The conspiracy

“We are falling apart since he died!” 

“No! We started falling apart on the day when he started marrying foreign consorts! His wife had more power and influence than the grand vizier! (Persian: head of government)”

“Well, that is one of the reasons!” 

“No! THAT IS THE REASON! What did he think would happen? Before she died, she managed to get rid of everyone who would threaten the safety of her children, including the rightful heir to the throne!

Then, the worthy children that she had all perished. One via suicide, one via execution! Finally, we ended up with this drunkard!!!” He slams the table. 

The others in the tavern turn around. It seemed that the music had stopped playing for a second. Even the dancing girls had stopped their deceptive and seductive dance to take a look at the enraged man. 

The enraged man shall not be named here, as he wished to keep his identity a private matter. As everyone else did in this tavern, as they were taking part in adultery, gossip, gambling, and drinking of alcohol, all haram (Arabic: forbidden) things. 

He gets up. 

“Drinks on me!!!”

The tavern erupts with approval, and he sits back down. 

“That is how you calm them down, with even more drunkness. You are a hypocrite!” 

“These people are a different story. Do not provoke me! They do not have to be responsible. At least not during the night… The night is meant for rest. But, our sultan has to be! These people are drunk maybe once or twice a week, and only at night. But he… He is drunk all the time! All the time! He, the very shadow of God on Earth!” He manages to control himself, and not split the table in two. 

“They are saying that he wakes up hungover, then drinks not to feel the headache, and goes back to sleep drunk! Do you understand what is going on?! We will go to ruin!”

His interlocutor, Bayezid, gulps his wine. 

“What about his sons, maybe they will…” 

“Were you even listening to what I was saying? We have a problem. His wife, Nurbanu Sultana, rules this country! Due to his father’s marital feats, women have started gaining dangerous amounts of power! Every little decision, she gets to make it. All, in order to protect her children. That is when they are the most dangerous. If you touch their children, consider yourself dead. Done! 

But as she is going out of her way to protect her children, she kills everyone. Even the people who would do good for this country. All because of the fratricide law…

Everything then turns into interest. That turns into corruption, then you get all of this… this” He points to the space around them.

“This type of state that we are in! Ahhhh, dear God in the Heavens, why do I even bother!” He gulps his cup in despair. At those moments of such crippling frustration and helplessness, he did understand why their Sultan Selim, cherished drinking so much. Especially once you were presented with complicated problems of the state, or anything complicated really, drink was your short-lasting comfort. 

“Is she beautiful?” Bayezid asks with a smirk.

“Who?” Mahmud asks with surprise while feeling his body get warm from the strong wine. 

“Well, Nurbanu. You have the amazing privilege to see her every other day. What does she look like? What does she smell like?” Bayezid asks, with his head leaning on his hand. He looked as if he was in love with a woman he did not know what she looked like. 

“Of course. She is very beautiful. Breathtaking. You see, we, the men of the palace, we are not allowed to look at the women of the Sultan, or they would” He goes with his hand over his throat.

“But, as I have the privilege to talk with her from time to time, and see her, of course, the shaytan (Arabic: devil) gets the better of me. I do raise my gaze. I actually look forward to raising my gaze to look at her, even if she is just passing by. She smells like heaven. I believe she wears multiple scents, and her hair is so well taken care of, so shiny, and her locks! They are immaculate. But, sometimes, it is so hard for me to imagine her as just a woman. A person. She is more of this terrifying apocalypse that walks around the palace. An institution. But, when I talk to her, and she laughs or makes a witty remark, I feel like I am falling for her. I might be falling in love” 

“You lucky bastard!” Bayezid

“Did you mention her eyes?” 

He turns around. One of the closest people to Nurbanu. Her own banker.

“You see, her eyes are magic. And her laugh! Ah! But, her mind is the most beautiful thing of all” It was Esther hatun (Turkish: lady). 

She was the type of woman who would show up in a tavern where men represented the majority of guests, in order to have a drink, make business deals, lend money, and conspire. Only a few people knew who she actually was, and how immensely powerful she was. Even more powerful than our enraged man. 

It was not long until so many started turning their heads, staring at her in terrible curiosity. It was a well-known fact that only women of good financial standing would be able to visit such places. That is why her bodyguards never left her side. 

“Esther… It is so nice, and surprising to see you here” He gives her a smile.

“I can say the same for you… Ibrahim” She whispers in his ear. 

He laughs. 

“Come sit with us. We were just talking about your mistress that you admire so much. Drinks on me”

“I would love to…” She smiles back at him and puts her hand on his shoulder. 

Why were they so attractive? Ibrahim thinks to himself. 

