My Crazy Fake (I Wish It Were Real) Life

I Act Like a Child, and Then There is a Child

I looked at myself in an ornate mirror resting on a desk in my room. "I think I'll have my hair down today." I twisted a strand of hair around my finger, then flicked it back.
"Of course, you Highness."
"I wish up you didn't have to be so formal all the time, Miss Alva," I said, handing her a brush.
"As long as you continue to call me Miss Alva, I will continue to call you your Highness, your Highness."
I huffed, "Fine."
Alva roughly brushed my hair, I wouldn't put up with the scared-to-hurt-the-Queen-because-I'm-brushing-her-hair type servants. Besides, Alva wouldn't care if I did tell her to stop. She was like my mom. "I must apologize in advance for Imara. I let her stay home today without your permission."
"Is she not getting enough-" I paused. What was a more fancy way of saying that? "Time off?" Even though I hadn't seen her for a few months.
"I apologize again, I thought you knew."
"Knew what?"
Alva set down the brush and sighed.
Suddenly, the door to my room burst open and Imara stepped in. "My Queen! I'm so sorry! I didn't come to you in person and I completely ignored-"
"Imara!" I broke in. "Miss Alva already excused you. You're fine."
Alva rolled her eyes.
Imara curtsied quickly and unevenly because of a bundle of blankets she was holding in her arms. "Are you sure it's alright?"
"Positive."
"You won't tell," the young maid gulped, then whispered, "uh, Loki?"
"Imara!" Alva scolded, something she did quite a lot.
"Honestly, he probably doesn't even know you exist. And I mean that with as much respect as you deserve." I tried to get a peek at the blankets Imara was holding. "What've you got there?"
Her whole face seemed to light up. I knew that look. She cradled the blankets and angled them towards me so I could see what they surrounded.
"Oooo!" I cooed. Imara was holding a baby! "Is he... Is he yours?" Did that sound weird?
She nodded, smiling brightly.
"Can I hold him?" I sighed.
Alva grumbled. "I'm still doing your hair, you know."
"You can wait."
"Yes, I can wait. You can't."
"Of course not! It's a baby!"
Imara tenderly handed over her newborn. Frigga was no longer a baby, but a fit throwing toddler. I couldn't believe the difference between the baby boy and my baby. "Does he have a name yet?" I looked up at the beaming maid. She shook her head. "I can't believe Frigga was ever this tiny. Or Axel for that matter." I passed the baby back to his mother.
"I'm sorry, I won't be able to do much currently. But I can-"
"Imara, you had better go home and rest."
"I can still-"
"Imara! Go home. If you need me to command you, I will do so."
"Uh," Imara looked surprised. "Thank you?"
"Have fun! Bye!" I waved until Imara left the room.
Alva groaned. "The more you enable her, the less a servant she will become."
"What if I don't want a servant, but a friend?"