But Ines simply walked away, back to her bedroom. The next few days passed in a kind of blur. Jonet kept Ines on track, but it was the first time since joining the royal family that Ines needed to be told what to do and prodded into doing it. Usually, she took all of her tasks quite seriously, but she couldn’t seem to now.
Those who knew she was pregnant blamed that. Those who did not know whispered behind her back—about her long absence and now her detached behavior. Ines couldn’t even bring herself to care. Because, funnily enough, she thought both sides were right. Part of this exhaustion and emotional turmoil was brought on by pregnancy and hormones and growing a child.
And part was just plain old heartbreak.
“Are you giving up on him?” Evelyne had asked her last night.
Ines hadn’t known how to answer that. She did not want to give up on him. She did not know how to get through to him. It left her in a terrible kind of no-man’s-land, just waiting for the blow to take her out.
The morning Alexandre was supposed to return—in time to go to her anatomy scan—Ines forced herself to get ready in a way she hadn’t been doing lately. She made sure she looked elegant and put-together, as befitted a queen.
Alex had missed their meals and walks, but tonight would be their previously agreed-upon appointment night, and if he thought he was getting out of it…
Well, they would just see about that. Even if she didn’t particularlywantto have sex with him right now or sleep in the same bed or even see his obnoxious face. He wasn’t getting out of this because of the bad mood thathe’dput her in.
She held on to that little blaze of anger because it felt likesomething, when most of the past few days had felt like nothing. Justgray. She’d take anger over that.
But the ultrasound technician had arrived with her equipment, and the palace nurse had ushered Ines into the room that was set up for the scan to take place.
The technician gave her directions, and Ines followed them, settling herself on the bed. The technician was ready to start, but there was no sign of Alexandre.
“My husband is supposed to be here,” Ines said, her confidence slipping. What if he just avoided her from here on out? What if he was calling her bluff—daring her to run away? What then?
The door swung open, and in strode the king.
“I apologize,” Alexandre said, closing the door behind him. He didn’t even glance at Ines. His apologies were for the technician. “You may proceed.”
“Um, well, of course.” The woman smiled down at Ines reassuringly. “This is quite easy, I promise. You only need to relax, Your Majesty,” she said kindly. “I’ll be looking for a variety of things, but once I can confirm the sex of the baby, I’ll let you know. Unless you were wanting to be surprised?”
“No,” Alex said, his voice very regal. The one-word answer a command. “We will know the sex.”
“Of course, sir,” the technician murmured. She got to work, and Ines didn’t look at Alexandre. She watched the screen as the woman made the occasional humming noise as she clicked on this or that, zoomed in, hit another button. Anxiety tightened in Ines’s chest.
She glanced at Alexandre helplessly. He was frowning at the screen, his own expression one of tension. She wanted to reach out for his hand, but he was just absent. And had been late. And what was there to reach out for if he would always walk away from her?
“Everything is measuring just as it should. Heartbeat, size, et cetera, all in line with your current due date.” She smiled down at Ines. “Congratulations, Your Majesties, a princess is on the way.”
A girl. They were having a girl. Every feeling in Ines’s body simply whooshed out of her. She felt boneless. Empty.Terrifiedand…somehow overjoyed all at the same time.
She looked at Alex, tears spilling over her cheeks. Happy tears, a joy she couldn’t fully understand. Agirl, aprincess. Something about this tangible thing to hold on to felt real when so little else had.
Alexandre clearly did not agree. His expression was blank. He held his hands behind his back, just as he had when he’d entered. There wasnothingin him that gave way to any kind of reaction to the news.
“I’ve sent the results to your medical team. You’ll only need to go to your follow-up appointment in a few weeks, unless there are any concerns. They’ll contact you. I’ll leave you two alone to…celebrate.” The woman’s smile was tight but polite, and she curtsied to both of them before exiting the room.
Alexandre stood there in silence, and Ines still lay on the bed, tears drying on her cheeks.
A daughter. She was to have a daughter. Who would be a princess. Who would be Alex’s daughter.
He seemed very unimpressed, and it made her sad and angry at the same time.Better than nothing, right?She wanted to believe that, but it all felt so awful.
Except… No. She wouldn’t let him ruin this. They were to have a daughter.
“We will need to discuss names,” she announced, finally pulling her shirt back down over the swell of her stomach.
“Names,” Alex echoed.
Ines got off the bed. She stood to face him. He didn’t look at her, which made her angry. “Yes, our child is a person who will need to be named, Alexandre. I can handle it on my own, but I thought thekingmight have an opinion.”
