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The world is already going crazy, and now we're live on TV an hour after the palace put the news out and we posed for photos. We don't know much, but what we do know is that the media that are here keep mentioning how it's breaking news, and all the social media posts are about Prince Kai and his new fiancée.

My jaw hurts from smiling so much for the photos, and my chest hurts from all the stress of knowing I'm going to have to lie and make up this whole story. Kai is taking the lead, but I know the interviewer is about to come to me with her mountain of questions and judgements.

I just hope we can keep the pregnancy a secret for now; the plan is to reveal it later. I've no doubt the public will deduce something about us hurrying down the aisle because of a pregnancy when they find out, but they're planning this so carefully that all they'll think is that we were together and engaged when it happened so we just hurried the ceremony along.

"Miss Kennedy, how does it feel to be engaged to a prince?" the interviewer asks. Her face is hard and sharp and her blonde hair is put up in a tight ponytail on her head. So hard that it makes me twinge to look at.

Kai grips my hand for comfort. He seems relaxed, but I can feel some form of tension in his grip.

"It's a dream come true. When we got together, and even now, it's not even been a part of the relationship; it's just been Kai and me, you know? But this is when it becomes real!" I give her a wide smile, knowing I'm on live TV right now. Do I look fake or natural, I wonder. I've never done this kind of thing. Can they see my nerves or my lie?

Can Brayden see me? Why does he keep crossing my mind?

"How long ago did he propose?"

I know this one. "A week ago. He sought permission before that from both sides. I had no idea!"

"How did he do it?"

"We were out by Frogmore Lake having a quiet walk together. He just dropped to one knee and proposed there," I say with enthusiasm. "It was a quiet and relaxed affair, much like we are together."

"How long had you known each other before Prince Kai proposed?"

Kai takes this one. "We've known each other for around eight months, been together six months."

We discussed this earlier. Brayden broke up with me six and a half months ago – two months before Kai and I met in the nightclub. Not even an idiot like Brayden could find fault in that math.

"A whirlwind romance, by all accounts!" she remarks.

"It might sound like it, but it hasn't felt like that for us. When you know, you know," Kai says with a smile. He's pissed about that question, though, I can feel it through his sudden rigidness.

"How did you two meet?" the interviewer asks.

We hadn't discussed this. Shit.

I attempt to adjust myself and move back on the sofa we're on. As I pull my dress slightly, I manage to topple and land with a thump on the floor.

Holy fuck, I'm on live TV. I just fell off a sofa that doesn't move. On live TV. My debut to the nation and this is how I do it.

My hip hurts from where I landed awkwardly, but as I look up, the camera isn't on me on the floor, so they can't see anything.

The burn of embarrassment flushes through me like medicine through an IV. How could I be so stupid and clumsy?

"Mila?" Kai manages to bend and help me stand up from the floor.

"Are you okay?" the interviewer asks, also standing to help me up.

The only thing I can think to do is laugh. Hard. Here I am, falling off of a sofa when I'm sitting down on live TV about a marriage I'm not into for love.

I'm a living, breathing mess.

"I'm fine," I say with a laugh. "Just falling on national TV."

Kai sits down beside me and laughs it off. "You're fine, it's the nerves. Mila hasn't been in the public eye yet because we've been having a secret relationship until now."

The interviewer takes his cue and clears her throat. "Yes, that was one of my questions! Why the secrecy, and how did you meet?"

She's not dropping that, it seems.

Kai breathes before answering. "We met while I was visiting Hampshire for charity work. I bumped into her – literally – and we both were interested in each other. Turns out we got on, and I gave her my number. We got chatting, and the rest was history. We've been seeing each other ever since in secret so we could get to know each other without the pressure."

He looks at me with a smile, so I give him one back, squeezing his hand. The pure hatred of myself radiates through my brain and how I'm going to be a laughing stock because I fell over.

"And Mila," the interviewer asks. "You mentioned how you were a nurse before this. Getting involved with someone in royalty means much more than dating anyone else. Did you have any idea what you were getting into?"

I smile at her. "Honestly, in the beginning, I was just enamoured by Prince Kai and thought nothing of it. It wasn't until we started getting further into the relationship that he started to try to warn me about what this would mean. The moment he proposed was when we had a long discussion about it; that night. But I love him, so for me, it's something I want to journey with him on."

We hadn't discussed that answer, but I hope I did him proud. The warmth in his eyes when we exchange a look suggests he might be.

"I tried to warn her, and I don't think you can really prepare for this kind of job until you do it," Kai says. "But I think Mila is an amazing woman, so I've no doubt she'll be an amazing duchess."

The interviewer smiles. "Do you think the vastly different backgrounds you two have will do something wonderful for the royal family?"

Kai nods. "With Mila's knowledge of real family life out there, her work in the NHS – however short because of our relationship—" We all laugh at that. "—and her down to earth demeanour, I think people out there will love her, and also give us an insight into real people out there. But in reality, for me, Mila is another part of our team to help people with what we do. The way I quickly fell in love with her, I hope will be reflected in the public eye, too."

"Quite literally fell into my life," I joke.

Kai laughs. "Yeah."

The interviewer laughs and shuffles her papers. "And Mila, how are you feeling with only just graduating in nursing and giving up your job for this? How is your family adjusting?"

"I don't see it as giving up my career. It's just a change of direction. My degree will no doubt be put to use here in many ways." I grip the hem of my dress as I lie through my teeth. Hopefully, the public doesn't sense the lies. The nausea isn't helping, either, but the tablets the private doctor gave me are helping there. "As for my family, they're excited about this new chapter, too."

