Josephine

I wake up after a rather short night. Yesterday was eventful, to say the least. I lift my head off the soft pillows and roll over only to see the bedside next to me empty. My husband is already awake. I stretch my limbs and feel how sore my body is from last night. Edward's grip around my wrist was tight, but my husband's hands around my wrists were even tighter when he fucked me the whole night. I wish we would have christened our special room, but I was fine with that as well. Oliver wanted to fuck the memory of my meeting with my ex last night out of me and I allowed it to happen... again... and again... until we fell asleep.

I let out a satisfied sigh. This is the best way to wake up. Well, the second best way since I wouldn't mind continuing what we started last night. We haven't properly fucked since 11 long weeks, so we have a lot to make up for.

I notice the sound of the running shower that starts filling my ears, so I decide to get up and follow the noise. I walk through our master bedroom, feeling the soft light beige coloured carpet until I can feel it the white marbled tiles of the master bathroom that are heated from the floor heating. I absolutely love the skylight above me but my focus is on the shower and my husband in it across me. After I reach it, I open the door of the shower and get in. I stare at my husband's glorious backside for a moment. The steam is filling the whole shower, my husband likes to shower quite hot and so do I. I wrap my arms around his torso and let my fingers wander down his abs. "Good morning, husband."

His hands stop mine just as I'm about to reach his cock. He lifts my hands off of his body before turning around. The grin on his face is why I wake up every morning. "Good morning, wife." He whispers back to me before kissing me. I return his kiss and feel how he softly pushes me back until my body hits the cold tiled marble wall. The body splashes are digging into my backside but I really couldn't care less. Our tongues are dancing a tango in these early morning hours.

After minutes, my husband lets go first, leaving me totally breathless.

"How is the wrist?" My husband's eyes are glowing in a sea foam colour. It's so addictive!

"Better."

His hand carefully grabs my right wrist and he examines it. By this morning the bruise has turned from scarlet red to plum purple. When he touches it, I wince from the slight pressure that feels massive. I don't know what feels worse: the pain or the memory.

"I'm going to kill this motherfucker!" He hisses in Brazilian Portuguese.

Sadly, that's a threat he will never turn into reality. "I'm okay." I insist.

His pine green eyes find mine, "He hurt you."

"He's trying to hurt you by hurting me." I breathe out. "It's part of his game and it looks like he is winning."

"I will stop him."

"No, we will." Somehow. Someday. I sigh, "I wanted morning sex, not morning quarrels."

"That's hardly a quarrel. It's a lively debate." He disagrees with me. "And morning sex is still very much on the table."

My hands move down his abs and I can feel his long but soft cock. "There's a part of you that thinks otherwise."

"Maybe he needs some motivation."

I grin, before going down on my knees. He is the only man that has ever brought me on my knees. The bathroom tiles are hard and uncomfortable against my knees but there's nowhere I'd rather be. Pleasing him, is pleasing me and vice versa.

Oliver's eyes darken and he grabs his base, getting ready to shove it into my mouth. "Fuck…" His hands grab the back of my head and he slowly inserts his length across my tongue. He aims his cock for the back of my throat then moves inside. His fingers dig into my scalp as he stands tall above me, conquering me.

There's no one else in this world that has ever conquered me.

I can feel his tip hitting the back of my throat, but I don't allow myself to gag. I can taste him immediately, soap mixed with his arousal. I crane my neck and take his length over and over, taking my time so I can get used to the fullness in my throat. I play with my boobs as I move, licking his base to the tip and then down again.

He closes his eyes for a second as he enjoys it, his fingers moving to my shoulders for balance. I start moving quicker, wanting to give him more. But the more I move, the more I enjoy it. I like the way tears pool in my eyes because he is so big. I love the way my throat hurts because he is so long. I love the way he continues to ooze in my mouth with pre-come. I love the way his desire burns in his eyes as he wants more of me.

We thrive on each other's pleasures.

We thrive on each other.

"Look at me." His Brazilian Portuguese demand echoes through the bathroom.

My gaze moves up to his eyes as I keep going. The look in his eyes turns me on even more.

"You're so beautiful."

And horny. Insanely horny.

His large hand cups my cheeks as he continues to thrust into me, hitting my throat harder than before. Tears drop from the corners of my eyes, and he wipes one away with the pad of his thumb. I like it rough and he knows it.

He moans again as he pounds into my mouth, fucking me aggressively and stretching out my throat. Just before he is about to burst, he pulls his cock out of my mouth. "Up."

I rise from the floor and feel how all my worries leave my mind. The look in his eyes... this tone in his voice... that prickling atmosphere... Nothing but him, but this... but us, matters to me. He's starting to dominate me and I can't wait for the real fun to begin. Once we're back in our special room, I'll show him his dark side and he will love it.

I move to kiss him but he picks me up and presses my back against the wall as he starts to fuck me even harder.

He will bloody love his dark side.

My brother's whistle echoes in my living room as his navy eyes scan the patio. "Wow, now that's what I call a home. It's bigger than our childhood home!"

I wave with my hand, "Don't be ridiculous. It's much smaller."

"You're sure?"

"About five square metres smaller." I mumble. "Besides, Della's house is bigger than Mum and Daddy's!" I start arguing.

"Phew, she doesn't count!" Nate spots the pizza oven in the patio. "Oh, can we make pizzas tonight when I get Char and the girls?"

"You just invited yourself over for tonight. Perhaps I've got plans."

Nate mirrors my wave, "Don't be ridiculous. Johna, Caio, Maria, Rory and George and their kids are coming as well!"

