Harmonia

The days blurred together into a suffocating haze aboard the caravan. Nadya had lost count of the hours, the nights, and the weeks. The air inside the wagon was damp and heavy, reeking of sweat and decay, and the wooden planks beneath her were rough and splintered.

Ten other girls shared the cramped space, each as pale and hollow-eyed as Nadya. Their whispers, timid and fleeting, spoke of fear and longing for home. Nadya listened silently, her own voice long since swallowed by the growing numbness within her.

Her hands, bound tightly in front of her, bore red welts from the rope. The caravan stopped only briefly each day, just long enough for the guards to toss scraps of food and water their way. The girls scrambled for sustenance like starved animals, their dignity stripped away with each passing moment.

✧ When will this end? ✧ Nadya wondered, her head resting against the wagon's side as it jolted over uneven terrain. But deep down, she dreaded the answer.

✧ ✧ ✧

When they finally arrived in Istanbul, the air was thick with the scents of spice, salt, and sweat. The towering minarets of the city loomed in the distance, a stark contrast to the filth of the marketplace where the girls were herded like cattle.

The guards barked orders, dragging them out of the caravan and lining them up in the blistering sun. Nadya squinted against the harsh light, her skin prickling with heat. The bustling sounds of the market—vendors shouting, animals braying, coins clinking—washed over her like a tidal wave.

The auction began swiftly.

One by one, the girls were paraded onto a raised platform, their captors calling out their qualities in loud, boastful voices. Nadya watched in silent horror as hands shot up in the crowd, bids rising higher and higher until a final price was settled. Each girl was taken away, her expression a mixture of fear and resignation.

When it was Nadya's turn, her captors seized her by the arms and dragged her forward. She stumbled, her bare feet scraping against the wooden platform.

"Here we have a fine specimen!" one of the men announced, gripping Nadya's chin and tilting her face toward the crowd. "Strong, young, and untouched! Worth every coin!"

A murmur rippled through the crowd, and Nadya's cheeks burned with shame. She tried to avoid the leering eyes fixed on her, her heart pounding in her chest.

The bidding began.

"Five hundred!" a man called out, his voice gruff.

"Six hundred!" another countered.

The numbers climbed quickly, each bid higher than the last. The crowd grew louder, their voices overlapping in a cacophony of greed and desperation.

"Eight hundred!"

"Eight fifty!"

Nadya's stomach churned. She felt like a commodity, her worth reduced to a number.

Then, as the bids began to slow, a new voice rang out.

"One thousand gold pieces."

The crowd fell silent.

Nadya turned her head, her eyes scanning the sea of faces until they landed on a man standing at the edge of the marketplace. His face was obscured by a dark mask, his tall figure cloaked in fine black fabric. Flanking him were several other men, their expressions stern and unreadable.

The auctioneer hesitated, stunned by the amount. "One thousand gold pieces! Going once... going twice..."

"Two thousand," the masked man interrupted, his voice calm yet commanding.

Gasps erupted from the crowd.

The auctioneer, his face now alight with greed, wasted no time. "Sold! To the gentleman in black!"

Nadya's captors shoved her off the platform, practically throwing her toward the masked man's guards. She stumbled but managed to stay on her feet, her breath shallow and rapid as she dared to glance up at him.

His dark eyes met hers briefly, and though his face remained hidden, there was a softness in his gaze. It was a fleeting moment, but it stirred something within Nadya—a flicker of gratitude, a fragile hope that perhaps her fate would not be as cruel as she had feared.

But just as quickly as he had appeared, the masked man turned away. His guards took Nadya and two other girls, leading them toward a grand carriage. She craned her neck, watching as the mysterious man disappeared into the crowd.

✧ Who was he? ✧

✧ ✧ ✧

The journey to Topkapi Palace was short but filled with an uneasy silence. Nadya clung to the edge of her seat, her hands trembling in her lap. The other two girls sat beside her, their faces pale and drawn.

When they arrived, the palace gates loomed high above them, adorned with intricate carvings and gleaming in the sunlight. The guards escorted them inside, leading them through a labyrinth of opulent corridors and lush gardens until they reached the harem.

Here, their new lives would begin.

Nadya's heart sank as she looked around, the weight of her circumstances pressing down on her like a crushing tide. The masked man had spared her from the horrors of the market, but she was not free.

She was a part of the harem now.

✧ And there was no way out. ✧