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“Why are you having second thoughts about our baby?”
I take a deep breath and sigh, lifting my eyes to his. “It just seems like everything is in such chaos. What makes us want to bring a child into this mess?”
His dark eyes soften as they hold mine, but he doesn’t answer immediately. I love that he doesn’t pat me on the head and tell me to stop being ridiculous. He takes my fears seriously.
“It’s our royal duty,” he finally says.
Now I’m frowning. “That’s your only reason?”
“No…” He touches the side of my cheek with his thumb, and I wait. “I’d also like to see what happens when we take half of you and mix it with half of me.”
My frown softens a little. “I have dreamed of our babies.” I remember my chubby, dark-haired daydreams.
“I expect we’ll have an overly analytical, extremely controlled little leader,” he says, and I sigh and nod. “Or a thief who steals cars and races them away.”
“Rowan!” I push his arm, ready to storm across the room.
He catches me around the waist. “Come here.” I’m still angry and resisting, but his voice turns serious. “Ava,” he says in that deep tone I love.
He takes my hand and leads me to the small couch near the window. “I do think about our children, and it is our royal duty, but it’s more than that.”
We sit facing each other, fingers laced. I look into his eyes, which are now completely serious. “Why, then?” I ask.
“It’s because I have faith.” He traces my hair away from my cheek with his finger. “We’re facing hard times and difficult choices right now, but we have faith that things will get better. We hope our child will continue our work of making the world a better place.”
Reaching up, I slide my palm over his hand. I didn’t think it was possible to love him more.
“That’s just what I said,” I whisper.
“I believe in you,” he says, leaning closer and kissing me gently. His words make me laugh away the mist in my eyes.
Sitting straighter, he looks around my small office. “We have not christened this room.”
My heart beats faster, and I slide my finger into a wave at the top of his collar. “Lock the door?”
Dark eyes consume me, and my skin feels hot all over. He stands and crosses the room just as my phone starts to ring. Going to the desk, I pick it up to see it’s Zelda on Skype.
“Zelda.” I look over at him doing a little frown.
“Take it,” he says, opening the door instead. “I’m sure they’re wondering why I walked out of our referendum meeting.”
I’m warmed in an entirely different way as I touch the accept button on my phone. “You walked out of your meeting to talk to me?” I give him a little smile.
He touches his lips with two fingers and holds them out to me. I kiss the air back.
“Helloooo?” Zelda cries from my telephone screen.
Rowan laughs and slips out the door, and I look down at my sister. She’s holding a golden-haired angel, and I squeal.
“Belle! How is my baby niece today? Are you eating Goldfish?”
She touches the screen with an adorable little finger and makes a noise that sounds a lot like Ava.
I squeal again. “Did she just say my name?”
“I called you the minute it happened,” Zee says. “I had no idea you’d be catching a nooner with the king.”
“It’s four o’clock,” I say, with a laugh. “We were just talking.”
