"Kalika, have you found the perfect co concubine for my lion Murad?" I asked my chief of harem treasury Kalika after I did all my work papers. Since I was Valide Sultana I had a lot of job in my hands and the power was so big. Sometimes I was afraid if I would do something bad and people would revolt against my rule or rule of my son Murad, that's why I wanted Murad to take power into his hands what sooner the better it would be.

" Sultana, I have found many concubines, but Sultan Murad doesn't want any of them. He always refuses them and call concubine he chosed alone, her name is Ayşe," Kalika said to me which made me interested who that concubine was. I didn't want a woman who wasn't loyal to me close to my son because he was still young and any bad influence on him could make the things only bad.

" Call Ayse Hatun to me," I ordered her.

"Valide Sultanim," young girl with long curly brunette hair said as she came inside my chambers and bowed to me. On my first impression, she was very shy girl.

"So you are girl my son is crazy about?" I asked her and saw she had a little smile on her face only at the mention of my son Murad.

"I guess I am," she said still looking down at the floor being embarassed of looking at me.

"As all other girls in this palace, I guess your wish is to make my son happy and one day rule this Palace?" I asked her as I needed to know her real intentions. Many years ago I was a concubine in this Harem the same way she was.

"My biggest wish is to be close to our Sultan and satisfy him, and to serve you Sultana," she said.

"I will help you to achieve your dreams, but that will be possible only if you will listen to me and be loyal to me," I told her knowing that I need to have my concubines next to my son.

"I swear to you Sultana with my life that I will be loyal to our Sultan and to you, whatever is your wish I will do it," Ayse said and I just nodded Kalika to escort her from my chambers.

"What do you think Sultana?" Kalika asked me with such an interest after I saw Ayse.

"Nothing special, I don't think she is someone who Murad will be interested for too long," I said as I haven't seen the fire in the eyes of this girl. The fire I had in my eyes many years ago when I arrived.

"Sultana, have you found suitable husbands for your other daughters?" Haci asked me about the topic I wanted to get done, but at the same time I haven't decided yet because what was most important to me was happiness of my daughters.

"Only Sirin will marry, triplets are still young and I don't want them to go away from us yet. They should enjoy their peaceful life here, as I couldn't have in my childhood," I said as throwback from my childhood came into my head. As young girl I was captured by barbars and sold to Istanbul slavery market where Palace men bought me as a gift to Sultan Ahmed. No one knows how much I suffered but at the end I got the opportunity to live my life with a man I loved most and become a mother of his ten beautiful children, now I am mother to one angel Mehmed and nine beautiful and smart children.

"But Atike Sultan is elder than Sirin Sultan, maybe you should find a suitable husband for her too?" Kalika said to me.

"Excatly, you will call Atike Sultan to meet me as I want to know her opinion about the marriage. It will be better for her to marry than to stay in Old Palace with Gulbahar for her whole life," I said and Kalika noticed the maids to send the carriage for Atike in the Old Palace.

"Sultana, what do you want to do today?" Haci asked me as he looked at my daily schedule which was empty for today because I always left one day for having a calm day, but now as a Valide Sultan I can't find more time to relax and I need to do whatever is needed to make my son one of the most successful leaders.

"I will go to Harem, I want to find alone one girl for Murad who I will teach. I don't think Ayse is suitable enough for doing what she has. Murad needs a strong woman," I said even though knowing strong woman would be my enemy, he deserved to have someone powerful next to him as Ahmed had me. Scenes of knowing how I was the wrong one for Handan's death still got in my head, but I would never allow any concubine to act like this to me.

I entered the Harem and when Haci announced my name all the girls stood in line and bowed to me. I seemed like very cold and strict person and that's why all of them were afraid of me.

They didn't even dare to look up to see me because they were afraid what could happen if I would get angry on them. I never remember myself being afraid of Handan actually.

"Girls, Valide Sultan will chose girls who will dance on Sultan's party tonight," Haci said and they all looked between themselves so happy hoping they will be chosen.

None of the maids had something special to me, but that wouldn't mean they wouldn't be special to my son. I tried to take the most beautiful girls and I found 4 of them, only one was missing.

"What is your name?" I asked beautiful brunette which seemed so cold for the whole time that she didn't even want to participate in the dance for sultan.

"Maria," she answered quickly like she hoped I would never chose and that was weird as I have never seen that in Harem.

"I chose you," I said and she looked me with eyes full of disappointment.

"Sultana, I don't want to go to Sultan, please," she started to say and Kalika went and grabbed her hand but I signalised to stop.

"Why wouldn't you want to go there?" I asked her. When I arrived in Harem all the girls were fighting for attention of Ahmed and I was one of them who had luck and lived a life from dreams.

"I would be happier to serve you and work in Harem, I don't want to live in that circle where everyone is trying to sabotage anothers and being afraid for life everyday," she said softly.

"You will come with me now Maria," I said to her and nodded to Kalika to get those four girls ready for tonight's dance for my lion Murad.

Maria and Haci followed me all the way up to my chambers where I sat on my sofa and she still seemed to be afraid of me.

"Every girl always dreamed about going to Sultan, this is only way to save yourself from the hell of serving in Harem however. If I haven't got that opportunity I would probably be now in the Old Palace counting my days to the death, but I am here on the Ottoman Throne as the regent of my son and I have will to live because of my children," I said to her.

"Sultana, but I heard what all you had to do to keep yourself on that position. I don't want to get into those troubles," Maria said and I lifted her chin with my hand.

"You are one of the most beautiful girls in Harem and I see that you are also very intelligent," I said and she blushed on my words.

"I won't send you to Sultan, but I will send you to my son Prince Bayezid, you will be his consort," I said and she smiled and sighed from relief, like she thought it was somehow different.