by Alex Tryst

Dedication & Author's Note: See Chapter 1.

Feedback: Drop me a line if you’d like at alextryst@e-scribblers.com.

Copyright © June, 2008 by Alex Tryst. All Rights Reserved.

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Another five years passed. Alexa’s public relationship with her wife Meredith remained unchanged. They had been unsuccessful at conceiving a child, and the press had grown tired of speculating over if they were ever going to. Instead the focus began to shift to what would happen when Alexa took the throne at her age without an heir. Her mother was seventy-one, and her health was not what it once was. The country was clearly uneasy over the prospect of not having an heir to follow Alexa.

The thirty-seven-year old’s private life, on the other hand, had changed drastically. She and Lauren had welcomed another child into the world, Victoria Rose, who was then three, and the couple was expecting a set of twins at any moment. Their oldest, Anastasia Elise, was a five-year old bundle of non-stop energy that absolutely adored the princess. Every time Alexa was at their house, she constantly vied with her mother and younger sister for the brunette’s undivided attention. Lauren, then forty-one, had been compelled to take a leave of absence from her position at the library to try to care for her two daughters while pregnant with two more, but Alexa spent almost every free moment she had with her little family, whom she had moved into a larger house closer to the palace.

Life was good for the most part for the two women. They were happy with each other and their children, but underneath it all the old issues still lingered. With the queen’s ailing health and Alexa’s marriage to Meredith still intact, the two wondered to themselves if they ever were going to fulfill the rest of their dream of finally being wed to each other. Truthfully Lauren had concerns about what might happen if Alexa succeeded her mother to the throne before the two of them could find a way to marry. She knew the princess loved her, but Alexa becoming queen was never part of the plan. Furthermore, she wasn’t sure she wanted to be subjected to the scrutiny her lover had if by chance they did get married, and Alexa didn’t renounce her claim to the throne, therefore making her and her daughters royals by matrimony. Lauren had never considered such a prospect until recently, but now the matter seemed more imaginable than eleven years ago when they first met.

That evening when Alexa was finished at the Pentagon, she headed straight back to the house to see her girls. Pulling into the garage, she made sure the door was secured behind her before heading into the house. “Hello. Where are my favorite girls?” she called from the hallway.

She heard both her daughters squeal in delight from the other room. Both came running, but Anastasia beat Victoria to the princess. “Lexi,” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around the woman’s legs. Victoria did the same.

Alexa hugged them both tightly before picking one up in each arm and taking them back toward the living room. She smiled consolingly when she found her lover reclining on the sofa, clearly in discomfort over the fact that she was seven and half months pregnant. Dropping a kiss on Lauren’s forehead, she put the girls down on the floor and asked, “How are you today, darling?”

“Miserable,” she mumbled. “Please. I am begging you. Take these two girls out of here. The nanny left an hour ago, and they have been going crazy ever since. I have a headache.”

“All right. What is for dinner tonight?”

“The cook prepared something earlier that just needs to be heated. Would you mind taking care of that for me?”

“No problem. Anastasia, Victoria, the two of you get your crayons and paper. We are going to go draw in the kitchen, so Mommy can rest.”

The girls did as they were told. When the women were alone for a brief moment, Lauren pulled her lover down for a real kiss. “I have missed you today. I have been thinking about you all day.”

“What about me?”

“I was hoping that after dinner you might help me get the girls down for the night a bit early. Then you and I can have a little conversation.”

“A conversation?” the princess teased. She knew just by the look in the redhead’s eyes what she truly meant. The conversation Lauren wanted to have really was more about communicating sexually rather than verbally. The librarian had been especially amorous during the third trimester of this pregnancy, leaving Alexa tired from working all day, taking care of the girls in the evenings, and then taking care of her lover at night, but it was a burden she was happy to shoulder as long as Lauren was pleased. “We shall see. It depends on if you are a good girl.”

“I am always good,” Lauren whispered seductively.

Alexa whimpered. “I should get to the girls. It is not a good idea to leave them alone too long. They might start drawing on the wall again like last time. I will come get you when dinner is ready. You just stay here and try to relax.”

Going into the kitchen, she was satisfied to see her daughters behaving themselves as they drew at the table. Alexa kissed Anastasia on top of her red head and then did the same to Victoria’s dark one before taking a seat between them. “What are you drawing?” she asked her eldest.

“Our family. See there is Victoria and me and Mommy.”

The princess smiled at the stick figures that were differentiated by hair color. However, seeing her draw another tall figure with dark hair standing next to Mommy that had some extra color along the body, she asked, “Who is that?”

“You, silly,” the little girl giggled.

“Why do I have all that color?”

Anastasia placed her small hand on Alexa’s chest over her heart where her medals were. “It’s your uniform,” she stated as if it should be obvious.

“Of course. That makes perfect sense.” Alexa looked at her younger daughter’s work. Victoria was trying to copy what her sister was drawing, but at three her skills were lacking. Nevertheless, she seemed proud of her own work as she showed it off to Alexa. “Good job, Victoria. That is beautiful.”

“Gimme your hand,” Anastasia asked. “I wanna draw it.”

The brunette relinquished her left hand to her daughter, who put it flat against the plain white paper. She held still as the five-year-old did her best to make an outline of it, and then she watched as the redhead traced her own hand inside the drawing of the larger one. “Look how big my hand is compared to yours.”

The girl nodded. “I wanna write our names on it. How do you spell Anastasia?”

“I will help you write it.” Together they slowly wrote out the name as Alexa taught her how to spell it.

“Now how do you spell Lexi?”

The princess chuckled at her nickname but helped her spell it anyway. “Do you want to put our ages next to our names?” she asked.

“Okay.”

“How old are you?”

“Five,” she pronounced proudly.

“Do you know how to write a five?”

The little girl shook her head. Alexa showed her how to draw the number before Anastasia asked, “How old are you?”

“Thirty-seven. That is a big number.” The girl nodded in agreement. “Well, let me show you how to write it.”

