Another One-Shot ladies and gentleman! I hope you enjoy! You guys are awesome and give me mega inspiration! ILY ALL!

I had been in a meeting all morning with a Duchess from Spain. It was tedious work, and the Spanish insisted on having coffee after breakfast.

"Will your husband be able to take this matter to the King? We would love to have his support in this," I offered.

"Of course, your majesty! My brother-in-law has great respect for Illea. If it wasn't for the matter with his wife, you know he would be here," Mary gushed. Mary was the daughter of the King of England, married to the King of Spain's younger brother. She was a delightful girl, and she reminded me a lot of Marlee. I knew I would have no problem remembering her. Three years after marrying Maxon, and I still had trouble remembering the royal's names and ties. I had to get Queen Amberly or Maxon to remind me.

"Good. I'm sorry I have to leave you, but let's get together after lunch today. I overheard you telling the Queen you hadn't seen the gardens yet, and I would love to show them to you."

"That sounds wonderful!"

I took my leave, and once I made it out into the hallway, I ran to the nearest bathroom. For the second day in a row, I couldn't keep a single thing down. It was driving me absolutely crazy. I didn't feel that sick at all, other than the utter exhaustion that came with being sick over and over again. I walked over to the sink, rinsing out my mouth and splashing cool water on my face. I wondered if I had just gotten a virus.

Maxon had looked at me strangely this morning. I had barely touched my breakfast, which wasn't like me at all. It didn't matter how I felt today; we had dignitaries to attend to. The Prince of Spain, Alejandro Herrera, Duke of Madrid and his wife, Duchess Mary Herrera had come as a substitute for the King of Spain. His wife had gone into labor, and he was unable to make it. Alejandro and Mary were not much older than Maxon and me. It was nice, being around people our own age, but I knew how important this meeting was. We were trying to get Spain's support in opening a new production facility in Illea. Together, it would help the Spanish economy and improve the lives of the workforce here in our country. Maxon desperately wanted this to go through, and I couldn't bother him with me feeling ill. He would just be worrying about me, and I couldn't let that happen.

I walked out, putting the back of my hand to my forehead. I wasn't running a fever, but I felt clammy. I had a meeting with the Queen, but I really just wanted to lie down for a while. I didn't sleep well last night, and if it wasn't for my maids, I would have looked like a zombie. I bumped into someone, and gentle hands took hold of my arms.

"America!"

I steadied myself and looked up at Queen Amberly. A blush flooded my cheeks, but Amberly just smiled sweetly in response. That smile faded slightly, and she looked at me in concern. Her hand grasped mine, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Are you okay? You look unwell."

"Yes, I'm fine. Just feeling a little queasy this morning," I assured her.

"I had noticed you didn't eat much. Our meeting can wait until tomorrow. Why don't you go to the infirmary and see the doctor? I bet she can give you something for the nausea, and you will feel a lot better with some food on your stomach," she added kindly.

I gave her a small smile, and she wrapped her arms around me. I had grown to love Queen Amberly dearly. She was like a mother to me, and we had grown close since I married her son. She pulled back, placing her hand affectionately on my cheek.

"I can attend to the Duchess. You go to the doctor and get some rest. Part of being a Queen is learning to take care of oneself so others can be taken care of."

"Thank you," I said sincerely. She pointed to the stairs with a teasing glare, and I walked past her, making my way to the infirmary. I gently knocked on the door and eased myself in.

Dr. Madeline Wilson, a new female doctor, poked her head out of her office, worry on her face. She had come to work in the palace, after working overseas with our soldiers. Females were forbidden from combat, but she worked in the infirmaries. She was very kind and generous, and I loved having her here.

"Your highness, is something wrong?"

"I'm feeling a bit under the weather, Dr. Wilson."

"I told you that you can call me Madeline," she reminded me with a small smile. I laughed, and she grinned in response. I knew it irritated King Clarkson to no end how much the staff liked me, not that he would say anything. "What's wrong?"

She took my arm, leading me into her office. She showed me to a comfortable couch, and she went to her desk, pulling out her stethoscope.

"I've just been feeling a little nauseated for the past two days. I can't keep anything down," I explained. Madeline pressed the stethoscope against my chest, and she instructed me to lie down.

"Any other symptoms?"

"Just tired. I haven't been sleeping well."

She pressed down on my stomach, looking deep in thought.

"It may be just a stomach virus, but I would like to run some basic blood work on you to be safe. Would you like me to do it in here or just come into the lab?"

