Chapter 35: Epilogue (Ella's POV)
2 years later
I was sitting in bed, exhausted. I leaned my head back against the headboard, rubbing my eyes.
Nick came in, walking over to me. "Hi," he smiled, leaning down and kissing my lips.
"Hi," I mumbled.
"Do you want me to put her to bed?" he chuckled, picking her up and bouncing her in the air.
"I need someone to put me to bed first," I said sarcastically, lying down in the bed.
"Go to sleep. I'll put her to bed and then in the crib," he nodded.
Aurora giggled in response. She is almost one year old, she will be in a month.
"I thought you would be heading for the council meeting?" I frowned in confusion.
"I canceled it," he replied, pressing kisses to her cheek.
"You said this was an important meeting, how come you canceled it?"
"It was important," he nodded. "But not more important than my wife and daughter."
He had his way eventually. We had a daughter last year. And what do you know, having an actual grandchild in his arms, made my father-in-law have a great change of heart. Well, he says he's working on it. That didn't stop Nick from wishing he was dead for a good eight to nine months after Aurora was born. It took a lot of persuasion on both ends to have them talking again. Little by little.
Nicholas still doesn't really like leaving Aurora with him, he doesn't like having him around her. I remember when she was born, he didn't even want him to see her, let alone hold her.
"Where is your mom?" I asked, fiddling with the sleeves of his shirt. I don't think I have worn my own clothes in the palace since we had her. Only when we go out. The pregnancy wasn't too bad, but the mood swings were horrible. So since then, until now. Nobody has dared to tell me to dress or act a certain way. It felt nice to have the power.
We didn't plan the pregnancy, just like we didn't plan the scare we first had. It was another scare but the tests came out positive. I took three to make sure. Nick was very understanding, he told me I didn't have to keep the baby if I didn't want to, but I knew he wanted it and I knew I wanted it.
We were in no world ready to be parents. But we wanted to. When we got pregnant, I didn't study pregnancy or parenting at all. Nicholas was way more nervous than me. I had my mother swing by often, she would explain things to me, tell me her experiences, I learned most of it from that.
Nick on the other hand was a ball of nerves until we were in a set routine.
And this baby. Aurora. Dear God.
Nick and I would stay up a little before having her. Especially me. I would sleep often in the mornings and wake up in the afternoons, except for waking up to get something in my stomach. It became Nick's duty to make sure I was healthy, eating, taking care of the baby.
Nick fell in love the day we had her. He was the one who stayed up the whole night to watch her, not me. He was the one who did all the firsts. First bath, first nail clippings, first diaper change.
That isn't a pleasant memory.
I helped but the labor was very difficult and I took a little longer than most to recover.
Everything is good now, I suppose. Her clock just happens to be the other way around. She normally sleeps throughout most of the day and she's wide awake throughout the night. Which leads to me staying up with her. I try letting Nick sleep at night because he's the one who needs to wake up early in the mornings and get to work, not me.
He stood up and started rocking her back and forth while talking to me. "I have a surprise for you," he smirked.
"What?" I smiled, throwing my hair back in a loose ponytail.
"We..." He paused for dramatic effect. "Are going for a second honeymoon."
"What?" I chuckled, looking at him quizzically.
"We are going to Rome," he replied.
I stared at him, shocked. "Are you serious?"
He nodded. "Two weeks later, I booked us a flight. We are going for a week. I remember you telling me people in royalty don't get the privilege to have a proper honeymoon. Well, we do now."
"Two years after our marriage with a one-year-old daughter?" I deadpanned.
"Yes," he answered. "She is going to stay with your parents."
"Why not with your parents?" I arched a brow at him.
She was already asleep.
He walked over to her crib, which was a few feet from our bed, and lay her down in it. "Because I still don't want my father around her," he mumbled, walking over to me, lying down beside me, and kicking his shoes off.
"He's her grandfather, Nick. You cannot force him to not see her. And he's trying to change," I argued meekly. I myself was not too keen on staying in Meralith when we were getting closer to the due date during my pregnancy. We planned on leaving for Velaris.
But he said he wanted to change, he said he took his words back, he realized he was wrong, etcetera. And we believed him. Because we wanted it to be true but we'll see, I suppose.
"I don't want to leave Aurora here alone while he's here, okay? I know my mother will be here but... She is going to stay with your parents, okay?" he said firmly.
