Drilis Ertugrul: A New Love

Chapter 6

Fatma woke up to the sound of children playing outside and she realized that she must be getting late and she needed to go to the rug house. She had moved into Selcan Hatun's tent and she was feeling very happy and comfortable. She looked to her left, to see Selcan Hatun was gone from her bed. Fatma got up quickly and got dressed and put on her headdress. She stepped out of her tent to see 6 children playing happily. She recognized all of them. One of them was Osman, then there were Aslihan Hatun and Turgut Alp's 3 children (Meryem, Gokce, and Hamza), and the other two children were Bami Beyrek and Hafsa Hatun's children, Aslihan and Aybars. Osman said excitedly " Good morning, Fatma Abla!". " Good morning Osman" Fatma replied. Fatma saw Aslihan give her a nasty look, but she didn't care. As Fatma was walking towards the rug house, she saw Gunduz Alp, and soon their eyes met. Gunduz smiled shyly and got distracted from his training with fellow alps, that he had soon fallen to the floor. Fatma laughed and kept walking. However, before she even reached the rug house, her journey was interrupted  by the sound that everyone in Kayi tribe knows all too well, the drums are banging loudly (yes, again). The women of the rug house walked towards Fatma and Fatma greeted them kindly. All the women including Selcan Hatun, Aslihan Hatun, and Halime Sultan, watched carefully to see who was coming. " It's a Hatun riding a horse" Aslihan Hatun observed. " She looks very young"Selcan Hatun added. " What does she want this early in the morning?" Aslihan Hatun wondered. Soon, the girl riding the white horse came into view. She was led by two soldiers who looked like they worked for the tekfur. " She looks like a tekfur's daughter" Halime Sultan told the other women. " She looks around Fatma's age" Selcan Hatun added. Fatma looked at her closely, she wondered what her business was with Kayi tribe. The Young girl got off her horse and was being watched by the entire tribe. Ertugul Bey and Hayme Ana had also come out of the main tent and were watching from a distance. The girl walked towards Halime Sultan and said " You must be the hatun of the tribe, is that right?". " Yes I am Ertugul Bey's wife, Halime Sultan" Halime replied. " Ok, so you must be the mother of Gunduz Alp" The girl asked again". " Yes, what is with all the questions, young girl?" Halime responded firmly. By this time, Gunduz Alp had also come to observe the scene. The girl looked at Gunduz lovingly when she caught sight of him, while Gunduz looked shocked and worried. " Umm... Irene? What are you doing here?" he asked her. Before Irene could respond, Ertugul Bey asked Gunduz " Gunduz, do you know this girl?". Gunduz hesitated before saying " Yes, baba". Irene looked at Ertugul Bey and explained " Ertugul Bey, Gunduz promised me that one day we would get married, I am ready now, we love each other very much". Fatma's face went blank, she stared at Irene and gave her a nasty look. Selcan Hatun saw Fatma's face and Halime Sultan glanced at her as well. Gunduz Alp gulped and looked at Fatma. Irene noticed how Gunduz was looking at Fatma and said boldly " Oh, so is she the new girl in your life after I was gone for barely a year" Irene gestured towards Fatma. Fatma was about to speak but Selcan stopped her. " Irene, I didn't know you were going to come back" Gunduz replied.  Hayme Ana rolled her eyes and yelled " Is that what Kayi tribe had come to, are we going to stress ourselves over the romances of teenagers or focus on important things such as defeating Mongols?". Gunduz protested and said " Grandmother, I am an adult now, Wasn't my father like this when he was younger?". Ertugul Bey stepped closer to Gunduz and yelled " ENOUGH! Everyone get on with his business" the crowd of people began to separate. " Gunduz, Ana, Halime, Irene, and Fatma, come to the tent". 

In the tent, Ertugul yelled at Gunduz for a few minutes about how he shouldn't have made a promise he can't keep and how he was meeting Irene without his father's permission. Gunduz was then excused from the tent and Irene was offered a meal which she angrily refused. Irene stormed out of the tent and spat in Fatma's face while leaving. Fatma grabbed Irene's arm angrily, spit back in her face and pulled out a dagger and placed it against her throat. " FATMA!" Hayme Ana yelled. Fatma turned to Hayme Ana and pressed the dagger harder against Irene's throat. Hayme Ana narrowed her eyes at her. " Thats enough, kizim" Ertugul said to Fatma calmly yet firmly. Fatma lowered her dagger, but grabbed Irene's dress by her neck and said " Know your place Hatun! If you ever spit in my face again, your head will be on the floor, and mine, still intact". Fatma let go of her and Irene rushed out of the tent. " Calm down, kizim!" Hayme Ana said. " It does not befit the daughter of a Bey to act so harshly" Halime Sultan added. " Thats enough, Yenge, grandmother, I will not let anyone insult me" Fatma replied. " Maybe you should know your place, hatun, you're still very young, leave the tent and calm down before you speak to your elders" Halime Sultan explained. Fatma nodded and placed her hand on her heart. " Excuse me, my Uncle" she said to Ertugul Bey and walked out of the tent. After Fatma had left, Ertugul turned to his wife and his mother and said " Don't worry about Fatma, she is just angry, she will calm down. I have much more important things to do now. I must leave".