10th September 1620, Crimea

"Sultanim, these are the quarters that you will share with Khan Mehmed. He also has his own working quarters, and you will be accommodated here. Our rules are different," one of the maids sent by Ayse Hanim explained to Neslihan after a long times arrived in Crimea.

Neslihan just nodded her head and ordered her to leave, unhappy that she had to share her quarters with Mehmed, who she didn't like at all. She hoped that, like in Topkapi, she would have her own quarters where she could be alone, without Mehmed's constant presence.

The time they spent together for three days in Istanbul was not good for her. She and Mehmed exchanged a few words. They did not find a common language, or rather they did not even try to find it. Mehmed coldly refused any conversation with her, and she didn't make too much of an effort to spend time with him either.

Before leaving, her brother Kasim informed her that he had sent Ahmed Bey, one of their spies who normally resides in the Crimean Palace, to watch over her and be always by her side. Neslihan didn't pay too much attention to it, because she knew that every presence of another man could only complicate already complicated and bad relationships even more.

"You aren't quite impressed with Crimea?" Rabia Hanim approached Neslihan Sultan who just went to the terrace of her new chambers in Crimea. It wasn't like her terrace in Istanbul, she missed the Bosphorus, the city, her family, she missed everything.

"If I can be true with you then I will already tell you I'm not, and I know I'm not going to be happy here," Neslihan said to Rabia Hanim, the only sister of her husband she thought that actually was good in heart. She has spent some time with Rabia in carriage during their trip, and she was the only one that actually wished to talk to her.

"Perhaps time will take its course and you and Mehmed will find a common language," Rabia said optimistically, but for Neslihan this conversation was anything but optimistic. After the death of her father and after learning about this decision to marry, her world view became pessimistic and she did not even want to change it. She resigned herself to her fate because she knew that she could no longer change the things that had happened.

"He won't. He has a woman he loves and fulfills him, I'm only here formally," Neslihan said. Although one would think that as the Khan's wife she would be disappointed, it did not affect her at all because she did not care for Mehmed at all.

"He can't be with her because he's been forbidden to have a harem since you've been here. You have to come to terms with the fact that you'll have to have a relationship if only for the sake of the heir, because the eyes of both countries are on you two," Rabia said trying to convince Neslihan that at least try hard for Mehmed, but she didn't even consider it an option.

"Let him be with her, I don't mind," Neslihan said. Rabia sighed when she saw how stubborn Neslihan was and how impossible it was to convince her of anything.

"I don't wish you any harm, moreover, I am the only one in this palace who wants to be on good terms with you. I am telling you this for your sake, think of your pride and your honor. You are the Ottoman Sultana whom everyone admires, who will not allow a common Crimean slave girl to take away her husband. Just remember my words," Rabia said before leaving her quarters.

But, no one's words were important for Neslihan. She knew Rabia said the truth and that she was the only person here who tried to be in a good relationship with her, but Neslihan knew she was Ottoman Sultana and that even if those women were at very high rank of Crimean hierarchy, they were no one compared to her.

She knew she has to make sure to find something to do here, otherwise her youth would pass here doing nothing. Even if she didn't like her husband at the beginning of her marriage with him, she wouldn't let anyone talk any bad of her and that even included her mother in law.

Neslihan left her chambers to walk through the Crimean Royal palace and to find more about this place. She was followed by two ladies, Efsun and Elif, who Ayse Hanim gave her as servants, and that was the first reason Neslihan didn't believe them even for a bit. Her instincts told her that Ayse didn't have any kind of sympathy towards her, and she called their wedding as a funeral, so why would she want her to be there.

"Ottoman Sultana arrived and now we will all be sold away again."

"Because of her we can't be with our Khan."

"Only you Leyla Hatun will be able to stay here, because His Majesty loves you," Neslihan heard voices from Crimean harem which was going to be emptied. Only girls who were supposed to stay here to serve royal family were left, others had to go somewhere away. It was for the first time that it had to be abolished and all the girls complained.

Neslihan stood in front of harem to hear what those girls had to say about her. She was standing there and no one of them knew who she was, nor they cared. But Neslihan was interested in the story when the woman named Leyla, who was supposedly loved by Mehmed, was named.

"I will be true Sultana of this palace, because Mehmed Giray loves me, not that little Ottoman girl," Leyla Hatun said as she stood there like a queen looking all another women had to pack their things up before their leaving.

"You think Neslihan won't get rid of you and send you away together with us?" Another maid said in a mocking tone towards Leyla, who just laughed at her words and raised her head proudly.

"What can she do to me when I am queen of Mehmed's heart?" Leyla started laughing, and Neslihan decided she won't allow anyone to humiliate her this way. She was daughter of late Sultan and she was Sultana by blood who won't allow servants to talk bad about her.

"Leyla Hatun, you think there is nothing I can do to you?" Neslihan raised her head like a true Sultana and entered the harem. All the girls were confused before realising this was actually the Ottoman Sultana they were gossiping, and she heard them all they have said. They stood and bowed to her, while Leyla proudly walked to her.

"You can't," Leyla said.

"I want some baklava with pistachios, go to the kitchen and order them to make it for me. Then bring it to me here as I wish to eat it here," Neslihan said as she bitterly smiled knowing Leyla had to do everything she orders her to do.

"I am not your servant," Leyla hissed at her in front of whole harem.

"You are servant here in this palace and that is only reason you have stayed here. Now do as I told you and be quick," Neslihan said as she humiliated Leyla in front of everyone. Leyla sighed and went to do it, because she knew she can't refuse to do such a things.

