─── ♔♔♔ ───

His words are like when you reach the end of your cup of tea only to realise the tea bag exploded and there are so many bits in the bottom. Annoying and gross, that's it. Definitely makes you wanna spit it out, too.

Come out as a couple, get engaged and raise this baby as a royal.

"But we're not a couple. That's the whole point of what we're doing here. This pregnancy was accidental. We're not even—it was a one-night stand. I don't understand why we would come out as a couple when we aren't one," I mutter. My brain knows what he's talking about, though I just don't want to face it.

"I know, Peach. But people will find out, and as I said, reputations will be burned. As fifth in line to the throne, I cannot let that happen. I'm not allowed to let that happen."

I cock my head. "Hold on a minute, so you're telling me I have to marry you?"

He nods and looks at the older-looking guy. The white-haired guy nods.

"So, here's what we're proposing. You'll move to Frogmore Cottage with me in Windsor and we'll sort of allow ourselves to be seen out together a few times before announcing we're a couple, just before the right time to announce the pregnancy and engagement. When people ask, we'll say we've been together six months, and I proposed as we found out you were expecting. There'll be a little bit of raised eyebrows, but we also mention we knew each other a while before getting together."

I glance between Kai and the white-haired guy in utter confusion. This is more than an exploded tea bag in the middle of a cup, this is more than an accidental pregnancy from a one-night stand. It is purely ridiculous.

This is the shit of fiction, not real life. No one just gets a visit from a real-life prince and gets told they have to get married.

"If people are going to raise their eyebrows at this story, then what's the harm in telling the truth?" I question.

"Having a royal child out in the world and not in the royal family is not the done thing, Peach," Kai says. "My parents will not allow it. The public would crucify me more than they already have. This would also put to bed the wild rumours about my drinking and behaviour recently."

"So you're bowing down to this guy who is blackmailing you?" I demand.

"It's not quite like that. The family cannot get involved with things like blackmail. As Prince Kai's lawyer, I can't do anything until this is sorted out because it would come out in the press," the white-haired guy says.

"Surely you just shove them with the cease and desist or whatever."

He shakes his head. "If I do that, they go to the press with your news. So this is a chance for you and His Royal Highness to do this your way, and then I can act afterwards."

I shake my head and turn away. Not only do I feel sick thanks to hormones, but I now feel sick, like I've been put in a blender and turned on. I'm whirling round and round because I can feel like my life is about to uproot even more than it was half an hour ago. Turns out being pregnant is probably the least of my issues right now, and that's a massive life change.

Kai sighs. "We will have to rush a wedding—"

"You're not serious?" I interrupt him.

"I am serious, Mila, yes. We'll have to get married before the baby is born. Then we'll have to raise the child as a royal. That involves private school, college, and university. It'll be a life where they won't want for anything. I know it's not the life you wanted our child to have, but this is the one we have to give it now."

I blink at the other two men in the room. "Can we have five minutes?"

"I'm afraid I can't—"

"Give us five minutes, George, please," Kai interrupts his lawyer. "I won't make any decisions in your absence."

The two of them nod and retreat into the kitchen where I point.

"Peach—"

"You told me I could have this choice, and then you go and tell your parents?" I demand.

"It wasn't that; the blackmail thing broke them. My mother would've kept the secret," Kai says. "This isn't ideal for me, either, Peach. I'm not enamoured with the life of a royal either."

"Then leave. Sure, you're royal by blood, but you can live a life away, can't you? You're fifth in line to the throne. It's not like you're your sister."

He shrugs. "I can't just do that. It doesn't work like that."

"Right, but what happens to my flat, my job, my family? This started because I wanted my ex-boyfriend back and now I'm pregnant with a royal baby and being told I have to become a princess? This isn't Disney, Kai! I need money, I need a home, and I have a family who are excited by this baby!"

He sighs and paces the floor. "I'm aware this is a massive life—no, scratch that, I don't know how you must feel, but I can imagine this is a massive thing for you. It's not Disney, no. Being a royal is hard work, it's much more like being a celebrity than people think. It's making sure you don't do what I've been doing at all times, it's fake smiles and nice clothes. Being a working royal is damage control and being impartial about politics, being posh all the time, garden parties with people and always being the butt of hatred with people who hate the monarchy."

"You're really making me want to punch you now," I warn. "But I will not punch you in case your lawyer is listening."

Kai laughs. "I will work out what happens with your family, but the press will come after them, so we will find them a nice house with security detail. You would not be working anymore; your job would be a working royal. We'd sell your flat or whatever you do with it. I'm sorry it's turned out like this, Peach, I really am. I did—I was serious when I said I wanted to date you, but it... life doesn't turn out the way people want, ever."

"Yeah, you're telling me." I scoff. "Look, I'm a nurse. I know a little bit about stuff. What happens if I go along with your plan, we get married and the worst happens? Let's face facts here: one in four pregnancies end in miscarriage. I've seen the heartbeat which lowers that risk, but no point in pregnancy is ever safe."

He stares at me for a full ten seconds in silence. Did no one think about this point at all, I wonder. It's a horrible thing to think about, and something I don't want to happen, but it's the reality of life – or rather growing life – that needs to be thought about, especially in this situation where they're talking about marrying me off, making me give up my home and thrusting me into royal life without a care for anything else.

"I don't know, we would work it out if that – God forbid – happens. If you're thinking I'll just leave you high and dry if things go wrong, you'd be wrong, Peach. Should something ever happen and you need to return to your life before royalty, we'll all make sure you're not just dropped back."

