The Sultan looks at all his daughters. Suddenly they fear the look in his eyes. They all look down as if they have done something wrong. Only Banou and the other two princess are looking at him without a guilt. He look around the room with his hands behind his back.
"Tell me daughters, who have read read books of poems?"
"Father, everyone in this room, knows that book."
"Well then, anyone of you can recite our great literature Shahnameh. Any chapter, any couplets. Anyone??"
He watch his eldest daughters with their head down. They know the story but none of them knows the content of the story. From the back room, he see a small hand raise up. It is his second youngest daughter. He wave his hand to ask her to stand up and recite. Banou help her to help up carefully. Standing in the back room. She recite a short couplet as much as she remember. She watch her father nod his head and walk towards her. Suddenly she got nervous and she stop.
"That is all you remember?"
"Yes father. I will try to remember more next time."
She lower her head and feel nervous. She doesn't want to be scolded intront of his older siblings. Instead of getting scolding her father rub her head and smile.
"At least a child can remember this much."
"Father, we are so old. We don't..."
"You all are so old. What am i? Am i not older than you all? Why am i still reading till today? All day i see my children making mischief everywhere. All day i see my daughters engaged in petty cat fights. While my sons are engaged in gambling and drinking in secrecy. Tell me how am i handling this empire to any of you? What have you all contributed to this empire? Our ancestors have built it on sweat and blood. We become what they have built for us and i fail to teach my children what is it to be the descendants of our great culture!"
"Father, we are not as good as the crown prince because you train him only to be your heir! We are taught that we are useless!"
"Useless?? Everyone of you are the assets of this empire. I give you all access to the grand library that was built by my great grandfather. Till today i continue to put in books that will benefit our society. Have any of you step in?"
He watch his children all remain quiet. He look at the back room. He point towards them.
"Banou have step in there. She is the only one who reads. That's why she is being praise of her work. That's why she is different from all of you. Is this why all of you ostracize her?"
"Father, we... do not know how to talk to her. She is always aloof and doesn't like to socialise with us."
"Yes, she is always alone with her maid and walk away from us. Well is not that we don't want to ..."
"Defne, you are the third eldest. Have you not grab her toys and destroy it before? And tell the others to stay away from Banou?"
She look at her father in horror. How did he know. She sits there in nervous while Banou watch and remember how her toys are snatch away and they force her to watch her toys burnt. They warn her not too ay anything if not her hair will be next to be burnt. All those sad memories comes back to her. She try to swallow her tears.
"Since all those are in the past. I will not talk about it. At present all of you are grown ups. Don't let me treat you like some small child that needs beating to wake up!"
He walk to his throne and sit on it. He stare at them. The room fill with silence.
"I had a meeting with the councils. They have agree. A will have been drawn up as we speak here. If any unfortunate event will happen to the crown prince, the next successor have to be a male and co-ruler. This is to ensure that our empire will go on for the next hundred years to come. That two will bring peace and ..."
"Father! You make it sound like the crown prince is not to live! He just recover."
"This surgery is not guarantee that he will live long. Even if he does, will he get marry again and have children?"
"Father! Even if he doesn't marry. We, all have children who are young enough to start training. That child, can consider the next heir!"
The sultan look straight to the far end of the room. He stare at Banou.
"What do you think?"
His other children all turn their heads to look at the direction their father is looking at. While Banou just look at her father. She calmly reply to him.
"Father, brother might make some sense in this. Choosing from one of your grand children and train them from now. Might be for the best..."
"Is your eldest son consider in the selection?"
Banou is stun, her father caught her tongue. She doesn't want her son to be involved in this.
"She have a son? Who on earth wants her..."
She smirk and she caught her father staring at her and she lower her eyes.
"Banou."
"Father, you know my answer and my reasons."
"He is my grandson too. He comparing to the rest, he is much better a choice."
"Father have you seen him? Why did we meet him?"
"I have my sources. He is a military leader. Just like any Ottoman."
All the elder children stare at their father like as if he have lost his mind. Banou look down at the carpet in front of her sight. The Sultan watch her and knows that what she is thinking. Base on his conversation with the crown prince, he understand that Banou wants to shield her son away from the throne.
"Let's stop here for to night. I am tired. So are you all. My purpose is to tell inform you all that there another person chosen if there is a problem with the crown prince in the coming years. This person will able to continue this empire."