Chapter 45 – Do you have a problem?
1828 Words
After having lunch, the king had to attend to a few official concerns. Seeing how Nate seems to want to talk to her mother, Vince asked if he can tag along with the king.
A quick look and the king understood. He nodded and gestured for him to follow.
“What is it?” The queen asked as they exited.
Nate was feeling uneasy. She went to hug her mother. She feels safe with her as well.
“Do you have a problem?”
“Hmm…” She waited until the servants cleared the table. She bit her lip as she prepared herself.
“It’s just that… It seems Hannah and Aaron have already been intimate.”
The queen raised an eyebrow, “How do you know? And why are you concerned?”
“It was just a guess, but their reactions when we teased them confirmed it.”
“Uh huh, and so? How does it relate to you?” The queen had one hand on her daughter’s shoulder.
“Vince and I talked about it.” She muttered while looking at the table.
The queen released a huge sigh before sternly saying, “You’re still young. I forbid it.”
Nate chuckled, “I know, mother. We haven’t done anything. But Vince is holding himself back and we still have to wait four years…”
Queen Natasha studied her daughter tucked under her arm. She smiled at how she’s seeking her advice. She’s glad of it.
“What’s your concern, then?”
Nate mulled it over, should she ask? “Do you think we can wait four years? I’m not only talking about him; I’m also talking about myself. Sometimes, I get these urges that I want more than hugs and kisses.”
“Are you prepared to be a mother? That’s a question you should ask before you engage in intimate activities. Such acts could result to a pregnancy. Are you prepared for that? If your answer is no, that should prevent you from engaging in it.”
“Mother…” She groaned as she contemplated on it.
“What?” She slowly caressed Natalia’s short hair.
Instead of answering, Nate laid a soft hand on her mother’s stomach.
If they compare her with others who get married at the youngest age permissible, which is fourteen in this time and age, she’s not that young.
“Is it wrong to say I actually… want to bear him his children?”
“At this time?” The queen wanted to remain calm so she asked the right questions.
“You’re right. Not at this time. We’re still trying to rescue his mother from the land of fae. But, maybe afterwards? Can I?”
Queen Natasha took a deep breath. “You’ll be here on your birthday? You’ll be of age, then. I’d like to speak with his parents first.”
“Mother.” She helplessly exclaimed, slowly sitting down properly on a chair.
“What? If you’re meant to be married at his coronation and you get pregnant before that, do you think it would be acceptable? We’ll have to see if we can move the date of the wedding forward.”
“Queen Elise isn’t here yet, anyway. But I think it was a tradition in the north since King Edward got married on his coronation as prince. Though he did ascend to the throne a few years afterwards.”
“I’ve been married to your father before he was crowned. I’m sure we can discuss it over a meal with his family. It would also solidify our kingdoms’ alliance.”
“Given how we’ve already found Queen Elise, I’m sure he would want her to be present when it happens. Our current focus to get her back and I know it will take a while. I’m not too selfish as to insist a wedding in the middle of it all.”
“That’s good. You still know what you should focus on at the moment. So, is this brought on by the fact that Hannah and Aaron have progressed beyond what you and Vince have?”
“In a way, but also… I’m starting to think what I actually want in life. I feel that in the last few years before today, I’ve been only trying to survive, continue to live… I don’t think I ever chased after happiness.”
“What’s Vincent to you, then? I thought he makes you happy?” The queen frowned, her daughter must have been thinking a lot these days to be saying these words now.
“He does and I’m happy. But there are a lot of things happening that I feel like I haven’t been able to focus on what we actually have. We’ve been training and preparing to get his mother back… I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. I do want to help because I know it means a lot to him. That’s his mother, after all. But still… I just wanted to have some time for myself, and us together. It has been hectic…”
The queen exhaled her breath, understanding a little bit. “I think you’re stressed. Tired. Exhausted. You should properly rest. I’m not saying get enough sleep and eat well. Do take some time to do something relaxing. Take a walk in the garden. I’d say bring Vincent with you. Maybe go horse-racing around the castle. Just stroll the grounds. You need to relax a little. You’re stressing yourself out and that’s not good. No matter how serious this matter is, you should still consider your own welfare. Vince, too. If you’ve been doing things together, I can only suspect he’s stressed as well.”
Speaking of such, “How long would you two be staying?”
“I guess we should head back tomorrow?”
