Chapter 7
Honey Skin
An Ottoman Prince Karaÿel visits the harem to check on his mother Melekşah Hanum who is also Elif's mistress. The Prince is lively and charming with his fluffy brown hair, light brown skin and green eyes. He meets Elif on the way and recognises her as the maid he used to play with when he was a child. He kisses sher hand and yaps to her about their childhood. Elif though pleased knows who she belongs to and is afraid her master might get too angry. Unfortunately she is right
The air in the harem, usually thick with the scent of rosewater and simmering spices, seemed to hum with a different kind of anticipation. A ripple of hushed excitement spread through the silk-draped corridors, a sure sign of a royal presence. Prince Karaÿel, heir to the Sultan’s vast empire, was visiting. Elif, her heart a familiar drum against her ribs, continued her duties, her movements fluid and practiced, yet a tremor of apprehension ran beneath the surface. She knew the Prince’s family; Melekşah Hanum, her mistress, was his mother.
As she navigated a sun-dappled courtyard, her eyes fell upon a figure emerging from the grand reception hall. It was Prince Karaÿel, younger than she remembered, his youthful face alight with an easy charm that mirrored the prince of her childhood games. Fluffy brown hair, skin the colour of warm honey, and eyes like polished emeralds – he was a stark, vibrant contrast to the shadowed corners of her current existence. He paused, his gaze sweeping over the assembled servants, and then, impossibly, his eyes landed on her. A slow smile spread across his lips, a recognition dawning that sent a jolt through Elif’s veins.
“Elif?” he exclaimed, his voice a warm melody that cut through the harem’s murmurs. He approached her, his demeanor one of genuine delight. “Is it truly you? The little girl who used to chase pigeons in the palace gardens with me?”
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