I burst out of laughter. That's so typical of him. He did that when we were living in Oxford all the time. That's why the press dubbed him as the party animal of Oxford. He threw legendary parties that the campus still talks about today. His parties went down in history. The people will never know he did this to get his mind off of Char, who was going from one asshole to another during our college time... and now they're happily married with twin girls. How much time has changed. "You'll do the pizzas and I will get two." I decide. Saying no to my only older brother has never really been in my vocabulary.

"Sure. Two tuna?"

I can't eat tuna since the last weekend. It literally made me throw up, so I decided to stay away from tuna for a while. "No. One margarita and one with shrimps and extra olives."

"Oh, I didn't agree to do all the veggie chopping."

"You decided to hold a welcome home party at my place tonight so you can do the cooking." I stick out my tongue.

"Okay, that's fair. But you will provide the drinks and I want something with alcohol in it."

I nod, "Deal."

"Has anyone else seen this place yet?"

I shake my head, "You're the first."

"Kudos. I thought you'd pick Char for that honour."

"She's not available so I'm left with you." I mock him.

"Rory?"

"Royal engagements. I'm not even sure she can come to the party you're going to hold here tonight."

Nate grins at me the way Daddy always grins at Mummy. "I'm always pleased to be your third choice. Where's your husband anyway?"

"He's having a finale look at the documentary about Tanzania at our office."

"You don't want to see it?"

"I wanted to watch it tonight in our media room."

"Good idea. I'll bring the popcorn." Nate winks at me. "Pizza, popcorn and a documentary about my sister and her husband. I think a night can't get any better than this."

I smile, "The documentary is not about us. It's about our work. For the Commonwealth Trust."

"In a nutshell about you." Nate shrugs.

"No. We have a deal with the BBC. We're only shown in roughly 15% of the documentary."

"Are you guys narrating it?"

I laugh, this is not some documentary about animals from Disneynature! "Oliver's Brazilian Portuguese accent or my snobbish and posh British tongue have no use in this."

"Snobbish?"

I shrug, "Someone from the BBC will do the narration. Someone with experience. Someone sophisticated. Someone with class."

"Someone that isn't a royal."

That, too.

"When will the documentary air?"

"Friday evening at prime time on BBC. The trailer will be released sometime today."

My brother nods, "Sounds like a solid plan. Will you show us some of your Africa photos tonight as well?"

I took so many that I haven't even had the opportunity to go through them all. I smirk, "Yes but they're going to be unfiltered. I haven't had a chance to look at them yet."

"I can't wait to hear about everything that you've seen there! Did you stay at some cool hotels?"

"We spent two weekends in Kenya. The first weekend at a giraffe hotel, where we literally fed giraffes from our windows! It was so cool! The second was in a hotel called Sasaab. Sasaab is a stunning blend of Moroccan and Swahili style, located in the heart of the African bush. We went on a safari tour with camels there! Two beautiful and extraordinary hotels. Worth a visit."

"If the King ever lets us off the hook, I'll be sure to take Char and the girls with me there."

"Careful, he might exile you to Africa if you make another mistake."

My brother waves with his hand, "He's been as calm as ever since you joined the firm!"

"Because we're taking the focus off of Harry and Meghan's departure. We're causing press coverage whatever we say, don't say, do and don't do. We're their new target and we will be for a very long time."

"How's Oliver been doing with the pressure?"

"He's taking it well. His only concern is me and our twins. He really enjoyed our work in Africa. He couldn't care less about the press."

"The press coverage about the Commonwealth Day wasn't that bad either." His navy eyes look at my bump, "When will you announce the pregnancy?"

"We're going to St. Barth's in two weeks to watch the regatta and support Johnson and my former team. That's when we want to announce it."

"Does Oliver know that you and him hooked up?"

I lick my lips, "Not yet. I don't think it's worth mentioning."

"Oh, the press will think otherwise. They know and they will print it again."

"It's old news."

"It'll be very new news to Oliver."

I sigh, "It won't change anything anyway."

"Then why don't you want to tell him?"

"Because Oliver doesn't have to know about every man I ever fucked!" I hiss at my brother.

Nate holds up his hands, "I'm just trying to save you the tears."

"I know and I'm sorry for my outburst. It's just... I have a past and Oliver has one as well."

"Yet your past is still very much a part of the present."

I bite on my lower lip, "I'll think about it. But no word to Oliver about this."

"My lips are sealed." My brother promises me before his navy eyes stop at my right wrist. "How's the wrist?"

I look down and see the lilac fingerprints of that psychopath that I call my ex. "Better. I wish I had strangled Rothschild when I had the chance to."

"You can only kill a Rothschild after you've brought him to his knees. Kicking him out of the Royal circles in the first step."

I frown, "The first step of what?"

My brother has the same look he had when I caught him eating Mummy's homemade raspberry jam without her permission.

"Nate,"

"Nothing."

"Nathanial-"

"It's a Bolton men kind of thing."

I raise my eyebrows at his words, "All Bolton men?"

"Minus the little ones and plus George."

Oh, it's serious then. They've made some sort of plan to get rid of Rothschild. "Is Oliver in on this?"

"To a certain extent, yes."

Whatever they're planning, they're leaving both of us out on some parts of their plan to protect us. "And George? And you? You need to be protected you?"

"His Future Majesty doesn't need any protection but the one from the crown, which he has to full extent."

Whatever they're planning, George's a vital part of it.

I hope their plan involves a gun.

Oliver

I pick up two large bowls full of pizza dough and place them on the kitchen island. The island is full of different bowls with fillings for the pizzas. Johna and Caio dry their hands after washing them in the sink. "Ready to make some pizzas?" I ask them with a smile on my lips.

