''Get the board ready. A hammer and nails too.''
''How many nails, my Vizier?''
''Two. I'll make sure that she never holds the reins of her horse again. And the weapon she wields.''
Celali cut the rope that restrained her hands.
Celali and a soldier lifted her off the ground and leaned her against a pillar. The soldier, who held her on the left side, motioned her arm to the side, so her hand touched another pillar beside her.
The Vizier took the hammer and a nail. He placed the latter on her palm and hammered it through the hand until it was stuck to the pillar.
He did the same to her right hand.
Mihrimah was in agonizing pain.
The wound on her shoulder, she got from the Vizier's dagger, when she got caught, still hurt, but not like her hands.
''Today I nailed your hands. Tomorrow, it will be your feet. The torture will not end until you decide to obey me.'' he said and left with Celali and the soldier, leaving Mihrimah alone in the dark room.
She was focusing every ounce of her strength on her feet. She was exhausted. but didn't want to give the Vizier satisfaction of giving up.
She only waited to be rescued while she thought about how she got into this situation in the first place.

☾☾

A few days prior her apprehension.
Osman and Gunduz fought each other, but the younger brother managed to overpower the older and demanded answers.
Gunduz confessed that everything he had done by now was wrong and was too blind to see it. He finally saw the truth.
Osman spared his brother and demanded for him to listen and do as Osman said, which Gunduz wholeheartedly accepted.
He told Gunduz to keep acting like the Bey of the tribe so Osman could work in secret.
Mihrimah wasn't present, as she was collecting herbs with Kumral Abdal.
''Mihrimah.'' he said on their backs. ''You seem troubled. What is on your mind?''
Mihrimah sighed, looking down on the ground. She knew Kumral Abdal was very wise and decided to share her worries. ''Everything, Kumral Abdal. Uncle Osman, uncle Gunduz, Konur... I feel like everything is falling apart.''
Kumral Abdal nodded. ''It is a difficult time, indeed. But sometimes, out of the chaos, new paths emerge. Tell me, what troubles you the most?''
Mihrimah hesitated, unsure of how to put her feelings into words. "Konur," she finally admitted. ''He confessed his feelings to me, and I don't know how to respond.''
She halted and faced him. ''I don't even know what love is or how it feels. But I know how it can make people vulnerable, and I've always tried to protect myself from that.''
Kumral Abdal smiled gently. ''Love can indeed make us vulnerable, but it can also make us strong. It can give us the courage to face challenges we never thought we could overcome. It is alright to feel love, Mihrimah. It is a natural part of being human.''
Mihrimah shook her head. She was frustrated and confused. ''I don't know if I can, Kumral Abdal.''
''Denying your feelings will not make them go away. It will only cause you more pain in the long run,'' he advised.