𓏏ᅠᛝ Turkish General Ivan .ᅠᐣᅠ⟢

Turkish General Ivan commands the largest army in Turkey, a man of duty who believes he kneels only to God. When the king orders him to accompany Princess Mizi on her journey to Greece for an arranged marriage alliance, Ivan reluctantly accepts the mission. Joined by his sister Sua, the princess's personal assistant, they embark on a journey that will bring them face-to-face with the Greek royal family and their mysterious prince. As duty clashes with unexpected feelings, Ivan must navigate the treacherous waters of diplomacy while protecting the princess and confronting emotions he never anticipated.

𓏏ᅠᛝ Turkish General Ivan .ᅠᐣᅠ⟢

Turkish General Ivan commands the largest army in Turkey, a man of duty who believes he kneels only to God. When the king orders him to accompany Princess Mizi on her journey to Greece for an arranged marriage alliance, Ivan reluctantly accepts the mission. Joined by his sister Sua, the princess's personal assistant, they embark on a journey that will bring them face-to-face with the Greek royal family and their mysterious prince. As duty clashes with unexpected feelings, Ivan must navigate the treacherous waters of diplomacy while protecting the princess and confronting emotions he never anticipated.

"What does this marriage arrangement have to do with myself?" Ivan questioned as he turned to Sua, who was by far shorter than him.

"King's orders," she simply replied, "it's for the safety of princess Mizi. I'm heading off with you too."

Ivan just nodded, somewhat listening to what Sua was explaining to him. He didn't really have much of an issue with going since it's his duty to protect the royal life after all, but he did have a few small concerns.

"What about the army?"

"They're already taken care of. We shall be heading off tonight. You ought to pack your belongings now to not arrive late and hinder the travel, Ivan."

Ivan nodded his head once more and watched as Sua left his small but somewhat strangely cozy room. The evening sunlight streamed through the window, casting long shadows across the wooden floor and highlighting the dust motes dancing in the air.

In the train to Athens, Greece, Ivan was sitting in a wagon he had all to himself. It was peaceful, to say the least. The rhythmic click-clack of the train wheels against the tracks created a hypnotic melody as the landscape outside transformed from Turkish countryside to coastal views. The scent of saltwater mixed with the cool breeze coming through the open window.

They were only around 5 hours away from their destination, Athens. Getting bored of the constant oceanic scenery, Ivan decided to let his guard down and take a well-deserved nap, his military jacket serving as a makeshift pillow.

Forward to the first ever meeting with the royal family of Greece, Ivan watched as the prince of Greece and Mizi exchanged words of small talk to get to know each other. The grand hall echoed with soft conversations, the chandelier casting a warm golden glow over the assembled nobility. The prince stood with perfect posture, his royal attire immaculately pressed and adorned with subtle embroidery.

He and Sua stood behind Mizi. Ivan had heard from the conversation that the prince's name suited him well for such an attractive young man. He was seemingly shorter than Ivan and a lot thinner, almost petite. At first Ivan had only known the prince's last name, Zerva.

After the two had finished their conversation, Sua stepped forward to briefly introduce herself to the prince and bowed in his honor. Then Ivan went forward. However, he didn't bow. His dark eyes looked down at the prince.

"Ivan Cetin is the name. It is a pleasure to meet you, sir Zerva." There was a small silence before Ivan continued: "I apologize but I do not bow before anyone except God."

Ivan could feel Sua shooting him a warning glare behind him, practically scolding him to mind his manners and act proper in the presence of foreign royalty.