Alexander shrugged. “It didn’t seem necessary. It ended nearly ten years ago. I’ve been out of the industry ever since. I felt, we both did, that continuing would only lead to us being asked to compromise our morals. If you watched the show, you know Alex and Chris kissed a girl or two but nothing more was even hinted at until the wedding episode at the end. And then not until after the wedding. The writers and producers wanted to take things further more than once. There was even talk of Alex’s girlfriend being the teen pregnancy, but Mom and Dad put their foot down.”
Christiana still seemed to be in shock.
“We both returned to Serenity Landing for college, and the rest is just like I told you. With the change in last names and letting our hair go back to its natural color rather than the light blond it was on the show, we don’t get recognized very often. We’ve turned down all of the ‘where are they now’ shows and offers to do a reunion, though that has more to do with how C’s relationship with Margie McCoy ended than the show itself, I think. All the offers come through the agent we still retain. I don’t think our real names are public knowledge at all, though I’m a bit surprised someone didn’t put two and two together after the wedding.”
“Your faces were all over the news in the States.” Christopher laced his fingers behind his head. “There are a few people who know enough to put it together, but if they did they kept their mouths shut.”
That made Alexander frown. “Blackmail?”
“Why? What would they gain? If it did come out that the star of 2 Cool 4 School married the queen of Ravenzario, what does it change? A bit more interest from twenty-somethings who fancied themselves in love with you in high school? There’s no gain.”
“Believe me, we thought it through.” Dad joined the conversation. “We talked about it with Tony and the palace security team as soon as you told us about the engagement. There doesn’t seem to be any reason to worry. They’ll keep an eye on any fan mail that may come for Alexander Slate, but it’s unlikely for two reasons. First, someone has to put it all together. Second, someone would have to get close enough to one of you two, or now the baby, to be a threat. We believe the worst that could happen would be accusations of an affair. All of us know they would be completely groundless. Hold yourself above reproach with other women, and there’s no concern.” Dad raised an eyebrow of his own. “And I know you know to do that, so I don’t see a problem, except that your wife had no idea.”
Alexander gently squeezed Christiana’s hand. “We’ll talk more later, okay?”
She nodded.
“I’m more interested in baby names.” Mom clapped her hands again. “Have you picked any out yet?”
“No. We haven’t had a chance to discuss them in depth yet.” He didn’t tell them he’d only known for a few days, and he felt Christiana relax a bit when he didn’t mention it. “I think both of us are waiting to breathe a sigh of relief when this first trimester and the worst of the danger is over.”
Mom and Dad exchanged a glance. “I think that’s wise,” Mom said. “We debated whether to tell you this, but we, too, had a couple of miscarriages. We’d only ever planned on two children and when twins came along, we thought we were done. God had different ideas, though neither pregnancy lasted much past the positive test.”
Alexander felt sucker punched.
“But for whatever reason, God chose to give us those babies for a short period of time. We praised him at the time. So often with babies that are miscarried that early, it is because of something outside of the mother’s control. Perhaps a genetic disorder or any number of other reasons. It has given me great empathy for women who miscarry. I’ve worked with the pregnancy center in Serenity Landing for many years and counseled more women than I can count in the process.”
Dad cut in. “I’ve talked with the dads. He’s not the one whose body carries the baby or changes through pregnancy, but those dads feel a deep sense of loss as well.”
Alexander interrupted. “I’d rather not talk about miscarriages. Both of us are concerned enough as it is, without dwelling on the possibility. Now, dinner is ready whenever we are. Who else wants to eat?”
Christopher jumped up. “Me!”
Everyone laughed, though Alexander noted Christiana’s laugh was subdued. She remained so throughout the meal. His family left to stay in another part of the palace rather than take a boat ride over to the property.
Once they’d both changed into their pajamas, Alexander went to check on her. “Are you all right?”
Already settled in the bed, she gave a slight shake of her head. “I know your parents meant well, but...” One tear after another slid down her cheeks. “Thank you for changing the subject.”
He sat on the edge of the bed and scooted over until he sat next to her. Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, he pulled her close to him, feeling hot tears land on his bare chest. He whispered a prayer for peace over her.
“I am supposed to be strong,” she whispered. “I am the queen. I should not rely on anyone to be strong for me. It is my job.”
“Sh,” he breathed into her hair. “‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.’ It’s not your job to be strong, love. It’s your job to rest in the One strong enough for all of us.”
“Stay with me?” she whispered. “Please? I do not want to be alone.”
“Of course.” Somehow, he managed to keep an arm around her and slide under the covers at the same time. With his wife’s head heavy on his chest and her tears weighing down his heart, he prayed for peace for them both.
PHOTO: Prince Alexander's family arrives at the palace
~
Lending fuel to the pregnancy speculation, Prince Alexander's family visited the palace last night. Reportedly, the trip has been planned for some time, but the palace would neither confirm nor deny anything. The family did stay overnight rather than moving to their own property on nearby Bianisola.
Neither Queen Christiana not Prince Alexander has anything scheduled with the public today.
Chapter 19
“You’re not Alexander.”
