#kinghenryv

"Your Grace, this is not for a man's eyes." he had been warned by one of the nurses as she tried to hold him back from entering the bed chambers.

With a fire in his green eyes he said, “I am the father of that child. I have fought on battlefields; I have seen far more horrific things than you could imagine. I think I can handle seeing my first child brought into this world. I am the King, and I will not leave y/n's side."

His promise was as true as ever. He held your hand the entire time you were pushing, encouraging you with his gentle words, in the tender tone that he reserved you only for you and the baby.

When your son was born crying, Hal gave you the most passionate kiss, "We have a boy, my darling, oh how I love you. You were so brave,” he praised you, gave you another kiss, “you were so strong." The King had a stream of happy tears flowing down his cheeks, his eyes widening in awe as he caught his first glimpses of your baby.

"I love you, Hal." You were more weak and tired than you ever thought possible, but you were so full of love that day.

You decided to name the baby boy Quentin, meaning "fifth", a subtle nod to his father, King Henry the Fifth. Though your son would not be heir to the throne, you wanted to honor Hal, and he had tears welling in his eyes once again when you told him about the name.

"I love it. It is perfect. You are perfect." He pulled you close, gently, as you were recovering from the birth.

You and Hal were standing together, watching your baby sleep in his bassinet. "No, he is perfect." you cooed. "Just look at him. He is an angel."

"He is amazing, is he not?" Hal grinned. "Would he be disturbed if I held him now?"

"No, no. Go ahead, I am sure he will stay asleep, even if you pick him up. He will be calm, he will sense that you are his father.”

“Really? You think so?” asked your King, slowly cupping the newborn’s body in his hands, cradling him in his arms with the most caution. But Hal was not afraid to hold the baby, to care for him, unlike most fathers who wanted very little to do with raising their children.

“I know so.” you answered in a whisper, unable to take your eyes off of little Quentin.

He watched in amazement as the tiny boy breathed softly, barely making a noise as he slept.

You heard Hal sniffle as you grazed your baby’s cheek with the pads of your fingers. You looked at your man’s face, totally smitten and tears forming. “Hal,” you giggled, “you must stop crying.”

Holding the baby in one arm, he wiped his tears away with the other hand, “I am sorry, my love, but I cannot help it. You created the most beautiful little boy.”

“We did.” you insisted, carefully putting your arms around Hal without disturbing Quentin, and you kissed your King.

4 months later…

Hal had a long day of royal duties, and Quentin had been abnormally fussy on this day. You both needed some relief.

Hal finally got the baby to sleep after rocking him. After placing Q in his bassinet and tucking him in with his blanket, Hal hurried to join you in bed.

Immediately shifting on top of you, he said, cupping your face, “I could not stop thinking of you all day.” He kissed your lips, sucking them into his wet mouth with greed.

“Mm.” you moaned as his fingers weaved into your hair. You parted from his lips, “I want you to fuck me.”

He groaned softly, with a cheeky smirk.

“But first, I wish to taste your cock.” you said confidently. Being with Hal had done wonders for your self esteem. You knew you could do or say anything to him, and he would love you all the more for it. Especially something such as this.

His eyes widened, he allowed you to move from underneath him, and force him onto his back. He swallowed hard, watching you pull his trousers down.

“You did not think I forgot about your special spot, did you?” you teased, gingerly taking his half hard cock in your hands. You coated his length with some saliva, having licked your own hand, and massaged his cock until he was fully hard.

Your King’s eyes drew closed here and there as your tongue swirled around his girth, and down his shaft. He groaned deep in his throat, licking his lips. His hips would jolt upward slightly.

You used the tip of your tongue to tease the soft skin between his shaft and his full testicles. He whimpered, softly still. You moaned and wiggled your lower half, feeling wet between your legs. You suctioned your lips to his deep pink, thick tip.

“Fuck.” you heard Hal’s strained whisper. You looked at him, his eyes clenched shut for a moment before he went back to watching you.

“Mmm.” you then moved to the underside of his cock, placing your moistened tongue there, just below the tip.

Now he gasped. You saw his bottom lip quiver.

