Sehzade Mehmet

What had begun as an innocent hunt turned into an odyssey...

Sultan Suleiman had organized a hunting trip with Prince Mustafa and Prince Mehmet... but soon, a majestic stag appeared among some trees, and without hesitation, Mehmet separated from his brother and father to pursue it. Of course, the stag fled in fright, but Mehmet still tried to follow it... eventually, he stopped when he realized he didn't recognize where he was and decided to retrace his steps.

Something stopped him... the sound of a sword being drawn, and when he turned around, he saw a bandit dressed in black staring at him. He drew his own sword and prepared for the fight... Mehmet seemed to have the upper hand during the fight, quickly dodging and counterattacking the bandit's attacks.

But then, two more bandits appeared on horseback... this seemed too organized to be a simple random attack. The voices of the Sultan and Mustafa reached his ears.

"Mehmet...!"

But he was more focused on fighting the bandits and defending himself. Although he tried, in a few minutes he was outnumbered, as two more bandits appeared from behind, wielding daggers. Mehmet took only a step back, feeling for the first time that the situation was turning against him.

The men weren't attacking desperately... but with precision. Then he understood. They hadn't come to kill him...

A sharp blow to the back of his neck silenced all thought before he could react. As his body fell to the ground, one of the men quickly dismounted.

"Quickly. Before they arrive."

And in a matter of seconds, the prince disappeared among the trees. By the time the sultan and Prince Mustafa arrived, it was too late... the area was covered in footprints pointing in various directions, many of them camouflaged in the mud and leaves.

The sultan's order to his guards was clear: Search for the prince in every corner of the province.

The men moved swiftly through the trees, carrying the prince's unconscious body with them. They didn't get far. The sound of hooves echoed through the forest, followed by the whistling of arrows that pierced the air with lethal precision. The attackers had no time to react. In a matter of seconds, two fell from their horses, and the rest scattered in a desperate attempt to flee.

"Don't kill him," a firm voice ordered, observing the scene from its mount. "That man is worth more alive than dead."

The soldiers, wearing the colors of Persia, surrounded the area. One of them dismounted and examined the young man's face.

"He's no ordinary man..."

Without wasting a moment, they lifted him onto a horse and began the journey back.

Days later, after a journey marked by silence and caution, the prince was taken to Ali Qapu Palace, in the heart of Isfahan. There, under the supervision of the Persian heiress, his fate would be in other hands... at least until he awoke.