The Rebirth Of Ottoman Empire Princess

Chapter #3

Edirne Palace ( 1444)

A crisp winter morning and there was a frosty chill in the air. A sweet surrendering scent of the moist morning dew cascades all around

the sublime forest. The mixed cool autumn leaves from the tall trees lay scattered on the forest floor; they were in the motion of turning a brittle brown. There was the sound of shattered glass that emphasized the leaves being crunched, as if I were to step on them, pushing their papery remains

deep into the brilliant white snow, which

lined the ground like a fresh white cotton

sheet.

" Gulnaaz Khalifa, would you stand up on the platform," I asked Gulnaaz Khalifa to climb a low wooden platform and hold an expression for me. I shuffled my gaze quickly, back and forth from her to the easels to get the details. I took in her every detail, warts and all, her cheeks flushed and her folded leg trembling involuntarily. She makes an extra effort to cover her front teeth by pulling the lower lip over them.

" Shehzadi Nuray, I don't think we should be here," Gulnaaz Khalifa finally speaks.

" Don't worry about it, nobody will come here," I reassured her.

Gulnaaz Khalifa and I often snuck out of the palace to the western part of the forest.

Nobody is allowed to come to this side of the forest because of the wild animals.

Luckily, we didn't encounter a wild animal yet. We came here to practice my artistic skills, painting portraits of people are banned in the Ottoman empire but my interest for painting the portraits of people, never stopped me. I love to capture the beauty of a person through color.

" Shehzadi Nuray, Pardon me but if Sultan Mehmet finds out about us then He will bring me to the block." Gulnaaz Khalifa hesitantly said to me.

" No, one will execute you name Gulnaaz Khalifa. And no one will ever find out about it. I've given an order to Amelia if someone asks about me. Tell them I went to the garden for a walk," I tried my best to calm her down. I leaped my gaze from the easel to her face and her face turned white as a white sheet of paper. She froze like a stone statue. Her eyes fixed on something in disbelief.

Which makes my heart racing like a horse. My eyes followed her gaze a volte-face and my heart instantly dropped to the ground. My gaze met with the pair of dark eyes and Steel gray claws extended from the wolf’s large black paws. Black fur with silver tips stood straight up. The wolf’s long snout cringed. His lips were tight and pulled forward. Its ears were pointed slightly forward. The wolf’s forehead, neck hair, and hackles were raised. Ivory teeth appeared between the jaws, its tongue moved around its mouth, and saliva dripped from its lips. The wolf snapped stepping closer to her. As the wolf lifted its right paw partly above ground its claw sparkled from the rising sun.

M hands trembled, so I took a deep drag to calm my frayed nerves. I just wanted to forget that terrible sight, but questions multiplied in my mind as the smoke furled.

The paintbrush slipped through my fingers and fell on the bed of leaves. I felt my heart sprint.

- I felt like I couldn't breathe with my heart ramming against my ribcage. And the only thing left my mouth was, " GULNAAZ KHALIFA! SAVE YOUR LIFE AND RUN,"

" No, Shehzadi Nuray, I can't leave you in danger." She sounded almost like she was about to break into tears.

" JUST LEAVE! CALL FOR HELP! IT'S MY ORDER GULIZAR KHALIFA!" I gave her the order very strictly.

" But... Shehzadi... I turn my face 180 degrees and glared at her and she nodded her head quietly and carefully moved backward without catching too much attention towards her and as she left. I faced the wolf.

I feel a rush of adrenaline as it fills my body with hot exciting sensations, and my mind suddenly starts to clear. I concentrate on the wolf’s footing, where it is stepping, and how it is moving. The wolf’s shoulder blades tense up and relax as if they were telling me something. As if it were warning me. The wolf takes a single step back and then lunges forward at your right side. My body flinches out of the way without even having to think about it. The wolf assumes its attack position, its weight mainly on its front legs with the hind legs as a sort of spring. I slide down under my skirt and pull out a sharp dagger that my father gave me. I see a way to use this against it and I decided to charge full force at the wolf. I should charge straight at its front taking it head on but … Suddenly, my eyes dart around through the surrounding trees and branches. Suddenly I see what was making that noise. Two skinny pups, just bigger than my feet, appear through the thick tree lining. The mother growls at them to tell them to back off and hide, but they don’t listen and they step forward with curiosity. I kneel and hold out my hands in a fist but the mother doesn’t like this and prepares to attack. I back off and bow my head to tell the wolf I am defeated.

“I can’t hurt this wolf. Who would take care of these poor pups if she were dead?” I thought to myself.

The mother was growling furiously. And I knew, any moment she can attack me and rend me apart.

For the first time, I stare death in the eyes, and for a moment it doesn't look unnerving. It looks more peaceful.

I see the moves backward and she romped towards me and I shut my eyes and encircled my face with my arms.