Where Do I Belong

Despite all odds against him, Zaganos Pasha chose to stay behind.

The physical confrontation between the two sides have now turned into a verbal one between messengers, as diplomats from both sides rush back and forth trying to negotiate a best deal for their respective masters.

While the mass Ottoman army prepares a retreat, Zaganos Pasha chose to stay behind, along, having the entire camp all by himself and his one thousand men, acting as the final Ottoman demonstration of power inside this region, pretending that the entire army is still here trying to scare the Romans that they still have the capabilities to continue the siege.

But everyone in the camp knows their true situation now.

Even those people outside the camp.

Such as Giovanni Giustiniani.

Giovanni was doing his daily inspections on the Ottoman encampment when he noticed that there are something fishy going on inside that place.

"Look." Giovanni dragged Mauro and Antonius over to the tower and pointed towards the Ottoman tents. "Mass number of crows are landing right in the camp."

Mauro seems confused at first but immediately seems like he realised something and nodded his head slightly.

Only Antonius is still blurry in his head without any knowledge of what is the meaning of this as he asked. "Does it mean anything? The Ottomans attract crows?"

"…"

Giovanni explained. "My brother, having that number of crows landing in the Ottoman camps only means one thing…"

"The Ottoman camps are empty, that is why the crows dare to land right in the center." Followed by Mauro.

"Oh…"

"Which means…"

"Yes." Giovanni lifted up his Bascinet and began walking down the tower. "It means now it is the chance for a raid on the Ottoman camps to see whether they are still really there."

"Wait!"

Antonius stopped Giovanni before he could leave, grabbed him by the shoulder and looked at his friend with a pair of firm eyes.

"Let me go, I have things to settle with those bastards."

Giovanni looked back, pondered for awhile seeing such determination and urge for battle from Antonius' eyes and slightly nodded his head in agreement.

Meanwhile in the Ottoman encampments.

Zaganos Pasha is having a meeting with a surprising guest his men found in the Sultan's dungeon. Yes, it is our dear friend Abdullah, and it is even more surprising perhaps to Antonius that Abdullah actually knows Zaganos Pasha in a personal relationship, thus he was brought to the commander in chief's tent immediately.

"My friend." Upon seeing Abdullah's face, Zaganos Pasha immediately struggled off the table limping towards Abdullah and held his hands. "The Great Prophet taught us that in urgent times a wise man's words is more important than a day of thinking by myself, and I know that you are the wisest out of the wise, please, in this dire situation, do you have anything to teach me?"

"I don't have anything to teach you." Replied Abdullah with a wry smile. "I am still a prisoner, how can I even talk face to face with the commander in chief of Rumelian sector army like you, if the Sultan finds out…."

"The Sultan…." Zaganos Pasha stopped Abdullah before he could say any further. "The Sultan is no more."

"Then why are you still here?" Seems shocked, Abdullah took a deep breathe and almost exclaimed out but managed to control his volume. "Seriously my friend, why are you still here?"

"Why shouldn't I be here?" Zaganos Pasha frowned as he stares back at Abdullah trying to figure out what his friend means. "It is the Sultan's last wish to see this city right before me conquered, thus by at least I must try to hold this position as long as possible until volunteers and reinforcements from other lords of the state arrives."

"Are you stupid?"

"Huh?"

"First of all." Abdullah took a deep breathe, slouched himself against the pillows and continued. "Stop lying to yourself, my friend, there will be no more reinforcements. It is indeed a miracle for Constantine to survive this siege, but it would be a even more surprising miracle if you managed to finish the task that the Sultan never accomplished, and will you count on two miracles happening at one time?"

Zaganos Pasha shook his head.

"Then, here comes the question. Why are you here?"

"…To…. To…"

"Do you know that what will my uncle do when he goes back to Edirne?"

"Yes… and no." Zaganos Pasha nodded and shook his head.

"The answer is obvious." Abdullah sighed. "He is the Grand Vizier, which automatically gives him the control of the court, the council and eventually the government. And once he is back he will, make prince Beyezid the new Sultan. Because the Sultan is still a child, according to age old traditions he and the Sultana, Gulbahar Hatun, shall become the regent until the new Sultan is matured and able to handle affairs on his own… However,…"

"However,…?"

"Gulbahar Hatun is almost transparent in the government holding neither the army nor the viziers, and has no connections with the lords and pashas across the state, which means that my uncle shall be the only regent… Which means…"

"Which means…?" Zaganos Pasha seems to have gotten the hang of what Abdullah is talking about.

"Which means, if you die here, at this place, the court shall be the Grand Vizier's one man land, and because there is no opposing force like you in the court, the Grand Vizier, shall be in de facto, become the 'Sultan in Shadows", and you shall be a sinner when you meet the ex Sultan after you die."

Zaganos Pasha did not respond, staring at the carpet on the ground figuring the ancient Turkish ancestor of the Ottomans galloping on horse backs.

Abdullah stood up, looked outside through the gaps of the curtain door and remarked. "If I guess it correctly, the time is right, and the Romans should be coming in for a sneak attack on you."

"Really?" This woke Zaganos Pasha up as he raised his head up and frowned.

"Yes, so I suggest you fall back now, with your men."

Zaganos Pasha hurriedly stood up and trudged towards the curtain door, but just as he is about to leave, he suddenly looked back at Abdullah, surveyed him with a pair of suspecting eyes and interrogated. "You are not going with me? I do remember that you have some connections with those infidels…"

"Worry not." Abdullah briskly explained. "Although I went to the Roman's side for a brief few months, but my heart still belongs to the interests of the Sultan, and I do think you need to run now, the Romans can be here at any minute!"

"What about you?"

"I shall use my connections to the Romans to stop them and say that I am the only one left here acting as a decoy, now go!"

Zaganos Pasha said no more words, bowed towards Abdullah and left, failing to observe that Abdullah's back is already wet with sweat despite the cold weather.