Pawn in Frankincense by Dorothy Dunnett — book slip

In the fourth installment of Dorothy Dunnett's legendary Lymond Chronicles, Francis Crawford of Lymond embarks on a perilous journey through the Ottoman Empire to rescue his kidnapped child.

As a soldier of fortune and exiled heir of Scottish nobility, Lymond must navigate a labyrinth of political intrigue and treachery.

His mission to the Turkish Sultan is fraught with danger, as his child becomes a pawn in a deadly game involving treason, enslavement, and murder. The stakes are high, with the political order of three continents hanging in the balance.

Lymond's quest leads him to the harem of the Topkapi palace, where he confronts his most implacable enemy and the complexities of his own nature.