When they were finished, Anastasia held it up to view it closer. “Can I show Mommy?”

“Sure.”

The little girl raced off to find her mother while Alexa turned her attention to Victoria. The three-year-old never said much, but the princess could tell how observant she was of her surroundings. Even though she was quiet, Alexa knew that Victoria was taking in much more than she was communicating and couldn’t wait to hear her daughter’s first full sentence. Alexa put her arm around Victoria and kissed the top of her head. Her daughter curled into her affection.

“Lexi,” she whined. “Hungry.”

“All right. I hear you. I will start on dinner. You keep drawing.”

The princess started heating dinner up for her girls and then set the table around her daughters. Half an hour later when it was ready, she served the plates and then retrieved Lauren to come sit at the table and eat with them. Anastasia dominated the meal by talking about all the things she had done that morning during pre-school. Alexa just listened to her daughter speak, but as the little girl went on and on, she started to get concerned about her speech. She had noticed it over the past several weeks, but that night it was more evident as her child conveyed her thoughts using slang and incorrect grammar. What started out as a mild nuisance was beginning to grow into a strong irritation. However, she said nothing to her daughter, deciding she would speak to Lauren about it first.

With dinner complete, Lauren said she would take care of the dishes if Alexa would give the girls their baths, so dutifully the princess took her daughters to the bathroom. Bathing them both, she allowed them to play in the tub for a while before finally getting them into their pajamas. Since it was still a bit early, they all went back to the living room when they were finished. Lauren was back on the sofa with her eyes closed, so Alexa curled up on the far end of the couch with her daughters in her lap with a book and read to the both of them until bedtime.

Both women tucked their girls in for bed, and then Lauren took Alexa by the arm toward their room. “Oh, the sound of silence,” the redhead whispered, wrapping her arms around the heir’s neck.

“Anastasia certainly can talk,” Alexa said. “However, I am a bit concerned about her grammar. It is terrible. What are they teaching her over at her pre-school?”

“It is not that bad. She is five.”

“No. It is awful. It is not money that divides the classes in our country but our speech. You can tell who was born into the upper class by the way they convey their thoughts. Made up words, slang language, and contractions are all associations with a class beneath her. She is a princess. She needs to speak properly.”

“Lex, she is just five. She will outgrow it.”

“When I was five, I spoke perfectly. My mother saw to that. I could read. I could write, and I was learning multiple languages. She does not even know how to spell her own name.”

“In case you have forgotten, she is not you. She does not need to have all those things.”

“Lauren, have you looked at our daughter lately? She is me. That is what I was when I was five. It is only going to get more chaotic the older she becomes. I have concerns about Victoria as well. Her language skills are not what they should be.”

“Well, what do you want to do about it? Tell me, Lex. What do you suggest we do?” the redhead asked in exasperation. Her headache had not gone away, and she was more than a little irritated that Alexa was choosing to bring up their daughter’s education just then when all she wanted to do was rest.

“Home schooling. We get the girls a private teacher.”

“What about their social skills? Victoria needs help socially. What about a new school?”

“No. No school will be good enough for our girls.”

“I think they need to be with other children, Lex. It is an important part of growing up, making friends.”

“But those friends are causing her to pick up things that are incorrect.” The princess paused for a moment as she thought. She knew it would be wrong of her to just dictate what should be done with the princesses, even though the urge was strong. Sighing, she said, “We can come to a compromise somehow. What about a private tutor in the afternoons? They can focus on the girls’ reading and writing.”

The librarian thought about it for a moment before nodding her head. “Fine but the nanny still stays on full-time. We have two more on the way to consider.”

“Fine but I want Anastasia and Victoria to learn another language. When I was a child, I was required to learn Spanish, French, German, and Chinese, in addition to English. If I can do it, they can do one.”

“You do not think that is a bit excessive?”

“No, I do not. How about Spanish? There are a lot of native Spanish speakers in this country. It might help them in the future. They can start with that. Eventually, I would like them to learn a few more, but they can wait.”

“And why might you want them to learn multiple languages, Alexa? Do you have plans for them other than just allowing them to be children? I will not deny our girls the chance to be children. They need that. You needed it and never got it, which is why I think you were so uncontrollable in your teens and twenties. I will not endure our girls cavorting around and falling into bed with a convenient conquest for a parsimonious thrill or allow them to get involved with alcohol or drugs the way your mother tolerated your antics, because we were too hard on them as kids. They need a childhood. You wanted to relive a childhood you never had. Do not make that mistake with our girls. You will regret it, and they will resent us for it.”

“I want them to be children, too, Lauren, but I also want to prepare them for life. I have the opportunity to give them things other children their age do not have. I know they will never run the country, but I still want them to find success in their life, and I firmly believe accomplishment starts at home at an early age by giving them all the advantages we can. That is all I want for them. They deserve the best life we can give them. Learning can be fun. We just have to find them the right tutor to open their imaginations. I promise that if it seems like it is not working, we will try something else.”

There was a pause but then the librarian nodded. “Fine. I understand. Could we finish this discussion later? I really just want to get off my feet. My back hurts so badly.”

“Sure. Let me get you your pajamas, and then I will give you a back rub.”

Alexa brought Lauren a nightshirt and then began to take off her uniform. Both women were quiet, but the princess could feel blue eyes studying her body as she undressed. She knew this was the part of the evening that her lover would be demanding of her intimate attention, but just to play with her a bit, the brunette made a show of peeling off her work clothes. When she was undressed, she didn’t bother with sleeping attire and instead just turned to look at the bed. Sure enough Lauren was reclining against the headboard with rapt eyes on her. The older woman had not bothered to put on her pajamas either after shedding her clothes, leaving her naked with her legs slightly splayed.

Alexa’s heart sped up radically at the sight before her. She gave a tender smile as she crossed the room and took a seat next to Lauren on the bed. “You are so beautiful, darling.”

Lauren gave an unconvinced chortle. “I do not feel beautiful right now. I am huge. I have no idea how you can find me attractive.”

