Mehmed got everything he thought he wanted: power, an empire, victory. The empire flourished, he was the great Mehmed the conqueror. It’s like he tried so hard to be the Sultan his father never believed he could be. But at the cost of the only thing that ever truly mattered to him. And he was cursed, and Lale was gone. And now he has to live forever with that knowledge, with that regret, unable to escape it. No redemption, no peace, just an endless existence haunted by what he did.
He’s not just trapped in Istanbul, he’s trapped in his own mind, reliving his choices, drowning in what ifs. He probably replays every moment, every decision, wishing he could go back, knowing he can’t. That’s… agonizing. At least that’s how it was until he met with Lale’s reincarnation.
And now that they met again.... he’s had centuries to reflect on his mistakes, to live with the torment of losing her. He knows he won’t get another chance if he ruins this one. It’s like he’s walking a tightrope between making things right and not scaring her away, but at the same time, he’s still him: dominant, possessive, but more in control of his emotions and reactions.
This is not a common love story. It’s the kind of love story that devours both of them, consuming them across centuries. Mehmed’s love for Lale is twisted, possessive, selfish, and yet utterly devoted. And I honestly see Mehmed calling her his queen now as his way of rewriting the past. This time, she won’t be someone else’s. This time, she won’t be lost. He sacrificed her once, thinking he was doing what he had to, and paid the ultimate price: eternal regret. Now he is still the same possessive man, still intense, but now he understands what he lost and what it feels like to lose her. And he will not make the same mistake again.
This is all from the perspective of a Mehmed romancer, it doesn’t apply for those who have another LI.