The man who looked a lot like the prince consort chuckled. “Nope. I’m his twin brother, Christopher.” He held out a hand to shake Lizbeth’s. “He’s home with the queen today and, since I’m in town, he asked me to cover for him today.” He held up a file folder. “Everything I need to know is in here. Let’s go over a few things, then we’ll walk over to the chapel. There are a few vendors here with options set up.”
It didn’t surprise Lizbeth. The queen had passed out in the last few days. Valentine’s Day had always been lonely, but this year, she’d managed to sneak in a few hours with Robert. Since meeting his parents and telling them the truth at Christmas, it had been a bit easier for her, knowing they were praying about it. They’d seen the news together and spent several minutes praying for the queen. She wanted to ask for more information but something held her back. Instead, Lizbeth pulled out her own binder. Yvette remained quiet. She’d been more involved, but there still seemed to be something a bit off about it. The meeting with the seamstress had gone much better than Lizbeth could have hoped and the sketches would be ready in the next week.
After a few minutes of going over some details, the three of them crossed the property, riding in something Christopher called a Gator. Lizbeth had never heard the term before, but, on a cold, gray day, it was much nicer than walking.
“All right.” Christopher looked in his binder. “We have three florists, four bakers, and five photographers. I know it sounds overwhelming, but we need to get moving on all of this. All of them have been approved by the security teams and both royal photographers. We talked about having the royal photographers do the wedding photos, but, it was decided to use a wedding photographer. When you head over to the palace after this, the head chef will discuss the reception dinner with you.”
Overwhelming was one word for it. Each of the florists was set up in a different corner
of the chapel with their vision for the princess to look at. They also had portfolios with other work they’d done, just in case. The photographers had their photos staged all around, including in some of the pews. The bakers were still setting up in the entry. They’d get to them last.
Lizbeth trailed behind, taking all of it in as Yvette took her time studying the different flower arrangements and looking through the portfolios. She asked few questions, but the ones she did ask were good ones. Several times, the vendors looked like they wanted to say more, to give a more thorough pitch, but the look on the princess’s face didn’t invite the comments. Instead, the work had to speak for itself.
After looking at all the floral arrangements, she turned to the photographs lining the chapel. All of them had worked on the property before, including the one who had done Christiana and Alexander’s wedding. She walked up and down the pews, not the ones with the pictures leaning on them, but the row in front. At one series of pictures, she stopped, put a knee up on the pew in front of her and studied all of them for a long time. Finally, she nodded and started back up the aisle.
Lizbeth wasn’t sure what she’d seen in that particular series. All of the photographers were very, very good.
Back in the entry, Yvette did much the same. Quietly tasted every cake offered. Looked carefully at the portraits set up of their work. Flipped through the portfolios. Made notes on her phone. That part was new. Probably because she needed to decide not only who, but what. And multiples. There would be cake in multiple flavors, after all.
Finally, she turned to Christopher. “I’m ready to go back to the office.”
Once seated again, she told him exactly what she wanted. She’d liked florist A, but not what was set up, one of the things in the portfolio. She’d picked photographer C, the one who took the pictures she’d stood in front of for so long. Baker D and three different cake types. She also mentioned a groom’s cake to be designed by the groom - should he happen to arrive at least a week before the wedding.
He wouldn’t.
But it was an interesting way to keep people guessing.
Lizbeth’s stomach grumbled, and Yvette smiled for the first time in a while. “Why don’t we go back to the palace and get some food?”
Christopher laughed. “I think that sounds like a great plan.”
PHOTO: Queen Christiana and Prince Alexander on their wedding day
~
After three weeks of speculation and very few sightings of the queen, the palace made the official announcement.
Queen Christiana and Alexander, Duke of Testudines are pleased to announce their first child will arrive later this year. Due to hyperemesis gravidarum, or extreme morning sickness, the queen has been working a much lighter schedule than the norm. This will continue for the foreseeable future.
Experts guess the new prince or princess will arrive sometime in late summer or early fall, perhaps as late as the royal couple's first anniversary, but likely earlier.
The sudden, searing pain doubled Christiana’s body onto the floor. She cried out in pain, but before she could actually call for anyone Alexander was at her side.
“Call Dr. Chambers!” he yelled toward the door of her bedroom. “What is it?”
“I hurt,” she whimpered.
He lifted her into his arms and carried her back to the bed. “I thought you were resting.” His voice held no accusation.
“I needed to use the restroom.” Fear flowed through her heart. “I should have asked Diana to help me.”
“Don’t start second guessing yourself, Tia.” He sat next to her, holding her close as though to give her some of his strength. The cramp had dissipated, but she could not shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong. Could it just be her imagination running wild?
Oh! She prayed it was so.
Her ears tuned into her husband’s voice. He too prayed for peace and for the health of the baby, but, he prayed, most importantly for her health and for the strength to deal with anything that came their way together.
No! her heart cried. The life of their child was just as important as hers, though intellectually she could admit without her, there would be no child either. They stayed there until Dr. Chambers arrived, his nurse in his wake along with the ultrasound technician and equipment in tow.
