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After three days of living in this cottage, I've finally found my favourite room. The smaller drawing room is more like a lounge; there are sofas, books on the shelf and an artificial fireplace – clearly to give the room ambience. The window looks out over the vast garden of the cottage, and the small outbuilding Kai mentioned before I moved here. Right now, there's nothing in there. He's already converted it into a room with insulation and everything, but when I explored in there yesterday, it's just bare.

But this is my favourite room because it overlooks the green garden with decking, string lighting and other homely feel to it. The ambience here matches the homely feel, especially because of the cream and olive green colour scheme. The chaise lounge is olive green with a fluffy green blanket that I'm currently curled up on, watching outside with a mug of tea – that I so far haven't spilled. Of course, I would only spill it in front of royalty.

The door opens and Kai walks in. He's in grey jogging bottoms and a black top – clearly, we're not due anywhere important today. He's got a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and a can of Coke in the other. I notice he's also wearing thick black glasses, which I haven't seen on him before. They kind of suit him, though.

"I brought you up a cold drink 'cause I heard you make tea," Kai says. "All right to come in and talk?"

I nod. "This is your house."

"It's also yours. Technically, it's in my dad's name as the king, but details."

I chuckle and take the can from him. "Thanks. This is my favourite room, I think. It just feels cosier than anywhere else."

He smiles and glances around the place. "It's my favourite as well."

"Huh. I'd have thought it would've been the lounge."

Kai shakes his head. "No, I mean, I don't mind any room here. But this one was the first one I planned and decorated. The best view, the most cosy place to read. I couldn't put a real fireplace in, but I think the artificial one works."

"Oh, I'll stop coming in—"

"Don't do that, Peach. You're fine whenever you want, however much you want. I kinda like the company around here. Anyway, now I'm used to you being here."

I arch an eyebrow. "It's been three days. Though, I must say, I kinda like the cottage. I thought it'd take me a long time to get used to the silence, but I'm enjoying it."

He smiles. "Good. The palace told me you'd put in a bunch of clothing orders and they agreed with it all for engagements. Did the lesson go okay?"

He's referring to the woman who came over yesterday to teach me all about the okays and no-gos for royal clothing. We picked the dress I'll be wearing tomorrow for the engagement announcement; a black flowy dress with an oversized red flower print. The material is a little stretchy in case I bloat in the morning, and the sleeves are short, called angel ruffle or something the stylist said. The dress goes down to my knees, and I've picked out high red shoes as well.

"Did you want to see the ring before we do the shoot later?" Kai asks.

I look at him seriously. "Are you not getting down on one knee?"

We both laugh. This afternoon, we have to dress up and take candid shots with someone to make it look like he proposed to me in private while we were in love.

"I can if you want me to, but I thought, given the circumstances, it might be a bit...strange. You'll see it later, anyway. The plan is to take the shots by the lake; I proposed to you there. I might even set up a couple of shots of me putting the ring on your finger."

I sigh and nod. "This is all so weird. I never thought I would get engaged not for real."

"Oh, this is real, we're just not in love, Peach. Though I can't deny I don't dislike the thought of being married to you."

My eyes roll. "Stop charming me, it doesn't work."

"Not even now we live together and will be going public tomorrow?" He's joking, but it still hurts. Somehow, the emotions are getting to me at the moment. I never wanted this to end up this way.

I've let Brayden go in my mind because that's the reality, especially with me being pregnant, but the idea that it's forced me into something like this is awful. How can you just pretend to love someone? It's not fair to me or him, or our child. But this is the way I chose it to be when I chose to keep this child; it was always going to be a possibility because of the DNA. There was always going to be drama, whether it be now, in eighteen years or in between. Kai and I chose this possibility when we decided to have sex without protection, and he decided to do this when he opened his mouth.

Was it worth it? I have no idea. The child is worth it, I know that much, but the rest of it? I don't know.

"The stylist told me to go smart-casual for this photo shoot, so I picked out some jeans that still fit and a blouse. It's designer, this tropical floral print thing in a yellow-green colour. It's elasticated too, so winner. But I thought it looked awful in the photo and then I tried it on and it's really nice. But I'm standing there wondering how my life choices made me stand in this cottage, choosing designer clothing to wear for any day of the week. Like, a week ago I was standing in Primark wondering if I could afford a whole new outfit before payday," I say with a small laugh.

"Welcome to the life of a royal. I mean, once the public is used to you, you can still wear stuff from there if you want, but it might mean they jack up their prices with, as seen on Duchess Mila kind of thing. The angle the public will probably like is that you're relatable – a girl from humble beginnings turned royal, you know?"

I roll my eyes. "That's the thing, I don't want an angle, Kai. I just wanna be a mum to our child, you know?"

"Do you remember when I told you on the phone that this is complicated? This is exactly why."

I nod and sip my tea. "Go, figure! Anyway, go on, then, show me the ring. You clearly want to. I can see you getting excited."

He laughs and grabs a ring box out of his pocket. "Just be careful with it. No dropping it into the tea or something."

I feign offence and giggle. "Don't! I was so embarrassed when I dropped the damn tea!"

"It's fine. I'm joking. But here."

