Arranged: A Future Decided

Godmorgen

June 16th, Amalienborg Palace

Nikolai woke up slowly, shifting in the sheets before he found himself unable to move much. He lifted his head, finding himself tangled in the bedsheets before he noticed a body next to him. The previous day and night flooded back to him as he began to free himself from the cloth. His head ached slightly from overdoing it a bit last night, but other than that he felt fine. His breath was taken away though when he finally gazed at Eva. She looked like an angel as she lay beside him. 

'I'll be alright if I can wake up next to her most mornings,' he thought to himself, gently brushing a few stray strands of hair from her face. 

Eva stirred slightly, opening her eyes and blinking slowly. The room was unfamiliar, and the bed strange. Then everything came back to her. Her engagement, her wedding, and of course her wedding night. She rolled over, looking at Nikolai as she became more coherent. 

"Godmorgen," Eva murmured softly, looking up at him before she sat up.

"Godmorgen," Nikolai replied, smiling at her, "How did you sleep?"

Eva sat and thought for a moment, surprised at the fact that she had indeed slept well. Part of it possibly from how busy it had been the previous day, but regardless she wasn't upset that she had slept well.

"I slept well," Eva said softly, smiling at him lovingly, "I hope I didn't keep you up." 

He chuckled, shaking his head, "Not at all, I slept quite well actually."

Eva smiled at that, sitting up, shivering as she felt the cold air touch her skin. She got up, going and fetching a dressing gown to wear. She watched as Nikolai put on a pair of sleeping pants before they settled back into bed. It was barely a minute before a knock came at the door and Vallea entered timidly. 

"Oh good, I was afraid to wake you two or interrupt something," She said softly, going to the shades and opening them as two servants brought in breakfast on trays, "Today you have lunch with your families at two p.m. followed by two hours spent with them. That will take you to four p.m. in which you have a meeting with the Queen, Crown Prince Frederik, and your highness's gynecologist. The meeting shouldn't go more than an hour, which takes you to five, at which point you will head to the airport for your private flight to the Maldives that leaves at seven p.m. tonight!"

Vallea looked quite flushed and winded after recounting their itinerary for the day. It was quite a lot to process. Eva and Nikolai looked at each other, confused as to why they would have to meet with Eva's gynecologist as well as the Queen and Crown Prince Frederik. They were pleasantly surprised though as to where they were honeymooning, given that it had been up to their parents to choose the destination that they would both agree with. 

"I'll lay out your morning outfit for you Signora," She stated, moving to the walk-in closet to gather Eva's clothes for the morning.

"Well, we certainly have a lot on our plates," Nikolai said with a chuckle, looking down at the breakfast that had been brought to them. 

"I wasn't even aware our day had been planned out for us! Strangely some part of me thought that they would actually allow us to get to know each other," Eva joked, picking up a strawberry and dipping it in the whipped cream, before eating it. 

Nikolai laughed at that comment, causing Eva to smile. He had a good, warm laugh, and a sense of humor as well. 

"I take it you don't count last night as getting to know each other?" He teased, sitting up to add sugar and cream to his coffee, "Or was it really that forgettable?"

Eva laughed, shaking her head, "I assure you, it wasn't forgettable."

She leaned in, kissing his cheek gently before turning back to their breakfast. She carefully picked up a croissant, taking a bite as she looked past Nikolai and out the window. She could see the trees, and the channel with the boats going out to sea. It was beautiful and reminded her vaguely of her home in Italy. She sighed softly, looking back down at the food. Nikolai had noticed her forlorn gaze, causing him to worry. 

"You're feeling homesick?" He asked softly, moving his head to meet her beautiful green eyes, which had tears welling in them.

"It just reminds me of Venice and visiting there with my mother. Her father was Scottish, and her mother American, but my mother lived in Italy since she was a little girl. Her father was working as a diplomat in Venice from the seventies until 1992 when the Mafia started carrying out terrorist attacks. My grandfather was recalled to London, fearing my parents' marriage might make him a target," Eva explained softly, tearing off a piece of the croissant to eat, "But, she grew up there and loved it. She always preferred the Adriatic over the Mediterranean." 

Eva had a faraway look in her eyes, one of longing and sorry. She had spent so long away from Italy in her life, but it was still in her blood. In the same way that sailing was, a purely instinctual occurrence and draw. 

"Perhaps we will be able to extend our honeymoon, and you can show me around Italy. I have heard stories about Pulchritudo. My grandfather had visited a few times, said it was the most serene place on earth," Nikolai said softly, gazing at her. 

He understood the longing, having spent the last four years of his secondary education at a boarding school. But, he did not understand the same intense longing of being gone from your country and homeland. With time they finished their breakfast, Eva getting up and going to the closet to change. They both were shy around each other still, not yet ready to be fully exposed to the other. 

Nikolai's breath was taken away when Eva came out, looking absolutely beautiful in a bell-sleeved floral sundress. The green complimenting her dark green eyes, and auburn hair. 

"You look, beautiful," He murmured, feeling a bit too casual in his blue polo shirt, and simple khakis. 

Eva blushed, glancing down, "Thank you. You do too. Well, handsome, or beautiful. It's not my place to assign a gender to an adjective." 

He chuckled at that, heading into the bathroom so they could finish getting ready. 

June 16th, 4:03 PM Amalienborg Palace

Nikolai sat in the chair, fiddling with his wedding band as he and his wife waited. They were supposed to have a meeting with the Queen, Frederik, and Eva's gynecologist. The whole thing was going to be incredibly awkward, and strange. Personally, Nikolai didn't think it very much their business to have a meeting regarding someone's reproductive health. What they needed to know could simply be told to them. It felt like forever before the door opened and the others entered, taking their seats.

"Alright, I know this must feel incredibly awkward," Frederik said, "And you both know that you have as much autonomy as you like from doing royal duties. That being said there are some formalities that need to be taken care of."

Eva and Nikolai nodded slowly, glancing at each other. Children. The formalities were children. 

"You two are both very young, and Eva has college to finish. But, Nikolai is in the line of succession, and at some point will need an heir. We just need to set up a timeline for when children may be happening. And what you two are thinking in regards to controlling that," Margrethe said softly, her hands folded on her lap.

They both looked like they had been slapped in the face, quite shocked at all of this. 

"Well, we haven't had a chance to discuss this yet. We've barely had a chance to discuss anything. Um, I would say, four years at least and we reevaluate then...?" Nikolai suggested, looking from Margrethe and Fred, over to Eva, who nodded in agreement.

"That sounds good. And really, it's really only important in the event that something would happen to me or my children. That's evident in that even your parents, Niko, were married for four years before you came along," Frederik stated. 

"In that case, your highness, I'll speak to you afterward in regards to what specific plans you wish to put in place," Her doctor stated, Eva just nodding numbly. 

It all felt so strange and sudden, and weird. Eva had known she would be a mother her whole life, that it would be expected of her. But, to think that it could be four years or less away? It felt mad really. 

Wow, two updates in two days? Crazy! Let me know what you would like to see happen next, and what you think is going to happen next! As always my lovelies, drop a comment and vote, and I will see you in the next chapter.