The Royal Contract

However, she could not help but feel sympathy for her and not anger. Cassie had a rough life compared to her. Her circumstances drove her to do all those things. But it was not an excuse for what she did. She still did terrible acts against her.

However, she had managed to redeem herself by helping them take Nick down. If not for Cassie, they would never have enough evidence against her late ex-boyfriend. At least that should count. In her book, that absolved her of many of her crimes.

“Do you think you are ready to be Cassie’s friend again?” Alex looked at her inquiringly when Cassie finally left.

Cassie said that it was up to her. She was not forcing her to attend if she was not ready and did not need an answer immediately since the wedding was not until a couple of months. She still had time to think about it.

But as they had said, time healed most wounds.

She believed the scars from Cassie’s betrayal had no lasting impact on her. It was too superficial that it had healed and hardly left a mark. She had forgiven her long before. She could barely feel a grudge against her.

.....

“Maybe. Let us see.” She could have easily said yes to her. But they said she had been too trusting of people, which usually put her in many difficult situations.

She had a good feeling about Cassie. She could see her friend changed since she realized Nick was a monster. But as they said, there was no harm in being slightly cautious.

Before they could talk more about Cassie, they heard several people running in the hallway while someone was talking on a loudspeaker about some code. She did not understand the meaning of it, but she could tell it was not good, remembering her few experiences in a hospital.

“Are you ok?” Alex moved to her side, sitting on the edge of the bed while he wrapped his arms around her.

He probably sensed her fear, making him worry about her again. She knew nothing was wrong with her, but still, she could not stop the apprehension of being in this place again.

She had associated hospitals with sickness and death since her father died in a place like this. Now, she dreaded staring at the four walls of this room with the various machines scattered around it and the white bed at the center of it all.

Lying on this bed where many countless patients had lost their lives was not reassuring. Machines and modern technology still were not guaranteed cures.

“Not really.” She suddenly felt the chills going through her spine when everything went silent. Then, the only thing she heard next was someone crying on the other side of the room.

She could feel Alex trying to comfort her as his hands ran up and down her back. She knew it was foolish to feel this way, but she felt the pain of losing her father again as a tear dropped in her eyes.

She hardly shed tears for her father anymore when she remembered him. But today was exceptional as she remembered every last minute she had spent with him. As she wished for another day with him, dining in his hospital room.

“Hey, don’t cry.” Alex hugged her tighter, his voice full of concern. “What is wrong? Tell me.” He was probably confused by the way she was behaving.

She was not this emotional, but she could not explain it either as she blinked her tears away, wiping them with her hands. She must look crazy, crying over nothing. But she could not help how she felt.

“Nothing. I just remembered Dad.” She explained, attempting for a smile on her lips, not wanting her husband to be more alarmed by her situation.

A tap on the glass door, followed by a voice, made them look at the doctor. “Excuse me. I hope I am not interrupting anything.” He wore a friendly smile that was slightly comforting.

“Of course not, Sebastian,” Alex answered for them. “Please come in.” Alex gestured for him to join them. “Do you know what is wrong with Dani?” He sounded anxious but still looked like he was in control as he stood confidently beside her.

She could tell that he was also affected by her outburst, but he had this ability to quickly turned off his emotions, unlike her. She suddenly wished she could do the same, solid and not driven by her emotion.

“I have your test results back.” Sebastian walked back to the room with another doctor following closely behind him, stopping only when they were by her bedside. “First, let me introduce my colleague, Dr. Taylor.”

The woman in a white coat smiled at them, introducing herself to them as an obstetrician and gynecologist. She was slightly confused about why she would be handling her health condition.

She thought upon getting the test results, Sebastian would prescribe something for the dizziness and send her home. Now, refer her to another doctor. What was going on?

“Is there something wrong with me?” She could feel her hands turn cold, adding to her already anxious mind. Her heartbeat had skipped a few beats, feeling the dread that she might be sick.

“No, that is not why Dr. Taylor is here,” Sebastian assured her with a smile as she checked her chart before continuing. “She is here with good and bad news. Should you start with the bad news?”

The other doctor moved out of the shadow of her friend and looked carefully at her charts before proceeding. She looked like nothing was seriously wrong with her, but looks could be deceiving.

“I am sorry, but I could not discharge you just yet because we would need to run some more tests.” The doctor told them, which made her more worried that something was wrong with her.

She held on to Alex’s arms, feeling the fear creeping inside her. The earlier incident blared inside her brain, reminding her that the hospital was a source of bad omen.

“For the good news.” Sebastian smiled at her before turning to his colleague, waiting for her to announce her initial findings. It felt like she had waited a lifetime to hear what she had to say, but it was just seconds when she revealed her news.

“You are pregnant. You two will soon become parents.” The doctor informed them excitedly.

She would lie if she said she had seen it coming. She was stunned by the news, totally not expecting it. She had been waiting for it for so long, but when it did not come after trying so hard, she decided not to think about it anymore.

Although she and her husband had longed to have children of their own, they also agreed to adopt if they could not have them naturally. But hearing the doctor proclaim that she was with a child was the most exhilarating feeling she had ever felt.

Her eyes could only look from one doctor to another, trying to get confirmation that this was not a dream. She did dream about this, but it had turned into a nightmare. She prayed this would not be like that.

“Wow! That is great.” Alex also looked shocked as it took him time to react to the result. “I am going to be a father.” The thrill in his voice was evidence of how happy he was with the news.

She could feel her husband squeezing her shoulders tightly, kissing her on her face excitedly, but she still could not say anything as she processed this new feeling. Instinctively, her hands went down her belly, feeling the child growing inside her.

Of course, she hardly felt anything. Her pregnancy was not visible yet in the human eye. But learning that she was, she suddenly was aware of the life they had created through their love.

All her apprehension left her, replaced by happiness, knowing she was carrying their child. She was about to become a mother, and Alex would be a great father.

“Maybe hospitals were not that bad after all.” She expressed with a sigh as she looked around her. It suddenly did not look that gloomy anymore.

“I am happy to hear that.” Sebastian moved closer to her and tapped her on the shoulder. “Congratulations to the two of you.” He also turned to Alex and shook his hand.

“I guess we have to do the test now.” Dani turned to the doctor, who would assure her baby was healthy and safe.

She could not wait to do everything she could for her baby. She would endure anything for her child. Even sacrifice her life if needed. Her life was not hers alone anymore.

Her initial thought that the white rooms symbolized death changed as she sensed her child inside her. The machines that beeped in the background sounded like music to her ears, knowing that soon it would be replaced by a child’s cry.

At that moment, nothing about this place frightened her anymore. Nothing about what happened to her in the past mattered. Not the things and the people she had lost. Not the present that she built nor the future that she feared.

Because all of those suddenly became insignificant as the focus centered on the coming of a new adventure. A new journey for Dani and Alex.

A new chapter.

A new volume.

A new life.