“But your uncle trusts you,” Azura replied.
“He does, but there are those among his people who cannot believe an Ottoman prince lives who is without ambition for the throne,” Amir answered her. “My father’s continued behavior does not help me.”
“The others do not know, do they?” she said.
“No, and you must say nothing. You know how easily Maysun and Shahdi can be made fearful.”
“Are we truly safe in your uncle’s realm?” Azura asked.
“I had thought we would be, and as long as my grandfather lived, I believe we were. The sultan’s heart is good towards me. He does not hold me responsible for my father’s misdeeds, but eventually his patience will be frayed. He has threekadins, and they are concerned with any who might threaten their own sons.”
“Akadinis the title given to the mother of the sultan’s sons. Is that correct?” Azura queried him. “Their position must give them a certain power.”
Amir nodded. “Yes, it does. Family is all-important to the Ottomans. All of their children are welcomed into this world, and cherished, but particularly sons. And when a sultan dies, his successor’s mother gains the stature of becoming Sultan Valideh. It is she who controls the harem along with the official known as the Agha Kislar,” he explained.
“How manykadinsdoes your uncle have?” Azura asked.
“Three,” Amir told her, “and one of those three is a very dangerous woman. Her name is Besma. It is said that she engineered the death of my cousin Mustafa, who was my uncle’s eldest-born, the son of hiskadinKiusem. Nothing could be proved against Besma, however, and her son, Ahmed, my uncle’s second-born son, became the oldest. She is a very jealous woman, and too often my uncle gives in to her simply so she will cease her nagging. Fortunately his Agha Kislar, Hadji Bey, does not likekadinBesma. He favors the younger of Kiusem’s sons, Selim, and so his master’s difficultkadinis usually prevented these days from her mischief.”
“Yet she murdered a prince,” Azura noted.
“Never proved,” Amir reiterated. “When I learn who watches, we will know more,” he promised her.
But the watcher was clever. He obviously suspected he had been discovered.
Before Amir might ride out and surprise him, the watcher disappeared. Still curious, Amir considered going to Istanbul, but realized his appearance uninvited in the capital might offend his uncle. Instead he sent a message to the Agha Kislar with his own trusted Diya al Din. The head eunuch of the prince’s household had been trained with Hadji Bey.
Hadji Bey was surprised to see his old companion. It had been years since the two had met, for Diya al Din had served Prince Amir’s mother first. The prince’s eunuch waited for two days before the great Agha Kislar was able to see him, but Hadji Bey welcomed him warmly, expressing his regret that his old friend had been forced to wait.
Diya al Din waved the Agha Kislar’s concerns aside. “There is no emergency,” he said. “It was pleasant to wait, and be waited upon. I cannot recall the last time I was free of my duties as head eunuch of Prince Amir’s household.”
“Sit, sit,” the Agha invited.
Immediately slaves brought hot mint tea and small sweet pastries for the two men. For a brief time they sat together enjoying the refreshments.
“Now tell me why you have come,” Hadji Bey finally asked his guest. “You say it is no emergency, yet I suspect it may be important, else Prince Amir would not have sent you to me. How may I serve him?”
“Someone has been watching the Moonlight Serai,” Diya al Din said. “When my master sought to learn the identity of the watcher, he had fled. Do you know of this?”
“No,” the Agha Kislar said, “I do not, butkadinBesma has of late begun to lobby once again with the sultan over Prince Amir’s presence so close to Istanbul.” He clapped his hands together, and instantly a slave was by his side, leaning down to receive the Agha’s whispered instructions. The slave ran off, and Hadji Bey said, “We will shortly know if that troublesome woman is involved. I spend more of my time these days preventing her mischief than I should have to,” he grumbled. “If she is responsible for this, she has kept it secret, for I have several spies in her household and have heard nothing. Now, tell me of your prince’s child. Is it indeed a girl, or was that simply a ruse to keep the infant safe for the time being?”
“No, no!” Diya al Din exclaimed. “’Tis a little princess in truth. They have named her Atiya. She has dark hair like her parents, and fine bright blue eyes. Her mother is very beautiful, and the baby promises to be too.”
“She is doted upon?” Hadji Bey said with a smile.
Diya al Din chortled. “Oh yes!” he replied. “The prince’s first two wives are sterile, and you can imagine their delight over Princess Atiya. They have already made a true demanding little Ottoman of her. The lady Azura has scolded them about it, but then the baby will do something outrageous and they all laugh over her antics. As for my master, he is like all fathers of daughters. Besotted.”
The Agha Kislar listened, a smile upon his dark face, but he was gauging the truth of Diya al Din’s words. This eunuch was no less loyal to his own master than the Agha was to the sultan, but the more he listened, the more Hadji Bey was convinced that his guest spoke the truth. Prince Amir’s child was indeed a female. Not that he would not make absolutely certain eventually with his own spies. There would be time enough for that.
The Agha’s slave returned and murmured in his master’s ear before moving from the small comfortable chamber where the two eunuchs sat companionably.
“It is as I suspected,” Hadji Bey said, his tone edged with anger. “KadinBesma spies upon Prince Amir’s household, though she could actually learn little if nothing from a distance. Is it possible there is a spy among your slaves? A new purchase, perhaps? Allah forgive me, but if there were a way of ridding my master of that damned woman, I would take it.”
“The household I manage is small,” Diya al Din said. “I have brought no new slaves into it for years. Still, I will investigate when I return and will report to you.”
“Then the stupid woman wastes her time,” the Agha Kislar said. “But why she would do so is of more concern to me. It will take some careful investigation on my part, and that will take time. Return to Prince Amir, and tell him what I have told you, Diya al Din. Your master has a friend in me. ShouldkadinBesma be plotting any mischief against him I will learn of it, and do my best to prevent it.”
“I am grateful for your friendship,” Diya al Din said, and he was. He left Istanbul and returned to the Moonlight Serai. He did not like harem politics. They were always dangerous. Praise Allah the women of his household were sensible females.
