Chapter 61: This Isn''t Good


    Franz burst into the room frantically with the royal doctor and Al on his heels. "Mari? Does anything hurt? Are you still feeling ill?"


    He hovered over her like a fruit fly does a bunch of bananas as the doctor began his ministrations. Al and I hung back by the door, grave-faced.


    "I ran into Franz on the way," he whispered. "He has been panicking the entire time. Quite annoying, really."


    I shot him a look. "She''s his wife, it''s normal for him to worry when she''s sick."


    "Nobody should worry that much."


    "You''re saying you wouldn''t worry about me?" I teased.


    I meant is as a lightheartedment, thinking he woulde up with some sarcastic reply but he remained silent.


    Oh. He actually would worry about me. My stomach flip-flopped. I wasn''t sure how to feel about that.


    After several very tense minutes, the doctor smiled at Franz.


    "Congrattions, Your Highness. The princess is with child! She appears to be about two months along."


    Al and I both gaped at them but poor Franz looked even more shocked that we did.


    "I''m going to be a father?"


    The doctor nodded. "I''m sure the king and queen will be most pleased to hear this news."


    "Please do not tell them yet," Mari finally spoke up, forcing herself to sit up with the ghost of a smile on her face. "I would like to wait a while longer."


    Franz came back to his senses, his dazed expression reced with his usual sharp one.


    "Yes, please refrain until the pregnancy is more stable. I would not want to excite the king and queen unnecessarily."


    The doctor''s eyes lit with understanding. "I see. I will not say anything, rest assured Your Highnesses. Many blessings on your child and Annias. I shall take my leave."


    They both nodded as he left and Franz instantly knelt in front of his wife, sping her hands in his. Joy and dread flitted across both of their faces.


    "We should go," Al said quietly.


    I nodded and followed him out. The atmosphere was clear to read. They were worried about their child.


    But why? Wasn''t pregnancy supposed to be a happy thing? AlthoughMari had never gotten pregnant in the novel.


    I was horrified at the thought but it might be because of me. My cheeks med.


    Their rtionship improved after I meddled. But I only meddled because it was already supposed to be good in the novel! How had this happened?!


    Al sighed and flopped onto the couch back in our room. "This isn''t good."


    "It''s about the crown prince, isn''t it," I surmised.


    Having time to think on the walk back it was the only conclusion I coulde to. Since he was still childless he would see any royal baby as a threat.


    Sigmund and Rosenia had been married for almost four years and she had never been pregnant.


    If the baby was a boyand the king died before Sigmund could produce an heirthe court might rule that it was better to have a king that could continue the bloodline.


    His position as crown prince could be threatened.


    "Yes. If Sigmund finds out he may try to do something to prevent the baby from being born. I imagine Franz isn''t going to leave Mari''s side for a second to personally monitor all of her food and drinks for the next seven months."


    "That''s horrible," I shuddered. "Poor Mari."


    I couldn''t even imagine it. I was in the middle of the worst kind of period drama.


    "This has always been how things work in the pce," Al said bitterly, not meeting my eyes.


    "My father didn''t have to deal with it personally because he was the only surviving son but my grandmother had several miscarriages before he came along and foul y was suspected.


    "My grandfather wasn''t originally the crown prince either. Sigmund is ruthless. He would do anything to keep his position. Do you understand now why I don''t want to be involved? Siding with Franz puts targets on both of our backs. I''m used to it but youI can''t lose you."


    "Sigmund doesn''t know I''m working with Franz," I said uneasily. "If he did he would have made a move by now."


    "And how much longer is that going tost? At the very least he knows you are close with Mari. You are still a threat."


    I suddenly remembered the ''hypothetical'' question he posed to me a while back about what to do with a weak enemy that gains a powerful ally. My heart began to race.


    "You think he''lle after me?" I squeaked.


    "Eventually. I imagine once the news gets out about Mari''s pregnancy she will be the bigger priority."


    "We have to do something!"


    "We are doing something. Leaving. Then you''ll never have to worry about the dangers of pce politics again," he said with a tone of finality.


    "But what about Mari?" I asked in a panic.


    She was my friend; I couldn''t leave her to fend for herself.


    "She has Franz. He''s not an idiot; he''ll keep her safe."


    "But"


    Al sat up and put a finger against my lips. I was so startled that I stumbled backwards and he caught me and held me only a few inches away from his chest.


    "Katie. It''s his job to take care of Mari. My job is taking care of you. I promise we''ll be out of here before anything big happens. We just have to wait it out. Understand?"


    I nodded and he released me. I didn''t like this. There had been absolutely no mention of inter-family violence and attempted fetus murder in the novel.


    Things had spun even farther out of my control. Did I really want to be involved in this? Could I afford to back out now?


    Flopping onto the bed, Iy there with my heart racing for quite some time trying to process it all.


    All this time I thought I could fix the plot by erasing myself from the equation.


    Clearly that was no longer the case. Another life had been brought into existencea new character that did not exist in the novnd I wasn''t entirely sure whether or not I was involved in making that happen.


    Mari and Franz had a decent rtionship the whole time in the novel but that rtionship didn''t yield a child. Had I really done this? Was I capable of changing the story so much?


    I could get divorced. I could make sure Marcy''s n was still enacted. I couldn''t ''undo'' a life being created. The story had already changed and I had no idea what that meant for me.