Some added background

Malantha Sultan, an Ottoman Princess who was kept hidden for most of her life. She is the twin of Mihrimah Sultan and daughter of Hurrem and Sulieman Sultan. One would think that would give her everything in the world and she would be able to go anywhere that she wanted. That wasn’t not the case for her or any of her sisters, for females in the Islamic culture especially those of status had to act and follow certain ways. In any case, Malantha enjoyed her life for how it was, though at times she wished that she had a little more freedom. Those on the outside would think that the Sultan family was perfect, but like most families had a dark secret that had been kept for centuries. The secret dated back to Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire and the ancestor of all.

Even still it did not just fall upon him, for one cannot choose who they love. He fell hard for a Desert Rose with witchy heritage. Their union would cause a ripple effect throughout the Sultan family line, and some would gain special abilities from the witch side of the family. The others would be normal mortals and would take place out in public keeping a strong family image. This did not mean that the ones with magical abilities were left out, they were simply kept in the shadows to push forward the power of the Ottomans.

A letter sent

Under the reign of Suleiman Sultan, known as Suleiman the Magnificent. The Ottoman Empire had entered a Golden Age through his reign and conquest. The royal family had grown stretching into other kingdoms which became political allies. It was because of how large the family had become that Malantha had so many relatives that at times it could be said that it was hard to keep up with everyone. 

One such relative lived so far away the only way that Malantha could keep in touch with her was through letters. The land of Agrabah held within it a relative that the Imperial Rose held dear to her heart. Malantha wrote to her as often as she could to keep her updated on what was going on with the empire and to see how things were with her.

This day was no different as the Shadow Witch sat down at her desk, picked up a quill, grabbed the finest ink, and the best paper she had. Once everything was gathered, Malantha began to write. 

” En sevdiğim kuzenim” (My dearest Cousin),

” I hope this letter finds you well and your father as well. I have missed you so much. Mother says hello and Mahidevran, well to be more exact Antigone Tenebris-Aurelius-Antoninus sends her best wishes as well. I hope soon that I can go to Agrabah, and we can spend some time together once more. It will be a chance to get away from court life well as much court life as I am able to have been a witch in an Islamic country. I know I should be thankful for my position in this land, just wish I had some time not being hidden away.

I know this may be an odd time to send this letter, but I felt that I should reach out to you. I am not sure why, but something told me that it would be a good thing. Perhaps the shadows are speaking to me again, who knows really. They always seem to know something before I do.

Hope to hear from you soon. Love you my dearest cousin.

Many blessings,

Malantha Sultan I”

She knew the letter was short, but she did not want to write so much that it could bore Jasmine to death. Allowing the ink to dry for a moment, Malantha looked outside the window to watch the people within the Empire go about their lives. Turning back to the paper, Malantha touched a small of one of the letters to see if everything was dried. Once she felt that it was dry enough, the Shadow Witch put into an envelope, took a necklace that she had made for her, put the necklace within the envelope along with the letter, then sealed it with a wax seal that was made just for her with her symbol, and called one of the eunuchs that was just out her study door. As he came through the door, Malantha wrote Jasmine’s name upon the front of the envelope then looked up at him with a smile upon her face.

” Sümbül Ağa lütfen buraya gelir misin?” (Sümbül Ağa, Will you please come here?), she said making sure everything was sealed well. “Evet Sultanım? Nasıl hizmetinizde olabilirim?” (Yes, my Sultana? How may I be at your service?) Sümbül Ağa replied bowing his head. “Bu mektubun Agrabahlı Prenses Jasmine Sultan-Ababwa'ya ulaşmasını sağlar mısın? Lütfen bunu benim için olabildiğince çabuk yapın, bunun ona ulaşması gerekiyor” (Will you make sure that this letter gets to Princess Jasmine Sultan-Ababwa of Agrabah? Please do this for me as quickly as possible this needs to get to her). 

The Shadow Witch asked with a slight smile upon her face looking at the eunuch who became a good friend to her mother when she was first brought to the country and who became a close friend to her as well. She held out the letter for Jasmine and Sümbül Ağa bowed his head gently taking it from her hand. “Evet Sultanım. Elimizdeki en hızlı haberciyle oraya hızla ulaşmasını sağlayacağım.” (Yes, My Sultana. I will make sure it gets there quickly with the fastest messenger we have.) He bowed once more, backed out the door, then quickly closed the door, and went to go do as she ordered. 

The Shadow Witch sat back down in her chair, took a deep breath, then felt a shadow slither up her left arm and around her neck. She smiled looking down as another slithered around her left hand while the other around her neck settled around it and yet did not tighten. The shadows would never do anything to harm Malantha for she had become long ago the Shadow Witch. As she sat rubbing her thumb around the one who was slithering around her left palm, Malantha looked out the window once more almost trying to see Agrabah from her window in the Ottoman Empire, Turkey. A smile slowly went across her face as she saw a messenger riding in the direction of the Agrabah and a portal opening allowing the messenger to go through.