I was rereading some reviews from Ruler of the Black Sands and decided, yes I will write another one-shot for these guys. Sorry for the fluffiness, but I couldn't help myself! I don't own the characters from Aladdin, but I own the OCs. Enjoy!
Agrabah was settling into its nightly routines. In some sections of the city, people were returning home from the markets. In other regions of the city, the people who reveled in taverns and inns came out with raucous laughter or loud conversations.
An elderly woman shuffled along the streets with a cane helping her stay upright. She stopped at a house and used the knob of her cane to knock loudly on the wooden door. After a moment of shuffling and voices from within, the door opened to reveal a man in his mid-thirties. The anxious look on his face melted away into that of relief.
"Ah! Anjou! Come in, come in." The man stepped aside and waited for her to enter.
"Thank you," she replied. Her sparkling brown eyes searched the room she now stood in. A few youngsters sat at a table, looking at her wide-eyed. Anjou smiled at them, her wrinkled skin stretching over gums with few teeth left.
"Ah! The little ones," she cooed as she approached the table. She patted heads and winked at the ones who giggled. "I hope you all are ready for your new baby! Have you been helping your Mama and Papa?"
Choruses of little voices saying they were ready and yes they had behaved very well. Answered her questions. She chuckled warmly before turning to the father of the little brood. "Well," she spoke up, "where is your wife?"
"She went to lay down," he answered ushering her toward a room in the back of the house. "She complained of feeling light-headed, so I sent her to bed and called for you."
Anjou nodded her head as she entered the room. Mats and blankets were spread out on the floor for the children and the bed where a woman well along in her pregnancies lay met the old woman's gaze. Even though the room was dimly lit by a small oil-burning clay pot, Anjou could still make out the weary smile of the woman in the bed.
"Granny Anjou," the woman greeted, "have you told my silly husband that I'm fine and he needs to stop worrying?"
Anjou chuckled as she approached the bed. "No, I haven't. But I may. Let me see how you are doing, child." She checked the young mother over and nodded her head with an air of finality. "Perfectly healthy, but you need to rest more. Your little one will be coming soon, so you must be strong! Here," Anjou said as she rummaged around in the satchel tied to her waist, "mix these into warm water and drink a cup a day before sleeping."
"What will it do?" The man asked as he accepted the smaller bag Anjou handed him.
"It will help her sleep," Anjou answered as she patted the woman's hand. "I think the little ones have been too much for you recently. Try to have the older children help more. They can handle it."
"Of course, Granny Anjou," the mother agreed with another smile. "Do you want one of our boys to walk you home? It is late and you shouldn't be walking home alone."
"Nonsense!" Anjou protested with a wave of her hand and a scoff. "I have travelled these streets many times. Everyone knows Anjou and if they tried to hurt me, I can make them remember their poor Mamas who must be so ashamed of them! I have delivered every baby in Agrabah, and they would be foolish to hurt me - me who brought them into the world with their Mama's!"
The couple laughed but continued to urge her to accept the company of one of their boys. The old woman stubbornly declined and began shuffling from the room. She waved to the children at the table and promised them that their baby would be coming soon.
The father followed her to the door and held out some coins. "Here, for the medicine."
"No need," Anjou assured the man with a wave of her withered hand. "I have plenty of herbs and they are easy to get. Keep the money for the little ones and your wife." Without waiting for more protests, she turned to the door and let herself out.
Anjou shuffled down the darkened streets, humming all the way.
After some time she saw her own humble home ahead of her. She groaned and looked forward to her dinner and bed.
A swirl of black formed before her and made her stumble backwards. Anjou fell to her backside and stared in wide-eyed horror as a pale, young man stepped out of the inky portal. His face was set into hard lines. Anjou trembled as she saw the sorcerer that everyone in Agrabah knew. Mozenrath!
His dark eyes that were almost the color of black swept around the street before landing on the old woman sprawled out some feet away from him. Mozenrath approached her and pointed down at her with his gloved hand.
