All's well

Two months had gone after the tragedy, and everything looked strangely peaceful, as if it had been a hoax put on the monarch. Everything was going as planned. The kingdom was at peace. After weeks of brainstorming, King Alaric returned to his court and resumed his work. Prince Ezekiel carried out his responsibilities to care for the citizens' issues and needs by upholding the kingdom's law and order. The queen sought to ignore the incident as she mentally prepared for the delivery of her kid. She gradually forgot about the incident, believing that her immense love for the baby had already broken the spell.

It's very lovely, queen. Looking at the piece of cloth the queen was holding to display the needlework she had done for her kid, the maiden remarked. The queen hugged the fabric tightly while grinning from ear to ear and whispering sweet things to herself.

"Do you like it, little one?" She put the little piece of cloth on her tummy and spoke lovingly to the child she was carrying. She grinned widely as she felt the small kicks, as if the baby had approved of the queen's tiny gift. "I'm very excited to meet you." As she set the fabric amid other presents she had made while pregnant, she continued to speak gently.

"The baby will love these." The queen's line of thinking was stopped by a deep voice, and as she turned, she saw the king standing at her door, admiring the queen with a happy grin. Despite all that had occurred in the last month, he was pleased to see the queen in such a calm mood. He felt as though he had been overanalyzing the scenario the entire time and had wasted a month of time overanalyzing for nothing. Even though everyone was having a good time at the castle, they were all three secretly a little concerned about the event and hoping it wasn't real. "Well, I came over to tell you some wonderful news." He stated this while taking little steps towards the queen and observing her face. "Do you recall our neighboring kingdom's duchess?" He inquired.

"She's lovely, Duchess Savannah."

"Her father wishes to establish relations with us." The queen remained silent for a few moments while she processed his comments.

"Is this for Ezekiel?"

"Who else is there? I've already got my queen." He laughed in response. The queen jolted and shrieked joyously, as if struck by lightning.

Oh, I'm overjoyed. Is Ezekiel aware? The king smiled and nodded. "But why do you have creases on your head?" She inquired, her gaze drawn to the king, who was frowning slightly.

"They want the ceremony to take place next month."

"That's much better. Everything must be completed as soon as possible." She clapped her hands and turned to face her maidens, who had stood there the entire time. "Go ahead and begin the preparations." She stated this while glancing at one of the maidens, who smiled and bowed as she exited the chamber. The queen began babbling about the décor, cuisine, and gowns. She didn't realize she was talking so fast. Because the king remained silent, she turned to face him, who was still frowning, and hugged him. "Everything is going to be OK." She muttered to herself against his chest. As he gripped her protectively, a faint smile came across the king's lips.

"I know." While cupping her face, the monarch gazed tenderly into her eyes. The queen's eyes widened as she looked down towards her stomach, and she gasped sharply. The queen took his hand, laid it on her stomach, and giggled as the king briefly seemed concerned. Do you feel the pain? Should we make a royal doctor's appointment? The Monarch began asking questions continuously until he felt a kick, after which they both laughed.

The word of the prince's marriage spread like wildfire across the town, with every person offering to assist in any way they could. The remaining month flew by since the entire kingdom was preoccupied with the approaching event in a month. With so many hands working in the preparations, whether it was costumes or decorations, everything was completed swiftly.

The biggest day for the Josen kingdom has arrived. As they prepared to go north to the Myrtle kingdom for the event, people were singing and dancing. There were several gifts for the duchess in the carriages. Unlike other princes, Ezekiel was swift to prepare for his own marriage while waiting for the king, who was busy encouraging the queen to stay in the castle.

"But I was supposed to give her the gifts." As she was safely snuggled in her covers, the queen whimpered for the nth time. It was her last trimester, and the baby may arrive at any time. The monarch was afraid for their safety and requested her to remain in the kingdom to greet the duchess when she arrives.

"I know, my queen." Always being so kind with the queen, the monarch would hold her chin and tell her to look at him. "But you must realize that you fainted last week while doing nothing." The queen complained once more and playfully swatted the king's arm. "Sorry, sorry, but we need to take extra precautions for our child". He smiled after pausing briefly to study her pouty expression. He inquired, "Can you do it for me?"

The queen hummed in agreement and laid down, following the royal physician's advice to get as much rest as possible and take care of her unborn child. "What am I going to do by myself here?"

"Just eat well and stay well."

The queen was forced to lay down as the king kissed her forehead and left her chamber, leaving her maiden at her side in case of an emergency. After leaving the queen's room, the king let out a deep breath that he wasn't aware he was holding. Many royal attendants, physicians, and guards were assigned to look after the queen while he was away. The king proceeded to the court, where Ezekiel and his counselor awaited. Looking at the king, Ezekiel grinned gently, knowing exactly what had taken him so long.

"You'll know..." The monarch shook his head. "And let's go before the queen changes her mind." All three of them chuckled and moved outside the court.

After ensuring that the queen was adequately protected, the monarch ensured that she had every basic requirement, from clothing to food. He double-checked that there were more than enough sources and instructed the maidens and the physicians to always be around and in her presence. They departed towards the north as soon as the monarch was convinced.