warrior's heart

chapter 53

"Yes your highness,  the queen is carrying twins."

Nawfal felt his legs give way and he slumped as a result of what the Hakeemah had told him.  His liyyah was with twins!  Ya Allah twins!

As if he remembered something, he stood up immediately and rushed to wear Marliyyah lay,  still unconscious.
He took her hand in his and said

"Ya malika, you have tortured me enough.  My heart can no longer take this agony and I have no strength left.  You are my life Marliyyah and now you carry not one but 2 lives in you.  For the sake of our love and the fruit of our love,  wake up liyyah, wake up my love", he lamented, his voice breaking.

"2 lives? "

He was not sure he had heard correctly for it came out like a whisper,  a figment of his imagination that was no doubt torturous.  It was not until he felt her hand move in his that he realized he was not imagining things.

"My love? Are you awake? " he asked, squeezing her hand a little, afraid he would break her, as he gently caressed her face.

She opened her eyes and squinted, as her vision gradually adjusted to the light in the room.  Her eyes settled on the pair of pitch black she had longed to see, the one voice that kept urging her to fight everyday and come back to him.

The emotions she saw as her eyes sought his sent a tingle to the depths of her soul. They looked at each other as though nothing else existed even as his tears flowed freely, wetting his beard.

For want of words,  he stood from where he was sitting and gathered her gently in his arms,  afraid she would fade away like a dream and kissed her. He did not release her until he felt her flinch a little and he quickly let her go, worried he had hurt her.

She however remained in his arms,  her head on his chest, as she listened to his heartbeat, a rhythm she would never forget.

They remained that way for what seemed like an eternity.

"What happened habibi?" she asked,  after a while, still in his arms.  He just rocked her back and forth, not saying anything until she prompted him again.

"It was during the war.  Beig attacked me and you could not bear it so you killed him in a manner no witness to the battle will ever forget. You were however injured and you lost a lot of blood which led to the state you were in."

"He was hurting you habibi, I could not have let him live.  What that man has done to us, to our family and to all those innocent people..."

"Hush my love, say no more, he is gone for good, never to return and every soul shall account for it's deeds."

"Oh my child! My Marliyyah!" came Ammati's voice as she rushed in with Marwa and Umm Nisreen in tow. Nawfal moved a bit so they could hug her one after the other.

"Oh habibty you frightened us! Alhamdullillah you are alright" Marwa said,  her eyes glistening with tears.

"Quick, we must send word to her parents that she is awake.  Poor Noorah has been beside herself with worry. It was very difficult for her to leave your side just 3 days ago and it took a lot of persuasion from your father and husband before she gave in."

"Umm Nisreen, please send a guard to inform Ali to send messengers to Sultan Imran as well as to Marwan and Safwanah."

"Right away Ammati", came her reply as she left the room.

Like wildfire, news spread of the queen Marliyyah's recovery as the people and we'll wishers came from far a wide to pray for her.

Her husband, together with her mother nursed her back into health,  as Noorah refused to leave her side once she arrived.  Her sister in law Safwanah took turns with Marwa to look after her. The hakeemah was always around to check on the queen and the babies to ensure they were growing healthy in their mother's womb.

On one such occasion, the hakeemah had given Nawfal an herb for Marliyyah to use in bathing, to stenghten her body and aid her recovery process.

Nawfal walked into their chambers and saw Marliyyah talking with her mother.

"Assalamualaikum Mama" he greeted, his eyes shifting to the woman his world revolved around.  She felt her toes curl at the way he was looking at her and she did her best to hide her blush.

"Waalaikumusalam my son,  how are you doing?" Noorah asked and he replied that he was well. She saw the pouch like leaves he was holding and asked what they were for.

" The hakeemah gave them to me.  She said Marliyyah was to bathe with the herb to strengthen her and the children. I came to give it to you so she can have her evening bath with it."

"Very well son,  I will get it done right away,  it is already past Isha after all.  She will have the bath now. "

Noorah rose and left the room with Nawfal in tow, after he had blown a secret kiss to his wife, making her blush even more with a dreamy smile on her face.

A hot bath was set for her in the hamam and the herb was dropped in the hot water so the medicine in it could penetrate her body well.  Marliyyah was now strong enough to move around without help although her mother helped to give her a sponge bath.

Wearing the usual camisole she wore when she was going to be given a sponge bath, she stepped out of the dressing screen to inform her mother that she was ready, only to freeze on the spot.

"I did not know that the sayings of the ancient about a woman with child's glow was real until now. "

The depth of his voice made her tingle all over, she felt warm and cold at the same time and her heart beat increased. He took slow deliberate steps towards her, those pitch black eyes never leaving her, as though pinning her in place.

"Nawfffaall... I thought mama will be here."

"Oh she was, I told her I was going to give you the bath. A husband can do that for his wife after all no?"

That tingle, oh that tingle increased as he covered the distance between them and picked her up gently in his arms, heading for the hamam. He dropped her on a chair before dipping his hands in the water to ensure the temperature was right for her.

"Nawfal, you do not have to... " her protest died as he silenced her in a way that made her shiver from the confusing combination of heat and cold. When he ended the kiss, he picked her up and placed her in the bath. She slouched in a relaxing manner, as the water came in contact with her skin, the herb already at work. 

Nawfal picked up the soft Loofah that had been made specially for Marliyyah and began to gently scrub her body, each scrub, a gentle caress.

She shivered,as her moved her tresses to her right shoulder so he could scrub her back.  She blushed when his eyes met hers.  Never in her married life had she shared a moment as intimate as this with her husband, as simple as a sponge bath might have been. 

When he was done,  he left her in the bath tub and went to get clean wrappers for her to wrap her body with.  He picked her out of the tub in his arms and dropped her at the dressing screen to get ready for the night.

"Let me take a bath, I will be with you soon" Nawfal said, planting a kiss on her knuckles, his eyes on her.

Unable to respond, she nodded shyly and she felt those tingles again when she heard him chuckle lowly.

Dressed in a boubou the colour of midnight, she stood at the balcony of their chamber,  enjoying the gentle winds that teased her.  Strong arms held her in an embrace from behind and she leaned in,  welcoming the warmth that her husband's presence brought.

"I love you Nawfal Al fateh."

"I love you too Marliyyah El Assad."

And the winds carried the promise of love between the couple as they communicated their feelings in the way they knew to.

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Assalmualaikum dearest readers! I hope you are all doing well. I'm sorry I took this long to update, writers block did not help matters at all!  I hope this chapter makes up for the long wait.  Warrior's Heart is coming to an end with just about 2 chapters left and then In Sha Allah I'll concentrate on my other 2 stories, budding roses and Asiya. Keep those awesome votes and comments coming ! Until next time In Sha Allah!😀.