"How many are we making?"

"Ten."

"Ten?!" Johna asks me with wide eyes. He is used to cooking for four but now we're a much bigger family.

I lift the kitchen towels from the bowls. The doughs have risen quite nicely. "But we're only shaping the dough and putting tomato sauce on them. The rest can be individualised by the rest of our family." Rory, George, Char and my Mama are getting a tour of our new home from my wife. Nate's making sure the pizza oven is getting ready in our patio.

I love having them all around. It feels like Christmas all over again. I plan to do many more events like this.

"Okay, we can do that." Caio looks at Johna who nods in response.

I divide the doughs into ten portions before we start rolling them out.

"And you did this all day at Luigi's?" Caio asks me.

"Not all day. I was a waiter after helping out in the kitchen for a year."

"Did you like working for Luigi?" Johna asks me.

"Yes. He paid me very well and he was a very nice boss." I decide to not tell him that Luigi saved me from starving more times than I can count.

"Do you think he'd give me a job?" Caio asks me.

"Why would you need a job?" I ask him back. "We've got enough money now. We never have to worry about it ever again."

"I know but I want to learn more about Italy and how to cook anything but Brazilian." Caio says with a shrug.

I look at Johna because it's obvious there's more to this.

"He met a girl named Claire." Johna tells me.

"Johna!" Caio complains, being as red as the tomato sauce in front of him.

My brother has his first British crush? "You met a girl?" I ask Caio. "Tell me more!"

"She goes to school with him. She's a class above him-"

"Johna!" Caio hisses again.

I smirk, "Is she nice?"

"She likes the Italian cuisine." Caio mumbles. "She's very pretty and rather nice."

I smirk, a few months ago he would have talked very differently. London, the bilingual education, is already rubbing off on him. "Why is she going to a bilingual school?"

"Her parents are from Portugal. Her father's the ambassador of Portugal. They live in a road that she calls the billionaires road."

I smirk. That's the road that leads to Kensington Palace. It's where the King offered us a few residences at. Claire's definitely from the upper class. "Have you met her parents?"

"No. Not yet."

"And you want to impress her with Italian cooking skills?"

My brother shrugs, "A few friends of hers wanted to spend next weekend in a place called Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire. She invited me to come along. We'd be getting an authentic Italian cooking class and I don't want to look like a loser when I see all these different knives, cutting boards and stoves. I want to look like I know what I'm doing."

I remember Josephine once spent a weekend at Soho Farmhouse. She threw Rory's baby shower there. I am now a member by marriage in that exclusive club. Usually people have to be members to be able to use the facilities but I guess guests can also be invited by members. Claire must really like my brother. "Does Claire know who I am?"

"I don't know. We haven't talked about the royals yet. She knows I've got two brothers named Oli and Johna but I haven't told her anything else."

I hope Claire's not using my little brother to get to me. Josephine warned me that something like this could happen. "How about you come here after school every day the next week and I'll teach you some cool cutting techniques and more. By the time you'll be at Soho Farmhouse, you're going to be a pro!"

Caio nods, "Okay."

"But you have to tell me more about Claire in return."

"Can I come as well?" Johna asks me.

"With Mama if she wants to." I answer him. I don't want her to feel lonely at home. But maybe a break from my brothers would be quite nice. She could have time for herself. Do a spa day as Josephine calls these times.

"She's been busy with Sergej in the last weeks."

I frown, "What's that suppose to mean?"

"Alright, the oven's ready!" I can hear Nate's voice through the open windows. A moment later he opens the French door and walks in. "Are the pizzas ready?"

"Almost." Johna answers.

"I'll get Josephine and the rest. You can do the rest of the pizzas." I say before washing my hands in the sink.

"I'm not good at rolling out the dough. I'll spread the tomato sauce." Nate winks at Caio and Johna.

"Troy didn't teach you how to cook Italian?" Caio asks him.

"He did but I'm just not as good as your big brother."

I chuckle at his obvious lie. Nate is very much capable of rolling the dough, he just prefers not to.

"But I'm better at the pizza oven. I'll do that."

"I'll be right back with the rest of our family." I look at Nate, "Maybe you can give Caio some Italian cooking tips to impress Claire." I wink before walking out of the kitchen. I walk through our dining room and media room, my ears open for any voice. The house is so big that it could take me some time to find my wife, her siblings and my Mama. There are no voices coming from upstairs, so they're not in the master wing. I walk through the glass breezeway that leads me into the main house. The open living room is quite and so is the patio. They're also not upstairs to look at the guest bedrooms, because there's no sound coming from upstairs. I walk through the right breezeway, my wife's study, my study and stop in the library that is our very own version of the one in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. I stop at the iron wrought spiral staircase and decide to walk upstairs. The ceiling of the library has been painted with the star constellation on our wedding day. I stop on the first floor and hear the loud chatter that's coming from one of the rooms in the kids' wing as Marco dubbed this area of our house. The many transom windows have floor to ceiling height, the walls are painted in an off-white colour with panelling. There are framed photos all taken by my wife hanging on the walls and the floor is a stunning oiled oak in a herringbone pattern. We have six rooms in total, but I doubt we're going to fill it with six children. There's an open room for a playing area to my right. There's also space for a sofa and a telly, so when our children are older they can hang out with there friends here. The six rooms have ensuite bathrooms and walk-in wardrobes, but we haven't decided on which room would be the nursery for our twins. There's a separate guest bathroom. This floor alone is about the size of Josephine's old penthouse. Marco has decorated the rooms with mostly neutral colours, so we can customise it still when the time has come. The spiral staircase goes up another floor, which is for now just one huge room for storage.

