Hey y'all, sorry I disappeared for a week I was at my summer camp.

Mare

As my eyes opened, the sunshine stung my eyes and the smell of fresh laundry on the sheets and blankets.

Maven lay awake next to me; his breathing isn't as slow and quiet as it is in sleep. I rub the cobwebs out of my eyes and do a small groan.

"Good morning, my lovely wife," Maven tells me sweetly. I bury my face in the sheets, hiding my blush from him.

I feel him chuckle, his vibrations from his laughter making me go tense.

"How sweet," He mutters with a teasing notion in his inflection.

"Stop," I squeak. I only earn another chuckle out of him as I reveal my face. He takes my left hand, squeezing it lightly. He runs his pointer finger over each of mine, rubbing lazy circles over each knuckle and callous.

He slows at my ring finger. He fiddles with the two rings on it, one being glamorous with a large diamond in the center, other gems of ruby and obsidian around it. The new one, a silver band with seven small diamonds around it standing for our bond of marriage.

"Will we have a honeymoon?" I ask him abruptly. He sighs loudly, stressfully. He sits up, making me fall from his chest where I was resting.

"About that," He rubs the back of his neck. I sit up next to him. "Yes, we are having a honeymoon."

I smile, cherishing the fact that I will have some time to spend alone with Maven. Away from the royal chaos, baby chaos, chaos of life.

"But here is the thing, I tried to avoid this as much as I could, but it is Silver tradition, tonight we have to walk through the city to get to our carriage before we leave," He explains solemnly. "I tried to work around it but it's a royal thing."

"It's alright Maven, it's perfectly fine, I understand," I take his arm, showing him affection and reassurance.

"I don't mean to stress you out like this, I can imagine it isn't good for..." He slowly trails off. I can instantly infer what he is worried about.

"Mavey, I am perfectly fine, so is the baby, I haven't had any pain and I haven't thrown up since we found out," I say, hoping I can put Maven's mind to rest.

"I am glad about that bit of it," He looks more peaceful as he takes in my information. He hugs me again, bringing me close to him. His vibes go from anxious to loving in a breath's time.

"Well, we'd better get ready for this evening," He tells me warmly.

"We just woke up, Mavey, surely we can wait," I look up at him.

"It's noon, darling," He smiles playfully as my eyes widen to the size of saucers.

"When do we have this walking thing?"

"Four hours, we still have to eat, pack, do all those fun things," He rolls his eyes merrily.

"I wouldn't call those activities fun,"

***

The day did not seem like four hours. We had the maids pack up our suitcases. Maven and I had a quick but hearty lunch together. Now we stand by the regal front doors of the castle, waiting to walk the streets to the carriage that will take me and Maven away from here.

"Ready?" He asks me, his crown on his head, robes shining with perfection, and a face that is perfect in its own way.

I nod my head, looking ahead of me. The dress I wear is a deep shade of red with a long train behind it. My hair is curled and put in a half up half down style.

The huge doors open, and we are immediately met by the applause of many townspeople, cheering and claps filling my ears. Maven loops his arm with mine, making a hypothetical strong link.

We walk down the steps, more applause ringing as we stride. Once we reach the bottom, flowers are thrown at the runway and cheers erupt to a louder volume.

"Don't worry about it, we have to walk down a few streets, make a few turns, and we will be at the carriage, just smile and wave," Maven nudges me playfully. I stumble before I catch myself in a frantic motion.

"Did I hurt you?" Maven says as he attempts to catch me, which fails as to the fact that I caught myself.

"No, you didn't," I smile as I readjust my posture.

"Are you sure you are okay?" He asks me as we continue to walk, he steals glances from me as he waves.

"Yes, I am alright," I reassure.

"Did I harm mini you?" He whispers stealthily.

"No, you didn't," I say through gritted teeth, you never know who can read lips flawlessly.

We continued to walk through the mass of people, the first turn we took was a left one. Guards were a few paces in front of us, vice versa in the back.

I waved at the people, my people. The thought of me now ruling over these people is nerve-wracking, weird to think about. That I am ruling over this kingdom with Maven at my side. Everything seems perfect, minus the Queen part.

I feel a tug at the back of my skirts, making me stop in my tracks. I turn my head around to see that my skirt got stuck at a crack in the road. I let my arm loose from Maven's link and walk back to fix my dress so I can continue.

Once I get to it, I bend down to fix it. I pull out of the dent in the road with ease. I stand up to reach Maven, but as I stand back up, I am met by a pair of cold blue eyes.

"Hello, your majesty," The voice says. It is an elder male, his hair gray and skin wrinkled.

"Hello," I stammer, barely audible from my shock. I stand back up fully. The male has a hunchback, his head barely goes above my breasts.

"I am quite delighted that we have a filthy, bloodthirsty Red for a Queen," He says with a snake-like look, each word slithering underneath my skin. I stare at him, my body failing to move. "Just like your predecessor, Elara, too bad, you electrocuted her to death."

I breathe heavily as if time is going in slow motion.

"And your dashing husband, Maven, also has a knack for murder, am I right?"

I am at a loss for words.

He grabs something around his waist, something invisible until he pulls it out.

He snaps out a dagger, pressing it against my corset, right at my stomach. Right at my baby.

"Might as well make it so you can't produce any more bloodthirsty heirs to the throne,"

I catch my breath as I back up from him, tripping on my skirts and falling to the ground on my bum. I hear Maven call my name as I fall, he catches me as soon I hit the carpet beneath me.

"Guards!" Maven calls as he looks at me with worry-filled in his eyes. I look ahead of me, the guards already have the man in toe, arms behind his back, dragging him to the castle.

Maven helps me stand up, but my legs fail me, causing me to fall onto my knees. A grunt of pain and failure comes out of me. Maven scoops me up and carries me in the opposing direction from the carriage.

"W-wait, where are we-?"

"Forgive me, Mare, but this is royal protocol, he threatened you with an actual weapon, he needs to go on trial in the morning, we need to be present," Maven says with a stone-cold face, no emotion in his voice.

"O-okay," I stammer, my eyes still wide, both of my arms still protecting my stomach.

I didn't even notice they were there until now, how quickly I protected my child without me even noticing.

"Are you alright?" Maven looks down at me as he walks swiftly. His voice has flooded with emotion again, filled with worry.

"Physically, yes," I respond.

"And the-,"

"Yes, I hope so," I cut him off. Now is not the time to announce the future royal heir.

The same royal heir that almost died at the hands of a total stranger.