"I can come with you," I agreed with her. I still hadn't gotten use to completely being waited on hand and foot. My maids understood, but I didn't want to take advantage of any of the staff's kind nature. They were all wonderful people, and I hated having them strain themselves.

I followed Madeline into the lab, and she sat me in a chair. I rolled up my sleeve and looked away as she pressed the needle into my arm. She collected a few vials of blood and pulled the needle out of my arm.

"Put this on the spot and raise your arm in the air," she instructed me as she handed me a cotton ball. I did as she asked, and then she grabbed the vials and walked over to the machines. I watched her in fascination, wondering what all that technology did. She came back and began to place a bandage on the needle stick.

"How are you enjoying palace life?"

"It's been wonderful. A lot better than the New Asian jungles I assure you. It's not nearly as humid here, which is doing wonders for my hair," she laughed. She was super girly, which was unexpected from her line of work, and I greatly enjoyed talking to her.

"And how is your husband?"

Madeline had met a guard oversees, and they had grown close. When her tour ended, he promptly asked her to marry him. He was stationed here at the palace, and that is how Madeline had joined our staff.

"Lovely, as always," she said with a blush. A beeping sound filled the room, and Madeline turned, grabbing a print out from the machine. Her eyes widened slightly, but her face was perfectly blank.

"Well, you do not have a virus, but there is a reason for your nausea," she added with a small smile. "A little bug is causing it."

"What reason? A bug?"

"Your highness, you are pregnant."

I looked at her in shock, my jaw dropping. Maxon and I hadn't been trying to have kids. We had decided it would be best to wait until we were both older. Maxon was twenty-three, and I had just had my twenty-first birthday. Plus, we wanted all the business with the rebels to die down before we even thought about having small children. We had been using protection!

"Was this a surprise?"

I looked at the floor, nodding my head. I wasn't sure how to feel. My hand came to rest on my stomach, and I felt myself begin to shake.

"I don't have an ultrasound machine here, but I can get one delivered. Then, we can see how far along you are. You take vitamins already, correct?"

I nodded my head again. I couldn't even speak I was so shocked. Madeline grabbed my hand giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Blessings come in all sorts of forms, and after meeting the two of you, I know you will be wonderful parents," she assured me. She reached behind her, grabbing a small container. "These pills will help with the morning sickness. I know you have a lot to do today, but I recommend you eating something and getting some rest before you take on the rest of your duties. I can see you are a little overwhelmed, and that's okay. We can have the talk later. If you have any questions or concerns, you know where to find me."

"This needs to stay a secret. You will keep this confidential, correct?"

"I won't tell a soul, Princess America. And congratulations," she whispered lowly as she walked me to the front door. I heard her tell me goodbye and to get some rest, but all I could do was look at her with wide eyes.

I walked up to the third floor in a complete daze. The guard opened the door to my room, and I nodded my head at him. I climbed on top of my bed. I curled up into a ball, gripping the pillow tightly against me.

How could this happen?

It's not that we didn't want kids. I loved children, and I wanted to have many with Maxon. I was just worried. Was I too young to become a mother? Was Maxon? What if the rebel attacks increased again? We had come to an agreement with the northern rebels, but the southern rebels could not be satisfied. What if we went to war, and that came here?

I laid there in silence, and the worries started to fade from my mind. I began to wonder what the baby would look like. Would it have my blue eyes, or Maxon's warm brown ones? Would it have red or blonde hair? Would it be a tiny prince or a cute little princess? I could see Maxon chasing a little girl with red curls and brown eyes, both giggling in happiness. It made me smile, thinking of a little Maxon, a young prince with gorgeous blonde hair and my blue eyes. I rolled over, laughing to myself and lying on my back.

We were going to have a baby.

"America?"

Maxon's muffled voice was at the doors that lead to his room. He opened it, looking around for me. The minute he saw me, he rushed over, concern and worry on his face. Before I could even sit up, he was there beside me, pulling me into his arms. His scent, one I thought I would never forget, comforted me in a way nothing else could.

"Mom said you weren't feeling well," he whispered as he pulled back to examine me. He looked me over, and I grinned at his over protectiveness. Since that whole mess with his father, it had gotten worse, but I loved him for it. He treated me like a porcelain doll, but it made me feel loved and cherished.

"I'm fine, just been feeling a little nauseated."

"Have you been to see Dr. Wilson? Was she able to give you answers? Have you been able to keep anything down? Why didn't you tell me!?"

I knew he was feeling anxious, so I leaned forward, placing my lips softly against his. As I pulled back, the tension in his posture eased slightly.

"One at a time, dear," I reminded him gently. "Yes, I've been to see her, and yes, I got a diagnosis. She gave me some medicine, so while I waited for it to kick in, I was going to rest. And I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry."

