A royal Heart

Chapter 35: The Weight of Secrets

The palace was unusually quiet for a late afternoon. The servants went about their work with careful attention, the muted sound of their footsteps echoing through the stone corridors. In the privacy of the royal quarters, however, there was a different atmosphere—a charged silence that weighed heavily in the air. Julie, though still carrying the excitement of their impending parenthood, felt a strange unease settle over her.

She had always prided herself on being able to keep a sense of calm, a steady hand in the face of chaos, but today was different.

Xavier had been distant for the past few days. He hadn’t spoken much to her, his mind seemingly occupied by something Julie couldn’t quite place. At first, she had assumed it was the mounting pressure of their royal duties, but as the days passed, a gnawing suspicion began to form. Something was wrong.

As Julie paced the expansive room, her mind raced through the possibilities. Was it about the upcoming birth? Could it be about their unborn child? She had always been attuned to Xavier’s moods, but this felt different. His distance was unlike any he had shown before.

Just as she was about to retreat to the balcony for some fresh air, the door to the suite opened, and Xavier stepped inside. His expression was unreadable, and for a moment, their eyes locked in a tense silence.

"Xavier," Julie said softly, her voice betraying the concern she had been holding back. "We need to talk."

He hesitated for a moment before walking toward her, his footsteps slow, deliberate. As he reached her side, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead—an automatic gesture, but one that didn’t seem to reach his eyes. "What’s on your mind, love?" he asked, but Julie could hear the strain in his voice.

"Is everything okay? You’ve been... distant. I know something is troubling you."

Xavier exhaled sharply, his shoulders sagging as if the weight of the world was pressing down on him. Julie's heart ached as she watched him, wondering what was eating at him.

"I wish I could tell you it’s nothing," Xavier said quietly, his voice thick with emotion. "But... there’s something I’ve been keeping from you, something I didn’t know how to say."

Julie’s breath caught in her throat. Her eyes searched his face for any hint of what he meant, but all she saw was a raw vulnerability. "What is it, Xavier? You know you can tell me anything."

He stepped back, pacing slightly before coming to a stop, his back turned to her. "Before we became... well, before we became us, I was involved in something—something that, at the time, seemed like the right thing to do. But now, with you, with our child, it feels like the weight of it is suffocating me."

Julie felt a chill run through her at his words. She reached out, taking his hand gently, her heart pounding in her chest. "What do you mean? What happened?"

Xavier closed his eyes, clearly struggling with the truth he was about to reveal. He turned slowly to face her, his gaze locked on hers with a mixture of regret and fear. "I made a promise to someone—a powerful ally of the kingdom. I didn’t know at the time what it would cost, but now, with everything happening... it’s catching up with me."

Julie’s mind spun, trying to piece together the cryptic words. "What do you mean by ‘cost’? What promise?"

"It’s a secret I promised to keep," Xavier said, his voice low. "A secret I didn’t want to burden you with. But it’s becoming too much. There are people in the kingdom who know about it, and they’re using it against me—against us. I fear it’s only a matter of time before it comes out."

Julie’s heart began to race. She could feel the weight of the words, the dark shadow of whatever secret Xavier was harboring, threatening to unravel everything they had built. "Who? What do they want from you? From us?"

Xavier’s eyes darkened, his jaw tightening. "They want control. They want to destabilize the throne. The alliance I formed is with a faction that opposes some of the reforms we’ve put in place. I believed it was for the greater good, but now... it feels like I’ve put you and our child in danger."

Julie’s mind raced as she processed his words. The weight of his confession seemed almost too much to bear. He had been involved with people who were trying to undermine everything he stood for, everything they stood for. And now, the threat was closer than ever.

"Xavier," Julie said, her voice trembling slightly. "You have to tell me everything. We need to face this together."

Xavier nodded, a single tear slipping down his cheek. "I was trying to protect you. I thought I could handle it on my own. But I see now... I see now that I was wrong."

Julie stepped forward, her hand gently cupping his face, her thumb brushing away the tear. "You’re not alone in this. You never have been. Whatever this is, we’ll face it together."

He closed his eyes, leaning into her touch. "I don’t deserve you, Julie. You’ve given me so much. I can’t bear the thought of putting you in harm’s way."

Julie held him close, her arms wrapping around him, offering the only comfort she could. "You’re my husband. You’re the father of our child. I will stand by you no matter what."

For a long moment, they stood there, embracing, as the weight of the truth settled between them. The future felt uncertain, but one thing was certain—Julie wasn’t going anywhere. She had chosen this life with Xavier, and whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them together, as a family.