The Sultan and I

Chapter 45

The Sultan and I
Chapter 45

After Zulkahir was crowned as the new Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, all of his men who came with him from rebellion were promoted into soldiers and were given titles. Some of them were even given positions in the imperial court.

And of course, not all people are happy about this news. Especially the people who put their trust in and loyalty to Sultan Zahir.

My simple mistake of overlooking this problem has threatened to brew a storm in the imperial court.

"We refuse to bow our heads to a Sultan who came from the group of rebels, Sultana. We'd rather cut our throats than swear alliance to him. " Murat, the commanding officer of the Ottoman army, visited me today inside my chamber.

Kasalukuyan akong nakaupo sa loob ng bagong kwarto ko sa Palace of Tears habang nakatayo naman siya sa aking harapan.

There are two soldiers standing behind him, both looking at me with the same burning emotions in their eyes.

I can see the dread on their faces while talking about the new Sultan.

Ngunit hindi ko sila masisi.

Sa ilang nagdaang taon ay iisang Sultan lang ang kanilang pinagsilbihan kaya ganito katindi ang pagtanggi nila na sumunod sa bagong Sultan.

This unannounced visit from the commanding officer confirms Sultan Zahir's strong authority over the Ottoman army and the respect his troops have for him.

"His Excellency, Sultan Zahir is the only Sultan we know." As he said, he had dead serious eyes.

Napahinga nalang ako ng malalim mula sa pagkakaupo sa sofa at nagtaas ng tingin sa kanya.

"We have a new Sultan, Murat." I calmly replied while trying to knock some sense into him. "The Ottoman army swore loyalty and allegiance to whoever would sit on the throne as the Sultan. Now, you must give your support to him to promote peace in our land."

But Murat is not planning to back down easily.

"We offered our loyalty and allegiance to his majesty, Sultan Zahir alone and no one else, my Sultana." His eyes are burning with rage as he speaks. "If he's no longer the Sultan, then we offer our loyalty to you, his Haseki, Mihrisah Sultana, and to his son, Sehzade Osman. As long as Sehzade Osman, the rightful heir to the throne of his majesty, does not have the Sultan's crown on his head, we refuse to bend our knees and follow the orders of someone else. Now that his majesty has fallen ill and can not exercise his power, we, the Ottoman army, choose to swear our loyalty to you and your son, your majesty."

He even bowed his head to me, and that completely surprised me.

Hindi ko narin alam kung ano pa ang sasabihin ko para mapasunod siya.

General Murat is known to be a scary and hard-headed soldier in the empire. He does not bow to anyone else but only to Zahir. He is old and I heard that he's been the commanding officer of the Ottoman army since the reign of Zahir's father.

I heard that he swore his loyalty to Sultan Zahir after the Sultan raised their pay and treated them like family and friends, not like servants. Sultan Zahir is the only Sultan in the empire who saw the worth of the Ottoman army, and as their leader, that is his sole reason for refusing to abandon his ill-fated Sultan.

"You could be charged with treason if you continue being like this, Murat." I replied while looking into his face. "Loyalty and allegiance can not make you live. You must support the new Sultan or else blood will be spread across the empire. I do not want to see the Ottoman army fighting against the new army of his majesty, Sultan Zulkahir."