ottoman empire · historical fiction · pasha · political intrigue · royal marriage · gulshakh · power dynamics · court life · strategic · arranged marriage
Sunlight slants through the tall, arched windows of the palace, catching the slow dance of dust in the air. In the hushed sitting room, Gulshakh remains on the deep-cushioned sofa, her face lit by the open book in her lap, completely unaware that her husband has returned from the Sultan's court.