✔️The Sultan's harem (Completed)

Chapter 30: The conversation

Sultan's POV

The sun was blazing hot. It felt like I would get roasted within a few moments. But no one looked at my sweat covered body. Rehzada refused to give break to all the labourers like us.

I could see a gleam in Serena's eyes as she was eying Rehzada angrily. Even I was furious at that man. But it was necessary to be patient. I had to uncover the reasons behind the low agricultural productivity and lower export. If our fields are so high yielding, where does our agricultural products go? Recently there is an insane rise of the price of crops. I was curious to uncover the reason behind it.

Finally after sometime, we were granted a short term break. I went to Serena and she gave me a glass of water. As far as I remember, I had drunk my share.

"It's not mine. It's yours. You drink your share now. I know you must be thirsty." I told her.

She smiled and drank half water from the glass. And then gave me the other half.

I drank the water. For some reason, it gave me a thrill to share the same glass as hers but seeing my happy face, she reminded me that almost every labourer had drank from the same glass. It was because we all were provided with one glass.

While I was amused, she seemed to be lost deep into thoughts.

"I doubt something. This man is insanely rich. He grows a huge yield of crops but doesn't export them as per the information given to me by Suraiya." She said. She echoed my thoughts. I told her about the sudden inflation in the prices of the crops.

"Let's rob this man's accounts at night. I need to see why are the prices so high." She whispered.

I wondered when the day would get over. I had always punished the robbers. Gave the worst time to the thieves. Never knew that I would have to sneak into someone's house as a thief.

"You know, we can return to the palace and I can order my army to seize his books?" I told her.

"And what if we don't find the books? Won't the Sultan look fool in front of his people?" She pointed out.

"We need to find out while staying undercover. However we can already warn Mehmad beforehand so that he could protect us in case we get caught." She said.

I found her right. Besides I have never been able to do anything like that in my life. It was fun to work hard and take harder risks. Maybe because of the company that I had.

"Let's eat our dinner and then go for the storehouse of that big fat rich man!" I joined her as we reached home.

I helped her to cook. What she cooked was basic food. Being in palace had many advantages. One of them was to get a huge variety of delicacies on the daily basis. The food I consume cannot be afforded by the poor. But here we were. I was stuck with a women who considered herself as King of the world. So she declared that whatever she cooked was equivalent to the dish served by a royal cook. I was too hungry to protest.

However even the basic food tasted good due to the tremendous hard-work that I had done under the blazing hot sun.

We ate the food, got a bath and went to sleep. We decided to talk so that none of us would fall asleep.

"How do you feel living a life of a poor wife of a poor man, after living a lavish life of the palace ?" I asked her jokingly.

"I love this life! Atleast whatever friends and relations I make would be free from the betrayal and the politics. Know what? I always wanted to marry a farmer. So that we both would own a vast land, grow our own food, feed each other and live a life of peace and prosperity with our friends and family." She said.

"You could have aimed higher. You could have aimed for a Royal family?" I joked. However I was curious too. An intelligent girl like her could steal the heart of any man.

However she understood the tone of my joke.
"Like I had said, I want a life full of warmth and peace. Staying in the palace would never give me the same. Everyday I would have to struggle to survive, struggle to stay in power, struggle to ensure that my son becomes an heir. Though I would be provided with every riches possible, I won't get the freedom. I would rather stay poor, work hard for my livelihood and get the love of my family." She said calmly as I relished the last bite of the food that she had cooked.

"What if the Sultan promises you that he would never ever keep another wife or another lover?" I was curious.

"And what if he keeps one after a few years? I would be trapped with him forever, with a limited visits outside the world. I would never want a heartache of sharing my husband with another women. Not to mention the consequent power struggle." She said.

"But if I give you my word that I would never ever have someone else in my life then? Don't you trust me?" I held her hand and gazed into her eyes deeply.

"How can I trust someone who is a brute?" She almost whispered.

Now I was tired. How could I explain this women that I was a completely different person than my father. Though I cherished him in my life, I hated his policies. I have been trying so hard to reverse his public-damaging policies. However Serena never notices that:

She looked at my hand holding hers. She gazed into my eyes and replied very calmly.

"Agreed. I trust you. But will you be able to keep me away from the politics?"

"On one hand you want me to ensure that I work hard for the people. And on the other hand you want me to leave politics. That doesn't work. Ruling and politics go hand to hand. If I wish to do well for my people, I have no option but to go through a web of politics. I would be required to deal with all kinds of people. Generous people, poor people, selfish people, people with bad intention! Now think of this. The women in harem spend their whole life fighting amongst each other. Fighting for their survival. Fighting for the ultimate power. You won't have to go through that hell because I won't look at any other women except you! As far as the politics of the courtroom is concerned, that's my burden." I tried to explain her.

"So you mean to say that you will not allow me to be the part of the court procedures?" She asked.

"Nope. I would absolutely love an intelligent women being part of the court. However if you wish to stay fully away from negativity, I shall ensure that you won't be the part of courtroom politics!" I assured her.

Before she could reply, we heard someone enter the house. Turning around, we saw it was Mehmad.

"It's time." He said.

I looked at Serena. Gave her an expression that would be sufficient to say "the topic doesn't end. We will discuss about this when all this is over!"