My nieces-in-law are running circles in the rooms. I can hear their quick little footsteps and I can't wait to hear the footsteps of my own children echoing through these walls!

"I think you should take the first room." My Mama's voice fills my ears before she and Char appear from one of the six bedrooms. Char is holding one of her two girls while my Mama is holding the other one. Since they're identical twins it's rather hard for me to keep them apart.

"Yes, the closer the better." Char agrees with my Mama.

"No, give them the last room with the best view. They're the oldest, they should get the best view." George say as he follows my Mama out of the third room on the left. The tiny hand of Grace is wrapped around his left hand while sister Elenor is doing the same with his right hand. They look so adorable! The biggest room is right at the end of the hallway, across me. It has the view over the Home Park and Thames.

"I think George's right, it's the biggest room anyway. They want to be in one room until they're teenagers anyway." Rory agrees with her husband. Alexandria is leading the way as she drags her Mum out of the bedroom. Rory's triplet girls are absolutely to die for! They're such energy bundles. I hope our twins will be energy bundles as well. My sister-in-law smiles as she spots me, waiting for them.

"And then? Who's going to stay in the room? Who is going to move out?" Josephine asks before appearing in the hallway after her sister, brother-in-law and mother-in-law. Today's the first day she woke up with a bump that decided to not disappear during the day. It's small, but it's there.

It's the first proper sign of our twins.

Her sky blue eyes start glowing in a royal blue as she spots me standing in the hallway.

She takes my breath away so easily. "I'm here to get you. The pizzas are ready for the toppings." I tell after a moment of staring at the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.

The smile on her face lights up the darkest days. "Great, we were just discussing which room to use as the twins' nursery." She walks over to me and grabs my hand. We have a deal to be professional in public, but within the four walls of our home we're as affectionate as we want.

We walk down the spiral staircase, following our family members. "I think George and Rory are right. They should have the biggest room."

"But we need to redecorate the room before they are born." Josephine agrees with me.

"I must say your house is amazing! The details that show your story is just incredible." Rory breathes out as she looks at the ceiling of the library. "We live in the historic quarters of Hampton Court Palace, which are lovely, but you could build your dream house from scratch. We can only do very little adjustments to the palace as it's grade I listed."

"Oh yes it is and I can tell since we're living with them until the stables are finished renovating." Char grins at her bigger brother.

"When will it be finished?"

"In about two weeks but you know how a construction site works. There's always something that needs to be delayed."

"Can't you spread some of your royal charm to speed it up?" I ask my sister-in-law.

"Of course but that would be considered immoral. We're paying it out if our own pockets so..." she shrugs.

Josephine opens the door that leads to the patio and walks out. The triplets let go of their parents hands and run outside. It's a beautiful spring day, with a warming sun, tweeting birds and a cloudless sky.

I let Char, Rory and George walk by as I notice my Mama looking around. "Everything okay?"

"I'll take Eliana." Rory offers before my Mum hands her my niece-in-law. My Mama and I watch how she walks out of the library, until we're alone.

"This is your very own palace!" My Mama says in Brazilian Portuguese to me, "This house is bigger than the hotel I worked at in Ipanema! It's massive!"

I assume she hasn't seen the two lower floors yet. "I love ever nook and corner of it."

She shakes her head in disbelief as I can hear how the rest of the family starts putting the different toppings on their pizzas. "God's been very good to us. Your father would be very proud of you."

God took away my Papa and I will never forgive him for it. My Mama thinks it was fate that she found that lottery ticket. I think it was God's way to make amends for the crime he committed. That ticket might have led me to my wife, my unborn twins, this house and this life, but nothing can fill the emptiness that my Papa has left in my heart. No love is great enough. No joy is big enough. Nothing will fill this void.

I put on a smile, "I'm glad you like the house."

"I do." She turns on her heel.

"Actually, there's something I want to talk about with you."

"Mood swings are perfectly normal during pregnancy."

I can't help but smirk. Oh, how well I know those mood swings... "It's not about Josephine. It's about you... and your wedding ring that you took off." I stare at her naked left ring finger. She took it off for Christmas Eve and she hasn't put it back on.

"What's wrong with taking it off?"

"You're betraying Papa!" I hiss at her.

"I am not." Suddenly she pulls out a yellow golden necklace. It's the same that my wife bought her at Cartier in Rio. It features a pendant of Mother Theresa and now there's a wedding ring next to the icon. "I will never forget your Papa, Oliver. But I need to embrace this new chapter in our lives. I moved to a new country, I'm learning a new language... in a way, I am starting fresh."

"Starting fresh?"

"Oliver, I will always love your father and he will forever be the love of my life but we gave each other the promise 'til death do us apart and dead did us apart a very long time ago. I wasn't ready to let go when we were still living in Rio. I didn't want to sleep around just to find your brothers a new father figure."

"Oh and now you are?!"

"Don't be ridiculous! It's nothing like that. I am just more open now. I don't know when I will start dating again but I know I will. Eventually, it's going to happen and I am ready to meet someone new. London's a melting pot of different ethnicities so maybe it won't be a snobbish Brit."

"I hope it won't be a white haired Russian as well."

My mother laughs at me as if I just told her the best joke ever. "Oliver, Sergej and me are just friends! I feel zero attraction towards him and vice versa. He's helping me settle in this new home and that's all."

"Did he encourage you to take off your ring?"

"No. In fact he told me he couldn't take his wedding ring off after his wife died for ten years." She hisses at me. "I'm an adult and as such I deserve privacy and what I do in my free time-"

"I came to London for you!" I hiss at her.

