Alright, readers. After taking a bit of a break from writing, I have finally done a different type of story that I've been thinking about.
Now, this is something different from what I wrote previously because it's much more modern. This story is for those who remember reading the collaboration story that I did a while back; Love and Duty, with those three authors that worked on that story with me. And this is something that I wanted to do.
Another thing, this is going to be the first one-shot that's part of a trilogy. That means each of the three stories will be done by myself and only one of the three writers who worked on Love and Duty with me.
This one-shot, in particular, was a collaboration with Marina Ka-Fai, and I am grateful for having done this with her. She provided a lot of help with writing this, and all the parts we did together were wonderful.
Lastly, this story and the next two stories that are part of the trilogy will take place after Love and Duty. So be sure to read that story if you haven't already. It essentially focuses on Sam and Lancel on a date at the library when Sam ends up learning about an Ottoman Sultan from many years ago, as Lancel explains it to her. It's nothing fancy, just something simple. That being said, enjoy the story, everyone!
DISCLAIMER: All characters of Totally Spies belong to Marathon Media and all characters of Game of Thrones (which is Lancel in this story) belong to George R. R. Martin. Everything else mentioned belongs to their rightful owners.
IN BEVERLY HILLS, CA - 1:36 P.M.
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Beverly Hills, California. And because it was Saturday, people were making the most of it by partaking in different activities, especially for the teens who were taking advantage of it being a Saturday, which meant no school for them.
Under most circumstances, teenagers would be doing what they enjoyed doing on a Saturday when they didn't have to do any chores around the house. This included going to the mall, going skateboarding or rollerskating at the park, taking a stroll on the boardwalk and doing some sightseeing, and whatnot.
There were exceptions to this though. At the Public Library, in particular, two teens decided to spend their Saturday at the library instead of going to the mall. They were none other than Samantha Simpson (who was often referred to as Sam by her friends and peers) and Lancel Lannister, and they were on what they like to call a "library date".
Believe it or not, it had been three months since Lancel moved into a flat in Beverly Hills. The move from Westeros to Beverly Hills was a result of the incident that occurred in Westeros, which was all thanks to Cersei. Since then, Sam and Lancel had started dating, and the redheaded spy girl decided to make the most of her newfound relationship with the blond Westerosi.
Now, Sam wasn't one to go around and flaunt her relationship with Lancel to everyone at school, unlike how Clover does so with her relationship with Robert. But people at school had slowly figured out that she and Lancel were dating, considering how they did plenty of stuff together, holding hands in the hallways, and on certain occasions, they'd kiss mouth to mouth. Plenty of them were shocked to see them dating, but said nothing about it. A couple of people who were well informed about life in Westeros and had heard of Lancel were pleased that a bookworm such as Sam started dating a good-looking stud such as Lancel.
In Mandy's case, she was flat-out disgusted that a handsome face like Lancel would waste his time with someone such as Sam. The water balloon prank that was pulled on her thanks to Arya and Alex showed her that. As such, whenever she saw Sam and Lancel together in the halls at high school, she would grit her teeth and growl. And nothing else. She certainly didn't want to be the victim of another water balloon prank. Otherwise, she would have done more to put a stop to their budding relationship.
Because it was a Saturday, they decided to spend to go to the library for their date. It was no secret that both of them were a couple of bookworms, considering how they take their studies seriously. And in Sam's case, she also took her spy career seriously.
Truth be told, Sam was the only one who was even into the kind of stuff that nerds enjoy doing, seeing that Clover was more into fashion, and Alex into sports. She would have hung out with Clover and Alex today had they not already made plans for their Saturday.
For starters, Clover had decided to go to the mall to check out the latest deals on shoes, dresses, and other fashionable stuff. She ended up dragging her boyfriend Robert with her so she could get his opinion on things, such as which shoes would look good on her, what dress fits her best, and other familiar stuff.
