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“How inappropriate is it?”
I froze. Melanie’s fingers fumbled with the fastenings at the back of my dress, and she made a small sound in her throat. I didn’t dare look at Chevalier.
“It… covers everything…” I was scrambling for something else to say, but I knew it was too late. He had noticed enough to ask that question, and my inability to answer had already proven his suspicions.
I gestured for Melanie to hurry so she could leave before she gave anything away.
“Then I assume I’ll find it disagreeable for another reason. Perhaps it is too tight, or the color is problematic.” He paused. “Or both.”
There was no hiding anything from him. I could feel Melanie’s fingers trembling, and I knew she couldn’t handle the pressure much longer.
“Melanie, you can go. Chevalier can help me with the rest.”
The girl bolted, her brown hair streaming behind her. I chewed my lip, wondering how much to tell Chevalier, and then his fingers replaced hers at the back of my dress, and I knew I was out of time.
There was nothing else for it. I just had to tell him the truth.
Or part of it.
“You’ll like it. You just won’t like others seeing me in it. And how did you know, anyway?”
“None of you would discuss the dresses during the tour or dinner. Where is it?”
His tone was too flat for me to tell if he was upset, but it didn’t matter. I wasn’t willing to compromise this time.
“In Belle’s room, and I’m not showing it to you or describing it before the wedding. She already had my dress altered so that I’d feel comfortable wearing it, and this is her wedding. I’m only wearing it for a few hours, anyway.”
To my surprise, he chuckled.
He undid the last fastening and finished unlacing my corset, and I pushed my sleeves off my arms, letting the dress fall to the floor as I turned to face him. His small smirk told me he’d been playing a game with me. I couldn’t be mad, though. His good mood was a nice change from him hovering around me and scrutinizing everything I did.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he dropped my corset on the floor with my dress, settling his hands on either side of my waist.
“You seem very determined,” he observed.
“And you seem to know better than to try talking me out of this.” I stood up on tiptoe and gave him a kiss. “So, Belle will be busy tomorrow with the final preparations for the wedding, which means we have the day to ourselves. Anything you want to do while we’re here in Benitoite?”
His right hand slid under my chemise. “There is one thing.”
I bit my lip coyly. “Oh?”
He leaned in to kiss me, and I closed my eyes, but he paused a hair's-breadth away from my lips. “Go swimming with you.”
My eyes flew open again. I felt my entire body stiffen.
Belle had invited everybody to go swimming the next day, with a special aside that I could just lounge by the pool and socialize. She’d said pool parties were the Benitoitian version of Rhodolitian tea parties. There would be drinks and snacks, and I wouldn’t be the only person not swimming—and not in a swimsuit.
And then she showed me her swimsuit.
It was a one-piece unit as tight as my red dress. I had negligees that concealed more than it did. The single piece covered the torso and groin only, with cut-outs for the legs starting at the top of the hip, straps over the shoulders that left the arms bare, and a scooping neckline which was guaranteed to show cleavage.
I couldn’t believe people wore such a thing in public. I couldn’t imagine myself wearing one, even if I had no scars at all.
Chevalier slid his hand around to the small of my back, pressing me flush against him as he continued. “I know of a private beach where no one will disturb us. Nobody will see you except for me.”
I swallowed and focused on his eyes, pools of clear crystal blue where I was happy to drown on most occasions. “Nobody?”
He nodded. “I know you miss swimming, Ivetta.”
I thought of all the summer days I’d spent babysitting the Stotts children and ended up swimming in the river with them, or the summer nights after a long day’s work when I’d taken a dip to cool off.
Then I swallowed again, forcing the anxiety down. “You just want to see me in a swimsuit.”
His smirk returned. “I won’t deny that.”
I took a slow, deep breath and let it out, then I gave him a small nod. “We can go swimming tomorrow. And the wedding is the day after that, and then we can start on the itinerary Belle’s making up for us after she and Rio leave for their honeymoon. She promised to keep it simple.”
He picked me up and carried me to the bed, pressing me into the soft blue sheets. His weight felt comforting when nervous tension riddled my body, but his heart was beating fast, and mine sped up as he rained kisses down on me.
