The men of our empire go into battle desiring to appear fierce in their armor. Us women, we are born into a war-zone of luxury; daily preparing ourselves for fights laced in fatal nuances and violent beauty.

Manisa, 12th January 1512

"Sümbül Ağa, you chose very well raised concubine. What is your name girl?" A beautiful woman named Ayse Hafsa asked me when I entered her chambers.

Never in my life I have seen a woman so beautiful, but will all manners that suited her so well. You couldn't look at her because she had so much power even in her way of acting, when she spoke, everyone trembled at her word.

"Sofia, Your Highness," I muttered, being afraid to say anything else beside my name to this woman. She nodded with her head, not caring for my bad turkish, which I had only a month to learn.

"Where are you from?" She asked me and once again I felt fear if I would say something wrong in front of her. Only her gaze made me feel afraid if she would do anything to me if I am not like she wants me to be.

"I'm from Albania," I said.

She measured me once again before whispering something to her servant which I learned her name was Daye, and she was her servant for her whole life.

She nodded me and I didn't know what did that mean, but Sumbul and Daye left her chambers so I followed them as I still didn't know the rules. I have been in harem of prince Suleiman for two months and I still didn't have any ability to see the prince. No one here actually saw me as someone who is supposed to go to the prince, but when they saw I have talents in poetry, they decided to send me there.

"Did I do anything bad?" I asked worriedly Daye and Sumbul because I didn't know why Ayse Hafsa Sultan has nodded to me to leave. I might be here for two months but I never encountered someone from royal family so I didn't know what is something like that.

"Indeed, our Sultana liked you and tonight you will go to havlet with prince Suleiman," Daye said and I was so confused.

"What is havlet?" I asked.

"You will spend a night with Sultan, now you should get prepared," she said and I felt happiness in my heart, because I knew this is the way for me.

This is the way in which I will be successful and I will be someone respected, someone at who all the others concubines will tremble as when I saw Ayse Hafsa Sultan.

"Do you remember everything we said to you?" Daye asked as she and Sumbul walked with me in front of prince's chambers. I just nodded with my head and took a deep breath before arriving to the place in the time which will make my fate bright and become someone like magnificent Ayse Hafsa is, or I will spend the rest of my life miserably as it is now. I was worried about the prince, how old is he, how does he look, how is his personality, will he like me or I will be here just for one night for him to make his prince duties? Thousands of questions were in my head when two guards opened the doors of the chambers where my fate will be decided.

I checked once again how do I look in beautiful pink dress they sewed for me and all the jewelry and I never felt so beautiful but still so not worthy of prince who will one day become leader of the whole world and everyone. I took once again deep breath and entered the chambers not looking still at the prince until the moment comes, only thing I saw was a silhouette of beautiful man who's face I still couldn't see. I bowed in front of him and went down on my knees when I kissed his kaftan waiting for his reaction.

His hand quickly met my chin and I stood up back again until his hand raised up my chin for our eyes to meet finally. And when I saw him, I saw a man which I could only dream of for my whole life so beautiful man I have never seen in my life.

"What kind of beauty this is?" He touched a part of my curly blonde hair and he played with it before looking at my eyes once again.

"My beauty is nothing compared to yours, in my life I have never seen the eyes so blue and so beautiful," my gaze couldn't move away from his blue eyes which seemed so deep like the ocean.

He didn't say even a word before he took me closer to himself and first our nose met which gave me the feeling like I am trembling, but in totally special way in front of someone I have barely known but made me feel like butterflies in my stomach are going crazy around him. I couldn't resist and I placed my hand on his cheeks before I kissed him taking the first step even if in front of me was man who is superior to me.

"I didn't expect this from you," he said in very sensual voice.

"I couldn't resist and I think I won't be still able to resist on you sehzadem," I said before kissing his lips sensually once again.

Manisa, 24th February 1512

"Suleiman, I have one request from you," I said as I spent Saturday in his chambers as I usually used to. On very other days he had lot of duties to do as a prince and heir to the throne, some days his mother would send him another concubines which I was really jealous of but all of those women were for one night and I was here for Suleiman always.

"What is it my Sofia?" He asked as he had me in his hug while we were sitting in his chambers. Even if we were always together for a last month and half I still felt the same feeling of being in love and trembling as when I saw him for the first time.

"I want to become Muslim. I want to see what you see, and I want to believe in what you believe," I said and his smile widened from ear to ear on happiness of my decision. I repeated the words after him.

"Your name now will be Safiye," he repeated to me.

"You didn't change it a lot from my original name," I said.

