.·。.·゜·༺♥༻ ·゜·。.

Gigi burst into tears immediately after Cal's impromptu reveal of her pregnancy.

Wasn't it the job of an expecting mother to announce the news to the father of the child? She had an entire plan; summon a doctor, get checked, surprise him when he returned. But he wasn't surprised at all, and instead of allowing her to break it, he did it by himself. Why should he make it all about him? She was supposed to have her moment, and he once again robbed her of it.

Even after he had changed into his pyjamas and was ready to go to bed, she had not been able to let it go. Tears were pouring out of her eyes uncontrollably each time she recalled the instance, like a switch to a water fountain.

"How could you?" She bawled into the pillows. "After everything I've done for you. I married you, take care of your son. I might even be carrying your other child!"

"How have I offended you, sweetheart?" Cal placed a palm on her shoulder, mumbling something about hormones.

"You're the most despicable human being and you know that!" Gigi barked. "You had already stripped me of a courtship, forged my proposal, and now you're spoiling my first pregnancy! I had plans. Plans that you cancelled when you thought you're being a brilliant smug!"

"I only found out because I've been through this before, I know the signs! Did you expect me to act oblivious?"

Gigi wiped her eyes and nose. "Yes, you are supposed to wait! I don't care what you have been through. Whether you knew or not, you should've acted stupid or clueless or surprised and wait for me to deliver the news!" she said in a quavering voice. "Now I will never get to experience the joy of announcing my first pregnancy!"

"But of course you still can! To the whole world! To Junior!"

"No, I cannot," she sniffled, her vision blurry as she turned toward him.

"Why not?"

"Because of what you said on our wedding night," she admitted.

"Oh my darling, I took back what I said. Haven't I told you that I do want more children with you, love?"

Gigi held back her sobs a little. "...No. You told me that you didn't want me to have a child because you feared for Junior's right to the throne. I agree with that. While it's true that I or this child would never want to contest their brother's status as the heir, I cannot say the same for the others. My father, my other family members, Prajan parliament or anyone with interest. They might want to do it for political reasons."

"But we're hoping for a princess. A daughter is less likely to be used in a political dispute—"

"But what if it's a prince? I cannot risk a potential conflict between my children without taking any measures to prevent it."

"Gi, you've given that much thought into this for Junior?" Cal was stunned, seemingly unprepared for it himself.

Gigi's face hardened, taking her husband's hand into hers. "I am his mother. I am going to protect him."

***

That night, Gigi and Cal both agreed to keep the pregnancy a secret in the meantime, for the sake of keeping the momentum on Junior's birthday and buying them time to seek for a solution to keep the line of succession. Before that, there would be no talks of pregnancy or a baby.

A number of attorneys and legal experts were summoned to consult while looking into the Act of Settlement, a law that revolved around the succession to the Angletonian Crown. Since the issue came from Junior's maternal line, it was up to Gigi to make a difference.

Her guess was correct; that had an Angletonian heir been born from a previous consort, they could have a weaker claim to the throne against a half-sibling born from the current consort. The reason Cal said what he said during their wedding night.

If Praja preferred gender-based succession, Angletonia preferred bloodline. It meant that any of her half-brothers would have a better chance to become the King of Praja than she ever had to become a Queen regnant. But any child born from her, be it male or female, would be able to replace Junior should they decide to contest him on his birthright.

Particularly, if they dared to bring up the issue revolving around his birth mother, which would question the validity of Junior's birth as well. Gigi silently prayed that it would never happen. Some secrets were meant to be secrets, and Junior didn't deserve to suffer for Isleen's wrongdoings.

Was there any way to make Junior have the same legal rights as a child born from her womb?

The thought continued to race in Gigi's mind as her car made its way to the Prajan embassy that afternoon. If everything went according to plan, everything would be sorted by the night of Junior's birthday, and she'd be free to announce her pregnancy after then.

"How wonderful. Prince Aravin must be delighted to know that he's invited to Prince Cal's birthday!" The Ambassador smiled widely, holding the shiny invitation for Junior's birthday party, addressed specifically to Aravin.

"Ecstatic, I'm sure," Gigi grinned, knowing Aravin he'd probably be overjoyed. "Could I entrust you with another thing?"

"Please, Your Majesty."

"I was writing directly to my brother the other day, asking him to send me this package," she slipped a piece of a photograph into the ambassador's hand. "I don't want it to get lost with the other packages, so could you have it secured and delivered straight to me? I need it for the Prince's birthday so it shouldn't be late."

The ambassador looked at the photograph, baffled, but asked no questions. "Of course, Your Majesty. We'll keep an eye out for this package and have it delivered to you. Personal shipments of royal family members would always have to go through us, after all."

"Also, I will be needing my power of attorney."

