Hey everybody! First off, I want to apologize! Yesterday I uploaded the a chapter I'd written last year that I'd tweaked recently with the intention of uploading. I've gone back and replaced it with the right one, so please re-read the last chapter. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

It was nearly midnight when Henry finally made it to the bedroom he shared with his wife. He had expected her to be fast asleep but instead he found her sitting up in her favorite chair near the fireplace, an open book in her lap. Even in a nightgown, she was beautiful. She didn't look up when he entered and he wondered for a moment if she was ignoring him, but as he watched her he noticed her eyes were fixed on the page, completely unmoving.

"Danielle?" She snapped to attention at the sound of her name, turning her head toward the door where Henry still stood. She offered him a weak smile and shut her book.

"Are you all right?" he asked, crossing the room to join her near the fire.

"I don't know," she answered, turning the book over in her hands. "I've been thinking."

"About…?" She chewed her bottom lip. In all the time he had known her, he had never seen Danielle so uneasy. It was contagious. "Is it the baby?"

"No, the baby is fine. I was thinking about the future. I spoke with your mother earlier. I'm worried I won't make a good queen. I know the people accept me as their princess, I'm happy for it, but I'm not like your mother. The queen is all grace and light; I'm still rough."

Henry considered what she said. Danielle had been raised a farm girl, without the airs and refinement that should have been a part of her life since her birth. Her mother may not have been a countess, but her family had been prosperous. It wasn't until her father's second marriage to the vain and selfish Baroness that the family's fortune was swept away. Henry left his chair to kneel before her and gently kissed her fingers.

"This country could use some roughness, Danielle." When she quirked an eyebrow, he chuckled.

"What I mean is this: from the day we met, I knew you were different. Your spirit and belief in people drew me to you in a way I cannot describe. That same spirit draws people to you now. I know you are afraid of not being the queen people expect, but you don't have to be. You are perfect just as you are."

Danielle heaved a sigh. He was right, of course. She was still becoming accustomed to the life of royalty, but she was also making her mark among the people at court. As a figurehead for the country her husband would one day rule, she would have to learn to be graceful.

"Your mother offered to help me." she confessed, a blush creeping into her cheeks. Henry's mouth pulled up at the corner.

"Queen lessons, is it?" Danielle smiled at that and lightly smacked his shoulder. The book on her lap slipped to the floor, but she didn't mind. Henry pulled her carefully out of the chair. She sat before him on the carpet, leaning her back against his chest contentedly. With his hands resting on her full belly, he could feel the baby stir. He placed a little kiss on her cheek.

"You'll learn," he said softly. "And I have no doubt you will be a great queen and mother."

"I hope so. It's getting close to that time." Danielle rubbed a hand across her belly.

"How do you know?" Henry was all lost when it came to the baby.

"The baby is turning," she said. "I can feel it. See?" She guided his hand to the baby's head.

"It's lower than before. It used to be here," she said, moving his hand higher. "At the manor, when the cattle would have their babies the calf would start to shift close to being born. I can't imagine I'm much different."

Henry stroked the baby's head again, excitement filling up his chest. If Danielle was right, it wouldn't be long until he could touch the baby with his own hands and hold it in his arms as it slept. Becoming a father was the most exciting and daunting idea in the world. Being king of France would be nothing compared to being a good father to his child. The baby twitched under his hand and he smiled.

"I can't wait." he whispered. Danielle shifted a little in his arms, turning her head for a kiss.

"Neither can I. I'm so glad your mother doesn't believe in confinement." Henry laughed, his chest rumbling against her back.

"Indeed, I don't know if I could stand another day without you." This time, Danielle laughed.

"We haven't been apart since Paris!" she said, turning her head to look at him. He smiled and kissed her deeply.

"Exactly. And I don't want to repeat that experience anytime soon."

They spent the next few hours wrapped up together until the fire burned down to only a few glowing embers. By then, Danielle had fallen asleep in her husband's arms. He carried her into the bedroom and laid her gently between the sheets before slipping in beside her for a restful night's sleep.

R&R!