Chapter 48: the prince and i

~Nadia~

As I entered the second trimester of my pregnancy, mood swings became extreme and so did my food cravings. I hardly ate two meals a day ever since I left the palace. Until recently, despite trying my best to take care of myself, my appetite refused to return to how it used to be.

But now, I had the opposite problem. I felt hungry all the time. After eating an early dinner, I got hungry within an hour and wanted more. Snacking on cheese and crackers had become a routine habit at midnight.

Noah's grandparents were at times afraid to talk to me because of how badly I snapped at them. Only Giselle could handle my tantrums, despite being so little.

The coffee shop was overly busy because the Prince sent everyone this way. It exhausted me to death by the end of the day, but the pay before leaving kept increasing day by day, and it was the end of the second week already.

Today was a good day for a change because I got done early with work and Noah's grandparents weren't home. Gisella was playing in the front yard with her two little friends from the neighborhood. Perfect! I got some alone time that my body and brain were begging for so long. It was time to sob loudly and not worry about getting caught.

Even after crying for almost an hour and calling Ian and Bella all sorts of names, my mood didn't improve. I remembered the cookie dough batter I chilled in the refrigerator all night. Time for some flat and crispy cookies!

While I was greasing the tray, I heard some man talking to Giselle.

"Where's your smart cookie at?" I looked out of the kitchen window facing the front yard.

It was the airhead prince. His attitude seemed surprisingly pleasant for a change as he picked Giselle up. He didn't even care to look at any of us for more than a second last time he visited.

Did he really take the liberty and walk into the kitchen? My foul mood returned instantly.

"The smart cookie is baking cookies?" He laughed at his own lame joke and sat down on the kitchen counter.

"Your Highness, it's common courtesy to wait in the parlor, you know?"

"I know, but I don't have that. Let's drop these formalities and come straight to the point. How did a country bumpkin like you trick me so well?"

What did he think he was? Newton? Ignorant numbskull!

"I love cookie dough. It tastes awesome raw but people ruin it by baking." He said and stuck his finger into the batter. Was he really the prince or his imposter?

I pushed the bowl away from him when he reached out for more.

"You are such a stiff. Care to take a walk with me, sweetheart?"

"Don't sweetheart me. I know why you are here."

"Okay, smart cookie. Please take your farm and coffee shop back and call this deal off. I will pay you a monthly allowance on top of that, but I really can't have you extract over twenty thousand pounds from me in another two weeks. I will have to sell two of my country mansions to pay you."

"That was the deal you made, Your Highness."

"I did not expect you to be educated. I thought you were just a foolish little girl who wanted five shillings a week."

Well, guess who needs to go back to school now? The airhead bumpkin. If he takes the matter to the King's Court, I would obviously have no way but to lose all he was offering. He misread my silence.

"I will also send you an invitation to the Sunset Serenade Ball. Only Royals are allowed there, but for once you can experience what it feels like."

"Why do you think that would thrill me? I hate royal parties with a passion. I have something else I would like to ask."

"Sure. Nothing in installments and increments, I hope."

"No, I just want that land facing southwest next to our farm."

"Are you sure? It's just a tiny patch."

"Yes, fifteen square feet."

"I will also add a twenty-dollar allowance a month." He said, eyeing the cookie mix again.

"Okay, what's the catch?"

"I have no hidden agenda, trust me. You remind me of someone from a long time ago. A shepherd's daughter who is literally ruling Southland right now. You got my respect."

"First of all, I am not a bumpkin like this woman you are referring to. Second, wh--"

"Do you know her?"

"If her fiancé's name is Edward, I darn well know her."

"Edward is no more. He succumbed to his illness recently and Caty has returned to Ivaris."

"Where is Southland?"

"About four hours south from here. Smallpox and typhoid numbers in our kingdom went down when we closed their border, but I had to make an exception to let Caty in."

So Caty got even a second prince enchanted by her looks. The airhead looked nothing like Ian. With dark blue eyes and ash blond hair, he was totally Lydia's type. He had was taller than Mason but had the same athletic build.

"Are you checking me out? It's about time you start noticing how breathtakingly handsome I am." He was nothing like the annoyed prince I remembered from his visit on the hot sunny day.

"You wish!" I put the cookies in the gas oven.

"Don't be shy. Women can't help throwing themselves at me, but you need to restrain yourself, please!"

Does he even hear himself talk? "You are not my type. I'm into dark hair and grey eyes, or at least that's what the man with dark hair grey eyes thinks." The thought of Ian's jealous face clenched my heart. As days are passing by, it seemed to get worse instead of getting better.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you sad. You must really miss him."

Miss him? Did I talk out loud just now?

"I met Noah only once, but I liked him. It must be hard going through the pregnancy without him."

"Wait, the baby is not, um... never mind." I have no idea what Noah's grandparents told this airhead. They probably wanted to save themselves from embarrassment and lied about the baby's father. The King had a name and place for women like me who were shameless enough to get pregnant before marriage.

"Can you make some tea as well while you are at it? You should consider yourself lucky for this opportunity." He tried to lighten the mood. He was such a silly prince but seemed to be not so bad anymore.

"I see nobody missed me," Giselle said with a pout. She came back when she smelled the cookies baking.

"Oh, I wanted to surprise you and your friends, Ella."

The airhead was wiping the cookie mix bowl clean with his fingers. "You got competition, adorbs. I am getting go-to-hell glares from your smart cookie, but I'm not going anywhere until I take half a dozen of those with me."

"You may take all two dozen on one condition. Marry me!" I laughed at Giselle's silly dance and the airhead's face.

"I am twenty-two. And you are what? Three?"

Giselle put her hands on her hips and frowned at him. "I turned six this February."

"Jeez! First, it was smart cookie begging me, and now you. I know I'm awesome, but I can only handle so much. Come back to me when I turn forty."

I ignored his prattling and handed him the tea. Noah's grandparents returned when I pushed Giselle to her room to have her change into nightclothes.

"My men will send you new paperwork to sign per our new agreement. See you around." He left without taking the cookies but stayed in touch.

To my surprise, I was soon looking forward to his visits. His silly banter made me laugh most of the time spent with him. He hired help in the coffee shop for me and sent farmworkers, making sure that the grandparents or I didn't toil in the sun for too long.

At first, I thought he had some hidden motives, but what could he want from me? He told me he enjoyed my company and so did I. Surely an unexpected friendship.