Yo! Told yous I'd be back . Hope you enjoy this chapter – please read and review xxx

AMERICA'S POV

I can't really remember the time between waking up and getting to the toilet, but I know it must have existed because I ended up sat at the white, porcelain bowl with a slight shiver underneath my thin night dress.

"America?" Maxon called. I hadn't meant to wake him and had hoped he'd sleep through it. He was going to catch on soon – I'd been sick every morning this week and was fairly sure I knew why, but I didn't want to tell him anything until my appointment that afternoon.

"Um. I'm fine!" I shouted back before throwing up into the toilet. "Don't come in!" I called as Maxon turned the knob and walked in. I sighed as his gaze fell upon me in a highly unattractive, and unladylike, position bent over the toilet.

"What's wrong, Darling?" Concern flooded his face and he soon had his arms wrapped around my shoulders in an embrace that was keeping a little of the chill off of me. How could he still love me when I looked like this?

"I've booked an appointment with Dr Ashlar for this afternoon. I'll tell you after that." I smiled and moved to stand. However, I stood up too quickly and the room began to spin, causing me to fall back into Maxon's arms.

"Come on. You're going back to bed. I'll see if the doctor can come and see you sooner but you aren't to leave this bed until he says it's ok." Maxon carried me back through and placed me on the bed, covering me in the thick duvet. "I'll come and check on you in a few hours. And don't worry about Shalom, I'm sure I can find someone in this palace to look after the future king!" He chuckled to himself before kissing me lightly on the forehead and then walking out the room to find the doctor, get dressed and then begin his day at work. Why did I ever think that the royals did nothing all day? Sometimes I thought he was busier than the sixes and sevens who had always seemed to do anything.

I soon fell asleep again for a short while, although it can't have been for more than an hour by the looks of the sun when Dr Ashlar walked into the room with his briefcase of medical equipment.

"Sorry if I disturbed you, your majesty, but King Maxon asked me to come and see you as soon as possible." He closed the door behind him and moved to shut the curtains on the far wall. He flicked a switch so that the room was filled with unnatural light that would also keep out prying eyes.

"Based on why you asked to see me, I have a feeling we both know what's going on." Before I could comment, he continued. "Don't worry, I have said nothing to Maxon, I assumed you would tell him when we are sure and you are ready."

"Thank you." I smiled.

"So the test is very quick and accurate so if you can just provide me with a urine sample." I nodded.

A couple of minutes later, I was once again sat on the bed again awaiting the results of the test, he handed me the small stick and allowed me to turn it over myself to reveal the two small blue lines to reveal that I was, in fact pregnant.

"It's positive." Dr Ashlar smiled. "By the way, your Majesty, I'm fairly sure I can hear someone waiting outside who will probably kill me if I don't tell him he can check on you himself soon, so I shall leave you to reveal the news to him."

"Thank you Doctor."

"It's my pleasure, your majesty." He bowed and left the room. The door hadn't even closed when Maxon came in and took the doctor's place. He rushed to the bedside and clasped my hand. He looked worried and I was fairly sure that Dr Ashlar was right – if I didn't tell him what was going on then both the doctor and I would be living very uncomfortable lives.

"Maxon." I smiled, with tears in my eyes and he sat next to me. He embraced me quickly and I used this as a way to tell him. "I'm pregnant." I whispered into his ear. "We're going to have another baby."

Maxon turned slightly and kissed my cheek, slowly working his way round to my mouth when he began to slowly kiss me. His kisses soon became hungrier and he pulled me closer into him.

"You know, Maxon." I said in between kisses, "I can't get pregnant again until this one's been born."

There was a knock at the door as our usual interruption and with one last long kiss, Maxon left the room again. He glanced back at me before the door closed and blew me a kiss. "I'll see you at dinner." He called.

I slowly stood up and dressed myself into one of my more relaxing day dresses. It was light blue in colour, knee-length, and – most importantly – involved no corset, just a simple zip on the back. I walked through to Shalom's nursery to relieve Marlee and Mary, whom Maxon had apparently enlisted to baby sit.

"Are you ok?" Asked Marlee as I picked up my baby from his cot.

"I'm absolutely perfect." I answered, and it was true.

Shalom was finally down for a nap when Maxon finally returned for dinner. We had taken to just eating in our room – what was the point in using the dining room which had once served almost forty people for only two of us? We sat out on the balcony and looked out over the gardens which were beautiful in the setting sun.

"So, I have news – a proposition." Maxon told me as he pulled my chair out. "We have the Italians coming for a week the day after tomorrow – as you probably know." It was a little bit of a joke. Of course I knew – I'd been planning this for about a month and Nicoletta and I were still pretty good friends. "But once they leave we're going to New Asia for a couple of weeks to properly sort out an alliance and a trade deal. So we can have proper peace in the country."

"Ok, that all sounds great. Why do you sound so worried about it?"

"Because, chances are they are going to want one of their children to marry one of ours to make it official. So, we have three options: say no outright and risk the alliance, agree to Shalom marrying one of the king's daughters which would obviously mean him not having a selection, or announce that we are having another child and essentially marry them off before we even know if it's a girl or a boy."

"I see the predicament." I paused, considering the best way to phrase it. "My heart says no. I want all of our children to marry for love – not for some alliance or even because of some tradition like the selection. It worked for us – yes – but what if Shalom doesn't love any of the girls in his? And I really want to keep this pregnancy between me, you, and the doctor for a while yet – especially with the trouble we had during my first." Pain filled my brain with the thought of my first pregnancy almost a year and a half ago. "Regardless, it seems wrong to marry off an unborn child."

"I agree." I was surprised by his agreement with me, I expected him to talk about the importance of tradition and alliances. And it was normal for royal children (especially princesses) who weren't the heir to be married off to forge alliances. "We were lucky. I almost sent you home in the first week, and then goodness knows what would have happened." Neither of us mentioned the high chance that he would have married Kriss. "No one would have been as good for me as you. And how can I send either of my children off to marry a complete stranger when neither of them are old enough to even have memories or comprehend the power and importance that they have." He paused. "Anyway, it's just a possibility, one that may not even happen as King Li's youngest has just turned twelve which is a big age gap. Chances are it won't even happen, I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page before we left. How are preparations for the Italians coming, anyway?" And with that change of topic I told him all about my plans and designs for parties and room arrangements, meetings and activities planning so we could all get to know each other a little better. From the sounds of things, Maxon and I would have achieved more alliances within the first two years of our rule than his father had managed in his thirty-year reign.

Whoop. Please review and tell me if you would prefer more fluff or more drama – I have plans for either and both. See you next time – Chescaannie xx