I sneaked back into the harem chambers under the guise of the early morning as I still was trying to grasp the events that had just unfolded before me. Sooner or later, the man will be found, and they will investigate what had happened. If they knew any trick to check the blood of who did it, I'm practically dead. What a way to start the day, Francesca Fortuna!

Oh my gosh. I'm still trying to wrap my head around what had just happened. Some man, who was planning on murdering Hürrem Hatun, confronted me in the hall and tried to eliminate me. What is going on?

It seems that there is something going on between Hürrem and the "Valide" mother Sultan. Possibly, something that I had gotten into.

I carefully opened the door to not wake Elisabeth, and as I turned and shut the door, I rotated and found myself face to face with Elisabeth. Well, not quite as I was 2 inches taller than her.

"Where were you, princesa?" Elisabeth questioned intensely. She saw I left.

"Uh, the bathroom?" I bit my lip. Elisabeth did not look like she accepted my excuse.

"Walking around?" I tried again.

Elisabeth shook her head. "Stop lying, Francesca Fortuna. You were trying to escape, weren't you? Not just walking around the halls."

"Well technically," I corrected, "I decided I wanted to explore (and possibly escape), by wandering the halls. Then I heard some stuff, and then I kill-"

And I realized that I practically fell into Elisabeth's trap. I had no choice but to tell her what had happened, or something could happen.

"You what?" Elisabeth tilted her head as her brows went up slightly. "Kill who?"

I bit my lip as I thought about how to phrase it to my friend.

I looked at Elisabeth, her sharp blue eyes narrowing in anticipation of my response. My mind raced to piece together an explanation that would convey the gravity of what had just happened without completely implicating myself, and try to not overdo it. I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of my secret pressing on my chest. There was no turning back now, I suppose. Out with it, Francesca!

"I... I didn't mean to," I stammered. "It was self-defense, Elisabeth. This man, he came out of nowhere. He was going to kill me, and I—I had no choice." My voice wavered, a mix of fear and guilt clouding my words.

Elisabeth's expression softened, but the tension in her posture remained. She stepped closer, her voice now barely a whisper. "Tell me everything, Francesca. Who was this man? What exactly happened?"

I swallowed hard, the memory still fresh in my mind. "I was wandering the halls, trying to clear my head and perhaps take a self guided tour of sorts so I can escape soon. I overheard a conversation between what seemed to be the Valide Sultan and some other man, and they wanted to kill Hürrem Hatun, the girl we met the other day."

I paused before continuing. "I got curious, so I listened in and then ran off as I heard the door open. I went down the hall as I felt someone following me. That's when I ran into him—a man who seemed intent on carrying out some kind of plot against her."

Elisabeth's eyes widened slightly, but she didn't interrupt. I continued, the words tumbling out of me faster now. "He saw me. I tried to run, but he caught me. I don't even know how it happened. He had a blade, and I grabbed whatever I could—" I gestured to my side, remembering the lighted torch that had saved my life. "—I struck him, burned him to be exact, before he could finish me off. It was either him or me."

For a moment, there was silence. Elisabeth seemed to be processing my confession, her face unreadable. Finally, she sighed and ran a hand through her disheveled hair. "Francesca, do you realize what this means?"

I nodded, feeling the cold reality settle in. "I know. They'll find him soon, and when they do, they'll start looking for answers. If anyone links me to his death... I'm finished."

Elisabeth's brow furrowed, and she began pacing the small chamber. "We need to think carefully about this. If they find out you were involved, there's no telling what they'll do. These are Ottoman barbarians for heaven's sake! Don't they kill people all the time? And imagine if they learn you are a Spanish Princess too! It will be the end of a lot of people."

I nodded again, biting my lip nervously. "I know. But what choice do I have? If I don't come clean, I'll be living with this secret hanging over my head. And if I do, well... it's practically a death sentence."

Death. I'll die if anybody saw me there. Or in the halls. There was a row of cots in front of the door! Someone could've seen me... I panicked.

Elisabeth stopped pacing and turned to face me. "Listen to me, princesa Francesca. We need to keep this quiet. No one can know what happened, at least not until we can figure out who this man was and what his motives were. If Hürrem Hatun was the target, then this goes deeper than just you being in the wrong place at the wrong time. There's something bigger at play here. And if they do in some way find out how you were involved, then you'll be more than just the target."

"What do we do?" I asked, my voice small but desperate.

Elisabeth hesitated for a moment before answering. "We need to be smart about this. First, you need to act like nothing happened. No one can know you were involved in that man's death. If anyone asks, you were here with me all night."

"And second," she continued, "we need to figure out who that man was and what he was doing here. There's no way we can uncover the whole plot on our own, but if we can get some information, we might be able to use it to our advantage."

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "You're right. We need to figure out what's going on. But how do we do that without raising suspicion?"

Elisabeth tapped her chin.

"Well, since we are the concubines of Sultan Süleyman..."

I saw where this was going. I nodded, feeling a strange mix of fear and determination building inside me. Elisabeth implied one of us should try and seek the favor of the Sultan, which could help me when I get back to Spain. 

I sighed.

This was far from over, and as much as I wanted to escape the palace and leave this nightmare behind and be with my amazing family in Spain, I knew I couldn't just run. Not yet, at least. There were too many questions that needed answers, and too many dangers lurking in the shadows.

As the sun began to rise outside, casting a faint glow through the small window of our chamber, I realized just how much everything had changed. One thing was certain—I couldn't trust anyone except Elisabeth. And even then, I had to wonder just how far I could count on her loyalty in this deadly game of palace intrigue. The Ottoman Empire is stranger than I could ever imagine.

The world around me was shifting, the stakes growing higher with every passing moment. But as much as I wanted to escape, I couldn't shake the feeling that fate had other plans for me.

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A/N: Really long chapter, hoped you enjoyed it. The wheels are starting to get into motion for Francesca, but how much more is she willing to take? Leave your thoughts in the comments, and any ideas for future chapters or other books please :)