Royally Rebellious: An arranged royal romance (Resplendent Royals Book 1)

Chapter 45

The blub-blub of a heartbeat and its telltale flicker on the screen suited Rikard and me. Our baby had a heart. It was healthy for now, even if I wasn’t. I felt as if I had been smashed by a trash compactor and still upset about my circumstances. It was difficult to accept that my wonderful, newlywed existence had been upended by my stupid body’s betrayal. Yet, I struggle to ignore the sheer happiness on Rikard’s face upon seeing our future child.

I didn’t expect him to accept it—let alone be excited about this news. Maybe it was because he was older? He was happiest when he got to take home the photos from our scan—a look at our beautiful little bean—face proud. He was blissfully in love.

While Rick could be happy and only happy, I worried about my health above all else. The doctor explained what happened to my mother was rare and was due to a delivery at home. While that was still the protocol for royal births in Neandia when I was born, it was not the tack we’d take. He explained how they would have intervened with a modern approach. I was less reassured and more traumatised.

We settled back at home. I climbed into bed to take a well-deserved nap. I tried to block off my afternoons now so I could get some shuteye. Being pregnant was exhausting and I did a poor job hiding it. I didn’t mind giving it a few more days. I wasn’t in a hurry to make everyone ask me how the baby was and touch my stomach as people often do.

“Maybe we could start thinking about names,” Rick rattled on.

“Rikard, please,” I said, annoyed.

“What?” He hopped into bed next to me. “Too much?”

I nodded. “It’s wonderful to see you happy. I am relieved all is well. I remain very frightened.”

“The doctor told me?—”

“That my mother’s death was preventable, Rick,” I said. Tears welled in my eyes. “That it could have been stopped.”

Rick’s smile disappeared. He looked serious.

“I’m sorry, Lex. I didn’t think about it like that. Why did she give birth here? In Lundhavn?—”

“Your mother gave birth to you in a hospital room like everyone else?”

Rick nodded. “A public hospital. Lex, that place we went to was fucking fancy. But it is the scientific way.”

“It wasn’t done. Celeste will fight me on this. She always preferred us to have everything done at home. She would not accept my feelings on the matter.”

“She doesn’t have a say.” Rick touched my face lovingly. “She cannot have an opinion. And she won’t find out. That’s why I wanted to hide it.”

“I thought it was because I wanted to?”

“Nah. I did something. You may hate me for it.”

“Rick!” I groaned.

“Hold on. Hold on. I got the old bat to leave us.”

“What? How?”

“I implied you were a prude who was afraid to have sex if anyone impressionable could hear. I played into the fact that she was sure you’d never get pregnant.”

“What?”

“She knew about your pills. I told her I convinced you to have a child. I implied you were a frightened virgin who I was taking advantage of, more or less. It made me feel like I needed a shower. I hated it. I do not think that about you. You’re my wife, we’re doing this together, and I would never pressure you or call you a prude.”

“Of course not.”

His face softened. “So she is leaving for the countryside.”

“She used to go with Grand-Papa every year,” I said. “Maybe she is getting nostalgic?”

“She only cares about the line of succession. Really. If we can stick with this plan and hide it a few more days, we can get by.”

“What’s the catch?”

“She claims the move is temporary, but we’ve essentially evicted her. She agreed to stay away if you fell pregnant. You did, but I worry if she finds out, she’ll never leave. She’s sure we’ll never make it happen. She wasn’t certain you knew how to have sex. She asked if I taught you.”

I giggled.

“Why are you laughing? That is abhorrent!”

“Your face. You are pulling an adorable face. And it’s because you loathe the idea. You were kind to me. I love you, Rick. And also, I love that this kills you.”

“Why? You love to torture me?”

“No, because it shows how much you do love me. So much.”

“You’re my wife. Of course, I do.”

He kissed me. It made me so happy every time he called me his wife. If one good thing was to come of this, at least he had gotten her to move out. I’d believe it when I saw it, but I crossed my fingers. If she was willing to sign over the regency, she’d be willing to do the same. Overall, Rick had done this for us—mostly me. It was sweet. I didn’t mind him doing this. He knew it traumatised me to get into a screaming match with her. I shut down. With Rick there, I was safer.

“You know I’m going to be okay, right?” I asked.

“Yes. We will get through this, baby.”

I suddenly had an idea.

“I think we can best her, too!”

“How?”

“We should wait until she is settled there and then again use the media to our advantage,” I said.

“Go on.”

“Let’s plant a leak. We will be forced to announce it. We will beat her at her own game. There will be no moving back in.”

“You’re a genius!” Rick said.

“I am using one of the few things at my disposal to fuck her over, darling. That is all.”

“I love it when we scheme to blow shit up.”

“Me, too.”

His glance didn’t leave me. I realised maybe I wasn’t so tired at all. I leaned over and kissed him. A cascading scene of events led to us going at it furiously and loudly. Astrid returned from class about this time, probably hearing it. For once, I didn’t much care. We were a team, and we were about to burn it down together.