The Prince's Heart [Bridgerton Fic]

Hormones

Hi all, thanks again for the support! I'm thinking there will be eleven more chapters, after which I'll start my new Bridgerton story.

Dearest Reader,

The Queen is getting impatient. The Viscount Bridgerton has not yet shown his real intentions of a proposal or even a courtship of the diamond Miss Edwina.

Is the Viscount merely weighing up his options, shy or just uninterested in Miss Edwina? Whatever the case, he probably needs to make himself clear. It is unfair to leave the lovely girl waiting when she could have many other options.

Your move, Lord Bridgerton.

-Lady Whistledown

Nobody had told Harriet how pregnancy would make her feel.

Women would tend to be out and about until about their seventh month, after which she would stay at home. Before that, they lived in active social life. Harriet would see them at balls and teas. As a child she'd see their swollen bellies as they took tea from her mother. All little Harriet knew was that women might get a little nauseous and tired. Harriet remembered that when her mother was pregnant with John that she would sleep a lot. Pregnant women would often beg off engagements or leave early by claiming a headache.

Harriet had endured several side-effects. The nausea had gone soon after her pregnancy was confirmed and the constant need to urinate had subsided. As her pregnancy went along, she did feel more achy. It tended to be in her legs, especially when she slept. That, of course, wasn't fun.

What she definitely wasn't prepared for, however, was how...in the mood she was.

Harriet cared for Friedrich, she really did, but sex was not something she had actively enjoyed so far. She was far from hating it, but she did not derive the enjoyment that some women did. To her, sex was just a means to give her a baby. Whilst Harriet was ultimately disappointed that she was not satisfied for Friedrich, she was happy she had a baby inside of her. Sex wasn't really necessary anymore.

Unfortunately for Harriet, she was suddenly feeling amorous.

She was sure that it was her pregnancy. The normal Harriet was never like this. Right now, all she wanted was sex. It was the only thing in the world that mattered. Her body was screaming for her to have sex. Nothing else could satisfy that craving.

Now she found herself outside of Friedrich's door.

Harriet didn't know quite how to phrase it to him. As her stomach grew, their relations fell down. Neither was sure about sex during pregnancy, wondering if it was health or necessary.

It felt necessary right now.

Harriet knocked briskly.

"Enter!"

Harriet walked in to find Friedrich reading at his desk. He smiled at the sight of his wife.

"My dear."

"I wanted some company." It sounded pathetic, but it was true.

Friedrich peeled back the covers. Harriet felt relief as she climbed into the large bed beside him. He put his book down and brought her closer to him with a gentle pull. Harriet rested her head against his shoulder.

"How are you?" He asked.

"My legs ache again."

"I must confess I am glad that men cannot have children."

"My aunt says that the reason God gave women the gift of pregnancy was because if men did, there'd be no children. They could never handle the pain. She could never understand why women are called the weaker sex."

"I am sure that she has a point- my mother has given birth to ten children." 

"Mmm."

Harriet shuffled forward and caught Friedrich's lips in a kiss. This first one was a mood starter, a chaste one to see if Friedrich was in the mood.

"I won some whiskey at cards today," he said after the kiss was broken off, "Some quite good stuff as well, I was lucky. I'd have given it to that Lord Berbrooke fellow given that he wanted it so much, but he's a rather odious man. I am told that he was marred in scandal last year."

"It turned out that he'd fathered an illegitimate child with a maid. He sent her to the country where she had his son, but he failed to provide for them. A baron having an illegitimate child is nothing new, but he did not have the nerve to look after the boy."

"What a wicked man. A good man should always care for his family."

"Unfortunately not all men are good."

Harriet tried again. The kiss was deeper and more passionate this time, with Friedrich responding with equal force. She moved up onto his lap, both legs straggling his waist. His fingers went through her hair and down her back.

"You are in a good mood today, my dear."

"I am always in a good mood when you are around."

"I feel the same way."

Harriet kissed him passionately once again. Friedrich responded in kind, but he did not seem to be moving past this point. Was he not getting her signals or was he just uninterested in sex?

Friedrich usually liked passionate kisses.

Harriet moved down and started kissing her husband's neck. His fingers pressed against her back as if playing a musical instrument. The pressure was rising. Harriet's nightdress gown was going up.

Then...

"Ah."

Friedrich sat up quickly, nearly throwing Harriet off the bed as he did.

"What is it? Are you alright?"

"I think the baby just kicked."

She felt it again.

"It did," Harriet beamed, "The baby kicked. Come on, feel it."

She sat back down on the bed and took Friedrich's hand, placing it on her own stomach. A few moments later and that fluttering appeared again.

"My goodness," Friedrich looked as though he'd been crowned king of the world, "Can you feel that? How marvellous. He or she is really growing in there."

"Believe me, I can feel it. That is our baby in there."

In that moment, all of the amorous feelings melted away into nothing. Harriet forgot about her simultaneous satisfaction and frustration. She would surely feel this way again soon, but it didn't matter now that her baby was kicking.

Poor Harriet, not getting what she wanted, but at least she's experienced something great.

Next Time: A Whistledown piece sends Harriet in a spin, all whilst she suffers through pregnancy.

Thanks again x