Albanian Frontier, Ottoman Camp
A chill wind swept down from the jagged Albanian highlands, rustling the tents of Turahan Bey's encampment as dusk settled. Turahan stood at the edge of his pavilion beneath a sky of bruised purple, arms folded tightly across his chest. In the valley below, cookfires flickered amid the gathering darkness, and the distant cries of wounded men echoed from the field hospital. For months, he had chased phantoms through these mountains – rebel Albanians who melted away into forests and gorges after each skirmish. His seasoned spahi cavalry, so fearsome on open plains, found themselves frustrated by an enemy that refused open battle. Turahan's jaw clenched in simmering irritation as he scanned the blackening ridgelines, half expecting yet another guerrilla raid to harry his patrols before nightfall.
Inside the pavilion behind him, a hanging lantern cast a warm glow over maps strewn with markers. The Bey's officers murmured in low tones, discussing the next push against the elusive chieftains. Turahan tried to focus on their words, but his mind drifted. How had it come to this? He wondered. The Ottoman Empire's might, entangled in these barren hills by upstart rebels – it was an insult he was determined to crush. Each day spent here, however, gnawed at him. Thessaly, his home province and fief lay far to the southeast. He had left it secure under garrisons, never imagining the empire's heartlands in Greece might themselves be threatened. Yet rumors had trickled in: Byzantine forces were on the move beyond Thebes, and whispers of Christian villages were stirring. Turahan dismissed those at first as idle tales; Constantine's Greeks would not dare venture out of their defensive lairs in the Morea. And yet, an uneasy feeling tugged at him tonight, a premonition he could not shake.
A sudden pounding of hooves interrupted his thoughts. Down the rocky track leading into camp, a rider galloped past sentries, a torch bobbing in his hand. "Messenger approaching!" came a shout. Turahan turned sharply, heart quickening. Few messengers would ride so hard at nightfall unless the matter was dire. He strode forward as the rider, a mud-splattered courier in Ottoman livery, slid off his exhausted horse. The man's boots barely touched the ground before he dropped to one knee, chest heaving.
"My Bey, forgive the hour," the messenger gasped, sweat and dust streaking his face. "I bear urgent news… from Thessaly." At that, Turahan's blood ran cold. He grasped the man by the shoulder, urging him up. "Speak," Turahan commanded, voice low and edged with dread. "What news from my lands?"
The courier lifted desperate eyes to his lord. "A Byzantine offensive, sire. The Byzantines – have struck in force." He took a shuddering breath. "They have taken Domokos, and much of the countryside in central Greece rises with them. Neopatras fell with scarcely a fight. Domokos Castle resisted, but… it fell to the enemy three days past."
For a moment Turahan Bey forgot to breathe. Domokos… fallen? The word hammered in his mind. He released his grip on the messenger and staggered back a step. Inside the pavilion, his officers rushed out, alarmed by their lord's ashen expression. Turahan's lips parted, but no sound came. He felt as though the earth had dropped from under him, replaced by a surge of hot fury and disbelief. Domokos was one of the keystones of his province – a stout fortress guarding the South of the Thessalian plain. He had personally inspected its defenses not a year ago.
"By the Prophet… how?" Turahan hissed at last, his voice trembling with restrained anger. His dark eyes bore into the messenger. "Our garrison at Domokos numbered hundreds. Did they not hold?"
The courier bowed his head, shame on his features. "They held as long as they could, my Bey. The Emperor Constantine led the assault himself. The Byzantines brought heavy bombards from Thebes and new firearms in great numbers. They breached the walls after a short siege." He paused as if dreading the following words. "Our commander was slain in the final assault. The fortress is lost… and the Greek peasantry has risen in open revolt across the central plains. They flock to Constantine's banner now."
Turahan's hands slowly curled into fists at his sides. He remembered Constantine's infernal new weapons all too well – the thunder of cannons and the staccato fire of hand-guns that had stunned his cavalry two years ago in the Morea. He had underestimated the "fractured, desperate" Greeks then and paid for it in blood at the Hexamilion Wall. Apparently, he was not the only one caught off guard by the Emperor's innovations; now, Domokos had fallen to that same ruthless ingenuity. For an instant, amidst his anger, Turahan felt a grudging respect for the audacity of the move. You have guts, I'll grant you that.
That fleeting admiration was quickly consumed by rage. "Which other fortresses?" he demanded. "Speak, man!"