"America, I always worry about you, every minute of every day. I love you."

He words rang with sincerity, and my heart melted for it. Maxon never failed at making me feel like I was the most important thing in his life. I gestured for him to come lay with me as I moved over on the bed, and Maxon climbed on, dragging me over to him with an exasperated sigh. I shook my head and rested my head on his stomach as he leaned back into the pillows. His hand was softly tracing patterns on my back, making me feel relaxed and loved.

"What did the doctor say?" he asked as he reached for my free hand with his.

"Well," I said, feeling inspiring by Madeline's words. "I've got a bug."

"Like a virus? Is it contagious!?"

"No," I assured him. "It's not contagious." I felt him tense under me. I didn't dare look up yet. I could just picture that confused pout he got when he was thinking. He would bite on his lower lip, his eyes narrowed in contemplation.

"Like a parasite?"

"It could be considered one, I suppose," I said teasingly. Maxon shifted out from underneath me, facing me on the bed. Our positions mirrored each other, both curled up on our sides in the bed.

"America, I have been freaking out since my mother told me. Please don't tease me. If something ever happened to you," he whispered as he brushed my hair from my face.

"Maxon, I'm fine. A lot of things are going to change, but not yet," I said with an excited smile. Maxon looked completely lost at the turn of events.

"Not yet?"

"Well, in about nine months things will change," I finally admitted.

He looked at me in confusion, his eyebrows practically meeting together on his forehead.

"What's going to happen in nine months? Do you have to have surgery or something!?"

I rolled my eyes. Maxon had a habit for missing the obvious. I took his face in my hands forcing him to look into my eyes.

"Maxon, my sweet, loving, obtuse husband, what tiny things usually come after nine months of waiting?"

I watched the confusion increase, and then a light of realization began to dawn in his eyes. His lips were mouthing words, putting the pieces of the puzzle I had given him together. His jaw finally dropped open, wonder and shock on his face.

"Baby?" he said in a slightly squeaky tone. I nodded my head, a huge smile on my face.

"We're having a baby."

Maxon let out a loud, joy filled laugh. He launched himself at me, kissing me fiercely. I could feel his excitement and elation, even the huge grin he couldn't get rid of as he kissed me. He straddled my hips, looking down at me in wonder. One of his hands to came to rest on my stomach, and I swear there were tears in his eyes.

"There's a tiny person in here!?"

"Yes," I sighed.

"Is it a boy or a girl? Have you found out?"

"I don't know yet, you don't find that out until later! It's tiny now, and it has to be big enough to see," I acknowledged. "I think you can find out in the fourth or fifth month."

Maxon lay back down beside me, the wonder and excitement starting to fade slightly into a worried expression.

"What if I am a bad father?"

"Maxon Calix Schreave, you are a wonderful man. You are full of compassion and kindness. You are patient and wise, and when you take over, you will be the best King Illea has ever seen. You have loved me more than I thought possible and gave me a second chance when I did not deserve it. I'm not only honored to have you as my husband, but as the future father of my children. You will be a wonderful father, no matter what your past is like."

"You truly believe that?" he stuttered.

"Of course I do. Maxon, I love you, and I have no doubt in that."

"You believe in me even when I don't believe in myself," he muttered.

"When you can't see it, I will always be there to remind you," I whispered. It was a line from our wedding vows. While we had said the traditional ones, we wrote some personal ones as well. Maxon was so brilliant and kind, and he didn't see it. He was such a wonderful person, and I had made a promise to always remind him of that.

"You are going to be the best mother," he whispered as he kissed my forehead. The excitement and wonder had come back into his eyes, and he squeezed my hands.

"Can we go tell my mother?"

I nodded my head, and he jumped out of bed. I crawled off the opposite side, and just as I got my balance, Maxon had picked me up in his arms. I squealed in surprise and delight as he spun us both around in a circle. He put me down, his cheeks flushed with excitement. He kissed me, sweetly and reverently.

"We're going to have a baby!"

I laughed, and he grabbed my hand, practically pulling me out of the room. He stopped once we had made it out, and the guard, Officer Jenkins, looked at us with a smile.

"Did you hear any of that?" Maxon questioned with authority.

"No, your highness, but if I did, I might say congratulations."

"And I might say thank you," he said earnestly.

I grinned at Officer Jenkins, and he dipped his head. Maxon dragged me off to his mother's office, a huge grin on his face.

It looked like I would get my meeting with the Queen after all.

TADA. I hope you liked it, and I think we will have more baby goodness coming up!

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