"Yes and you met Jo because of me!" She hisses back. "And now excuse me, as I recall we wanted to make pizzas." She turns on her heel and leaves me alone in the library.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. I don't know what happened. I'm so used to seeing that wedding ring on her finger. There's still a slight mark on her left finger from it.

"Hey, everything okay?" My wife asks me after closing the French door that leads to the patio.

I shrug, "I fought with my Mama."

"Because of the twins' nursery?"

I shake my head, "Because she took her wedding ring off."

My wife nods, "Ah, yeah I noticed that on Bora Bora."

"Did you talk about it with her?"

"No, I figured if she wanted to talk, she'll talk."

Maybe that's an approach I should have followed. "Well, I just confronted her."

"I think attack is the better verb here." My wife slowly tells me. "Oliver, your father's been dead for over seven years now. You can't expect your Mum to wear that ring forever. She's going to start dating again one day. You don't want her to die unhappy, do you?"

"Does she seem very unhappy to you right now?!" I hiss at her without reason.

Josephine licks her full lips, "This life is very foreign to her. She's in a new country with a new language and a new bloody currency! Cut her some slack! Just because she took off the ring doesn't mean she's going to start sleeping around. It simply means she's ready to be on the market again."

"I can't picture my Mama with another man but my Papa." I mumble. I don't think Caio and Johna will ever call another man Daddy. I shiver at the thought.

"Of course you can't but it's going to happen. It's natural. People live on."

"I could never move on from you."

"But I would want you to. If I died and you were left alone with our children than I want you to move on. Not right away but eventually."

"How can you say that?! I will never find someone like you!"

"It's not about finding someone similar to me. It's about finding someone that makes you smile again after you've suffered such a great loss. And this is exactly what your Mum's doing right now as well. She's not looking for love. She's looking-"

"Please don't say sex!"

"That's probably a part of it but most of all she's looking for someone that makes her feel like a woman rather than just a Mum." My wife explains to me. "I'm a Mum but I'm still a woman. I still have womanly desires and so does your Mum. She's human and she deserves to feel something other than her children's love for her. She deserves to be treated like a lady!"

"I still don't like the idea of her kissing another man. Let alone have sex."

"Of course you don't. And I wouldn't either. My parents are my parents to me. I can't picture them with anyone else. Because in my eyes they're perfect together and the same applies to your view of your Mum with your Dad. But things have changed. Accept that. Otherwise you're just going to hurt her. This is hard enough for her already. Don't make it any harder."

"Next thing you say is to apologise." I mumble.

"Maybe not an apology but something like waving the white flag. Say that you've thought about this conversation and realised that your view is not the only one that's right."

I lick my lips, "So an apology then."

Josephine grabs my hand and squeezes it softly. "Let's make some pizzas. I'm craving margarita and spinach tonight."

I nod before walking out on the patio with my wife. Nate is already pushing the first pizzas into the pizza oven.

"Mama?"

My Mama turns around and walks over to me.

"I'm sorry for... for what I said." I apologise.

My Mama shows me an understanding smile. "It's okay. You're just looking out for me."

"I just want you to be happy."

"I am quite happy right now."

"Good."

"What's for dessert?" Nate asks us.

Josephine hits lightly against his shoulder as a response, "We haven't even eaten our pizzas yet and you're already thinking of dessert?! Thank our parents for the good genes!"

"Well, I'm thanking them everyday." Char smirks at my wife.

"Tiramisu." I answer my brother-in-law's question.

"Wicked! I love tiramisu!"

I doubt there's a food that Nate doesn't love. "Did Caio mention a girl named Claire?" I ask my Mum as Nate gets out a perfectly crisp pizza margarita out of the pizza oven.

"No! Who is Claire?" She asks me before looking at Caio.

"I'm never ever telling you something again!" Caio hisses at Johna while being as red as the tomato sauces on his pizza.

Josephine

I take a bite of my pickled gherkin that I've dipped into mustard as the ending credits of the Tanzania documentary fill the screen. A 60-minute documentary about the country's connection to the commonwealth, how the Commonwealth Trust helps and what effect this help has on the nation and its people. It's incredible how ell narrated and very well filmed.

"What do you think?" Oliver asks everybody around us. We're in the media room, all cosied up on the sofas and armchairs.

"It's good. I like the narrating." George answers first. "Sounds very sophisticated."

Rory nods, "The landscapes are stunning! I had no idea Tanzania is so beautiful!"

"It's not enough of you two." Charlotte expresses her opinion. "You spoke for five minutes. That's not enough!"

"It's how we wanted it to be. The focus is on the country not on us." Oliver says to her.

"And if we were in it longer, the focus would be too much on us. We answered a question here and a questioned there. It's enough publicity for us."

"You didn't want to give the media much information to rip apart. That's quite clever." Rory smirks at me.

"They still are going to have some negative comments but we want to keep it as a minimum. At all times." Oliver says.

"Can we visit Tanzania? It looks so cool!" Caio breathes out. "The lions are wicked!"

"Yes, I want to see all the elephants and giraffes!" Johna grins from ear to ear while looking at his Mum.

Maria shrugs, "We'll see."

"Can we watch 101 Dalmatians now?" Johna asks us.

I look over my shoulder, right at my brother. Only he could have planted such a wish in Johna's head as it's his favourite Disney movie. "You did this?"

My brother shrugs, but his navy eyes say it all. They're grinning like the Cheshire Cat that got the cream.

George waves with his hand, "Let them watch that movie while you show us the photos you took in the last nine weeks."

