When I got back to the palace, I ran to my chambers and locked the door. I sat in the bathroom, staring at the instructions for several minutes. Then I made the decision to just take the test. When the test was soaked and set on the counter, I paced the bathroom floor and waited while the minutes clicked by slowly. I looked down at my watch and realized it was time. I got closer and closer to the test and shook my head, not believing what my eyes were seeing. Clear as day, there were two lines, which meant I was pregnant.
I dropped the stick in the sink, backed up, sat down on the edge of the bathtub, and shook my head. Tears started to pull at my eyes, but I knew this was no time to lose it. I grabbed the test and walked out into the bedroom, where all my stuff still sat.
I needed some fresh air to clear my head, so I threw my sweatshirt and sneakers on and headed out to the garden. The night air felt amazing, and I stood in the garden under the evening sky, just breathing heavily. I couldn’t believe I had been dumb enough to get myself into this situation. I had no idea what to do, and I had no one to talk to about it.
“Nice night,” Brat’s voice echoed behind me.
“Hey,” I said as I opened my eyes and mustered a smile. “It is. It’s beautiful tonight.”
“You okay?”
My face must have been white as a ghost. “Me? Oh, yeah. Just thinking about everything.”
“I’ve wanted to ask you something for a while, but we haven’t had a chance to be alone,” he said as he walked up next to me. “How do you really feel about Milos?”
“Oh.” I was taken back by the question. “He is an ass.”
“Yes, he is,” Brat said, laughing.
“But I know he is good on the inside,” I said, letting go of my anger. “He does have good intentions from time to time, but he covers them up with this playboy façade. He makes me laugh.”
Immediately, I regretted saying that. I gave in to my urge to tell someone I had feelings for Milos. Before he could respond, his phone rang, and I heard Milos’s voice on the other end of the line. The two men were speaking Polish, so I couldn’t understand what they were saying, but Brat glanced down at me nervously before hanging up. He chuckled and shoved the phone in his pocket.
“It was really lovely seeing you, Princess,” he said as he turned and walked away.
I stood there for several moments, trying to decide my next move. but the only thing I could think was to go back to the castle and eat some dinner. As I climbed the palace steps, I was met by Brat’s sister, Zlata, who looked like she had been standing there waiting for me. I smiled at her as I passed, but stopped abruptly as she pressed her arm in front of me. I turned my head toward her and smiled sarcastically.
“Hello, Zlata,” I said as I looked at her snide face.
“You don’t fool me for a second,” she replied as she crossed her arms. “I know there is something fishy about this whole situation. You don’t deserve that man, and when I find out what your secret is, I’m going to expose you.”
“Zlata, if you spent more time worried about your own life, you might actually be married by now,” I stated. “Now, if you will excuse me, I have things to do.”
Zlata scoffed in my direction before she marched out the doors and down the steps. As soon as she was out of sight, I breathed deeply at the fear that had risen in my chest. I could play coy all I wanted, but if she found out my past, I would be the next face all over the tabloids. I reached down and pressed my hand against my stomach, thinking about the repercussions that could bring to my future child’s life. I immediately took off for my chambers, grabbing one of the servants and letting them know I needed a private audience with the Queen immediately. After I had packed a bag, knowing I had to get away from the palace, I wrote Milos a letter and sealed it in an envelope.
The Queen’s guards arrived almost immediately to take me to the Queen’s chambers, where I explained that my mother had fallen ill, and I had to leave immediately. Part of me felt like the Queen had seen right through the excuse, but at that moment, I didn’t care. I just needed to get out. I handed her the envelope and asked her to give it to Milos whenever he returned. She shook her head as I turned to leave. I stopped as I felt the Queen’s hand on my shoulder.
I turned around to face her, bowing my head in reverence. She stepped forward, kissed me kindly on the cheek, and nodded knowingly. She might have assumed my rush from the kingdom was due to Milos and his latest escapades, but it was more for my own sanity than anything else. I had to get away from Silesia, from the palace, and especially from Milos, if I was going to work out what to do with this child. I knew I couldn’t raise a baby in a marriage that was a sham, with a man that couldn’t stop flaunting himself all over the country. But what were my choices?
Within the hour, I was on the plane and airborne. A feeling of relief washed over me, getting stronger with every mile I put in between me and Silesia. I sat and gazed out over the earth below me as I made my way toward Liverpool. I knew that one decision would change everything, but I didn’t know what to do.
I needed space and air, and the last thing I wanted was Milos dangling the contract over my head. There was no way he was going to welcome this baby into his life, not after his true colors had surfaced. I refused to live a life holed up in the castle, watching as my husband destroyed the beautiful history of a country and taught our child to do the same. This may be the heir to the Silesian throne, but it was also a child, and it deserved so much better than Milos, even if that meant a flat in Liverpool with a half sober grandmother and a single mother. At least I felt comfortable, knowing my child wouldn’t end up like Milos, cold, angry, and incapable of love.
Chapter 16: Milos
“Wake up you idiot,” Brat said as he kicked my chair on the plane. “We have landed. Let’s get inside before your mother sees you.”
“That’s no way to talk to a prince,” I sa
id with slurred words.
“When you decide to be a prince, I will start treating you as one,” Brat replied.
I always liked how Brat was straightforward with no bullshit. He and Adriana were similar in that regard, not letting my royal status bother them in the least.
I grabbed my bag and wobbled down the stairs, glad to see there was a car to drive us to the palace. Brat could be harsh, and I half expected to have to walk back. When we were inside the car, Brat took his gloves off and set his hands on his lap, obviously deciding that he was going to get to the bottom of everything. He cleared his throat and looked back out the window.
“What was it this time? Your father? Your mother? Or did you just feel like getting completely wasted, embarrassing our kingdom further, and leaving everyone in suspense?”