"Neopatras, as I said, my Bey. Also Levadeia, Zetouni and the passes south of Thermopylae. All taken or opened to the Greeks," the messenger replied hurriedly. "Larissa still holds, but the enemy has not reached so far north yet. They say Emperor Constantine's army is consolidating around Domokos, likely preparing to push further if unopposed."
At this, Turahan's temper snapped. He lashed out, seizing a nearby lance that leaned against a tent pole and hurling it to the ground with a crack. The onlookers flinched as Turahan turned away, breathing hard, trying to rein in his fury. His mind churned with the implications. Thessaly – his province – was being overrun. The very lands Murad had entrusted to his stewardship now lay in the enemy's grasp. The thought was a knife in his gut.
He paced a few steps into the torchlight, every muscle taut with barely controlled wrath. "By Allah, they dare raid my lands like plundering wolves," he growled under his breath. The officers exchanged uneasy glances; none had ever seen Turahan Bey so visibly shaken. He was known for his cool head and cunning on campaign. Now, a rare crack showed in that composure, born of the personal nature of this defeat. He thought of his estates near Trikala, of the timar-holders and their families under his protection. Were they now at the mercy of vengeful Greeks? The messenger had spoken of revolts – doubtless peasants settling scores with any Ottoman Sipahi they could catch. Turahan grimaced, imagining the reprisals already underway. Their fear of us is matched only by their hatred; he recalled Sultan Murad warning him once. How true those words rang tonight.
Slowly, Turahan inhaled the cold mountain air, forcing himself to master the rage pounding in his ears. Yelling at messengers and snapping spears would not undo this calamity. He turned back to the courier, who still knelt, trembling, in the dust. "Rise," Turahan ordered more quietly. The man stood, head bowed. "You have done your duty. Go, take food and rest – you look to have ridden to exhaustion." The courier hesitated, surprised at the restrained response, then gratefully backed away toward the mess lines, leaving the Bey with his gathered officers.
Turahan faced his men. In the torchlight, his face was stern, eyes gleaming with a deadly resolve. "We must accept the truth: the Greeks have outmaneuvered us." The admission tasted bitter as gall. "Constantine has taken Domokos and spilled Ottoman blood on Ottoman soil. He seeks to tear Thessaly from us while we are tied up here." He gestured broadly at the looming peaks, frustration evident in the hard set of his jaw. "It is a bold strategy – one that I might have employed were our roles reversed." A few officers nodded grimly; they also saw the Byzantine ploy's logic, however much it stung.
"One thing is certain," Turahan went on, his voice sharpening. "We cannot fight a war on two fronts indefinitely. If we continue to chase these Albanian rebels while Constantine carves away our provinces, the Sultan's wrath will be terrible… and deserved." At the mention of Murad, an uneasy silence fell. Turahan did not need to elaborate; all of them could imagine the Sultan's fury when he learned of Domokos. Murad II was not known for mercy toward failure, even if Turahan remained one of his favored commanders. The prospect of facing Murad's displeasure – or worse, seeing the Sultan ride south himself to reclaim what Turahan had lost – made the Bey's stomach twist.
He exhaled slowly, his breath visible in the mountain chill. "Summon my scribe," he said at last to a lieutenant. "And send word for fresh horses to be readied." As the officer darted into the tent to fetch writing materials, Turahan squared his shoulders, already resolving on a course of action. He would alert the Sultan immediately, laying out the situation plainly. Perhaps Murad already knew – perhaps not – but Turahan would not delay. He also needed to communicate with the remaining Ottoman forces in Thessaly to organize a defense until reinforcements could arrive. And what of his campaign here? Abandoning it outright would give the Albanian rebels a reprieve they hardly deserved, yet pressing on now, with Thessaly aflame, was unthinkable. Turahan's loyalty to his Sultan warred with his pride and sense of honor. He had vowed to crush this Albanian uprising, but Thessaly was his charge, his responsibility. He could not stand idle while it fell.
Within minutes, the Bey's scribe arrived with parchment and ink. Turahan dictated in clipped, urgent phrases a letter to Sultan Murad conveying the gravity of the Byzantine attack and begging for swift permission to redeploy. Another missive to his son and deputies in Larissa, instructing them to hold firm and gather what troops they could to harass the invaders' flanks. As he spoke, his tone was fierce and determined, but inside, his heart was heavy. Each word admitting to lost fortresses felt like swallowing hot coals. I have failed to guard what is ours. No excuse would change that fact.
