sultan's crescent

Chapter 116 Prelude
The preparations for the wedding are very trivial.

In fact, long before Selim issued the letter of appointment, the preparations for the wedding between the royal family members and the imperial government had already begun.

According to Muslim tradition, Anna will carry a dowry, although her job transfer has not yet been completed.

But the dowry has also been prepared in advance, and such a dowry will include expensive carpets and beautiful embroidery, gorgeous clothes and fine jewelry.

These were to be carried to a palace with the sultan's dowry, but there were hardly any palaces in Constantiniya other than Topkapi Palace worthy of a sultan's wedding.

But Selim must not allow the wedding to be held here. As a symbol of the authority of the Sultan, Topkapi Palace should be mysterious and elusive.

And this is incompatible with the festive atmosphere of the wedding.

In fact, there are many other palaces in the Ottoman Empire, such as the Tupesu Palace in the countryside, but its decoration is a bit thin and cannot support the majesty of the royal family.

Or Belem Palace, the palace on the Asian side of Constantiniyah, the summer residence of the Ottoman sultans and royals.It's just that the overall style is almost all Persian elements, and it certainly won't work.

The Bursa Holy Mountain Palace is actually quite good. This palace is located in today's Bursa, Turkey, and is also the summer palace of the Ottoman Empire.It sits on the hillside of Mount Uludag and features spacious gardens, ponds and ornate buildings.

The fly in the ointment is that Selim has to leave Constantiniya if he wants to hold a wedding here, which is undoubtedly unacceptable to Selim.

Therefore, for this palace to be used for weddings, there are only two options to choose from, building a new one or redecorating the original palace.

Facts have proved that a truly authoritative king is always worthy of pursuit. After hearing some anecdotes, many Greeks, Jews, and Muslims have expressed their intention of funding to the white eunuchs of the Topkapi Palace .

After some discussions, Selim finally chose to renovate the Belém Palace, which was also for the sake of saving a little.

While Selim is preparing for the wedding, Anna is also preparing to convert. She has been studying the Quran recently to cooperate with the Grand Mufti.

"Ludovica, come here, where is your sister Isabella, why hasn't she come back yet?"

Anna shouted to the young girl who was playing on the bed in the room, these two were the princesses of the Polish people, but now they were given to her by Selim as maids.

"Your Highness, I... I don't know either."

"Your Highness? I'm not your Highness?"

Anna couldn't help laughing a little.

"Why not? Your Highness Anna, you are going to marry Your Majesty soon."

Ludovica tilted her head and asked, Anna couldn't help rubbing her face because of her naive look.

"By the way, where did Isabella go? She's 14 years old, why is she still so playful?"

Anna couldn't help but put her hands on her forehead and said helplessly.

"Does Your Highness want to ask us about conversion?"

The girl blinked her eyes and asked, giving off a feeling of innocence.

"So what are you guys thinking? In fact, it's okay for you not to convert.

Your Majesty is a very gentle person and will not force you.

Besides, as Catholics, it doesn't really matter whether you convert or not. After all, there are many Orthodox Christians in the empire. Even if you convert, it probably won't have any publicity effect. "

Anna asked the other party gently, she liked these two girls very much.

Maybe they were Polish princesses in the past, loved by everyone, but now they are just two little girls who have lost their country and father.

Anna remembered that on the first night, she clearly agreed that the two girls would take care of her, but the two fell asleep first, and were frightened into cold sweat by the nightmare, and in turn let her take care of her for a while.

"Of course we have to change our beliefs. Your Highness is so kind to me and Isabella. We will believe whatever your Highness believes. I believe that Isabella also thinks the same as me."

The girl squeezed her small fist and said firmly.

"Besides, what's the good of being Catholic? The Austrians are as Catholic as we are, and we helped them, but the result? It's simply ungrateful."

The girl said angrily, and as soon as the words fell, she suddenly realized that the help she said was to fight against her current country, and then stuck out her tongue to express her apology.

Anna couldn't help but smile.

"Okay, okay, be careful in the future, don't talk nonsense.

Especially when I enter the palace with me in the future, His Majesty is indeed very gentle, but other people may not be like this, especially those who look smiling, these people are poisonous snakes.

You are Poles, you are even less welcome, and also, do not clash with the white eunuchs in Topkapi Palace.

Especially the white eunuch named Paul next to His Majesty. Although he is not the head of the palace, His Majesty trusts him a lot. "

The girl nodded heavily.

"Understood, Your Highness."

"Well, then go to sleep, we have to go to the Aya Sophia Mosque tomorrow, conversion is a big deal.

As for your sister, I will send a servant to look for her, and if I find her, let her come back quickly. "

"Uh-huh."

The girl obediently responded and walked outside.

She opened the drawer and took out a piece of letter paper, which was given to her by Uncle August, a last letter from her father.

Dear Ludovica:
When you read this letter, I should have left this world.I'm sorry, I'm not qualified for anything, neither king nor father.

As king, I failed to lead Poland back to prosperity, but instead led her to destruction.

As a father, in order to pursue a male heir, I have ignored your feelings all the year round.

Sorry, even at this moment, what I give you is still not good news.

Don't take hatred to heart, follow Poniatowski, as your elder brother, he will take care of you.

Don't care about the treaty signed between the ambassador and the Ottoman Sultan. You and Isabella are girls, and the restoration of the country should not depend on you.

Live well, live this life well, that's enough.

Love you
Stanislaw Antoni Poniatowski
The moment he saw the word "Anthony", Ludovica shed tears again. This is his father's real name. He ascended the throne with the desire to revive Poland, but ultimately failed.

Perhaps at the last moment of his life, he wondered what Poland would be like if he hadn't chosen to participate in the election, and whether he would have a harmonious family.

So how could she not be serious about this matter.

My country fell, and my father planted a bomb with his life for revenge.

Judging from the news from Uncle August, the King of Prussia was very angry about this, and he was even unwilling to follow his father's last wish to bury him in the Krakow Church, but buried his father under an unnamed lone pine.

That's why she chose to bring her sister here. The Poles don't have a political power to rely on, so she will be the power.

She was confident in her beauty, even though the sultan made herself a maid without even seeing her.

But she still has a chance to enter the palace, that's enough, she will let the sultan notice her, if successful, this is the most powerful help on her way to restore the country.

　Thanks to the monthly ticket gold master Zhuge Ruosu for the monthly pass, and thanks to panzer5 and the birch tree in the sunset for the monthly pass

　　
　
(End of this chapter)