Your Future - Prince Eric

fourteen

Felicity woke up, it was dark and the fire was blazing, Eric was nowhere to be seen. She wiped her tired eyes and sat up.

The room was cold and empty. She was wearing a short sleeved shirt and her skirt, so she was freezing in the December air.

She was walking the halls, trying to find her room.

"Oh, you're up! I was just coming to see if you were okay." Eric said. Felicity smiled at him enveloping herself in his arms.

"Are you alright?" He asked as she nuzzled herself into him. He was so warm.

"Yeah, you're just so warm. Like a hot blanket." She said. Eric chuckled and rubbed her arm, flinching at how cold she was.

"Felicity, my dear, you'll be sick! Let me get you a blanket!" Eric said, running back across the hallway. Felicity didn't want a blanket, she wanted him. He returned with a massive hot blanket and took her hand, leading her to their bedroom.

They lay in bed together, Felicity felt  a lot warmer now, Eric was her main source of heat. He was reading 'Little Women' to her, as requested.

She felt her brown eyes getting heavy and closed them, the fire melting them shut. Eric, who knew she was asleep by the way her head bobbled downward, smiled at her happily.

"Goodnight, my love." He said, she hummed and hurled herself onto his chest. Eric thought to himself. He knew she wouldn't take his news well, but he had to tell her.

Eric was going travelling on sea for three months, and he hadn't a notion how to tell his wife. He decided to tell her at breakfast tomorrow.

The next day, Felicity woke up, her hair in a tossle and her eyes sore and crusty. Signs of good sleep, her mother would say. Sitting up, she looked at Eric, who was awake. He smiled at her and rubbed her back. She went to smile back but felt something hurl in her stomach. She covered her mouth and ran to the adjoining bathroom, throwing up in the toilet.

Wiping her mouth, she knew what this meant. It made Felicity smile, and her heart swelled at the thought of a child.

"Are you alright, Felicity?" Eric asked. She wiped her mouth on the back of her hand and smiled at him.

"Yes, but breakfast will have to wait, I need to check something." She said, brushing past him out the door. She threw on some shoes and raced down to Grimsley.

"Grimsley!" She called. He turned around, surprised to see her in her nightgown but happy to see her.

"Yes, my lady?" He asked.

"Could you call me a doctor? I need something checked." She said, holding her lower stomach. Grimsley immediately got her thoughts and sent for the maternity doctor.

Half an hour later, Felicity was propped up on a bed, legs wide and a female nurse was examaning. She kept dabbing a cloth down there. She soon told her to leave her legs down and took of her glasses.

"Well?" Felicity asked.

"Congratulations, My Lady, you are with child." She said, smiling at her brightly. Tears flooded Felicity's eyes.

"How far along am I?" She asked, sitting up.

"About two months. I'm going to tell you now -though you might already know- there is to be no drinking, smoking while you're pregnant. I will send you and the chefs a list of certain foods that are perfect for you and babys health. Is that clear?" She said. Felicity nodded and swung her feet off the bed.

"Right then, and congratulations again, My Lady." She said.

Felicity felt over the moon, she was pregnant! She was going to have a baby with Eric! How was she going to tell him? Maybe at Dinner?

At Dinner, she was bunching her dress together under the table, waiting for the right moment. Eric had finished, so had she, and they were sitting in silence.

"Lovely meal." Eric said, trying to start a conversation.

"Eric, I have to tell you something."

"So do I. Will I go first?"

"If you want."

Eric sighed deeply and held her hand.

"I'm sorry to do this to you but, I'm going back travelling."

"No way, for how long?"

"This is the bad part ... Three months."

It felt like someone had stabbed her. Three months without Eric. Tears pricked her eyes but she didn't dare let them fall.

"I'm sorry, Felicity, I didn't know it was gonna be this long." He said.

"It's okay. Do you want to hear my news?" She asked, a bright smile uncontrollably creeping on her face. Eric look confused at her sudden happiness. How had he not caught on yet?

"You're going to be a dad." She said. Eric looked at her for certainty and then smiled the biggest smile she'd ever seen. He spun out of his chair and pulled her out of hers to hug her. Tears were falling out of his eyes as he cradled his wife.

"How far along?" He asked.

"Two months." She whispered back. Eric's eyes were glowing with pride.  Then everything hit him like a brick.

"Oh wait, I can't go travelling, I have to be here for you, I can't leave you at home with Mother, I must stay." He said, letting go of her and going to write a million letters.

"Eric? Eric? Listen to me! Eric?" Felicity called after him. He was on a craze, thinking of his travels and his wife all at once.

Felicity ran up, grabbed his arm and spun him around. Where she found the strength to do so, is beyond explanation.

"You don't have to cancel your plans for me. Go travel, go see this massive world we live in, and I'll be waiting for you when you come back. You won't miss a thing, my dear." She said, rubbing the side of his face. He seemed comforted by her touch.

"No. I'm not going. I cannot leave you here all alone to deal with that wrench." He said. Felicity thought he was talking about her unborn child.

"It's not a wrench, it's a baby!" She said. Eric furrowed his eyebrows, then giggled.

"No, not that. My Mother.  I'm not leaving you here with her." He said. That's when it dawned on her that if he left she'd have to be alone in a castle with a woman who hated her. But instead of forcing Eric to stay, she still  insisted he go.

"I'll be fine, I'm strong and I can deal with her. Please go, Eric. I know it's been ages since you left this land. I want you to be happy, Eric."

"I am happy. I will be even happier at home with you once you're safe. I can go travelling after this baby is born, okay? Now you go to bed. I have some letters to write but I will join you soon." He said, kissing her forehead. She smiled and kissed his lips lovingly.

Once departed, stress kicked into both of them.