Checkmate

Vows

"Are you ready?" Alessandro asks.

I nod and let him help me out of the car. We make our way into the house where hundreds of people stand waiting for the announcement of decade.

I may my way to the from of the room in a white lace cocktail dress and nude pumps. I face the crowd and take a deep breathe.

"Ladies and Gentlemen welcome! I hope you can all join us for our wedding on Sunday!" Clapping fills the room, cheers echo off the walls and I feel the pressure of it all.

I take a deep breathe and make my way up the stairs towards my bedroom with Alessandro in tow. When I open the door Claire stands with a small bundle in her arms. I didn't forget about my new baby brother but I didn't want him in this house..this life.

"What are you doing here?" I ask her taking the baby from her arms as she takes a very much needed seat.

"You're getting married, Madeline" She says taking my hand "I'll never be your mom but that doesn't mean I don't care about you"

I smile "You've grown on me" We laugh

"Stephen I named him Stephen" She says then looks at Alessandro and raises an eyebrow.

"The drunk asshole with too many abs is the one you're marrying?" I laugh but Alessandro just watches from the door, his arms crossed across his chest.

"He still is an asshole" I say thinking of everything we've been through.

"Your father told me you were sleeping with him, Madeline are you sure you're pregnant?" She asks me. I put Stephen down on my bed and turn to face her, my expression full of shock.

She shrugs "I figured that's why you were getting married..besides your figure looks a bit tight"

I push past her and into the bathroom. I look at my waist and see what she was talking about. That morning when the zipper had trouble closing I thought it was just the dress.

"Stop! It's not possible!" I say pressing a palm to my forehead "nonononono"

"Breathe" Claire says standing and taking my hands. Alessandro had thankfully left the room and was nowhere in sight.

"Watch Stephen and I will go get you a test..no one needs to know" she says hugging me before leaving the room.

"Where did Claire run off too?" Alejandro asks walking back in the room.

"She had to go pump" I make it up fast and leave it at that.

He smiles and comes over to the bed where Stephen was laying down. Alessandro picks him up and holds him gently.

"I feel like he can break" he says making me laugh. "Do you want children Madeline?"

I shrug "I have to provide an heir but no I don't"

He looks at me confused "why not?"

I shrug "they wouldn't have good lives..being in danger means you need to defend yourself and learning to defend yourself means they could end up..well like me"

He nods "I was so bad to you when we first met" he laughs "I want children Madeline, not for them but for us"

I feel a pang in my stomach and a lump form in my throat. If I was pregnant like Claire thought then there was a chance it was Rizzo's baby and that would only mean we lost..I would lose.

My kingdom, my life, my love sitting next to me. I feel the walls in the room shrink around me pushing in further and further.

"I'm back!" Claire says walking into the room, she turns to Alessandro sheepishly "I need to breast feed do you mind?"