Chapter 65

Having a newborn has not been easy to navigate but Ryker was by my side at all times and he made it easier for me. He helped out at nights and didn’t mind watching Aurora when I had to attend meetings. I had hoped that being a new mum would reduce my workload by a significant amount but I thought wrong. I was busier than usual especially with Aurora’s naming.

Everyone knew her name but according to custom, a ceremony was supposed to be held. The last thing I wanted to do was go in front of the entire palace and showcase my newborn but I found that I had very little say in the matter. Ryker didn’t like it either so I knew I wasn’t overreacting.

“You’re the Queen,” Christine mused as she helped me get dressed for the day. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

“I think we both know that’s a lie. I did everything possible to get out of this and you know it.”

She sighed deeply and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “It’ll be over before you even realize and then you can go on that long needed trip that Ryker has been planning.”

“Are you going to tell me where he is taking me?” I asked and she pretended to zip her mouth shut.

Ryker noticed how stressed I was and declared that after the naming, we were going on a trip as a family. The elders were against it but I learned that Ryker did as he wished because he canceled all my meetings and the trip was staying despite everyone’s protests.

A loud gurgle snapped me out of my thoughts and I rushed over to Aurora. Unlike Audrey, she was a frolicky baby and it was very easy for her to go from gurgling to full blown tears within the span of a second. I picked her up and she peered up at me with wide eyes that looked too intelligent for her age. As I gazed at her, I couldn’t help but feel like something bad was going to happen.

“Is it too late to get out of this?” I asked aloud and Christine turned to me.

“Are you having second thoughts?” she asked and I shrugged. “Camilla, what’s wrong?”“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I just don’t feel right-about this.”

“You’ll be fine. You have the best guards in the kingdom guarding you.”

Somehow, her words did little to calm me down but there was nothing I could do about it at the moment.copy right hot novel pub