Red & White

fifty.

"You're okay with me leaving for a few hours, right? I don't have to go," Harry said for the third time in the span of twenty minutes. The couple had just awoken, still lying in bed, and the Prince decided to visit King Robin in the infirmary once again.

It had been a week since his last visit and for the duration of that time, Harry didn't want to go back. He was internally fighting a battle about seeing his ill father. If his time would pass soon, the last memories Harry stored of his father didn't want to be of him looking and acting sick. But, as the days went by with no word of any future recovery, the Prince chose to face this conflict more maturely and go see his father who wished only for precious time with his son.

Harry would be more open with daily visits, but Leah was beginning to swell in places other than her belly and that worried the Prince. The doctor assured both of them that this was normal and the swelling in her hands and feet would die down soon. Her morning sickness picked up as well, but Leah continually told Harry she was feeling fine besides that.

"For the last time, Harry," Leah sighed, rubbing her stomach with a small smile, "I'm feeling okay. Go see your father, I know he appreciates your company."

Leah had went down during the week Harry didn't to see her father-in-law. He had looked weak, but pleased to have someone to talk to. Leah was nervous to sit down with the King, but he had been wildly friendly and asked her about the honeymoon and even the baby.

"I do hope I'll be able to hang in there to meet the little one," King Robin had told her and she had nodded.

That was one thing she worried about. Leah's due date was projected to be around four months from now.

"You just threw up twenty minutes ago," Harry stubbornly reminded her. It was true; Leah had woken up with the familiar urge to get sick and had bolted out of the bed in a second, a newly awake Harry trailing behind her. He always rubbed her back when she got sick.

"You know that's normal. I feel fine afterwards, stop worrying about me and go see your father. He must miss you."

The Prince still looked rather perturbed, but walked to the wardrobe to retrieve a pair of dark colored pants and a blue button-down shirt. He looked casual and much younger than he really was.

Harry toyed with his hair in front of the mirror while he talked to Leah who had curled back up in bed. A fresh fire crackled in the fireplace. Despite it being summer the bedrooms continually got chilly in the mornings before the sun was able to heat everything up.

"Please rest, you need to be relaxed from now on. I won't be gone long and if you need anything send someone to retrieve me. I'll have one of your maids fetch you breakfast." Prince Harry threw on a black jacket before making his way to the side of the bed, leaning forward to kiss his wife's forehead.

"I love you, darling."

"I love you, too," Leah responded, smiling up at him. He kissed her once more and then left the bedroom.

*****

It had been an hour since Harry left and Leah spent that time reading her new novel. Now that her pregnancy was progressing and she was regularly told to rest more and more often, her natural solution was to turn to reading to pass the time safely. There was a pile of novels by the side of the royal couple's bed, all books that the lady had finished.

She was on her twelfth book of the month when the plot took a turn of events and one of the main characters died of a disease caused by infection. Leah slammed the book closed after reading one more page, soon realizing how similar the plot was to King Robin's situation.