The chief physician was filled with joy. He couldn’t hide the fact that he was happy for the queen. Oh, how he wished His Majesty the King was alive to see and witness another of his child being born. But sadly, he wasn’t alive. His smile faded when he noticed he was the only one celebrating. He saw a look of surprise on Victoria’s face and her gaze was fixated on Lord Richard. The physician’s gaze traveled to Lord Richard and saw him swallow. What was happening between these two? He was certain they were communicating with their eyes, but what they were talking about, he didn’t know.

"I know this came as a surprise to you Your Majesty," he said, shifting his gaze back at the queen. She blinked several times as if one breaking from a reverie. "Children are a blessing, and we should be happy for them," he added.

Victoria let out a silent sigh of relief. She, more than anyone else knew whose child it was. "I’m happy for the baby," she said tapping her belly before she sent the physician a coy smile.

"I guess I’ll be taking my leave now. I’ll inform the kitchen staff to be preparing special meals for you from now on, Your Majesty," he added. All this time, Lord Richard was staring at the queen in disbelief. He had not expected it would go this far. He just stared at Victoria as if she were some djinn. The chief physician collected his things and left the room after instructing the queen to avoid extraneous activities and advising her to eat and sleep well.

The physician shut the door behind leaving the ’couple’ in the room. It grew eerily silent after that. Queen Victoria lifted her face to stare at Lord Richard’s blue eyes and found him staring back at her in disbelief. What was that look on his face? Wasn’t he happy that she would get a child soon, his child?

"I’m pregnant," she said that more to herself than to him.

"I’m pregnant Richard," she said again and faced him this time. He just stared back at her in disbelief. No words had come out of his mouth since the moment she woke up. Why was he acting weird?

"Aren’t you happy? This is your child, our child, and you know that," she said. Lord Richard shook his head in denial. He was not ready to become a father yet. Why was this happening to him now? He couldn’t deny the fact that the child was his. They had been having sex with the queen for God knows how long, so it was only logical the child was his.

"No! This can’t be happening. I’m not ready to be a father. How will everyone take it?" He asked in a hitched breath.

Queen Victoria understood his worries. Even she was worried about how everyone would take it. But the chief physician had given her some hope. He himself believed that the child belonged to her late husband, and so would everyone else. But the question came to the gap between when she got pregnant and when her husband was bedridden. Her pregnancy was not even close to two months old, and that she knew. She was a mother and she understood how the staff worked.

"Don’t worry about that. I’ll tell everyone that the child belongs to my late husband." Lord Richard shook his head lightly. No one was going to buy a clear lie.

"Your husband was bedridden almost four months ago, and you expect anyone to believe that a sick man, who could not even walk, impregnated you within the last two months when he was at death’s brink?" He asked and scoffed. But this was not the time to ask questions. It was the time to look for a way to solve this mess. He raked his fingers through his hair as he tried to come up with several ways to clear this mess.

"What bout we...?" He asked suddenly and stared at the queen’s belly. Victoria followed his line of sight and immediately understood what he meant, coupled with his gaze.

"No! Absolutely no! Don’t tell me you’re suggesting we terminate the pregnancy. It is your child for heaven’s sake!" She said in a louder tone. Her face was laced with anger now. She couldn’t imagine Lord Richard would have thought of such a thing.

"It is the only option we have now. You better than anyone else know what will happen to us if they find this out," he said before he shot a concerned look at Victoria. "At least you and your child will be spared. But what about me? I’ll be executed!"

Damn! He raked his hair for the nth time. He didn’t understand why the law was so unfair. Just because Victoria was a queen, she would be spared, and the child brought up as a bastard son or daughter of the queen. But him, he would be executed for having an affair with the queen. Only the queen would save him by having him as her king’s consort, something that would be nearly impossible. Those damned court officials would think that he had conspired with the queen to have the king dead so that they would assume the throne. And becoming the king meant that Alexander would have to wait until he died so that he would become a king.

He clenched his fists tightly. Why was so much happening at the same time? The war was close and still, Alexander had someone to marry. It wouldn’t be long until the news about the queen’s pregnancy spread like a wild bushfire and raise some brows.

"You’ll have to leave Valoria for your own safety. That’s the least I can help," Queen Victoria said with dropped shoulders. Lord Richard shook his head In denial. He was not going to run like a coward. He had already made his resolve. He was going to face the consequences of his actions alone. Victoria deserved better than him.