"I'll watch the movie with them." Nate says before grabbing the remote.

"Of course you will." I smirk before rising from the sofa. I bet he's already making sure his twin girls will be Harry Potter and 101 Dalmatians hardcore fans! "Come on, I'll show you the photos in the living room."

We walk out of the media room and through the breezeway before reaching the open living room. "I'll get your iPad." Oliver says to me before disappearing in the right breezeway that leads to my study.

"When will you announce the pregnancy?" Char asks me as her navy eyes focus on the tiny bump.

"Why is everyone pressuring us to do so?!" I hiss at her.

"Woah, calm down! She's just worried some paparazzo might snap you and reveal the secret before the announcement. It would be a scandal." George protects his sister.

"What paparazzo is going to come anywhere close to here? The gates are protected 24/7 and we don't plan to leave this place in the next two weeks anyway."

"A drone could fly over."

"This is a drone free zone."

"Someone could come by boat and snap you walking around in Home park." Maria thinks out loud.

"Good thought! She's right." Char says to me.

I roll my eyes, "We want to do it in two weeks when we're on St. Barth's to watch the regatta."

"In two weeks the bump will be undeniable." Char tells me.

"I know. And I also know that paparazzi will photograph us when we're on St. Barth's."

"You'll be called The Duke and Duchess of Holiday if you don't stop travelling so much." Rory mumbles.

"Are you afraid our behaviour will backfire on you?!" I hiss at my sister. "I've been at every regatta since I was seventeen! I won't stop now that I'm a royal!"

"I hope you won't participate in that regatta." Char thinks out loud.

"Of course not. I haven't participate in a regatta since a year and I surely won't do this season."

"Good. I mean... good."

"The Prince of Monaco will be presenting the award. It's a high profile event."

"Pierre Casiraghi won't be there?" I ask surprised. He's usually the one who presents the award to the skipper of the winning team. He's such a nice man with no royal attitude at all. I've met him a lot because our team won lots of regattas and my favourite has always been the one at St. Barth's. Pierre and I even partied together at the after show.

"He will be there as well but rumours have it Prince Jacques will be there as well." Charlotte informs me.

I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. Great, a man that I fucked and a man that desperately wanted to fuck me. That's going to be a mix that my husband won't like. "Will Rothschild be there?" Now that would be the cherry on top.

To my relief my best friend and sister-in-law shakes her head,"I don't think so. He has a charity gala to attend to the weekend of the regatta."

I exhale, "Thank god!" One worry less.

"We've never done our triple date at Annabelle's." Char reminds us.

"We should do that before you flee to St. Barth's." Rory smirks at me.

I roll my eyes at my sister's words. "Fine."

"Perhaps we should do that after St. Barth's though. There could be leaks about our triple date and someone could snap you, looking like that." Char's navy eyes rest on the tiny bump.

"She's right. We shouldn't risk anything."

"Annabelle's a private club where no phones are allowed."

"Yet the women post videos and photos about the rest rooms and the food all the time on social media."

"Well then maybe we should have our triple date somewhere else."

"Where?"

I shrug, "Soho Farmhouse? They're more strict. Or any other members club only."

"No offence, I love the Cotswolds but I don't want to be so far away from the girls." Rory chimes in.

"Hurlingham Club?" I suggest. It's a tennis club in Fulham.

"It's closed as it's getting renovated." Rory explains.

I growl, It can't be so bloody hard to find a place to have dinner at!

"We could ask for a private area at Annabelle's." Char suggests.

"You just want to go there because you like the food so much!" George rolls his brown eyes at his sister.

"How about we just stay in and watch a movie?"

"No! I want to get dolled up and go out like old times! I want us to sing cheesy early 2000 pop hits on karaoke night at Annabelle's and get drunk on tequila!" Char puts her foot down.

I smirk, "No offence, but tequila's not really on the menu for me now anyway."

"Not you, but the rest of us!" Char waves with her hands.

I nod, "Alright, that sounds fair. Then we'll go to Annabelle's and I'll just wear something to conceal the double luck."

"Double luck? That's your nickname for the twins? Aw, that's so cute!" Rory's sweet smile fills the whole living room with a magical atmosphere.

"I call them netos." Maria's proud grandmotherly smile fills me with joy. "But I am eager to find out what you're getting."

"It's going to be a surprise for us all when I give birth." I stand my ground.

My mother-in-law sighs, "Fine. I'll ask Oliver then. Because knowing him, he won't stop until your gynaecologist has told him."

"She already has written it on a note and the envelope is safe and sound in my safe."

George smirks at me, "Smart."

"Oliver doesn't know the combination?" Char asks me.

"He does but he won't look for it."

"You sure? He could sneak out of bed in the middle of night-"

"He won't look for it."

"He could be looking for it right now. I mean, he offered to bring your iPad..." Rory shrugs.

Char, George and Maria nod, clearly sharing my sister's opinion.

"No, no he wouldn't do that..." I mumble as doubts start filling my mind.

"Got it!" I can hear Oliver's voice coming from the breezeway.

I turn around and watch him appearing with an iPad in his hands.

"Sorry, it took me so long. I know how you don't like it when I unplug any devices before the battery's fully charged, so I waited a few minutes until it was." He explains before stopping across me. "What's wrong?"

I shake my head.

"She's wondering if you had a look at the envelope in her safe." Char raises her left dark blonde eyebrow at him.

"I wouldn't do that. I don't have to sneak behind my wife's back to get to that envelope. I've got other ways to get what I want - with her permission."

My husband's pine green eyes examine my right wrist quite carefully with his jaw so tightly clenched that I fear he might break it. I fear we won't christen our green room until Rothschild's fingerprints have faded completely.