“That’s good enough. Now go, take a walk in the garden and unburden yourself. Mind and body.”
“I’ll get Vince.” She hugged her mother for a few seconds before pulling back and standing.
“Thank you, mother.”
“I’m glad you talk to me about these things. Come find me whenever you need someone to talk to.”
“Yes, mother.” She leaned down to kiss her mother’s cheeks.
She did take deep breaths as she walked. What would he say if she tells him these things? He would surely listen. Her presence was announced at the meeting hall and she only showed her head from the door.
“Busy?” She directed this to Vince, everyone knows why she’s here anyway.
Vince slightly bowed to the others as he asked to be excused. The king gave him leave and nodded to his daughter before they both disappeared behind the door.
As they walked, Nate reached out to hold his hand and cling to his arm. Vince looked at her in mild surprise. When she leaned her head on his shoulder, he knew there’s something bothering her. He let her lead him on towards the garden. They sat on a ledge instead of the available chairs or benches.
He caressed her short hair, knowing the gesture relaxes her.
“What’s going on?”
“Mother said I’m stressed. Can we return to the north tomorrow and take two days to relax?” Even her tone sounded tired, which he noticed.
“I’m sorry.” He tightened his hold around her shoulder.
“We can’t?” She was bewildered, which made him chuckle.
“We can. I meant, sorry for not noticing. I should’ve taken better care of you.”
His explanation made her heart swell. He still cares for her. His other hand enclosed one of hers.
“How about you? Don’t you feel tired?” She asked, if she’s honest he’d been doing so much more than she does.
He shrugged at her question, “We’ve been trained. As long as there is work to be done, we ought to be focused until the objective is achieved.”
“So, you don’t feel tired?” She’s at a loss. She definitely saw him tired out at the end of some days.
He chuckled again. “I do, but I have to endure it. After a night’s rest, I have to be ready for another day.”
“Huh, and I thought being a prince was a piece of cake. I thought you could do whatever you wanted to do.”
“Well, technically, I can. I have a lot of privileges, but I also have a lot of responsibilities. I have to show I’m worthy and there are a ton of rules I have to adhere to.”
After a few minutes of silence, Nate spoke again. “It’s just that… I felt like… this past year, from the moment I met my parents and I was told about that prophecy… everything happened in a blur. Even before that, one thing happened after another. It’s somewhat catching up to me. I need some time to properly breath. Let me do some of the things I wanted to do. But right now, I know I can’t. Hopefully, after we get your mother back here, can we take a vacation or something? I swear if another problem crops up after we get Queen Elise, I’m gonna break down.”
Vince exhaled as he adjusted her position, tucking her closer. “Sometimes I forget that you’re not a knight like me. You weren’t trained as I was when I was growing up. But you’ve been able to keep me accompany. You’ve helped me every single time. You’ve done well.” He pressed a kiss on her forehead after that. She’s glad to know she was useful, not entirely useless.
“And you’re a princess, but you didn’t grow up trained to be one. Admittedly, you’d have a much better and easier life than a prince. You’re not required to be a knight. You can simply host balls and parties, or attend them.”
The expression she gave him made him roar in laughter. It was a disgusted grimace. Her? Nate? In a party? She imagined herself in yet another gown. No way. She shook her head.
“See? You’re now a princess, not my companion. You can do whatever you want. You need not accompany in my activities or missions. But of course, it just happens that you’re necessary in order for us to go to the fae. You’re doing us a huge favor. Me and my father… my mother as well, we owe you and everyone helping us. If you’re tired…”
“Don’t be stupid. Of course, I’ll help. I can rest, just like you. When we return to the north, I’ll be ready again.”
“After we get mother back, we’ll go on a vacation. I promise. You want it here in the northeast? Your sibling would probably be born by then.”
“Yes, I like it here. My parents would protect us both. We don’t need to worry about anything, then.”
“Hmmm.” He silently agreed. That would also give his parents some time to spend together.
Nate remembered the few times Vince attended parties. She only watched in the sidelines. Thinking back on it, she’s reminded of how some noble young ladies approached him. Those happened before she started to have feelings for him, so she wasn’t bothered at the time. The first time she attended one was during her parents’ visit at the north. She was wearing her normal clothing as the prince’s companion. When they get to the northeast and she was engaged to Vince, that was the first time she wore a gown. It was such a nice dress, but not practical.
These days, she’s thinking about a lot of things. Even she herself is confused.
- Writer