The princess knew her lover was fishing for more compliments intentionally, but she decided to oblige, especially since she thought Lauren did look as stunning as ever. Moreover, she knew Lauren had enough positive regard for her own body image to sit naked in her state and not feel embarrassed. Over the course of her pregnancies, her body hardly ever changed with the exception of a rounded tummy where she carried their children. This pregnancy was no exception, save the fact that the protrusion of her stomach was larger given that there were two babies. Placing a hand against her beloved’s stomach, Alexa caressed it tenderly. “You are an angel, darling. My heart beats so fast I feel faint at the very sight of you sitting in all your grandeur. No other woman makes me feel so loved, so wanted, so alive. Everything about you calls to me, stirring a place in my soul that is reserved only for you. I am the luckiest woman in the world to have you, and I want to prove my worth if you will allow me the honor,” she whispered as her lips brushed against her stomach. She felt hands lace through her dark hair. Alexa knew her lover wanted this even though she wasn’t saying so at the moment.

Lauren closed her eyes as she tried to relax into the younger woman’s stroking. Alexa’s hands and mouth always made a rush of feelings pour forth from her heart and her body, and that night was no exception. However, the pain in her lower back was making it difficult to lie there under her love’s ministration. Regretfully, she tapped Alexa’s on the shoulder to gain her attention. Questioning eyes met her. “I am so sorry, Lex. This feels good. It really does, but my back hurts too much to lie in this position. I have to move.”

The princess gave her a sympathetic smile. “Okay. Roll over onto your side. I believe I promised you a back rub,” she said softly.

Doing as she was told, Lauren turned onto her side facing away from Alexa. She immediately felt strong capable hand rubbing her aching muscles. Her eyes closed as she focused on the feeling of relief that slowly began to spread through her back as the massage continued for over half an hour. Lauren was starting to doze when she felt lips against her bare shoulder that trailed a slow path to her neck and back again. She could feel the heat radiating off the body behind her, sensing that the princess, even though she was being genteel, really wanted something more intimate at that moment. Deciding to give encouragement to her lover, the redhead whispered, “Massage a little lower.” Alexa responded to the directive, her hands drifting south of the small of her lover’s back. Fingers dug into the firm flesh, kneading it. “Lower,” Lauren instructed.

The librarian heard a low chuckle in her ear as the princess started kissing along her hairline. “I thought you were going to fall asleep on me.”

“Never. Why would I miss out on a chance to have you cater to my desires? Having you make love to me is the highlight of my night. Fortunately the doctors say it is actually good for me in the third trimester, and I think I should try to stay as healthy as possible.”

“Then who am I to go against doctor’s orders?” she teased.

Later that night screaming awakened Alexa. Sitting up disoriented it took her a minute to realize the noise was coming from down the hall, so she immediately got out of bed to investigate. Jogging down to Victoria’s room, she opened the door to find her daughter crying as loud as she could. “Victoria, what is it? What is wrong?” she inquired, flipping on the lights and coming to the bed.

The young girl clutched to her tightly. “Lexi,” she whimpered, curling into her lap.

Suddenly a loud crack of thunder filled the air, and Victoria started to cry again. “Are you afraid of the storm?” There was no answer, only tears as the girl clasped her around the neck tighter. “Oh, it is all right, sweetie,” she whispered, kissing the dark head on her shoulder. “Come on. Come get in bed with Mommy and me.”

Moving back into the hallway, she noticed the light on in her other daughter’s room, so she carefully cracked open the door. Anastasia was sitting up in bed shaking and clutching her blanket tighter. “Lexi, I keep hearing voices,” she stated in a terrified voice.

“Voices? What kind of voices?”

The little girl pointed to the ceiling. “And walking,” she added.

“All right. I will check on it. Come with me. We are all going to sleep in bed together tonight,” she said holding out her hand. Anastasia jumped from her bed and grabbed Alexa’s hand just as the voices started up again from above the ceiling. The princess knew what those sounds were, but she had never told her daughters about the surveillance that covered their house.

Taking the two girls back to the master bedroom, she helped the two of them in bed. Lauren yawned as the jolting of the bed awoke her. However, she immediately welcomed her children into bed with her when Alexa told her what had happened.

“I just need to check on these voices Anastasia told me about and then I will return,” she said, grabbing her robe from the back of the door and slipping it on.

“Be careful, Lexi,” Anastasia called out with concern as the princess left the room.

Going into the living room, she grabbed an umbrella and then headed out the back door to the staircase on the outside of the house she had installed that led to the attic and roof. Finding the door locked when she arrived, she dug out her key to open it. Flinging the door open, she found two of her guards not doing their jobs. Instead they had female company that didn’t belong anywhere in the vicinity of the house.

The group was surprised by Alexa’s sudden appearance and jumped to their feet. “Your highness, we didn’t know you were here.”

“Well, I am, and I am not pleased! The two of you have made enough noise to wake up two little girls who normally can sleep through anything! You have scared them both terribly, so much so that they refuse to go back to sleep! Not only that you have caused me to come out here in this storm! Moreover, I find you with company while on the job! I expect more from my security details!”

“Yes, your highness.”

“You, ladies, are excused, and if I ever see either one of you here again you will regret the day I ever laid eyes on you.” Both women scampered to leave, and then it was just Alexa with her two security guards. “Who is on the roof right now?” They told her. It was one of her most trusted security guards from days past, whom once had guarded her personally and she had requested to guard over Lauren and the girls. “I want to make a little change in the rotation this evening! I want both of you on the roof now! The two of you will remain up there the rest of the night!”

Without a word both men grabbed their rain gear and headed out the door. Moments later their replacement arrived, soaked but otherwise in good spirits. “This is unexpected. Is there a problem, your highness?”

“Yes! Those two imbeciles are not performing to standard! I want them to spend the rest of the night on the roof, and then I want you to fire them in the morning! I cannot have those two men around the Fulton women! They have scared the girls with their ruckus, and I choose not to trust them with a pregnant woman! I trust you can handle things in here for the rest of the night.”

