I awake atop a bed with an infinite number of pillows and blankets. I groan and push them off, sit up, and expect Tobias' husky voice to tell me not to sit up.

But he's not here. No one is.

Now I'm curious. I push the blankets off my body for good this time and decide to get up. On the nightstand next to me is a clipboard with scribbled writing on it; most likely Nurse Cara's notes. I glance over them quickly, my eyes focusing only on one word towards the bottom: primigravida. I look over the rest of Cara's notes and only one idea comes to mind; I'm pregnant.

"No. No, no, oh no, I can't be...pregnant." The words taste like poison on my tongue, even though I am only talking to myself. I want to cry myself to sleep, but I can't find the tears in my heart.

I rub my eyelids and try to blink away the tears that just now are forming. As I get up, the throbbing, dizzy feeling in my head goes away and I take a minute to look over myself in the mirror positioned on the wall opposite me. My eyes, far too big and round for my face, are a contrast to my long nose. While the rest of myself looks sickeningly pale, my skinny cheeks are flushed with color. I put a cold hand over my forehead and feel a slight fever. Suddenly, I feel cold. I wrap my arms around myself and notice how my cream nightgown only emphasizes my rail-thin body.

A trembling feeling overcomes me and I fall back onto the bed, not saying a word. I look nothing like the bride I was two weeks ago. What does Tobias see in me?

I shakily set the clipboard down and lie back on the bed, my head spinning out of control. I need to talk to someone.

"Here you go," Tori says. She hands me a steaming mug that smells like peppermint. I hold it with both hands, my fingers prickling with warmth.

She sits down across from me. When it comes to Eaton, news travels around fast. Tori said they want to acknowledge things as soon as they happen. The servant quarters are crawling with people, but since lunch isn't scheduled for two more hours, the kitchen is empty. I don't know why that surprises me.

At home, pregnancy is celebrated. But for some reason, I feel like a disgrace here.

"Drink it," Tori says gently. "It will make you feel better, I promise."

"I don't think tea is the solution," I say slowly. But I sip it anyway. It warms my mouth and my throat and trickles into my stomach. I didn't remember how cold I was until I wasn't anymore.

"'Better is the word I used. Not 'good.'" She smiles at me, but the corners of her eyes don't crinkle like they usually do. "I don't know how soon 'good' will come."

I bite my lip, suddenly remembering ten years ago when she had a miscarriage. "How long..." I struggle for the right words. "How long did it take for you to be okay again, after, you know..."

"Don't know." She shakes her head. "Some days I feel like I'm still not okay. Some days I feel fine. Happy, even. Bud helps, though."

"Did you ever think about having more kids?" I ask.

Her eyes go vacant as she stares at the wall behind me. She taps her finger against her leg for a few seconds and then says, "I don't think I could put Bud and myself through the stress again. But maybe I'm just waiting for the right moment."

Horror flashes over my eyes and Tori clutches my hand gently. "Oh, Beatrice," she whispers. "I didn't mean to scare you." Tori isn't usually this vulnerable. I wonder what it was like for her to lose a child as well as a brother.

I shake the thought away as Tori takes a sip of her tea. "You'll be fine," she says. "You're a young, healthy girl, and Prince Tobias will help you."

She comes out of her daze and checks her watch. "Time to go," she says. "They must be wondering where you are."

I nod. "Thanks for the tea."

Tori opens her arms out to me. She's always been so protective of me, and I'm glad she followed me to Eaton.

A few minutes later, I tiptoe my way back up the stairwell, running my hand over the mosaics that pattern the walls. But I stop when I hear voices.

"Where could she have gone?" a voice none other than Tobias' asks. "What if she's been kidnapped again? I would never be able to live with myself if she was put through that!"

I clamp a cold hand over my mouth and try to steady my pacing heart.

Someone says something back and I peek my head into the hallway. Tobias is yelling at Max and Edward, talking about how vulnerable I am and how they were supposed to watch the door. But they must have changed shifts when I snuck out.

I suck in a breath, as mad as can be at Tobias for saying mentioning that I am vulnerable; I'm just as strong as anyone, so I lift my head up. I sigh annoyingly and slip away from the scene, before Tobias can spot me.

I wake up groggily to a pounding on the door. Since I found Tobias stressing over my 'disappearance', I came back to the room he and Cara have boarded me up in.

"Come in," I murmur.

