"Aygul," Batur called, panting as he entered her tent.
Aygul stood up and furrowed her brow, "What happened?"
"It was her. It was our mother."
Aygul studied Batur carefully, then understood. She rubbed her forehead, "How do you know? Are you sure?"
Batur took out the note he found the other day when he was taking off his armour and showed it to her, "Before when I... let Ceyda go to Balgay-"
"You what?!"
"Shh, please be quiet. Someone will hear. She was begging to go... I couldn't stop her."
Aygul exhaled heavily, "You were always the soft one... Why was she begging to go?"
"In the cave, Ceyda was yelling that she needed to find out why 'she' was there. I didn't fully understand it before but when I found this note..."
"It says 'ana' in Ceyda's writing."
"Yes. It has also been ripped. When we went to Balgay's camp, Konur found the other piece of the note. In the cave, we found out it was information she found from Balgay... if this is the other piece of it..."
"Then our mother was at Balgay's camp..."
Batur nodded, "That's what I ended at too."
"Now what will happen?"
"There is more, bacim. When we were in the prisoner tent, Konur asked Ceyda what the last thing she saw before she fell was."
"And..."
"She said 'ana.'"
"So, our mother is also responsible for Ceyda's injury?"
Batur looked away, and Aygul clenched her fist. She started to leave when Batur stopped her. "Let me go, abi. I have a few questions for my mother."
"Wait, Aygul, wait. We will confront her together. Do not do anything yet."
"But abi-"
"Sabir, Aygul."
Aygul reluctantly nodded. "Ah ana ah, what have you done?"
---
News about Gunduz's missing arrived and Dundar and Batur needed to leave. Batur nodded at Aygul, telling her to not say anything to their mother until he gets back and left with Dundar Bey.
---
Konur Alp sat near Kongar after recently reminding him of his identity as Goktug, and Ceyda resisted dozing off to sleep, while the rest of Osman Bey's companions waited for his arrival from Kuluchaisar Castle.
Upon hearing the thunder of hooves, the Alps stood to see Osman riding towards them. "What have you done, Osman'im?" Bamsi Bey asked cheerfully.
"Yannis accepted my offer. We're going to trick Balgay," Osman declared, making the others nod in happiness.
"Finally, the time has come. He is going to pay for what he has done."
"What is your intention, Osman Bey? Are you going to take Balgay?" Samsa Cavus inquired.
"No, I'm going to kill him."
Ceyda's ears perked up at that, "Do you think he will fall for the trap, Bey?"
Osman turned to Ceyda and nodded, "We're going to show him that even if you become a friend of evil, your end will be bad. Balgay and his accessories will understand that grand sycamores grow in the stormy lands. We're going to get rid of the ones who prevent us from growing."
That didn't answer my... whatever he looks confident.
"Hey MashaAllah! Allah-u-Akbar!"
The alps raised their fists in the air and shouted along. Then, Erkut Alp arrived, "Bey, Gunduz Bey."
Osman Bey and Ceyda shared concerned expressions, "What happened to my brother?"
"Someone kidnapped Gunduz Bey, Beyim. We're looking for him everywhere."
Ceyda's minds raced through who could be responsible as Osman Bey continued questioning Erkut Alp. Ceyda's mind landed on one who could be capable and would have a reason to do it, "Balgay..."
Osman thought the same and hit his hand against a tree, "BALGAY! This is Balgay's doing. He wants to find out who sent the news to Geyhatu. He will see. Come on, yigitlerim. We are going to his camp." Osman started for the horses when Boran stopped him.
"Beyim, maybe we should wait for the night to start the raid."
"That bastard Balgay is going to the castle right now, and he must be holding my brother at his headquarters. This is the right time. Let's go." The alps nodded and they headed for the horses. Konur picked up the ropes that tied his brother and was about to leave when Osman told him to stay.
Good, now I can talk to him about this Kongar, Ceyda thought, smirking as she fantasized the different ways she could bother Konur.
"It's just a scratch, Beyim," Konur explained, gesturing to his wound.
"Make him speak. He killed Toni by himself." Osman glared at Kongar whose eyes slowly fluttered open. "We need to find out Balgay's plans."
Ceyda shifted in her spot, "Beyim."
Osman noticed Ceyda's slightly hurt expression and reasoned, "He knows more, bacim. He's been with Balgay longer. I want to know Balgay's deepest secrets. The information that we're going to give Balgay is going to dig his grave. See you."
Konur nodded and watched his brother, who was still regaining consciousness. "By the way, Konur," Osman started. "Don't let him go anywhere."
"Eyvallah, Beyim," Konur obeyed, placing his hand on his chest.
Osman shot Kongar a final glare before heading towards Balgay's camp with the Alps.