“Yes, your highness. I will see to it that your wishes are carried out as specified.”

“Thank you. I am going to try to forget this happened.”

There was a brief pause before her guard said, “It is good to see you, Lex. It has been awhile.”

“Yes, it has, Roger, but I could not trust this post to just anyone. You know that. You have known Lauren as long as I have, so you know what a treasure she is. I only will have the best here for her.”

The guard nodded. “I will never forget the way she treated me all those years ago. She is a gem, and I do my best to treat her and her girls like the princesses they should have been,” he quietly said.

Alexa nodded her head. She knew she was not the only one with affection for the librarian. The two security officers that had been with her in Florida when she met Lauren eleven years ago both had readily agreed to supervise the detail for the Fulton residence, even though it meant leaving the palace to do so simply out of their respect for the woman who once had shown them such kindness. The princess gave a small smile. “Thank you for that. Good night.”

As she turned to go, Roger stopped her by hesitantly saying, “I hope I am not out of line by saying this, but these children hold a striking resemblance to your highness.”

Alexa stood with her back to one of her best security guards as she contemplated a response. After a moment, she looked over her shoulder and gave a smile. “So they do,” she replied. “Good night, Roger.”

He gave a nod in her direction. “Your highness.”

Going back into the house, the princess shed her wet robe and discarded the umbrella before going back to the bedroom. She found three blue-eyed women awaiting her arrival. “Is everything all right?” Lauren asked.

“Everything is just fine,” she replied, slipping into the bed. Turning on her side, she wrapped an arm around Anastasia. “We all should try to sleep now. Mommy and I will keep you safe.”

Both women just held their daughters until they drifted back to sleep. When it was clear that they were dreaming once again, Lauren inquired, “What was the problem?”

“Just some incompetent guards. I had Roger take care of it. I was just thinking though that we should consider introducing the girls to Roger and Doug. After all, they are the leads on this detail, and I would not want the girls to be scared should this happen again. I think they should know who is watching out over them and who they can go to if they have a problem.”

“How would we tell them? What do you propose we say?”

“I do not know yet. However, do you think it would be all right?”

The redhead nodded. “That is probably wise. I would not want them to be afraid should they happen to come across them in their duties.”

“Great. I will think on it and then introduce them tomorrow after work.”

The next morning Alexa was out the door before the other girls were awake. Knowing her presence was required at the palace, she headed home. Sneaking in without being seen, she went to her room to change into more casual attire before joining the rest of her family for breakfast. Everyone happened to be there that day, but no one said anything about her being the last to arrive. Taking her seat next to Meredith, she gave her a kiss on the cheek and a smile before directly starting on her food.

“Alexa, we have a lot to do this morning after breakfast,” her mother stated.

The princess nodded her head. “I am aware of that. We are hearing budget reviews from Congress this morning, are we not?”

“Yes. Some of the senior members will be coming. You are also giving a report for the Joint Chiefs of Staff regarding the military budget if you feel prepared.”

“I am prepared to speak to that. I have been reviewing the numbers for the last several years, and I have some proposed changes that hopefully will coordinate with the overall operating budget. I know we are contemplating trying to give the people some tax relief, and I have some ideas on how to make that possible.”

“Wonderful. I look forward to hearing them.” The queen turned to her son. “George, I would like you to join us today if your schedule permits.”

“Mother, I think Lex is capable of giving the Joint Chiefs of Staff report on her own.”

“I know she is, but I would still like you to be there. You need to learn to take on some responsibilities to be prepared. As second in line to the throne, you need to be able to fill in for Alexa at any given time.”

George and Alexa looked at each other silently. Each knew what the other was thinking. It was the first time their mother had ever even considered the fact that it would be George’s child, not Alexa’s, to take the throne after her. George nodded his head. “Very well. I should be able to fit in meetings this morning,” he conceded. “I will have my secretary shuffle my schedule.”

Once the breakfast came to a close, the queen stood. “I will see the two of you in the conference room in half an hour.”

The siblings nodded in her direction. After bidding their respective wives good bye, the two strolled off down toward Alexa’s office. “I do not like this one bit, Lex. Why must she insist on my presence?”

“Because she has given up on Meredith and me. She is looking to the future.”

“Have you given up?”

Alexa shrugged. “Mere deserves not to have to go through this anguish any more.”

“But she is only thirty. You still have time. You do not have to get concerned until she is in her forties. You are not the only royal couple that ever had fertility problems. If I remember correctly, Queen Victoria did not have our grandmother until almost twenty years into their marriage.”

“We are in different places in life. Mere has done nothing but try to get pregnant for the past eleven years. It is a painful process. She has had two horrible miscarriages. I just want to let her have some happiness.”

George stopped his sister in the hallway with a hand to her arm. “So wait a minute. That is it? You are just giving up?”

“The doctors say she most likely will never carry a baby to term. That is difficult enough for her. The least I can do it let her be happy with the rest of her life.”

“Meaning what exactly? Where do I fit into that picture?”

Alexa shrugged. “I suppose that means you will take the throne after me unless you happen to die first. Then it would be Morgan to succeed me. She is a good kid and could do the job reasonably well.”

“My daughter will not sit on the throne. That was not the life she was meant to live, Lex. It is your responsibility to have the heir.”

“Well, I do not think Mere and I ever will have a child together. The doctors are not optimistic either.”

The prince shook his head. “What about a surrogate? Surely that would be a way to accomplish your goals.”

“It would be an insult to Mere to ask another woman to carry our child for us.”

“Well, what about another woman? The child might not be of your marriage, but it would still be yours and the rightful heir.”

“Are you suggesting that I have an affair, George?”

He looked up and down the corridor to ensure they were alone before whispering, “Do not misunderstand me. I can tell that you and Mere are happy together. I mean, I have not seen the two of you as happy as you have been in the last several years. Your marriage has finally taken, even though the beginning seemed rough. I would not want to undermine that, but you could have an heir.”

