The Royal Contract

Eida had no idea if she should feel elated by the sudden news or terrified. She had never thought of having a child, nor ever dreamed of raising a family, not with her current situation or background.

She barely could hold on to a relationship, remembering her current status with the Prince. Then, her thoughts went to Lance, who was still in surgery based on this man before her, fighting for his life.

“Oh my!” Eida could only mumble as a few tears ran down her eyes, thinking of the complexity of her life. “I am pregnant.” As if saying those words would make it untrue.

But it only confirmed what she feared when Evan responded. “Yes, you are. What are you planning to do about it?” He asked, staring at her with those questioning eyes.

That was the million-dollar question.

She had never thought she would find herself in this kind of situation. She thought of the time frame where she could have conceived the child.

.....

She had always been careful when she had intercourse, not wanting to bring life to this world. But how come she still became pregnant. Then, she remembered that night with the audio recorder.

It was the only night she had allowed herself freedom and her emotions to take over and cloud her judgment. The only time she let herself stop thinking of the consequence.

Now, look at what she did.

“I don’t know.” She finally responded, but condemning herself for one night of not playing it safe would not make anything better. It would not change the present.

She closed her eyes, hoping it would give her some clarity, but different images came to her mind, which only had worsened her already messed up mind.

When she opened her eyes again, they landed on her friend, who had her eyes staring at the two of them. She wondered if she had heard their conversation.

“You are pregnant?” Amelia shouted in shock, suddenly answering her internal question. “I assume Lance is the father.”

Her assumption was correct since she had not been with anyone else since Nick. It was just Lance that she had slept with unintentionally at first.

Amelia stepped down from the bed, immediately moving to her side, sitting beside her while staring at her face and then down her belly.

She doubted her friend would see anything down there. It was too early to tell. If not for the blood test, no one would have known about it.

When they tested her alcohol level, they also tested if she was pregnant. A standard procedure that hospitals do before administering medications.

“The doctor said I am,” Eida confirmed to her friend. “Despite what you think of me, Lance was the only one who could have gotten me pregnant.” She looked down at her hands that automatically touched her still flat belly.

She could not blame Amelia for assuming the worse about her. She did have a horrible record concerning her sexual activities. It was something she could never change, even if she kept regretting it.

“I was not thinking like that.” Amelia quickly defended herself. “But I have to be sure.” She still added, but her face was anything other than sympathetic.

Eida did not see any trace in her friend that she was judging or angry with her. When Amelia finally wrapped her hands around her shoulders and pulled her closer, she knew her friend had forgiven her.

“I think you should tell Lance once he is better,” Evan suggested as he watched the two reunited.

She tapped her friend’s hand, telling her she appreciated her support. But Evan was right as she looked at him. She should inform Lance all about their baby.

Lance deserved to know that he was about to be a father, and her child deserved to have a father. Even she did not deserve them both.

However, she would try her best to give this child a good mother, no matter how hard that would be to raise the child. With Lance at her side, maybe it would not be that hard.

She only hoped Lance would survive his operation and live long enough to be with her and their child.

“Yes, you should tell Lance all about the baby.” Even Amelia tried to convince her.

But she had already decided, believing it was the right one. “I also think so. I want to tell Lance all about our baby.” She said, finally hopeful for the future.

“But first, you need a shower and a change of clothes. Lance should never see you like that.” Evan wrinkled up his nose at her as if he saw her as disgusting.

She suddenly laughed at his expression because she also realized what she might have looked like at the moment. She had never been drunk before, but she had seen many who drunk themselves to death. And it was not pleasant at all.

She ran her fingers through her hair and could not even make it run smoothly down the tip without entangling through the strands. It must look like a bird’s nest.

“Well, Evan is right.” Amelia nodded her head in agreement. “You looked like a mess.” She touched the hospital gown she wore. “You also do not look good in this.”

“You should talk.” Eida finally countered, noticing and pointing at the dried drool on the side of Amelia’s face and the rumpled hair on top of her head.

“Oh my!” Amelia expressed in shock when her fingers ran down her face. She hurriedly ran to the bathroom and checked on herself.

“Well. I guess I am the only one presentable at the moment.” Evan stated proudly, but when Eida looked at him, she also laughed at him. “What now?”

“You should look at your eyes.” She uttered in between her giggles. “You look like the actor in Sleepy Hollows. Not the main lead but the villain.” She started laughing again.

It also made him run to the bathroom to check himself out, following Amelia inside. Finally, she could hear the two arguing like cats and dogs.

She could only wonder for now how that two ever ended up together. She could not remember Amelia mentioning him to her ever. Maybe he was a recent friend.