Royally Bounded

Chapter 47

Clara

For the past month, I had settled my life down in Tarrin with Isabella and Zelia. Isabella helped me dye my hair to blonde after it was trimmed to medium length. I had split bangs over to the sides, and the ends were slightly curled. A switch of the look was enough to disguise me from the people, and I went with a different name.

At first, I would grab stares because they seemed to recognize me, but as soon as they saw my slightly protruding stomach, they dismissed their thoughts instantly. In their eyes, Clara was not pregnant. Not a single person knew about it except Isabella and Zelia.

The town was a quiet and calm place, populated by only three thousand people, locating near the ocean of the country. It was a four hour drive from the nearest city of Nascadia. I actually appreciated the small population of the town. People were busy with their own matters, and they had smiles on their faces whenever they spoke to each other.

My twentieth birthday was coming soon, but my baby son would still be inside of me as we celebrated together.

Yes, the doctor told me that I was pregnant with a son.

I went to a small clinic that was situated in Tarrin. Dr. Keita was close friends with Zelia, and she didn't ask any questions regarding my identity. She came to our house to check on me and told me about the sex of the baby.

As soon as Dr. Keita told me that I was having a boy, I had no reaction at first. I thought about how much my son could look similar to his father. It would remind me of the past, but I realized that my baby boy would not betray me like his father would. We were not part of the family anymore, and I didn't want to think about him.

Zelia and Isabella helped me a lot through the process. Since Zelia was experienced, she taught me all the tips to having a safe pregnancy. She helped me like a second mother. She had never complained, and I was starting to wonder how my mother could treat me less properly. My mother focused on reputation, whereas Zelia prioritized me.

"Annie asked me about you," Zelia beamed. She sat beside me on the couch after bringing me a warm cup of jasmine tea. I was knitting a small sweater for the baby. "She said if you need more knitting tools for you baby, she can bring them over next time she visits."

"Please thank Annie for me, Zelia," I smiled. "I'm okay for now."

"Of course."

Annie was Zelia's only daughter. Two weeks ago, she came to visit, and we managed to meet and speak with each other. She was very beautiful in her late-twenties. She inherited Zelia's prominent features, and her black hair was the most outstanding to the eyes. The natural waves fell straight down to her midback, and her skin was clear of any blemishes.

Annie was a true sweetheart. She taught me how to knit and prepare me for any pregnancy symptoms. My nausea had gotten better as the days passed, and she taught me to snack on sour plums to suppress the sickness.

We were watching television as we made conversations. It was time for the celebrity news channels, and my attention instantly raised when I heard the reporter talk about him.

"According to the our reports, King Hayden has been sick for the past few weeks. He has not attended any royal meetings, and everyone is talking about his sudden disappearance. None of the royal members came to speak about it, and we will wait further for more news," the reporter remarked.

My chest still tightened at his name. I grabbed the remote control and turned the television off. I didn't want to hear a word about him because it only brought back torturing nightmares. When I left for the streets, I knew that I would never want to hear about him again.