Alexa just looked at her brother as she thought of his words. If he only knew that she had already conceived two girls with two more on the way with her beloved Lauren, he would feel differently. However, knowing she had made the librarian a promise never to disclose that fact to anyone for the sake of her girls, she knew she couldn’t tell him. Not only that, she couldn’t reveal that she and Meredith were both having affairs outside their marriage that procreated their happiness. The princess just gave a sigh and shake of her head. “Please do not fret over this, George. I will do what I can to release you from any obligations, but if that should ever come to pass, you can always abdicate and let Morgan take your place. However, I will bear the responsibility for us for as long as I live. I know that now. I have put away youthful inclinations of abdication myself. I now know this is my path, and I will walk it. Come on now. Let us prepare for our meeting.”

For the rest of the morning Alexa and George sat with the queen and members of Congress to discuss pending tax changes. As usual the princess was full of ideas of how to redistribute funds amongst the civic programs to adequately cover the needs of her country. She could tell that her mother and their other guests were impressed with her opinions and vowed to see they be put into law at their earliest convenience.

Over lunch that day the queen ate with just her two children. They were having further discussions on the military budget when Matthew entered the dining area. “Your majesty, your highnesses,” he greeted with a bow for all of them. “Lex, I have an urgent matter of business that needs your attention.”

“What is it? I am in the middle of a meeting with the queen.”

“Yes, I realize that. However, if you would step outside, I can assure you that this is worth the interruption.”

Alexa looked at her mother who dismissed her with a wave of her hand. Leaving the table, she followed Matthew into a private room where her mother normally took her afternoon tea. “What is so imperative, Matthew? You saw that look on my mother’s face.”

“I am terribly sorry. I just knew I had to interrupt you, though. It is regarding Lauren.”

“What about her? Is there a problem?”

Her secretary nodded his head. “She has been taken to the hospital this morning. Her water broke, and she is in premature labor.”

Alexa’s heart sank. She had lived through two miscarriages with her wife, and she did not want to lose a baby or possibly two with her lover. “Tell me the prognosis. She is six weeks early. This cannot be good for the babies.”

“I do not know much else. Roger was just getting off his shift when he was alerted of the emergency. He followed her to the hospital. I am afraid I do not know more.”

“Where are the girls?”

“Anastasia is at school, and the nanny has Victoria at home. Of course Anastasia gets out of school in less than an hour. The nanny will pick her up and take her home. She has instructions to stay there with the girls until I direct her to do otherwise.”

The princess nodded. “Good. At least I know they will be in safe hands. I need to get to the hospital. I missed both my girls’ births. I will not be missing these. Find out Lauren’s status and get my car ready to go. I will leave after lunch unless she is in immediate danger.”

“Certainly, Lex. I have cleared your afternoon schedule for you.”

“I think my mother will be finished with me once lunch is complete. Have you spoken to Lauren directly?”

“No. Only Roger. He has refused to leave her there alone.”

“He is a good man. Let them know I will be along shortly.”

Heading back into the dining room, the princess did her best not to let on that anything was wrong. However, the queen asked, “So what was this important business?”

“It is personal, Mother. Matthew and I have some unexpected business to attend to after lunch. That is all.”

She could tell the queen was not quite convinced, but the older woman didn’t say anything else on the subject. “Back to business then.”

Two hours later Alexa entered the hospital through a secret entrance and was taken to Lauren’s room. Through all her pregnancies, Janice and Alexa had always ensured that the redhead got the best room available, and this day was no exception. By the time she arrived, Janice was also there. Roger was posted at the door, obviously looking concerned, even though he said nothing, only nodded as Alexa entered the room.

The librarian looked up from her position in bed. The older woman looked tired and distraught. “Lex, I am so glad you are here,” she mumbled, extending a hand to her.

The princess took it, kissing the back of it delicately before turning to Janice. “Well, what is going on?”

Janice shook her head. “We are trying to stop the labor, but Lauren isn’t responding to drugs. They have only been able to postpone things by a few hours. These babies are coming any moment. I’m sorry I can’t delay things further.”

“Will they be all right being born this early?”

Janice looked between them both. “I have concerns about their lung development. I’m not sure they will be able to breath on their own, but I’ll know more once I see them.”

Alexa felt Lauren squeeze her hand nervously. She gave her a reassuring smile. “Was there anything specific that could have caused this? Strenuous activities or anything?”

The doctor shook her head. “Lauren told me about all your sexual activities over the last several days. Don’t worry. You didn’t do anything wrong. Sometimes these things just happen. Lauren is forty-one. There are inherent risks with women over forty being pregnant. We all discussed this before you decided to get pregnant again. I’m going to do everything I can here. I wouldn’t worry too much. These girls have a great chance for survival even if they are a little early. Most twins are not full term. I am going to do everything I can to keep them healthy.”

Turning to her lover, Alexa smiled at her again. She was worried, but she didn’t want it to show. “Are you in pain?”

The librarian shook her head. “They gave me an epidural, so I am feeling better than I was. Where are the girls?”

“With the nanny at home.”

Neither woman spoke further for a while as Alexa sat at her lover’s bedside holding her hand. Janice was in and out of the room over the next hour. Finally though she came back and asked, “We have a decision to make here. Either Lauren can have a natural birth or a c-section. Under the circumstances I think a caesarean is the appropriate course of action. We can get the girls out faster, and there is less stress on them.”

Lauren frowned, because she had wanted to do a natural birth, but she knew Janice was thinking of their daughters’ best interest. “If you think it is best. I do not want them under any more duress than they already are.”

“What risks does that pose to Lauren?” the princess inquired.

“It is less risk to all three women, Lex. I know you all were set on doing this the other way, but truly I believe this is the right thing. If I could get Lauren’s contractions to stop, I would, but I can’t, and one of the girls is already dropping fast. I could already feel the crown of her head in the birth canal when I did my last examination an hour ago. Lauren is fully dilated. This is going to happen one way or another. I just think it’s safer to do the c-section. We can get them out faster and on ventilation should they need it, which I’m sure they will.”