"Because I love you the way you are and I never want you to change because of anything. I want you still to be wise, like your name Sofia said to you, but also to be pure, sincere friend and wise as your new name Safiye says," he kissed my forehead before taking me in a hug.

Manisa, 13th March 1512

"Ibrahim Aga, I want to see prince Suleiman," I happily came in front of Suleiman's chambers even though I knew today wasn't the day I should meet him, but I had so beautiful news which couldn't wait for him to find out.

"Prince Suleiman is with another woman, you can come back later," Ibrahim said not being happy to see me here interrupting Suleiman's night with other.

"Please, I just need to tell him something. It is very important and it will make him so happy," I said trying to make Ibrahim let me go because my heart was hurting at the moment when I knew I am carrying his child and he is sleeping with another woman. Now it didn't felt the same as it did before, because soon we would become parents, together.

"I said no-" Ibrahim started to say but at that moment a woman left the chambers and looked at me so furiously because obviously I ruined her night. Then Ibrahim let me came in and I saw Suleiman standing in the middle of the chambers.

"Suleiman," I said and ran to his hug being afraid if he would be angry I destroyed his night with another woman, but I couldn't wait until other day to see him.

"Safiye, my love, when I heard you are here I dismissed the girl mother has sent me, is everything okay?" He placed his hands on my cheeks being worried but his words made me realise I really mean something to him and nothing could be better to me this day.

"We will get a blessing," I placed his hand on my belly showing him I am carrying his child.

Manisa, 4th November 1512

"Your Majesty, congratulations, your favourite Safiye Hatun gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl," a nurse said when Suleiman and Ayse Hafsa entered my chambers when I gave birth to twins. The giving of birth was so exhausting but I simply didn't care about the pain when I saw my two beautiful babies which relieved all the pain I felt.

"Your name will be Yahya," Suleiman whispered three times in ear of our baby son.

"Your name will be Fahriye," he whispered three times in ear of our baby girl.

"Congratulations my love Safiye, with you, I learned how is to be a father, you made me happy like no one else," Suleiman said before taking out of the box beautiful tulip necklace which I have been always seeing on Ayse Hafsa and Hatice Sultan's neck. I knew it symbolised dynasty and I was waiting for the day when I could be part of this family and this dynasty.

"From now on, you are also member of Ottoman dynasty," he said before he placed the necklace on my neck and kissed my forehead.

Manisa, 17th January 1513

"Sultanim, you wanted to see me?" I entered Ayse Hafsa's chambers as two months passed since the birth of my lovely children and she has behaved so good to me and even in the meantime she haven't sent any concubines to her son which made me really happy. I couldn't be in those two months with Suleiman because I had to recover from the birth, and I was really happy that there isn't any new one which would take my place.

"Sit down next to me, I must talk with you about one topic seriously," she said and I was worried on her words. I was the person who is worrying to much about everything and I knew that isn't good, but after I gave birth that became even worse because I was always afraid for my children and if anyone would take Suleiman away from me.

"You gave birth to a son, and you gave me my first grandson. But there is one rule you must respect, one woman can have only one son," she said and my heart felt like it is breaking at that moment.

"You want to say I can't be with prince Suleiman anymore because I already gave birth to one son?" I didn't even want to believe in what I was saying because this was like the worst nightmare to me.

"Exactly, I am glad you understood me very well. You can be with him, but you must drink pills we give you, because you can have only one son," she said.

"But Sultanim, you have four daughters and one son? What if I maybe give birth to a girl?" I asked her trying to force her anyhow, on the nice way, to allow me to live my life normally with Suleiman instead of giving me the pills with which I couldn't be pregnant then.

"I gave birth first to all of my four daughters, and then to Suleiman, it isn't the same," she said and looked away at that moment, but soon looked back at me.

"I know this is hard for you, but it doesn't mean you can't be with Suleiman anymore," she said trying to say me how she understands me, but I couldn't even imagine the rules were like this. If they where I would have prayed to God to give birth to more daughters to be more with Suleiman and have more children, than I prayed to God to give birth to a son to become Sultana and respected in this palace.

"But Sultanim, I can't live like that, I wish to have more children-" I started to say but she signalised me with her hand to stop it and I have never seen her behaving like this, but I obviously annoyed her as I wouldn't accept those rules.

"Rules are here to be respected. It is made because of the laws of our state. One woman can have one son because you know when Sultan ascends the throne he kills all of his brothers. The duty of his mother is to learn him everything and place him on a good way, and if you have more sons you can't focus on all of them and maybe one day your son will have to kill your another son," she said leaving me without an answer.