Not One Sided

6. He bothered much

Melikşah's POV

"Hmm? Sorry Kamaç, my mind was somewhere else so I think I misheard. Could you repeat?"

"Sultanım, you heard it right. Elçin hatun has unified with Markus."

"H-how? We just came from Anatolia and she refused my help saying that she can handle it alone. Moreover she isn't a woman who would step back because of threats. So..?"

"Maybe she simply lied to us while she was planning to be on Markus' side."
He told quite normally

"Ya Rabbim ya Rabbim.." I shouted exhaustedly.

"Please leave Kamaç. I'll decide about this later."

My heart and brain were in a conflict. I couldn't accept what Kamaç told. The same Elçin hatun who once stood against her tribe to support us, how could she deceive me again?
Why did i start to bother myself so much with her betrayal? What was she to me? What relation did I have with her? Just a Selçuklu lady. Then why was my heart not at peace on hearing of her betrayal?

I recalled of the day when I stood worried in the same balcony. And then, she entered, offered me a drink and applied 'fragrance' over my wrist.

Those eyes of her's were not the ones which could betray. They were genuine.
So how could my heart agree to this? 

"Ya Rabbim, a sultan cries to you because of his failed relations. First, I lost Başulu. I still am not sure if Terken poisoned my mom and Hace. And now this.."
I sobbed.

A few minutes later, I offered 'Salat-al Istikhaara' and slept.

I slept in the hope to wake up with a better morning which would help me decide. And I believed that he would show me a way.

The next morning,
I woke up and went straight to Terken's room.
She opened her eyes slowly as I sat beside her.

"Sultanım, affet beni." She murmured and tried to lift her hand but couldn't.

Yes, her arms were almost paralysed.
I asked the healers what was the reason for that.
They told the reason was unknown but maybe she had begun to develop an 'auto-immune' disease.

I didn't know how to react at this situation. She asked me for forgiveness while she was already suffering. Perhaps she had committed the crime. But even if she did, didnt matter because she was probably suffering because of her deeds.

I trusted her and respected as my wife. I was very heartbroken to see her in that condition and also that the accusations put on her were slowly turning true.

What could I do next? Just went to console my daughter, Mahmelek who was sobbing in a corner of her room.

Elçin's POV

I heard a scream in one of the yurts. Soon many ladies gathered to see what the matter was.
I too rushed to check.

"Neoldu? I asked when I saw the girl crying.

"Are you happy now Elçin hatun? We told you! We told you that you'll make us suffer. See what they did." She shouted showing the girl's slightly wounded arm.

"Ne demek bu? How did this happen?"

"That Markus! One of his man entered her yurt and tried to misbehave. You told right that you won't let any such thing happen. Also that your unity with Markus 'll be good for us. What is this then?"

"Markus's men? How is it possible? I was here all the time and I didn't see a single man entering or leaving. Moreover, the soldiers were all alert. So how..?" I asked out of exhaust and confusion.

"So you mean we are lying? You aren't ready to accept your fault and trying to prove us as liars."

"Yeter be! I ain't trying to prove anyone as a liar. I am just telling what's the truth. I was right here so how could this happen. Moreover,  I don't think Markus' men would do this."

"Stop justifying yourself Elçin hatun. It was his man. Afterall, One of his men only did this to you." She said eyeing my arm which  hadn't recovered completely.

"Who told you that it was his man who did this to me? It wasn't his man. It was Markus himself."

They stood silent for a few seconds.
Just after that, she further added,

"You don't care about your life. But we do care about our daughters' lives.  Write a letter to Sultan Melikşah and call him here! We need help from him. We can't rely on your decisions."

________________

Affet beni - forgive me

Auto-immune disease - a condition in which a person's immune system mistakenly attacks his/her body.

Salat-al Istikhara -
a prayer recited by Muslims who are in need of guidance from God Almighty while facing a decision in life.

Neoldu- What happened?

Ne demek bu? - What does this mean?

Yeter be! - Enough!