The brunette nodded her understanding. “You are the doctor. We will do this in whatever way you recommend.”

“Very well. We need to get Lauren prepped for surgery. I’ll be back in a little bit to take her in. You will be allowed in the room with us if you want, Lex.”

“Of course I want to be there.”

“All right. I’ll come back to get both of you in a bit.”

The two lovers were then left alone once again. The older woman rubbed her stomach as she looked at the princess. “I am sorry about this, Flash.”

“Do not be. There was nothing either of us could do. You heard Janice. Now we try to stay positive. Things will be fine. Janice will see to it.”

True to Alexa’s prediction, Janice did take care of Lauren and their two new daughters as well as she could, and several hours later the Fulton women were once again in their room. However, the new princesses, Camille Anne and Caroline Hope, were hooked up to ventilators to help them both breathe. The heir looked between her girls silently for a long time as Lauren rested in her bed. Camille looked healthier than Caroline, being larger in size. The eldest of the twins had a full head of soft brown hair. The younger, Caroline, had red hair like her mother but was more petite stature and of more concern to the doctor.

“They are so beautiful, Lauren,” she whispered.

“Camille definitely looks like you,” the redhead conceded.

“And our little Caroline looks so much like you, even more so than Victoria. In fact, I think I finally have the Lauren clone I always wanted,” Alexa said with a chuckle. She slipped a hand into each one of the incubators that held her children and gently caressed their tiny hands. She sighed softly and then looked over to Lauren. “Thank you for giving me these gifts, darling. It is such an honor to have you as the mother of my children.”

“I love you, Alexa. Thank you for giving me this.”

“I love you too.” Turning her gaze back to the girls, she contemplated, “How is it even possible to love someone so much when you do not even know them? I am continually amazed by the sensation.”

A little later Janice reappeared. “How is everyone doing?”

“I am all right. In pain but that is to be expected I suppose,” Lauren commented.

“Yes. Well, you did have a major surgery, an unexpected one at that. You need to relax as much as you can.”

Alexa consulted her watch. “Darling, it is starting to get late. The nanny will be off soon. What shall we do with our eldest daughters tonight?”

“I had not even thought of that. I cannot go home. I have to stay here.”

“Well, I suppose I could stay with them tonight.”

“They have never spent a night without me, Lex.”

“Not to worry. I can handle it. They will be fine with me. It is not like I do not already care for them regularly. I will just tell them that you had the babies and had to stay at the hospital. They will understand.”

Lauren looked worried. “Maybe they could come stay here at the hospital with me.”

“No. I don’t think that is a good idea,” Janice broke into the conversation. “You won’t be able to move around, Lauren. You need rest, and you can’t get rest with two little girls running around here.”

“Janice is right. It is best that I stay at the house with the girls. Do not worry about a thing. We will be fine.”

“All right. I suppose that it our best option. You win, Flash.”

“Good. Roger will stay here until I can find a replacement for him for security.”

“No. You cannot expect him to stay here. He has been on duty for almost twenty-four hours now. He needs to rest.”

“He will not leave your side, Lauren. I will ask him, but he will refuse until a replacement arrives.” Standing up Alexa spent a moment looking fondly at each of her daughters before moving to the bed. She smiled at her beloved. “Thank you for this special day. It has been one of the best of my life.”

“Me too.”

“I will see you tomorrow. Sleep well.” They kissed sweetly. Going out into the hallway, Alexa pulled Roger aside. “Lauren is staying the night on doctor’s orders. I will have a replacement sent for you.”

“Not to worry. I will remain in her highness’s service as long as needed.”

“I know you will. You serve me well always, Roger.”

He smirked as he leaned into her ear. “I meant Lauren, Lex,” he joked.

The princess looked at her guard and laughed. “Of course you did. I know where your loyalty truly lies. Good night. I will have someone sent over as soon as I can.”

Heading back to the Fulton residence, Alexa greeted the nanny and made her aware of the situation before going to find her girls that were in the kitchen.

“Lexi!” Anastasia cheered.

“Hi, ladies. How are you today?”

“Good. Where’s Mommy?”

The princess took a seat at the table. “Well, Mommy had to go to the hospital today, because she needed to have her babies. She needs to stay there for a few days, so while she is gone, it is just going to be the three of us. We are going to have lots of fun. Now what do you two want for dinner?”

“Can we go out for pizza still?”

“What do you mean still?”

“Mommy promised we could go. I want you to take us.”

Alexa thought about the request for a moment. She had never been out in public with her girls in their lifetime. It was something she always wanted but never got to do because of the challenges of going out just on her own. However, she truly wanted to make her daughters happy in whatever way she could. “It is getting late. Perhaps tomorrow we can have pizza.”

“Yeah!” Victoria screamed, jumping into Alexa’s lap.

“For now though let us find something to eat here at home,” she said standing. Putting Victoria on her hip, she went to the refrigerator to find food for them.

The rest of the evening followed in controlled chaos. Alexa indulged the girls in whatever they wanted until it was bedtime. She read them extra stories and sung to them both before they finally settled down for the night. Once she had left their rooms, she called Matthew.

“Lex, I have been wondering all day about Lauren and you. What is happening?”

“Lauren gave birth today to two beautiful girls, Camille Anne and Caroline Hope. All three of them are still at the hospital. The girls are on ventilators, because their lungs do not function on their own properly yet. Lauren had to have a cesarean section, so she had to stay there. I am in charge of the girls for the next few days. I need to have a clear schedule.”

“All right. I will do what I can.”

“I actually need something else from you. I promised my girls I would take them out for pizza tomorrow night. I need somewhere to take them. I cannot let them down, Matthew. I need you to find a place for us to go.”

