The Peculiar Feet of Princess Ada

Summer came early to the town of Milas that year. It’s about 65 km from Muğla, so the winters weren’t too cold, and it looked exceptionally beautiful when the flowery branches arrived. Aside from the new settlements, there was an old center in Milas built long ago, where life still went on. With historic nar¬row streets and tumbledown buildings, it was like a fairy tale that spoke of the old times. The steep stairways to Sobacılar Bazaar, and the little roads that crossed over it, would take you to a different world. There were tiny wooden shops, row after row, on either side of these little paths. Some had color¬ful hand-woven fabrics and rugs, and others had various healing herbs from the mountains that had been collected and dried. Painted wooden toys from the past were also sold at the bazaar. They kept the children of Milas and the tourists that stopped in for a glass of tea company.
***
Known as Uzunyuva in Milas, there was intense work carried out at the site where Roman Era re¬mains were found. The kids went to the area at 3:00 pm after school. For them, it was a magical world. The findings, mosaics, and pillars being cleaned with tiny brushes made them feel like they were inside one of the books they’d been reading with such ex¬citement. 
Zeynep and Emir started walking and looking around. A bit further ahead, a woman was working, who they thought was an archeologist. Hastily, they approached her. 
“Hello, are you one of the archeologists that are dig¬ging the grave of King Hekatomnos,” asked Zeynep.
Archeologist Müge raised her head and saw a pair of beautiful, curious children in front of her. She thought they must be the children Fikret had told her about over the phone the day before.
“Hello kids, you must be Emir and Zeynep. I am Müge. I am a friend of your teacher, Fikret. Bravo to you! Most people have no idea what we’re working on here. How did you find out about Hekatomnos?
“Our teacher told us. We visited the Milas Muse¬um. That place is amazing! We both got curious about Princess Ada, and that’s why our teacher sent us here.
Emir was speaking rapidly, and his impatience was obvious from every angle. The archeologist no¬ticed this, but continued speaking laughingly. 
“Yes, he mentioned that to me over the phone yes¬terday, let me not keep you waiting any longer then. Come on now, I’ll tell you a bit about Ada and her family myself.”
***
At last, the two friends, bumping into each oth¬er, fell on a giant smelly, moist, bush-like plant. The fall took about ten seconds, but it felt so much longer to them. Thanks to that giant bush at the bottom of the pit, they didn’t break any bones. It was pitch dark with incredible humidity, and the voices from above couldn’t be heard at all anymore. 
“Zeynep, Zeyneeeep where are you? Are you okay, please say something… It’s too dark in here, I can’t see anything!”
“I’m here, I’m here. It’s okay Emir. I’m good, I only got a scratch on my wrist, I think this plant has spikes. How about you, are you okay?
“I’m good I think, I don’t know. I don’t feel any¬thing! Where are we, what happened?”
“We were proved right! We found the right order, but the place we thought to be the door didn’t open or let’s say, they made the door on the floor.”