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Chapter 5 - Chapter 5 – The Serpent in the Court

The Garden of Treachery

The palace gardens were beautiful at night, perfumed with roses and jasmine, lanterns glowing softly on the marble paths. But Abdulhamid knew better than to be charmed by such peace.

In truth, the Ottoman court was not a garden. It was a pit of serpents, coiling and hissing, waiting for a moment of weakness to strike. Some wore turbans, others wore silk robes, and some carried crosses in the embassies along the Bosphorus — but all of them had fangs.

And one serpent had already chosen him as prey.

Abdulhamid's reforms — the schools, the railway surveys, the secret workshops — had not gone unnoticed. Too many bribes had been cut, too many European contracts blocked, too much corruption threatened.

Now, whispers spoke of a new enemy: Grand Vizier Kamil Pasha, clever, ambitious, and ruthless. In Abdulhamid's first life, he had been a formidable opponent, undermining the throne with schemes and ties to Britain.

This time, Abdulhamid would not wait for the serpent to bite. He would meet it head-on.

The Poisoned Whisper

The Crescent Eyes brought warning first.

Yusuf, the eunuch, knelt before Abdulhamid in the shadows of his chamber. "Highness, I hear troubling words. Kamil Pasha speaks against you before the Sultan. He says you waste money, stir unrest, dream of crowns not yours."

Abdulhamid's eyes narrowed. "He plays the old game — plant suspicion, then feed it with poison until it blooms into distrust."

Selim growled, hand on his sword. "Shall we silence him, Highness?"

Abdulhamid shook his head. "A serpent slain in haste is a serpent that may strike in death. No — we must expose him, strip him of his skin before all the court. Then he will not return."

The Sultan's Doubt

Days later, at a council session, Kamil Pasha made his move.

"Majesty," the Vizier said smoothly, bowing before Sultan Abdülaziz, "it is my duty to speak plainly. This nephew of yours, though bright, acts recklessly. He spends coin without oversight. He builds schools that teach dangerous ideas. He plans railroads that drain our treasury. If he continues unchecked, he will plunge us into ruin."

Gasps filled the chamber. All eyes turned to Abdulhamid.

The Sultan's gaze was heavy, suspicious. "Is this true, Nephew? Do you squander in my name?"

Abdulhamid rose slowly. His heart was calm, for he had prepared for this.

"Uncle, every coin I spend returns to the empire tenfold. But tell me — whose coffers shrink when the empire grows strong? Not yours, not the people's. No… but those who fatten themselves on foreign bribes and contracts. Perhaps the Vizier fears not for your throne, but for his purse."

Murmurs rippled through the council. Kamil Pasha's face darkened.

"You dare accuse me—"

"I dare reveal you," Abdulhamid cut sharply. He raised a hand, and Selim entered, carrying a small chest. Inside were letters — intercepted by the Crescent Eyes.

Abdulhamid laid them before the Sultan. "Read, Uncle. Letters from the British embassy. Promises of 'gifts' if Kamil Pasha ensures contracts for railroads and factories fall into their hands. He calls me reckless, yet it is he who sells the empire piece by piece."

The chamber erupted in uproar.

The Sultan's hand trembled with fury as he read. His voice thundered: "Kamil! You snake! You who eat bread at my table, yet sell me to foreigners?!"

Kamil Pasha fell to his knees, stammering. "Majesty, lies! Forged, I swear—"

But the proof was too clear, too damning.

Scene 3 – The Serpent Strikes Back

Cornered, the serpent did not die quietly.

That night, as Abdulhamid left the council, shadows moved in the garden. Selim drew his blade in time, clashing against assassins cloaked in black.

Steel rang under the moonlight. Blood stained the roses.

Abdulhamid fought with fury, memories of his past life fueling his resolve. He was no mere prince — he was a man who had seen the fall of empires. Every strike of his blade carried the weight of vengeance and destiny.

When it ended, three assassins lay dead, and one crawled wounded at Abdulhamid's feet.

"Who sent you?" Abdulhamid demanded coldly.

The man spat blood. "The Vizier… he said you must not live to see dawn…"

Selim silenced him with steel.

Abdulhamid looked up at the crescent moon, his face set in iron.

"So. The serpent bares its fangs even in death. Then let this be known — I, too, have fangs."

Judgment

The next morning, Kamil Pasha was dragged before the Sultan in chains. The assassins' confession sealed his fate.

The court was gathered, nobles and ministers trembling as the Vizier was stripped of his robes of office.

"Traitor!" the Sultan roared. "For your betrayal, you shall lose not only your post, but your honor!"

Exiled in disgrace, Kamil Pasha was sent away under guard. His name was struck from records, his family shamed.

Abdulhamid stood silently, watching as the serpent was cast out. He felt no joy — only grim satisfaction. For every serpent slain, another always slithered near.

But this victory sent a clear message through the palace:

The young prince was no naïve boy. He was a flame that burned serpents to ash.

The Coiling Shadows

That night, Abdulhamid returned to his maps and plans. His vision was alive — the schools, the railroads, the factories. But now he understood even more clearly: reform was not only a war against ignorance and poverty.

It was a war against men. Men with greed, with ambition, with knives in the dark.

The Crescent Eyes grew sharper, spreading their web wider across Istanbul. From embassies to mosques, from bazaars to palaces, they listened. They watched.

Abdulhamid whispered to himself as he traced the lines of his future empire on the map:

"The serpent in the court is slain. But outside these walls, greater serpents coil — Britain, France, Russia. To face them, I must be ready. The empire must be ready. For the true war has yet to begin."

The crescent moon gleamed like a blade above the Bosphorus.

And Abdulhamid's fire burned brighter, casting long shadows that stretched across continents.

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