Chapter 340: The Meeting of Round Table

"Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori."

"It is sweet and honourable to sacrifice for my mother nation." 

-        Horace, Odes

It is almost the end of the Muharam month of year 863 according to the Hijri calendar in the Ottoman capital city, which is also considered a start to the new year. But there are absolutely no one in the capital city who has the mood to celebrate or conduct any ceremonies, for obvious reasons unlike the good old days. 

In the old days the Sultan would take the chance to have a celebration with his civil servants, military staff and citizens of the capital city to engage and have a closer relationship with them, boosting his own image among their hearts and minds spending money in exchange for support just like the ancient Roman traditions. The Sultan would issue a lavish bonus salary to his loyal servants, a grand gift to the ulema of mosques around the Sultanate, and hold luxuriant celebrations with feast for the citizens.

If the Sultan is in good mood, he would even spare a bit of his merciful pardon on the despised criminals locked up in the cells, if the prisoners had around two third of their sentence and had a decent code of conduct are also spared given a new living some where outside the capital. Since the days of the Sultan Murad II the Sultanate is known to be extremely generous to both her army and her citizens in the capitals that the pre Grand Vizier Candarli Halil Pasha, may the mighty Allah bless his souls, often complained that the funding expense for these celebrations are way too much. 

But at this day, the streets are filled with the highly unusual blistering chill air from the North, and one or two rats running along the streets scavenging for what ever they can find to feed on among the wastes. There are no one who dares to come out of their homes expect for essential activities in the fear that those soldiers outside of the wall might charge in to the city at any time slicing their throat, cut down their heads and rob their belongings. Every one knows what the moral standard of the soldiers in this era are like; They can be soldiers fighting for the land when organised, but can also immediately be transformed into armed robbers and bandits when they lose their organisation and their leash let loose by their commanders. 

Among the quiet streets a cart emerged from the horizons, under the escort of a dozen Cavalry guards and one can easily identify their belongings from the dark coloured cloak they are wearing, it is the soldiers from the army group East facing Constantinople. Inside this cart sites their leader Mahumad Pasha Angelovic, taking a peek at the outside world through the curtains, taking a close look at this familiar but alien city. The last time Mahumad Pasha Angelovic was here inside the capital city of Edirne was almost five years back before the disastrous defeat under Thessaloniki, and then after that never had he set his foot inside this city again, till now.

He would not have stepped in to this dangerous zone with out a purpose, of course. He has been invited here today by the Sultan Dowager, together along with the leader of the Janissaries to have a three faction conference in a relatively neutral region to discuss the future of the Sultanate, and the possibilities of a collaboration government facing a great threat on the outside.

Just as he is about to feel restless keeping up his vigilance at all times holding his blade in the cart, a knock can be heard on the cart with his personnel guard speaking. "Honourable Pasha, we have reached here, the dowager and the Janissaries are expecting you."

The Pasha quickly made one last check to make sure that his attires are proper, and face cleaned, then climbed down the cart. He took a glance around, and could only see three people seated together facing each other, including the young Sultan, his mother the Sultan Dowager and the leader of the Janissaries Gedik Ahmed, all keeping their mouthes quiet waiting for the most important guest of the day – which is him Mahumad Pasha Angelovic to arrive.

The Sultan Dowager, with the child Sultan seated by her side, is covered with a black facial curtain covering her face from being seen by other men seated at top. While the leader of the Janissaries is donned in a set of normal clothing, but being experienced Mahumad Pasha Angelovic can see through his covers knowing that this man has another set of light armour under that clothing. He first greeted the Sultan kneeling on one knee and kissed the ring on his hand, then greeted the Sultan Dowager by bowing, but neglected the leader of the Janissaries and went straight to his seat at the other end.

"Honourable Pasha, may you please excuse your guards like us? We would want a quiet conversation over here." The Sultan Dowager opened her mouth behind that layer of translucent silk cover which gave Mahumad Pasha Angelovic quit a startle as this is the very first time that he has heard that Sultan Dowager speaking, and he must say that her voice sounds pretty dulcet. He immediately bowed once again with his right hand on his chest replying. "Yes, as you wish, righteous Dowager."

The guards adhered to their commander's orders and backed down leaving the campus to a place far away where they cannot here the conversation and stood guard, leaving the four people here seated facing each other.

Among the four people over here, Mahumad Pasha Angelovic detests the leader of the Janissaries knowing his deeds, thinking that he is the one who has the highest suspicion of assassinating the deceased Grand Vizier, and then played some dirty tricks trying to seal off all channels of information, and become the next controller of Ottoman politics. The Pasha disdains the thirteen years old Sultan, knowing that this poor child is nothing, but a puppet caught in the tangled web between the various viziers and his mother, totally not deserving the throne and absolutely knowing nothing about how to run the state, it would result in utter chaos if the affairs of state is really being handed over to this ignorant child who still needs further education.

The only person Mahumad Pasha Angelovic commends here is the Sultan Dowager, a physically weak but mentally strong woman who showed an outstanding amount of psychological strength not falling in to a state of collapse following the death of her husband. Not only did she continuously try to regroup that political influence her husband has left for her, sustained her grip on state affairs even when the Grand Vizier is in place to protect her only child, and in desperate times like this she even managed to get a part of the Janissaries and the city guards on her side.

It is just that Mahumad Pasha Angelovic has little clue what this lady truly wants this time round. A few days back he received a letter carrying both the insignia of Sultan Beyezid and the Sultan Mehmed II saying that the Sultan has proposed a peaceful conference between the three parties to prevent a seemingly imminent war from taking place inside their capital city, the place hosting the conference is at an area where by it is right in the intersection of the controlled area by all three factions – supposed the safest place for all three parties.

Mahumad Pasha Angelovic sat there keeping his guard on with guard holding on to the grip of his blade. He too, like the leader of the Janissaries, has a layer of light armour within his inner clothing, as he believes that the Sultan Dowager did not call them over here just for the sole purpose of peace. There must be some other stuff that she is planning in her head, and the Pasha too has no reason to object this letter as it is sent in the name of the Sultan, he cannot reject the order as long as he still did not rebel openly keeping his position as a pasha of the Sultanate, and further more he too wanted to hear about what this lady has to say.

"Courageous Pasha, Valorous commander, thank you two for still be willing to listen to the words of our Sultan and arrived here today. I can assure you that this day will make a monumental day in the history of our forever…"

"I am honoured, your highness." The Pasha stood up and bowed forward slightly. "But what do you propose today? I mean no disrespect but under the current circumstances…"

"I know what you are feeling, honourable Pasha." The Sultan Dowager replied looking right at the Pasha. "And I am willing to make some sacrifice for the invaluable peace of the Sultanate, to protect our heartland, our foundation stone led here by the previous Sultans and our fore fathers... As a woman, as the mother of the Sultan, and as a part of the Osmanoğlu."