THE SULTAN'S HEART| MAGNIFICENT CENTURY|

CHAPTER 106

Halil helped me down the steps of the carriage. My head was raised as I looked at the palace of Manisa for the first time in years. I turned my head and watched as a second carriage stopped before the doors opened and Mihrimah stepped down. Ayse wanted to join them but I refused to let her leave her palace after giving birth to twins.

"Welcome, Sultanas" An agha bowed before the two women. Halil stood behind the Sultanas with Sümbul at his side and they were not bickering for the first time in forever which was a miracle.

"How is Sehzade Mehmed?" I asked not wanting to beat around the bush. The agha looked up at me for the first time since my arrival.

"His health has been getting worse each passing day sadly" The agha answered. I hooked my arm with Mihrimah's for support for the both of us. Mihrimah gave me a grateful smile before we made our way into the palace. I frowned when I saw Cihan Hatun, Mehmed's pregnant favorite standing by the door and a lot of aghas standing on guard in front of the doors.

"What is going on?" Mihrimah asked, eyeing the pregnant girl. Cihan stood up from the ledge of the window and bowed to the duo as one hand held her belly and the other raised to wipe her tears.

"Sultanas, they won't let me in to see his highness" Cihan responded in a smooth and soothing voice, a perfect girl for Mehmed, innocent and petite.

"Why won't you let her see my brother?" Mihrimah questioned glaring at the guards in front of the doors. The two main ones eyed each other worriedly making my heart stop with fear, what was the sickness Mehmed suffered from?

"It's the head doctor's orders, Sultanim" One of the guards answered, refusing to raise his head from the floor.

"Open the doors" I ordered. For the first time in over ten years, someone refused to comply. Halil moved to grab my arm loyalty showing through his worry.

"No! Open the doors right this instant" I ordered shrugging off Halil's hand and glaring heatedly at the two guards. Before they can refuse again someone knocked from the inside. The pulled the doors open to show one of the doctors stepping out with a bowl in his hand. My eyes trailed over to the bed where the head doctor sat on his knees as he pulled the sheets over Mehmed's head to cover his face. Cihan let out a cry as she sat down on the ledge of the window again.

"Mehmed" Mihrimah whispered, losing feeling in her knees and falling, Sümbul was barely able to catch her to break her fall a little so she won't hurt her knees.

"MEHMED!" Mihrimah screamed breaking me from my trance. My stomach dropped as the dreadful feeling filled my body all over again as it did when I saw Abdullah's corpse, I felt like I was in the cell all over again looking down at Osman's bloodied body.

"Mehmed" I whispered staggering back. Halil scrambled to wrap an arm around my waist keeping me tightly held against his chest with an arm keeping me upright and another holding the wall to support the both of us.

"My little Mehmed" I cried falling to my knees. Halil fell beside me and held me to his chest. The older man was affectionate having been there in the harem before I arrived.

"Shh Sultanim, he is no longer suffering" Halil whispered in my ear trying to soothe me. Halil never once broke his strong facade, never once wavered as the stoic eunuch but for the first time ever he showed emotions as he held my grieving for to his chest in a fatherly hug and rubbed soothing circles on my back as if I was a crying child unable to breathe.

"My little Mehmed died" I cried holding onto his Kaftan tightly feeling like my life depended on it. Halil shushed me whispering sweet nothings in my ear.

"You should leave Mihrimah, Hümasah needs her mother" I rubbed Mihrimah's back. She sighed and looked up at me with her red-rimmed eyes dried off tears after crying all the tears her body could muster.