My Life. My Only One.

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Starring out across the Bosphorus he drank his wine silently thinking through the events of the evening. He had been right about Aziz's plans to visit Nihat Aydin. He had not discovered the reason for the visit but he was almost certain it had to do with the growing distrust of his office and lack of support by the nobles and lesser royals of which Aziz was still a part. Increasingly his kind had courted the merchants who had grown fat with wealth due to the wars plotted and supported behind the secretly shrouded constraints of his office. He believed that Aziz was trying to gain Nihat's allegiance biding his time for when he inevitably would call for his ouster. He was not about to let that happen. Not now or later. He was in control and while the Emperor was incapacitated and his inept and crippled son incapable of moving a finger to change anything the Emperor his father had put in place. He intended to wield that power he had been given with shrewd efficiency looking for personal gain first and the security of his city second. He smiled and emptied his glass congratulating himself on his astute timing and clever plans. He had carefully placed spies within the court and paid them well for their reports. A message had arrived earlier in the day giving him information about Aziz's intended visit to Nihat Aydin. He immediately put his plan in motion and everything fell into place. Even his son, who's greed and arrogance which matched his own; was not informed of what he had planned. He could not afford anything going wrong and Yigit was at times a loose cannon that had to be controlled. Aligning their two families secured Nihat's allegiance out of fear for the health and happiness of his daughter and the life of his eldest son. Unlike him, Yigit was not cunning but a hot head. He was not strategic but power hungry and worse than that, although he would not admit it to anyone; Yigit was unstable at times. Without another heir, Yigit would one day assume the role of governor if his plans were realized. Marrying him to the Aydin girl would at least secure him wealth and an heir who might actually renew their troubled bloodline. He had effectively shut Aziz out and he gloated at the thought of Aziz's failure.

Yigit had been furious that he had not been included in his father's plans. The entire way to the Aydin's he had sat rigid and sour faced in the carriage. He always learned of the plots and machinations of his father's affairs after the fact. He knew that one day he would take over for his father and that day could not come soon enough. He had been warned not to speak unless he was responding to a direct question or to compliment the ladies, the home or the food. He was to follow his father's lead and put on a show of gentlemanly behavior. Nothing less would be tolerated. He had no choice. His father wielded immense power and had absolutely no compunction to use it as he saw fit. Once in the home and after all the introductions had been made he was the one who sought out  conversation in order to be next to the girl. It was the only thing that had softened the blow. The fact that he was now the bridegroom of Sanem Aydin was the luck of the century. In that respect he had gotten what he wanted over and above what his father's wishes had been. Never had he felt so favored by the gods.

Six months previous his father had come to him with the directive of his marriage to Leyla Aydin. He had balked at his father's heavy handedness and fumed at his inability to choose his own wife. He had been seeing a woman of the noble class. That should have been good enough for his father. He bedded her almost nightly and had all but promised that she would be the future lady of Istanbul. She had turned into a ferocious creature when he had told her what his father had planned and threatened to go to his father with stories of Yigit's debauchery. He had found that oddly attractive and had worked hard to calm her down with assurances that he would not bend to his father's will. He attempted to do just that by announcing at the request for Leylas hand, between Aydin and his father; that he would not marry Nihats oldest daughter as custom dictated but her younger sister instead. As expected his father was angered and rendered speechless for the moment. Nihat was insulted as would his daughter be. The discussions ended immediately after that as Nihat took his leave. Yigit controlled his absolute giddiness at his victory over his domineering father. Mere seconds later his father slammed him into the wall and delivered a punishing blow to his face. He had been escorted to his rooms and held there for weeks until his father had sent for him. This time his father explained that he had but one choice and that was to go along with his plans. He would marry Sanem Aydin before the end of the year and he would not cause anymore disruptions to his father's plans. Anything beyond what was expected of him would be considered treasonous and he would be given the maximum sentence as punishment. Yigit knew that his father did not deliver empty threats. He bowed to his father's will but promised himself that one day he would take his revenge. He learned later that threatening to send Osman Aydin to the front lines was how his father had managed to gain Nihats approval.