As for Alex, she decided to spend some quality time alone with her boyfriend Andrew at his house, as they played video games together and whatnot. It was the stuff that they enjoyed doing together.
Fortunately for them, Sam wasn't one to control their lives and what they want to do. So she settled on going to do what she wants at the library, with her boyfriend Lancel accompanying her for their library date.
Currently, Sam and Lancel were engaging in some mangas. And they were particularly interested in what they were reading together.
"By the Seven, I didn't know they made a manga out of the anime adaptation of Gundam Wing!" Sam said ecstatically.
Lancel raised an eyebrow at this, seeing perplexed that she was into something like that.
"You know Gundam Wing?" He asked.
"I loved it!" Sam squeed. She had started talking like one of those fangirls who was attending a nerdy science convention. "I had such a huge crush on Quatre when I was a kid! I liked the mechas. Now, I realize that I love the characters, their depths, and the fact that it's the tragic story of teen soldiers being launched out in the world for some revenge and then being abandoned by their countries."
The Westerosi kissed her brow. "I think I've fallen in love even more with you!"
"And I think I do have a thing for pretty blond guys who are super sweet, kind, and underestimated." Sam gave a teasing comment of her own with a slight smirk.
The young man quickly snapped a picture of the cover, vowing to look online or check his bookstore to order the full series of Gundam Wing: Glory of the Losers. His eyes were distracted by three voluminous books, so thick they could have easily passed for dictionaries.
"That's the Rose of Versailles." His girlfriend commented.
"I know," Lancel nodded. "My mom loved it when she was my age. So much so that for her birthday, my dad took her to Versailles so she could see how the drawings were in real life."
"I love your mom," Sam admitted with a smile.
The time she met his mom back in Westeros was still fresh on her mind.
He had a cheeky smile. They went through some pages: while the style was 'clearly' dated and had that 80's vibe, they were still amazed by all the details on the gowns, and the hairdos.
"I, for one, think the anime adaptation is better," Lancel admitted. "Oscar feels more natural and has a more human reaction."
"You mean the sexual assault scene?" Sam wondered. "I completely hated André after that."
The American sighed. "It's too bad Andrew isn't here. He would have loved this too."
"I didn't know he liked it." Lancel had an amused look on his face.
"Yeah, he likes it a lot! I 'actually' showed him a manga adaptation one time when he first came to Beverly Hills," Sam admitted proudly. "It was when we had spent the school day together at BHHS since Alex wanted us to become friends. Alex was over the moon."
"That's so sweet of Alex."
"It sure was. By the way, the manga we checked together was called A Little Princess, and it was based on an original classic," Sam answered. "I then suggested for him to check out some other mangas on his own."
"And did he take your word for it?" Lancel asked.
"Yes. He has gotten some mangas of his own that he reads," Sam smiled. "And he sometimes reads them with Alex accompanying him at his place."
Lancel then nodded in understanding before he decided to comment. "Well, in any case, it wouldn't be a date, then."
"True." Sam agreed with him.
"But I'll try and organize a manga-anime day at my place." Lancel gave a suggestion.
"You 'really' want me to husband you up, don't you?" Sam gave him a teasing comment and a sly smirk.
He grinned as a result. "Would you be offended if I said yes?"
Her eyes sparkled with unspoken tenderness. "I'd be offended if you didn't mean it."
They had a laugh that they tried to suppress, anxious not to bother the people around them. Still, the spy could hear the hint of dorkiness she adored in this voice that enchanted her, securing the spell his picture put on her the day she was assigned his protection. The Lancel in front of her eyes was the true Lancel and she felt blessed and honored even, to be one of the few to 'actually' know him, to be one of the rarest he let down his walls for.
She had fallen in love before, of course. But never that hard. Never that deep. He wasn't just a flirt, a fling, or an object of instant desire, whose passion would quickly dry. He was above all of that.
"How about another book?" He asked, getting her attention.
She nodded, got up, and started to look around the shelves, trying to sport anything of particular interest. Something for them to discover and exchange about.
