Osman couldn't stop thinking about her. He was grooming her horse now, as it had just gotten sick. Osman couldn't take the pain in Bala Hatun's eyes, and just had to make her feel better. It seemed that she had a great connection with her horse. Just like Osman and Karayel. Osman felt like all he did was think about the Hatun these days, even when he tried to stray away from the feeling. Osman sighed and started to blend the medicine for Alaca. He was working so intently, he didn't even notice when his cousin Aygul had come.
"Osman. OsMaN. OSMAN!"
Osman's eyes widened and he fell out of his daze. He looked over and saw his cousin. He wiped the sweat off of his face and greeted her.
"Esselamünaleyküm, Aygul Baçı."
She looked at his face and laughed. "You seem very into your work right now, Osman Bey. What happened? Has Karayel got competition now?" Osman gave her a playful glance.
"Estaghfirallah. No horse can replace Karayel. This is someone else's horse. A Hatun I met at the New Bazaar."
"Who is she?"
"Sheikh Edebali's daughter, Bala Hatun."
Aygul told Osman that she had heard the news about Edebali's return. Boran Alp had yelled it quite loud. They talked and joked some more. As they had grown up together, Aygul and Osman were best friends as well as cousins. Sure, they had their occasional dumb sibling fights, but most of the time they had gotten along. Aygul left and Osman worked some more. Yet, Aygul couldn't help but be a little worried about this new Hatun. How would it affect Malhun?
————————————
Not long after Aygul left, Malhun Hatun came. When Osman Bey didn't acknowledge her presence after she got there, she just silently watched him, wondering what was so special about this horse he was healing. After almost 10 minutes, Osman looked up. His face was flushed and sweaty. It had seemed he had been working since the afternoon.
"Ah, Malhun Hatun. Welcome. I'm sorry if I didn't come into the tent after I came back. I didn't finish my work," he said, pointing to the horse to show proof he was working. Malhun sighed but plastered a smile on her face. She loved this man so much, she wasn't going to let this marriage go to waste. She was going to slowly lure her Osman'm into loving her. She knew this was an arranged marriage, and it was only for the good of both tribes. She knew that Osman Bey probably had no feelings for her, and, if there was no need for this marriage, wouldn't accept it. However, she loved him and she was going to make sure Osman loves her back.
"Like I said before, no formalities, Malhun'm."
"Okay, Malhun." She sighed. Whatever. This was going to be a long step by step process. It was like training a baby to walk. Without even bothering to ask who the horse belonged to, Malhun left. Osman sighed of relief. He for sure thought she would ask about the horse. Malhun was a very sensitive person, and, in the beginning, she was jealous of Osman and Aygul's closeness. Bala would have to stay secret.