Tonight when they had arrived at the Aydin home the only thing that changed his foul mood was meeting Sanem Aydin for the first time. He had starred at her for the the entire time that they were there. All but ignoring everyone else in the room. His only reason for refusing the match with Leyla was not being consulted. She was lovely and he would have had no complaints but when he saw Sanem something happened and he was transfixed by her beauty. She was beyond his wildest dreams and now she would be his. He knew that she didn't want the match but she too was obligated to duty. He would do his best to win her over and take his time with her. He could see she was a gentle inexperienced flower. However if that didn't work he didn't mind overpowering her and taking what was his. The only thing that remained was informing the woman he had left in his room about his engagement. He had no intention of giving her up for the moment so he contemplated how he would handle that until the word got out.

It was eleven thirty at night when Ceyda had been awakened by a knock to her door. Nothing at this hour could be good news. She opened her door and was given a message by her maid that had been delivered to the old house moments before. She closed the door without thanking the maid and walked over to the lamp to turn the flame up so she might see the news that had awoken her from a deep and tranquil sleep. A few sentences were scrawled on the missive and after reading it Ceyda clenched it in her hand with fury while closing her eye as a terrible headache came over her. All this time she had been spending the little money they had left on gowns and jewelry in order to give her daughter the best possible match and now with the clasp of a handshake all that had crumbled into dust.
She knew that there was as good a chance that her daughter would make the match with the governors son as any other girl in the court. Her family came from noble background and that was in their favor. Their lack of money was the fault of her drunken husband who had died leaving them almost penniless and dependent on the generosity if not the warmth of her sister. She wrapped the robe around her and opened the door to her room. Walking the short distance to her daughters room she opened the door and walked in. As expected she was not asleep but sitting at her vanity combing her long hair and applying one of the many masks that she had to have from the grand bazaar she frequented. Turning in surprise as her mother entered the room she stopped her brushing and said "mother, what is wrong you look frightfully angry. Did they not give you a hot stone to place under your mattress?" She laughed to herself turning back to her vanity and continuing to brush her hair while she looked in the mirror. Her mother knew that once she told her what the message said her anger would not be subsided until she had taken her own revenge. But Ceydah had another plan that might yet save them. They didn't really have a choice so she prepared herself for the worst. Looking at her daughter in the mirror and catching her attention she called out her name  "Polen, this just arrived" and handed her the note.

Leyla nocked on Sanem's door and when she didn't answer walked in. Her Abla was not in her bed and Leyla felt her breath catch in her throat. She ran to the balcony and saw Sanem sitting on the bench by the back gate lost in thought with her cats sitting on either side of her. Leyla knew that Sanem was not happy and she completely understood. If it was not for Yigit choosing Sanem it would have been Leyla
drowning her sorrows this night. She slowly went down the spiral staircase and walked up to Sanem and picking up the cat sitting beside her sister made room for herself while placing the cat on the ground. "Sanem .... please Abla talk to me". Sanem looked up at Leyla as if she just recognized she was not alone. Her wyes were puffy from crying and her braids were loose. Sanem had nothing to say. Leyla wrapped her arms around Sanem and held her sister wishing that somehow a miracle could take place that would save Sanem from a match that caused the sisters to tremble.

Nihat looked out his window down into the garden where his two daughters sat side by side no doubt consoling one another after tonight's events. He felt like the most worthless man, husband and father. Everywhere he turned the governors tentacles clawed at him. Refusing the governor would have been a death sentence for Osman. He knew it as much as he knew his own name. However, he had just agreed to hand his precious Sanem over to Yigit Erdogan and that too was a death sentence of its own. Mevkibe had held her composure until the Governor and his son had left and then she collapsed in a fit. The girls had to quickly come to her assistance in order to get her to her room. He had nowhere to turn and his heart ached for he knew that in a few months time their lives would be changed irrevocably. He looked beyond the garden and across the city to the Bosphorus sea and wondered angrily what had happened to Aziz. The fact that he hadn't shown up or sent a message about his change of plans concerned Nihat. Aziz Bey was supposed to have come to discus serious matters concerning the governors illicit dealings and the poor standing of the treasury. Something had happened and he was at a loss to figure it out.