Mare

When my eyes open, the first thing I feel is the softness of the pillow my head is buried in, and the sheets wrapped around my body.

The cold sheets.

I shoot up quickly when I feel the coldness of the silk on my body and look for the fluffy comforter.

I find it on the opposing side of the bed. I grab it with my hand and find it is cold as well. Then I look at the bed and find myself alone.

No Maven...

I look around the room in an anxious dash. The closet door is open without the light on, the same as the bathroom.

I look at his bedside table, one of the drawers is nudged open, but his crown still lay atop of it.

I look at mine, a sheet of paper is on it that I haven't recalled me putting there.

I lean over to it and grab it.

It's a note from Maven.

Mare,

I am going to our nurses to see when we can schedule an appointment for the baby.

Sleep in as much as you can, I'll be back.

I might have a surprise for you.

I love you.

Maven.

I smile faintly at the note, then fold it back up and set it back on the tabletop.

I lean back onto the pillows and sigh deeply. My eyes are sore and foggy, cobwebs blur my vision from the gallons of tears that have left my eyes.

I look at the rest of my body, my arms have lost some muscle, my legs are shiny from bathing, my core muscle is slim to none.

Then I remember.

Eventually, I'll have nothing there, just a baby bump.

I lean my head back to keep my tears in, then look down at my stomach again. Still flat, normal. Who knows how long until people start commenting and noticing that something is up, such as that I have gained weight, or the rumor of this future possible heir will go around.

Unless it is Cal's, not a future heir to the throne.

I don't know how to do this pregnant mom stuff; do I show it off to the whole world once people know? Keep it hidden? Talk to the baby whenever I want? Caress it?

This thing is to overwhelming, I don't like this.

The door opens and I am snapped back to reality.

Maven walks through the door. He looks a bit startled to see me awake.

"Good morning," He says.

"It's morning?" I ask, sitting up fully. I rub my eyes to attempt to get the clouds out of my eyes.

"Yeah, it's about nine," He says, closing the door behind him.

"What time did we fall asleep last night?" I ask him more questions.

"You fell asleep around 7:30 ish, I fell asleep about 9:00," He replies. My eyes widen. I slept for 14 hours?

I shake my head away at the thought. I was being emotional, and I had good reason to be emotional.

"Anyway, did you get the appointment planned?" I ask him formally.

"Yeah, it's going to happen now," Maven says. My eyes widen again. "I told them we would go when you woke up."

I gape at him. "How did you get that to happen so quickly?"

"I'm king, Mare," He shrugs his shoulders and smiles at me darkly. "I am very crafty."

I know it's wrong of me to take that in the wrong context.

I shamefully blush and squirm a bit, making myself seem small. Maven notices the pressure I am giving myself and raises his eyebrows mischievously. I blush even more.

"Well, darling, you'd best get dressed, the nurses best not see you in your nightwear."

I blush even more at that as well, his dark and playful crisp in his words.

I get out of bed and my feet hit the cold floor. I walk around the foot of the bed and past Maven to reach my closet.

I flip through the ocean of dresses to see what I should wear, only for me to get nowhere.

"What should I even wear to this sort of thing?" I ask Maven, it's a dumb question to ask, really.

"Your nurse recommended not to wear corsets or anything to restricting around your stomach; she said it can harm the baby," He explains. I can't help but want to bury myself in the dresses and never come out. This whole me having a baby thing seems wrong in every single level. Maven seems to have adapted to it just fine, he's not freaking out like I am.

Maybe his is more internal than mine.

I leaf through the dresses and find a loose one that'll go to my knees. It seems suitable enough. The blue silk is soft as I pull it off the hanger and place it on a nearby hook. I pull off my dress from yesterday and just leave it on the floor. A maid can clean it up. I pull on the dress over my head and pull my hair out of the neck hole.

I grab a thin white belt to make it more fashionable. I do not fasten it to low, I do it closer to my breasts then anything. It emphasizes my curves, as Maven would say.

I walk out of the closet and Maven admires me almost instantly.

"The belt emphasizes your curves," He comments.

I roll my eyes playfully; I knew he would say something like that.

"Scared that I'll be showing them off to someone else?" I comment back with a playful and sarcastic tone.

It is his turn to roll his eyes.

"Well, we wouldn't want anyone to get the wrong idea, darling, since that would be a shame," He says to me seductively. I purse my lips as my body heats up. He does a childish eyebrow raise before turning away and going out the door.

***

The doctor's office is simple and modern, not as bejeweled and busy as the rest of the castle.

I lay down on the exam table with Maven at my left side and an ultrasound screen on the right. I am nervous beyond belief; this is the real test to see if I am having a baby or not.

Maven gave me the depressing news that it would be too early to see who the father is.

That just made my day.

A female doctor in a white coat with a purple shirt underneath comes into the room.