Bad idea, Beatrice. My maids pour in through the door and swarm over me like flock of seagulls on the beach. "Miss!" they exclaim. "We heard what happened!" "We're soooo worried!" "How are you feeling?"

"Wait," I say, silencing them. "Where's Shauna?"

"Haven't you heard?" Marlene says. She looks at me and my confused look oddly and takes my hand. "Shauna's more pregnant than we thought. She hid her baby bump for a while, and now she's in labor early."

I shoot up. "What do you mean, in labor early?"

Christina gently pushes me back down. She strokes my hair and smiles. "It's nothing to worry about," she says. "Shauna's baby is just seven months conceived and now it's ready to come out."

"Do you want any soup?" Marlene asks, being the sweetheart she is. "You need to eat, miss."

I nod. "Please."

Marlene walks out, only to burst in with Lynn a minute later. "Come quick!" Lynn says through a heavy breath. "Shauna's just given birth!"

Christina shoots out of her chair and stretches an arm out to help me. I shake her away and get up myself, noticing a vague pain in my lower back. I shake it away and follow after my maids and Lynn.

A minute later, we walk into the palace Infirmary. We rush up to Shauna's bed as soon as we see her. Zeke, Hector, Uriah, and Shauna's mother and huddled around Shauna. Lynn walks up to them and they whisper before parting before me.

"Shauna," I grin. "I'm so happy for you." She's clutching a small baby swaddled in a pink cloth to her chest and Zeke has a protective arm around his fiance.

Shauna holds her baby out. "Would you like to hold her?" she asks.

I nod eagerly and Shauna places the baby in my arms.

"Have you named her?" I ask.

Shauna shakes her head and looks up at Zeke. "Actually," he says. "We were hoping you would do us the honor of naming her."

I rock the baby girl in my hands, thinking that in nine months, I'll have a baby of my own. "Kiera..." I say at last. Then I smile. "She looks like a Kiera, doesn't she?"

Everyone in front of me nods.

"Shauna," I say, passing her baby back to her. "Was it hard? Having a child, I mean."

Shauna shrugs. "Yeah," she says, vaguely out of breath. "The labor's the worst." She grins up at me. "But you're strong. You'll do fine."

"I hope so," I say with a smile back.

Small chat goes on throughout the room, mostly Christina and Marlene cooing over Shauna's baby. I take a seat when Shauna's mom tells me to and rest my eyes. Everyone stops talking suddenly and my eyes open wide.

In front of Shauna, Zeke is on one knee. "Shauna," he says quietly. "Love of my life, will you marry me?"

Shauna puts a hand over her mouth and nods eagerly. Her mother takes Kiera from her and Shauna and Zeke engulf each other in a hug. Uriah whacks Zeke when he and his fiance pull apart.

"Get a room, man," Uriah tells his brother. Then he breaks out in a huge grin and hugs Zeke so tight I'm afraid both of Prior's chefs will explode.

A few minutes later, I clutch my stomach, tired. "I'm going to head up to my room now," I say, after hugging both Shauna and Zeke tightly.

I take the stairs slowly, this time deciding to go back to Tobias' and my room. I take a deep breath and knock.

Tobias opens it after a minute. His gaze falls to the floor and he adjusts his tie.

I clear my throat awkwardly. Tobias looks up at me. "Sorry," he mumbles.

I hug him tight, oh so tight that I'm afraid I'll crush him. We back away at the same time and Tobias' lips crash into mine. "I was so worried," he whispers into my lips. He pulls me into our room and closes the door behind us. Tobias picks me up and we fall against the wall kissing. I sigh into the kiss and smile.

When we break away from the kiss, Tobias grins at me. He runs a hand through my hair and cradles my face in his hands. "We'll be alright," he says. "I was so nervous this morning, but I'm happy that we'll have a child together."

Not just an heir; a child.

If this isn't true love, I don't know what is.

{Author's Note}

Hey guys...

So I've decided not to change the rating to M because there's not really anything more mature than what I've already written. If you're okay with that and liked this chapter, I happily urge y'all to write a review.

And remember, I'm not Veronica Roth! I don't own the Divergent Trilogy, and I'm surely not as good a writer as her. Hopefully I will be someday! (:

Next chapter is coming soon! Thanks for all the love and support! I got eighteen reviews last chapter. Wow! Thanks *insert kissy face emoji* DFTBA!

Love you all,

Lola Prior (: