Chapter 8: Stranger

A sigh escaped her lips, and Janice's hand collided with a hard chest as she tossed in the enormous bed.

She felt around, and she sensed it wasn't a pillow, rather she was gripping a warm body!

Startled, she came awake.

She gazed around with wide eyes as she tried to decipher where she was in.

A window positioned at the corner of the vast room was opened and moonlight streamed inside, illuminating it. The curtain rustled as the wind blew it.

Janice wondered when she had a large window in her flat because she could only recall how tiny it was to even accommodate one.

Moreover, she recalled the lack of air that she often suffered because of having another massive building close by.

But she still enjoyed her personal space, despite how cramped it was.

Her eyes travelled to the vanity, which was exquisite even in the moonlight. Several skincare products adorned it, and she glanced at the clock as it chimed.

It was just past two, and she was in bed with a stranger!

Was she abducted? She stared again, but she could barely see his face since he was lying on his stomach.

He had the audacity to even change her clothing, and she thought of what he might have done to her.

The thought of him touching her without her consent appalled her. And hastily, she glanced at herself to see if perhaps he had attempted to force her.

Not that she would know if he had done anything to her.

Janice's heart fluttered in her chest as she attempted to climb down quietly, but a husky voice halted her.

"Are you trying to run away from me?" He rasped.

Janice lurched, and her hand went to her mouth to cover the shriek that threatened to slip out.

She swirled, glaring at Jules who, casually propped himself up with a pillow.

She let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

Furthermore, she clenched her hands into fists as it itched to smack his handsome face for startling her. She was glad he had not kidnapped her, as she had thought.

Again, she remembered coming into the room after arriving at the palace. But she had barely got the chance to check out her surroundings because of how exhausted she was.

"No." She stammered. "I thought you were someone else."

"Now that you know it's me, come back to bed. It's quite early to be awake." He rasped, patting the space she had left.

"You can sleep on the floor if you wish, but don't think you can run out of this room." Jules asserted as he noticed the reluctance in her eyes.

"I have no choice."

Reluctantly, Janice moved towards the king-sized bed and climbed on it. She avoided his gaze and gripped a pillow to create a boundary between them.

She recalled how she got into the room, and she had been furious when she learnt they were to share only a room.

Jules had made her understand it would be the arrangement when they got married.

Even with that, Janice wasn't comfortable sharing a bed with him.

"Why the barrier, Madame?"

"It makes me feel safer," Janice murmured into her pillow, but he heard her.

Safe from what? Jules mused.

"I'm the last person you would want to stay away from. Besides, when you become my wife, your duty would be to me and in this very bedroom." He stated.

Janice flushed. She knew that was what would happen.

She had never been a royal, but she had heard most of their women, the king's and prince's wives, were used as children making machines.

Likewise, she could be wrong because it was hearsay or maybe that was how all married women did, royal or not.

Infuriated, she leapt out of bed. Her eyes blazed with fury as she glowered at him. "I refuse to be your breeding machine! I refuse to be your wife!"

"I'm afraid, madame. You have no choice in this, seeing as you have my child in you already." He said, nodding at her still taut stomach.

Janice snorted, "Let's see about that. I don't want to be part of this. To be part of anything that's going on in your head. I want my life back. Let's pretend we never met." She rambled.

Jules chuckled. "That is too late."

Janice scowled, and she watched his Adam's apple bob as he laughed. Oddly, she found it sensual even as she was furious with him.

"Come back to bed. I want to see colours in that face real soon, and you look weary too." He said, "I would hate it if you collapsed like the way you did earlier."

Janice blushed. That must have explained why she had not remembered going to sleep and changing into nightwear.

"I must say, you gave me the fright. However, I'm happy you are well."

He mumbled, shutting his eyes.

Janice sighed as she watched his chest rise and fall slowly. She turned to her side after watching him for a while.

She wouldn't give him the satisfaction that he had won, and was not going to be his breeding tool!

****************

The next morning, Janice darted into the bathroom to hurl. She sat on the grey fluffy rug which covered half part of the bathroom's classic medium-tone hardwood floor.

The muscle in her tummy contracted.

"I hate this." She whimpered.

She wondered when it would pass.

Doctor David had said it would pass when she was in the second trimester or third trimester since she was a first-time mother.

However, she knew it wouldn't be anytime now since she was just two months pregnant, barely out of the first trimester.

She turned her head as she heard footsteps.

Jules entered the bathroom in his red robe and fuzzy slippers. He frowned as he gazed at her, stroking the rug she sat on.

"Do you need to see a doctor?"

"It's just morning sickness, and it's normal for women who are pregnant." Janice reminded him.

"I know that." He rasped, shaking his dishevelled hair. "But I hate seeing you this way."

"You need to live with it."

"I'm calling the family doctor to check you up."

"No need…" Janice began, but he had already left the room.

Sighing, she lifted herself off the ground whilst avoiding staring at the content of what was in the toilet. She averted her gaze as she searched for the flush handle.

When she heard the water, she breathed, then stepped out after rinsing her mouth and face.

"Please, can they not bring anything like bacon in here? I think I might have to scamper into that bathroom again." She winced.

"Very well," Jules replied and strode out of the room.

He entered a minute later with a large tray filled with varieties of food, except for bacon.

Janice's nose flared, and her mouth watered as the aroma wafted into her nostrils. She stuck a finger in the honey and hummed as she licked it off her finger.

Jules watched with rapt attention as she devoured the food. He had been afraid that she would hurl again after he entered, but he was glad to see her appetite had increased.

Janice paused and turned to him. "Do you want some?"

She lifted a baked shrimp, which was garnished with garlic, lemon, and butter sauce.

"No, eat. I'll eat later with the queen." Jules said.

Janice shrugged as she resumed eating. "Suit yourself."

Jules chuckled as she stuffed her face. He was glad she didn't act too uptight with him, just like how most royal women he knew did.

He would have loathed having a woman that was exactly like him.

*********************

The doctor of the royal family, Theodore Alfredo, arrived as soon as Janice finished eating.

He ran some checkups and prescribed drugs to help keep nausea at bay.

Janice noticed it was the exact drug she had thrown away. She shook her head as she remembered the thought she had immediately when doctor David had placed the drug in her palm.

It had scared her, and she assumed it was a pill to abort her baby, since she had got something like that the first time she came to know about her pregnancy.

But seeing it again meant she was only paranoid.

Jules watched her as she assessed the drug. He wondered what was running through her head. Perhaps she wants to dump it, like the way she had done to the first.

"I hope you are not thinking of tossing those out?" He implored as soon as they were alone.

"No, it was a misconception," Janice said, turning pink.

Jules liked it when she blush. It made her look modest.

"Care to enlighten me?" He murmured, tilting his brow.

"N-no, n-nothing to worry about." She sputtered.

"I believe there is something, but I won't compel you to say it." Jules glanced at the wristwatch on his hand, then at her. "I have some business to attend to. A maid would be nearby to attend to you if you need anything."

"I doubt I would need one." Janice rolled her eyes as he left the room without another word.