Winnie and I were laying on my bed after her shift. "I thought things between you and the prince were going well? Everybody seemed excited to see the royal baby." She frowned.

       "They we're going well at least I had time for us to figure things out. Do you have any idea how stupid everyone is going to look? The prince is having a baby with one woman and getting married to another. It looks like him being with me was a mistake. Is anybody going to take lady Esmeralda seriously as queen? I don't think so. But it's not like they would accept me as queen either. I'm just some filthy maid." I frowned.

       "But I thought you loved him?" I cried. "I do. And I think he loves me too. But they aren't giving him any choice. They are trying to fix this before it gets worse. And lady Esmeralda was all too happy." I groaned. "I really don't like her." Winnie frowned.

       "Me either, I wish I had never gotten with him. I love him I do but having a baby here in the palace is going to be lunacy. They want come nanny to raise my child oh AND The king had the gall to say that lady Esmeralda would step in as stepmother and then would become the predominant parental figure!" I threw my hands up. "You're kidding me?! What was he thinking!?" She shrieked.

       "I don't know but i'm getting lonely. I stay in this room all the time. They even bring my meals to me in here. I mean I leave when we have to talk with the press. And sure I leave this room occasionally and roam the halls but it's almost like it's frowned upon because I'm not supposed to be here. I'm not really a royal. And maybe I never will be. I mean my child will be but I won't." Winnie patted my arm.

       "You can leave here. The prince could pay your way. I mean you've all but finished your degree. He'll come see the baby and you'll be happy." She said. "I'll never be happy if he marries her." I frowned. "Right I understand that. Look everything I'd going to be okay, I just know it is. I've gotta go get ready for the party tonight. I'm supposed to serve," she said. "But don't worry, I'll put a laxative in lady Esmerelda's coffee." She said. I giggled. "That's great! I'll see you tonight. I'm gonna get ready." I said seeing her out.

       I had stuffed myself into my dress. My hair and make up was done. The prince and I hadn't had time to speak to one another recently so I didn't know how he was feeling about the engagement. But I would speak to him after it was over and just see where this left us. I mean of course we couldn't keep seeing each other. He was going to be engaged to another woman and I wouldn't stand in his way. I will support him even if that meant supporting her. Even if that meant I didn't like her.

       We were all standing in the ballroom. Everyone looks so elegant. We had all been mingling. I had spoken to a few of the other Royals but I really didn't fit in. I just felt awkward I saw the prince standing on the stage in between his parents. They beamed at him excited. Lady Esmeralda stood close to the stage ready to be called.

       The prince walked to the edge of the stage about to make his announcement. "Hello everyone. Thanks for joining us tonight as I make a very important announcement about my future. We are gathered here tonight so that I may choose the woman that's going to stand by my side and rule with me. This woman is the most wonderful and extraordinary woman I've ever met. She is exactly what this country needs. She is smart and strong willed and she is beautiful quite simply put she is amazing Alex would you please come up here?" The king and queen gasped. Lady Esmeralda looked like she was going to faint.

       "This is not what we agreed upon!!" Lady Esmeralda said. I walked up to the stage unsure of what was going on. I looked into his eyes questioning why. He smiled urging me on. He got down onto one knee. "Alex, we are going to have a baby together. We're going to have a family. It's only right that you marry me. That I married a woman I am so hopelessly in love with." Prince Cedric said.

       I cried. Wiping away the tears from my eyes. I could hardly speak. I just nodded my head. "Yes." I said. He stood up and put the ring on my finger it was a perfect fit. His parents looked from me to the prince. "Son are you sure about this?" His father asked him. He was speaking quietly the prince walked closer to him so they could speak in private. I was still close enough to hear. But the guests in the party could not.

       The queen thanked everyone and then she motioned for the conductor to start playing music and everyone started to dance.

       "Father I love you. And I know you only want what's best for the kingdom but so do I. At some point you have to want what's best for me. And at some point you have to trust me that I know what I'm doing. I know that Alex is the right fit for the kingdom. She has a degree in this. She's going to be the mother of my child. I am in love with her. I would not be doing this if I didn't think it was the right decision for me and for the kingdom. I do not love lady Esmeralda and I would never be happy with her." He said. His father nodded.

       "Alex I am sorry if I was harsh with you before. But you have to understand where I was coming from. I was looking out for my son and this kingdom." The king said looking over to me.  Busted. I walked closer to officially join the conversation. "I understand that. But I love this kingdom too. And even though me and the prince getting together might seem like a mistake. I think we're both exactly where we needed to end up." I said. The prince took my hand.

       "I'm sorry I didn't speak with you about this before. I was worried you would try to talk me out of it. But I love you and I know this is the best thing for everyone. And I'm so grateful that you agreed to marry me." I said.

       "We only have about three months until the baby is born. Do we have them get married before the baby comes or after?" The queen asked.

       "The Royal party planners could have a wedding planned in that time frame. We just need to get out invitations right away. This is kind of soon but maybe is exactly what the kingdom needs." The king said, "Perfect, I'll let them know." Said the queen. The prince excused himself and we walked off the stage.

       Lady Esmeralda walked up to us. She jabbed her finger at my chest. "You!! I won't stand for this!! This is not what we agreed upon!!" She said. "I'm sorry but we're in love," I shrugged. "So?! What Is it you have that I don't?! I've been trying for years!! In fact I'm prettier than you are. This doesn't make any sense. Why do you think I've been hanging around this stupid palace?" She threw her hands up.

       "Please you're making a scene." The prince said. "No more of a scene than you already have. You should be embarrassed. You let this girl take advantage of you and then you felt you had to marry her. You don't have to offer her a pity engagement." She said.

       "I assure you it's no pity engagement. And if anything I came onto her." He bit his lip. Lady Esmeralda shouted out, stomped her foot and ran in the other direction. "You disgust me!" She said in a huff.

       The prince and I decided to take a walk outside in the gardens to get some fresh air. "So we're really getting married? I can't believe this, it's everything I've ever hoped for when I first met you. How is this going to work? With the wedding planner I mean. Am I going to be able to help plan my own wedding?" I asked.

       He frowned. "I'm afraid not. The Royal party planner will plan everything. It's really just tradition. I'm sorry I know you'd like to help." He said. I sighed. "Nothing is going according to plan. But I guess I'm just going to have to compromise." I said a little sad.

       "But there are things we aren't going to have to compromise on. You and I will finally be able to be together. We can share a room, sleep in the same bed. We will finally have privacy. And you'll finally be a royal. No one will be able to look down upon you anymore and we can raise his child the way we are supposed too." He said. I smiled at that.

       "You're right, I'm just worried about a nanny trying to have more say than I do." I frowned. "She will be involved. But that's just so that our son or daughter will be raised proper. So that he or she will know the correct way to act at royal functions." He said. 

       "Doesn't that make you sad? They won't even be able to be a child." "Yes, but it was how I was raised. They will not be a normal child. They will be raised to be a king or queen and it's just the way. But we will make sure that they still have fun and get to be a child. I promise." He said taking my hands in his. He leaned in to kiss me and I started to pull back. But then I remembered that we were engaged and this was OK. I kissed him back. He placed his chin on top of my head. "We will get through this." He promised.

       "I don't know what I'm doing." I admitted. "I know, but I'll show you the ropes." He said. "Thanks, I know with you I can get through anything." I said taking his hand in mine.