Carefree •Magnificent Century: Kosem

chapter •succession of a nephew

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The coffin of Sultan Mehmed Khan left the palace and he was to be buried in Hagia Sophia Mosque. The throne could not stay empty for long. Safiye Sultan had her eldest grandson, Ahmed, take the throne. Together, Safiye, Raziye, Handan, Halime, Mustafa, and Dilruba stood in the Valide Sultan suite awaiting Ahmed arrive. The only one missing was Raziye elder sister, Fahriye.

At the right moment, a knock at the door caught the attention of the royal women in the family and Fahriye Sultan walks in so elegantly with a beautiful smile on her face. Everyone in the room, but Safiye and Raziye bows to Fahriye as she approaches to her mother and sister.

"Fahriye, our beautiful daughter." Safiye greets and takes her daughter's hand into hers.

"Mother." Fahriye greets back before looking at her youngest sister. "Raziye." Raziye nods back at her and scoots a few steps over to have Fahriye stand in between them.

"Come here and watch your nephew in his happy day." Safiye says.

"Ascending the throne at such a young age. May Allah help my nephew." Fahriye says with Safiye finishing with an 'Amen'. Raziye says it too and looks to Ahmed's mother, Handan.

"This must also be such an overwhelming day for you, Handan. May Allah protect our Sultan Ahmed and you from any harm" Raziye says. Handan looks at her and bows. She didn't smile at Raziye much, but she nods thankful of her words.

"Amen, Sultana. May Allah also protect you as well." Handan says back. Raziye nods and looks away.

"MAKE WAY!" Someone yells from outside the door. The royal family look towards the door. "HIS MAJESTY, SULTAN AHMED KHAN!" The doors open and Ahmed was seen. Everyone in the room bowed as Ahmed walks in. Ahmed stop and smiles to his face. Safiye, Fahriye, Raziye, Handan, and young Mustafa smile back to Ahmed. Halime looks in front of her and Dilruba looks down at the floor.

Each women got to kiss his ring and say some nice words to him. Safiye had the harem women prepare Ahmed, putting on his robe for him and make sure it was all perfect. Raziye stood by Halime and had Mustafa stand in front of her. Ahmed and Mustafa made eye contact and they started to play around without anyone else noticing, but Raziye.

Safiye walks forward and clips Ahmed's cape.

"We witnessed the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, and his son Sultan Selim Khan, and his son Sultan Murad Khan. They ruled the empire. We considered our son Mehmed Khan, who's in heaven, the ruler of the world and we obeyed him." Safiye says. Mustafa escapes from Raziye and sneaks around behind the other Sultanas, playing with Ahmed. "May Allah have mercy on all of them."

"Amen." Everyone in the room mutter. Mustafa suddenly trips over Handan's dress and falls forward. Halime and Raziye quickly pick him up and make sure he was alright.

"My Sehzade." Halime says.

"I was playing with my brother, Ahmed." Mustafa says innocently and not understanding why he was getting in trouble. Safiye looks at her second grandson.

"Don't call him "my brother", Mustafa." Safiye informs. Halime draws Mustafa close to herself. "You will only call him "His Majesty"."

Ahmed loses his smile at the sentence that left his grandmother's lips. Looking to Mustafa, Mustafa looks down in sadness. When looking at Halime, Halime looks away in fear, fear of losing a second child. It brought him flashbacks of when his mother, Handan, spoke to him earlier that day. About tradition and the good of the empire. But what is good about killing an innocent child?

Ahmed kisses Safiye's hand in respect before Safiye turns to grab Ahmed's crown and placing it on Ahmed.

Raziye and the others arrive at the toward and watch for Ahmed to arrive and be seen by his viziers and soldiers. Raziye had Dilruba stand in front of her and her hands were on the younger Sultana's shoulders. The large doors open.