A few weeks I passed the wedding. I recovered from not having my mother beside me yet still missing Vukasin; seeing the princes of Danishmenthan practising and wandering together made me feel even lonelier. I belted Silver Dragon while they were practising sword fighting with their grandmaster. I hurled the blade back and forth vigorously to stand as living proof of Tigrisian strength. They often looked at me, either mesmerized or envious. 

That day, Oksana got out to the garden with ten or more ladies beneath her. The girlish innocence on her face was gone with the wind and left behind a cold woman and the strong perfume scent of a queen. Among the tall trees, Bayezid appeared with his youngest son, Musa, sitting on his shoulders. Grandmaster left the lead of the practice to a young knight trainee. He wasn't even 19 but strong and firm—Mehli, a year younger than me, was challenging him. Bayezid hopped Musa to the ground and watched the challenge for a while. The trainee knocked him down a few minutes later. Mehli got up, "Not at all, boy, good job, you are improving."

Bayezid said to him. I was beginning to understand Turkish. Then Mehli tried again, and he failed soon after. I swung the Silver Dragon a few times in the air. Bayezid noticed me, "Prince Jaromir, wouldn't you come and try on?" I was unbelievably confident and cherished. I walked towards the trainee without any further words. He protested, and I defended. I realized Oksana was eagerly watching, sitting the show on the marble banks. I took a deep breath and attacked. His sword got loose and fell. The trainee was embarrassed. He took the sword from the ground and attempted to continue the fight, yet Bayezid stopped him. He looked directly into my eyes. "You hold the sword too tight; you need to know when to liberate and when to grab. Don't forget to run your feet; they allow you supremacy, not your quick hands." At first, I thought he addressed the trainee, but then he came near and showed me how to hold the sword. I was bewildered. The trainee muttered, "My king, I shall demand a second trial." Bayezid said, "No." He grabbed the sword of the trainee. "Come on, Prince Jaromir," he said. 

I pointed to his chest with Silver Dragon and nodded. The swords started to toss, and I saw his sword leaning on my neck in the twinkling of an eye. I demanded, "Again!" He laughed, and then we started again; his sword appeared on my belly this time. I cried out, "Again!" After ten trials or more, each duel took more than a minute or two. I said, "Again!" then "Again!" then "Again!" I never won. He told me to run my feet, liberate my sword, keep eye contact, and play beneath the chest. Oksana was keen on watching. Bayezid shouted, "Unbelievable; even after a few practices, you show improvement, son." I hesitated. He called me son. He put his sword into its sheath. "Enough for today. You would be one fine knight, but if you let me teach you, you will be the finest knight standing on the ground." Mehli was gazing at me, hissing and crawling. I was trying not to display my gratitude. Bayezid took Musa's hand and turned to the other boys. "Let's get in and eat," he chirped. I walked with them.

Fourteen years had passed. He was just in his early 40s, but Bayezid became the most feared man alive in the world. He had numerous victories in both the West and East. They called him "lightning" and said he was quick and unstoppable. All the kingdoms, even the empires, trembled in his shadow because he was intelligent, strong, skilful and respectable, and he had me. The Tigrisian army had only heavy weapons and armour because we mined silver. The left side of the main Danishmenthan army was composed of Tigrisians, and I was their commander.  Bayezid trusted me as if I was his blood. His son became my comrade, except for Mehli, who was still hissing, murmuring, and envious. I felt a deep loyalty to Bayezid as he became a teacher, a father and the dearest friend of mine.

On the other hand, as soon as I gained my liberty, I started to visit Tigrisia so often that I always stood with Vukasin beside me. He grew up to become a stunning knight as he was still idolizing me; he was tall and well-built but deprived of muscular ugliness. The West and East well knew his charm and his fighting talent. He was still not fond of Danishmenthan and refused to speak Turkish even if he knew so well. As for me, People claimed that I was the best knight and the most skilful swordsman alive. I was in my early twenties, but I did not let the gossip make me arrogant. That was one of the teachings of Bayezid. When there was no war, Vukasin and I took visits to the villages of Danishmenthan and Tigrisia. I heard the people telling legends about me killing a beast of the mountain that was ten times bigger than a man, taming a giant four-headed lion with bat wings, and taking the whole army of Hungaira in the War of Nada with just a knife held by my left hand and so on. Vukasin listened to those stories with me, full of joy; he liked to verify the villagers and storytellers and reveal additions to them. Both beautiful girls and boys adore him, and soon after his appearance, I found him surrounded by many and tried to respond to their love towards him just for the fun of the night. He always loved me to take an eye on him. The killing was always easier for Vukasin. Watching me fight and kill made him fearless and willing. On the other hand, I carried the pain of every life that I took. When our trip ended, I usually took my place in Castle Edre next to Bayezid while Vukasin returned to Tigrisia. 

Musa was 15, and he knew me as his brother. Every night, he found me to tell him about the wars I fought and my adventures. I was not creative like Vukasin, so I only spoke the truth. 

Somehow, Oksana grew up more beautiful; she was rigid and elegant, just like our mother. She respected Bayezid as he respected her. She loved having long walks and horse rides with me at weekends. She was fully aware of her power and never hesitated to use it as the queen of the most feared leader and sister of the greatest knight, so they call it. 

However, throughout the years, the supporters of passed Prince Yakub and the Turkish tribes devoted to Artuncha, led by Princess Alkız's brother Kül, got stronger and united to start a riot. Bayezid ignored them and tried to solve the incident with a couple of ambassadors until the war had come to the gates of Edre.