Happily Ever After.....Maybe

Chapter Twenty

Bright and early the next morning Tallulah hung a sign in the window of the Pub saying we'll be closed for today. Then we walked to the stables to get Tobias and borrow Sugar Foot for the ride to Agog. 
Magdalena greeted us outside her shop as we tied the horses to the post as usual she wore a crazy dress that was black with splatters of different color paints all over it. A matching black bow with paint splatters held her hair up off her face.  "Ah you're finally here! I was up all night finishing your wedding gown and I think it's ready, come, come!" She beaconed us waving her hands towards the door to her dress shop.
Tallulah looked at me, "Is she always this friendly? Greeting customers before they even enter her shop!"
I smiled, "She just really excited about doing the wedding gown." I winced rubbing my hand over my stomach. I tasted bile at the back of my throat, but I ignored it. This was my last day before my marriage to Prince Dylan, I just wanted to through today with no casualties. We followed Magdalena through her dress shop back to her little work space. I gasped as I saw my wedding gown fitted nicely on a wooden mannequin, "It's..... It's breathtaking." I murmured fingering the lace sleeves.
She clasped her hands excitedly, "I'm so glad you like it! No doubt your prince will like it too." She winked.
Dropping the sleeve I turned and smiled, "You really out did yourself this time, Magdalena...."
"Nonsense! Nothing but the best for royalty! Now is this the lady who needs a gown for the royal wedding?" Magdalena asked.
"Yes, this is my best friend Tallulah, she's going to be my bridesmaid. Tallulah this is Magdalena, the best seamstress in all of Agog and anywhere really."
"Aww." Magdalena waved her hand, "You're too kind, Amaya. Now let's see what we got here." She circled Tallulah drumming her finger on chin as she thought to herself. "Your dark skin is beautiful my dear!"
Tallulah glanced down at her coco color skin, "Umm thank you?"
"Why I have a beautiful purple material that will just make you look stunning." Magdalena hurried over to her shelf that held material. Her shelf stretched from the floor all the way to the ceiling and was packed tight with different color material. Below the shelf on the floor were wooden boxes that hat even more material in it. She rummaged around the shelf until she found the material she was searching for. Magdalena pulled out a beautiful silky dark purple material. "What do you girls think?"
"It's your wedding Amaya, you should decide." Tallulah said turning to me.
I smiled, I could picture Tallulah already wearing a beautiful gown in the exact color, "It's perfect."
Magdalena snapped her fingers, "It's settled then!" She said in her French accent. She got to work measuring Tallulah and cutting the exact amount of material she'll need. She chatted often with us as her sewing machine hummed as it worked it's magic. Tallulah friendly chatted back while my mind drifted off a million miles away.
I wondered what my wedding was going to be like tomorrow as I ran my fingers along the different materials on the wooden shelf. Besides seeing my gown and and soon to be Tallulah's gown I haven't done any planning or decorating. Dylan's servants and people were doing everything. I haven't even seen the flower arrangements! What if I didn't like the flowers they choose? Though I'm sure I would like them, there wasn't a single flower that I didn't like. Dylan was expecting me to overlook everything tomorrow hours before the wedding to make sure everything was perfect. I couldn't help but think about my curse of unhappiness as well. When will it finally end? According to Futurerilla she heard wedding bells in my future. Does that mean my curse would be lifted tomorrow when I marry Dylan? If so would it break when we have our first kiss? Or would it be broken when I hear the wedding bells chime? Would there even be wedding bells at my wedding? Ugh the longer I thought the more my stomach got all in a knot making me feel even sicker. I froze and wrapped my arm my stomach. I closed my eyes wishing the sickness would go away.
"Amaya, are you okay?" Tallulah asked as she noticed me leaning against the shelves.
I grimaced, rubbing my stomach, "I.... I don't know...."
"Is it your stomach again? She's been feeling sick at times, especially in the morning." Tallulah explained to Magdalena.
"Yes... she got sick yesterday as well." Magdalena stared at me a puzzled look on her face.
"I don't know what's wrong with me." I said as I held my stomach.
Magdalena stood up abandoning the half made gown at the sewing machine. "Do you mind?" She asked reaching her hands out she felt my stomach. First feeling the front of my stomach and then moving to my sides. "Did I ever tell you what I did before opening this dress shop?" She asked with a smile.
Having no clue I shook my head.
"I was a midwife, I delivered cute babies for a living." She smiled as she stepped back.
"Why did you stop?" I asked.
A sad look came across her face, "It became too hard to know that I will never have children of my own."
