Attack on Prince Suleiman

The attack on the Prince was an event that occured during 1511, in which Ezio Auditore da Firenze and members of the Constantinople Guild of Assassins infiltrated the cultural exposition at Topkapı Palace, in order to protect Prince Suleiman I from Byzantine assassins.

The plan
After hearing of a Masyaf key found underneath Topkapı Palace by Byzantine Templars, Ezio wished to make a contact within the Ottoman court to discover how. Meeting Yusuf Tazim, along with other Assassins, at the Hippodrome, he told Ezio of Byzantine Templars planning to infilitrate Topkapı Palace and assassinate Prince Suleiman I. Though initally reluctant to let Ezio participate in the rescue, Yusuf eventually told him of their plan to dress as minstrels and infiltrate the palace themselves.

Hearing of Italian minstrels already at Topkapı Palace, the Assassins made their way across the Imperial District's rooftops, and, upon reaching the palace, began their search for the minstrels. Eventually finding them, Ezio and the Assassins silently rendered every one of them unconcious and hid the bodies in nearby hay stacks.

The exposition
"Suleiman. The Sultan's grandson, and governor of Kefe. And he's only seventeen."

- Yusuf describing Suleiman I to Ezio. Once the exposition had begun, the Assassins dressed themselves in the minstrel's outfits. Finding a lute, Ezio took it and approached the courtyard's entrance with his fellow Assassins, but were stopped by guards, who were not convinced by their disguises. With no other choice, Ezio began to play the lute and sang to the guards. Tired of Ezio, they told him to bother the guests inside, instead of them.

Finally inside, the Assassins began to roam the courtyard while Ezio began to route out the Byzantine assassins through his improved senses. Eventually, he discovered two Byzantines hiding amongst the crowds of guests. Signalling the Assassins to kill the Byzantines, Ezio distracted the guests by singing to them while the Assassins carried out the killings. After, Ezio met up with Yusuf and told him of the two Byzantines. Yusuf then pointed out the absense of Suleiman in this courtyard, and made their way to the adjacent courtyard. Upon reaching it, the two Assassins noticed Suleiman, and also his uncle, Prince Ahmet, the eldest son of Bayezid II, greeting guests. Ezio told Yusuf of his encounter with Suleiman on the ship to Constantinople, who told him he was a student. As Suleiman broke off and began mingling with guests, Ezio followed him.

Again using the same tactic of distracting the guests while the Assassins carried out the deed, they eventually picked off four Byzantine assassins. However, a group of guards eventually found the poorly hidden body of a Byzantine assassin and ran to attack Yusuf. Eventually arriving at the scene, Ezio was warned by Yusuf of the last remaining Byzantine assassin running towards Suleiman. Breaking his lute in two, Ezio ran towards the Byzantine and impaled him with the top half of the lute, while Yusuf finished off the guards. Another guard then arrived, asking Suleiman if he had been injured. Ignoring the question, Suleiman asked the guard who his captain was, to which he replied Tarik Barleti. He then ordered the guard to send the guests home and summon Tarik to the palace. Once the guard had gone, Suleiman asked Ezio to meet him at the palace's courtyard later. Ezio agreed, and proceeded to make his depature with Yusuf and the Assassins.

Conspiracy
"Your incompetence borders on treason. And to think that today your Janissaries were outshone by an Italian lute player. Preposterous!"

- Ahmet arguing with Tarik. Back in his own clothing, Ezio returned to the palace. Scaling the outer walls, he made his way unnoticed across the rooftops and eventually reached Suleiman. Suleiman told Ezio of the meeting he had arranged with the Janissary captain Tarik and his uncle, Prince Ahmet. He then told him of the Janisseries becoming angry at Bayzeid II over his choice to make Ahmet the next Sultan, wishing it to be Selim I, Suleiman's father, instead. Ezio asked how the Byzantines fit into it, to which Suleiman replied he was hoping Ezio knew, but asked him if he was willing to assist him in finding out. Ezio agreed, so long as their interests ran parallel. With this, Suleiman told Ezio to enter a hatch on top of the Tower of Justice, which led to a hidden room overlooking the meeting place. Ezio did so, and watched on as the three men argued over the night's happenings, although, unbeknownst to Ezio and Suleiman, it was Ahmet who had ordered the attempt on his nephew's life.

As Suleiman left to rendevous with Ezio, Ahmet asked Tarik why the Janisseries held such contempt for him, to which Tarik replied that he was weak, pensive in times of war and restless in periods of peace, that he lacked passion for the traditions of the ghazi (holy warriors), yet he spoke of fraternity in the company of infidels. Enraged, Ahmet ordered Tarik to leave.

As Ezio and Suleiman watched Tarik leave, Ezio noted that Ahmet lacked sway over Tarik. Suleiman agreed, and went on to describe Tarik as a hard man: proud and capable, but ambitious, who admired Selim I greatly. Though, the two were suspicious of Tarik's inability to secure the palace against the Byzantine infiltration. Suleiman then advised Ezio to begin his investigation on Tarik at the Grand Bazaar. With this, Ezio left.