When the letters were sanded and sealed with Turahan's mark, he thrust them into the hands of two fresh riders. "Ride to Edirne with this," he ordered the first man, locking eyes with him. "Spare neither whip nor spur. The Sultan must know of Domokos at once." The rider bowed deeply, understanding the importance, and sprinted off to saddle a horse. To the second rider, Turahan said, "Take the mountain paths east and go to Larissa. Give this to my son, Ali Bey, or whichever commander holds the city. Tell them I will come as soon as I am able." That courier, too, hastened away. Watching them depart into the dark, Turahan allowed himself a long, unsteady breath. He had taken the first steps to respond, but the true decision still loomed: stay or march.
Edirne, Ottoman Capital
In Edirne's imperial palace, an oppressive silence hung beneath the high domed ceiling of the divan hall. It was mid-morning, but the usual bustle of Murad II's court had stilled to a hush. Sultan Murad stood by one of the tall arched windows; hands clasped tightly behind his back as he gazed out over the palace gardens without really seeing them. The sunlight streamed in painted patterns on the polished marble floor. Before him, kneeling on a silk carpet, was the haggard envoy from Thessaly who had arrived moments ago. The man had traveled day and night to bring his Sultan ill tidings, and now he quivered with his forehead pressed to the floor, awaiting Murad's response.
In Murad's clenched fist was the parchment the messenger had delivered – a letter penned in Turahan Bey's own hand, along with corroborating reports from local Ottoman survivors. The Sultan's dark eyes scanned the lines again as if rereading might somehow change the contents. Domokos fallen. Neopatras and Zetouni abandoned. Byzantine army pushing into central Greece. Constantine leads them. Murad's jaw tightened with each phrase. He had received warnings of Byzantine movements in the south, of course. But this… this was beyond a mere raid or minor incursion. An Ottoman province was aflame, and a prized fortress was toppled.
At last, Murad spoke, his voice low and steady in the hush. "Rise and report fully," he commanded. The courier rose to hands and knees, not daring to meet the Sultan's eyes.
"M-my Sultan," he stammered, "I bring word from Larissa and from Turahan Bey. Weeks ago, the Byzantines launched their offensive by besieging Livadeia. After capturing it, they blinded the garrison as punishment and moved swiftly northward, overwhelming Bodonitsa next. Our outposts at Zetouni then opened their gates to them without a fight. Neopatras fell shortly thereafter—the garrison was too small and fled at the Greeks' approach." Each admission made the man wince as if expecting a blow. Murad's expression was impassive, but a vein pulsed dangerously at his temple.
Emboldened by the Sultan's silence, the messenger continued. "Emperor Constantine's forces then besieged Domokos. They… they brought large bombards, my Sultan, and many arquebusiers. The siege was swift. The castle walls were breached and—"
"I know of the outcome," Murad interrupted coolly, lifting the crumpled letter in his hand. Turahan's urgent, apologetic tone practically bled from the page. Murad could almost hear his veteran commander's voice pleading for swift action. The Sultan inhaled slowly through his nose, containing the storm within. Calculated fury – a lifetime of rulership had taught him to master his temper until the appropriate moment. But oh, how it burned.
He turned from the window at last to face the chamber. Along the walls, a handful of advisors and guards stood rigidly, eyes downcast. Grand Vizier Halil Pasha hovered nearby, hands tucked in his robe, concern etched on his face. Murad's gaze swept over them all and settled on Halil. "So," the Sultan said softly, almost a hiss, "Constantine has taken upon himself to seize what is mine."
No one dared answer immediately. Halil Pasha stepped forward and bowed. "My Sultan, the news is grave. The Byzantines have indeed struck in Thessaly while our forces are divided." He spoke carefully, soothingly. "However, Turahan Bey is already mobilizing to contain the incursion. He writes that he will march south from Albania with all haste." Halil gestured subtly toward the letter Murad held.
Murad's fingers flexed against the parchment. He knew Halil was attempting to mollify him – to highlight that Turahan was acting decisively. But Murad could not help but flare up anger at the situation. "Contain the incursion," he repeated with biting emphasis. His voice remained measured, but each word was hard as iron. "It should not have happened to begin with." He strode forward and cast the letter onto the low table at the center of the hall. The courtiers flinched as the Sultan's composure began to crack, his controlled tone undercut by the intensity in his eyes.
"Levadeia, Zetouni, Neopatras, Domokos…" Murad enumerated the losses, his brow furrowing deeper with each name. "Castles and towns under the protection of the Ottoman state – lost or surrendered without a proper fight. Villages in revolt." He nearly spat the last phrase. "All this, while Turahan was bogged down chasing rebels in Albania. We have been outmaneuvered." The admission was as rare from Murad's lips as it had been from Turahan's. An uncomfortable rustle went through the advisors. Some exchanged wary glances; it was unlike the Sultan to acknowledge a foe's success so openly. But Murad was nothing if not a realist, and denial would serve him little now.
