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Non would have been able to wipe the grin off Hafez's face if they had tried. Even though Feriha and Amir reminded him Omeed and the babies were fast asleep. Hafez still couldn't wait to see them as he makes a mad dash for Omeed's pavilion.
"Your majesty, her majesty is sleeping." Amir pants as he runs after Hafez. His grin was infectious almost as brilliant as the moon that shone up in the sky that evening. Everything seemed peaceful even the weather had played in their favour.
"I have to see my children before anyone cast an evil eye on them." Suddenly Ramin joined them. He had just returned home from a private boarding school for boys from elite homes. Only the noblest of blood and family attended the school.
"You will be laying face down if you moved any quicker." Ramin says with voice laced with sarcasm causing Hafez's feet to momentarily falter. "I wouldn't mind that sight. I can just feel and hear the rumour mills going on about the great king falling on his face. " Ramin, Feriha and Amir chuckled.
"When did you return home? You've been gone a whole year yet the first thing you tell me is your wish to see me face down?" Hafez glared at a smirking Ramin. "I should contact your tutors to keep you a few more years until you are mature enough to be let out into society."
"Your majesty!" Ramin growls as he scowls at Hafez. "You will do no such thing." As an afterthought he quickly adds. "Please forgive me your majesty." Ramin knew Hafez had the upper hand and usually never went back on his words.
"You finally see sense, hurry along, I am meeting my children for the first time." He orders as their step quickens towards Omeed's pavilion.
There were congratulations all around as Hafez walks in with shaky legs. His nerves were all over the place. Hafez wondered what sort of father he'd become and the kind of life his children would have. He was worried if one day they'd scorn him for bringing them into this world where trust and commitment is only as good as how far you could see it.
A nod of encouragement from Feriha was all he needed.
With a deep breath Hafez gently opens the door to Omeed's bedchamber. Scented incense burn in different corners of the room to keep the stale smell of afterbirth away. The room has been aired are tidied up in haste. Making it a little less appealing.
Without hesitation his eyes dart to the mattress where his tired wife laid. He took note of her damp hair sprawled on her pillow and face. Even in her state of unkempt she was still the most attractive woman in his eyes.
Sitting on the mattress, Hafez moves Omeed's hair from her face to get a proper look of his woman. "Well done my love. You don't know how big a burden you've lifted off my tired shoulders." He whispers not wanting to wake her up as she snores lightly.
Hafez bent down placing light kisses all over Omeed's face appreciatively. He then kissed her lips sweetly controlling the passionate want he had for her. Even in her state he could already feel the stirring once again. Chastising himself for lusting over her when he had only moments ago said no to more children.
The sound of throat clearing brought Hafez out of his lustful stupor. Turning sharply, Hafez saw a watchful Zoya keeping vigilance over his bundles of joy as they sleep in their cots. Omeed has asked to have them with her for as long as possible. Refusing to keep them in a nursery. She wants them as close to her as possible.
Standing up abruptly, Hafez takes long strides towards his children wrapped in cream coloured silk blankets. His hands automatically reaching for his daughter as he looks at her with adoration. She would become the second most important person in his life.
As if sensing his father next to him, the little prince opened his eyes although he had no vision just yet. Hafez fell in love with him as he moves to pick him up. "Is this the male or female?" He ask Zoya calmly.
"You are holding the prince your majesty." Zoya informs Hafez as he smiles brightly. "He is the older of the two." She says feeling the need for Hafez to know as much as possible before Omeed wakes up from her slumber. She didn't miss the pride in his eyes as he looked at his son.
"Has their birth been announced yet?" He questions Zoya who shook her head.
"Not yet your majesty. As far as I'm aware her majesty wanted the news kept a secret until you've seen them. She didn't want people finding out before you." And yet people wondered why he worships the floor on which Omeed walks.
"Thoughtful as always. Even in her state she still thought of me." Hafez mumbles as he coos over his son. His 'heir apparent'. He could feel his cold heart coming undone the more he stared at the little boy in his arms.
Knowing Amir and Ramin were just on the other side of the doors waiting with enthusiasm to see the babies, Hafez ask Zoya to pick up his little girl. "Follow me with her!" He orders a tired Zoya. She hasn't had a wink of sleep yet but she wasn't complaining.
"Yes your majesty." Zoya says as she leans over to pick up the sleeping princess.
Walking out of the bedchamber, Hafez announces the birth of the little prince and princess to the few ministers and scholars still scattered around. His eyes caught that of the Nazir as he beams with joy. For the Nazir, these were his sister's legacy. Persia has nothing to worry about.
"How is her majesty faring?" The Nazir asked Hafez.
"She's asleep and I haven't spoken to her yet. The birth has taken a toll on her." Hafez says disappointedly as his son starts to cry. Ramin continues to fawn over the little boy with Amir staring in amazement.
Amir has once upon a time thought he would never see this day. He felt his heart beat at the thought of having a child of his own. He was after all the only eunuch in the Isfahan palace who still had his manhood since he is actually an undercover royal guard. 'It would be nice to have this someday'. He thought to himself bitterly.
"Will you be attending court tomorrow your majesty?" The Nazir asked Hafez sensing the fatigue in him.
"Postpone it to late afternoon. I need to sleep but the excitement bubbling within me is depriving me from doing so." He says with a lopsided smile. "Did you know she was with a child?" He ask the Nazir the same question everyone else has been asking him throughout the day.
