"Shut up! Really Lizzie? That's great!" Cornelia almost shouted. The whole kingdom can hear her Lizzie thought to herself but she just bit her lip and looked down at her hands.
"Aren't you excited?"
"Well yes," Lizzie replied. She had always loved playing house with Cornelia and her brothers growing up and dreamed to be a mother. "Do you think Ben wants to be a parent now? I know he wants to be a father but maybe now's not the right time."
"Of course it's the right time!" and then she said softly placing her hand on Lizzie's. "Ben will be excited to be a father no matter what. That little baby will be so lucky to have the two of you as parents." Then Cornelia went off into her own little world. "We'll have baby shower! Done by yours truly of course. Oh I just hope it's a girl! Then we can put ribbons in her hair and...." Cornelia got up. "I'll go start planning now! We have a lot to do and I need to start getting ready for that baby shower!" Lizzie just smiled at her crazy friend and took a sip of her tea.

What am I going to tell him? Lizzie wondered to herself. Ben and Lizzie had been in separate meetings all day but she had told him to meet her on the terrace after dinner. She was leaning on the railing, looking out at the water when Ben walked over beside her.
"So what's the big news you had to tell me? What did the doctor say?"
"Well," Lizzie started. "He said that-"
"You're pregnant aren't you?" Lizzie looked up at Ben in shock. "Wait, how did you..."
"My mother was pregnant when I was eleven. She always got sick like you did in the morning and then at dinner whenever we had duck."
"But you don't-" Lizzie started.
"My brother died when he was four," Ben said with a sad look in his eyes. "His name was Liam."
"Oh Benjamin," Lizzie said. She had never even thought that he had siblings. Her own life would be so different without Thomas, Michael and Ethan.
"It's nothing," he said. "That was long ago. So how far along did the physician say you were?"
"About a month," she replied. A sly grin came across Ben's face and he picked up his wife and spun her around in a circle. "We going to be parents!" And then he put her on the ground and wiping a piece of hair out of her face he said "We're going to be the perfect family," and they watched the sun go down.


The months leading up to the birth of the little prince or princess's were busily packed. Everyone was overjoyed when Queen Elizabeth had announced she was pregnant in January and more events were added to their schedule to please the public. Everything in town was dedicated to the birth of the new royal or babies in general. In late May, Cornelia and James got married. She was beautiful and grinning the whole day. Lizzie was so happy for her friend however she was a bit uncomfortable that day being eight months pregnant. Because of their royal duties, Elizabeth and Ben were behind on the baby's nursery. Ben was rearranging the furniture and Lizzie sat in the corner working on a pair of socks she had been knitting for the baby. Ben looked over at Lizzie and she smiled. She couldn't wait for this baby to arrive but she knew that Ben was probably ten times more excited for this baby to arrive than she was. He was asking everyone with a child for advice and was just ready to meet this baby. Ben was fastening a mobile to the baby's crib with a chameleon, cupid, sun and duck on it. Lizzie pulled herself up, walked over to the crib and adjusted it a little to the left. Then she grabbed a duck toy and placed it in the crib. She hoped her child would enjoy this room. Why couldn't this baby just arrive already? Lizzie felt a sharp kick from the baby and then she felt a wave of pain roll through her body. She felt very weak and nauseous and felt herself following to the ground.
"Lizzie!"