Her hair is curly and has a purple tint to it, her eyes are a hazel-brown and her face is wrinkled around the eyes and mouth, but her cheeks are near perfection.

"Hello, your majesties," She dips her head.

I'm not even Queen yet and she is paying her respects.

"Hello, Reina," Maven says. This visit will be easier now that this doctor has a name.

"Just here for an ultrasound?" Reina asks. "And please, call me Rei."

"Well, Rei, yes, just that today," Maven responds.

"Alright then," She smiles and goes to grab her equipment.

Maven looks down at me and smiles at me too, an anxious one. His anxiety is more eager, while mine is fearful.

Rei is finished collecting devices. She has this anchor shaped tool in one hand, and an aloe in the other.

"Ms. Barrow, I am going to have to lift your skirt so I can use this protective aloe, is that alright?"

I look over at Maven again, he is looking at me calmly. He nods and me and mouths a message to me.

You'll be fine.

I inhale and exhale deeply before looking at Rei, then I nod to her. She lifts my skirts, so my undergarments are showing. I can only imagine how silver Maven's face is right now. She squirts some of the clear gel in her hand then rubs it on my stomach. My muscles clench at the sudden chill of the slime.

"Forgive me, I forgot to mention that it's cold," Rei says.

"That's fine," I mutter. She takes wand looking thing and rubs it on my stomach back and forth a few times.

I stop looking at the procedure and look at Maven. It's less awkward.

He looks at me brightly, he is containing his joy. I can't tell if it's heartwarming or bone chilling that he is optimistic about this. I don't want Maven to be so thrilled about him having a child and it to be Cal's. That will be a disappointment.

The screen lights up and it gets Maven's attention. I look over to it as well. The screen has a bunch of gray lines moving around, but with a black circle in the middle, and a small human in the middle.

"Well, Ms. Barrow, I can confirm that you are pregnant," Rei claims. I swallow hard. Nothing new, but now it's been confirmed by a professional.

I divert my attention to Maven again and my heart melts on the spot. His blue eyes are welling up with tears.

He really is happy about this. And if he is happy, I'm happy. And if I'm happy, this baby will be happy.

Rei has a clear look of thinking on her face while she examines the screen.

"Is everything alright?" Maven asks as he grabs my hand.

"Y-yes, everything is fine, I will just have to see her again in about a month," She stammers. This news isn't really settling.

"How far along am I?" I ask her.

"It's hard to tell, Ms. Barrow," She rushes. "I am going to get you some prenatal vitamins to help keep the baby healthy.

I nod as she leaves the room. Maven looks at me with a questioning look. He helps me sit up. I pull my skirt back down and stand up next to Maven.

Rei walks back in, and I examine the bottle of medication. It has Prenatal Medication on the label. She looks at the bottle and sighs.

"I grabbed the wrong one, give me one moment," She says nervously before making a mad dash out of the room again.

"Well, this seems very unhelpful," Maven bursts. I refrain from laughing.

"You're not wrong," I say. Maven grabs my hand again and squeezes it lightly. I look down at our hands. Like pieces of a puzzle.

Rei walks back into the room with a bottle that looks almost identical to the previous one.

"Apologies, I didn't know what I was thinking,"

But isn't that the same bottle?

Maven grabs it and nods a thank you before dragging me out.

After we leave and far enough away, Maven speaks up.

"That was awkward," Maven chuckles.

"You got that right," I giggle back.

He looks at me as we walk. "I didn't know you wanted the baby to be a boy."

I look at my blue dress. I didn't know that my dress color correlated with the gender of the baby. I never really thought about the gender of this baby, nor have I really had the time too.

"I never really thought about it," I reply. "I don't really mind if it is a boy or a girl. What would you rather have it been?"

Maven flushes and licks his bottom lip before answering. "I don't really mind either." His lie is obvious.

"Bullshit," I tell him playfully. He starts chuckling as we reach our bedroom. He opens the door and lets me in first, then he follows.

"I mean, a boy would be great, but if it's a girl, I will still be thrilled." He says confidently. I turn around to face him.

He looks at me longingly before he looks at my stomach and walks closer. He gets down on his knees and holds my stomach softly.

"Since I will love you either way, yes I will," He says to my stomach. I can't help but beam at how happy he is. He kisses my stomach softly, making me giggle at the tickle his lips give me. He stands up and towers over me some more. Then he kisses my lips lovingly, and longer than he kissed my stomach.

His lips perfectly fit with mine, so soft, welcoming, and loving. When he releases our embrace to breathe, he smiles brightly.

"I love you," He says softly. He rests his forehead on mine, grabbing the sides of my face.

"I love you too," I say, hugging him smoothly.

"I love the both of you,"

2100 words. Here is an extra long chapter for y'all.

Sorry I have been inactive; I was at my gramma's, and she doesn't have internet. She's a boomer.

I have a question for y'all, when is everyone's birthday? I'm curious.

Mines August 16th.

Love y'all!

Hannah.