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"Are we certain we don't want to know?" Eloise asked, a playful quirk to her lips as she lay on the examination table, her hand finding Bernard's.
"Absolutely," he affirmed with a smile. "Let this be one surprise not dictated by crown or council."
The physician moved the sonogram device with practiced ease, and the static-filled room was suddenly filled with the rhythmic sound of a tiny heartbeat. It was a sound that transcended titles and territories, a simple declaration of life that united them.
"Strong and steady," the doctor remarked.
"Much like its parents," Bernard said as he squeezed Eloise's hand, both of them awestruck by the image before them. They shared a look that spoke volumes, forgetting for a moment that they weren’t just husband and wife, but instead king and queen.
As they left the physician’s quarters, stepping once more into the grandeur of their palace, it was with lighter hearts. This child, a symbol of their unity, would someday inherit not only a throne but the laughter and love upon which it was built.
BERNARD PACED THE LENGTH of the opulent receiving hall, his usual stoic demeanor abandoned for an almost childlike gleam in his eyes. Underneath the weighty gold of his crown, his hair was tousled—not from disregard but from the number of times he had raked a hand through it in barely contained excitement. The people present cast each other knowing glances, indulging in the rare sight of their sovereign so visibly unguarded.
"Darling," Bernard called out as Eloise entered the room, her own face alight with a soft radiance that only added to her charm. "Have you heard? They say there hasn't been such elation since our coronation!"
Eloise laughed, the sound like music in the vast chamber. "I believe they might be even more excited. After all, a baby brings hope, not just pomp and ceremony."
"True, very true!" Bernard exclaimed, sweeping her into his arms and spinning her around once, heedless of the stately surroundings or the amused whispers of the court. "Hope for our future...for Allenia's future." He leaned down and kissed her, ignoring their audience.
“And for Theron’s!”
Bernard's gaze softened. "Tomorrow," he continued, "we announce to the world the impending arrival of the next sovereign. Can you fathom it, my love? In four short months, our lives will change forever."
Eloise's hand came to rest upon her growing belly, her smile a tender curve of shared dreams and aspirations.
"Our child will be the symbol of unity, the heir to a throne stronger because it stands on the foundation of two nations." His fingers traced the line of her jaw gently as if she were a treasure.
"Tonight, then," Eloise suggested. "We draft the announcement, and by morning, all of Allenia will know of our news. Perhaps I should let my family know before the announcement is made."
They stood together, king and queen, partners in love and leadership, anticipating the following day when the palace would issue forth a proclamation that would echo throughout history. It was a declaration that the tiny heartbeat they'd heard, strong and steadfast, would carry forth the message of peace and unity between their kingdoms.
As they walked side by side, they knew they were crafting a future as bright and promising as the laughter of their soon-to-be-born child.
Epilogue
Eloise shifted gently in the soft armchair, cradling the bundle that had, mere hours ago, emerged to alter the course of their lives. The nursery, a haven of pastel hues and golden accents, was filled with the coos and gentle gurgles of the infant — sounds that were magical to her ears.
"Isn't she just exquisite?" Eloise murmured, her gaze never departing from her daughter. The baby's fingers curled around Eloise's own.
Bernard, standing beside her with a posture softened by awe, nodded, his throat tight with emotion. "More than words can capture," he agreed, the timbre of his voice imbued with a warmth that spread through the room like the first rays of dawn.
He leaned closer and pressed a soft kiss upon the baby's forehead. A crown rested askew on Bernard's head, a testament to his hasty departure from the council meeting as soon as he heard the news that his wife was in labor.
Their eyes met over the downy head of their child, and laughter danced in Eloise's sapphire eyes. "Do you think she'll inherit your knack for arriving just in the nick of time?" she teased.
"Or your impeccable sense of timing that keeps an entire kingdom on its toes?" Bernard quipped back.
WHISPERS OF SILK AND muted chuckles filled the royal nursery as a procession of nobles and cherished companions filed in, their expressions filled with the warmth of celebration.
"May her laughter be the music that guides your days," intoned Lady Marianne, an old friend of Eloise's mother, her eyes crinkling with mirth.
"May she inherit her father's wisdom and her mother's grace," offered Sir Geoffrey, an advisor to Bernard, his gaze twinkling beneath bushy brows.
Eloise, still cradling the infant, received each accolade with a nod and a smile. Bernard stood by her side, his hand resting lightly on the small of her back—a silent pillar of support.
A gentle hush descended as King Albert and Queen Beatrice approached, the gravity of their presence parting the crowd like a ship cutting through calm waters. Their faces, usually so composed in the face of duty, now revealed a different kind of sovereignty—one tempered by tenderness.
"Dearest daughter, and esteemed son," King Albert began. "This little one is part of two great nations, and she is what our countries need to completely heal old wounds."
