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When I moved into this flat, I had to think carefully about what I'd need. Cost was a major factor because I needed to keep it down, so a lot of my stuff was bought by Dad and Anne, or second-hand from them, charity shops or online.

As I start packing boxes alongside Prince Kai for my new life in fucking Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, I don't have to think as hard, yet it still feels more difficult. He's told me because he already lives there, I won't need any kitchen items, curtains or that kind of thing. As I stare at my bedroom door while he whistles on the sofa, I know I have to ask one specific question, but it's so awkward, despite the multiple times we've slept together now.

"I'm thinking we box things up like kitchen items, coffee tables and that kind of thing and we can give them to the charities we look after," Kai says, breaking the silence.

My eyes move from the bedroom door to him. "Okay, I mean, makes sense. I, uh, have one question—"

He leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees, his chin in the palm of his hand. "Frogmore Cottage has five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a couple of offices, a large lounge, a drawing room for when I have royal visitors, a dining room and a large garden with a small outbuilding I don't use. We can easily convert it into a room for you for whatever you want. You can use one of the bedrooms. We'll turn one into a nursery for the baby. You'll have your own privacy, unless we have visitors and engagements, of course."

Well, he just answered my question about bedrooms then.

"The cottage is equipped with everything you need. It's more about trinkets and books and all those small things. Clothes, photos, that kind of thing. Household things like towels, duvets, plates... the sofas, your bed, it can all be donated."

I nod and restart packing books into separate piles to be donated or taken with me.

He continues packing the stuff I told him to put in a box to go; photos and trinkets. "The charities I suggest donating to are the ones I patron for as part of my royal duties, so ones you'll be working with as well."

He sounds more animated than he has all morning so far, so I decide to run with this, plus it'll help me, in the long run, both get to know him and more about this new life I've suddenly been thrown into.

"What charities are they?" I ask. "Sorry, I don't really follow it on the news, so I don't know."

"All the charities I work with are about homeless people and getting them into work and bettering their lives. There's a coffee shop that does a lot in getting more homeless people into working with them, and any surplus food and coffee they have left over every day, they donate to homeless shelters. I think the one here actually hires people to distribute to people sleeping rough. Those they hire for that are actually homeless people, too," he says. 

Kai sips the drink on the side I gave him earlier. "Other charities I work with are all about getting more children into reading and literacy, which goes hand in hand with another charity I started up all about supporting artists of all kinds – writers, poets, painters to name a few – in their local communities. I team up with shops and cafes around Hampshire and get local underrepresented artists to work there. Make performance art like poetry and fiction writers to read their stuff out loud to promote, get paid, that kind of thing."

I blink. "That's amazing."

"Royal work is that kind of thing. We support and raise awareness and work for them. It's that kind of thing we do every day to show the people we're here and helping out. Then obviously there is the going abroad, strengthening diplomatic ties, standing out at Buckingham Palace, funerals, weddings, and garden parties. My cousins have their own jobs, but that's because they're not as close to the throne as I am, for example."

I look down at the floor for a moment. His passion for the causes comes across in the way he talks about charities and what he does. It makes me wonder why exactly he doesn't like the royal life, and why he seeks out fun in disguises. We don't know each other well for me to ask that yet, though.

"You never did the military, did you?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "It was an option, but I chose with my dad's permission to take up full-time royal engagements instead once I graduated."

"What did you graduate in?" I finish the rest of my tea.

"Egyptology from the University of Liverpool. I assume you did nursing," he responds.

I whistle. "Get you! Prince of England, and graduate of Egyptology."

He shrugs. "I had the opportunity to study whatever I wanted because my future dictates I'll be a working royal all my life. I knew I wanted to study instead of the military, and I was always interested in Egyptology. There was the option to go to Oxford University, but I preferred the course in Liverpool. Graduated for two years now."

I nod. "Fair. I assume you've been to Egypt."

"Once, when I was fifteen, with my dad as part of a royal engagement. Talk has been happening about strengthening diplomatic ties with the Middle East, so I've been asking if I can go with a bit of a holiday on top. I did go and see the Pyramids, but I didn't get a chance to actually see them, you know? You never know, it might be a trip we make together."

My mouth forms a straight line. "Don't get your hopes up with this becoming a thing, Kai. You're my baby's dad."

He sighs. "Look, I know this puts a dampener on everything, and had I not...got you pregnant we could've done this the proper way, but can you not at least pretend to enjoy this?"

"Enjoy this? You're packing up my flat, making me move in with you, dress up and do royal engagements when I should be enjoying my twenties! I haven't been a nurse long and I'm being torn away from it!" I lower my voice. "It's not... I'm having a hard time already just not blaming you. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's not the baby. We both did this and whatever. But telling your parents and just throwing my whole life out of balance without a choice? Yeah, I blame you and it's really hard, okay? For now, please don't joke about attraction or romance or whatever. It's not happening. Right now, no offence Your Highness, but I hate you. I was excited to have this child and my parents help out, my brother, Patrick is all excited as well."

I've never seen a puppy wounded, but you see videos of those little hurt whines all the time on social media, and I swear he exhibits that right now. The pout on his face is kind of adorable, along with the clear flash of sting in his dark eyes.

"All right, that was harsh, and I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't have said that to you as well being a prince and all."

He shakes his head. "I'm still a human being, Peach. Prince or not, we are in this right now, you can talk to me... well, not how you want, but you don't have to hold back."

"I don't hate you. That was way too harsh. I'm sorry, Kai. My whole life is being dictated and I hate that. All because of one night... well, not mistake. Not using contraception was a mistake. But, well, you know what I mean."

