|3rd Person POV|

The plan went as expected... As soon as they reached the Manisa palace gate in the darkness, a servant was waiting for them.

Gülüm and Svetlana entered, looking as miserable as planned, and were presented to Efsun Kalfa as gifts for the şehzade.

"Alright, take them to the hamam and do what's necessary" Efsun said, looking at them from head to toe with a raised eyebrow and a disgusted expression.

She wasn't about to present them to the şehzade on a golden platter until she was sure they were worthy... Moreover, the orders from Münevver Victoria Sultan regarding her son, şehzade Murad, were very clear and strict.

"I don't think she's going to make it easy for us" Gülüm muttered as they walked a few steps with the servant Emine towards the bath.

"Of course, she's following the orders of the Haseki Sultan" Emine sighed, opening the door to let them in, ensuring no one was around "But don't worry, there's always a loophole"

"We need to act fast... Dilruba Sultan won't wait any longer after all these years" Gülüm said in a low, cautious tone.

"Never mention her name here, don't get us into trouble" Emine warned, her eyes wide with concern as if afraid someone might overhear them "Remind me, which one of you is being sent to his highness?"

"It's clear.. it's me" Gülüm replied quickly, as if the answer were obvious.

"Then, you'll be assigned as a servant in the şehzade's room" Emine said, gesturing to Svetlana, who remained calm while watching them with eagle-like attention "It'll be useful"

"Alright" Svetlana replied, already preparing for what was to come.

They quickly changed into white towels, took a swift bath to wash off the exhaustion of their long journey, and prepared for a restful night before their task began, knowing it would be filled with stress.

Svetlana woke first the next morning... As she stood in her white dress, the same as the other girls, all eyes turned to her with curiosity because they had been asleep when she and Gülüm arrived the night before.

It wasn't long before Gülüm also stirred from her slumber. In mere moments, she had drawn the attention of those around her... Envy flickered in their eyes as they recognized a formidable competitor in her... They all knew it would not be easy to capture the prince's favor once he laid eyes on her.

Each of them had their own way of vying for his attention, but Gülüm's presence made it clear that the competition would be fiercer than ever.

"Quickly, get up and clean the place" came the voice of Efsun Kalfa, clapping her hands "You" she pointed at a few girls "go to the kitchen and prepare breakfast for everyone"

Svetlana sighed, straightening up, then began doing what she had seen the others do.. gathering their bedding and tidying up the space for breakfast.

"So when you become the favorite, you'll enjoy the rest, while I'll work as a servant all day" Svetlana whispered as she sat beside Gülüm, who had barely done anything.

"Yes, darling" Gülüm laughed, turning to her "But don't worry, I'll try to find a solution for you"

"You talk like you're going to become a sultana" Svetlana teased, rolling her eyes.

Soon, breakfast was ready, and though they ate quietly, their eyes were darting around, cautiously observing the faces of every girl in the room.

"Look, Rahime, here's your rival Reyhan" one of the blonde girls said, gesturing to the brunette beside her... she was pointing at another girl who had just entered and was making her way to a seat.

"I didn't know you were so eagerly awaiting my return from His highness's chamber" Reyhan said, playing with a strand of her light brown hair as she sat down, clearly trying to provoke the other girls.

"Girls, calm down!!" Emine's voice rang out, and with that, she left the place.

Gülüm and Svetlana didn't need many details to understand what was happening.. It seemed that the brunette Rahime was one of şehzade Murad's favorites, and Reyhan, who had just arrived, had spent the entire night with him... the competition was already intense.

"Third night in a row, Reyhan, you're so lucky" one of the girls said, chewing on some bread, speaking to Reyhan, who was clearly enjoying the attention.

"Be careful, I don't want to jinx my luck" Reyhan replied with a playful laugh "Yes, I'm lucky, and there's no doubt I'll become a sultana"

"Why are you so confident?" Rahime spoke this time, her jealousy showing... For a moment, it seemed like she might lash out at Reyhan and scratch her proud face.

"Because His highness is very interested in me" Reyhan responded with a smug smile, holding her spoon and taking a small bite "That's how it begins, darling, and it's happened with the other sultanas before me"

"You'll be lucky if it happens" one of the girls, a redhead with childish features, said "You'll get plenty of privileges, and you'll get to meet His highness's family"

"Yes, of course, I will... I'll be part of their family" Reyhan replied with a dreamy smile, keeping her posture straight and her movements deliberate "And I'll get close to Haseki Münevver Victoria Sultan... I'm sure she'll be proud to have me as the mother of her grandchildren"

Before anyone could speak further, Efsun Kalfa entered, making everyone close their mouths and resume their breakfast quietly... Meanwhile, Gülüm's gaze remained fixed on the beautiful, boastful girl, who seemed like a strong rival.

»»-----　♔　-----««

|Münevver Victoria's POV|

-Two Days Later-

"Carefully, Osman" I said, holding his hand as I helped him place a seal on one of the letters I had written to my niece, Queen Sophia... he insisted on trying it himself.

"I did it" he exclaimed excitedly, looking at the seal on the letter, then threw himself into my arms as I wrapped my hands around him and kissed his cheek.