“I know you think I’m being overbearing, but I can’t risk anything happening to you, little dove.”
I wound my hands through his fine blonde hair, letting my actions speak louder than words. He cared too much and worked too hard to soothe my fears for me to ignore or discount his. And what was so bad about taking it easy and having a relaxing vacation?
Especially since I’d get to see him in a swimsuit, too. Men's swimsuits were nothing more than a pair of short pants called ‘swimming trunks’ that didn’t even reach the knee. No shirt. I couldn't deny the appeal of seeing him in something like that.
So, while the pool party was awkward for me, the beach was a lot of fun. And the privacy enabled Chevalier and me to engage in activities other than swimming, too.
But all my nerves came back the morning of the wedding.
I knew everybody had an introduction to swimsuits and Benitoitian fashions the day before, but the thought of parading myself in a tight red dress in front of everybody had my stomach twisted into knots. I skipped breakfast, too nauseous to even think about eating, and went to Belle’s room to change. Theresa, Arianna, and Elise were all changing there, too, filling the room with excited chatter about the wedding while we got ready. There wasn’t much for us to do other than put on the dresses and red high-heeled shoes. Belle wanted a natural look, so we all left our hair down and went without makeup.
The palace chapel was within the main palace, not in a separate building, and Sariel, Nokto, Luke, and Silvio were already there in white tuxedos and red ties when we arrived. None of them showed any surprise at our outfits, but I was still uncomfortable. Too uncomfortable to meet anybody’s eyes. I decided I’d go back to my room and change the moment the wedding concluded. I couldn’t wear this for the reception. The sooner I could get out of it, the better.
The wedding began, and I walked down the aisle with Sariel, who was Rio’s best man, and Theresa, Arianna, and Elise paired with Nokto, Luke, and Silvio. Rio’s blue eyes shot wide open when Belle made her entrance, and he swayed dangerously, but Sariel caught him and muttered something in his ear. Probably a quiet threat, knowing him. Whatever he said, Rio laughed it off and stood straighter.
It felt like the wedding dragged on to me. I focused on the couple at the altar, feeling—or imagining I felt—eyes boring into me. The tight dress felt exposing and constricting. I wished I’d eaten breakfast; I was starting to feel a little light-headed.
Finally, the priest announced the newly married couple, and we began the processional out of the chapel to the ballroom, where the reception would take place.
I slumped into the first chair I saw.
“Ivetta? What’s wrong?” Chevalier asked when he found me.
“Nothing.” I gave him a smile and stood, but then the world spun. He caught me as my knees crumbled beneath me.
“We’re leaving.”
“No, I’m fine, I just—”
He scooped me up, and everything spun again. I squeezed my eyes shut as a wave of nausea turned my stomach upside down.
“What’s wrong with her?” I heard Belle ask.
“We’re going back to our room. Julius, have the doctor meet us there.”
“Yes, your highness.”
I wanted to tell everyone not to worry, but I didn’t trust myself to speak without vomiting. Why did I have to ruin Belle’s wedding? It came on so suddenly. Now Belle would worry about me instead of enjoying the reception with Rio.
Chevalier carried me back to our room and laid me on the sheets, and then a new set of hands was on me, feeling my forehead, checking my pulse.
“What seems to be the problem, Queen Ivetta?” the doctor asked in his cheerful bedside voice.
I shook my head and clutched at my stomach.
“Nauseous?”
I nodded.
“Well, that’s easy enough to fix. Open up. I’m going to put something under your tongue that will help.”
The thought of anything in my mouth made my stomach do a backflip, but I followed instructions, and then I closed my mouth and let Chevalier do the talking.
“She’s missed two months.”
One month. I’d missed one month.
No, I was supposed to start yesterday, wasn’t I? It was two months.
“Her appetite has been decreasing for a week.”
That was anxiety and excitement. He knew I didn’t eat well when I had something on my mind.
“She ate nothing this morning, but she seemed otherwise normal until a half hour ago, when she became pale and collapsed.”
Pale? A half hour ago? I hoped nobody else had noticed.
“I see. Anything to add to that, Queen Ivetta?”
The nausea was ebbing as the pill under my tongue dissolved, and I opened my eyes to look up into the doctor’s familiar wrinkled face. “Dizziness.”
