One Chance

17. Secret

"I didn't ignored anything, I listened to it, I felt it, I sealed it in my heart and you have no idea how ready I'm to rewrite the stars with the person whom I left wondering only if we get 'one chance'."

So, at least he was listening.... she was glad but he also made her blush alot.

"Who is that person?" Halime asked, she was playing, blushing, loving the idea of the confession that might come at any moment.

"You tell me, you mentioned it first." He played back with the same urge to let the other person confess first but guessing the lover wasn't the game Halime wanted to play anymore so she took a step back from him, looked into his eyes.

"It's you Ertugrul Bey!"

Ertugrul took a step forward now that he grabbed her hands. The coldness of her hands gave him chills against his big warm ones, he even looked at her as her cold hands hid in his and said. "It have always been you Halime or should I say Ceylan?"

She laughed, his whole world lit up. "You turned her into a naughty kid. I mean, how can she out of everything, out of even your proper name pick up the word Ceylan and look at my face and say it constantly."

"She's my friend, she knows everything... I tell her everything, she is trustworthy." Ertugrul told as he took her hands a little closer to his mouth so that he can blew on it, warm them up. He was such husband material, Halime thought.

"At some point she have alot of contribution, now finally we ended the 'that person' game." Halime commented as the blush returned back on her face due to Ertugrul constant blows on her hand.

"Now I can take your name without any hesitation. Now that I've your words and agreement that by 'that person' you mean me."

"Who else could it be?" She questioned.

"I don't know, 'that person' can literally be anyone you would point at if things go any wrong." He said but he regretted it, it gave an impression as of she is the one who will turn her back towards him if things go wrong but maybe she didn't seemed to notice it.

"Do you think things can go more wrong than they already did?" She taunted.

He laughed, her world lit up. "No it can't but what i can say is....." He lifted his hand but wasn't sure if he should touch her or not, until she realized that his hand was lifted to cup her face.

"I'm not made of glass Ertugrul." She told with a nervous laugh to which he replied with his nervous laugh and he did lifted his hand but now it was where it was supposed to be, cupping her cheeks as she also seemed to love the warmth and comfort coming from his touch. They were so close to confess their feelings again using the three magical words this time.

"Halime..... Halime'm!" My Halime. It all felt so good. "I lo-"

"MONGOLS HAVE ATTACKED!!!"

.................

Caravansary

"Noyan didn't came to fought but sent his dogs only. He is hiding Halime Sultan. From us, from you and he knows our plan." Ayaz told as he sat with Mavi and Halime on the lunch table in caravansary hall.

It was four days after the attack on the tribe, Noyan sent his dogs to die from hands of Ertugrul and Halime. They didn't had much big loss but it sure came as a shock to whole tribe as the alps weren't able to protect the tribe and that earned Tugtekin a lot of hate again.

Halime let out a sigh. "He tried to break them like that, he knew our attacks are going to start soon and that would end him and due to tribe went through alot, I can't even say them let's fight because they are too broken."

"And then there's Tugtekin Bey!" Mavi said and clapped at his name and it almost felt so funny.

"If it stayed like this, let's say after the war..... if Tugtekin stayed as the alp commander.... the danger will never end. I have to kick Tugtekin out somehow." Halime said, gently rubbing her jaw with her hand as she thought upon the plan she created related to Tugtekin, that may make him turn into her hater.

"But you can't because......"

"Because I'm no one to kick him, Korkut Bey won't disturb the mental condition of his son, his hate and jealousy and for that Kayi Tribe have to become stronger and Kayi Bey first of all..... and that's why I called Gundogdu Bey and Sungurtekin Bey today." Halime informed, her head nodding to whatever she was thinking and telling herself at that time.

"No Ertugrul Bey?" Mavi teased. Halime looked at her and ger little smrik.

"No Ertugrul Bey. Only his brothers."

"Seems like they came." Ayaz informed as his eyes stayed on the entrance and Halime took the notice too, she stood up as Ayaz and Mavi excused themselves and her soon to be brother in laws walked towards her.

"Ertugrul was curious about this meeting." Sungurtekin informed with a playful grin. Okay so no greetings?

"Are you sure he didn't followed you?" Halime shot back with a tease as both brothers giggled and shook their head. She extended her hand towards the seats. "Please." She added and they both took their seats and Halime sat opposite to them.

"Now?" Gundogdu asked coming on point. He seemed like he didn't actually have time to give her which was absolutely good with Halime as she like Ertugrul's invitation didn't added 'if you are available' to theirs.

"Now, I want to ask you about what would it take for Korkut Bey to remove Tugtekin as the tribal alp commander?"

"Death." Sungurtekin muttered under his breath which earned him a side glare from Gundogdu and a mysterious laugh from Halime which she seemed to fail to hide.

"After what happened recently and looking at past too, I don't think so anyone should let Tugtekin remain the alp commander. He is responsible to make security plans, give tasks to alps, assign them duties and he is awful at his job. We can't get more weak and lose people."

"We said this thousand times." Sungurtekin informed.

"Action speaks louder than words, tell me what you did against it?"

That earned her silence. Sometimes silence speaks louder than words too and it was doing it.

"I just want that..... okay let me be very open.... I care about both tribes and you know sooner I'll be here, as a family with you. Don't look at me like this Sungurtekin Bey." She pointed his grin and he placed a had on his jaw, covering it. "What I'm saying is that, I want to make Kayi Tribe stronger and for that your head is supposed to be strong."

"Anne is strong enough to make decisions for tribe, but not against her brother." Gundogdu replied.

"Because they are letting us live on their lands." Sungurtekin added and didn't forgot to roll his eyes for extra humor.

"If it's so then they are supposed to provide you protection too. What if they would've been alone in this situation with such a dumb alp commander?"

That was it, the word dumb came out and Gundogdu himself couldn't contain himself from laughing. She really felt like family to them, like a younger sister asking for help from her elder brothers.

"What can we do?" Gundogdu asked still laughing.

"Show yourself strong, make them feel like they were nothing without you. I will support you, I will point out your every positive action.... they will try to compete but it will give you and Hayme Hatun some confidence. She will keep her head up. I will try to be present at next meeting, even if Korkut Bey is good at manipulating.... you are going to propose to conduct a meeting to change alp commander. I'll be present there and even if i hate this.... I'll use my being Sultan's daughter card here and we will choose the alp commander from Kayi Tribe."

"And who will it be?"

"Obviously Ertugrul." Sungurtekin hinted but Halime smirked.

"It's a competition between you two. Now discuss and choose one between yourselves, I don't care about that part."

______________________________________________