"It's fine." I insist as my eyes stare at the dark purple fingerprints.

"Stop saying that. It's not fine!" He hisses before covering it with soothing ointment.

I sigh, "Nate told me you guys made some sort of plan regarding Rothschild."

"He did?"

I nod, "I don't know any details and I'm certain you don't know every detail as well..."

"He'll get what he deserves. We're planning to kick him out of the royal circles but it's going to take some time. George informed His Majesty about the rape. It's the only way the King would have considered kicking the Rothschilds out."

My blood freezes in my veins. "H-he told him?"

"It was the only way. I am sorry. I know it should have been-"

"Me! It should have been me who told him! On my conditions!" I hiss at him. "Great, now we can expect His Majesty to call us in." I bite on my lower lip. "I assume it's going to happen somewhere around Easter as he's going on tour tomorrow."

"Do you think he's going to be mad?"

"No, I think he wants us to know he supports us. After such a drastic decision regarding the monarchy's future, he won't throw us to the wolves now. He believes in us and the work we have been and will do with the Commonwealth. He wouldn't have given us the titles and the jobs otherwise. The fact that the Rothschilds are now on the red list is just another adjustment the royal family has to make, I think."

"I'm happy, he's finally on that list."

"Me, too."

My husband sighs before placing his hands on the bump, that for the first time, hasn't disappeared the whole day. It's small but it's firm - and it's far away from looking like I'm bloated. It's the first visible sign of our double luck.

I place my hands on his and lean forward until my forehead touches his. We're doing this for them...

For our family.

Clarence on screen: The Duke and Duchess of Clarence have filmed a documentary in Africa

Josie and Oliver have just concluded their 9-week Africa tour – and we'll soon be able to see some behind-the-scenes moments from their trip.

Presenter William Bennett revealed he finished filming a documentary on the Duke and Duchess of Clarence during their official visit to the Commonwealth nations Tanzania and Mauritius. Taking to Twitter, the BBC reporter wrote: "Just finished filming a documentary on Oliver and Josephine in Africa. I think it will explain a lot when it airs."

The documentary is likely to feature the couple promoting causes close to their hearts in East Africa, as this is where they built a kindergarten, hospital, well and other essentials in the name of the Commonwealth Trust.

However, the trip wasn't without its controversies, which could be what the comment about how it "will explain a lot" is referring to. The Clarences were criticised for their usage of private jets to commute between both countries up to three times a week. Tourists allegedly saw the couple swimming with dolphins when they should have been working.

The new trailer of the documentary, which will air this Friday on BBC at prime time, showcases the stunning landscape of the two commonwealth nations with local animals as well as the flora and fauna. The Clarences are only shown for five seconds in the 1:30 minute long clip. The couple is seen kneeing in front of a group of Tanzanian children. You can't hear a word form either of them, but it is likely that the documentary is going to feature some small interviews. Since joining this world's most famous family, the couple has refused to make any interviews and instead embarked on their trip to East Africa. The documentary, called The Queen's Commonwealth Trust in Tanzania and Mauritius, is said to have its focus on the Commonwealth and not on the couple.

Oliver

On this early morning, I look to my side and watch the colour play of the rising sun getting reflected on my sleeping wife's face. Tomorrow our documentary will air on BBC and I can't help but feel excited over it. We watched the documentary with the whole family last night and the feedback was quite good, especially from Rory and George. Their opinion matters the most because they have the most experience with filing documentaries and the press in general. Rory's start in the royal family wasn't easy but now she's known as Queen in Waiting. Nate and Char are still banned from a royal tour but I think they're at peace with it now. They're focused on building their new home, which is just a thirty minute walk away from us. Charlotte has done everything to make her dream come true: she went to extraordinary lengths to get us into the royal family, not just by making sure we'll be getting jobs we won't be able to reject but she also made sure the jobs will come with the proper titles. The fact that we, and not her, are now Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Clarence doesn't bother her at all. In fact, I think she'd give up her title just so we'd be close to her.

I run my fingers through her chestnut curls as I enjoy this rare moment of being awake earlier than her. Ever since she's gotten pregnant, she tends to sleep longer than me. I can still remember the early days of our relationship, when she woke up before sunrise to leave for a training with Wladimir, her brother-in-law. Three to four times a week, she'd be waking up this early. I'm glad these days are over.

Because I love waking up in one bed with her.

Suddenly, her breathing changes. A moment later, she has opened her eyelids and I stare into the most clear sky blue I have ever seen. The colour, the smile... my heart swells with love for her and our two children that she's carrying.

"Good Morning, my love." She greets me.

"I like that nickname very much."

"You do?"

"Yes, much more than Darling."

She grins, "My Mum calls my Dad the same nickname. I never thought I'd be using the same term to describe you... but when the shoe fits."

I hope we are together longer than 35 years. "The shoe definitely fits."

She intertwines her fingers with mine before kissing my Welsh golden wedding band.

"How did you sleep?"

"Good."

"No morning sickness?"

"Not right now, no."

"How's the wrist?"

She lifts her left wrist for me to have a look at it. Rothschild's dirty fingerprints are fading but we will never forget and forgive him for what he did to us. "I think I can cover it with makeup. Or wear something with long sleeves."

I will kill this bastard. I just don't know when and how.

Josephine

Using a thong, I pick up the crispy stripes of bacon from the cast iron pan before placing them on the toasts that I've smeared with mashed avocado. Then I pick up the fired eggs and place them on top of the bacon before pouring some siracha sauce on top. I've been craving fat and hot sauce a lot in the last days. I can't stomach fish any more but meat of any sort is okay - for now as this could literally change any second.