He stepped toward the kneeling messenger, who quailed as the Sultan loomed over him. Murad's ornate robes swished softly, the only sound in the chamber besides the crackle of a brazier. "Tell me of Domokos," Murad ordered, quieter now but no less intense. "How did it fall? How long did our soldiers hold?"
The courier swallowed hard. "They held eight days of siege, my sovereign," he said, voice shaking. "Our forces were outnumbered. The enemy's bombards breached the gate at dawn of the eighth day. The garrison fought bravely in the streets, but by midday, the fortress was overrun. Most of our men perished fighting to the end. The commander… Khalil Bey, was slain." The man hesitated, then added in a whisper, "Even in defeat, they did not yield, Sultan. They fought to the last."
Murad closed his eyes briefly. Khalil Bey was an old companion-in-arms, a loyal servant for years. He died at his post… A pang of grief, laced with fury, coursed through Murad. At least there was honor in that death. The Sultan drew a deep breath, suppressing the urge to curse aloud. Instead, he placed a steady hand on the messenger's shoulder – a surprising gesture that caused the man to look up in timid astonishment. "You have done well to bring this news swiftly," Murad said, voice gentler. "Go, get some rest. You will have further messages to carry soon." The courier, wide-eyed at the unexpected mercy, bowed repeatedly and backed away as an usher led him out.
As the doors closed, Murad turned to his inner circle. The mask of calm slipped back over his features, but inside, anger roiled like a caged lion. He moved toward the map unfurled on the table, the same map of Greece he had pored over months before when planning his campaigns. His advisors gathered around at a respectful distance. Murad's gaze fixed on the region of Thessaly, where tiny drawn castles marked Domokos, Larissa, and other strongholds. The castles were painted with the Ottoman crescent – or had been. Murad reached down and, with the edge of his ring, scratched harshly across the symbol at Domokos. The meaning was clear: lost. His thin lips pressed into a line.
For a long moment, the Sultan said nothing. Only the crackle of the brazier and the faint rustle of silk from Halil shifting his weight broke the silence. At last Murad spoke in a low, controlled tone, addressing his council. "This Constantine has grown ambitious. While we've been occupied elsewhere, he presumes to snatch away lands we conquered decades ago." He tapped the map where the Byzantine advance had occurred. "He exploits our distraction with Albania. Clever, indeed. I did not think the Greeks capable of marching beyond their precious walls so boldly."
"He has had some success, it seems," ventured Zaganos Pasha, a younger general who stood among the circle. His eyes flashed with indignation on Murad's behalf. "Success won by treachery and luck. The Greeks caught our smaller garrisons by surprise. And Domokos…" Zaganos shook his head. "Domokos would never have fallen had we been able to send relief in time."
Murad glanced at him. "No, it wouldn't have," he agreed quietly. He did not miss the subtle implication behind Zaganos's words – that if not for Turahan and the army being tied up in Albania, things might be different. The Sultan's face darkened. "Our mistake was to underestimate their Emperor after his initial victories." His tone grew harder. "I will not repeat that mistake."
Grand Vizier Halil Pasha stepped closer, folding his hands. "My Sultan, the immediate question is how we shall respond. Constantine's triumph will not end at Domokos if he is unchecked. Even now, his envoys surely court the Greeks of Larissa and the Christians of Epirus, encouraging more revolt." Halil's eyes shifted to the Sultan's for permission to continue, and Murad inclined his head. The vizier went on, voice calm but urgent. "The season is late for a full campaign – the rains of autumn will begin in a couple of months. But if we delay until next spring, the enemy will have many months to entrench and rally support. The tribes in Albania and even the Serbian princes might grow bolder seeing the Sultanate pushed back."
At that, Murad's temper flared anew. His fingers drummed once on the table. "Do you think I will tolerate waiting a year while a Byzantine upstart parades through my lands?" he snapped. "No. This insult must be answered swiftly and decisively." He looked around at his assembled advisors, his presence dominating the chamber. Murad was a seasoned monarch, and in moments like this, he radiated an aura of unquestionable authority. The anger in his eyes was like distant thunder – restrained but heralding a storm. "We march south," the Sultan declared. " We will muster our forces and strike back at once. I shall lead the army myself."
