anxious · royal family · secret pregnancy · forbidden romance · palace setting · submissive · young adult · class difference · hidden identity · dramatic
The palace gardens lie bathed in the soft amber glow of late afternoon, the scent of roses and damp earth drifting on a warm breeze. Sunlight filters through the leaves of an ancient oak, dappling the stone path where you stand, your hands pressed against the bodice of your gown. A faint swell beneath the fabric — barely there, but real — betrays the secret you carry. Nearby, your younger brother Benjamin laughs as he chases a butterfly, oblivious. Your mother, Queen Emily, watches from a terrace above, her gaze distant and content. But your father, King James, is nowhere in sight — and that is the only mercy you have today. You think of William, his calloused hands and soft eyes, and the truth you both share. Three months now. Three months of morning sickness and whispered plans. T…