Chapter 41: How dare you put our cousin as second priority?

Angelique's POV

The ride to his palace was longer than I expected. They had to go slowly and carefully due to my pregnancy. Once we arrived at Malachite Palace, I was immediately brought to the room I used whenever I visited. My grand uncle was there to welcome me and so was his wife. Ford was still out taking down the people who attacked Palace White.

The labor was exhausting and it felt like forever. I'm full of blood, sweat, and tears. I, unfortunately, had a wound on my arm due to the battle earlier, and a cut near my stomach. These wounds had to be treated while I was here delivering my baby.

"Doctor, how much longer does she have to be like this?" Conner asked, wiping the sweat from my forehead. "Shouldn't she be giving birth by now?"

"Unfortunately, she's not fully dilated yet," replied the doctor as he checked on me. "Fear not for the baby will come soon. The wounds on her body had no effect on the baby so you needn't worry."

The pain was driving me crazy. I just wish the baby would pop out already. Childbirth is such a pain! Why should women be responsible for such a difficult task? I've been here for hours. I could feel the contractions inside me.

"You may leave her to us, Prince Conner," the doctor said, "You've been here for hours. I can see that you need to rest."

Conner shook his head in response, refusing to leave my side. "No," he said, "My cousin doesn't have anyone else right now. I'll be happy to remain by her side."

Somehow, his kind words put my heart at ease. I didn't think I'd be doing this alone. Now that he's here, I'm not. He's always been a good friend and cousin to me. He's the only one who was never cruel to me, in fact. That's the very reason why he was my favorite among them. He's kind and righteous.

He bent down beside me, making sure I was alright. "You're going to be alright, cousin," he assures me with a sweet smile.

"Have you heard a word from my family yet?" I asked, trying my best not to scream in agony.

He nodded, saying, "They will come as soon as they can. Unfortunately, they too were ambushed in the hunt. No one was harmed, of course. They're currently on their way back to Palace White. As for Damien, he's on his way to see Maidservant Rose and then here."

I sighed, closing my eyes.

"Why didn't your husband rush his way here instead of there?" he asked concernedly. "Has he not developed feelings for you at all?"

"As you well know, this is nothing more than a marriage of convenience," I replied, "It doesn't matter to me whether or not he developed feelings."

"I don't believe you, Angelique," he says, holding my hand tightly. "You weren't always like this, Angelique. You used to want love for yourself..." He sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. "You don't deserve the fate you were given at all. I hate them for what they've done to you. It's no way to treat a lady such as yourself."

"I don't want to talk about that rubbish," I said through gritted teeth, "I just want this baby to come out so that my suffering may end!"

He nodded, letting me have my peace of mind. I didn't need a reminder about my horrid life. It took hours and hours before the baby's head started to show, and I suppose the real pain had just begun.

"Push, Princess!" said the doctor, "Push!"

I was screaming in pain as I did what they asked. I pushed and pushed. I held Conner's hand as though my life depended on it. Pushing is way harder than labor. I do not wish this upon anyone at all.

"I can see its head, Princess! Push harder!" the doctor commanded.

I pushed with all my might, and at long last, the baby came.

"It is a girl!" he said, handing the child to the nursemaids.

"Can't I hold her?" I asked, reaching my hands for it.

"There's another one on its way," replied the doctor, "I need you to push yet again, Your Royal Highness! Push!"

When will the pain end? This is bloody torture! I pushed in what seemed like forever until the next child was born. I fell back, trying to regain consciousness. I was breathless, sweaty, and exhausted.

"It is a boy!" the doctor announced with great joy.

A boy, huh? I suppose that brings peace to everyone's mind. They needn't worry about my ability to produce an heir. I didn't give one but two children to the monarchy. One is to inherit White and the other to inherit Cross.

"Long live the princess!" they cheered.

"You did it, cousin," Conner smiled, planting a soft kiss on my forehead. "You did it. Would you like to see them? Or should you prefer to rest first? You're exhausted."

I sat back up, refusing to lie back down. "I should like to see them, Conner," I replied, "Are they healthy?"