“And feeling faint, too, I’m guessing?”
I nodded.
“Nausea is worse in the morning?”
I shook my head. “I haven’t been nauseous. That was just this morning.”
“Ivetta,” Chevalier said.
I sighed. “Fine, yes, but just in the morning. Sometimes.”
The doctor’s face creased into a smile. “That will probably improve after you’re past the first trimester. Unless I’m badly mistaken, I’d say you’re pregnant, Queen Ivetta.”
I stared at him for a moment, his words repeating in my mind. “I’m… pregnant?”
“Yes. Now, it’s very important for you to maintain adequate nutrition, so I’ll make up a bottle of those pills for you. Take them every six to eight hours to help with the nausea. And I know you won’t like this, but you need to take it easy. Sit when you feel faint, get plenty of rest, and no strenuous activity.”
I darted a glance at Chevalier, who was leaning against the wall next to my bed, his arms crossed over his chest. “What about travel?”
The doctor shook his head. “Absolutely not. After you return to Rhodolite, you’ll have to stay put. Your past injuries may cause problems, and I need to keep a close eye on you.”
I sighed. Our neighboring countries had been pestering us about scheduling trips to visit, and I’d been hoping this would go well so I could talk Chevalier into doing that. But now, he wouldn’t even go by himself. I knew that without asking. He wouldn’t dare leave me alone.
And no strenuous activity. Did that mean…?
“What about… um… Chevalier?” I felt my cheeks warming, and I fidgeted with the blanket. “And… you know.”
The doctor chuckled. “It’s alright as long as it’s comfortable. Any other questions?”
I shook my head. “None that I can think of. Thank you.”
“Then I’ll go make those pills up for you. Congratulations.”
“Oh, wait. Can you get a message to Belle that I’m okay?”
“Of course. Do you want me to tell her the news, or would you prefer to do that yourself?”
“You can tell her. She’ll be too worried otherwise.”
He nodded, his wrinkles deepening with his smile. “Congratulations again.”
He left, and I bit my lip as Chevalier sighed and pushed off from the wall. So much for Belle’s itinerary. I’d be lucky to leave this room for the rest of our stay here.
“What am I going to do with you?” Chevalier muttered under his breath.
He sat beside me, interlacing his fingers with mine, and a wry smile played across his lips. The sight brought a flutter of excitement to my stomach.
“We’re having a baby, Chevalier.”
“I’ve known that for some time. You were the only one in denial.”
I counted the months in my head. Late winter, early spring, somewhere around our anniversary and my birthday.
Suddenly, I couldn’t stop smiling. “I can’t believe we’re having a baby.”
His smile was growing, too, reaching up to his crystal blue eyes. My favorite shade of blue. I wondered if the baby would have his eyes. Or his fine blonde hair. Would it be a boy or a girl?
I was having a baby. His baby.
We were having a baby.
I wanted to hug him, but I didn’t trust my stomach to behave if I sat up. He leaned in to kiss me, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, tugging him down. He kissed me again and lay down beside me.
“You’re following the doctor’s orders, Ivetta,” he said, returning my embrace. “I don’t want anything happening to you.”
“I know, I know, and I promise I’ll be good.” My heart felt like it was going to burst from happiness. “We’re having a baby, Chevalier.”
“I know.”
His voice was calm, but his arms tightened around me, and when I snuggled into his chest, I could feel his heart pounding against my ear.
“You need to get out of this dress.”
I looked up at him shyly. “Um, I should probably warn you… I’m not wearing anything under it.”
He pulled back, his eyes widening. They skidded down my body and back up to my face, narrowing as they did so. “You’re never wearing this again.”
“So you don’t want me to get a little black dress for your birthday?” I teased him. “Although I’d have to give it to you early, or wait until next year and hope it still fits.”
The left corner of his lips turned up into a smirk. He rested one hand on my stomach and gave me another kiss. “You’re already giving me a present, little dove.”
“But it won’t be ready in time.”
“I can wait.”
My cheeks were beginning to hurt from how wide I was smiling. “We’re having a baby, Chevalier!”
He chuckled and kissed me again. “Yes, we are."14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk76yU4IQI9