Bold, courageous, powerful women? She did things out of the ordinary, things that were to be condemned, forbidden, and criticized, but he did not mind being part of them. To be the male shoulder she touches, and also squeezes, he was too weak to say anything. She actually made him used to such behavior, and he did not want to be the one to complain.

“I have some business over here, but if I am done, and you are still here, I definitely want to share a drink with you” 

He raises his cup to her. Of course, she does. She always has things to do. 

“I think I hate you even more now. How come you know so many beautiful women?” Bayezid

“Eh. I do know so many beautiful women, but they all play games me with. I am just a pawn of theirs. They mesmerize me with their beauty, and I dance to their music” 

A tap on the shoulder. Ibrahim turns around.

Mehmed. 

“Sit”

Something about his face. 

They bring Mehmed a drink. Bayezid is busy telling one of the dancing girls some stupid joke. 

“I cannot help but notice your upset face. What is going on?” Ibrahim

“You do visit the palace, do you not?” Mehmed

“I do” Ibrahim

“When was the last day of your visit?” Mehmed

“Just today” Ibrahim

“Have you noticed anything strange?” Mehmed

Again that feeling. That same feeling when he had heard about the assassination conspiracy of the late prince. The true and rightful heir to the throne. 

Managing to speak, without choking, he asks “Like what?”

“Like the fact that no one has been able to see or visit the chambers of the Sultan” Mehmed

“That is because he is a drunkard. No one has seen him anywhere but his chambers” He was scared of hearing the news that Mehmed had. He knew they were not good news. 

“But, his statesmen and others do give him visits from time to time. Including yourself, and myself. No one has been able to come near or breathe in the direction of his chambers. She has forbidden all ways to his chambers'' Mehmed

“Well, what is the excuse?” Ibrahim

“That the sultan is busy entertaining his harem. He has been busy entertaining the harem for the past two weeks” Mehmed

“Have you seen her since then?” Ibrahim

“Yes. Once. It was quick. She asked me some questions, just for the sake of the meeting, and left. Left in a rush. She was distracted. Have you seen her at all?” Mehmed

“Just in passing. But, maybe the Sultan is celebrating, or–” Ibrahim

“Or the Sultan is dead” Mehmed

Ibrahim moves the glasses away from himself. Calls for a glass of water. 

“I believe Murad is already on his way. I would not be surprised if he is already with his mother, signing the documents, taking the claim to the throne. Do you understand that she, and her good friend Sokollu, will rule again, and Murad will just be a pawn?”

“You can't be sure, you…” 

Mehmed sighs.

“I have been seeing the Sultan for the past few months, and he has always looked disgusting, but this is the most disgusting he has ever looked... His health has been deteriorating. For the first time, the healers replaced the many concubines. They were constantly mingling around his chambers… She probably finished him off”

“Shut up!” Ibrahim grabs Mehmed by the collar.

“You idiot! Do you understand how powerful she is? She has spies all around this city. Her second half is here as well. Calm yourself” Ibrahim

“What?! Esther? Where is she?” Mehmed starts looking around, and his gaze stops on Esther. 

“Dear God, it is true…” 

Esther nods back to them. 

“Do you see what is going on? You cannot go even to a tavern without one of her people following your every move from a corner.” Mehmed again looks around and continues speaking in an even lower voice.

“They are securing each spot in the city, so her son can have a safe passing” Mehmed

“You have to calm down.” Ibrahim

“Calming down won't help me protect myself! I have to think before they think for me.” Mehmed

“Slow down.” Ibrahim

“Get yourself together Ibrahim. I mean it. You do understand that she knows we are not her immediate supporters. She will annihilate us. Esther will go and tell her that she saw us conspiring. She will probably tell her that we were conspiring to ambush Murad somewhere, or whatever. She just wants a reason to kill us off. We have to find a way to escape.” 

Ibrahim looks at Esther. She was still talking to someone. The tavern was getting louder, with more smoke, more drunkards, and more suspicious faces. 

Esther gets up. 

“Let's move to a more private room” She offers. 

Ibrahim gets up, and Mehmed won't move an inch. 

“Mehmed!” Ibrahim whispers in an enraged tone. 

“I am just fine here, thank you” Mehmed looks back at her. 

Esther smiles. 

“Well, it will be just Ibrahim and me. And his… friend?”

Bayezid was drunk and asleep by the table. 

Mehmed gives a significant look to Ibrahim.

Esther goes to the room, and Ibrahim follows. 

“Ibrahim, please sit”

The room was upstairs, and the music almost faded away. 

“How is palace life?”

She looks at him with all smiles. 

He looks around the room. All windows were sealed, and the only exit was guarded by her men. Did he just sign his own death warrant?