"You're such a Miss Granger," he joked.
"Who do you think I am? Hermione?" Sam had to ask with a teasing smirk.
Lancel grinned. "Well, all you need is the brown hair. And maybe some colored contacts. But you have her talent."
She nodded in understanding at his flattering compliment as she walked over to the bookshelf. From there, she decided to skim through the books that were aligned in a specific manner. There were plenty of options to choose from. But which one should she go with?
It was then a book cover attracted her eye. It was red, clearly old and used, and no doubt the book itself would soon be discarded because it was 'too ancient' and they needed the space. She knew that, in France, in some libraries, they had some shelves on which they put the books that were going out of their collections. People were welcome to take them home for free. The idea was lovely and she hoped it would cross the ocean. Unless they were broken beyond repair, books were not an item to just throw out. It felt like murder to her.
She grabbed the book that caught her attention and decided to look at the front cover to see what it was.
"The Life and Death of Osman II: A Tragic Case of Regicide," she read to herself.
Feeling rather curious as to what this book was about, and why it left her feeling a bit intrigued, Sam opened up to the first page of the book and read what was written.
Osman II was born to Sultan Ahmed I and his concubine Mahfiruze on the 3rd of November 1604, his firstborn child, his firstborn son, and the first Sehzade to ever be born in Constantinople, known as Istanbul in modern days.
His birth secured his father's succession and made him the youngest father in ottoman history: Ahmed was thirteen. Due to his young age, and the fact that his fertility was not ensured, for the first time, the law of fratricide, effective since its installment by Mehmed II, wasn't applied: indeed, the young Ahmed needed to have an heir apparent, and his youngest brother Mustafa was spared. Osman would soon be joined in the nursery by his half-brother Mehmed, whose mother's identity wasn't discovered yet.
After Ahmed's death at the age of 27 due to typhus and gastric bleeding, his brother Mustafa ascended the throne, which was unusual, but due to Osman's young age, it was thought to be a better choice.
Sadly, Mustafa was mentally ill, possibly with schizophrenia, and had to be deposed in favor of his 14 years old nephew. Osman thus became Osman II, also known as Genç Osman (Osman the Young in Turkish).
Sam was quite intrigued by what she was reading, as she kept reading it while standing in the same spot. She was seemingly too engrossed by the book she grabbed that she didn't bother paying attention to what was going on around her at least until Lancel got her attention by calling out to her.
"If I didn't know how good of a swimmer you are, I'd be worried you'd drown in this book." Lancel joked.
Sam closed the book and turned her attention back over to Lancel. Letting out a sigh, Sam walked back over to the table and decided to explain to him.
"I'm 'terribly' sorry about that," Sam apologized as she walked back over to her seat. "I had found a book that had caught my attention. And from what I read, it seems very interesting."
The Westerosi arched an eyebrow. "And what book caught your interest so badly?"
Sam didn't bother answering. Instead, she took the book from her hands and placed it on the table for Lancel to see. As soon as Lancel caught a glimpse of the book, he was shocked and surprised by what Sam was reading.
He gasped before looking up at her. "Seven Hells...Are you 'really' reading about Osman II?"
"By the Seven, yes," Sam nodded with a smile. "It seems very interesting, so I picked it up. Do you know of him, by any chance?"
His smile went from ear to ear.
"I do. I have a soft spot for that Sultan. Way too unknown outside of his country. And so tragic as well...the true epitome of an advanced mind who got crushed by a world not ready for a guy like him."
"Is that so?" Sam asked curiously.
"Osman II was a visionary and historians agree that, had he been allowed to reform the janissaries' system as he wanted to, he might have prevented the Ottoman Empire's collapse, which happened after WWI," Lancel explained to her. "Or, if he couldn't prevent it, while it'd be on the decline, we could still have an Ottoman Empire today. His death is considered one of the greatest stains on Turkish history."
"I assume his end wasn't peaceful. After all, the book states regicide…" Sam said slowly.
