𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐘 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐘 𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃 ↺ erhal

i. the rotten royal siblings

Halime stared at the moonlit sky, the stars shone and she longed to be one. At least, she would be free from the invisible shackles tightening their hold on her. Could she ever be free? She sighed, looking down at her lap. No, she wouldn't. Not until her stepbrother was the Sultan.

Unless she. . .

Unless she killed the man.

As soon as the thought came in her mind, she felt horrified. Killing someone? No, she was Halime Sultan, her Baba's prenses. She couldn't kill someone!

Or could she?

❝Your Grace,❞ she jerked her head up to see her only trusted maid, Aysun bowing in front of her. ❝Sultan wants you to get ready. Your suitor is here.❞

❝How many times have I told him?❞ Halime wanted to yell loudly. ❝I don't want to marry that stupid person! I won't marry anyone until I find my Baba and Ana.❞

❝What am I hearing, Halime?❞ The loud voice had her shivering. She peered her eyes up to see her stepbrother, the Sultan, standing in flesh, his jaw clenched. ❝You are going to marry Erik.❞

❝I. . I won't!❞ She retorted back, her eyes flashed with fear. ❝You. . you can't make me do that!❞

❝I can and even you know that, dear sister,❞ He gritted his teeth and turned towards the maid. ❝Get her ready or else you'll spend the night in the dungeon.❞

Halime breathed a sigh of relief as she saw his silhouette disappearing. Tears dropped down her face. The hurt blinded her and she found it hard to breathe. Why, oh why Allah was punishing her so bad? She didn't want to get married, at least, not to someone out of her religion.

She-

❝Halime! Calm down!❞ Aysun gathered the crying princess in her arms. ❝It's okay. I am here. It's okay.❞

❝It's not okay, Aysun,❞ Her words sounded hollow. ❝It's never okay. I don't want to be yet another royal princess who got her life destroyed due to a political alliance. I won't bend down. Not to him!❞

❝We can't do anything, Sultanim. We are women, just a ploy for their game.❞

"❝That's where you are wrong,❞ Halime's eyes sparkled with a determination that the young maid had never seen in her life. "I'll not be a ploy in their game. Just a piece of advice for you, a Queen is the most important piece in a game of chess. Do you get that?
I just need someone who can be my ally.❞

❝Ertugrul!❞

The chirpy voice did nothing to calm him down. Instead, he found himself staring at the source of voice. There she stood. His fiancee.

❝I am busy, Gokce,❞ He continued polishing his sword. ❝What do you want?❞

❝Are you really leaving today?❞ Her lips turned into a thin line. ❝I don't want you to get hurt, Ertugrul.❞

❝Gokce, let me get this one thing clear,❞ He took the sword away. ❝I never ever want you to interfere with my work.❞

❝I understood, Bey.❞

With the tone of her voice, he could understand that he had made her upset and that he had been too harsh on her. Harsher than he intended to.

❝Gokce,❞ He tried to speak softly. ❝Look, I have to go. This is very important, not just for the Kayi Tribe, but for the entire Muslim Ummah. Can you imagine that our very Sultan is involved with the Templars?❞

❝You are right, Bey,❞ His words made her smile. ❝You will come back to me, right? All safe and sound and mine?❞

Ertugrul could feel the suffocation at her use of 'mine', but he just forced her a smile.

Was it wrong of him to feel not the same way for Gokce? She was agreeable, but not his type.

He needed someone who could challenge his authority. Not a docile wife. Someone who had the rage in her. Someone who would not be afraid to correct him.

But alas, were there any women like that?

A few hours later, Ertugrul found himself galloping on his horse along with the rest of the Kayis. They were under the orders of the Eyyubi prince to dethrone the current Selcuk Sultan was involved with the Templars. Ertugrul knew that he had a step sister too. He had heard rumours about her that her beauty made the moon look down. But she was just as spoilt as they come. Never came out of her chambers. Never talked to anyone.

Of course, she was his sister. Maybe she was involved with them too.

"L❝Do you think Ertugrul Bey will fall in love with a beautiful woman in Konya?❞ He heard one of his Alps, Bamsi mumble. They thought that Ertugrul wasn't hearing and for their sakes, he pretended that he wasn't.

❝Bamsi Bayrek!❞ He heard Turgut groan. ❝Ertugrul Bey is engaged to Gokce Hatun. Cease your imaginations. She loves him.❞

But he didn't. He never could.

He would focus on that later. For now, he had two spoilt and rotten royal siblings to deal with.

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author's note : so, hi guys. this is me again. okay so this chapter isn't really much. i mean, come on. this is the first chapter! but uhm so it would mean a lot if you'll stick around. bye. take care.