The female protagonist of the story, Alexandra is kidnapped by pillagers raiding her village in Ruthenia and taken to Constantinople to be sold as a slave. One night, Alexandra runs away from the slavers, but is lost in the streets of Constantinople and almost assaulted. She is rescued by a mysterious black-haired man named Mateus who tells her to gain knowledge in order to gain true freedom and escorts her back to the slavers. At a slave auction, she is purchased by Mateus who educates and trains her in upper class etiquette, and skills such as singing, dancing, music, and the Ottoman Turkish language. Alexandra falls in love with Mateus, and so, she meticulously studies to become his ideal woman, hoping that Mateus will accept her into his harem. Upon completion of her training, Mateus gives her the Turkish name, Hurrem, and gifts her to his master and sultan, Suleiman, who accepts her into his harem. Hurrem quickly rises in ranks in the harem and eventually becomes an iqbal - a favorite concubine - of Suleiman, and later bears him three children.