Sabır (Patience) - Kurulus Osman

Chapter 31

His icy blue eyes that shone even the darkest hours of night were impossible to miss. Kongar lowered his sword and smiled. "You disappeared."

Wow, I get that a lot. "Obviously, your security is not as strong as you say. I was taken," Ceyda spat.

"By who?"

"I don't know. Their faces were covered." Kongar looked thoughtful, and Ceyda continued, "Anyways, leave that aside. What are you doing here?"

"I always come here."

Ceyda stared at him blankly, "You always come this deep in the forest at midnight...Why?"

Kongar chuckled, "No, I was just getting aw-What are you doing here?"

"I just esc-" she stopped midsentence as she noticed Kongar's attention lured on something behind her. She turned around to see what he was looking at. It was a straight path to the cave. Ceyda quickly moved around in front of Kongar, hoping to block his sight, but she knew it was no use. He was taller. Kongar noticed Ceyda fidgeting and raised an eyebrow, "Are you...okay?"

Ceyda stood straighter and faked anger and annoyance, "No! Of course I'm not okay! I just escaped from my kidnappers, and you're not even getting me home. On top of all that, you're not listening to me right now. What are you looking a-"

Kongar covered Ceyda's mouth before she could finish her complaints, "Shh." He continued looking behind Ceyda. There was a cave. "You said you just escaped?" Ceyda nodded, struggling to get his hand off her mouth. "Your kidnappers are in there then..." He moved Ceyda aside and marched towards the cave.

Ceyda suddenly realized what she had done. No, no. Dadi'im...Osman...Bala Hatun. She needed to stop him, "Wait, Kongar...they are not in there. They went to patrol the area."

Kongar was not listening. Ceyda clenched her fist. Stubborn piece of... Words would not help. She had to do something to stop him. Knowing she would regret it, she ran to Kongar and grabbed him from behind. Kongar suddenly stopped, startled by the gesture.

She was hugging him.

He could feel his face warming up. This never happened to him. Usually, he would force women to touch him, not one did it willingly.

A familiar scent arose, and Ceyda couldn't place where she smelt it before. She shut her eyes and muttered thousands of apologies to Allah, then spoke in a false longing way, "I really want to go home. I'm very tired. Can we leave, please?"

Kongar turned around slowly and held her arms, "We will, let me just murder your kidnappers." He then removed Ceyda from him, a little reluctantly, gave her a warm smile and continued to the cave.

Ceyda cursed under her breath. Her hug was disgusting, uncomfortable, and useless. Just when she thought things could not get worse, she saw someone come out of the cave. Osman.

Ceyda scrambled to find something that would get Kongar's attention. She remembered how he treated her whenever she was wounded and smiled. Softie... She grabbed a rock, hit it hard against a tree, and dropped to the ground, pinching her neck to slow her pulse for just a few minutes, hoping Kongar would take it as an injury.

It worked.

He turned to the noise and ran to a fainted Ceyda, tapping her to wake her. "Ceyda? Ceyda, wake up. What happened?" Kongar sighed and stared at the cave.

Osman was not visible anymore.

"I turn around for one second and you injure yourself. Fine, I'll bring you home," he reached to carry her when Ceyda's eyes fluttered open. Kongar sighed in relief. "Good, you're awake."