Not One Sided

17. Things begin to change

Melikşah's POV

"Neoldu Elçin hatun?" I asked seeing her shocking expression and asked the soldier to leave.

"Hiç, Sultanım"

"What nothing? Tell me what happened. You seem worried."

"I told you right that I had gone to meet Mehmet bey, the day you screamed at me. So today, I asked one of the soldiers to call him to the palace if he's free. But he isn't in Isfahan. It seems he has gone elsewhere."

I sighed a little and replied,
"His family lives elsewhere so he might've gone to visit them. You don't worry unnecessarily. He 'll return soon.
By the way, what did you want to discuss with him?"

"Nothing much. Just a basic knowledge. That's it."

"Tamam."

A day later,
In the morning, Elçin was busy with her archery class. Moreover, Mahmelek sat beside her to learn more of it. It made very happy.

She turned towards me and smiled as I admired them.
I smiled back at her.

Few minutes later, I was heading towards Terken's room so I saw a soldier going towards Elçin's with something in his hand.

I stopped him.
"What's this?" I asked him.

"Sultanım, this is Elçin Hatun's book. She had asked me to keep it back in her room."

"Bakiyim"

I unwrapped the cloth.

The book was quite heavy and old.
It was titled, ' Panik Ataktan Kurtulan'

I opened it a little and went through the pages which were all about anxiety, it's symptoms and cures based on a person's experience.

"Tamam. Keep it in her room."

That was why she had gone to meet Mehmet. Elçin cared about me though I never cared much about her. Perhaps I didn't deserve her attention and care.

I entered Terken's room. Her face lit up as she saw me, while she was still laid on the bed. I sat beside her.

"Nasılsın Terken?"

"Iyim, Sultanım. I think I'm recovering."
She tried moving her hands a little.

"Sultanım, you didn't come to see me since days. I really thought you are very disappointed and wouldn't want to see me."

I didn't say much.

"Terken, do you see how Elçin supports and teaches Mahmelek exactly how a loving elder should be."

"Ewet. She is a very good person." She added.

"Yes, her heart is very pure. A brave, confident and also a good- hearted warrior."

"I was wrong about her. Everytime." She told.

"Man is such a fool, Terken. He thinks himself very clever and smart and also that he understands the true nature of the ones surrounding him. But genuinely, he doesn't know anything. He doesn't even realise who stabs his back and who heals his wounds secretly. But once he realises, things begin to change. "

"Tamam Terken. I'll leave now. You rest."

I left the room and headed towards the main hall.

Kamaç, Elçin hatun, Nizamülmülk and a soldier stood there.

Kamaç came forward to speak.

"Sultanım, we have a soldier from Anatolia. He has a very important message to convey about Kılıç Arslan."

"Söyle!"

"Sultanım, Kılıç Arslan has come to Anatolia. What should we do now?"

"He hasn't run away but returned to Anatolia. This means he has some plan running in his mind. So we can't capture him or do any such thing. We'll have to take steps carefully."
I thought to myself but didn't speak.

I sighed.

"He must've conveyed something else too. Tell me what else-"
I told.

"He- he wants to meet his sister, Elçin hatun and sort things out. That's all."
The soldier told

My reaction was very immediate. I shouted,
"What sort things out?"

I glanced at Elçin who was in deep thoughts.

After a few seconds, she told,

"I'll go to Anatolia."

_________________

Hiç - Nothing

Bakiyim- let me see

Nasılsın - How are you?

Söyle! - tell!