✔️The Sultan's harem (Completed)

Chapter 16:- The joke never gets old!

Serena's POV

I felt alone inside the huge hall. The whole place was meant for the women in the harem to meet and get ready.  However I was the only person who was staying there. The heaps of clothes and ornaments of the women stayed there were picked up by the slaves. The Sultan had considered my advice and asked the eunuch slaves to gather all the expensive clothes and jewelleries and sell them in order to get money for the flood relief. Almost all the drawers and the wardrobes (except mine) were empty now.

I sat in front of the mirror, searching for a comb nearby. I found one in one of the drawers. It looked very expensive. It was studded with the most precious stones and looked like a priced possession. Perhaps the slaves forgot to take them.

I turned around and went to the Sultan's chamber. As usual, I took the name of the Chief Guard Osman and was granted the permission to enter the room.

"Greetings Ma'am, it's always pleasant to meet you!" Greeted the amused Sultan.

Today he was wearing a maroon coloured robe, embellished with gold borders. He looked more handsome than usual. The dimple on his cheeks made him look adorable.

"Actually.... I... I..." I stammered. Stupid stupid stupid! I have to focus on my reason of coming to this palace. Not to ogle the handsome Sultan.

"I have come here to give you this" I told him.
I handed him the comb and he inspected it closely while I told him the story of how I found it.

"You can sell it. This looks very expensive." I told him.

Suddenly a boyish grin broke out.

"What?" I wondered why he was smiling.

"Actually I had gifted it to Venus" he told me. Venus was the most beautiful women of the harem. I remembered her now.

"Oh" was the only thing I could mutter. Maybe he missed her. Maybe she was one of his fond memories. But why am I feeling so bad? Why was I feeling so... so... insecure? Focus Serena focus...

"Why are you smiling like this?" I asked him.

"She was one of my most favourite persons in the harem. I had gifted her that comb. I wonder why she left it here. She could have taken it with her and treasured it. It was a personal gift." He seemed to wonder.

Why the hell a girl would take your gift with her when you have given her the worst years of her life? Now that she would forget you like a nightmare that never happened? I grinned to myself.

"Why are you smiling?" He asked me.

"Because I know the reason. Anyways I hope you will sell it and use the funds to help the people." I told him.

"Actually I need your presence to sort out two matters. First, I am planning to commence the flood relief activities. I will need your help since your village and the nearby villages are involved." He said.

"Okay" I made sense why he needed my help. I was involved with the villagers so he could work from the grass root  level.

"And the second thing?" I asked him.

"Yeah that. I want you to visit the prisons tomorrow. There is something you might like to see." He said absentmindedly.

"Okay." I agreed. Visiting those pathetic prisons will help me to taunt him how much brute he is.

"So can I go now?" I asked him.

"You never bother to call me your majesty don't you?" He smiled, amused.

"I apologise. It's just that I always forget to address you that. I am sorry to sound so rude but there are very few people in my life whom I address with honour. Like my parents, my grandparents, etc" I said. He just smiled.

"And look at me, by law even my own mother has to curtsy me. I have tried to oppose it but have been advised by religious leaders to follow the protocol." He said with a regret.

"Actually, you won't believe but I am a kind of a man who would love it if his lover or wife calls him by his name." He chuckled.

"You do not look like that kind of man" I was surprised.

"I am that kind of man" he flashed his beautiful dimples.

"In that case, I am going to call you Salim. Because I am gonna be the Sultana." I joked and he laughed. This joke never gets old.

"By the way, it's illegal for us, the Sultans to legally wed any of the women in our harem." He said.

How could that be possible? His mother was lawfully wedded wife of our previous Sultan.

"It's because my father broke the rule. So did my grandfather. They married the love of their lives" he smiled proudly.

"Married huh?  inspite of having harems of thousands of women? What did they do to those remaining women? Did they set them free?" I asked. Again my tone got better of me.

"I will never every marry any other women or have any other women in my harem! You will be the sole women of my life! I promise!" He spoke and suddenly realised what it meant.

I was shocked and so was he. We looked here and there except for each other's eyes. It was awkward. I guess I will have to stop joking about being Sultana.

After a few minutes of thick silence.

"So?" He asked.

"So?" I asked back.

"I was just saying that..." he spoke up.

"Actually I am going to sleep! Good night!" I cut him off before he could provide any further explanation and make the things awkward again.

"Good night ma'am" he spoke as I shut the door behind me.