted me to speak it even though I was taught of it.

I looked at her in silence not knowing how should I respond to her words which were only annoying me even more, but at the same time they made me realise how I am not even important to my family.

"You can be our spy there," mother said once again on Turkish annoying me even more.

"I won't be either a bride of prince nor a spy, I won't go there," I yelled on her as I was leaving the chambers when servants which my father ordered to help me to prepare arrived.

They just came inside and started to place my things in big boxes which the carriages will carry all the way to Istanbul.

"Everyone leave my chambers, because I won't go anywhere. Tell to my mother and father that if they want to send me in Istanbul, they can only send my dead body," I said to servants and especially to Humerya Hatun who was the most loyal servant of my mother.

"Nafise Hanim, you shouldn't complain anymore. Even if you would stay here they would find a suitable husband for you who might be even many years elder than you. Prince Mustafa is only twenty years old," Humerya said trying to make me accept their deal, because at the end I had nothing else to do.

I turned around and looked at myself in mirror. I was most beuatiful princess Persian lands have ever seen, but I was also the princess who couldn't even chose about her fate.

I am the princess who was only at the age of 17 sent off to Manisa in Sanjak of Ottoman prince Mustafa where I should marry him. Where I should marry a man I have never ever seen in my life or would want to do anything with him.

With only 17 years old my father sold me off like some slave just to make peace treat with our enemies. He didn't care I was his only daughter.

Only with 17 years old I stayed without my family who didn't care about me anymore. I was on my own now. I had no one in this world.