“Um, Lex, you know I will do whatever you ask of me, but I must ask whether or not you have fully considered what you are doing. You cannot honestly think it is a good idea to take these girls out in public. The media surely will catch hold of the idea, and the moment a photograph is captured of you with them, the world will know. You cannot deny how much Anastasia looks like you. Both of them do. Are you prepared to deal with that? I thought you made Lauren a promise not to disclose to anyone your relationship to these girls. Would she think this is a good idea?”

Alexa growled in frustration. She knew her secretary was right. However, she replied, “Just do it for me. Find a place that I can take the girls and make sure the appropriate precautions are taken. I will deal with Lauren. I think it might help to have some staff there. We can take the nanny, Roger, Doug, and I also want you to come along.”

“Me, Lex? Why?”

“Because we introduced them to you as their Uncle Matthew. That can be our ploy. It will be less obvious with more staff there. It will also help the girls have more fun.”

“Very well. I will arrange it.”

The following morning after the nanny arrived to take care of Victoria, Alexa took Anastasia to school herself in one of her unmarked royal sedans with one of her drivers. She watched from behind her tinted windows as her daughter skipped into school with her backpack. It was the first time she had ever even been on the school’s campus, and the sight of her eldest child climbing the staircase to the building gave her a joyous pang in her chest. It was hard to believe that Anastasia was growing so fast. For a brief moment, she pondered what kind of a woman she would become, hoping that she would take after the librarian.

Heading to the hospital, she found her lover and her two infants just where she had left them. Lauren though was asleep when she arrived, so she just sat quietly trying to give her as much resting time as possible. In the meantime Alexa herself dozed off, having not gotten much sleep through the night.

For the rest of the morning, once both women were awake, they simply enjoyed each other’s company until Matthew appeared. He gave Lauren a gentle smile and kiss on the cheek in affection. Alexa knew he had become fond of the woman she loved over the years and was pleased her secretary’s relationship with her lover seemed mutually amiable. “Lauren, you are looking well for a mother of four,” he teased lightly. “Motherhood suits you. I have always thought so.”

“Thank you, Matthew. It is a pleasant surprise to see you here.”

“I could not stay away from the newest members of the family. After all, what kind of uncle would I be if I did not at least welcome these little angels into the world?” he inquired rhetorically as he moved to the two incubators near the bed. “Perhaps an introduction would be in order, Lex.”

“Of course. Matthew, this is Camille Anne,” she said, gesturing to the larger of the two infants. “And this little one is Caroline Hope.”

Matthew smiled at Camille for a few minutes before turning his attentions to Caroline. “She is so tiny, Lex.”

“Yes. Caroline is significantly smaller than Camille. The doctors are concerned about her. In fact, they had their doubts about her survival at first.”

“She would not be the first royal to be born prematurely. I see you gave her a name reminiscent of your religious beliefs and of the last heir to be in such detriment.”

Lauren, curious to what Matthew meant, inquired, “Which heir might that have been?”

“My mother,” Alexa answered. “My grandmother went into premature labor as a result of Queen Alexa’s attempt to save her life. My mother was born too early. My grandmothers had never intended to name my mother Faith until that moment in time. She was supposed to be Queen Alexa II, but Queen Lara changed her mind. She said she named my mother that because faith was the only thing she had to cling to in those final days of Queen Alexa’s life.”

“Hope is a good trait to have, and I can see that you need it now with this little one,” Matthew mentioned. “However, I dare predict that this one will turn out to be the most outspoken of all your children just by her tremulous start. She will spend the rest of her life proving how strong she truly is just like her grandmother.”

Alexa nodded her head in agreement. After a few moments of silence, she changed the subject. “What brings you here today?”

“Oh, I know you asked that I clear your schedule as much as possible for the next several days in light of these births. However, there are still some items we need to discuss. Besides, I wanted a reason to come see Lauren.”

“Well, please make yourself comfortable then, and we can discuss our business.”

For the next hour the heir and her secretary did work in Lauren’s room. The librarian had never seen her lover in the act of work before. She knew Alexa had lots of responsibilities, but to see her in action was a rare glimpse into Alexa’s life as the crowned princess. Alexa and Matthew spoke freely to each other about the country’s matters, hiding nothing from the redhead. It was fascinating to see her lover’s intellect at work in ways she had never considered. It was obvious that the princess was indeed good at her position.

When Matthew was preparing to leave just before noon, he commented, “Last on our agenda is this evening. I believe I have everything prepared as you asked of me. I have all the details arranged and just need some finality from our destination.”

“Wonderful. I am pleased to hear it.”

“I will see you this evening then.” He stood and moved to the bed. “Lauren, as always it is a pleasure to see you. Please take care of these girls, especially this eldest one here. She is the biggest rule-breaker of them all,” he joked, pointing in Alexa’s direction.

Lauren laughed. “After all this time, I have not forgotten that. Thank you for coming, Matthew. It is always good to see you.”

Once he had taken his leave, Alexa stood and stretched her frame. She looked out the window in thought for a minute before asking, “Do you know when you will be able to leave?”

“No. However, I intend to stay here until the girls come home even though I will be released before them. I do not want them out of my sight for even a moment’s time.”

“I understand. I feel the same way. They should not be alone. I was wondering if you were ready to have Anastasia and Victoria up here to meet their sisters.”

“Oh, I would love for them to come. I miss them so much, Lex, but I think I need another day. I am still sore from surgery, and I have not been resting well. Perhaps by tomorrow I will be up for that venture. It has been difficult not seeing them, though.”

“I know. They miss you, but I am doing my best to keep them happy and entertained. Last night they told me you promised to taken them out for pizza.”

“I had not forgotten, but it will be awhile before I can make good on that promise, I suppose.”

“Not to fear, I have taken it upon myself to fulfill that promise for you.”

“How do you intend to fulfill it?”

“I am taking them out this evening for pizza.”

The older woman frowned in her direction. “Just how do you intend to do that? You have never taken these girls out in public. I thought we agreed that was in their best interest.”

