Sienna - Kurulus Osman

11

"Be on alert! Close the doors!" an Alp in Kuluchaisar yelled after looking over a poisoned guard. Watching the guards from a distance, Sienna decided now was the time. Right as the two Alps started securing the gate of the castle, Sienna cried in battle and threw her daggers into their backs. She pulled back her dark cloak to reveal her face as the Alps pulled out their weapons, and the people scattered away from the bloodshed that was about to take place. The disguised soldiers that came with her grabbed swords from the cart they entered the castle with and passed one to Sienna who grabbed it before the gates opened once more and dozens of Roman soldiers rushed in, securing the gate behind them. Revenge and anger pumping through her veins, Sienna sliced through every Alp that attacked her cleanly.

"For the love of Byzantine!" Nikola cried, raising his sword as he kicked the doors of the castle and marched out with the rest of his soldiers that snuck in with Helen's help.

It was a bloodbath. Sienna smirked to herself as she watched the Alps die one by one, slashing the ones that came near her and thrusting her sword in every Alp, fighting as if it was her last. In just half an hour, victory was theirs. Nikola dashed towards the gate where Sienna and her soldiers were fighting to see every guard's dead body on the ground except for a few, which the soldiers captured and dragged in front of Nikola. Nikola roared in their conquest and Sienna cackled, gnashing an Alp's stomach. She and Nikola clanked their swords and yelled out in victory.

"Byzantine is being revived!" Sienna cheered, raising her sword, then squeezed her eyes shut in relief. "At last."

Some soldiers marched around for any more survivors while the rest pushed their swords against the remaining Alp's throats, and the Pope roamed around, swinging a bell at the triumph.

Sienna glared at the Alps who struggled against the soldiers even when they were clearly defeated. "What are we going to do with the captives, Nikola?"

Nikola, still panting from the fight, turned to her, his eyes blazing with rage. "He will pay double the price that he made our soldiers pay for his soldiers..." He pushed his sword into one of the Alp's shoulders, making him grit his teeth to resist the pain. "I like making people pay, Sienna."

The soldiers at the top of the castle pulled out the Kayi flags and replaced them with their own Byzantine banners, hurling the Kayi ones on the ground.

"May God bless you, Nikola!" the Pope exclaimed, spreading his arms as he held the bells. Nikola stared at him and scoffed lightly, then strode up the stairs to the top of the fortress. He was never one to believe in God as Sienna was; he believed people were meant to write their own fate.

Sienna smirked and lingered in front of the captives, dancing her bloody sword on their hearts as they yelled out in anger.

"Byzantine's brave children!" Nikola called from the top of the castle, picking up the Kayi flag with his bloodied sword as the soldiers gathered together, staring up at him. "Cowards die a thousand times before death comes! But you were born a thousand times in this castle today! You are more than soldiers! You are more than free! Today, in this castle... you are more than heroes!" He threw the Kayi flag down into the courtyard as the soldiers raised their swords in the air and yelled in victory. "Victory is ours!" He declared in Latin, thumping his hand on his chest as the rest cheered the same.

Sienna sighed in relief. "Victory... is ours."

---

It was night now, and the castle was free of all Turk evidence; the flags, fur, chests, everything was replaced by Byzantine items. Sienna watched the Byzantine flag in the main chamber of the fortress when Nikola placed a hand on her shoulder. "Messengers who will inform the Emperor about my victory have set off. Everyone will learn what I did today."