Anjou trembled and lifted her cane to ward him off. She didn't cry out, so scared of the man before her.
"Come with me," he ordered tersely.
"Wh-what?" Anjou stammered as she blinked in shock.
"Come. With. Me." Mozenrath repeated shortly.
"Why?" She questioned warily. Was he going to hurt her? Should she scream?
He reached down at took a hold of her arm, with surprising force from a man who appeared so pale and sickly he pulled her to her feet and dragged her toward his portal. Anjou made feeble attempts to break free from him. She whacked his ankles with her cane and knocked his knuckles as well. Mozenrath made not a sound.
Her decision to call for help came a little too late because the darkness of the portal closed around them and cut off her shout.
Anjou stopped hitting him when they emerged on the other end of the portal. She looked around the stone room they now stood in with fear. Where were they now?
A woman's pained cry caught her attention. Anjou looked toward stone stairs to her left and before she could say or do anything, Mozenrath had released her arm and was hurrying up the stairs.
"Inaya?" He shouted, his voice which was usually cold sounded worried.
Anjou hobbled after him, berating herself for following him instead of trying to figure out how to leave. She huffed and puffed as she climbed the stairs to the small hallway that Mozenrath had disappeared down. At the top of the stairs, she looked around for where the sorcerer had gone. A woman's moan led her down to the second door on the right.
The ornate doors were ajar so she poked her head into the room. The midnight-blue furnished room was alight with candles and strange glowing crystals. The large space looked very masculine, but there were a few touches of a woman's whimsy in some of the furniture and colors.
Another cry caused Anjou to turn her attention to the large bed in the center of the room. Mozenrath stood over a woman who lay spread out on the many cushions and blankets. He was stroking her sweat-beaded forehead and saying something to the young woman in hushed tones. A cat lay curled up beside the woman's arm and an eel floated around the pair, worry in his strange eyes.
Anjou stood staring at the familiar scene, but couldn't snap out of her shock.
Mozenrath looked up at her and with a look mixed with anger, worry, and desperation he ordered, "Help her!"
Anjou jerked and hobbled into the room. She brushed him away from the side of the bed and placed a comforting and clinical hand on the young woman's abdomen. The woman on the bed opened her eyes to look at Anjou. The elderly woman knew that from the looks of this young woman that she was Arab, but the striking blue eyes that now looked back at her told of foreign blood.
"I am Granny Anjou," the old woman introduced in a quiet, comforting voice. "I'm here to help you with this little one. How long have you been feeling labor pains?"
"It came so fast," the young woman moaned. "Should it hurt this much?"
Anjou frowned. "How long have you been with child?"
"Thirty some weeks?" The woman asked as she looked up at Mozenrath.
"Thirty-five," he supplied with assurance.
Anjou nodded and turned to the sorcerer. She listed off the items she needed: strips of cloth, warm water, and her other satchel from her home. The elderly woman eyed the cat and the eel. "They need to leave," she added. "And you too, once you bring me those things."
The cat lift its head up and said, "Rahi not leave!"
Anjou bit back a yelp of surprise when the cat spoke but hurriedly shooed the cat from the bed.
Rahi looked at her mistress's face with a look akin to begging. The young woman forced a smile on her face. She patted the cat's head. "It'll be all right, Rahi. I'll see you soon." Her sentence cut off as she winced and moaned again.
Rahi stood and hurried from the room, casting worried glances over her shoulder. The eel followed suit, but much slower. Now, only Mozenrath remained.
His arms were crossed over his chest and a stubborn glare was on his face. "I'll retrieve the items," he informed her, "but I will not leave Inaya's side!"
"The birthing room is no place for a man!" Anjou chided as she started pushing him to the door - their height difference making the action comical. "Now go! Hurry!"
After Mozenrath was shut out of the room, Anjou returned to the side of the bed and her patient. After another contraction passed, the young woman looked to Anjou with a weary smile.