"I am afraid I didn't your majesty." The Nazir bows his head in shame. His job is meant to be the eyes for the king that links him with his people. But he had missed the biggest secret of all even though he was one of the few people who saw Omeed daily for his usual briefings.
"It would seem she went through a lot concealing their existence." Hafez says with his gaze transfixed on his son. "How stressful it must have been on her."
"Your majesty, her majesty is awake." Amir informs Hafez. He had heard the bell signal go off which meant Omeed has awoken and needed assistance.
"I must see her at once." Hafez informs everyone bidding them farewell as Ramin and Amir joins him.
Omeed had woken up and panicked when she saw no one in sight with her babies gone. Still weak, Omeed had pulled on the rope next to her bed calling out to Zoya. Slowly the doors to her bedchamber became ajar ever so slightly as comes face to face with Hafez.
What really caught Omeed's attention was the little bundle in his arm and how harmless he looked. "My love." Hafez calls out calmly as he takes gentle steps towards her. He could say anything else as he speechlessly stared at her. He had thought of his first words to Omeed but now the moment has arrived, Hafez was tongue tied.
What do one tell the woman he loves more than life it's self after she gives him such gifts? He was always a man of few words and this was no different. 'Perhaps I should let her know how grateful I was to her'. Hafez thought to himself.
"Are you alright?" He ask Omeed who just looks at him with amusement. She knew he was fighting an internal battle with himself for the right words to say.
"I am fine your majesty." She says spitefully as she remembers their argument months ago.
"Omeed please forgive my anger towards you before I left. I felt you didn't trust me enough to confide in me." His forlorn expression as he spoke became her undoing. "Let's start afresh with the birth of our children." He pleads with tears in his eyes.
"I will never be able to truly forgive myself for the treatment I gave you." He says, genuinely sorry for his action.
"I did deserve your wrath Hafez. My poor judgement could have had a detrimental outcome." Omeed's lips quivered as she spoke. "I thought you would never want me again. I was so scared when I found out I was with a child Hafez." Omeed poured out her emotions for him to see.
"Please find a place in your heart to forgive me. I have curse myself a few times for leaving you at your weakest." He continues ignoring the fact that they weren't alone and had the company of Ramin, Amir and Zoya.
"It is alright Hafez. What did you think of our babies? Do you think they take after me or you?" She asked him trying to lighten the mood.
"Omeed you know I've always had problems when it came to expressing myself. But there are three things I need to say to you." Omeed stared at him expectantly. "I am sorry for hurting you, thank you for giving me the gift of fatherhood and I love you very much." He leans forward placing his lips on hers.
They were caught in the moment until the sound of their young son wanting his first feed broke them apart. "I see this occurring frequently." Omeed says in jest as she glares at the crying child which causes Hafez to chuckle. "Leave whilst I feed them!" Omeed orders.
"Why can't I watch?" Hafez asked alarmed. This was the part he was looking forward to the most. He was keen to see the reaction from both mother and babies alike. "Zoya bring my daughter closer and go to bed. You've done so much today and need to rest now." Hafez beckons Zoya who obeys immediately.
Ramin looks at the perfect family picture before him. A father, mother and their children. As he bask in its glory, a vision suddenly overshadowed them. Tears fell from Ramin's eyes as he shook uncontrollably. "No!" Ramin screamed before dropping to the floor unconscious.
Amir dashed towards a still Ramin effortlessly trying to arouse him from his slumber. "What is wrong with him?" Omeed frantically asked Hafez who didn't really seem bothered.
"Ramin sometimes gets visions of the future. He isn't allowed to tell us precisely what it is as it would mean altering fate. But he can lead you in the right path and hope fate changes it's course." Hafez tries to explain to Omeed who just looks on worried for Ramin's safety.
"He will be up any moment now." Hafez says as Ramin starts to stir. They could hear his whimpering as he cries. What he had seen was bad. It was the worse one yet since he became affiliated with Hafez.
"The next five years will be your toughest yet, if you survive it then you will go on into greater things. This can only happen with the both of you together." Ramin's voice came through coldly. "There will be a lot of tears to come so please be prepared." He warns Omeed and Hafez before walking out of the bedchamber with Amir in toll.
Panic stricken, Omeed looks at Hafez expectantly. "What do you think he means?" She cries out. "I am scarred Hafez, I don't want to loose you."
"You won't loose me anytime soon my love. But I want you to promise me something." He stares into her eyes as he spoke. "I want you to promise not to die before me." His words were like knife stab to the chest. "We will live until we get old together and you can only die after I'm gone."
"Hafez I cannot promise you that because I wish for the same thing." Omeed says with tears streaming down her face. "I want you to die only after I have left this world." She couldn't see herself spending a moment knowing he was gone away from her life.
"Alright let's die moments after one another." Hafez compromises on a serious note. Omeed was all he intends to live for. He plans on smothering her with the immense love he has for her.
"And whatever birth we take after that, we should always find each other." Hafez frowns not understanding her words entirely but nods his head any way as Omeed goes about feeding their children.
Omeed wanted their love to transcend times. She wanted to be his woman in every lifetime. She silently prayed to every deity out there to grant her heart desire and that was for them to meet and love each other every birth.
Author's note: Sweet and sour moments....
Heartaches ahead as we come to a final conclusion...
Do tell me what you think....