Not One Sided

14. 'Elçin' not 'Elçin Hatun'

Elçin's POV

I turned to see if there was any soul around. Obviously, there was none.
"Who could throw this in my room? Whoever did this has some plan behind. What if someone from Anatolia? What if.." I murmured to myself staring at the piece of paper.

I tucked the note in my belt and went to sleep.

The next morning, I was almost ready to leave.
He wasn't there in the palace.

I asked Melik Sencer,
"Sultanımiz nerede? I couldn't find him."

"Elçin hatun, he has left with Kamaç for an important work."

"Tamam. I had to go somewhere, so I thought I should ask him then leave.
Anyways, thankyou! I'll leave."

The soldiers accompanied me to Mehmet bey's house.
I knocked his door and so he invited me in.

"Gel Elçin hatun."

He seemed quite aged, around in his early fifty's.
The room where he led me in was almost occupied with books and research materials.

"Would you like to have some tea, Elçin hatun?"

"Hayir, Teşekkür Ederim!"

"Mehmet bey, I've come here to study about Panic attacks. I've recently learnt about them and want to gain even deeper knowledge."

He got up and took a book from the shelf.
The next moment, took a paper, wrote something on it and placed it inside the book.
He came closer to me and told, handing over the book to me.

"This book 'll enlighten you with all the knowledge that you seek regarding symptoms and cure. I think you should leave now."

He tried to depict something through his eyes, but I couldn't understand.
All I understood was to read the note that he had kept in the book.
And without any further questions, I thanked him and left.

I reached the palace and very safely placed the book in a drawer in my room. Also, locked the room and attached the keys to my belt.

As I turned to the other side, Sultanım stood staring at me.

Within a fraction of a second, approached me and held my wrist very tightly with his hand, pulled me to his room and closed the door behind me.

I pulled my hand away from his hold and asked,
"Napiyorsunuz Sultanım?"

"Where were you?" He shouted.
His eyes filled with anger.

"Why didn't you ask me before leaving? Who permitted you to leave? Who? Did I?"
He shouted even more.

"You weren't there in the palace! And I had some important stuff to attend to so I left."
I replied stressing at the words

"What important stuff? Oh..now I get it. You went to meet him. Right?"

"Meet whom?" I asked.

"Him! Your love, with whom you exchange those love notes, whose life is incomplete without your presence."

I was extremely confused. How did he read the note? My fault. I would've accidentally dropped it while changing my clothes.

"Don't think much. I had come to your room to thank you for whatever you had done last night. You were in the washroom and I found that note on the floor. "

He came even closer and asked in a calm tone,
"Why do you do this Elçin hatun? To hurt me?"

"Hurt you? Who am I to hurt you, Sultanım?
Firstly, this nonsense love note that you're talking about, I don't know who sent it! I don't! I ain't exchanging love letters with anyone! If there is someone who likes me, then that's not my problem because I don't know who he is, and it doesn't matter to me anymore! It shouldn't matter to you as well. Then why are you bothering so much?"
Another thing, I went to Mehmet bey's house which is a little distance away to discuss something important. If you want, you can confirm it with your soldiers."

I paused a little and stared at his face. He seemed a little ashamed of his words and avoided an eye contact.

I further spoke calmly,
"It's always you who hurt me, Sultanım. Today, again you showed me my level."

I left teary-eyed.

A few hours later, in the evening. I stood near the plants.

He touched my arm gently and called my name,
"Elçin"

Yes, for the very first time he addressed me as 'Elçin' and not 'Elçin Hatun' and it really was an unexplainable yet beautiful feeling.

He stood beside me.
"Özür dilerim! I told all that out of rage. You left without my knowledge and moreover, that note. Any person would get bothered on reading such things. Moreover, I wanted to thank you for the previous night, instead I saw that note which hurt me. I'm sorry that I judged you. But you judged me too.
I didn't mean to show you your level.
And what your level is? I don't consider you lower than anyone, or even myself.
I know, everyone knows who Elçin hatun is! The lady warrior of our dynasty, Elçin hatun. Anatolia's ruler, Elçin hatun. And now-"

He stopped for a while and smiled at me but didn't complete his sentence.

"Don't ever say such a thing." He further added, wrapping my hands with his warm ones and gazing hopefully at me.

A few minutes later, Kamaç approached us.

"Sultanım!"

"Neoldu Kamaç?"

"Sultanım, Kılıç Arslan.."

"What happened? Tell."

"Kılıç Arslan has escaped."

______________

Sultanimız nerede - Where is our Sultan?

Gel - Come

Hayir - No

Teşekkür Ederim - Thankyou

Napiyorsunuz - What are you doing?