I am 18 years old. I have lived in the women's harem of the Ottoman sultan's palace for 6 months now in the year 1688. My name is Leila. I was captured when our town was conquered by the sultan's army. The rest of the town was slaughtered, sold into slavery, or like me, carried off to be offerings in the sultan's harem.
There are many women here from many lands. They have all gone through the same adjustment of being taken from their homelands. Some have adjusted better than others, given the clean beds, the opulent food, the care that is given being much better than they would have had in their villages.
During the day we learn the language of our captors, how to sing, play instruments, how to paint our faces and decorate ourselves with jewels, and how to please a man in the arts of love.
Being so new, I have never been summoned to the sultan's bed, and am very happy to keep it that way as long as possible. But there are some who actively campaign to catch the eye of the head eunuch, who is the sultan's eyes and ears in the harem. To be a favorite is to guarantee a life of favor and, if a son is produced, even wealth.
Having lost their families, the women here form bonds with one another, filling the roles of sisters, cousins, aunts and mothers. I'd heard gossip that some of the women have even closer relationships, formed in the baths, or while grooming each other.
The Turkish ideal of beauty is that women only have hair on their heads, eyebrows and eyelashes. All other is removed by a sticky paste of cooled cooked honey and water.
What a shock the first time this was done to me! The women who did this informed me of what was to be done, and then went to work! They applied the paste firmly on my arms, legs and private parts. Ripping it off quickly, they then patted the skin and applied cool cloths. I'm not sure what hurt more, the actual pain of the hair being pulled out by the roots, or having strangers see my private parts!
Eventually we got used to it, and we learned how to do this for ourselves, and for the trickier nether parts, for those we felt close to. I noticed there were those who spent a little longer than others checking out that area, running their fingers to check for hairs that had escaped the paste. The warm, tickly feelings that arose from this touch and the knowing smiles between some of the women hinted at something I was unaware of.
We slept in individual beds, with privacy curtains around them, in a long hall. There were a few lanterns lit so that the women could find their way to the privies, and for the eunuchs that patrolled every so often.
One night I was in fitful sleep, when I heard sounds of sighing and low soft moans. I sat up in bed and tried to discern where they had come from. Quiet as a cat, I got out of bed, pulled aside a curtain, and looked down the dimly lit hall. The lanterns showed no one up and about, and I could hear the soft snores of those sleeping soundly.
I heard another sound and crept along until I found myself near one of the beds a few down from mine. There were the unmistakable sounds of pleasure, and I wanted to know what could possibly be causing it. I crept around to the corner near the foot of the bed, and pulled a curtain aside ever so slightly so I could see in.
A small candle on the bedside stand illuminated two women, one pale and fair, the other a darker-skinned beauty. I recognized them as Eva and Priya. Eva was from the far north, with light-blond hair. Priya was from the east, her homeland was called India, she told us. She had shiny black hair and eyes, and light-brown skin. It was rumored that she would soon be called upon to show her favors to the sultan.
The two were lying on the bed, Eva on the left and Priya on the right. The gossip was true! Priya was over Eva, kissing her warmly, while the womens' hands fondled each others' breasts. I felt an unfamiliar warmth spread from my smooth pussy', as I'd heard it referred to by the other women using the unfamiliar Turkish word for that.
Priya's dark hand cupped and rubbed Eva's white breast with the pale pink nipple, while Eva's white hand tickled and played with Priya's, the dusky brown nipple erect.
Priya leaned over further, putting a breast over Eva's mouth. Hungrily, Eva kissed it all over, while rubbing her finger lightly over the nipple of the other breast. Priya sighed with contentment,then bent down and did the same to Eva's lovely breasts. Priya knelt by Eva's side, and let her hands run lightly over Eva's body, her face, neck, arms, breasts, stomach and legs. This must have felt wonderful, as Eva was softly moaning and her back arched several times.
I sat there transfixed. I had not yet begun the "arts of love" portion of my education, but it appeared that I was starting it tonight.
Then Priya ran her fingers over that smooth V at the top of Eva's legs. She tickled in a circle on that round flesh, and then pushed her finger into the cleft. Eva began to moan louder, and Priya quickly covered Eva's mouth with her hand, indicating that she must keep her pleasure quiet. She pushed the finger down and up repeatedly until Eva's legs opened wide. I could see clearly how the pale pink parts were glistening. I reached down to myself, and found I was wet with a slick fluid too. What was this?
