Everybody Wants to Rule the World

Chapter Thirteen: Moving Forward

Matias took a deep breath as he looked over Camelia's notes, her pregnancy was going so well and he knew that it was only a matter of time before things started to get complicated for them. 

It had been a calm couple of months and Matias was almost glad that the new year had come around, he was sure that by the time that things had calmed down that the baby was due to be born. 

That was if you ignored the fact that Catalina's baby was due about a week after Camelia's was, it was a tense time and everyone around them seemed so focused on Catalina's baby except for Cristiano. 

It had amazed Matias how attentive the General had been since the news that Camelia was pregnant had reached him; he had barely been away from Camelia unless he was needed by Catalina.

"Baby seems healthy," Matias said reassuring them, he looked up from his work and smiled at the couple knowing that this was the best news. 

There was still no idea who might have fathered the baby and Matias doubted that Camelia would ever consider anyone but Cristiano as the father of the child that she was carrying. 

Cristiano watched the doctor, he was pleased that Camelia's pregnancy was going well; he tried to be there for all her appointments and he was excited about the coming birth. 

It did help that Catalina was distracted with her own pregnancy, she barely tolerated Cristiano around her these days considering that she was seventeen weeks pregnant and he was no longer even welcome in their bedroom. 

Cristiano laced his fingers with Camelia's, he enjoyed being around her and Junior without any interruptions; he loved the time that he had with them and preparing for the birth of his second child. 

"Would you like to the gender of the baby?" Matias asked watching them, he prayed that things would work out and this baby was Cristiano's; he couldn't imagine what would happen if it wasn't. 

Camelia peeked at Cristiano, she wasn't sure what to do and she knew he was dying to know if they were having another boy or maybe even a little girl.

"We'd like to know," Cristiano said smiling, he wanted nothing more than to know what to expect and he was sure that Catalina would share the news of her pregnancy with him sooner or later. 

It was strange to think that he had two children on the way by different mothers, much less than the fact that they were both due in the space of a week; there was no avoiding this and Cristiano wasn't sure what he would do. 

Matias nodded his head before he looked down at his papers, he wasn't surprised that they weren't waiting and he just hoped they would be happy. 

"You're having a baby boy," Matias revealed to the couple, he smiled at them knowing that Catalina would be furious when she found out; he didn't know what she was having since she'd insisted on having the best doctor and midwife in the empire for her pregnancy. 

Matias had no idea how Cristiano put up with his wife's stupid demands, she had been making a lot of demands since she had fallen pregnant; he just hoped that her pregnancy would distract her from Camelia and her children. 

"Another son," Cristiano beamed moving in to kiss Camelia, he couldn't believe it and he was so happy; he had hoped for another boy to keep Junior company, he wanted the best for any child that Camelia gave him. 

It was a wonderful thing and Cristiano would do anything to keep Camelia and the boys safe, they were the only reason he had listened to what Catalina's father had said; he wasn't going to let that man or any of his family hurt a hair on their heads.

***

Brushing some hair from her face, Camelia sighed with a smile thinking about the baby boy that she was carrying; she prayed every night that the child that she was carrying was Cristiano's, she didn't want to believe this child was Hugo's. 

The thought alone scared the crap out of her and Camelia couldn't imagine what Cristiano would do if he learned that the baby was Hugo's; he would throw her and the boys out without a second thought if that happened.

Camelia shook her head trying to banish the thoughts, she didn't want to get upset right now; she wanted to focus on her sons and she knew that Junior was thrilled with the idea of a baby brother.

"I didn't want to believe it," said a voice making Camelia stop, she groaned under her breath before she turned around to face Dolores; she eyed the woman knowing that Cristiano had her living very far away from here. 

It had surprised Camelia that Cristiano would do such a thing, he had always been so close with his mother and yet now he couldn't stand to be around her. 

"Dolores," Camelia greeted eyeing her, she didn't know why Dolores had come here but she guessed that it had something to do with the fact that Catalina was pregnant. 

Dolores liked to be around her grandchildren with the exception of Junior, she refused to accept that the little boy was anything more than a bastard that her son had taken in. 

"You should have stayed in that hell hole you called marriage," Dolores spat with a shake of her head, there was no way that she was going to allow this woman to get her claws further into Cristiano; she was just thankful that everything was working out for them. 

It had been horrible to hear that Camelia was going to give Cristiano yet another son, she cursed the gods for what they had done knowing that this had to stop. 

"My Cristiano was happy, he had everything a man could want," Dolores ranted eyeing the bump that Camelia carried, that thing would arrive a week before his trueborn child and there was no way that she would let him treat this child like that one was.

Dolores knew that Cristiano didn't want her sticking around and the only reason that she was here was because Catalina had called her back to the capital; there was no way that she would let her daughter-in-law suffer alone. 

"Except love," Camelia replied eyeing the woman before her, she was more sure than ever about Dolores's plans to have her sent away so that she could choose a bride of her liking. 

Catalina thought she was clearly someone and Camelia had no idea why Dolores thought that she would make a good wife for someone like Cristiano. 

"He'll have that with the son that Catalina will give him," Dolores taunted knowing that it would change everything, that child had more rights to things than the two bastards that Camelia was giving to Cristiano. 

Camelia swallowed trying to ignore the jab that Dolores had thrown, she knew that it would change things and she hoped her sons would be okay. 

They would never get to know their half-brother but they would be raised to think they were lesser than him because Camelia wasn't only the mistress to their father and not his wife. 

Cristiano had sworn that he would never treat her children differently but everyone else would and that was what worried Camelia; she also knew that any child that Catalina had would be raised a brat. 

"You'll never have the one thing that you want. He is Catalina's husband," Dolores stated proudly, she wanted Camelia to remember that and there was no way that she would ever be able to call Cristiano her own. 

Camelia stared right at Dolores, she ignored the ache in her chest knowing that every word that Dolores said was true.