Epilogue
GENEVIEVE
“Oh Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”
It was too soon. Sure they were getting married, and yes, they had had sex, but that didn’t mean she wanted to be pregnant!
Pacing inside the small doctor’s office, she angry-whispered, “This is all your fault.”
Gabriel merely smiled. He had been practically giddy since she’d told him of her suspicions. “I’ll gladly take the blame, my dear, but it takes two to fuck. We used protection; if that failed, it can’t be helped.”
“Why isn’t the monarchy investing in better birth control?
Do you know that I can’t even ask for birth control pills as a single woman?
Only married women can? It’s such fucking bullshit.
” Pace, pace, pace. She couldn’t stop. She had the feeling if she stopped, suddenly it would become all too real.
She wasn’t ready for that. She wasn’t ready for any of this.
As if sensing her mental collapse was near, Gabriel grasped her hand when she paced close to him, and pulled her into his lap. She initially fought him, then curled tightly into him.
He ran a hand down her back, his head resting against hers. “It wouldn’t be so bad, would it?”
Oh but it would. “I told you we would be a bad idea.” She hated how shaky her voice sounded. “Now I’m probably pregnant, and I’ll have to waddle down the aisle pregnant and everyone will think I trapped you into this—”
“It’s the other way around, surely.”
She ignored his possible joke—it was a joke right? —and kept going. “—and I’ll never live it down, and neither will this child, and they’ll have me for a mother, and I don’t know what a mother should do, and what if I turn into my mother, and—”
He tilted her head up and kissed the tears from her cheeks. “Take a breath, my love.”
She inhaled a shaky breath, then buried her face against his chest again.
“First of all, you won’t be like your mother. You’re already not like her, and you won’t treat our children as she does hers because you’ll remember the pain she caused you for the rest of your life.”
As she was trying to take that in, he continued. “Second, I am sorry you might walk down the aisle pregnant. I know how the public and media will look on it, and I would spare you from it if I could. Third—”
“Did you get me pregnant on purpose?” she interrupted, peering up at his face. “Tell me the truth.”
He looked so annoyed that it immediately set her heart at ease. “Of course I didn’t. Do you really believe I’d do such a thing? That I’d force your hand that way?”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t. I’m just…frustrated. Nothing is turning out like I wanted it to.”
His hand shifted to her lower stomach, while he leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I can’t deny that I love the thought of you pregnant with my child. I even love the idea of filling you with my seed over and over again and watching it drip out of you, knowing we could create yet another life.”
A heat was spreading through her and she shook her head against his chest. Why did she like the sound of that too? It didn’t make sense to her.
He kissed her temple. “Perhaps one of the condoms failed, but I would never force you or your body through something you didn’t want. Even if you decided not to marry me, I’d let you go, though you’d take my heart with you. I’d never marry another.”
“You don’t know what the future holds. Your parents might force you to marry someone else.”
He shook his head, his hair brushing against her face, his mustache still tickling her ear. “I’d say no. I have siblings who are likely to marry. One of their children could rule.”
She didn’t believe him though. He was too much a ruler, too dedicated to duty. He may say he was fine with his niece or nephew running the show while he was some interim king, but she didn’t believe he’d want that.
“He’s coming.”
She took a deep breath and pushed back from him. Slipping from his lap, she slid into her own chair next to his. He gripped her hand as the doctor knocked and Gabriel bade him to enter. It was the man’s own office, but when a prince was inside, you waited for permission to enter.
Soon, she would also command such power. Was she ready for it? Ready for this? For all of it? She wish she knew for sure.
“Your Highness. Miss Ruffin.”
What a fucking asshole. He had been pleasant and professional towards Gabriel the entire visit but treated her as if she’d done something wrong.
It took her a moment to realize that Gabriel had gone still beside her, except he was holding her hand more tightly. “What was that, doctor? Surely you aren’t disparaging the future princess and queen of Valleria.”
The doctor looked away, pursing his lips.
“Well?” Gabriel pushed.
“I apologize, Miss Ruffin,” the doctor eventually said through a forced smile that didn’t mask the anger in his eyes. This man was not a fan of her, and maybe not even the royal family.
The doctor cleared his throat and opened a folder in front of him. “The test was positive. You are pregnant.”
“Oh fuck.” She clapped a hand over her mouth; she hadn’t intended to say that out loud.
The doctor’s hands tightened on the folder, crushing it slightly, but he didn’t call her out for it.
“I’d say you’re still in your first trimester. I’d like to do an exam to—”
“No,” she said immediately.
The doctor scoffed. “I am your physician. I must be allowed to examine you. You could be carrying the country’s heir.”
“You are ‘a’ physician. You are not my physician, and you must be delusional if you think I’ll let you anywhere near my vagina. I’ll take a copy of those test results and I’ll see my own doctor, thank you very much.”
Gabriel laughed, then cleared his throat. When Gen glanced over, he had a smile on his face. At least he wasn’t angry with her.
“Yes, I agree, my dear. A specialist is called for in this situation. You didn’t study obstetrics, did you?”
The doctor shifted in his seat. “Not technically, no, but—”
Gabriel stood, forcing the doctor to stand as well. “Then I’m sure you understand how important it is that a specialist is secured. The results, doctor?” He held out his hand and the doctor waited three seconds before handing the now crumpled sheets over.
“Thank you, doctor.”
Their hands still joined, Gabriel led her out of the room. His security agents trailed them as they moved through the darkened office towards the elevators. Once in the back of their darkened car, the privacy screen up, he pulled her towards him.
“Oh my love. How are you feeling?”
“Grateful.”
His lips quirked up. “For the baby?”
“For you. Thank you for standing up for me in there.”
His face darkened as the smile fell away. “That piece of shit. He’ll be out of a job soon, I’ll make sure of it.”
“But he’ll tell.”
“Not if he wants to lose his license all together. My guess is he wants to go to my father and talk to him about a ‘misunderstanding’ that occurred between us, but that would mean informing him about my visit at the very least.” He shook his head.
“My mother had her own doctor when we were all born, and still does. Even she never liked him but until today I couldn’t see why. ”
He cupped her face. “I’m sorry I exposed you to him. You won’t have to deal with him again, I promise you.”
“You should check with Agnes, too, if she’s had to see him.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake.” He sighed and leaned back against the plush cushions of the car as it sped through Valentia. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
She scooted over and put her head on his shoulder, and his arm went around her and tucked her closer to him. “We’ve been so busy dealing with the asshole doctor we haven’t really talked about the news he shared.”
He tilted his head to the side and kissed the top of her head. “We’re going to be parents.”
“To the ‘country’s heir’ as well.”
“I hate to give that man credit for anything, but he is somewhat right about that. People will be incredibly interested in you and in this baby. Everything you do and say, and even how you move, will be criticized by others. I’m sorry for it, but I can’t deny how excited I am to have a little piece of you and me to hold at the end of it. ”
He kissed her sweetly, then deeply. When they pulled apart, she rested against his chest again. Hearing his heart beating underneath her, and feeling safe with his arm around her, she knew that, no matter what happened, she would be okay.
THE END