Ceyda moved uncomfortably in her spot. She was now tied to the tree next to Kongar. She laid her head back against the tree and stared at the sky, then turned to Konur. "Will you just stand there or get me water?" she spat, still pretending to be on the Mongols' side.
Konur tested her, "I will stand here."
"You don't want to disappoint your Bey, now do you?"
Konur glanced around, then dangerously headed for Ceyda. He took out his dagger and raised it at her. "Wait, Konur. I was just playing along," she whispered, eyeing the dagger. Konur shook his head and untied her ropes. He then grabbed her wrist and led her away from Kongar.
"What are you doing? Leaving him alone?" Ceyda questioned, meeting Konur's sky-blue eyes. Konur sighed, "He's tied, half-wit."
"He's also a Mongol, ahmak."
Konur looked Ceyda in the eye, "That's what I wanted to talk to you about."
"That you're an idiot? Well, we could have done it there. Why did you bring me all the way here-"
Konur covered her mouth with his hand, "Can you pay attention for once?"
Ceyda took his hand off her mouth, "What?"
"He's not a Mongol."
Ceyda furrowed her brow. Konur's eyes were a little teary. "He-" Konur sighed and looked down, not knowing how to tell her.
"Kongar... what is up with you and him?"
"What does that mean?"
"I saw you... you care for him."
"I-"
Ceyda studied him carefully. She understood Konur best and knew when he was hiding something from her, just like he would know. She remembered Konur back in the prison tent. How he mumbled kardesim over and over after Kongar beat him. She then remembered when she heard Konur talk about his brother. She blinked a few times when it came to her. She put her hand on his arm, making him flinch in surprise, "Kongar... is Goktug?"
Konur met her eyes and gulped. He hadn't even told her yet. He didn't get how Ceyda understood his thoughts so quickly. Konur looked away and let out a shaky breath.
Ceyda didn't know what to do or say. She wouldn't be able to relate to what Konur was going through. She decided this was great news, "Hey MashaAllah! So, after years of searching, you finally found him! Does he know?"
Konur hid his smile from her excitement, "Evet."
Ceyda gasped and playfully hit his arm, "And you didn't tell me? Then, let's go. Why are we hiding?"
Konur nodded and headed towards Kongar. He then gestured for her to sit and she furrowed her brow at the ropes in his hands, "There's no need to tie me now."
Konur put away the ropes and put his dagger in the fire. "Let me do it, Konur," Ceyda offered, now noticing Konur's wound.
"It's fine."
"Are you still bitter?"
"Don't think this changes anything."
"But it does. Now that Kongar is your brother, Goktug, he can spy on Balgay. Now, there's no need for me to-" Ceyda bit her lip, and Konur watched her hopefully.
"That's true. Now, there's no need for you to go to Balgay... right?"
Ceyda shook her head, "There's no need for you to worry about me going to Balgay."
"So, after all this, you're still thinking of it?"
"Konur, don't do this again. I already spoke with Osman Bey. He-"
"Enough, Ceyda. Enough! I'm tired of it now."
"You're tired of it? What about me? Do you know how hard it is to keep returning to that dump after seeing you and our Bey over and over? Do you know how hard it is to call that dog of a commander my father? Do you know how hard it is to keep this secret?!"
"So, don't! Leave it. Come home."
Ceyda rubbed her forehead, "It's not that easy!"
"It isn't, but we are here. Osman Bey is with you. You're not alone. Why don't you understa-"
"I CAN'T!" she snapped, then panted. "I can't."
"You can't or you won't."
Ceyda stared at Konur and he at her. They both knew this matter wouldn't close easily, especially if Ceyda felt like she had no help. There was only one way to end this.
"I won't."
Konur clenched his jaw, then nodded. He picked up the hot iron and burned his wound.
Ceyda shut her eyes and turned away. She couldn't take it anymore. Konur's complaints, his longing, his worry, Osman Bey's ignorance of everything she found, her mother's arrival, how she couldn't tell anyone about it, how she couldn't share everything with Konur as she did before, how he continued expecting and hoping she would come home even after she denied it thousands of times.
She couldn't take any of it.
She stood up angrily and walked away.
Konur shook his head in disapproval and bandaged his wound.
Unknown to the both of them, Goktug was still Kongar, and he heard every word of Ceyda's.
---
Yeah. That ^ sums up whatever I was gonna say. Is our Ceyda depressed??? LE GASP. Uhghghg this is the episode where Batur diess nooo 😭. Alisar was just 🤬. LIKE WHO CHOKES SOMEONE FOR NOT KNOWING WHERE THE GIRL HE BARELY SPOKE TO IS?!?!
Yeah anyways... I'm gonna try making that scene sad when/if I write it cuz IT WAS SAD