The young man nodded.
"He was the first Sultan to ever be executed by his army in Ottoman history. They deposed him. They stripped him into his underclothes, paraded him around on a lame donkey under a hot sun, denied him water," he continued. "They pinched him and insulted him as he was harassed by the people around. He was then taken to a place where he apologized to the janissaries if he wronged them, and one of them gave him his turban because, in their culture, showing yourself with no hats on is almost like showing yourself naked."
"Poor boy..." Sam frowned.
"It doesn't stop there," Lancel told her with a forlorn tone in his voice. "There was a first assassination attempt after he was deposed and stripped of his titles. Some janissaries didn't want him to die, mind you: they were afraid of Allah's wrath if they 'actually' murdered the holy blood of the dynasty. But Davud Pasha; one of his ministers, and some of his men took him to Yedikule fortress where they eventually killed him."
Sam felt her throat going dry.
"We don't know the full extent of the execution: there are lots of rumors, and some contemporaries didn't want to share as they deemed it too horrible for anyone to learn."
"What does the rumor say?" Sam asked curiously.
"Historians agree that he was strangled with a lasso," Lancel answered. "It was the method used to execute Sehzades when the fratricide law was applied. But there are rumors he wasn't: some say he was raped until he died."
She gasped.
"Others say that he was beheaded. Or that one of the executioners crushed his testicles and he died due to the shock."
"Poor boy…" Sam uttered while grimacing, feeling nothing but pity for this boy.
"The most commonly agreed theory is that he fought against the men," Lancel wasn't done as he continued explaining. "He fought so well that one of them did grab his privates and squeezed so hard that his scream was heard outside of the cells. As he focused on the pain, he didn't focus on his survival and they strangled him. Then, on the order of Halime Sultan, Sultan Mustafa's mother, they cut off his ear to show he was dead. Some say they might have also cut a finger or his nose."
"That's… that's barbaric! He was a child!" Sam yelped while keeping her voice down since they were in the library. "But wait? Mustafa? His uncle? He ruled again?"
Lancel nodded.
"Osman's son, Ömer, had died in early 1622, a few months before his father, around the age of three months. His legal wife was pregnant but there was no certainty she'd have a boy. Osman's half-brother Murad was still very young. Mustafa was the only adult. But he got deposed again: his madness was overwhelming. And, when he became sultan again, he refused to believe Osman was dead and searched the whole palace to try and find him, to beg him to free him from the burden of the sultanate."
It was clear by now that she also wanted to read about this poor soul.
"What happened to Osman's unborn child?" She asked.
"His wife had twins; a boy and a girl," he revealed. "But they both died as babies. He has no direct descendants today."
"What about his life? Before he was executed?"
He smiled, happy to provide an answer for her.
"He was raised by his mother up until she died. We don't know when she died but she certainly died when he was a child, there's no record of her when he became sultan. And one of the first things he did during his reign was to build her a tomb."
"Poor child…" Sam slowly shook her head.
"He's said to have been particularly brilliant: he spoke several languages, did translations for fun, played chess against himself, was a bookworm," Lancel told her proudly. "He also was an athlete in his own right: he was a renowned archer, an equestrian, and swam in the Bosphorus every day. He wrote poetry, was considered good even by his peers and loved music and arts. Kinda like you."
She blushed at that as the comparison popped up in her mind.
"Though…he didn't like to spend money. So I don't think he'd have liked shopping at the mall," Lancel had to inform her. "He was very careful with money, to the point of being called a rat sometimes and people also said that he didn't dress as a Sultan: he never really wore the flamboyant outfits or jewelry."
"Well, nobody's perfect," Sam shrugged casually. "Who doesn't like shopping? What else?"
"It's said he was shy around women, but that didn't prevent him from having a harem, at least four known favorites, and of course, his three children. Though…while we are sure he had Ömer, the twins are still debated."
"And what about the politics?" Sam raised an eyebrow.
