Mi Princesa

Part Two - Chapter Twenty-Five: The Two Dukes of Juberri

Fernando helped Vanessa out of the car, he smiled knowing how big today was for their country and he couldn't quite believe how far they had come since their own wedding; he was so happy with how it had all worked out. 

Vanessa looked beautiful in her green appliques sequins A-line floor-length V-neck dress with matching jacket, it hugged her bump a little and he knew that it was only a matter of time before they would be welcoming their little girl into the world. 

The cameras flashed excited at the sight of Vanessa and Fernando, they both knew that it wasn't going to change and for the first time in a long time they actually felt relaxed about it. 

Nora and Bojan were with the nanny and both looked adorable in their outfits, it almost didn't seem real that the family was doing so well after everything that had happened. 

Waving to the crowds, Vanessa and Fernando headed into the church knowing that it wouldn't be long before everyone else arrived for the wedding; it was a massive day for Andorra and they were making history today. 

Vanessa brushed her fingers against her bump, she couldn't wait for her little girl to be born and she was so excited; her pregnancy was going so well and Fernando was being wonderful as her pregnancy moved forward. 

The couple could clearly remember their own wedding day, it almost didn't seem real to think that it had only really been a year since they had become man and wife; so much had changed for them and they had changed since then. 

"I love you," Fernando murmured softly for only Vanessa to hear, he didn't ever think that his life would have played out this way; they were doing so well in their new royal roles and Fernando just hoped that they had seen the last of all the drama. 

Vanessa smiled at him, she mouthed the words back before the Archbishop stepped forward to introduce himself; today was a big day and nothing was going to go wrong for the royal family.

***

"Congratulations," Vanessa said smiling at her younger brother and her new brother-in-law, the wedding had been wonderful and she couldn't have been happier for Joseph; he deserved this after being forced to hide for so long. 

Fernando stood close to his wife, it had been a long day and he knew it was far from over for them yet; he didn't want Vanessa to overdo herself especially when she was heavily pregnant. 

Joseph smiled at his sister, he couldn't believe that he had actually been allowed to marry the man that he loved; it all felt like a dream and he couldn't have been happier than he was at that moment in time. 

Ethan wrapped an arm around Joseph, they had both been made Dukes of Juberri and he still couldn't believe how much his life had changed; he peeked over at his family knowing all of this had become a large surprise to them. 

None of them had thought that Ethan would be allowed to marry the man that he wanted, they had never thought that Ethan would leave behind his work as a doctor and become a member of the royal family. 

"We'll let you speak to your family," Fernando said wanting to get Vanessa to sit down, he couldn't imagine how badly her feet were hurting; she had been on them most of the morning and they were often quite swollen when she had been putting her shoes on for the wedding. 

Vanessa nodded her head in agreement before moving away allowing Joseph and Ethan to go and speak with Ethan's family, she almost sighed in relief knowing that they only had to stay for a couple more hours before they could head home with their children.

Joseph and Ethan had already reassured Vanessa that they wouldn't mind if she left early, they understood that she got tired quickly now especially with her pregnancy entering the last stage. 

The last thing that they wanted Vanessa to feel comfortable and they were going to enjoy themselves, she had every right to leave if she wanted and she had already done so much for them since Joseph had been outed like he had. 

"How are you feeling?" Fernando murmured leading Vanessa to their seats, he peeked over at where the children were sat with the nanny and he knew that it wouldn't be long before they had to head home since Bojan would need a nap. 

Kissing Fernando, Vanessa brushed her fingers through his hair knowing that he worried too much about her and the children; she didn't know what she could do to ease his mind that everything was okay. 

Vanessa had just finished the last of her royal duties before the baby was born, she wanted to spend the last weeks preparing for the birth and getting ready for the holidays knowing that it was going to be a busy one. 

"I'm fine... you should relax," Vanessa teased softly, she didn't know what was going on in his mind but she doubted that he would relax until they were home again. 

Fernando chuckled and kissed her again, he was just happy that they had a moment to themselves; he knew that it wasn't going to last long and he could already tell someone was hovering to speak with them about something or other. 

"I will when we're not being watched all the time," Fernando murmured back as he pulled away from her, he didn't like being this open with people watching them; he felt that at any moment things could change and his family would be the main target of some sort of attack. 

It was silly to think that way but Fernando couldn't forget how close he had already come to losing Vanessa, he wasn't going to make the same mistake again anytime soon.

***

Bojan rubbed his eyes tiredly as Fernando settled him down for bed, he adored moments like this with his children and he never liked the idea of them being alone with other people for too long. 

The children had a pretty normal life and Fernando was determined to keep it that way for as long as possible, his children weren't going to suffer like their mother had growing up in the public eye. 

"Buenas noches," Fernando whispered softly to his son, he brushed his fingers tenderly through his hair and watched as Bojan drifted off to sleep; he wondered how the little boy would react when he had a little sister to contend with. 

Bojan didn't really understand that he would have a baby sister soon, he just seemed to think that Vanessa was getting fat even if his parents had tried to explain the exciting news to him; he was still a little young to understand. 

Quietly walking out of the bedroom, Fernando shut the door behind him and smiled knowing that he was actually looking forward to the moment that they welcomed their daughter to the world. 

The couple had yet to agree on a name but there were quite a few bets going around on what they would settle on; the tops ones included Elizabeth, Victoria, Amelia and Eleanor which all seemed to really suit a royal baby. 

Fernando was hopeful that they would be able to settle on a full name soon, he didn't want to leave it until the last moment and he knew that whatever they picked would be perfect for their little princess no matter what.