"So, is the plan to divorce me once the child is born, or once it's eighteen or something? This fake marriage is going to last how long? What about the money you've already given me?"

He smirks, but I'm not quite sure what he thinks is funny here. "This will last forever, till death do us part. Unless something awful happens, you know? It might not be the date and courting we were thinking of, but you know. The money doesn't matter. All your savings and that kind of thing will remain yours, but you'll be using royal money as soon as you move."

I roll my eyes. "Personally, I don't like the idea of marrying anyone because I got pregnant, Kai. That's not how life works. Yeah, you're attractive and in another life where we used protection and not conceived a child, I'd have been interested. But you're from another world to me, and not giving me the choice doesn't really scream romance, does it?"

He stops grinning at that. "You have a point. I suppose I'm used to this idea where romance doesn't have much of a part to play. I had to get my father's permission to do this. The first six in line to the throne have to seek permission to marry."

"Your parents haven't even met me!"

He shrugs. "The circumstances don't allow for that."

"It's funny, when I was younger, I wanted to be Cinderella. Rags to riches, marries Prince Charming and becomes a Princess. But I never thought of it like this. Not like this."

"Real life isn't as glamorous as people make out. Trust me on that, Peach. We can make something good out of this, though."

"So you're telling me I don't have a choice? I have to marry you and pretend to be the love of your life and raise our child in a royal family, despite how we planned this out?"

"Oh, you have a choice, Peach. But if you want to bring yourself down, along with your family, our child, and the British monarchy in one fell swoop, then choose to do this on your own."

I sigh and turn around for a second. On the bookshelf, along with my ridiculous amounts of books, are various photos from growing up. There are photos of me with my mum and dad when I was eight. They took me to Disneyland Paris for my birthday. In the photo, all three of us are standing with Cinderella and Prince Charming. I'm dressed in Cinderella's dress with Minnie Mouse ears on and a plastic wand. Mum and Dad are dressed casually but with matching Minnie ears. That holiday was the last we had with Mum alive, and I remember at that age wanting nothing more than to be Cinderella.

There is no choice anymore. It sucks.

I turn back to him. "Don't bullshit me, Kai, your lawyer is here to make sure I say yes to this! I guess I'll be turning into a princess!"

Kai sighs. "Technically, you won't have the title of princess. Legally, you'll be Princess Kai Abbott, but our official titles will change upon marriage to Duke and Duchess of wherever my father decides. He's thinking about Duke and Duchess of Hampshire because that's where you come from."

This is too much. A Duchess? I'll take his whole name?

"That is unless my father changes the law to allow you to be a princess. You'll also have to take the Abbott name legally, but if you want to in the press be named informally Mila Kennedy, you can do that."

A sigh escapes my mouth. "This is—Kai, how?"

He chuckles. "You really want to repeat?"

"As I said, you're still attractive, but the fact you just came in here and told me I have to marry you puts me off sleeping with you."

His face looks like he's wounded, but I can't be anything less than honest.

"This literally started because I wanted Brayden back. Now I'm—I've said this already! How the hell is this even going to happen?"

Kai sits back down. "I'll help you move—"

"A prince? Real life prince helping me move?" I arch an eyebrow.

He shrugs. "What better way to spend my free days than getting to know my fiancée than helping her move, especially because she's pregnant. It shouldn't take long, anyway."

I cock my head. "This is moving fast."

"You'll have to give in your notice to work. The lawyer can write up a formal thing getting you out of working your notice period. Pregnancy and becoming a working member of the royal family are all it needs. He can sort out the flat issue here, too. As for your family, me, you and the lawyer will visit them once this place is packed up and explain what's happening—"

"They know you're the father."

Kai nods. "I thought you may have. Not an issue. We can tell them the truth."

"This is crazy," I repeat.

Kai nods. "I know, and I'm sorry that this is the way it's turning out. The reputation of the monarchy is everything, though. Royalty is the backbone of everything; tourism, reputation, politics—"

"But you guys stay out of politics."

He chuckles. "You have a lot to learn. We stay out of having an opinion, but everything goes through us. It's funny, really, the government can do what it likes, but they have to okay it with us, but in reality, if the king or queen says no, it brings in bias and opinion. It's a very delicate balance. Our work is mainly for charity and public engagements. Which is what we'll be commencing on next week."

I sigh. "Kai, I'm a nurse from a normal family. I don't have nice dresses and done up nails or a nice body. This is way out of my zone."

"Which is why we'll sort it all out for you. Look, forget public engagements and marriage for now. Let's focus the next few days on moving you in with me and getting to know each other," Kai says.

I look into his eyes. They remind me of caramel in autumn – the best thing ever in the best season ever.

But then I remember he's forcing me out of my normal life into this new world of royalty and being watched everywhere I go.

If this is my life, though, I better at least try to make it okay, because though this child won't have a choice, I can at least make sure it's given a good chance in life to be secure and better than I was. Mum and Dad always made sure I was rich in love, but for the first seven years of my life, we were in debt, a small house that they could barely afford. I had second-hand clothes, and they were always worried about food and shelter. It was only when I turned eight that my grandad left them a large sum of money after he died they could afford anything. While it never made me feel awful or sad, I know I would like my child to be secure in life.

If that means I have to do this, then I have to do this. I could at least try to make the best of it.

"Yeah, okay," I say eventually. "I need some time to get my head around this, but let's get on with it, shall we?"

Kai smiles and nods. "I guess it would be inappropriate to get down on one knee?"

I arch an eyebrow, but then the idea makes me laugh. "Don't push your luck."

─── ♔♔♔ ───