Slowly, you lapped your tongue along that spot, holding his cock in your hand. You made sure to keep your mouth wet with saliva, and alternated kissing, licking and sucking his cock, specifically his sweet spot.

“I fucking love you.” the King whined, rubbing your head softly with his hand as you pleasured him.

“I love you too, my King.” you said in between pressing tender kisses on the tip of his cock.

“Lay back, I need to taste you now.” he cooed sitting up, placing his hands on your legs as you obliged his order.

As you relaxed on the bed, Hal settled between your thighs, tucking his arms around them. He instantly flattened his tongue onto your clit, gliding along the sensitive bundle. He used his lips to suckle, you felt his teeth lightly nibble, but the licking was most prevalent, causing a friction inside of you.

You would inadvertently arch your hips, and Hal would hold you back down, attacking your lower lips more intensely each time you would move, thus creating a cycle of euphoria for you. Just as your vision went black and you were seeing stars, his actions stopped completely.

You nearly went into shock, but you were relieved to feel his cock, barely touching you at first, then slowly sliding inside of you, taking several seconds to fit his entire length. You sighed in relief, he always felt incredible when he was all the way inside of you.

It was always such a tender moment for you both, him laying on top of you, warming you up and shielding you from the world, your sweaty skin sticking to his, sharing each other’s breath. You both knew that you could never get any closer. Next to your son being born, this was the best feeling you would experience, being so intertwined with the man you loved.

……

A few hours later, Hal woke you. The room was nearly pitch black if not for the moonlight and the stars shining through the window. You blinked, your vision blurry and skewed, “Is it the baby?”

“No, no. He stirred a while ago, but I had him taken to the wet nurse, so he is fine.” Hal insisted in a hushed tone.

“Oh, well if he is alright, why did you wake me, my King?” you weren’t angry, you sat up in the bed, petting your handsome man on the head.

“Well, I was wondering if I could…” he spoke, but his tired eyes wandered down to your chest.

Hal had a wet nurse hired to feed Quentin. Your doctor said your condition after giving birth was too fragile to nurse him, and it was not customary for a royal woman to feed her own baby. But, your milk was in full supply because of the King.

It was your own little secret, just for the two of you. Late at night, he would free one of your breasts, or both, and place his warm lips around your nipple to drink some milk.

“Yes, go on, my love.” you answered, letting him nestle onto your lap, holding onto your breast after he bared it from your night dress.

Oh how it turned you on, the most powerful man in the country; tall, strong, and wise King Henry V submitting to you in the evening light to suckle your tits, kneading your breast hoping for more sweet nectar. It was satisfying to see him so subdued, so surrendered, his eyes glazing over as he got drunk on you.

You thought of stroking his big, royal cock, but maybe that would be too much for now. Maybe you could work up to it.

You had been with Lady Sophia for several years now. You catered to her every whim, had conversations with others when she did not wish to speak, and handled all of her affairs, such as food, dresses and everything in between. It could be exhausting at times, you had to admit.

But you were excited to begin a new life in a whole other country. Word had it that England’s castle was much grander than the one you knew as your home.

The travel was long and uneventful, especially since there was no real way to get comfortable in a horse drawn carriage. It was you and Sophia all alone for days of traveling.

She had been given a small photo of her soon-to-be husband: King Henry V. She could not help but obsess over the tiny thing. He seemed to be a pale man, but with pretty green eyes and striking features. He was rather handsome. Your Lady was quite lucky. You knew so many women who were forced to marry and be bred by old, hideous men who were also horrible human beings. You hoped that since he was still young, King Henry would be kind to Sophia.

“Well he is quite handsome, at least he will give me many beautiful children.” Sophia said, hopeful.

“Yes, your Highness. I’m sure you will have a large family indeed.”

.......

Upon arriving at the royal home of the King, Lady Sophia was taken on a tour of the castle and the grounds by royal personnel. You were left to get her things in order in her new bed chambers.

As the evening came, you were informed that Sophia's tour had concluded, and she was at supper. You finished unpacking and placing her personal things and dresses, then decided you should go and wait for her to outside the dining hall.

