Chapter Eighteen
"Alanna!"
Duke Roger caught Alanna as she collapsed in her arms
"I guess it was a bad time to mention she is pregnant" Duke Roger said out loud "Thom! Get in here!"
Thom came running in
"Alanna! What happened!"
"She's pregnant" Duke Roger said
THUMP!
Thom fainted
"I was going to ask him to get a healer"
just then Elspeth walked in
"Your grace, have you seen-What happened to Alanna? Is she alright?"
"She's pregnant…before you faint, please get a healer"
"Right…a healer, I'll be right back with a healer"
"If you run into Jon or someone like that, you might want to asked them to help you"
"Right"
Elspeth just stood there for a minute
"Could you please go get a healer now?"
"Oh, of course. I'll go get a healer now"
Elspeth walked off to the infirmary and brought the chief healer back. Alanna had woken up and was now sitting down in the chair behind Duke Roger's desk
"Duke Roger, what seems to be the problem?"
"My wife is pregnant"
"Oh, is that all? The way Lady Elspeth was carrying on, I thought someone was dying"
"She fainted"
"Wait…she fainted? It is usually the father who faints"
"Her brother fainted too if that makes you feel better"
"What about her father?"
"He is in Trebond"
"Ah… Your grace are you feeling alright?"
"I'm a bit dizzy" Alanna said
"That is to be expected after fainting"
"And maybe a little sick."
"Morning sickness"
"It's 6:00 at night"
"Yeah…it's a really bad name, but that is what it is called"
"So… I'm actually pregnant?"
"It would seem so, but I'm going to check, just to be certain"
"Els what are you doing here?"
"I wanted to tell you that… I think Jen might be in love! Oh, and I wanted to know if you knew where Alex is"
"Wait…Jen's in love!"
"Yep"
"We don't know where Alexander is by the way."
"Thanks Roger. Bye you guys"
(2 hours later)
Alanna was in her rooms writing a letter to her father
Dear Father,
Not too much has happened since you left. The only thing exciting was that today I fainted. Before you freak out, Thom fainted too. Now before you really freak out, we fainted because I found out I am pregnant.
Your Loving daughter,
Duchess Alanna of Conte
"Are you telling your father?" Roger asked as he walked in
"Yes"
"Please tell him I hope he won't faint"
"What if he does?"
"Then I would like to know why your family faints at the thought of a pregnancy"
PS. Roger asked me to ask you not to faint and if you do faint to answer this question…why does everyone in this family faint when someone is pregnant?"
Alanna turned to see Roger
"Happy?"
"Very"
"Good…hey, do you think the King and Queen know yet?"
"No. Definitely not"
"Why not?"
"They haven't come down congratulating us yet"
Just then, King Roald, Queen Lianne, Jon, Duke Garreth, Gary, and Jen walked in
"Now they know"
" Duchess Alanna! Congratulations!" Lianne said
"Oh Lanna, you are going to make such a good mother!"
"Have you figured out names yet?"
"Sure…congratulate the mother, I had nothing to do with it!" Roger said
"Don't take it personally Roger, it's a woman thing" King Roald said
"Yeah…if you think you're being ignored now, you better start praying it's a boy, girls get all the attention, especially when they are babies" Gary said "I should know, my sister had been one for 16 years"
Jennaya turned around with her hands on her hips "I heard that!"
"They are drama queens too" Jon whispered
"Excuse me Jonathon?" Queen Lianne demanded
"Not you mother, you are too dignified to be a drama queen"
"So your saying I can't be dramatic?"
"Mother, I wasn't-"
"Jon, just stop talking, that is the best thing for you" Duke Garreth said "You can't win a battle with my sister"
"I'm glad you finally figured that out Garreth" Lianne said "Does your son know it yet?"
"I wouldn't dream of fighting you Aunt Lianne, it would be treasonous"
"Alright, all of you men out! We need some woman time!" Jennaya said pushing Garry towards the door
"Go on, out!" Lianne said
Roald, Garreth, Garry, and Jon left
"You too Roger" Lianne said
"This is my room too" Roger said
"Roger, please?" Alanna said
"But…but…"
"Get use to it Roger" King Roald said
"Yeah, this won't be the last time you get kicked out of this room." Duke Garreth said "This will happen for the next nine months then for about a month after the baby is born"
"I have nothing to look forward to do I?"
"No" King Roald and Duke Garreth said
"Actually" Jon said "You get to look forward to late-night cravings, mood swings…"
"…Swollen ankles…" Garry added in
"…Oh, and Alanna is going to start calling herself fat in about 5 months. Then you will say 'of course you aren't fat dear'…"
"…and she'll say 'You're my husband! You have to say that!..."
"…then you will say 'no I don't'…"
"…then Alanna will say 'so you agree with me! I'm fat!..."
"…Then, if you're smart, you'll just walk away" Jon finished
"Then, when the baby comes, she'll blame you for putting her through all the pain…"
"…but don't say 'If I could have this baby for you, I would', that just makes them more upset…"
"…Then" Gary said "When the baby comes, Alanna will make you get up and help her with the baby when it cries in the middle of the night"
Roger paled "I don't think I want to be a father any longer"
"You should have thought about that before you got into bed with me that night!" Alanna snapped
"Ah, the first mood swing of the pregnancy" Gary said
"I…I might just go on a trip for the next nine months" Roger said
"You will do no such thing!" Alanna, Jen, and Lianne exclaimed
"You already think I'm fat! You want to get away from me and find someone thin and more gorgeous then me!"
"No, no, Alanna, you are beautiful" Roger said
"You have to say that!"
"No I don't"
"So you admit it! I'm fat!"
"No I don't…Jon! Gary! Your hand puppets aren't helping!"
The two men smiled
"Tomorrow, I'll wake up and you'll be far away!'
"He won't run Alanna, we won't let him" Lianne said
"You are beautiful Alanna"
"Really? I am?"
"I just said that!" Roger said
"I think you guys should just leave." Lianne said "You are just causing problems!"
"Roger is causing the problems!" Gary said
"Our hand puppets didn't help" Jon pointed out
"How did you two know about all of that anyway?" King Roald said
"Uh…" Jon said "I think I hear Alex calling…coming Garry?"
"Right behind you"
Jon and Garry ran out of the room
"Boys! Come back here!" Roald demanded
"Come on Roger, before you say something that gets something heavy thrown at you"
"But…but…"
"Come on, we are doing this for your safety"
"But…fine"
"Oh, Alanna, this might make you happy" Jen said
"What?"
"When you're pregnant, all the rules of anger management go right out the window"
"I…I…I don't have to watch my temper?"
"Nope" Lianne said "And, if you don't want to go to parties, you don't have too"
"YES!"
"Well, you have to go to the one in honor of your pregnancy, and the one in honor of the baby's birth"
"Damn"
"Yes…I felt the same way" Lianne said
"I just cursed…and I'm not being yelled at for it?"
"The power of pregnancy" Lianne said
"So…does this mean I don't have to leave?" Jen asked "Or do I still need to go to Tusaine?"
"Of course you have to go! You are getting married!"
"Plus, I will have already had my baby. You are not getting married for another year!"
"Will you be able to come to Tusain for the wedding?"
"I'd like to see someone try to stop me"
"What if you're pregnant again?"
"I'd like to see someone try to stop me"
"What if a healer orders you to stay off the roads?"
"So I get yelled at by a healer"
"What if Roger won't let you go?"
"I'd like to see him try to stop me"
"Don't worry Jen, Alanna will be there and so will Elspeth."
"I will?"
"Yes you will."
"Just checking, your majesty."