The King's Daughter

53 Princess Aria

"What do you mean I'm pregnant?" I asked, stepping away from the window. I looked down at my stomach.

"The nurse who did your check up after you were rescued informed me. There's no doubt about it." My father explained in a rush, worry written all over his features.

I stared at him, not able to comprehend such news. I believed him, after all I had been feeling a little chubbier lately and almost everyday, at least one meal would make me feel like puking. I had simply thought it was all due to stress, which I'm sure some of it still was. He seemed to relax slightly after I'd put a little distance between myself and the window. He really thought I had been about to jump out the window.

Moving closer to him, I frowned. "You're serious?"

"Yes, I'm very serious. I thought you knew. What in the...Aria, what happened to your eye?" He exclaimed, reaching toward me and gently touching the skin near my eye.

I flinched at the contact, realizing it must be bruised from the punch I received from Silas. "Silas hit me last night."

His bushy eyebrows furrowed, realization slowly dawning on him. "You were serious about what you said about him, weren't you?" He breathed in horror, all the color draining from his already pale face. "What else did he do?!"

"He kicked me in my...oh my gosh." The room seemed to spin as I clutched my stomach in dread. Panic swept through me as I felt my tummy for signs of life, but obviously it was too soon to see anything, much less feel anything. "Dad, he kicked my stomach! He might've...Dad!"

He reached out, trying to steady me with his one free arm. "Don't panic. Sit on the bed and I'll fetch the doctor. And give that băstard prince a piece of my mind."

"I can't lose someone else! Even if I've only known them sixty seconds!" I cried, hugging my stomach as if to protect it.

Once again, I felt like I was about to lose everything and there was nothing I could do about it. My father hobbled out of the room as quickly as his old worn out body could as I sat down on my bed. Placing my forehead in my hands, I tried to breathe steadily. I couldn't cry right now. I'd be doing plenty of that in a few hours. Shutting my eyes, I silently swore that if it turned out the baby hadn't made it, I would end Silas myself.

It became apparent that if I had to lose Louis, his child would be the only way I could go on and not completey break. But if there was no child because of Silas, I was afraid of what would become of me. I hadn't felt any pain inside since I had been kicked, but that didn't mean everything was alright. Was I even pregnant? Maybe my father only wanted me to think so, so I would go on living. I tried to remember if Louis and I had used some kind of protection, but I didn't know. That hadn't entered my mind even once during the times we'd had sex.

It was a short time later when a doctor had come with a bunch of equipment and set it up quickly. My father sat beside me on my bed with his arm around my shoulders. I could tell he was upset, but it took some time before he could speak without his voice wavering.

"I should have believed you. As your father, I should have and I'm ashamed for leaving you vulnerable to that evil boy."

"Thank you, Dad." I murmured, as I lay back against the pillows and lifted the shirt I'd changed into once the doctor was ready with the ultrasound.

"Doesn't look like there's any bruising." The doctor observed as he gently touched my stomach. He then squirted something cold there and picked up the ultrasound

"I promise I won't leave your side until Silas has been removed from the palace." The king said quietly, but with conviction.

"You're making him leave?" I asked hopefully.