Muhtesem Yuzyil Imagines ♡

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

When morning came, Haseki Zeynep Sultan heard of how the Sultan was enchanted by the red-headed slave Alexandra at the feast for him last night. Giving her the purple handkerchief gave her access to the Golden Road, sought by many women in the harem. Though not threatened by the young woman, she ordered Defne to keep an eye on her, wanting to see if she'd be a threat to her children in the future. The day passed slowly as she heard the news of Cafer Agha's execution for his crimes and of Mahidevran's morose face at the fact she had more competition in Alexandra. Defne reported seeing Gülşah, Mahidevran's servant ordering the young girl away from going to the hammam. Her mistress wanted to vent her frustrations on the girl by reminding her of her rank in the harem. She may become a gözde or an ikbal, but until she births a prince, she'll never be a kadin.

Deciding to let the other woman vent her frustrations, she decided to visit the harem to dispense of gold and silks rewarded to her to the other cariyes and ikbals. This would be the first time Alexandra would meet the high-ranked woman who captured the Sultan's heart. When the dark-haired woman walked onto the balcony with her two servants behind her, her dark emerald dress accentuated her pregnant belly as aghas walked into the room below with four chests.

"Her Highness, Haseki Zeynep Sultan, has decided to reward you for the upcoming birth of her fifth child," Defne Hatun announced as the aghas opened three chests to see rolls of luxurious silks rewarded to her from pashas and aghas from outside the palace and the fourth chest held an abundance of gold to be distributed to the girls.

All the girls scrambled towards the chest but stopped at the sultana's voice, "Alexandra, shall be the first to choose and she may choose two fabrics. Since you are to attend to His Majesty, you must have better dresses made. The rest of you may choose one fabric and the aghas will distribute the gold evenly to everyone."

Alexandra, shocked at the announcement, immediately curtseyed to the older woman as she smiled at the young redhead. Stepping towards the chests, she perused the fabrics before deciding on a turquoise blue silk fabric and a provocative red silk fabric to make into dresses, much to the approval of the older woman. As the young woman went to the chest with gold, the other girls were allowed to choose their fabric before following after her to get their share of the gold. Leaving the balcony, Zeynep went back to her rooms where she found her husband playing with Hakan and Emine as their older siblings studied elsewhere. Standing in the doorway, she watched as he laughed as his youngest daughter jumped on his back, hugging his neck. He stood up, and holding her against his back, spun her around to hear her lovely giggles as she got dizzy from the motion. Hakan grabbed ahold of his father's leg, wrapping around the limb like a monkey.

Laughing at the sight the three of them made, she stepped into the room where a chorus of "Anne!" greeted her. Smiling as her two youngest cubs toddled over to her, she opened her arms to let her two youngest lunge into her arms and kissed the tops of their heads. Looking up, she met the kind eyes of her husband as he came forward for her to greet. Curtseying, she took his hand into hers and kissed it before pressing it to her forehead, showing her devotion to him. Standing back up, he placed his hand behind her head and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. Leaning his head against hers, they both closed their eyes in bliss as they relished in their love for each other. Rubbing her belly lovingly as he was excited for their next child to arrive, he led her over to the sofa to sit as their young children continued to play.

"I assume you heard about last night?" He asked her, amused about her reaction to his new interest in the red-headed slave from last night.

"How can I not, it has spread across the entire palace," she smirked at her young husband, much to his embarrassment as he knew she was teasing him. "But I approve. She is very beautiful and I gifted her two fabrics to make dresses for when she visits you."