My Life. My Only One.

Chest of Kings

Mevkibe and Nihat were beside themselves with worry. They had received a message from Miribahn that explained that she had found herself unable to keep Leylas whereabouts secret from Sanem any longer. She asked them to come to her home as soon as possible as Sanem was threatening to go to the governors palace and request an audience herself. Nihat called for the carriage at once and he comforted Mevkibe on the way. He was angry at himself for not going to his daughters aide once they were almost certain she was trapped there. Aziz had recommended against it explaining that there was a plan but that was more than a day after she had gone missing. If they couldn't bring her back by tonight he would scale the walls himself.

Sanem paced the carpeted floors of her room waiting for her parents to arrive. Every fiber of her being knew that Leyla was in danger and she knew first hand what that felt like. She would not sit back and just wait. She had changed into a red dress with a softly flowing skirt. If not for her increasing bosom none would know she was pregnant. Aziz had not yet arrived when her parents walked into her room. She embraced them and soon Mevkibe began to cry. She was concerned for Leyla and worried about Sanems pregnancy. Sanem looked at her mother who seemed ready to pass out at any minute and tried comforting her as best she could. Her father didn't look much better. They spoke quietly for a few minutes longer and then Miribahn and Deren entered and asked if they might all meet in Aziz' office. There would be more room and he would be there soon.

Can and Levant easily were able to bribe the port master and found their way to the eastern entrance into the city. They hired a carriage and soon made there way to the road that would take them down the back roads to Levants grandmothers home. He found it incredible that he could even say that. They hoped to get lost among the carriages making their way beyond and into the city. Once or twice their carriage came to a stop and Can worried that they would be stopped by soldiers or guards eager to capture them. Instead it was just the nature of the road. After several hours they arrived and made their way across the grape vineyards coming upon the home as the sun was high in the sky. Levant met one of the men who knew of him and they all walked the remainder of the way up to the home. Soon their needs where seen to and Levant and Can wrote messages that Levant then attached to his pigeons that had been sent to him by Mitat. A message would be sent to Aziz.The clock was ticking now and from this moment forward every detail of their plans and every decision that they made would need to be executed perfectly.

There was no room for failure. Can kept looking at the road expecting to see a man emerge but for hours none appeared. He stood up stretching and looking all around the vineyard in an attempt to release some energy when the telltale signs of the dirt kicked up by a horses trot came into view. Can felt ever muscle in his body contract and when he turned to look at Levant he knew that this was Mitat as the younger man ran to greet the older Aydin. Both men embraced as they walked up the path to meet Can.

Mitat explained that Muzafer had messaged him through there normal middleman promising to provide them with an escort into the city as long as they were able to meet at the hut outside the city walls. The escort would then take them wherever they needed to go. Mitat explained that Rifat had returned and Aziz had brought him current with their plan. He had a small band of workers employed on his ship as well as on the docks. They would be protected by his men. Can listened and grew restless. He needed to see Sanem. He paced like a caged lion and it was all Mitat could do to calm him and make him see the logic in their plan. "Can, first let us assure ourselves that we have not been followed and then you will see your wife again". Can closed his eyes and nodded putting his hands through his loose hair and expelling the air out of his lungs. "Levant has sent the pigeons and the messages must have been received by now. If everything goes as planned your father will meet us at the docks. We have our mission and you have Sanem to care for". He nodded and felt the anxiousness settle in his gut.