Cruel, cunning, ruthless, ambitious, many of the Kadins enslaved their Lord and Master and ruled not only the Seraglio but also the country.
When they had been taught all they should know, the odalisques had to pass what to all intents and purposes was an examining board, usually presided over by the Sultan’s mother, known as the ‘Sultan Valideh’.
Nothing was left to chance and as Mihri said in a practical tone,
“It saves the ‘Master of Masters’ many disappointments!”
When the newcomer was pronounced perfect in the oldest art in the world, she passed into the ranks of the Ladies-in-Waiting, joining at least two or three hundred more, all voluptuous, jealous and bored, all specialised in the art they could so seldom practise, all waiting for their great chance.
This came when the Sulta