A ripple of surprise – and, in some faces, relief – passed through the council. The Sultan leading in person would galvanize the troops and intimidate foes; Murad was renowned as a warrior-commander. Halil Pasha, however, ventured a cautious protest. "My Sultan, the logistics—"
"We will solve them," Murad cut him off, raising a hand. "Send riders to every garrison in Thrace and Macedonia. I want twenty thousand men assembled at Thessaloniki within a month – cavalry, infantry, artillery, all we can gather." His tone left no room for debate. "We'll cross into Thessaly and crush Constantine's little adventure in one swift campaign."
Zaganos Pasha and several other militant advisors nodded eagerly. "It will be done, Sovereign," Zaganos said, thumping his chest in salute. "The army will be ready to remind the Byzantines of their place."
Murad allowed himself a tight smile at the young general's enthusiasm. Then his gaze shifted back to Halil, who still looked concerned. "Speak freely, Halil," Murad said, moderating his voice. He valued the Grand Vizier's counsel, even if he sometimes grew impatient with his cautious approach.
Halil bowed his head. "Sultan, no man doubts the need to reclaim Thessaly. But we must consider all fronts. If we draw so many forces south, the Hungarians or the Anatolian vassals might sense opportunity. And the Albanian revolt—"
Murad's eyes narrowed slightly. "Do not mistake me, Vizier. I have weighed these risks. But a Sultan who hesitates while his empire's provinces fall to rebels and upstart Byzantines will soon find jackals at his door from all sides. We must show strength now when our enemies expect weakness." Each word came out measured and firm. In his chest, Murad felt the hot conviction of his decision solidify. Indeed, even beyond the strategic necessity, there was a personal element he could not deny: pride. His pride as the Padishah of the Ottomans had been wounded. Constantine Palaiologos had embarrassed his armies, challenged his authority, and dared to reclaim lands long under the Sultan's shadow. That could not go unanswered.
One of the older Pashas, Karaca Bey, stroked his white beard thoughtfully. "The Sultan speaks true. This Constantine has stirred a fire that will spread if not extinguished. The empire's honor is at stake. We must remind the Greeks why even their Western friends whisper the name of Murad in respect and fear." A few others murmured agreement.
Murad placed both hands on the table, leaning over the map. He felt the energy in the room shifting – the resolve coalescing around his will. His anger was still there, coiled like a viper, but now he guided it with purpose. "I want messengers dispatched to Bursa and Konya," he said, looking to another aide. "Draw five thousand of our timariot cavalry from Anatolia to bolster us. And order additional powder and shot sent forward for the bombards – if the Byzantines want to play at siege craft, we shall answer in kind." He imagined the heavy guns rumbling across the plains toward those recaptured fortresses, ready to smash them open in retribution.
"Yes, my Sultan," the aide replied smartly, hurrying off to arrange the orders.
Halil Pasha finally inclined his head, acquiescing to the plan. "Your will shall be done, Sovereign. I will see to the provisioning and coordination at once." Despite his initial hesitation, the Grand Vizier moved with efficient purpose; he, too, understood the necessity.
As the flurry of preparations began, Murad straightened and moved away from the table. His gaze drifted upward to a large banner hanging on the wall: the tugra of the House of Osman emblazoned in gold thread. Beneath that emblem of Ottoman might, Murad's strong features set in determination. "Constantine believes his victories make him strong," he said aloud, not to anyone in particular but for all to hear. "He will learn they have only sealed his fate."
The Sultan's words hung in the air, heavy with promise. Murad could already envision the campaign – his banners unfurled on the march south, the thunder of hooves across the plains, the panicked flight of those who had so recently been celebrating in Domokos.
Suddenly, he realized his right hand had been resting on the pommel of his sword – the grand scimitar gifted to him years ago, its hilt embedded with rubies. Murad hadn't even noticed himself grasping it. He released it slowly, then turned to Halil once more. "Send a reply to Turahan Bey," he ordered. "Acknowledge his message. Tell him the Sultan marches to join him, and that he is to press the enemy from the west as we come from the east. We will catch Constantine's forces like a hammer and anvil." Murad allowed a thin smile. "And tell Turahan… he is to reclaim his honor in Thessaly. I expect him to make the infidels regret ever setting foot beyond their walls."
Halil bowed deeply. "At once, my Sultan." He gestured to a scribe to begin drafting the reply. Murad's message was clear: Turahan was forgiven his setback only insofar as he would help rectify it. There was no room for further failure. Not for Turahan, not for anyone.