She won't kill me, everyone has seen me leave with her. 

“Should you not be the one to tell me that? You visit Sultan's wife more than the Sultan” He laughs. 

She laughs back. 

“I only serve the needs of this state. But, you seemed to be having a tense conversation with Mehmed. I had a feeling you wanted to have a way out. I had to come over and rescue you from him” 

“Well, yes. He is a difficult man” He is probably on his way to escape the capital, and I am here waiting to get strangled, poisoned, or stabbed to death. 

“Tell me, what is the reason for his tension?” Esther

“He is alright, but, uhmmm, he has a tendency to sometimes over-exaggerate things. To overthink” Calming down won't help me protect myself echoes through Ibrahim’s head. Maybe sometimes caution can come off as overthinking to some people who simply are too naive. 

“Don’t we all. Especially in times like this…” A significant look that she gives him.

He has a tendency to drink, but there is nothing on the table. Esther notices and signals her guards to bring drinks over. 

A pitcher with two glasses. Esther pours a drink for Ibrahim.

“But, what was so Mehmed worried about? Sometimes overthinking is a virtue. It helps us think for the long term” She drinks. 

Besides knowing her way around handling large sums of money, she also seemed to be able to read minds. 

“Uhmmm, well. Something about state and whatnot. As you know, the usual worries of a statesman” 

“I see. I do hear he has been desperate about having an audience with His Majesty, the Sultan. I do hope all is well” 

“But, I hear, no one has been able to have an audience with the Sultan. Even mere requests have been dismissed. Except for one person” He smiles at her. 

“You see, Esther Hatun, I was hoping you would tell me more about this. It does seem a bit strange that no one has seen the Sultan, may God keep him in good health, for weeks. We all know” He laughs “that he is not the biggest fan of stately duties, but it seems he has not been leaving his chambers. It does spark interesting thoughts” He wanted to drink more, but he refused to die completely drunk and without control over his senses. He at least wanted to give them a good fight. If this was the state, he did not want to take part in it. 

“I will join you in your suspicions. What kind of interesting thoughts does it spark?” Esther

“They are interesting, but they are not happy thoughts. They are dark thoughts” 

“My dear pasha (Turkish: a higher rank in Ottoman military and state, typically that of a general, or a statesman) I do get my own load of bad news each day. Please, the worries of the states are the worries of us all”

“Well, the thoughts are that the Sultan is dead. Dead. He is somewhere in the afterlife. Waiting for the day of judgment” Ibrahim

“Is that all? Each day there is yet another conspiracy theory about Sultan’s death. His Majesty has died a thousand times already if one is to believe them” Esther

That was funny. Ibrahim started laughing. A good one. But, it was time to get to the truth, from which he has been hiding away since those very rumors started. He had a bad habit of not investigating the conspiracies early enough. That is why the death of the rightful prince haunted him. 

“Esther, I am tired of playing games. How did the Sultan die?”

“According to some by strangling, to others by black mag-”

“ENOUGH!” Ibrahim slams the table, and the pitcher, with the glasses, flies away.

“I am done! You are bringing this state to ruin with your games and intrigues! How did the Sultan die? Was he murdered?!”

Her guards take hold of him. 

She continues sitting on her chair as if nothing has happened. 

She signals yet again to one of her guards, but this time it was not for drinks. Another guard comes in, and out of the bag that he had brought with him, Mehmed’s head rolls out. Falls in front of Ibrahim's feet.  

“What?! What have you done?! Mehmed!!!” He lets out animalistic screams, trying desperately to get rid of the guards’ squeezes. 

“What have you done?! What?! He was a great man! He… he. We will all go to perish, if men like him are brought to death, we will all go to ruin. Oh dear God, save us. Offer us protection from this evil. You devils!!!” They killed him. He was not careful enough. By my own fault. I was slowing him down. I was the coward who could not face the truth, and he…

“Let me go!!!” Esther raises her hand, and they let him go. 

“Your friend had conspired against Nurbanu Sultana for years. You see, she is the legal wife of the late Sultan, may God rest his soul. If someone goes against her, they go against the entire institution. Against the Ottoman dynasty. Her son rides to the capital. Mehmed Pasha was a man in his own way. He refused to obey anyone or anything. He deemed nothing sacred enough to follow or submit to it. He wanted to create a state of his own, ideals of his own. Unlike you” She sighs, and only with her eyes, she signals to the guards. They remove Mehmed’s head. 

“Nurbanu believes you. You never went out of your way. You were by the side, and you did as you were told” 

“Therefore, the state offers you a high-ranking position in Sultan Murad’s court, if you will support his ascension to the throne…” 

“If not, well…”