"He arrived in a complicated era for the empire. And the janissaries had become even more powerful than the Sultan himself. And, as he had no mother to rule the harem, it was a handicap for him," Lancel took a deep breath as he explained. "After all, we're in the middle of the sultanate of women: the Sultans' moms, the Valide Sultans, had quite some influence. Osman didn't. He also had his half-brother Mehmed executed, he thought he was rebelling. In his dying breath, his brother cursed him and hoped he'd be deprived of everything that he denied him, that his sultanate would be destroyed."
Lancel could see the shocked expression on Sam's face as he continued.
"Eleven days after, a super harsh winter fell and people believed Allah was punishing Osman for his sin. He was also badly surrounded: his advisors only had their benefits in mind, while he wanted to reform the army and legal system. His tensions grew worse with the janissaries during the war he had against Poland and he blamed them for the failure."
After taking a deep breath, Lancel decided to wrap things up.
"He was partly right. In the end, if he fell, it was partly because of the plots against him, but also because of his circumstances: he was an orphan who didn't really have anyone to guide him, or advise him sometimes against his nature."
Sam sighed as she looked down in pity. How could anyone go through as much as that little boy had and be executed? It was truly abysmal just from thinking of how those people went about torturing Osman II.
"That poor boy," Sam shook her head, offering a rather sympathetic comment. "Truly, that poor, poor boy…"
Lancel looked at her, kind of surprised.
"You sound like a mother who's dying to adopt an abandoned and suffering child."
Sam had to blush at the teasing comment that Lancel just made.
"By the Seven, you're right," Sam uttered in slight embarrassment. "I do sound like I've just become a mother to this poor boy overnight."
"By the Seven?" He noted. "Well, I rubbed off on you too regarding my culture."
"Don't forget that you have a baby sister back in Westeros who looks up to you," Sam remarked with a sly smirk.
"True. I have to save my roots for Janei, don't I?"
In a matter of seconds, they found themselves lured into this wonderful moment together where they disregarded the book for now as their faces gradually approached the other. In no time at all, their noses ended up touching before their lips made contact. It was a rather tender and affectionate kiss that the two were sharing. And they didn't seem to care if anybody saw them do this. They were happy to do this together, and nothing else mattered.
After a couple of minutes or so, their lips separated while their noses still touched. They then gazed into each other's eyes in an alluring manner. They did seem to be perfect for each other, and Sam realized what it was she was feeling.
"W-Wow," Sam uttered softly, a blush still on her face. "The girls were right. It is good to have a significant other."
"I'm glad," he smiled warmly.
"Glad?" Sam raised an eyebrow.
"That you have friends that care for you, even if you all have different interests and hobbies. I can't say I know how it feels."
She caressed his cheek as she sighed happily. "Yes. And they are the greatest friends that a girl could ever ask for."
"Well, we can hardly adopt a Sultan who died four hundred years ago," Lancel said. "But should we have a son, I'll name him Osman so you can dote on him all you want."
"Who wouldn't? That poor boy deserves to be smothered in hugs," Sam laughed. "And if that's not an option, we can always adopt a little boy and call him Osman II too."
"Oh, just Osman, or else people will think we collect them and have the first one!"
She laughed along with Lancel for a few moments or so. Afterward, they settled down and decided on taking their leave from the library.
Before she left, however, Sam had decided that she could check out this book some more at home. Maybe show the others if they're interested. Nonetheless, she felt she needed to look through this book for a while, as she grabbed the book from the table.
Lancel took notice of Sam grabbing the book though. And so he decided to ask her.
"Are you putting it back where it belongs?" He almost sounded disappointed.
"'Actually', I think I'm going to check out this book from the library and bring it home with me," Sam exclaimed confidentially. "I'll show this book to Andrew and talk with him about Osman II. He'll probably be interested in learning about him."
His smile was bright, so bright it warmed Sam's heart.