“They asked me to take them, and I will not deny them such a simple pleasure because of the complications of my own life. These are my children, and I want to give them everything they desire.”

The librarian crossed her arms across her chest. “These are our children, Lex, and I do not think it is wise for you to be taking them anywhere. Suppose the press catches on to your location? If the public gets one look at you and Anastasia together, everyone will know she is yours. Victoria is slightly less obvious, but chances are they would come to the same conclusion. It just is not safe to take them anywhere.”

“I disagree. It is perfectly safe. Security and other members of my staff will surround us. It is not as if it will be just the girls and me. Many people will be there.”

“You promised me that you would never endanger them. All it takes is one photograph of you with them, and their lives would be ruined. There would be no denying to the public or to our daughters the true relationship you share.”

“They should know that I am their other mother anyway, Lauren. They already think that of me. They should know the truth.”

“They are too young to understand the complexity of the situation. We agreed we would not tell them until we felt sure they would be able to comprehend and accept all the details of our convoluted relationship. They will not understand that even though you are their other mother, you are married to another woman. They will not be able to handle knowing they are heirs to the throne. What do you think Anastasia will do with such information? We can ask her to keep it to herself, but you know her. She will talk to anyone about anything. That secret would not remain so for any length of time. No, it is best they not know yet.”

“Fine. This is not about that anyway. We are simply talking about going out to dinner here. The girls asked me to take them, and I said yes. I will not disappoint them, Lauren.”

The redhead shook her head in disagreement. “I think it is a bad idea, and I am asking you not to do it, Alexa.”

The princess looked at the woman she loved sitting in her bed, glowering in her direction. Feeling her ire rise, she snipped, “And just who do you think you are speaking to, Lauren?”

Immediately Lauren’s face became flush with emotion. “Forgive me, your highness. I have obviously forgotten my place as the mother of these children,” she remarked sarcastically. “You may have assisted in the creation of these angels, but I am their mother! I know what is in their best interest, and I am instructing you not to take these girls out in public! There is too much risk involved! Do use your senses, Princess!”

“I suggest the same from you, Ms. Fulton!” Alexa growled crossing the room to the end of the bed. She stood at her full height and glared down at Lauren in displeasure. She would not be told by this woman what to do with her own children. With gritted teeth the heir stated, “I know it can be easy to forget who I am. After all, I have done nothing in your presence except cater to your desires. I have allowed you to mistake me for a different woman by my adoration for you, but do not forget, do not ever forget that the woman who shares your bed is your sovereign, and I demand your respect.”

There was a pause as blue eyes stared into brown. Finally the older woman quietly responded, “I respect you, Alexa, not because you are my sovereign but because you are the woman I love. I am only asking for the same consideration. That is all I have ever requested from you. It is not right to force your will upon me the way your mother forces hers upon you. I did think you a different woman in that regard. Perhaps I have been wrong in my presumption. Possibly you are more like the queen than you care to admit, and that is what bothers you so much.” She hesitated before saying, “I really must ask you to leave now. I am not able to continue this discussion in my present condition. I have asked you not to take the children out in public. I can only hope you will abide by my request.”

Hearing that she was being dismissed, Alexa didn’t say anything at first. She merely stood in her spot at the end of the bed for another moment. Finally, though, without words for her lover, she went to tell her children good bye and then left the room. The heir was angry at what had transpired between them, but she knew Lauren was correct. As much as she hated being told what to do, she knew that in this instance, it was for the best not to take the girls out in public, even as much as she wanted to.

The next day Alexa did not go to the hospital in the morning due to duties at the palace. However, once Anastasia had gotten home from school, she took both girls to see their mother. Upon their arrival, they rushed to her bedside. “Be careful, girls. Mommy still has not recovered,” warned Alexa as she checked on her newborns.

Lauren smiled down at her two eldest and gently assisted them onto the bed to cuddle. “I have missed both of you so much. What have you been doing since I have been away?”

“Fun stuff. We had a party. Lexi got pizza last night for us and a bunch of other people.”

“Did she now?” the librarian questioned. Her eyes flittered over to the brunette, who was staring back. The older woman said nothing to her, instead focusing on her children. “Tell me about it.” Anastasia did as requested, retelling the events of that evening for several minutes. When she had finished, Lauren said, “That sounds like it was great fun. Sorry I missed it.”

“Girls, come over here and meet your new sisters,” the princess interrupted.

Both girls came to her and received their formal introductions to the newest members of the family. Neither adult said anything for several minutes as the girls chatted to the twins. After some time though, Lauren asked Alexa, “Who is posted outside the door at present?”

“Doug is out there with a new person. Why?”

“Because I wish to speak with you but I want them out of the room when I do so,” she answered.

Alexa retrieved Doug from the hallway. “Girls, I want you to go with Uncle Doug to the cafeteria. He is going to get you some ice cream. Your mommy and I need to have a talk.”

The older gentleman extended his hands to the children. They cheered in delight as they took his hands, having gotten along with him well the previous night. “How long would you like me to detain them?” he questioned.

“This will not take long,” Lauren answered. “By the time they eat their ice cream and walk back, we should be finished.” He nodded his head in understanding before leaving with his charges. The librarian’s eyes went back to Alexa. “Thank you for respecting my wishes yesterday.”

“After taking all the information under advisement, I knew it was the only choice as much as I hated it. I would never want our children to be in any danger, and even though I still think it would have been safe, it was not worth our fighting. They had a wonderful time, Lauren. You should have seen them with my staff.”

“I did not feel good about the way things ended yesterday. I could not sleep knowing that we were fighting.”

The princess nodded her head. “Neither did I. I apologize for what I said in anger. It was inappropriate, and I do not want you to feel as if my opinion supersedes yours simply because of my status. That is not the person I am.”

“I know that, Lex. I am sorry as well for yelling. That is not the kind of relationship I want with you.”

“Then we shall put it behind us. I love you, Lauren.”

“I love you too, Flash,” she whispered with a smile as she received a gentle kiss on the lips.

Continued in Chapter 12

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