Sienna - Kurulus Osman

20

A woman in a ruby tribal dress rode into Kuluchaisar's fortress, a cloaked man beside her, along with several disguised soldiers.

"You won't get away with this, Osman Bey....you will not," she swore under her breath, earning a low chuckle from the young Kayi Bey.

"We will see, Sienna...we will see."

Sienna scanned the courtyard of the castle, spotting a furious and curious Nikola clutching his sword. As they circled the well to stop before the wooden stage where the Tekfur, his soldiers, and some common folk gathered, she recognized the two captives that stared at them. Their heads lay against stumps, their faces and clothes smeared with dried clay and blood.

Savci Bey glowered, then smirked at her while Dundar Bey watched eagerly. They had expected Osman to save them.

Sienna hesitantly met Nikola's sharp gaze, relieved to see him standing, yet afraid of his reaction to her betrayal.

He jumped off the stage and offered her his arm. Sienna eyed it before climbing off the cart herself, shooting a hooded Osman a bitter look.

"Sienna...Aziz Dostum," Nikola murmured, checking for wounds before realizing her attire. He set aside the thought as his hands held her face, his finger brushing over the bruise above her eye. Sienna swallowed and avoided his skeptical eyes, wincing from his touch. The last thing she needed was Nikola to see through her.

After an excruciating period of silence, she whispered what had been pulling down her insides for days in a barely audible voice, "Are you okay?"

Nikola's brow furrowed, and he opened his mouth, then closed it in confusion. "Yes-I mean I could be better but-"

Taking advantage of the distraction, Osman Bey sprang up the cart and threw off his cloak, roaring as he pulled out a whip hidden in his armour and wrapped it around Nikola's throat.

Sienna flinched as she watched Nikola struggle to breathe.

Everything happened so fast.

Ayaz Alp passed a fiery torch to Osman Bey, who threatened Nikola to order his soldiers to step down. The disguised Kayi Alps swung their swords at the reluctant soldiers as their Bey lowered the torch toward the open barrel of fuel.

The folk shrieked and ran, dreading the explosion, and Sienna stared at the scene, harshly reminded of an incident decades ago.

"Dur! Durun!" Nikola yelled, dropping his dagger after a moment as his soldiers retracted their weapons.

"Nikola," Osman pronounced, stepping on his shoulder to strengthen his grasp on the weapon.

"Osman," Nikola called back, huffing and widening his eyes in fury as he loosened the whip from his neck.

"Set my uncle and brother free," he ordered sharply. "Set them free!" Osman tugged the whip, tightening its grip around Nikola. "This cruel man will bow down to us Turks either way," the Bey declared confidently with a smirk shared by his men.

Sienna fisted her hand as she watched Osman laugh at his dominance and pull on the whip. She swore Osman's end would be by her.

"Tell your soldiers to retreat," Osman repeated, still laughing at the Tekfur's helplessness.

Nikola clenched his jaw, remaining silent as the torch in Osman's hand neared the barrel.

Sienna glanced around at the anxious people; she could not believe Nikola would risk the lives of countless to maintain his pride. Retreat already, she thought sourly.