Categories > Original > Historical > The Sultan And I
Elaine entered the sitting room, amazed at the vastness of it. It was decorated in deep purple and had marble walls and ceilings, the floor was covered with a soft rug, and the room contained a couple of backless couches and a table. Robert and Maria sat on one of the couches, Robert jumped up as soon as he saw Elaine.
“That overblown rat, Ahmed has given me rooms on the other side of the palace,” he raged. “I don’t like not being nearby to protect you.”
Elaine smiled gently at him, “I’ll be fine Robert,” she said, “I don’t think the sultan would be happy if anyone harmed me.”
Robert looked harassed, as he paced the floor. “It’s the sultan that I’m worried about,” he finally said. “What if he decides that your offer of friendship extends beyond the sitting room?”
Maria giggled, and Elaine looked at Robert shocked, “are you saying that he will try to seduce me?”
Robert reddened, “I’m saying that you need to watch yourself around him, he’s known as Mehmed the Conqueror, for more reasons then one.
She began to speak but was interrupted by the arrival of a tall woman in white veils.
“I am Fatima,” she said in a musically accented voice. “I am Mehmed’s aunt and the Valide Sultan. I came to make sure these quarters are to your liking.”
Elaine smiled at Fatima, “I haven’t’ had a chance to see the rest of my quarters, but this sitting room is just lovely.”
Fatima smiled, “good,” she said quietly. “Now I will leave you to your rest.”
She walked to the door, leaving as quickly as she had appeared. Before she went back to the harem, she said softly to Ibrahim, “watch the Englishwoman, carefully. I fear she will hurt my nephew in more ways then one.”
Ibrahim nodded solemnly and Fatima continued down the hall.
Robert left soon after Fatima did and Elaine entered the large marble tiled bedchamber off the sitting room. Crossing the large lavish room, she opened up the large doors situated on one side of the chamber. She looked out, and gasped in delight at the beautiful gardens that spread out, like a colorful blanket.
“I’m going to walk in the gardens,” she told Maria, who was busy unpacking Elaine’s trunk.
She stepped out of the bedchamber, and began to wander through the colorful blooms, enjoying the fresh air and the smell of the blossoms. Finally she came to a pond encircled by white lotus, it had a small waterfall cascading into it, and looked quite inviting. Elaine sat down on the white stone bench beside it, watching the waterfall and enjoying the serenity of the scene before her. Suddenly she heard a small mew and looked down to find a tiny kitten, trying to bat her skirts.
“Hello you darling little baby,” she cooed and bent over to pick it up, putting it into her lap.
Immediately the kitten snuggled up to her and began to purr quietly.
“Her name is Hande,” a voice said, and Elaine looked up in surprise.
Mehmed stood at the entrance of the path, dressed casually in a white caftan. Elaine noticed that this garment was simple, with none of the elaborate fur or embroidery, of before. His head was uncovered, and his black hair curled around his face giving him an almost boyish look.
Elaine stood up quickly, being careful not to drop the kitten.
“I didn’t mean to intrude,” Mehmed said.
“I should go back inside,” Elaine said quietly.
Mehmed moved forward, taking Hande from Elaine’s arms and setting her gently on the ground, where she scampered happily off into the grass. Elaine watched, amazed at how gentle this man could be. He looked at her suddenly and she felt the breath catch in her throat. He stared at her, then reached out and grasped the end of her braided hair lightly.
“I have never seen hair so blonde before,” he said almost in awe, “even in my harem.”
Elaine reddened at the mention of his harem and started to move past him.
He caught her arm, “Please don’t go,” he said softly and she turned to look at him.
Their eyes met for a moment, then slowly they moved forward. Mehmed, bent his head down and kissed Elaine, holding her face gently in his hands.
Suddenly Elaine realized what she was doing, and she pushed away from him with a sob, before turning and running back to her quarters.
Mehmed watched her go, making no move to stop her, then turned and sat on the same bench Elaine had occupied, moments before. He frowned, not really seeing the beauty of the waterfall, his thoughts instead of Elaine.
“That overblown rat, Ahmed has given me rooms on the other side of the palace,” he raged. “I don’t like not being nearby to protect you.”
Elaine smiled gently at him, “I’ll be fine Robert,” she said, “I don’t think the sultan would be happy if anyone harmed me.”
Robert looked harassed, as he paced the floor. “It’s the sultan that I’m worried about,” he finally said. “What if he decides that your offer of friendship extends beyond the sitting room?”
Maria giggled, and Elaine looked at Robert shocked, “are you saying that he will try to seduce me?”
Robert reddened, “I’m saying that you need to watch yourself around him, he’s known as Mehmed the Conqueror, for more reasons then one.
She began to speak but was interrupted by the arrival of a tall woman in white veils.
“I am Fatima,” she said in a musically accented voice. “I am Mehmed’s aunt and the Valide Sultan. I came to make sure these quarters are to your liking.”
Elaine smiled at Fatima, “I haven’t’ had a chance to see the rest of my quarters, but this sitting room is just lovely.”
Fatima smiled, “good,” she said quietly. “Now I will leave you to your rest.”
She walked to the door, leaving as quickly as she had appeared. Before she went back to the harem, she said softly to Ibrahim, “watch the Englishwoman, carefully. I fear she will hurt my nephew in more ways then one.”
Ibrahim nodded solemnly and Fatima continued down the hall.
Robert left soon after Fatima did and Elaine entered the large marble tiled bedchamber off the sitting room. Crossing the large lavish room, she opened up the large doors situated on one side of the chamber. She looked out, and gasped in delight at the beautiful gardens that spread out, like a colorful blanket.
“I’m going to walk in the gardens,” she told Maria, who was busy unpacking Elaine’s trunk.
She stepped out of the bedchamber, and began to wander through the colorful blooms, enjoying the fresh air and the smell of the blossoms. Finally she came to a pond encircled by white lotus, it had a small waterfall cascading into it, and looked quite inviting. Elaine sat down on the white stone bench beside it, watching the waterfall and enjoying the serenity of the scene before her. Suddenly she heard a small mew and looked down to find a tiny kitten, trying to bat her skirts.
“Hello you darling little baby,” she cooed and bent over to pick it up, putting it into her lap.
Immediately the kitten snuggled up to her and began to purr quietly.
“Her name is Hande,” a voice said, and Elaine looked up in surprise.
Mehmed stood at the entrance of the path, dressed casually in a white caftan. Elaine noticed that this garment was simple, with none of the elaborate fur or embroidery, of before. His head was uncovered, and his black hair curled around his face giving him an almost boyish look.
Elaine stood up quickly, being careful not to drop the kitten.
“I didn’t mean to intrude,” Mehmed said.
“I should go back inside,” Elaine said quietly.
Mehmed moved forward, taking Hande from Elaine’s arms and setting her gently on the ground, where she scampered happily off into the grass. Elaine watched, amazed at how gentle this man could be. He looked at her suddenly and she felt the breath catch in her throat. He stared at her, then reached out and grasped the end of her braided hair lightly.
“I have never seen hair so blonde before,” he said almost in awe, “even in my harem.”
Elaine reddened at the mention of his harem and started to move past him.
He caught her arm, “Please don’t go,” he said softly and she turned to look at him.
Their eyes met for a moment, then slowly they moved forward. Mehmed, bent his head down and kissed Elaine, holding her face gently in his hands.
Suddenly Elaine realized what she was doing, and she pushed away from him with a sob, before turning and running back to her quarters.
Mehmed watched her go, making no move to stop her, then turned and sat on the same bench Elaine had occupied, moments before. He frowned, not really seeing the beauty of the waterfall, his thoughts instead of Elaine.
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