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"When exactly do they expect you to take over?"

"It was two months, so how long now? A week, two weeks? A month?"

I shrug on the video call to Patrick, Dad, and Annie. "I don't know anything right now. Kai's talking to the press officers now. They're releasing the news in half an hour about the King's cancer. I think the plan is to announce that and nothing more for now. They're just sorting out what else to say."

"Are you releasing the pregnancy news?" Patrick asks.

"I heard it was a possibility."

"Mila, is that what you want?" Dad asks. "Princess and soon-to-be queen or not, your pregnancy is of no one else's concern unless you want it to be."

I sigh. "As much as I agree, I lost all right to that when I fell pregnant with Emma. I've been pictured puking in an Egyptian museum, the rumours were already sparked. It makes sense to balance out the bad news with good news, you know?"

Dad sighs. "If you agree, that's all that matters. Despite your status, sweetheart, you shouldn't be pressured into this."

I smile at my dad. Always one to think about me in all of this and quick to disregard my duty if he disagrees. I love him so much. "Dad, honestly, it's fine. Thank you."

He narrows his eyes. "Hm. I'm watching is all."

Both Patrick and I laugh as the door opens and Kai walks in.

"I better go. I'll phone later. Love you!" I blow them a kiss.

"Bye, Seahorse!" Patrick calls before we all hang up.

I turn to Kai once I pocket my phone. "What's going on?"

He looks stressed; his hair is ruffled where he's been running a hand through it, eyes look slightly pink with dark circles underneath, his shirt has come untucked and he's hastily undone the top two buttons. The sleeves of the shirt are half rolled up, but coming undone there too.

I wish I could ease this for him. If I could, I'd take all the stress away with a swish of a magic wand and a simple spell, but I can't. Magic might happen in the smallest moments of life, but that's because humans give those moments the magic of memory. Magic isn't real, even if we wish it was. That's what makes Disney and fairy tales all the power they have. 

For Kai, the very reality of this responsibility has always been in the background, and he's known it because he's seen his dad rule, and seen his late sister dealing with the role we have now. But the very fabric of it has become very real and all at once; we no longer have the value of time on our side.

"The palace is releasing a statement as soon as we decide what to do," Kai says. "They're saying they want to do a joint statement; give the people a good thing with the bad thing—"

"You mean either tell them we'll be taking over soon or tell them about the baby?" I arch an eyebrow.

"Pretty much. My dad says it's up to us whether we want them to know he's abdicating. I think it's not worth stressing the public out and making them think the worst until we have a date. If we mention we're ascending, they'll be thinking Dad's cancer is like the King is going to die immediately. Politics more than anything will be riled, though the government already know. I'm suggesting we say we're expecting another baby."

"I'm four weeks, Kai." I groan. "If the worst happens—"

"I know. That's my worry, too. The way I look at it is that we have wonderful public support behind us as well as family and friends, right? Should – God forbid – the worst happens, we can put out a statement and people will respect our privacy, you know? If you're not comfortable with it, I will tell the public we'll be ascending. I'm just trying to cover all bases here." He runs a hand through his hair.

I bite a piece of mango to give myself a moment to think about it. Since Kai bought me all those fucking mangoes before we left for Egypt, and after eating them in the hotel, I seem to be seriously craving it. Lucky because we have so much to go through.

The problem is, I'd rather the public not know about my medical things if things go wrong. All the attention at any event will be either how sorry they are about Hugh's cancer or how happy they are for the baby – or both. 

The public is very hyper-fixated on us as a family and sometimes not about the work we do, which I don't usually have a problem with, but if things go wrong for me, the moment I'm back out there, they'll hyper-fixate on a loss.

A loss can happen at any stage of pregnancy, though. I could sail through twelve weeks, tell the public and lose the baby any week after that. If it's going to happen, it'll happen. If I don't tell the public now and lose before twelve weeks, eventually, I'll tell the public because I'm affiliated with pregnancy and baby loss charities, and it's part of my role, and something I want to raise awareness about.

Kai's right; politically, telling the public we'll soon be king and queen will be a bad move. It'll ruffle feathers with our diplomatic ties before Hugh's done anything about it, it'll piss countries off who don't know before the public. The public will start chattering and the press will start shit.

"No, you're right. Tell them about the baby. It's the right move, even if it's... not ideal," I say.

He raises his eyebrows. "Peach, I'm one hundred per cent serious with this – if you don't want people knowing, I will make something up. If it hurts diplomatic ties, I don't care. You come first."

I stare him square in the eyes so he knows I'm serious. "We're about to become king and queen, which means we need to start thinking more politically and not about what we want."

He stands back for a second, taking me in before a smile washes over his face. "You're amazing, you know that, right?"

I chuckle. "What? I didn't do anything."

His hands cup my face. "You did; Peach, you've really taken to this life and it's amazing. Thank you."

I giggle. "Oh, shush. This is what I signed up for. It's true, though, there will be times when we don't want to do something, or vice versa, but we have to because it's for the greater good of the people. It's weird, before I became, well, a Duchess and Princess, I'd never have thought about it like that. Even my dad just now was making sure it's what I really want."

He nods. "It is mainly about what you want. You're the pregnant one here, no one else."

"Right, but it's not just about me. Politically for our kingdom – or what will be our kingdom soon – to tell them about us taking over will cause havoc. So while I might not like it, and personally it's not what I'd want, it's what I want for our kingdom. That sounds ridiculously complicated, but it's not."

There's a moment of quiet between us where we just look into each other's eyes. Kai's hazel eyes sparkle at me, conveying how much he clearly loves me.

I still find it weird after everything that happened – the one-night stand, the fake engagement, the love developed between us and yet it was there all along, bubbling in the background.

"I love you," Kai whispers.

"I love you too. What do you want?"

Kai laughs. "Nothing. Though, a kiss would always go down well from you, Mrs Abbott."

I snort. "Always wanting something."

We kiss as if the world is about to end. Though, I suppose it is in a way. The world we know is lost to us and a new one is being born by us taking the throne. Plus the world as a small family unit is being lost; we're going to have another baby and be the head of the Abbott family – the royal family.

I wonder if when I first saw that pregnancy test after our one night stand, if the test was also a crystal ball, and told me this is how my life would be, what would I have done? Would I have run away and dealt with it on my own? Never phoned Kai – then Lucas in disguise – and kept it to myself? Or would I have embraced it, and my nerves, and still been here?

I'll never know, and I'm glad I don't because though it's been different to how I saw my life panning out, it's the best life ever.

"Right. I'll get the office to release both sets of news. Be prepared for the media shitstorm," Kai says before kissing my forehead.

"We've faced worse," I point out. "With the media, I mean."

He just grins. "True." With that, he turns and goes back to the press officer.

I suppose this situation is like when the media found out about me; my life was never the same afterwards. Especially after I fell on my butt on national TV for all to see. Then there was my first royal ball, where I knocked the crown literally off the king's head during a dance.

I still cringe thinking of it, and how the photos got leaked to the press.

The media are used to my random, stupid antics that I really try to avoid. The latest when I checked social media earlier was when I twisted my ankle coming out of the private plane home from Egypt. It's now burned into media history for their future queen, but I suppose it's also a good thing. Many people seem to find me relatable apparently. I still don't see it, but if it means people like us for the kingdom, I don't mind. Hopefully, I can still stop being so clumsy with a crown on my head.

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