You found your way through the many long halls; you heard footsteps nearing. You looked around, seeing a small group of men approaching you. You felt nervous, recognizing the man leading the pack. You knew it was the King.

You stopped and bowed politely, giving him a kind smile as well. Your breath had been taken, for the photo given to Sophia did not do him justice in the flesh. He was the most bewitchingly beautiful man you had ever seen.

"Hello, I am King Henry the Fifth of England." he nodded, "You must be Princess Sophia. I am glad to finally meet you."

"Oh, no Your Majesty. I am only her lady's maid, I apologize for the confusion. Lady Sophia is having supper in the dining hall, Your Majesty." You realized that he must not have received a photo of his bride.

His green eyes widened some as he noticed the error. "Please forgive me. I am sorry for the mistake, miss..."

"Um, y/n, Your Majesty." There were footsteps coming from the opposite direction. You and the King noticed Lady Sophia, accompanied by the housekeeper, approaching.

"Your Majesty, Princess Sophia, your new bride." said the housekeeper, taking it upon herself to introduce the couple.

"Ah, yes." Henry looked at Sophia, nodding, then he looked back at you, to your surprise, "I just met y/n, your lady in waiting. And if you are half as lovely as she, then I am to be a very lucky man." He gave the Princess a charming smile.

You had to admit, you were weak in the knees. You imagined your lady felt the same sensation for the King already.

........

"Oh, y/n! He is so intelligent, and unbelievably charming! Ugh! And even more handsome than his picture. I think I am in love already." Sophia had spent the remainder of the evening with Henry. She was entranced by the young King, obviously.

"I am so very glad for you, my lady." you gave her an encouraging smile. "He seems wonderful. I hope he makes you very happy for years to come." You helped her into her nightrobe so that she could get into bed for the night.

"I hope that as well, y/n." she said with a gleeful sigh.

You turned down her bed for her, and she sat down on the lush sheets.

"I am so grateful that you are here to keep me company and to help me navigate becoming a Queen. There are so many things about England I need to learn. Hal will help me too." she blushed, relaxing onto the bed, letting her head melt into the pillow.

"Hal? Is that a nickname for the King?" you inquired.

"Yes, he told me to call him Hal. He said everyone close to him calls him that." Sophia yawned dramatically. “Goodnight, y/n.” she said, dismissing you.

“Goodnight, my lady. Sleep well.” you replied, leaving her bedroom.

As you walked down the hallway, you were feeling strange because you were happy for your lady, but you could not stop thinking of the way the King had looked at you. You knew it certainly wasn’t any special look. For he was betrothed to Princess Sophia. Surely, he was enamored by her, as everyone always was. You would never experience that, and most definitely not with a King.

You would most likely never marry, your whole life would be dedicated to the Princess, even more so when she becomes a Queen. You’ll have more duties to help with and the royal children to look after in the future. There wouldn’t be any time for you to have a romance, much less a marriage or a child of your own.

You were knocked away from your thoughts as you bumped into another body that you did not see coming from around the corner.

"Oh!" you gasped, looking at the other person, realizing you had collided with the King. "My Lord- I mean, Your Majesty, I am so very sorry. It was only an accident-" You began to frantically apologize, hoping that you did not offend him enough to be fired.

He only chuckled, touching your arm, "No, no. A needless apology, it was my fault, miss y/n."

You smiled kindly, he seemed a most humble of kings. "Were you coming to call on Lady Sophia? I fear she has gone to sleep for the evening."

He nodded, "Oh, well no, I was not. I was heading to the drawing room, to have some tea before bed. Would you care to join me?"

You smiled to yourself, thinking of the things you and Hal had done that afternoon. "It made my year, really." you admitted to your lady, but it was not the truth in its entirety. The day with the horses, out in the open of the beauty of the countryside, and then making love to Hal for the first time, it had meant the world to you. So much more than a day, or even a year. But you could not say that to the woman Hal was to marry the very next day.

Sophia seemed satisfied with the way you replied to her. She stepped into her nightgown, turned for you to tie the garment for her. "I could not have asked for a better husband." she cooed. "Can you truly believe it, y/n? I am to be married to a King tomorrow. I am going to be Queen. This is everything I have ever dreamed of."