"Good thinking. We'll go through it together and I can't wait to teach him about Osman as I did for you."
"Or maybe we could plan a double date with Andrew and Alex at one of our houses," Sam suggested with a sly smirk. "All four of us could engage in activities and learn about Osman II. I think it would be fascinating for us."
"Would Alex be up for it?"
Lancel knew Alex was fond of reading but was more into fantasies or comics. Every preference for reading was valid, of course. But would she like an essay about a rather obscure historical figure for people outside of his original country?
"She might be if Andrew encourages her to do so," Sam stated after glancing away for a second to think about it. "Clover wouldn't want to take part in something like this. If you know Clover as well as I do, you'd know that she'd find history stuff to be 'totes boring and lame'."
"Yeah, she'd rather go shopping with Robert rather than learn about a dead teenager."
There was no judgment in his tone.
"My point exactly," Sam chuckled heartily. "Anyway, I suggest we check this book out and take our leave. I think we've been in the library for quite a while. Now I think it's time we head on home."
"Sure thing. I'll check on our lovebirds, to see what they are doing."
"Knowing them, they're probably hanging out at Andrew's house right now. But it wouldn't hurt to check anyway," Sam smiled, the book in one hand and Lancel's hand in the other as she then asked in a teasing manner. "Shall we get going, Lany?"
He blushed furiously. This nickname was a nickname only his very close relatives used.
"After you, Sammy."
She gasped before she playfully smirked.
"Come on now, do I look like Dean Winchester's brother?"
"And I think I've just fallen in love with you even more."
Another laugh was shared between the two of them as they walked away from the table and went straight to the front counter to check that book out from the library before leaving.
The librarian checked the book and noted it as lent on her computer.
"That one hardly gets out of this place," she noted. "We almost believed it was time to cast it out of our collections."
"What a pity..." Sam replied.
"If you like it, when you come back to return it, let us know. I'm sure we can find a way to have it permanently be yours."
"Seriously? By the Seven, I'd love that!"
She thanked the employee for her time before putting the book in her bag, Lancel waiting for her near the exit. She was a bit excited at the idea of her friends discovering Osman as well. And the Sultan, even beyond his grave, just proved to her, once again, just how underestimated her boyfriend was.
Lancel Lannister was a knowledgable man, who loved to share, who made his subjects fun and should he decide to become a teacher, she was certain he'd be very good at it. Heck, he made her care about a child who had been deceased for four hundred years!
Andrew and Alex weren't into History as much as she was, but there were no doubts in her mind that they'd dive in quickly into the boy's life. Funnily enough, he could even become their mascot all while laying for all eternity in his father's mosque.
She could only wait and see.
She just hoped the wait would not be too long...
THE END!
Well, that's the end of the first one-shot of this trilogy. I hope all of you readers have enjoyed this piece of work that I put together along with Marina Ka-Fai. I think we made a great team with this one.
Now, this was something that I talked about with all three users who did Love and Duty with me. Aside from Marina Ka-Fai, the other two users; Boris Yeltsin and Assassin master ezio 91 also agreed that three stories will be made by myself with each one of them individually.
Anyway, the next story I do will be the second one-shot for this trilogy, and it's going to be a collaboration between Boris Yeltsin and me, and no one else. While this one focused on Sam and Lancel at the library as the former learned about Osman II from the latter, the next one will primarily focus on the OCs that Boris Yeltsin and I created; Robert and Andrew.
It will focus on Andrew and Robert having a guy's day out together, doing whatever we'll come up with. There will also be mention of characters from Totally Spies, as well as characters from Game of Thrones too. If you're wondering how that'll go, you'll have to wait for the one-shot to be completed.
For now, you can leave a review only if you want to. And you can tell us (me and Marina Fa-Kai) what you thought about it, which is optional and entirely up to you.
Aside from that, there's nothing else to say here. So until next time, I hope you guys look forward to the rest of the trilogy that I came up with. And on that note, thanks for reading everyone!
