The Royal Deal

Chapter 35

"Ian, I said no. You had your chance months ago, and you broke it. Why do you want to be with me now?" I was in the middle of changing Sos' diaper when he asked me out, again.

He sighed. "You want the god honest truth?"

I handed her to him, and he immediately pressed raspberries on her milk belly, making her cute, adorable laugh ring out. At 8 months, she was the best thing that could happen to me, even if she was something I didn't want before.

"Yes. That's what I've been waiting for since you walked out over a year ago."

He placed So' on the floor inside her playpen , and she began to crawl all over the place, grabbing on to stuff her chubby little hands could hold. He jumped over the fence easily with one foot, causing her to scream at him, and I smiled as she tried to crawl her fastest to reach him.

"Daaaaah!" She screeched, fisting her little hands in the air for him to pick her up. Of course he did, and he jumped over it again, sitting down just besides the gate as she got off his lap and began to explore once more.

"Come and join us." He laughed as he patted the spot next to him. I sighed, jumped over the fence myself and sat down a few feet away from him.

"Are you ever going to tell me, or are you just avoiding the topic?"

He smiled sheepishly, but then grabbed he closest toy he could reach and began to mess with it as he softly spoke. "What I did that day is something I regretted since the moment I thought of it. I know nothing I say right now will matter to you because I have hurt you in the harshest way possible, and for that I am sorry." He took a deep breath and looked up. "The reason I left was because I was afraid."

I blinked rapidly, confused. "Afraid of what?" I smiled up at So' when she screeched out 'Maaaaah!' As she pointed at me. Her little fingers went to her mouth, but then she pulled them out as her blue eyes caught her favorite blanket on the floor.

"Afraid of the feelings I was feeling for you."

My head snapped up at his words, my jaw dropping. My tongue moved, trying to form words that didn't want to come out. After a few moments, I managed to croak out one single word. "What?"

He gave me a small smile as he nodded. "I had feelings for you. Well, still have, and I have never felt them for anyone else. I have always been the playboy prince per say, but meeting you, being married to you, it changed me Charlotte. It changed me to a completely different person, and I was scared of the changes. I didn't know who I was, so the only thing I knew what to do was to run, since that was what I always did before any feelings got involved."

"What about April, or June. Whatever her name was?"

He looked confused for a few seconds before it finally clicked him. I rolled my eyes as he answered. "Oh! You mean May? Yeah, no, she was no one. I was just trying to get out of the marriage, so I was saying anything that would get me out sooner and faster."

"She may have been a spoiled brat, but she didn't deserve that from you, Ian."

"I know. But I'm not that guy anymore! Ever since I ended things with her and pressed myself to you, it's like a part of me opened up and accepted you. Accepted your strong, fierce side of you without a second thought."

"I'm not the same girl anymore as well Ian. I can't be. I have my daughter to think of now, and I can't be injuring myself every other week. Plus, I'll be queen soon. I won't have time to have fun anymore." I grabbed Sos' hand that started to slowly inch it's way down my shirt towards my breast, and shook my head. "No no Soph. You just ate."

She pouted and turned her gaze towards her father, who immediately softened and reached out for her. I chuckled softly as I rolled my eyes, and stood up, going over the gate to the small cupboard that contained snacks for her.
"You can't be spoiling the child Ian. She needs to learn that no means no."

"My princess will get everything she wants," he cooed at her as she reached with eager hands the small cereal I was offering her. "And I hope I get everything I want too."

I sighed and ignored his comment, feeling his eyes on me. "I'm serious."

"You need to give me more time and space Ian. What you did really hurt me. I can't bring you back into my life right now."

"Okay." This one single word ended our conversation, and I relaxed. For the next few hours, we acted like a family —we played with our daughter, danced with her silly songs -she loved the stupid shark song at the moment— and everything seemed perfect. It was as if nothing had happened.

Until all hell broke loose.

"Charlotte, we have trouble." I looked up as my mom walked in, and rose an eyebrow as she silently handed me a newspaper. I unfolded it, and gasped, a hand going to my mouth as I read the headlines.

Royal Baby!
The best kept secret for more than half a year!

I dropped the newspaper and grabbed my daughter as Ian picked up the paper himself.

"How the hell did they find out about my daughter?" I cried as I held on to her form. She wanted down, but I needed her in my arms.

"Wait! They don't! They are saying that Soph is a boy, and the sources aren't good. It's just rumors." Ian interrupted whatever my mom was going to say, and I stared at him.

"But how did they assume I have a child, Ian. Something or someone must have tipped them off."

"Ah fu-dge," he changed his word at the last second as he quickly looked at Soph who was staring at him as well. "They caught her."

"What?" I looked over his shoulder to another page in the middle, and my heart dropped. It wasn't a good picture, it actually showed almost nothing, but you could tell it was of a baby. The picture had the castle, and one of its floor length windows. And in the corner of the window, we're two baby feet, a bottom, and half of a shirt sticking out.

They had caught the last seconds of her crawling away from the window two days ago.

"Damn it," I mumbled underneath my breath and buried my face on her curly hair. "Damn it, damn it, damn it."

"Here, give me So and you two talk about it. The moment of her arrival has arrived sooner than you thought it would." She grabbed Soph from my hands and walked away, cooing and saying something about yanking grandpas hair.

"What are we going to do?" I whispered up to him as he continued reading the story. I was honestly scared at the moment, and I had no idea what to do to try and keep my daughter out of this life. But now, I had no choice. She had to be in the spotlight.

He dropped the newspaper and brought his hands out, crushing me to his chest. Instead of pulling away, I hugged him back and pressed my face against his chest. "We will work this out. I promise you, I will protect both of you, even if you don't need me."

And at that moment, I knew a small shard of the ice around my heart chipped away, leaving a part of him I thought I wouldn't get back again.

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This will be the last chapter for today! I am off to see the fireworks! HAPPY NEW YEAR and have a great day!