All I've Ever Known

Chapter 3

Third person POV:
It was the next morning, Zumra and Orhan were sitting on Zumra's bed while Aleddin was pacing in Zumra's room. "What should we do?" Aleddin replied worriedly "our father looked so angry last night". Orhan and Zumra sighed in unison "everything will be alright, we'll just apologise to Osman bey and Bala hatun and leave" Zumra replied

After Zumra said that they heard a knock on the door. All three of them turned to look at each other and then towards the door. "Come in" Zumra replied nervously (she thought it was Osman was going to storm in her room and take her to the dungeon). The door opened to reveal Certukay. All three of them let out loud relieved breaths and Orhan said "thank Allah it's just you". Certukay looked between the three of them confused but shook his head and ignored how weird the three of them are acting. "Osman bey and Bala Hatun want to speak with you and sent me to escort you guys there to make sure you don't escape" Certukay said "those were Osman bey's exact words not mine" he said.

All three of you looked between each other nervously and gulped in unison. 'Oh, we're so dead' they thought. They followed Certukay out of Zumra's room and to the meeting room cautiously. They tried delaying the inevitable by walking slower than usual (which annoyed Certukay so he threatened to carry all three of them to the meeting room on his back, they all quickened their pace after hearing that) and talking to whoever they came across ( Orhan and Zumra found out a LOT of drama that occurred on the training field) until Certukay had enough and started to drag all three of them to the meeting room by their arms.

Osman was looking straight at the wooden doors. "Take it easy on them" Bala said "they're young". "It doesn't matter how young they are, they should know not to be out at dangerous times like that" Osman replied angrily "I'm telling you it's that girl they're always hanging out with, she's a bad influence on the both of them" Osman said. Bala sighed "you're just saying that because you don't know anything about her". "Exactly, she doesn't tell anybody anything about herself. I find it suspicious." Osman replied.

Bala was about to reply but they both heard distinct and raised voices shouting "We're sorry we won't do anything else" and "my arm is going to come out of my socket with how hard your dragging us". Osman looked at Bala with a raised eyebrow and a knowing look and Bala just sighed 'I tried' she thought. The doors burst open and they saw Certukay dragging Orhan, Aleddin and Zumra into the room by their arms and he pushed them inside the room and placed his hand on the left side of his chest and said "my bey" and left the room after Osman gave permission.

Osman turned back to the three of them who were wide eyed and frozen in place and raised his eyebrow at them. The three immediately stood up straighter and stood together in a line. Osman looked at each of them intensely. Osman finally spoke "I brought you three here so I could find out why you three were gone for so long last night". The three of them looked at each other and Orhan and Zumra subtly shook their heads but Aleddin looked back at Orhan and Zumra nervously. 'He's going to break soon' Orhan and Zumra thought at the same time with panic on their faces.
"Well" Osman raised his voice and the three of you flinched. "Orhan tell me where you were last night" Osman demanded. "Me and Aleddin were just talking and walking around the palace together". "Oh, is that so? Then why was Zumra alp, Gonca hatun and Ghazi there as well?" Orhan started stuttering "t-they we-ere there because um" Osman turned to Aleddin and asked "Aleddin, what happened?"

Aleddin gulped nervously while Zumra and Orhan looked wide eyed and panicked. "Um they were there...because". "Aleddin, tell your father the truth" Bala told Aleddin and gave him a look. 'Oh great, now he's going to tell them we're all gonna die. Why do you have to be such a mother's boy Aleddin?' thought Orhan exasperated. Oh my god, I'm going to die' thought Zumra nervously.

"Me, Orhan and Zumra were walking around the palace and we were talking until Zumra and Orhan saw Gonca hatun and called her over and then me and her were talking (he said while blushing) but then Ghazi was running away from his mother to avoid getting into trouble and ran into us and got upset when he saw me and Gonca hatun together and started shouting while grabbing onto Gonca while me, Zumra and Orhan tried to get him off of her. Aleddin spoke quickly in one breath and started gasping for air after finishing telling Osman and Bala what happened.

Osman went through a mix of emotions after hearing that; anger because Orhan and Aleddin lied about not talking to Zumra anymore, exasperation because of course Ghazi would do something like that and worry for Aleddin because he was gasping for air while his whole face was red. Bala was worried for Aleddin and quickly got him water because she already knew Orhan and Aleddin still talk to Zumra. While Orhan and Zumra had their jaws dropped in shock at how quickly Aleddin just told Osman everything. "Your worse than Fatima" Zumra whispered angrily while Orhan was glaring at his brother. Aleddin felt guilty but relieved at the same time and mouthed 'sorry' to both Orhan and Zumra.

Osman shouted "YOU DID WHAT". Everyone flinched harshly while Bala just rolled her eyes already used to her husbands mood swings. "I specifically told the both of you to stay away from her, she's a bad influence on the both of you." Zumra just rolled her eyes and whispered "of course you would say that" under her breath, which everyone heard as the room was dead silent.

Osman snapped his neck towards Zumra and said lowly "what did you just say" in a deadly voice. "I think you heard me" Zumra replied with attitude. Osman clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white and clenched his jaw so tightly that if Zumra focused a little more she could probably hear him grinding his teeth. Osman stormed up to her and lowered his face so he was inches away from her face (because Zumra's quite small) "I don't trust you because no one truly knows you or where you came from, you could be a spy for all we know" Osman replied angrily. "OSMAN" shouted Bala "that's enough, Zumra has lived with us for a long time she grew up with Orhan and Aleddin and has never given us any reason to doubt her and her loyalty" Osman turned back to Bala and it was silent for a few moments as they were somehow communicating through their eyes.

Then he turned back to Zumra and scrutinised her for a long moment while she fought to stand still and look Osman in the eyes. It wasn't until a red blush started creeping up her neck that he looked away. Zumra blew out a sigh of relief through her mouth quietly and tried to get rid of the weird emotions she was feeling and the tingling in her stomach. 'Am I sick' thought Zumra 'I might need to visit the doctor soon and hopefully find a cure.'

Osman looked to Bala and looked back to Zumra and said to Zumra "I'm going to give you one chance because Bala and my sons trust you but if you betray me and my family I'll kill you" Osman looked down to Zumra and spoke with a gravelly, rough tone of voice while staring intensely at her. "I'll give you the sword myself" replied Zumra lowly while staring back.

They stared intensely at each other for a few moments getting lost in each other's eyes until Orhan broke the moment by saying "finally, we can talk to each other without having to sneak around in the dark" snapping Zumra and Osman out of their trances. When Osman finally processed what he said (which took a long moment) he shouted "WHAT", causing everyone to wince and glare at Orhan while Aleddin said "at least it wasn't me who told him this time.