"I'm Inaya by the way," she introduced wearily.
"I gathered," Anjou answered as she reached for a cup and pitcher that were close at hand on a table nearby. She poured the water - clean thankfully - into the cup and helped Inaya prop herself up to take sips. The elderly woman looked closely at the girl and wondered who she was to Mozenrath and how the poor girl had come to be here.
In what seemed no time at all, a knock on the door alerted both women to Mozenrath's presence. Anjou answered and directed him to the table near the bed. On second thought, she had him pull the table closer so she wouldn't have to leave Inaya's side at any time.
When everything had been set up to Anjou's satisfaction, she turned to the sorcerer with a stern look. "Out," she ordered.
"No." He retorted, his eyes narrowing dangerously. Anjou puffed herself up to her full height - which really wasn't much. The pair had a staring match, which only lasted so long because Inaya cried out with another contraction.
Anjou rushed to the woman's side and was surprised when Mozenrath beat her to the bedside. She watched as he gently spoke and touched Inaya, comforting her more than Anjou thought a man - let alone the feared sorcerer of the Black Sands - was capable of doing.
Inaya opened her eyes once more and looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Don't leave me," she begged in a broken whisper.
"Never again," he promised with a kiss to her forehead.
The woman watched the pair and sensed that their words held more meaning than she knew. From the request and the answer, she was almost certain that separating the couple would hurt them both greatly.
Anjou shook her head and sighed. "If you're staying, stay on the other side of her. I need this space to work. Now move, young man!"
As Anjou washed her hands, she couldn't help but glance at the weary but happy couple. Inaya was smiling down at the small, cooing bundle in her arms while Mozenrath held them both in his arms and stared in dazed wonder at the pair.
She chuckled to herself.
Inaya looked up at the man beside her. "Should we get Rahi and Xerxes?"
He blinked slowly as he registered her question. "Your cat would never forgive me if I didn't come for her." The woman giggled lightly and pressed a quick kiss on his cheek. Mozenrath pressed a kiss to the top of her head before moving the blanket away from a tiny head with curly black hair. With infinite tenderness, he stroked the curls with his ungloved hand. He stood and strode to the door of the room and stepped out.
Anjou approached the bed once more and received a smile from Inaya.
"Thank you," Inaya said with a nod of her head. "I'm sure it was a bit of a fright being whisked away like that by Mozenrath."
"I don't frighten too easily," the elderly woman fibbed. She glanced over her shoulder and mused aloud, "I didn't know Mozenrath had a woman here."
"Wife," Inaya corrected, earning a look of wide-eyed surprise from the old woman. The younger woman smiled ruefully. "Hard to believe, I know, but it's true."
The door opened again and the pair of familiars rushed into the room. They slowed their approach as they drew closer to the bed. Rahi jumped up easily while Xerxes floated around Inaya's shoulders. He nuzzled her head while Rahi licked a hand.
Xerxes' gaze fell on the tiny human. "Small," he rasped.
Rahi gingerly placed her front paws on Inaya's arm and lifted herself up to see the baby. "What is it?" She asked with a tilt of her head. "Like Inaya or Mozenrath?"
"Girl," Mozenrath answered as he settled on the side of the bed with Rahi. "She's a girl." Anjou noted the pride in his voice and smiled. Not many men appreciated a daughter as their first child, but Mozenrath seemed very pleased with his girl.
"What's she called?" Xerxes asked as he floated a little closer to the tiny person's face to sniff the squirming thing.
The parents looked at each other in bewilderment. Mozenrath spoke first. "Ruqayyah?"
Inaya wrinkled her nose. "No."
"Malika?"
Again she shook her head.
"Ramlah?"
"No."
He smirked and suggested, "Samar?"
Inaya glanced at Anjou briefly with a blush on her face. "No!"
"You choose," he said. "If you don't like my ideas."
