Chapter 12.

Prince Mustafa experienced intimate moments with his family and other siblings at the wedding held in the palace garden. After the meetings, they gathered around a specially arranged table in the wedding area. The decorations and elegant details around the table enhanced the beauty of the wedding atmosphere.

At the head of the wedding table, the princes savored the delicious meals carefully prepared by the palace chefs, engaging in pleasant conversations with each other. The joy of coming together and sharing this special day illuminated their faces.

While the conversations continued in a cheerful tone, the atmosphere suddenly shifted. The question posed by Prince Bora drew everyone's attention, introducing a slightly more serious tone to the environment.

Prince Bora: Hey Mustafa, tell us a bit about there.

Prince Mustafa: How should it be? It's good, but it's naturally different here. You are all here, my brothers. Right now, each moment reminds me once again of the value of coming together on this special wedding day.

Prince Bora, making his entrance with a pleasant smile, asked, "We were at the horse racing grounds again today before you arrived. Who do you think might have won?" Prince Mustafa, looking at Vural with a hint of humor, replied, "Hey Vural, are you winning all the horse races again, aren't you?"

Prince Vural, with a confident expression, stated, "Well, my prince, you know, I'll try to be a little modest, but since childhood, no one in the Ottoman lands has been able to defeat me in horse races. I think it's time you all acknowledged that I am the king of horses."

Prince Bora, with a laughing tone, asked, "Are you saying?"

Prince Vural, with a determined expression, responded, "Do you have an objection?"

Prince Bora, a bit hesitant but with a playful demeanor, continued, "Hey, but you saw it, bro. Nevzat was about to catch up to the finish line before you, it was a matter of moments."

Prince Vural, speaking with a contemplative tone about the past, said, "Leave these matters, dude. Years have passed, and they keep passing. But we haven't seen anyone defeat me."

At this point, Prince Nevzat joined the conversation with a bit of noise, raising a threatening gesture with his finger, "Come on, let there be one more race; you'll see, then I'll make you eat these words one by one."

Prince Bora, with a smile, initiated the conversation by saying, "Hey, my brother, what are you talking about this matter?" creating a cheerful atmosphere at the table. Prince Mustafa, in a calm manner, asked, "Which matter?" However, Bora, without abandoning his own humorous tone, continued, "Do you think there's anyone in this realm who can beat Vural in horse races?"

Prince Mustafa paused for a moment and then, with seriousness, stated, "If you haven't competed with the latest contestant in the realm, you can't declare yourself the king of any domain, my friend." With these words, the lively and joking atmosphere in the room instantly shifted to a more tense and serious mood.

Bora's question brought up Prince Vural's success in horse races, and Mustafa's response actually hinted at a broader perspective. The seriousness in Mustafa's expression emphasized how competitive and success-oriented he was. The conversation among the princes around the table abruptly moved away from laughter and banter, transforming into a more reflective and tense atmosphere. Each prince, driven by the ambition to be the first in his race, felt the subtle traces of a hidden competition underlying this moment.