Though she had been tired, the nausea had started to abate, and he had seen no reason to do another ultrasound in the last couple of weeks. This would be Alexander’s first chance to see their child. She prayed it would not also be the last. When directed by Dr. Chambers, Alexander moved away from her, though he reappeared a moment later on the other side, lacing his fingers through hers while she told the doctor what happened.
“First, we’re going to do an ultrasound. Then likely an exam. I’ve called a friend of mine who is a perinatologist. As long as things remained fairly calm, I was comfortable managing your care, but I’d like an expert at least for today.”
“Of course. Tell Diana...”
“I got her on the list weeks ago.” Dr. Chambers looked straight in her eyes. “I would never, ever endanger you or your child, Your Majesty. I would not have invited her if I did not trust her implicitly. A background check has already been done, but you have nothing to fear, either for your health or for her to discuss things she shouldn’t.”
Christiana nodded, tears still leaking into her ears. Not very queenly. “Thank you, Dr. Chambers.”
She managed to stifle her gasp as the goo hit her stomach. Her eyes squeezed shut as the wand came to rest on the exposed skin. Alexander’s grip on her hand tightened.
“Is that him?” her husband whispered, awe coloring his voice.
“Right here,” Dr. Chambers confirmed. Likely he was pointing. She could not bring herself to watch. “And there’s the heartbeat. It’s a bit faster than I’d like but not so much that I’m extremely concerned.” A bit more pressure and movement on her stomach as the doctor muttered to himself and had the nurse or technician make notes she did not understand.
“Okay. I’m done for now.”
She opened her eyes.
“I do want to do an exam, but I think I’d rather wait until Dr. McCall gets here. She likely will want to do one herself, and there’s no sense in two if we don’t need to.” He asked her more questions about the last few days until Dr. McCall arrived.
Time would tell.
* * *
Alexander couldn’t begin to give voice to his thoughts. They weren’t coherent enough to mutter aloud. Thank God, He understood the inane ramblings of Alexander’s heart of hearts.
Seeing the baby was just about as close to an other-worldly moment as he’d ever experienced. Hearing the heartbeat and seeing the flutter on the screen was a moment he’d never forget.
Now another doctor was asking questions. Christiana answered them, though Alexander couldn’t focus on the words.
“Alexander!” Dr. Chambers’s voice had a bit of a bite.
He shook off his stupor. “Yes?”
“Dr. McCall would like you to step outside, just for a moment. Can you send Diana in?”
Alexander’s gut churned, and he wanted to protest, but a glance at Christiana’s face sent him to the door. She was stressed enough without him arguing with the doctor she trusted. Besides, though he’d been sleeping with her again for a while, she would be more comfortable with Diana if they needed her to change clothes.
Instead, he paced in front of the floor to ceiling picture windows, staring out over the crashing waves as they met the rocks below. He prayed as he’d never prayed before though he still wasn’t sure they were coherent. A glance at his watch told him it had been over ten minutes. Then twenty.
“Your Royal Highness?”
Alexander turned to see a tired looking Dr. Chambers standing there, and he felt sucker punched. “Is she...?”
“She’s fine, for now.” There was a wariness in his voice and his eyes. “She’s bleeding, worse than spotting, but not enough that we f
eel miscarriage is imminent. For now, she’s on complete bed rest. We’ll both check in on her often and reevaluate as necessary.”
“Thank you.” A sigh of partial relief escaped.
“I don’t think this would be a concern, given how much you care for her and her condition, but she’s also on complete pelvic rest.” The slight lift of the other man’s eyebrow told Alexander what that meant. No...marital activities. “I just needed to tell you. I don’t think you’d...” Dr. Chambers shook his head. “Never mind. She’s on both bed rest and pelvic rest. Whatever food she can keep down, let her have. Even if it’s pickles and barbecue sauce over sauerkraut at three in the morning.”
Alexander’s stomach turned at the thought. “Really?”
Dr. Chambers shared his grimace. “I hope not, but yes.”
“Okay. I can do that.”
“Would you like to see her?”
Before Dr. Chambers finished his question, Alexander was in the bedroom. He sat in the chair still pulled to her bedside. “How are you?” She looked pale and the streaks from her dried tears begged him to wipe them away.
“Tired.”
“We’ve given her some medicine.” Dr. McCall made a note on her tablet. “It can make her sleepy. She needs to rest.”
“Absolutely. If I’m not here to help her, someone will be. Twenty-four, seven. She won’t ever be alone.”
After a few more minutes of instructions, everyone left, leaving the two of them alone, though Diana was just outside. He moved to the other side of the bed and stretched out next to her, though on top of the covers. One hand protectively rested on her lower abdomen, something he hadn’t done before. “Promise me you’ll be careful?”
“I promise. Dr. Chambers said it likely would have happened when I stood up, even if someone helped me, but I will not attempt to do anything more than roll to the side without assistance from now on.”
“Thank you, love.” He kissed the side of her head. “Why don’t I let you get some rest?”
Winning the Queen's Heart: Contemporary Christian Romance (The Brides of Belles Montagnes Book 2) Page 13