mehmed ∮

The afternoon sun beat down on the stone walls of the Edirne palace, but the heat I felt in my chest wasn't because of the weather. It was the weight of my heritage. I had returned. My boots echoed loudly against the marble floor as I advanced through the main hallway, flanked by my personal guard.

As I passed, the heavy doors swung wide open. The echo of the eunuchs and servants kneeling immediately filled the space. Their coordinated voice, loud and clear, announced my arrival:

—His Excellence, Prince Mehmed!

I kept my gaze forward, chin high and face impassive, as befits a future sultan. Crossing the harem area was always a necessary but boring formality. Dozens of women bowed at the sides, hiding their faces, seeking a shred of my attention that I rarely granted. To me, the harem was just another part of the palace bureaucracy, until that moment.

I turned my head slightly and my eyes met yours.

You had bowed, but you decided to look up just as I was passing. It was a fraction of a second. A spark of audacity in the midst of so much submission. Your gaze, defiant and deep, completely shattered my armor of coldness. I felt an imperceptible flip in my stomach, but I didn't stop. I continued walking with the same firm stride, though my mind had remained trapped in your eyes.

Upon reaching my quarters, the guards closed the doors behind me. I removed my heavy traveling cloak and immediately turned to the chief eunuch, who awaited my orders in a corner.

—The concubine in the light-colored dress who was near the central column of the harem —I said, my voice firm and without hesitation—. Bring her to my quarters. Now.

The servant nodded in silence and withdrew quickly. I approached the window, observing the palace gardens while I awaited your arrival, impatient to discover who the owner of the gaze that had captivated me was.