1453: Revival of Byzantium

"I am the Sultan! The Sultan on the throne is me!"

…

Mehmed returned to his Panoramic Pavilion, his harem while massaging his forehead. He is having a mild headache as stress piles up from the usual court and political matters. He also regretted losing control of himself and yelling at the Grand Vizier today, that is not the deeds by a matured politician that Mehmed sees himself.

He first saw his eldest son Beyezid, was playing with servants, free of any troubles and light-hearted, totally unlike him at that age.

Beyezid saw his father and seemed to be perplexed not knowing what to do, until his mother, Gulbahar Hatun, poked and reminded him to bow to show respect to the Sultan.

Mehmed walked casually towards the two of them, hands behind his back. He then took off his gloves, Gulbahar Hatun and Beyezid quickly went up to kiss his hands and put their forehead on it.

Mehmed nodded his head slightly and sighed. "Beyezid, when I was around your age I was already training and learning on how to be a Sultan and rule this country."

"Yes, my Sultan, I will strive to be more like you." Beyezid bowed and pledged like any other subjects of the Sultan. Upon seeing this, Mehmed nodded emotionlessly and walked into the bedchamber, lying on the couch, sighing wearily.

His wife Gulbahar Hatun came stealthily behind him, leaned on his firm and broad back, and started massaging his forehead gently. "Are you tired?" She asked. "Why don't take a little break? You seem to be a little stressed out recently."

"I can't, sometimes how I wish to get out of this imperial throne like hell-pit and retire into a garden like Jannah with music of lullaby, just like my father." Mehmed complained. "Without all these intrigues and political struggles, how wondrous will that be."

"The empire still needs you my Sultan, she still needs your protection from the surrounding dangers, Beyezid still needs to be sheltered under your wings my sultan, he will become your right hand man one day." Gulbahar Hatun encouraged her husband with a gentle smile on her face."

The sultan moaned in comfort under his wife's soft comfortable hands, gradually relaxed himself from the stress in the day. But soon a thought came to him and he said. "I will appoint Beyezid as the governor of Amasya after three years. There he will walk the same path as me...."

The couple watched their boy playing joyously in the courtyard outside the door, and Mehmed continued. "There he will learn how to rule like a Sultan with the help of his Lala…And you my dear." Mehmed turned back and looked at Gulbahar Hatun with love and caring in his eyes." You will have to accompany him there, that is the court tradition."

"I understand my Sultan." Gulbahar Hatun, with perseverance of a woman and mother, answered. "I will watch Beyezid grow, and give him toughness of a man and Sultan, give him the strength and power a Ottoman warrior should be. You don't have to worry about us."

Both the Sultan and Hatun chuckled at each other, the Sultan closed his eyes and laid down on the laps of Gulbahar Hatun while she massages for him gently with love.

"I have nothing to worry for you, I fear nothing…" Mehmed II thought to himself.

Later that night, in Sultan's bed chamber.

Sitting on the bed inside the curtains of his private bed chamber, Sultan Mehmed II complimented.

"The recent acts by the Grand Vizier are overly aggressive and what he has done has clearly exceeded his responsibilities.

Below him kneels Aksham-saddin, his tutor and his spy master Hassam Pasha, all dare not to raise their head to look at their Sultan.

"Yes, my Sultan, it is a clear intrusion of the law, we will warn the Grand Vizier about this matter." Said Hassam Pasha.

"No Hassam Pasha, do not inform the Grand Vizier yet, I shall 'warn' him tomorrow."

"And my dear teacher." Mehmed paused a while, hesitating about his decisions for this case, while Aksham-saddin lowered his heads. "Tell the Janissaries, what has been done cannot be undone, they should prepare for battle not complaining about this kind of matters."

"And…. I allow them to sack Constantinople for three days after we conqueror her."

"Yes, my Sultan!"

"Remember, don't disturb the morale of the army, and inform the Grand Vizier, this decision shall not be changed, same goes with the plan of conquest, anyone against it shall be executed."

"Yes, my Sultan."

Both advisors kissed the boots of the Sultan, stood up, bowed and left the room.

Under the candlelight, Mehmed frowned and wrinkled as he reads an urgent letter from his stepmother Mara Branković from Belgrade, Serbia. Things are not looking good, the letter says that the despot of Serbia, Đurađ Branković is planning another crusade with John Hunyadi of Hungary.

Situation is sliding to a side that the Sultan does not wish for, his plan for Constantinople has been spreading everywhere even before he started it, and according to intelligence all of Ottoman's foes have started taking actions secretly or openly.

…

The next day morning, the Grand Vizier Candarli Halil Pasha encountered the Panoramic Pavilion with his bunch of supporters. His face beaming with satisfaction and eagerness, as he knew he is the only one being called, which means that the Sultan has chose him instead of Zaganos Pasha.

"Thanks, Grand Vizier for coming so early at such an old age." The Sultan seating on the imperial throne greeted the Grand Vizier.

The Grand Vizier bowed towards the Sultan and greeted back. "It is an honour my Sultan, serving you and the Sultanate, which is like a rising sun steaming the land."

"I know." Mehmed nodded as a form of recognition to the Grand Vizier and announced his judgement for the case yesterday.

"I have confirmed with the Pashas and council that the acts by Zaganos Pasha is indeed, invalid, it is indeed an act that ought to be punished under the Sultanate's law. You are right Grand Vizier; I shall shift his post outside of Edirne."

Upon announcing his decision, the Grand Vizier had a wide grin on his wrinkled old face and quickly lowered his head to hide it. His supporters on the other hand, could not hide their joy and almost jumped in laughter in front of the Sultan.

"My Sultan, may I kindly know where did you post Zaganos Pasha to, he holds a vital position in the government and we need to consider who to replace him, you see…" The Grand Vizier asked the Sultan in a cultured court tone, with his head still lowered on the carpet.

"Oh yes, of course, I have appointed him as chief in command of the army in Anatolia and ordered him to construct a fort near the Bosporus."

The joy and laughter among Grand Vizier Candarli Halil Pasha and his supporters came to an abrupt stop, the wide grin on him froze , he raised his head and looked at the Sultan who has a gentle grin on his face, and stood up on the ground.

"But my Sultan…"

…