"Aww I'm sorry."
She shook her head as if to clear her mind of the sad memories, "It doesn't matter, but it does come in handy for situations like this."
I frown not sure what she was hinting at, "Situations like what?"
Magdalena took my hands in hers, she smiled brightly, "I think you haven't been feeling so well because you are with child."
Stepping back I bumped into the shelf behind me, I stared at her astonished. Me with child? It couldn't be! "No... I can't be with child. Dylan and I..... We..... We never...." I stumbled for words.
"Amaya you and Dylan never did, but you and Hayden DID." Tallulah spoke up she rubbed my arm comforting me as I felt myself start to feel dizzy. "Remember? You guys had a night together in the Enchanted Forest of Love?"
"But...but that was just one night! Hayden died two months ago I can't possibly be carrying his child!"
"It just takes one time and two months is about the time new mothers start having symptoms. Such as feeling sicker than a horse." Magdalena remarked. She walked over to her desk where the sewing machine sat and opened one of the drawers. She pulled out a string and a piece of metal. "There's and old wise-tale that if you tie a piece of metal on a string and hold it over your belly it will tell you if you're with child and what gender you're having. Do you want to try it?"
I bit my lip as I thought about her offer. After a moment I nodded, "Sure, what's the harm dong it anyways. If I'm not with child then it'll just confirm it."
"But if you are carrying Hayden's baby then it'll change everything!" Tallulah said excitedly.
Magdalena motioned me to lay down on the hard wooden floor. "What will it do if I'm not with child?" I asked as I laid on the floor.
"Then it won't move at all." Magdalena tied the piece of metal onto one end of the string. Then slowly she held onto the other end of the string and we all watched the piece of metal that hovered over my stomach.
Slowly the piece of metal started swinging back and forth in a straight line. My eyes locked on the moving metal, no it couldn't be true! I couldn't' be with child...... Not now, not when I was about to break my curse by marrying Dylan. I stood up abruptly from the floor I didn't want to see the string move anymore. I sniffled as I gazed out the window fighting back tears.
"The string moved! What will she have a girl or a boy?" Tallulah asked fascinated.
"I'm not sure, I forget which direction is which." Magdalena admitted sheepishly her cheeks turning a bright red.
Tallulah stood up, "This changes everything!"
I turned to her, "This changes nothing! I'm marrying Dylan tomorrow and nothing is stopping that."
"How can you say that? You're carrying a part of Hayden inside you. This changes everything, you have to tell Dylan."
My voice rose as I blurted out "Dylan doesn't need to know! He's traveling and won't be back to Kalopsia till tomorrow for the wedding and then two days later he's being crowned King. There's no time to tell him."
"I'm sure there's time to tell him." Tallulah pressed further, "What if...."
"There isn't okay, so just drop it!" I snapped then immediately felt bad for getting angry at her. This isn't her fault this is happening.
Tallulah looked at me her dark brown eyes looked hurt, "You really want to start your marriage off with a lie?"
"It's not a lie... I'll tell him eventually. If Dylan knew I was with child with another man's baby there's a chance he wouldn't want me as his queen." I sighed, "Look Tallulah, all I really care about right now is getting married tomorrow and finally break my curse of unhappiness."
She looked at me disappointedly, "When did marrying Prince Dylan become just a way for you to break this curse? Do you even really love him at all?"
Her words hit me hard, wasn't she the one who told me I should be with Dylan while I still grieved Hayden? She literally told me he could be the answer to breaking my curse, I was just going with what she said! But now that we know I'm with child with Hayden's baby now she thinks I should hold onto Hayden a little longer? No! He made his decision to die when he told me he loved me. He knew the cost of his curse and he still chose it. He chose to leave me, to leave our chid so I'm not waiting or wasting anymore time or feelings on Hayden. I was moving on with my life even if that meant keeping my baby a secret from Dylan till after we were married. 
"Of course I do, but Dylan doesn't need this burden on him right now. He has a lot on his plate with the wedding and coronation . I'll wait till after we're married and then tell him."
Tallulah shrugged her small shoulders, "Whatever you think is best you're going to be his Queen. Just Amaya?" Tallulah placed her hand on mine, "Be careful, I may have never been married, but to me starting a marriage out with a secret doesn't seem like a good idea."
I understood what she meant, but at the moment all I could think of was the wedding and new knowledge that I carried Hayden's baby inside me. I wasn't even sure how I would tell Dylan. All I could picture was the look of disappointment he'll have when he finds out the baby isn't his and there forth won't be a true heir to the throne.