"Sultana, are you sure you want me to get rid of Gulcicek?" Zeynep asked me later at night when everyone left our Palace and I was alone with her on the down floor while Iskender was recovering in our bedroom.

"Yes, she did it I am sure," I said but Zeynep acted really weird and I knew she is lying now because I could clearly see when she is telling the truth or lying.

"Sultana... I..." Zeynep said and at this moment I was sure she was somehow involved in this.

"Who ordered you?" I asked her seriously trying not to start yelling on her because I didn't want Iskender to hear us upstairs yelling and I didn't want to worry him about this situation.

"Sultana please don't kill me. I didn't want to do it. Someone ordered me to do it," Zeynep said as she went down on her knees and started begging me for her life and this time I knew I wouldn't care who did it because that person will suffer so much for hurting someone who means to me.

"Who's loyal dog you are? Mahfiruz's? Or Esmahan's?" I yelled on her still trying not to be so loud.

"Sultana... Forgive me... I would kill myself right now because of the shame and guilty I feel... I would never again do something like this please don't blame me," Zeynep cried still not telling me who ordered her to do this and I was ready to get rid of her at this moment.

"Who did it? I don't care about your guilty feelings I just want to know who ordered you to do this so I can write that person's death sentence!" I yelled on her but she continued to cry.

"Your Valide Dilara Sultan ordered me to poison Iskender Pasha, I am sorry I really didn't want to do it but she threatened me with my life and life of my little sister who is with her. Sultana please I am loyal to you for my whole life please don't kill me," Zeynep said while crying but I could hear nothing after she mentioned the name of my mother.

"My Valide... Ordered you to do this?" I asked her as I couldn't believe what she has said and I was under a shock.

"Yes Sultana," she said while she tried to kiss my robe and make me forgive her but I just removed it.

"You won't tell about this to anyone else. This has never happened," I said to her and she seemed really confused.

I left the main room and went in our bedroom. I saw Iskender is sleeping peacefully so I ordered Esma to take care of everything in the Palace.

I got ready and went to the carriage which would take me to my Valide. I knew it was late at the night but I couldn't sleep peacefully knowing she is working behind my back and was ready to kill Iskender even though she knew I started loving him.

"Valide!" I said angrily when I entered her chambers late at the night in her own mansion. She wasn't sleeping but she seemed confused to see me here.

"Handan, what happened that you enter my chambers this late at night and yell at me?" She raised her voice a bit hoping she would make me regret my behaviour but I was so angry on her nothing could help her now from my anger.

"Is it true what you ordered?" I asked her and raised my head looking my mother in distrust.

"Order what?" She acted like she had no idea what is happening.

"What you ordered Zeynep to do," I said walking closer to her with so much anger that if she wouldn't be my mother now she would suffer the consequences.

"Handan, I did what was important," she raised her hand talking like she has done something good.

"It was important to poison my husband?" I asked her in distrust. I couldn't believe my mother would do this.

"Yes, because that marriage shouldn't have even happened. He is not good for you and I won't allow a man who killed my son to enjoy his life as Grand Vizier and as a husband of my precious Sultana when he deserves the same fate as my son," Valide yelled back at me.

"Iskender didn't kill my brother, Valide. Mahfiruz ordered that to happen and you know it yourself alone," I yelled back but she seemed she doesn't even want to listen what I have to say because she believed only in what she said.

"He did it, and I will destroy him if you unless don't find me any proof he hasn't done it. Until then I will look at him as a murderer of my son," she yelled back.

"Why do you think I could be able to fall in love with him so much if he would have killed my brother?" I said as I couldn't yell anymore and her anger just seemed to stop in that minute and she looked more surprised than angry.

"So you love him?" She asked me and seemed like it is so hard for her to ask it and what it would even take her to process and understand this.

"I do, I love Iskender," I said watching how she couldn't believe my words.

"Why?" She asked looking at the floor not even wanting to look at me back.

"Because I do, there is no possibility to explain why do I love him, but I do very much. And if you one more time try to do something bad to him, I swear I won't care if you are my Valide," my words hurt her as it was obvious but she should know that I won't allow her to do this.

"All our dreams about you stopped at this moment, you can return to your palace and not meet me unless you change your opinion," she said as her pride was hurt and still didn't even look at me.

"I will return to my palace, but you will be the one who will beg me to help you, because all your power you gain from me. And if I won't be by your side Valide you won't have any power, and you are power hungry," my words were harsh but she needed to hear them from someone. No one else would dare to say those things to her, but she must know she can't behave like this anymore.

"I don't need anything from a woman who is married to murderer and defends him," she said but I didn't care anymore about her words.

I returned back to my palace and I went into mine and Iskender's chambers and I saw he is waken up. I acted like everything is normal as I didn't want him to think that all of these happened because even if Valide and I were in a fight I would never allow anyone to blame this on her no matter what.

"Are you feeling better now, Iskender?" I asked as I laid down next to him and he turned to side to look at me. He placed his hand on my face and smiled.

"I must feel better when my Sultana is here next to me," he said kissing my lips gently.