CHAPTER NINETY-TWO
Istanbul was filled with the roar of excitement as the month-long festivities of the circumcisions began. The fire pits had been dug once more and the smell of roasting venison and oxen wafted through the city streets, mingling with the pungent odor of hashish and fermented grapes. The days were filled with sport and merriment, the nights with displays of fireworks from the Orient. The four Favorites and their children had been moved from Topkapi into the Grand Vizier’s Grand Palace, which afforded a spectacular view across the Hippodrome and celebrations.
Haseki sat with the other three Favorites, the Valide Sultana, and Khadija. She held Khadija’s hand as they lounged in the splendor of a white, silk pavilion erected for their comfort and privacy in the palace ground
