Sabır (Patience) - Kurulus Osman

Chapter 37

Ceyda grunted in anger and let go of Dundar after glaring at him and balled her fist. Dundar fell unconscious again, whispering Osman's name as he closed his eyes. Ceyda shook her head and moved back to where she was sitting before she could fulfill Dundar's wish.

Abdurrahman felt Dundar's breathing, then turned to the others. "It's Osman's order. Tomorrow afternoon, we will secretly take him to his son's grave to perform his last duty."

Ceyda flinched at the word 'grave.'

"InshaAllah, he will get better by tomorrow," Erkut prayed.

"InshaAllah."

Ceyda still couldn't believe Batur was dead. Ah abi'im ah. What did you do to yourself? You were just with me the other day. How can you be gone now? "Abdurrahman Gazi... is he really gone?" she asked weakly. The blood she was losing was getting serious and her heart was starting to hurt again.

Abdurrahman frowned, "I'm sorry, kizim."

Her mind clouded with a mix of emotions that she couldn't hold in anymore. "Did you know..." The others listened. "My Batur abi told me... 'The road never separates siblings at heart.' Your body is here." She glanced at the ground, then gazed at the sky, "Your soul is there... Does the realm between this world and the Unseen World count as a road, Abdurrahman Gazi?"

Abdurrahman smiled pitifully, "Of course, kizim. Of course."

Ceyda smiled as tears started falling, then furrowed her brow, "I could not say goodbye. I could not see you again, my sky-eyed abi. I let you go. I let you go. I let you go. I..." she buried her face in her knees and cried.

"Cry, kizim. Cry. Let it all out."

---

Zohre and Aygul were tied against the poles in the prisoner tent. Batur's corpse came back to the tribe the day before, and Zohre left the tribe, dragging Aygul with her. Soon after, Selcan, Gonca, and Bala stopped them joined by Osman. Konur told Osman what Ceyda said about Zohre, and he quickly took action. Osman convinced Zohre and Aygul he killed Dundar and captured them.

Aygul was lost for words. Her heart dropped when she saw Batur's dead body return to the tribe. It was also said that Osman killed him. Her cousin whom she loved from childhood. She eyed her mother from the corner of her eye. Batur told her not to confront her until he came back, but everything was coming together now. Osman hinted at Zohre's crimes when he captured them in the forest, and Aygul somewhat understood what he was talking about when he said, "You hurt the ones closest to you," to Zohre.

"What happened? Why do you keep looking at me like that?" Zohre demanded after noticing Aygul glaring at her from the corner of her eye.

Aygul didn't respond and shook her head. Then, Selcan Hatun entered the tent, glaring at Zohre in disgust. She also heard about what Zohre had done. She betrayed and disgraced the tribe, the Bey, and her family when she took shelter with Balgay and told him everything.

"Go away, you unlovely woman. I smell blood whenever I see you, leave," Zohre snarled at Selcan.

"It is the scent of blood that you shed, Zohre," Selcan replied calmly. "You're remembering the things you've done. It's enough, Zohre. Enough. First, Ceyda, then Bala, and now Gunduz. It's not a coincidence. Speak!"

Aygul watched in shock. She only thought Zohre was responsible for Ceyda, which was a bigger issue on its own, but now she might be responsible for Bala and Gunduz.

"You've lost your senses. You're blind because you want to have leadership. Here, you take both the camp and the principality." Aygul listened to her mother. She still wasn't confessing. She was lying. Again. "But... I am going to take the revenge of my Batur and Dundar."