I nodded, "Okay." I lay on my side to face him. "But we haven't even left her alone for one night. Do we have to go?" I whispered. "I don't want to leave her."
"You deserve a break, okay?" he chuckled.
"You do too," I shrugged.
"Ella, I did it all when she was born because you were sick. But after that? It's been you. You are the one who stays up with her till six in the morning. You're the one who bathes her, changes her diapers, gets her ready in pretty little dresses," he smiled. "I only help."
"Yes, but that is mostly because you work. And you give her baths all the time."
"Whatever the reason may be, we both deserve a break. From both, parenting and working. So we are going to Rome. We still have two weeks until then."
"But we-" I sighed, turning to the crib when she started whining.
I began getting out of bed but he grabbed my wrist, pulling me back. "Don't," he shook his head.
"She is about to start crying," I stated.
"You know with the way you make her sleep in bed with us, we're going to have a problem when she gets a little older," he retorted.
And she started crying.
"We can handle it when she's older then," I shrugged. "And don't act like you don't love having her here. You cuddle her more than you cuddle me." I rolled my eyes and got out of bed while he laughed softly. I picked her up, rocking her slowly for a while until she was sleeping again. I got into bed, placing her between Nick and me.
"Go to sleep," he whispered, running his fingers through my hair from around Aurora. "While she lets you," he chuckled.
"Are you going back downstairs?" I mumbled.
"Do you want me to stay?"
I nodded, pulling the covers up to my waist.
"I have to go once you're asleep though," he said, flicking the lights off from his bedside.
"Make sure to-"
He cut off my sleepy mumbling. "Leave a pillow so she doesn't roll over, I know," he whispered.
I woke up a while later, thinking she would be hungry by now but she was still fast asleep, her head on Nick's outstretched arm that was still in my hair. He was also fast asleep.
I glanced at the clock, realizing it was nearly time for dinner. I climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom, freshening myself up and pulling a pair of my sweatpants, taking his boxers off that I had been wearing. I put a bra on, unfortunately enough, and then threw my hair up in a bun.
I went back out, kneeling beside him, flicking the lamp on. I ran my fingers through his hair. "Nick," I mumbled.
He stirred.
I looked at both of them, sleeping with the same pout on their lips.
She is just like him.
I chuckled, kissing his cheek a few times.
He woke up, looking at me in confusion. "I fell asleep, didn't I?" he groaned, his voice deeper and huskier.
I nodded, laughing softly. "It's time for dinner."
"Do we leave her sleeping?" he asked, carefully pulling his probably numb arm out from under her.
"I'll feed her when she wakes up but we have to take her downstairs. You go freshen up, I'll grab her blanket, all right?"
He climbed out of bed and I stood in front of him. He sighed, grabbing either side of my neck and kissing me softly. "I love you," he mumbled.
"I love you too," I smiled. I have what I wanted one day now. A family of my own. With a man I love and a daughter who drives me crazy, but I love her more than my life.
Speaking of...
She shuffled around, her little hands rubbing her eyes.
"Here we go," I sighed. I picked her up, putting her head down on my shoulder while grabbing her blanket. I turned the lights on, hearing her whine. I chuckled, stuffing the corner of her baby blanket in her hand.
She kept her hold on it tight while I put the rest around her.
I walked around, waiting for Nick.
She was wide awake within a few moments, chewing on her blanket. I pulled it out of her mouth and exchanged it for the pacifier. She definitely enjoyed that more judging from her wide grin. I put her in the crib while grabbing a cardigan for myself. I picked her back up, smothering her face with kisses while the door opened.
"Do you want me to take her?" he asked while rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.
"That's okay, you're clearly still tired," I laughed, brushing his hair out of his eyes. "I'll hold her, you can feed her at the table then, okay?"
He nodded and then we headed downstairs.
I put her in the high chair and we took our seats.
"You okay?" he asked.
I turned to him, nodding with a smile.
"I love you." He leaned in, pecking my lips.
"I love you," I grinned.
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Chapter 35
WHEW
FINALLY, WE'RE DONE
anyone else getting baby fever rn?
Anyway, thank you so much for reading this book and sticking with it while I tried out the whole royalty trope, let me know how you guys liked it
love, Nikki