Inaya looked at the baby in her arms and smiled as her daughter cooed. "She sounds like a dove," she whispered to herself. Looking up at Mozenrath with a bright expression. "Hadil."
Rahi and Xerxes smiled at this declaration. Mozenrath nodded with finality and repeated, "Hadil."
Anjou looked around the room for a place to lay the baby, but saw no cradle. She looked back at Mozenrath and decided he must hold the baby while she cleaned the bed so Inaya was not lying in the blood and afterbirth.
"Let her father hold him," the old woman coaxed. "I must help you clean up before you sleep."
Mozenrath's face paled more than Anjou thought possible. "I - I can't!" He would have backed away had Inaya not spoken up.
"You won't hurt her, my lord. You know you couldn't."
Anjou looked between the pair, sensing once more that there was more to Inaya's words than what had been said. She helped them smooth over his reluctance and obvious nerves by clucking in a grandmotherly way. "Of course not! Here, take the baby in your arms like so - yes - support the head. Good. Sit over there if you must."
The women watched with matching smiles as Mozenrath held the baby close to his chest. He had been at a loss when he was required to hold his daughter with his gloved hands, but Inaya's quiet assurance had calmed and bolstered his confidence. Now he sat in an armchair with Xerxes hovering around his shoulders. Rahi hopped off the bed while Anjou assisted the sore mother clean.
After that task was done, and Inaya was settled, Anjou set about making a place for Hadil to rest on the bed. "You may want a cradle," she suggested in hushed tones to the sleepy young woman. "For now, keep her close to you if you wish. I will make sure plenty of pillows keep you from rolling."
"I will make one," Mozenrath spoke up, having heard the conversation.
"Later, my lord," Inaya begged. "I want her close. At least for tonight."
Anjou beckoned him over. "Come, come! They both need their rest."
Mozenrath stood and strode toward the bed. He settled Hadil against the pillows and blankets before stroking Inaya's face. "I will return, my lady."
She smiled drowsily at him and shut her eyes to rest. Rahi and Xerxes settled on cushions nearby as if they were little guards.
With a nod from the sorcerer, he picked up Anjou's satchel and motioned toward the door. They stepped out into the hall before he made a portal. The old woman took a deep breath for courage and stepped through the darkness.
Her feet landed on solid ground and when her vision cleared, she found herself standing inside her home. Light was just beginning to peek through her windows signaling the dawn. Anjou was tired, but knew that she would need to take a brief rest before restocking her supplies of herbs. She hadn't even eaten yet!
"Thank you," Mozenrath said, startling her into realization that he was still there.
She looked at him and noticed his somewhat petulant look. Anjou was certain he was not one to ask for help, let alone thank the person afterwards. Perhaps he wasn't as frightening as many made him out to be.
"Of course, sir," Anjou replied. "I am the best midwife in all of Agrabah! You were wise to come find me."
He smirked at her and snorted. "What can I do to pay you for your services?"
"No need," she answered with a wave of her hand. "Just return home to your wife and daughter. I have plenty of what I need."
Mozenrath produced a bag from his dark robes and set it on the table. "I won't leave without making sure you've been repaid." With a slight bow, he turned and disappeared back through his portal.
Anjou shuffled over to the table and opened the bag. Gold coins glittered from within. It was more than she had ever made! She would need to store it so no one grew suspicious of the old woman, but he had been very generous indeed.
Mozenrath settled Hadil into the new cradle he had made with his magic. He rolled his eyes at the white material - recalling how Inaya had insisted the crib be white and not black or dark blue. It stood out horribly in their bedroom. Yet it fit. Hadil - their cooing dove.
He turned back to the bed and settled in beside his sleeping wife. Holding her close, yet only gently so as not to wake her, Mozenrath sighed with contentment,
He never thought he would be so lucky. Never thought he would have the love of this woman beside him. Never thought she would give him a child. Mozenrath held her a little closer and fell to sleep to the sound of their cooing daughter. The heir to all the Black Sands - but more importantly, the heir to all their love.