Muhtesem Yuzyil Imagines ♡

sᴜʟᴇɪᴍᴀɴ's ᴘʀᴇᴄɪᴏᴜs ɢᴇᴍ - Prologue (By Seraphis88)

Formerly known as Jane Tudor, the young daughter of Henry VII and the twin sister of Mary Tudor was once fostered in Rome as a child where she met her former betrothed, Charles V. Though four years older than the young prince, they got along famously and became friends, often exchanging letters as they got to know each other over the years. When she was fourteen and traveling through Italy to reach Spain before heading back home to England, the Crimean Tatars attacked her group and slaughtered the men while abducting her and her handmaidens, who came to be known as Defne Hatun and Burcu Hatun.

Though resistant at first to the rules at Topkapi Palace, her sharp tongue gained the attention of the young Şehzade Suleiman who asked his father Sultan Selim I for the young girl to join his harem as he left for Manisa. Granting his son's request, the girl traveled with Suleiman as he tried to get past her barriers during the trip. They found they had a shared love of poetry and the arts, and he would compose poems for her under his alias Muhibbi. Slowly, but surely the walls she built came down and she allowed him to rename her Zeynep, his precious gem. She soon became pregnant and gave birth to their first child Ahmet in 1513, three years after entering the harem.

Seeing the affection his son had for Zeynep, and knowing her royal status as an English princess, Sultan Selim I allowed them to marry after she converted to Islam, making her his legitimate wife and Haseki. Their daughter Dilara came a few years later, born slightly after Mustafa to Mahidevran Sultan, Suleiman's secondary favorite. Then the twins Emine and Hakan were born a couple of years after. Now in 1520, she was pregnant with their fifth child and the love they had for one another hadn't faded, even with the efforts of Mahidevran to split the two.

Standing with her husband and his mother, Zeynep noticed the stares between the two, knowing the dissension between them concerning her and the power she held in the harem. As the second most powerful woman in the harem after the Valide herself, she knew the older woman viewed her as a threat even if she never gave her reason to do so. Though smart, cunning, and adept at political intrigue, she chose to remain in the background, finding that the manipulation of others can acquire more results than a hands-on approach. So let the Valide have her suspicions, there is nothing she can do to her given her solid foundation of her children and marriage to the Sultan.

"Of course, my lion," Valide assured him with a false smile. "Her rooms are near yours as requested." She turned her attention to her lion's wife, "The maids are currently cleaning and dealing with your belongings. If you want to rest I can have someone lead you to your rooms."

"That would be appreciated, thank you Valide," Zeynep curtseyed to the older woman than her husband, before excusing herself from the room. This left the mother and son to converse while she was led to her rooms, where she found her children playing with Defne Hatun and Burcu Hatun. Ahmet was practicing his swordsmanship with the wooden sword gifted by his father, and Dilara was tickling her younger sister's belly, causing Emine to let out an adorable belly laugh as Hakan was laughing at his sisters.

Seeing her come into the room, the four children yelled out, "Anne!" They ran into her arms as she carefully got on her knees to hug them. The four start babbling about their new home, much to her amusement.

Looking out the window and seeing the dark sky, she ordered, "Alright you four, it's time for bed. Defne, Burcu, can you take them?"

They curtseyed, "Yes, Sultana." Herding the four children out of the room, she watched as Gülfem Hatun entered the room, giving a smile to Zeynep's four children.

"Welcome. The children have grown so much, mashallah. Do you need anything?" Gülfem asked as she stepped further into the room. The mother of the late Şehzade Murad, she was the assistant of the Valide as she never regained the favor she had with the Sultan and became a stewardess of the harem.

"No, but thank you Gülfem. I'm planning on retiring soon for the night." Zeynep told her as she gingerly sat down on her bed, cradling her belly. "I'm assuming you came here for a purpose," she spoke knowingly, knowing that the older woman wouldn't seek her out unless there was a reason.

"There will be great festivities for His Majesty tonight," Gülfem told her coming to the point. "Music, dancing, everything."

"Most likely arranged by the Valide, correct?" She nodded to herself as she next spoke, "As is her right as his Valide, and I cannot see to him in my current state. Are the girls beautiful?"

"Very, one is from Crimea with fire-red hair and piercing blue eyes. She dared to say the Sultan's name and fainted in his arms. Alexandra, I believe her name is," Gülfem told her, much to the amusement of Zeynep. This girl was going to be interesting, she could tell.

"I look forward to meeting her then. Now if you'll excuse me, I will retire," she stood up with a little difficulty to stand in front of the shocked older woman. Gülfem wasn't expecting her reply, though she shouldn't be surprised given the differences between her and Mahidevran. Giving a small curtsey towards the higher-ranked wife, the older woman left the room and closed the doors behind her.

Not long after she left Defne came back to the room, Burcu deciding to stay with the children for the night. Helping her mistress into her nightclothes, the handmaiden led Zeynep to the bed and helped her in before leaving, snuffing out the candles. Laying in the dark, the Haseki pondered on the fact that everything would now change. She and her children were now in more danger than ever before and it will be up to Allah how their lives will go.

(All credits to original author)