One Chance

3. Truth

Halime took a deep breathe sensing the environment. The bey tent people too started to look at her as if she is made of glass. She felt all eyes and ears on her. There gaze were so soft that they thought that maybe if they would give her a sharp gaze, she will break like a glass.

She wanted to roll her eyes so bad but she resisted it and the only way she found was to tell them as much as they should know and leave the suffocated tent.

Well, the gazes and questions after leaving was a whole different topic. Halime glanced a bit at Ertugrul and felt his eyes saying 'you lied to me the whole time and I don't trust a single word you say.'

That's all Halime could read in such a short time as she looked away. If she would have looked deep, she would've found something more. Care, love. Yes, his trust was slightly crumbled as she lied the whole time about herself but she had her reasons and Ertugrul knew it.

"My father's cousin brother Emir Sadaettin was a traitor." She started. "My father really trusted him, more than me actually. He was experienced and beside my father from a really long time and he saved his life a several times too but he was actually a right hand of Mongols in the palace. I started doubting him and started gathering proofs against him. He was clever and had trust of Sultan too." Suleyman Şah nodded in understanding and she continued.

"I mentioned everything to baba.... umm Sultan!!"

She corrected, keeping it less personal. Thinking of whatever happened with her. She thought that calling him Sultan might suit more then calling him baba and hurting her own damn feelings. Ertugrul sensed that change

"I mentioned everything to Sultan and he thought I'm over exaggerating and there is nothing to doubt him on. Emir Sadaettin got to know about me spying on him and gathering proofs against him so he set a trap for me. I started to go against Sultan's orders just to catch him red handed but Sultan got to know about everything."

She still crystal clearly remember that night and Emir Sadaettin's evil smirk from the back. Her alps were with her too. They were caught with her too and Sultan didn't went easy on them.

Ertugrul stood silent, no questions, no expressions, like a statue. The spark in gaze was gone somewhere. Though, he felt a bit interested in whatever Halime was telling. He wanted to appreciate her courage. She actually saved the state from the traitor.

"He ordered me to stay in my room so that I won't leave the palace but I always managed to get out and collect proofs. I was really close to catch him but got caught for working and leaving palace secretly which Emir Sadaettin informed him about. My father is a man of words so when I disobeyed him several time he locked me in dungeon."

He locked me in dungeon! After saying this Halime wanted to cry out loud but she took deep breaths to avoid the tears to trip down her eyes.

Ertugrul blinked. Once, twice, thrice.....
He couldn't believe what he just heard. It was out of his mind that a Sultan put his own daughter in dungeon. How badly he was manipulated by his cousin-brother.

"He took away my rights of everything, my rights of being an alp too. I was trained as both an alp and Sultan's daughter, I was used to go on wars and was Hatun's alp commander too. He took my most beloved thing which was my freedom and I was really mad about it. I don't like being caged."

It was a stunning statement. I don't like being caged. Halime wanted to talk about her craze with her freedom more but only with one person present in that tent- Ertugrul.

"After a few days my father made a decision that he is sending me to marry an Ayubi State Şahzade. It was a political wedding for both the states. My mother Şahzadi Aaliye is from Ayubi State and my parents wedding was also done for politics. My wedding was going to be with Ayubi State next Sultan and that marriage was going to play a huge role in strengthening both states but I didn't accepted that decision."