Neslihan walked to sit on the ottoman which was placed in harem, like in Topkapi where she usually would spend time with the maids of harem, but here it was all different. She sat there after humiliating a woman her husband loves, but she didn't do it because of jealousy, but because she had feeling she had to do it, she wouldn't let anyone disrespect her.

Twenty minutes passed and Leyla had arrived with a golden plate where there was baklava with pistachios in it. She served it in front of Neslihan who looked at her deadly serious.

"I want sherbet also," Neslihan said.

"Why do you need to humiliate me in front of everyone else?" Leyla asked her but this time she wasn't aggressive or proud, she seemed to be hurt by Neslihan's behaviour since all the girls in harem made fun of her and Neslihan did nothing to stop them nor anyone else did.

"Because I heard everything you are speaking about and you should learn that you can't disrespect me. You might have love of anyone in this world but you will never be able to be raised at my position, because I have royal blood in my veins and you will never be able to do it," Neslihan said and the girls in harem who stayed as servants were actually amazed by her behaviour, since before her no one ever has dared to say anything to Leyla to bring her down on Earth.

"I don't like her, but I must admit she gave very good lection to Leyla," Nur Hanim said to her mother Ayse Hanim as they were standing on the balcony of harem looking the whole situation. It was normal that them, or some of their servants stay somewhere and look around for any new information that would help them to gain what they want.

"She has a character, she isn't what she showed to us in Istanbul," Ayse Hanim said seriously knowing that her behaviour was good to stop women in palace complaining, but wasn't good to favour of her son.

"You think she could manipulate over Mehmed?" Nur asked with a dose of worries. She looked at her mother of whom she always excepted to have answer on everything, or a solution.

"She could, only if he falls in love with her, but that's why we'll keep Leyla close to Mehmed," Ayse Hanim said.

"But Leyla won't bring us any good," Nur said.

"We don't need anything from Leyla, she is here just to have fun with Mehmed and to make sure he doesn't fall for Neslihan. Because, if he would fall in love with Neslihan, there would be our end. An Ottomans would manipulate over us and they think they did through this wedding," Ayse Hanim said.

"You want to say we will get rid of Leyla if she does something potentially bad to us?" Nur asked her mother. She was actually person who didn't have very much knowledge and intelligence, but she listened very wise to her mother and then around others repeated words of her mother who was very intelligent woman.

"She already drinks pills so she can't get pregnant, we don't need illegitimate prince. But when we won't need her, we will get rid of her," Ayse said coldly returning to her chambers.

Neslihan went back to her chambers, and here it was very different than in Istanbul because here the men were guarding their chambers. And those weren't eunuchs, those were men who served Mehmed, and they were in front because those were also sleeping chambers of Mehmed. Neslihan knew she would have to get some time to get used on the new rules, but here it was everything more easy and more calm than in Topkapi, which had very specific rules which no one could cross.

At that moment someone opened the doors and Neslihan excepted it for be Mahmud, but when the doors opened a man with blue eyes like the ocean came inside bowing to the Sultana.

"Sultanim," man said as he bowed to her and Neslihan was confused by everything in this palace. She wasn't used that she could talk with men so easy this way, nor that they could enter those chambers so easy, but at the end it was all because those were Mehmed's too. Neslihan looked at him and he seemed at the beginning like he was really familiar to her, but she didn't want to confuse him with someone since it was Crimea.

"I am Ahmed Bey. Your brother Sehzade Kasim gave me a duty to take care of you here in Crimea, and to make sure you have everything you need," Ahmed Bey said and Neslihan immediately remembered about the man her brother was talking about, and she remembered the man she knew her whole life but has never looked at him more than anything beside her brother's friend.

"Thank you, Ahmed Bey. I have nothing to ask for when I can't get anything here," Neslihan said in a pessimistic tone, but deep inside her heart she was happy someone who was here for her was here. She felt more ease, knowing she is not actually all alone here around all of those strangers who disliked her.

"Sultanim," Ahmed Bey said as he approached Neslihan and came closer to her. Neslihan felt her heart beating like a crazy when she looked at Ahmed's eyes and she knew she couldn't feel relaxed next to him, when there was something so special about him and his presence.

"Whatever you need here, I want you to know that I will be happy to help you. If that Mehmed tries to hurt you, I will take his life with my own hands," Ahmed said as he didn't stop looking into Neslihan's eyes knowing he said even too much that he should actually have, but he felt in her presence something that wasn't felt before.

"I am glad you are here, so I don't feel alone here," Neslihan said knowing she was so weak at this moment in front of a man she knew only as a friend of her brother Sehzade Kasim, but never actually have looked at him in the serious way, since at that time she wasn't searching for love. She patted his arm with her hand and in that found the two of them found themselves staring one at another.

"I'll be here always, you can find me around here because I was assigned as one of men in service of Mehmed," Ahmed said knowing he had to leave, because Mehmed could arrive at any moment. He looked at her for last time before leaving the chambers as his memories returned to him.

Ever since he was a teenager he was in the service of Sehzade Kasim, and with the time he has spent with him he has always seen Neslihan Sultan being a little bit further with her mother or the maids. He always looked at the Sultana, and he never wanted to try something, because he was only a servant and she was a Sultana. She was still a teenager then also, who didn't even search for love because she lived her happily life during the reign of her father. She always looked at him as a friend of her brother, but Ahmed couldn't help himself with the feeling he had been feeling from the first time he met her, even though they haven't talked for a long time.

And now, Sehzade Kasim has sent him to be here to take care of Neslihan Sultan, and for the first day here he felt such a chemistry with the Sultana that anyone would understand just by looking at them one next to another.