Leyla: The Black Tulip

Beyond the Gate of Felicity

After three days of uncertainty with Madam Siranush, Laleena feels tired enough to fall asleep in the lull of the carriage. When she wakes up, she’s led on foot through an enormous gate. One of the men says it’s the Gate of Felicity. They’ve arrived at Topkapı Palace. “Felicity” means happiness, this is the gate of bringing happiness to others.

Laleena is led through a large ornate door, and she follows the man through hallways lined with carvings, paintings, and calligraphy. An old skeletal woman is waiting at the end of the corridor. She leads Laleena through more corridors with tiled floors and walls with stained glass windows. Laleena has never seen such beauty.

In a large room made entirely of wood, the woman tells Laleena this is the dormitory of the acemis, or the apprentices. Laleena will be an acemi until she masters her training. Laleena’s instructed to place her bundle in a cabinet with her mattress. Then she’s given a pair of very tall wooden clogs to wear, and she’s brought to a hamam with large slabs of white marble and colorful geometric tiles.

The hamam is unlike anything Laleena has ever seen… nothing like the public bathhouses she used with Madam Siranush. Girls’ voices echo through the steam, and Laleena can see girls of all ages and skin colors. They’re all naked. Laleena feels nervous about undressing completely, so she leaves her chemise on while she bathes.

After Laleena is done bathing, the old woman returns and brings Laleena to a small closet. She’s instructed to sleep here for the night, and that she’ll be interviewed tomorrow.

That night, Laleena slowly drifts off to sleep, dreaming that her father has returned from war, but is forlorn when he discovers that she is gone, and nobody knows where she is.