"That's wonderful. Just a few more questions – have you met each other's families?"

Kai nods. "Yes. Well, I've met Mila's family, and she has met my mother and father. We have a few family functions coming up, so Mila will meet the rest of them then. Mila's family is amazing."

"So, when is the big day? Do we know yet?"

Kai shakes his head. "We're not sure yet. But we both know we don't want to be engaged for a long time, so I imagine it will be less than a year."

The interviewer's eyes bulge in surprise. "Less than a year?"

I nod, trying my hand at this confidence thing. "We both know we're committed to this, and we just want to be married. But of course, there is a difference between wants and reality, so we have to coordinate that with the organisers. When Kai and I first started discussing future plans, including a potential wedding, he mentioned how he didn't want to be engaged for very long, and I've always known the same."

"We're both on the same page for a lot of things, and that's what I look for in a partner," Kai says. He turns to me with a smile on his face, and part of me wishes it was genuine when he does it. The smile lights up his whole face from his eyes to his cheeks, and it makes him shine like the brightest star in the night sky. It's definitely part of what attracted me to him in the club that night, and it's genuine beauty. Prince Kai Abbott is one of the most beautiful men, and he knows it, judging by the way he carries himself.

"Wedding bells indeed!" She clears her throat. "Onto the ring! It's gorgeous!"

I show the camera again when she gestures. "It really is; I'm in love with it."

"I had it designed years ago using my grandmother's tiara diamonds. They originate from Australia, her favourite place since she was small. My grandmother, Princess Emily, was a pioneer for this country, and put her whole life into serving her husband – my late granddad, King Albert – and gave him the idea to allow my mother to be queen and to change the law of succession for my sister and niece and nephews. Her life was dedicated to helping this country and the royal family. She's been my inspiration ever since I can remember, and I was so close to her. I want the woman I love to have a part of that inspiration, so it was an idea when they offered it to me."

I look at Kai with a smile; that's super sweet and something he didn't tell me before.

It's funny how one single moment can change your entire outlook on something. Before this moment, I'd been angry with Kai and how his stupid wide mouth dropped me into this wrong, annoying and horrible predicament, only reluctantly agreeing so this baby can have some sort of stability and I'm not bringing a bad reputation to my or my family's door, and a decent education to my child. 

But the way Kai speaks about his grandmother and grandfather is an inspiration in itself. It's this side of him that shows me he's also beautiful inside; the way he has a passion for his charity projects, his love of art, and the way he talks about family.

This situation might be fake, and for our child, but he's handling it with a standard. The way he spoke to Patrick, Annie and Dad about if I found love, he'd discuss it, the way he's making me feel welcome in his home, making sure I'm okay, trying to get to know me – it feels less like I'm just an accident and consequence for what we did that night, and genuinely like someone he cares about. He didn't have to put me up in his home, give me his grandmother's diamond, or treat me nicely.

"Such a touching story," the interviewer says, forcing me to jump out of my thoughts. She ruffles her papers a few more times. "That's all we have for now. Thank you both for sitting down with us and congratulations on the engagement! I think I can speak for the entire nation when I say this is quite the shock, but in the best way."

"Thank you," Kai says.

"Thanks," I say quietly.

She signs off on the TV show, leaving us to get up off the sofa and back for more photos in the drawing room of the palace. That's not before I hear her mention us as Prince Kai and Mila, the soon-to-be-married.

"Are you okay, Peach?" Kai whispers as he helps me up. "That looked like quite a tumble."

"I'm okay," I lie. Though I'm okay physically, the pride is smarting more than anything. The fact I've fallen on my butt on live TV is absolutely humiliating, and I know it'll be front-page news and probably take more precedence over our engagement.

"Are you sure, with...you know," he whispers. Kai's eyes glance down to my stomach.

"Oh, yeah, that's fine. I just landed on my bum. It's more the embarrassment on TV," I admit. "I'm so sorry."

He laughs. "Why are you apologising? You don't need to! We all do stuff like that, don't worry! If anything, it makes you even more human," Kai says. His hands land on my arms and rubs them in comfort. "Honestly, Peach, you are fine. Let's get these photos done and we can go home."

"And rewatch that fall on TV all afternoon. Yeah, fun!" The sarcasm is thick in my voice as they start readying for the quick photoshoot.

"Peach, don't. It was your first appearance. You did perfectly fine," he assures me.

I try to take his assurance to heart as they instruct us to pose together by the white and gold wall, ring on show and look cosy with each other. As he holds me to him for the photos, I try to manifest the fact that this is a good thing; it can't get worse than that, but there's an uneasy feeling gathering like a storm in my mind. People know me now; I'm going to be all over the internet, and people will try and dig information up on me and my family. 

The front pages of newspapers and magazines will have these photos I'm currently posing for blasted on their front pages and inside. The rumour mills will whir to life, and people will hate me or love me. I'm the new Marmite in the world, I suppose. This is like when I was a bit younger and Lucy and Michael got together. The royal wedding and engagement they had were all anyone spoke of for months. The media scrutinised Michael so much, and now it's my turn.

But this is all for our baby, the little pea growing inside me. This isn't really about Kai or me, and that's okay. But all that's worrying me is how this is all about preserving reputation, and there I am like an absolute moron on national, live tv and being the commoner I am against Kai's fancy education and degree and him being a royal prince.

The public is going to hate me, I know it. I keep posing for the photos regardless, but my heart is sinking with each click of the camera. 

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