The Sultan's Eclipse | MUSTAFA

𓆗

- Cecilia Venier-Baffo -

The following night

It was late in the night when Mihrimah stormed into my chamber, her anger a palpable force that seemed to make the very air tremble around us. I was sitting by the window, my legs curled beneath me as I idly stared at the moonlit courtyard below. The soft sound of the night breeze through the trees was the only noise in the otherwise quiet harem, but then the door to my room burst open with a violence that made me jump to my feet. Mihrimah stood there, her chest heaving, eyes blazing with fury.

"That wretched prince," she spat, her voice low but filled with venom. "That fool of a man. Selim." She slammed the door behind her with a force that made the entire room shudder, and I winced, silently preparing myself for the storm that was about to unfold. She threw herself onto the divan, the silk cushions almost losing their shape under her weight, and I could see the fury in every tense line of her body.

I moved closer, offering her a quiet space to vent. "What happened?" I asked carefully, my tone calm, trying to keep her grounded.

"Do you know what that insufferable boy did?" Mihrimah's voice was rising now, her words coming out in quick, staccato bursts. "He defended her, Cecilia! He defended that vile creature, Safiye! He didn't believe a single word I said about her—that she was plotting, that she was a threat. No, instead, he took her side!" Her hands were trembling as they gripped the edges of the divan. "He told me I was being unreasonable, that I was exaggerating. He even had the audacity to say that I was overstepping. And do you know what I almost did?" Her voice cracked slightly as she continued, "I almost struck him right then and there, right in front of everyone. I was so close, Cecilia, so close. He humiliated me. But then..." She paused, as if the memory was still too raw for her to fully process. "Then Valide intervened. Mother stopped me at the last moment, as I was about to lose control."

I was silent for a moment, letting the weight of her words sink in. Hürrem Sultan, her mother, had been the one to stop the madness. I knew well enough that Mihrimah could be tempestuous, but for her to have been on the verge of striking her own brother? That was something else entirely. I could see the struggle in Mihrimah's eyes as she spoke, the rage still boiling inside her, but now there was also something else: betrayal. She felt betrayed by Selim, and it hurt.

I sat beside her, my voice calm but firm. "Mihrimah, I understand your anger. But you cannot kill her. You cannot kill Safiye." I could feel her stiffen at my words, her hands balling into fists as if she was ready to argue. But I held up a hand to stop her. "Listen to me. You know as well as I do that making an enemy out of Selim is not the right move. He is not someone you can simply destroy. If you kill Safiye now, you will alienate him even more. And your relationship with him is fragile enough as it is. We cannot let Safiye separate us like that."

I let the silence settle between us for a moment, watching as Mihrimah's chest rose and fell with each heavy breath. Her fury was still there, simmering under the surface, but I could see her weighing my words. I pressed on, my voice steady, measured. "No matter how powerful Safiye is, no matter how much she has overstepped, we cannot let her ruin what you have with your brother. We need to be smart about this, Mihrimah. The game isn't over yet."

She turned to look at me, her eyes narrowed but thoughtful. "What are you suggesting, Cecilia?"

A slow smile curled at my lips, one that I didn't even realize was forming until it was already there. "Leave her for now. Let her think she's won. Let her revel in the illusion of victory. But when she least expects it, when she's not looking, we'll strike the final blow. We'll do it when it's least anticipated, and that will be the moment that crushes her. She won't see it coming."

Mihrimah looked at me for a long moment, the anger beginning to fade from her expression, replaced with a calculating look that mirrored my own. "You're suggesting we play the long game," she said softly, her lips curving into a knowing smile. "Patience. I see."

"Exactly," I said, nodding in agreement. "Predictability is a weakness. Safiye's greatest flaw is that she thinks she has control. She's far too arrogant, and that arrogance will be her undoing. Let her believe she's won, let her bask in the false belief that she has outmaneuvered us. But when we finally strike, it will be when she least expects it, and it will shatter her completely."

Mihrimah exhaled a long, deep breath, her posture softening slightly as she relaxed into the divan. "You're right," she murmured, her voice calmer now, the edge of her fury ebbing away. "It would be foolish to act rashly. But I want her gone, Cecilia. I want her out of my life, out of this palace, and I want her to know she was nothing more than a pawn in my game."

I leaned in slightly, my gaze steady. "And she will be. But not yet. Give it time, and we will make sure that when the moment comes, Safiye will have no power left. Not over you, not over anyone."

Mihrimah's gaze softened, and for the first time since she entered the room, I saw a flicker of gratitude in her eyes. "I should've listened to you sooner, Cecilia. You are... wise."

I smiled at her, a quiet, knowing smile. "You don't have to thank me. This is how we do things, Mihrimah. We play the game. We win. And when the time is right, we strike."

She nodded slowly, her expression becoming more serene, the storm inside her finally calming. "You know, I never thought I would find someone like you here," she said, almost to herself, her tone thoughtful. "Someone who could see things the way I do. Someone who understands the intricacies of this world. My world."

"I understand more than you think," I said quietly, my eyes locking with hers. "And I will always be here for you, Mihrimah. In this game, we stand together."

She didn't respond immediately, but I could see the trust in her eyes, something solidifying between us that hadn't been there before. The bond between us had grown stronger. In the game of power and manipulation, we were no longer just allies. We were partners. And I could see, in that moment, how far we could go—together.

Mihrimah stood up then, her eyes meeting mine one last time. "Thank you, Cecilia. For everything. We will make sure Safiye regrets ever crossing us."

I stood as well, my hand lightly brushing the fabric of my gown. "She will, Mihrimah. She will."

As she turned to leave, I watched her walk out, her figure disappearing into the shadows of the hallway. There was a quiet satisfaction in knowing that Safiye had only begun to understand the depth of her mistake. And as I gazed out the window once more, I couldn't help but smile to myself. The final blow had yet to come, but when it did, it would be something that none of us would ever forget.