He nodded, handing me the firstborn. She was beautiful and looked a lot like Damien. She had beautiful brown curly hair and a pair of blue eyes. She's perfect in every way possible.

"This is Dianne," I said, brushing my fingers against her sweet cheeks. "Dianne Alicent White."

He then replaced my little girl with her twin brother. He was more like me with the same dark hair and eyes I possessed. He's beautiful and smaller than his elder twin.

"And what might this little prince's name be?" he asked.

"Should I name him after the man who saved us?" I teased, smiling at him.

He chuckled in response, caressing the baby's cheek.

"This is Alexander Dorian Cross," I declared, "He is the next King of Cross after his father. He should bring peace to everyone now that he's here."

Now that I've held my children, I see that the pain was all worth it. I've never felt love like this ever before. Unconditional love... I cannot believe that I've just become a mother. It feels so surreal.

"Don't think of that right now, dear cousin," he says, "All you need to do is take in the moment and rest. You deserve to be happy. You shouldn't feel burdened right now."

"Thank you so much, cousin," I replied, "I appreciate everything you've done for me and for my people. You've done a great job fulfilling your duty."

"I didn't do it for my duty, cousin," he replied, "I did it all for you. We're family. We practically grew up together. The second I received your letter, I went straight to find you."

Ford then arrived, bursting from the door. "I'm an uncle!" he exclaims, running towards us. "Congratulations, cousin! Damn, you look awful!" Of course, he'd say that. What else did I expect from my playful cousin?

"Try giving birth from your own dick," I glared at him.

"I'm just kidding," Ford says, smiling sheepishly. "I'm glad you're safe and sound. Our other cousins will be on their way for a grand celebration tomorrow. Since you've just given birth, it's a tradition that you stay a few days. Once you've recovered, you can take the children and return home. What are their names, by the way?"

"The eldest is Dianne and the younger is Alexander," I said, presenting them to him. "The heiress to my realm and the heir of the Crosses."

Soon after, Damien came through the doors looking wrecked. He must've fought during their ambush as well. He didn't waste a second as he ran to the foot of my bed. He looked at me, my cousins, and the set of twins.

"I am so sorry, Angelique," he says, "I am really sorry that I wasn't by your side. I hate myself for it! I truly am sorry."

"How dare you put our cousin as second priority?" Ford asked through gritted teeth. "You went to Diamond Fortress instead of here; why? You better have a damn good reason as to why you skipped the birth of your own children!"

Conner nodded, standing tall. "You better have a good explanation, Cross. This isn't just any princess. She's our cousin and the crown's jewel. You're lucky I found her just in time. If I had come across her corpse instead, you'd be a dead man walking. Should anything like this happen yet again, I will be the one who'll slay you. You can say goodbye to your pretty and useless face."

Damien swallowed his pride, kneeling in forgiveness. "I apologize for everything," he said humbly. "Will you please give me and my wife a moment to speak in private?"

My cousins looked at me and I gestured for them to leave. They placed both babies in the crib that was prepared for them earlier. They gave Damien one last death glare before exiting the chamber.

Damien then made his way to me and our children. I couldn't believe my eyes. He was in tears and trembling. "I really am sorry, Angelique," he says, "I knew I should've stayed by your side. I shouldn't have left you alone in the palace."

"What's done is done," I replied rather coldly. "I was the one who urged you to leave so you needn't feel guilty."

He looked at the crib to see the sleeping infants. "There are two of them, huh?" he says, touching their head.

"The eldest is Dianne and the younger is Alexander," I said, "I didn't think I'd be giving birth to twins so I hadn't really thought of better names. Anyway, they are healthy. I'm tired so I want to sleep now."

He nodded, sitting at the foot of my bed. "We can talk after you've recovered."

"You cannot stay here," I said, gesturing for him to leave. "You're still covered in filth. Clean up."

"Alright," he said obediently. He planted a kiss on my forehead, holding me tight. "I'll return to you sooner than you think. Please rest for now."

I nodded, closing my eyes. I feel absolutely drained to the very lost drop. I cannot deal with the stress right now. Conner was right. I deserve to rest. Before I knew it, I drifted off to sleep.