CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
Hafsa strained to see through the lattice of her balcony as Suleyman and Haseki meandered down into the gardens. Snow covered the ground and weighed heavily on the branches of the ornamentals. Her son held Selim proudly in his arms. Haseki held Abdullah in hers, covered in heavy furs against the morning chill. Mihrimah and Mehmed scampered and jumped excitedly around them in the snow, grasping at Suleyman’s caftan with squeals that echoed up the vale. Unconsciously Hafsa held her hand to her breast when the couple stopped under a beech. She smiled with relief as they embraced and kissed.
You are making a wise choice, my son. Love of your family and true happiness are far superior to the shadow cast by the Scarlet Mantle; as it may drift back and forth across the lands w