***

"Congratulations, Your Majesties," the doctor announced after returning with Gigi's test results. "The Empress is expecting."

"Thank you, Doctor." Gigi leaned into Cal's touch, a surge of colour rushing to her cheeks as he took her hand from his lap and squeezed it. "I believe you have agreed to our conditions to keep it confidential until we're ready to tell the news?"

"Of course, Your Majesty." The old man dug into his suitcases, handing Gigi a piece of paper. "Although, I would still urge you to take my daily prescriptions of supplements and prenatal vitamins to keep you and the child healthy."

"I will," she nodded enthusiastically.

"I've also included a list of specific instructions and given a copy to your lady-in-waiting. Among them are to eat healthily, exercise lightly, avoid stress and to avoid eating certain food and drinks, such as alcohol."

"Of course I can do that! I'd never even drunk a single drop of alcohol before I came to Angletonia after all!" Gigi laughed.

"And no smoking, or being around people who are smoking," ended the doctor, tilting his gaze toward Cal for some reason.

Cal raised his brows. "I haven't smoked since before the Prince was born," he said firmly.

"Very well, then. Allow me to excuse myself. Your Majesties." The doctor bowed to them before he was escorted out by a footman, leaving them alone in their private sitting room.

"I'm pregnant, Sire. You are going to be a father again!" Gigi beamed, placing her palms on her belly. A gush of warmth and happiness radiated through her body, and her heart was beating so fast she felt she was out of breath. This was the moment she had been waiting for. "Are you pleased?"

"Beyond pleased! Are you?" He put a hand over hers, and she could only answer with laughter as he kissed her fully on the lips before kneeling down to kiss her belly. "Welcome to the family, little one."

"I don't think they can hear you yet, but that's really sweet."

Cal cleared his throat, returning back to his seat. "Now be careful. I'm going to ask them to loosen your schedules. Just focus on taking care of yourself."

"Thank you for being patient with me, Sire," she whispered, hiding her face in the crook of his neck, recalling her recent behaviour. "I know I have been... irritable lately.

"Do you know what you are? Magnificent." Cal held her hands to his lips, looking straight into her eyes. "I'm glad you were able to find a solution to the succession problem as well. You accomplished it on your own, amidst everything. Our children are so lucky; as am I."

She giggled. "Let's see if my mood swings and craving in the next eight months are as magnificent as you suggest."

"So, are we to announce it after Junior's birthday has passed?"

"Of course, it's his birthday, I wouldn't want to steal his thunder." She clutched both of his hands in hers. "Besides, it's not every day he turns seven."

***

"Your Majesty, a package from the embassy has arrived. It says it's from your brother, the Crown Prince," informed Gita Shinta.

"Please do bring it in," Gigi replied, putting down the book she was reading. She was honestly thrilled to be able to spend all afternoon reading again, in private with her handmaidens. No tea parties or social receptions. Turned out being pregnant had its perks. "Oh, and could you please be careful with it? It's fragile."

After the footman brought it over to her table, Gigi asked him to help her unbox it, since the package was safeguarded with the royal emblem and many layers of wrapping.

Removing the lid, she frowned at a pile of cloth on top inside the casket. Could her actual package be hidden underneath? She quickly picked it up, expecting to uncover a glimpse of gold and instead discovering something else. She instantly threw it onto the floor, letting out a surprised gasp.

A tiger pelt.

"What's wrong, Your Majesty?" Gita Dian rushed to her side.

"I asked my brother to send me a crown for the costume party, and instead I got a tiger pelt," she replied, still clutching her chest. "The Ketopong crown, I need it. I'm dressing as Nyai Roro Kidul for the party."

"Nyai Roro Kidul? But I thought you're playing the Fairy Godmother?" chirped Gita Citra.

"That's not important now," Gita Dian said. "Why did the Empress receive a tiger pelt?"

"His Highness wanted her to become a tiger?" Gita Dewi asked. "Or your package got switched somewhere."

"No, dummy, the point is... it's illegal!" Gita Citra reminded. "Don't you know that tigers are endangered in our country? Their skin is being harvested for the black market! If this goes on, the whole population would be extinct!"

"You're right..." Gigi stared at the lifeless remnants of the animal on the floor. "Why would my eldest brother send over a tiger pelt?"

.·。.·゜·༺♥༻ ·゜·。.

I'm glad to see everyone enjoying the last chapter's pregnancy reveal!

I didn't want to do what's been done before x1000: wife nervously revealing it to husband, or that he mistook it as a sickness and he got surprised and overjoyed, or that the doctor told the husband. I wanted a fresh take.

I thought, 🤣

In cliches the husband (ALWAYS) thinks it's sickness and the wife nervously tells him "it's not sickness, it's your baby" and the husband be like "OMGYOU'REPREGNANT???" It's soooooo overdone! Blech!