Sultani Sitara (The Star of the Sultanate)

This night in Istanbul held the depth of a secret. The cold waves of the Bosphorus were crashing against the old stones of the fortress, and the first winter breeze created a rustling sound through the narrow, sloping streets of the city as if some wandering soul was roaming about. This was the era of the Ottoman Empire when the intoxication of power used to crush every single breath of humanity. In a grim and dark corner of the Topkapi royal palace, Maaz bin Ertugrul stood near the window. His long, thick black locks were scattered across his broad shoulders, and he had eyes that could make anyone's soul tremble. Those eyes were cold, ruthless, and as sharp as a hawk hunting for its prey. Maaz was the pride of this empire whom everyone feared—a man upon the soil of whose heart the plant of love had never sprouted. His fingers were gliding over the hilt of an old, bloody dagger. Not far from there, in a suffocating and salty dungeon of the fortress, Masfa’s breath was coming fast. Masfa... the girl whose very existence was like an untold secret. Her eyes were not like those of ordinary girls; within them lay the depth of stars shining in the last watch of the night and the reflection of a blue sky—that same blue like lapis lazuli, which had been viewed on this earth for centuries like a curse. There were stains of dirt and darkness on her face, and torn clothes on her body, but she possessed a stubborn soul that flatly refused to accept anyone's s*****y. She had grown up in the narrow and dark streets of Üsküdar, where every morning of life was a new battle. But tonight, fate had dragged her into the four walls of this cruel palace. "What do you think, Masfa? Will you come here and change the destiny of this empire?" Suddenly, a heavy, icy voice emerging from the darkness shattered the silence. Masfa jerked her head up. Maaz was standing there. His stature was so imposing that the atmosphere of the room became even heavier. Stifling the sound of his footsteps, he looked towards Masfa. There was neither mercy nor any sense of humanity in his eyes. "I didn't come here of my own free will," Masfa’s voice trembled slightly, but the coldness and pride in her tone surprised Maaz. She locked her blue eyes with his. "If you think that by imprisoning me you have conquered me, then this is your biggest mistake, Bey." Maaz’s face grew as hard as stone. A strange flash of anger flared in his eyes. He stepped forward and, without any hesitation, reached out and gripped Masfa's delicate chin between his hard fingers. This was a test of pain and power that would send tremors through anyone's body. "Your tongue has grown quite long, girl," Maaz’s voice echoed right next to her ear. "You probably have no idea who you are standing in front of. I am the man who strangles and destroys every single breath of rebellion. These eyes of yours, this insolent tongue—everything will turn into this dust one day." Masfa swallowed the pain within herself, but she did not let a single tear fall from her eyes. She deepened her hatred and stubbornness, placed her hand over Maaz's hand, and tried to push him back. "You will also turn to dust one day, Maaz! This crown of yours, these fortresses, this arrogance—everything will scatter away like sand one day." For a moment, Maaz stood stunned. In this empire, no one dared to look directly into his eyes and speak such words. Astonishment arose in his eyes, but immediately he closed off every soft corner of his heart. He abruptly let go of Masfa's face. "Let's see... how long this stubbornness lasts," Maaz said with a cold smile. "Tomorrow morning with the first ray of the sun, you will realize that even breathing in this building is a sin." He turned around and strode swiftly out of the room, and with that, a terrifying silence enveloped the entire dungeon once again.