"Essentially you're saying whatever we could've had has been overshadowed by the situation?"

I nod. "Pretty much."

"That's fair. But we could try and make friends at least. We have to co-parent together, anyway."

"I'm aware of that, and yeah, we can. Right now it's not even twenty-four hours and I'm now packing my home and talking about leaving my job – which, by the way, I've worked damn hard for. We were a one-night stand."

He nods. "I know, and I can appreciate that. Look, Peach, I'm sorry. Really sorry."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

I take a breath. "When you talk about the charities and stuff, your face lights up. But you don't seem that passionate about the royal life. You go out in disguise to clubs, for example."

He shakes his head. "No, I don't like it, but I like the charity work. It's difficult. But right now isn't the time to talk about it."

"Fair. By the way, my dad, step-mum and step-brother will be over in an hour. You're not the only one who can drop surprises on people!"

He laughs, which is not what I was expecting. "Touché, Peach."

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My family's face after Kai tells them the plan can only be described with two words: contempt and confusion. Honestly, they reflect my own feelings about it, but I don't air that. It was extremely strange seeing Patrick, Dad and Annie all bow and curtsey to Kai, for him to only tell them they didn't need to.

"So, you're both getting married, but it's not out of love?" Patrick asks. "It's to protect the reputation of the monarchy?"

Kai nods. "Essentially, yes. It's to protect the monarch and also the reputations of Mila and yourselves by proxy. The child needs its mother, and now my parents know they will gain custody for me if it means bringing it up as the royal it is by blood. If Mila agrees to this, it's a much better way to ensure a secure, stable and royal lifestyle for the prince or princess."

My dad sighs. Annie looks into her lap, and Patrick stands from the sofa and paces the lounge, avoiding the packed boxes like an obstacle course.

"Sweetheart, are you okay with this?" Annie asks.

My eyes go from between her to Kai, to Dad and finally to Patrick as he continues pacing. I look at Kai again, who's looking back at me with a hopeful look. I can't even say no anyway, they've not given me much of a choice, even if he said there was. But as I was thinking last night, it gives the baby the best start in life, and that's all that matters.

"Yeah, I'm okay with it," I answer.

Dad sighs. "And you're moving today?"

I glance at Kai for the answer.

"Yes, she is. But we'll come back for the rest of the things, donate the other bits and the palace staff will be in touch with you about meeting for security for you all. It'll only be a matter of time before the press finds you and takes an interest. We'll also get you all to come and meet my mother and father, and myself formally," Kai says.

The three of them look at me.

"I had no idea until yesterday." I turn to Kai. "We'll still be able to see each other, right?"

He nods in response. "Of course."

They all just nod in response, but I can feel they aren't happy about any of this, which reflects my mood as well.

My dad stands in front of the prince, and for a full moment, I find it really weird. There's no status, no royalty in this moment, just a father staring at a man who's, well, knocked his daughter up.

"I don't like this. My daughter should have the freedom of choice. Even so, it seems like she is okay with this. If you ever hurt her in any way during this whole arrangement, I will hunt you down, prince or not. You hear me?" Dad warns. His finger is pointing to Kai's face.

"Dad, that's unnecessary," I mumble.

Kai smiles towards me. "It's fine, Mila. I promise you, Mr Kennedy, Mila – and the baby – are going to be well looked after. You're all welcome to come and see her as much as wish as our time permits."

"What about if she finds someone she loves?" Patrick asks.

My body stills and freezes at that question. I hadn't even thought about this.

Kai and I met because I wanted to get Brayden back, but we ended up losing a war with attraction. There's chemistry between us, but it's been fizzled out with the thought of being controlled by the royal aspect of his life, and the blood that's running through the little thing growing inside me. But Patrick makes a point: love is something very possible.

Love differs from attraction and duty. Love is something fluid and something that can happen out of the depths of nothing, like a shark coming for blood. Attraction and duty are solid states that never really move or disappear.

Attraction and duty have been there between Kai and I from the start and will always be there. But love is always a possibility with anyone and at any time.

Kai sighs. "I can't... all I can say is that reputations are on the line here, for the royal family, it's everything. If something like that happens, Mila and I will need to have a serious conversation. But acting on that in the public eye is not acceptable."

Basically, don't cheat and get caught out.

"What if—" I stop when everyone looks at me, so I take a breath and start again. "What if I want Mum with me when I go into labour and after the birth?"

Kai's expression smooths out.

Annie and my dad smile, clearly touched.

Patrick moves to stand beside me with the protective brother stance on: in front of me, arms folded, tight jaw.

None of this phases Prince Kai though. "That's absolutely fine. Mila, this isn't a prison. Procedures just have to be done and everything will be fine, all right?"

I sigh. "Okay, good."

"So... you're engaged to be married?" Dad asks. "I'm not able to foot the bill for this royal wedding, you do know that?"

Kai laughs. "I wouldn't expect anyone to."

"When's the wedding?"

"It'll be before the baby is born, but we'll need time to put things in place. Helps to be a prince; people move things and prioritise everything to make sure things get done."

Patrick looks at me, his hands on my shoulders. "Is this what you want?"

Our eyes meet, and I know he can see the doubt in them, but I nod regardless. "Yeah, I'm sure."

His smile is sad, but genuine nonetheless. "You're going to be a princess!"

I want to correct him, but he's not technically wrong. I'll be a royal, and with Kai's name, I will in title, be a princess.

All because I wanted my ex back, got drunk and acted on stupid desire. I suppose when you make your bed, you need to lie in it, as they say.

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