Muhtesem Yuzyil Imagines ♡

sᴜʟᴇɪᴍᴀɴ's ᴘʀᴇᴄɪᴏᴜs ɢᴇᴍ - Act 4 (By Seraphis88)

Screams could be heard throughout the night as a new life was brought into the world. Though a month early, Zeynep Sultan's new baby decided it was ready for the world as the contractions hit every few minutes. The Sultan and his mother the Valide waited outside the Haseki's chambers while Hatice sat next to her dear friend and held her hand as she continued to push the new life into the world. Pacing after every scream coming from his wife, Suleiman waited anxiously while his two youngest children cried into their older sibling's arms. Picking them up, they wrapped their arms around their father's neck as they tried to block out their mother's screams of pain.

Inside the room, Zeynep struggled to push as exhaustion flowed through her. She could see the worried faces of the doctors and midwives as time went by. Her labor was lasting longer than was expected for this being her fifth child. She was starting to worry that something had happened.

"Sultana, you must push!" The midwife urged from between the legs of the Haseki. "Or the child will be in danger!"

"Zeynep, you can do this," Hatice urged her when the next wave of pain hit her. "Gather your strength."

Screaming, Zeynep pushed with all her might as her face became red at the exertion she was giving. The pressure was too much, then it stopped. It was quiet for a moment before a loud wailing pierced the air. In a bloody cloth, was a squirming and upset newborn as the midwives carried it off to be cleaned up.

"You did it, Zeynep. The baby is here," Hatice told her with a smile, brushing the sweating mother's hair back.

"Is it healthy?" Zeynep asked with a croak, her voice scratchy from all the screaming she did.

"We'll find out soon, but I imagine with those lungs they are just fine," Hatice told her slightly teasing her at the end. "Defne, Miray. Help your mistress clean up."

"Yes, sultana," they chorused as they curtseyed to the Sultan's sister. They come up to their mistress and gently help her up so they can clean her while someone else changes the sheets. Guiding her to her hamam, they sat her down before they undressed her from the bloody dress she was wearing. Naked as the day she was born, they wrapped her in a towel to preserve her modesty before they started washing her. Miray focused on her body while Defne did her hair, both women working in sync as they cared for their mistress. Once she was cleaned up, they dressed her in a white nightgown and led her back to the clean bed. Getting under the covers, Zeynep waited patiently until the midwife brought her newest child inside.

"Are they healthy?" she asked concerned, not caring about the gender of the baby as long as the child was safe.

"They are, sultana. Congratulations, you have another young Şehzade," the midwife told her with a smile before gently handing the baby over to his mother.

Looking down at his little face, Zeynep smiled at the look on her son's face. He looked at her like she hung the moon and stars as he wouldn't stop staring at her with his soulful brown eyes. His small lips made little raspberries and she knew that her son was going to be trouble as he got older. Looking at Miray, she told her, "Miray, let them inside."

Giving her mistress a curtsey, Miray headed towards the doors to her chambers and opened them to let everyone enter into the room. The Sultan was the first to enter the room as he strode over to her side to look at their newest son. The Valide and Hatice were next as they also wanted to see the newest member of the family. Burcu and Zehra then brought her other children inside, with the two youngest in their arms asleep from how tired they were. Mahidevran was last to enter with a sour look on her face.

"We have another Şehzade, Your Majesty," Zeynep told her husband with a smile as they both looked at the new life they created.

Valide came to her other side and peered down at her newest grandson, "He is so handsome. Congratulations my lion for another son."