"Come on, Osman" said Hümaşah, who stood in front of my desk, waiting for Osman to finish his little experiment so she could take him to the garden to play and pick some flowers she liked.

"Won't Süreyya be coming with you?" I asked curiously, as I wasn't used to seeing them apart.. they always took every step together and refused to do anything unless it involved both of them.

"She's busy reading some book that's driving her crazy" Hümaşah joked, taking Osman's hand "I won't be long, just picking a few flowers"

"But be careful" I smiled, raising an eyebrow as I approached her and whispered so Osman couldn't hear "He has a sharp memory and tells his father everything" I didn't need to explain further... I knew Hümaşah was using Osman and the flowers as an excuse to meet the young man in the garden.

She blushed as I winked at her then she nodded before leaving... I watched them go before sitting back down, determined to finish all these papers today so I could enjoy a peaceful day with Sedef, my aunt, and the children tomorrow.

Suddenly, I felt nauseous again, the heat rising from my body in an unusual way despite the cold weather.

I was about to call one of the servants to bring me a glass of water when the door opened, and my aunt appeared.

"I came to visit while you're working" she said with a wide smile, but quickly dropped it when she saw the worried look in my eyes "Victoria, what's wrong? Is it happening again?"

"Yes" I stood up slowly, trying to reach one of the sofas, but my aunt and Yasemin, my servant who stays with me at all times, hurried over to assist me.

They helped me walk slowly, and once I settled on the sofa, Yasemin quickly brought me a cup of water, while my aunt sat beside me, holding my right hand.

"I told you, you need to see the doctor" she scolded, her tone familiar, as she had always been quick to worry and fret since I was a child.

"I..." I hesitated, handing the glass back to Yasemin, then raised my eyes to her and gestured for her to leave the room so I could have some privacy and once she did, I turned to my aunt "I'm afraid something might be wrong with me..."

"Why these negative thoughts, my dear?" she said quickly, as if trying to dismiss my words.. then she gripped my hand tightly "Nothing like that will happen, Victoria... You're young and healthy, but it's necessary that you see the doctor"

I didn't know how to explain my concern to my aunt... A concern that had consumed me, especially in recent weeks when I felt tired and sick continuously.

Looking at my father's family history, there were inherited diseases, particularly hemophilia, which had affected half of the princes and princesses... It was one of the reasons they didn't live past their forties.

At thirty-seven, I feared I didn't have many years left, and any symptoms could appear at any moment, disrupting many aspects of my life, especially my time with my family.

It seemed that my father's blood would haunt me forever, and perhaps it would even cause my end.

As expected, I couldn't convince my aunt to let me rest and wait for the feeling to pass... She rejected all my excuses, stood up, and before I could protest, she had already brought a doctor with her.

I sat there, watching the doctor as she carefully examined me, her hands steady, her movements precise... After what felt like an eternity, the doctor finally looked up ... Her expression was unreadable, and my stomach dropped.

"Well?" I managed to ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

The doctor exhaled softly, her face softening, her eyes warm with something that almost resembled sympathy "It's not what you feared.. your Highness" she said, and my mind froze.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my voice trembling, uncertainty clouding my thoughts.

The doctor smiled faintly, and then... she said it "You are pregnant"

The words hit me like a thunderclap, and for a moment, nothing made sense... I blinked, trying to comprehend what she had said... Pregnant? I... I was pregnant? .. tired, nauseous, yes, but pregnant? I hadn't even considered that possibility.

The doctor continued, her tone gentle "The symptoms you've been experiencing.. fatigue, nausea.. are all common in the early stages of pregnancy"

Of course, I know this as I am a mother of three children, but the possibility of being pregnant was beyond my expectations, especially since this is something I haven't thought about for years and I never planned to get pregnant again, especially now that Murad is seventeen and I'm expected to become a grandmother soon despite my young age, but that's how things work.

"Are you sure?" I asked, my voice quivering slightly, not because I doubted her, but because the gravity of it all hadn't fully settled in.

The doctor nodded with certainty "I'm sure, your highness"

I just nodded while the doctor was gathering her things and leaving, and as soon as she did, my aunt entered again, visibly anxious, as she had been waiting outside.

"Well?" my aunt asked, her voice full of worry.

"I'm pregnant" the words slipped from my lips quickly, almost as if I needed to share this unexpected and surreal news with someone right away.

"Pregnant?" she whispered, as if the word itself needed to be repeated to make sense of it.

Yes, it's not that we're unhappy about it, but something like this would never have crossed anyone's mind at this time... But for some reason, it's real, and I won't hide that I felt a great relief knowing that I wasn't carrying a fatal disease, but instead, I was carrying a new life.

"Oh my God" my aunt quickly approached me with a wide smile, then took my hand "I know what's going through your mind now, Victoria, but rest assured, you're still young, and you can have more children" She placed her hand on my cheek with unparalleled tenderness and added "Don't worry about the responsibilities and all that... We're here to help you... I just want you to enjoy this now and focus on resting"

I know that what my aunt was hinting at was my work and my very busy days, along with my other responsibilities toward my family, but hearing these short words from her made me feel a little better... After all, I can have more children, and it didn't harm anything... I should be happy about this child, just like the others.