I pointed at Emily’s photo on his bedroom wall.

“She is the queen of Flousia! She is your queen! Don’t you ever leave her again! She’s pregnant, Kyle! She’s carrying your child, your heir! I am pregnant. I am carrying your niece or your nephew. Grandpa will come back after the coronation. Don’t you dare let me welcome him with a broken heart! I will never allow you to sacrifice yourself!” I burst out crying.

I know I looked like a mess and I was getting anxious again. He stood up and rushed towards me, holding me on the shoulders.

“Margaret, listen to me! I will never sacrifice myself but we have to accept the fact that it might happen. They need to get rid of me to get what they want. Either I have to abdicate the throne and give it to you or they will have to kill me so you could take the throne. Remember, I haven’t properly announced an heir. So by birth right, you are next in line. So you have to promise me, whatever happens, once I’m gone, you will protect the throne.” He said in a serious tone.

I shook my head continuously and was getting hysterical. My body started shaking while my tears kept on falling.

“No! No! No! Kyle, don’t make me do this! Please.” I pleaded.

“Promise me, Margaret!” He yelled.

“Kyle, please. I don’t want to. You’re not going to die, please. Please.” I continued to beg, crying.

“This is a royal command!” He firmly said.

I wasn’t able to talk back and continued to cry. I could never defy a royal command from him. If I do, it was like disregarding his position as the crown prince.

“We don’t have a choice, Margaret. I don’t like to see you like this. I don’t want to give you this burden but we cannot give the throne to just anyone. Technically, grandpa is still the king so if you don’t accept your birthright, what do you think would happen to him?” He asked.

This time, his voice softened. And I could sense sadness in him. He wasn’t ready to let go of everything, especially Emily and their unborn child. But he’s right, the possibility that one of us would die in the end was big. We have to be ready in case it happens.

He took a deep breath and sat on the couch. He looked hopeless and was about to cry. He was tweaking his hair with his head down.

I walked towards him and kneeled in front of him. I touched his face, tilting it to level mine.

“Kyle, maybe we could think of something else. If there’s no other choice, then I will accept what you told me. I’m sorry for being weak. But I know, death is not an option for us.” I said in a gentle voice.

He nodded and pulled me again into a hug. I felt his body shaking and I knew he was crying. I cried again. 

It was a huge responsibility for him to be the king in that age. He was supposed to take the throne in two years but grandpa became sick so he needed to be king as soon as possible. The two years became two months and it was hard for him. 

Taking Emily as his queen added stress and pressure. As the crown prince, it was tradition that the crown princess should be a Flousian. Emily was half Japanese and half Russian. It wasn’t that easy for the royal court to accept his decision. 

As a princess, I should have helped him and Emily. But I was gone for three years and forgot where I came from. Thinking back, I was selfish until today.

“Kyle, what if you have an heir? I know there should be a ceremony for crowning and stuff. But there’s no law that says it should be made in public, right?”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

“If you have an heir, they won’t come after me. If they don’t know who it was, they won’t be able to hurt you. They won’t think that it was your child since according to our law, the king cannot make an unborn child his heir.” I explained.

“But what if they force us to tell them by hurting the others?” He asked, confused.

I stood up and started to pace back and forth, thinking. Then I looked at him.

“Give me a pen and your command paper. And your royal seal!” I said in a rush.

He was still confused when he walked towards the table to get the things I needed. Then he got closer to me to hand what I asked for.

“Can you tell me what is your plan?” He asked again.

“I will give you an heir and you wouldn’t know who it was. Only one person should know who your heir is. We will make them guess and search for that person. That would buy us some time. I know this is dangerous. You are right, they may hurt the others but they will be looking for one person only. They have to be careful not to hurt or kill anyone.” I continued.

He sighed deeply when he finally understood. He looked at me intently.

“Are you going to be that person?” He asked worried.

I shook my head. “No. And I don’t know who either. Even your heir.”

He frowned again and confusion was all over his face.

“Margaret, what are you planning exactly? You’re confusing me.”

“If I tell you, it would just make your life in danger. The less you know, the less danger you will get. I have to go, Kyle. I need to do this now. Your coronation will start before sundown.”

He was about to say something but I ran outside. I was thinking of a trusted person that could help us with this plan. Someone that couldn’t be broken easily whatever happens.

“Don’t follow me. That’s an order.” I firmly said to the servants.

I was relieved that they obeyed me and didn’t follow. I was running through the palace halls, looking for someone. I cannot make my friends be that person. I should think of someone that nobody would suspect.

Then I suddenly thought of that person.. The only person who’s perfect for the job.