I pick up my plate and dance around the massive island which has a breakfast nook at the end. Oliver has put on some Latin music and I love it! The music boots our moods and energies. I want this to be a tradition, I want us to always have some kind of music playing in the kitchen, just like in my childhood home. I am so in love with this kitchen that I can't get enough of it! I sit down in one of the magenta coloured velvet seats in the form of a shell, across my husband. Oliver's pretty happy with his Spanish styled omelette that has potatoes. He made us each a cappuccino with latte art. He attempted a Dalmatian in his cup but it looks more like a dog with stripes, but he did nail my latte art which is a Persian cat.

The last time he made me that cat was when we were still living together in my old penthouse. It was after our first night together there. He made me a Persian cat, talking about my fear of not being loveable between the lines. How much things have changed!

He also hinted that I should get a Persian cat as a pet.

I grin as I see the face of the Persian cat in my cup, "Are you trying to tell me something?"

My husband shrugs, while his lips reflect my grin. "Maybe it's time to fill these walls with a bit more life."

I place my hands on the tiny bump that I've been carrying visible since a day now. "Just wait 14 more weeks and there will be more life in this house."

"You know me, I'm inpatient."

I laugh at his obvious lie, "No, you're not! You're the most patient person I ever met! It's why I fell so bloody hard for you so quickly!"

He licks his lips, "You're right. But I'd really like our twins to grow up with pets. I've always wanted that and I know Johna and Caio want that as well. It teaches them compassion, patience, a sense of responsibility-"

"And they're cute. I know." I admit with a smirk before taking a sip of my cappuccino. It tastes amazing as always. "We'll see."

Oliver takes a sip of his cappuccino without another word. We eat our breakfast in the comfortable silence that I used to fear but now enjoy more than ever.

Being back in our offices at Hampton Court Palace feels so good! I really missed the ancient Georgian walls with royal oil paintings and floor to ceiling transom windows. Hampton Court Palace, along with Kensington, has always been my favourite palaces. Sandringham is just as beautiful. I just love this architecture with the red bricks so much! No wonder Chestnut House was designed in the same style.

"The reception of the trailer for the documentary is mixed." Lydia informs me as we hold a meeting with her, Sarah, Zahar and Hilary.

"The worst comments?"

Lydia licks her full lips. "Fake royals on screen is the nicest."

"I asked for the worst."

The Italian woman sighs, but keeps her hands wrapped tightly around the iPad. "Some people call it The Very Royal Narcissist Show, The Josie Oli Show, A Shame for the QCT... The Fake Royals made a documentary to merch and boost their image but no good they make will ever make up for the distasteful way they made it into our Royal Family #blackmail, #notourroyals, #fakeroyals. The hashtag not our royals is currently trending again."

I run my fingers through my chestnut curls, "Alright. It could be worse. We'll see how many people will watch the documentary. Maybe that's going to change their opinion of us and if not than that's okay as well."

"On the bright side, you are dominating the headlines on the internet." Sarah tries to cheer us up.

"It was better if the headlines were dominated by the work we did with the Commonwealth." Oliver says.

"I'm confident these times will come. Perhaps not within the first year but I am rather hopeful for the second." Zahar's positivity is infectious!

I smile, "Your words in God's ears."

"Well once you announce the pregnancy the perspective will shift once again. A royal baby is always an exciting event in the country." Hilary nods at her own words.

"But social media might see that differently. They will criticise me if I decide to give birth at the Lindo Wing and pose in front of the steps like all other royals in the last, but they will also criticise me if I decide not to. Either way, we can't win."

"It's a very personal decision." Sarah thinks out loud.

"No, it's a question of following tradition or rebelling against it." I disagree with her. I don't get to make personal choices anymore. It's either following the royal tradition or not.

"We still have some time to make the decision." Oliver tells me.

I nod before looking back at our team. The four women are hardworking and loyal. I can't wait to do more great things with this team.

"Perhaps doing an interview with the BBC would calm down and change some views of you..." Zahar suggests again. She has been bothering us with an interview since our Africa trip.

I let out a sigh, "We'll think about it. Let's see how the documentary is going to be received by the public

"Have you thought about a right time to announce the pregnancy yet?" Lydia addresses the elephants in the room.

"We want to do it the next weekend when we will be on St. Barth's to watch the regatta." Oliver answers her question.

"With just a statement or along with a photo?" Hilary asks us.

"A statement and a photo, maybe more than one photo. We want to take the photos at the beach of St. Barth's or even on Sapphire, my family's sailing yacht where we will be staying at." I explain to her.

"Good, I'll write the statement and send it to you before we publish it to get your permission. It will be very formal with your joint royal coat of arms."

"Do you plan to make a visit to the Commonwealth nations there?"

"No, we're on holiday there." Oliver says while Sarah and I share a look.

"I'm just going to make a list with a few of the charities in the commonwealth countries." She says with a smirk on her lips.

Maybe a little work won't be so bad. We could squeeze in an informal and private visit to a hospital or a charity. That way we could get an even better feel for the people's needs there. It's one thing to talk to the government of a commonwealth nation but another to talk to the people living there.

We'll be dubbed The Duke and Duchess of Holiday but we'll do anything to be seen as The Duke and Duchess of Clarence... and maybe one day they will see us for our work and dub us The Duke and Duchess of Commonwealth.

Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it.

The next chapter will be about the triple date and the St. Barth's Regatta, which is the official start of the sailing season.

Please review and stay safe wherever you are in this world.

In gratitude,

Nicole