Taking the box from his hand, I open it to find the ring. It's a silver ring with this massive pear-shaped diamond in the centre. On either side of the pear are smaller, yet still big diamonds, with tiny diamonds around the band. It's not the understated piece I thought I would get because of the situation – quite the opposite.

"So, the pear shape is honestly not a traditional royal ring – you'll get asked about it. Royal engagement rings tend to be big ovals or circle ones. I had this made a few years ago. The diamonds are from one of my grandmother's tiaras. They had a few of them deconstructed when she died, and I used these to make an engagement ring for when I wanted to marry someone," Kai explains. "Try it on."

I look across at him. He's got an excited and proud look on his face, so I say nothing and take the ring from the box. This feels all sorts of wrong because I'm not his One or anything, but I have to wear it later. I slip it onto my finger with ease. If anything, it's a little big, but I don't think it'll fall off.

I show him my hand. My nails were done yesterday in a French manicure style, and the diamonds sparkle in the light when I move my hand. Even from my angle, it looks gorgeous and when I move my hand to look at it myself, my breath hitches. These diamonds have been in a late queen's tiara, and before then I don't even know, but I can imagine the history behind them. Now they're on my finger to show my tie to the royal family.

"It looks amazing," Kai says. There's a sad tone in his voice. "I thought my ex, the one I told you about with the short dress, would've worn this, but turns out it wasn't meant to be."

"What happened with her?" I ask.

He sighs. "The media think it just fizzled out, but she didn't want the pressure of being a royal, and instead of working up the courage to break up with me, she got married to someone whilst in Las Vegas and then ghosted me after getting her best friend to tell me about it."

My eyes furrow. "What the hell? Why would someone do that?"

He shrugs. "I understand the pressure isn't for everyone. This is a very different life if you're not born into it and used to it. But what she did hurt. It was a year ago now."

My left hand reaches out and squeezes his arm. "I'm so sorry she did that. No one deserves that treatment."

His eyes meet mine, and there's sadness in them as if he's not over it still. It makes me want to hug him, but that would be inappropriate seeing as we're still sort of strangers.

We're two sides of the same coin. Both of us went through similar events with our exes, only to end up together, tangled in a web caused by one night to forget what we went through. Now we can't forget what we did because we have evidence left behind.

Somehow, we both – and our situation – remind me of snow. It's beautiful on the outside but once you get rid of that initial beauty, a sludgy and dangerous mess of ice and sludge is left behind.

"How long were you together?" I ask.

"A year," Kai says before shrugging. "How long were you and Brayden together?"

"A year and a half. He was the relative of someone I looked after in hospital. Gave me his number after his brother left hospital. My first proper boyfriend, but I was so in love with him," I admit. "Probably why I was so angry and wanted to make him jealous the night we met."

Kai laughs. "Honestly? Men work on jealousy. We don't want others to have what we want. He looked jealous that night, and if he hasn't contacted you, then he's a prat. Look at you. Though, might be a good thing now with what's going on. Hey, seeing you marry a prince will be the ultimate jealousy move."

"I think going through this has shown me Brayden isn't worth anything," I say.

"Good. He looked like an idiot, anyway. Anyway, I get you for myself, so it's a win in my book," he says and gives me a cheeky smile. He's flirting, and I hate it because my heart is pounding for it, desperate for the chemistry of that night to reignite.

"What's with the glasses, by the way?" I ask.

He chuckles. "I usually wear contacts anyway, just for reading or whatever. My eyes are hurting, though, so put these on. Need to get my eyes checked again."

"Fair enough," I say. "By the way, the ring is gorgeous. Are there rules for wearing it, like, do I take it off when in the house or something?"

Kai shakes his head. "There are no royal rules. It's up to you, it's your ring. The only thing I would ask is please don't wear it for things like swimming or extreme stuff if you ever do it. It is an extremely important piece to me as it's made from heirlooms, so please keep it safe. But like with anything, shit happens and accidents happen, so yeah. A pretty obvious rule is to wear it for the engagement photos and announcement."

I laugh. "Thought I might take it off for both, you know?"

Kai laughs and takes my hand to look at the ring again. "It suits you."

"Why did you give it to me if it's so precious to you?"

His eyes meet mine. "Despite the arrangement, this is precious to me, Peach. Our child is going to be loved by both of us and our families. All the engagement, marriage and whatever is – to me – irrelevant. This is more about the baby."

Part of me wants to melt, but the other half of me knows that for me, the marriage and the royal thing aren't irrelevant – it's very, very relevant to me. Yet, both of us know this baby is the most important thing.

"I'm honoured to have it," I admit. "Of course, I'll take care of it."

He smiles and lets my hand go. "Diamonds suit you, Peach. One of the most treasured diamonds in the world is in that ring. Definitely suits you."

He stands up and says nothing more. When he walks out the door, I'm finally able to breathe. He stole the breath from me with his words, and he knows it. The problem is, I cannot and will not let myself fall for him. To do that would be to accept what the royal family beyond Kai is doing; stealing my life and choice from me. This is a fake arrangement, and hell, once the public works out I'm just a clumsy, stupid normal woman, they'll realise I'm not royal material. Once the baby is born, I can arrange with Kai and go back to my normal life.

Finding love in a fake arrangement is ridiculous because this is all for show to put our baby first. Except he's making it hard already not to fall for him, and he knows he is. Maybe it's my hormones after all. 

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