"I am happy for you, my lady." you lied, but put on the best front you could muster. "It will be a beautiful day indeed."

"Oh, yes! Everything will be perfect!" she nearly shrieked. With a delighted huff, she hopped into her plush bed, waited for you to pull the covers over her. She did not exert herself in your presence.

You all but tucked the future queen into bed, then you said, "Sleep well, my lady. It is a big day tomorrow, and you'll want your beauty sleep."

"Goodnight, y/n. The next time you see me, I will be just a few breaths from becoming Queen of England." she smiled so dreamily. You had no doubt, in that moment, that she was picturing her perfect life, raising children and ruling the country with her new husband.

..........

As you left Sophia's bed chamber, you could not help but take some delight in having a secret from her. She had never been directly cruel to you, but absentmindedly. In the mind of the Princess, she was more important than you in every way. You were the servant, and she highborn. But you had true love. It just so happened to be with the man Sophia was to marry, the man she so desperately wanted to desire her. But he did not, and he never intended to.

You were surprised to find one of Hal’s noblemen standing at your bedroom door. It seemed that he was waiting just for you, as his eyes widened a bit when he noticed you approaching.

“Milady, I hope I did not startle you, but I bring a message from the King.” the young man said to you.

You frowned, what was Hal up to? “What is the message?” You felt your heart pounding as you began to worry. All of the things that could have gone wrong spun through your mind.

"The King asks you for discretion, he says you will understand. He also asks you to join him in his bed chamber."

You were not expecting this. What if something has happened. Did someone find out about the two of you? "Are you certain no one else will know about this?" you asked the man.

"Yes, of course, milady. The King and I were alone when he asked this of me."

"Alright, I will meet with him." You agreed, trying to calm yourself as you were lead to Hal's wing of the castle.

.......

The guard let you into Hal's room. You were overwhelmed at how large it was. The bed stood tall and looked incredibly soft. But the room was dark and moody, and humidity hung in the air. Hal lay in the large tub, brimming with hot water near the window.

He turned his head to look at you, his gaze softened immediately. His naked chest and shoulders were damp with steam from the water of his bath. "Get in the tub this instant, my darling girl." he instructed, a tired smile on his lips.

"Is everything well, my Lord?" you questioned.

"Of course it is. Now take your clothes off before the water gets cold, y/n." your King seemed mildly agitated at your reluctance.

"I was worried someone found out about today." you took off your robe.

"No, no, I will not let that happen. Please do not worry." He watched you remove the rest of your clothes, grinning softly.

You gingerly gripped the edge of the tub, stepping into the water, the heat nearly shocked you, "Oh, I do not believe you are in any danger of this water running cold."

Hal let out a chuckle, and laced his arms around you under the water, pulling your back to his chest. "I apologize for worrying you. I only wanted to spend my last night as a single man with the woman I love." He gave your body a snug squeeze.

“Hal, you can be so endearing.” you leaned back into his embrace, resting the back of your head on his shoulder.

“Please do not tell anyone. It is only for you.” he then kissed you on temple.

After getting out of the bath, Hal wrapped a warm towel around you, giving you an onslaught of kisses after.

“I’ve instructed the guard to retrieve you at sunrise and escort you back to your bedroom. No one will know a thing.” he promised. “I love you, y/n. This wedding does not change a thing.”

“It does for Sophia. You must know that she admires you a great deal. She would be so broken if she knew about us.”

“She will never know. I will give her a child, as I am required to, and she will be happy enough.”

“Do not be unkind, Hal." you pleaded, "She may not be the warmest person, but she cannot help it.”

“I was raised the same as Sophia and yet I know how to treat people decently. I am not blind to the way she treats you.”

“She treats me well.” you said, albeit weakly.

“With rude comments, as I hear. Gossip travels fast, and I have heard about her treatment of you and many of the staff here with patronizing views.”

“Oh, really?" you pondered. "I never knew she was rude to the others. But I have heard about you also, Hal. About your drinking and fooling around outside of the palace before your father’s passing. Perhaps when you lived out in society, you were treated as an equal and learned by nature.”

Hall hummed, understanding, “I see. Perhaps, Sophia truly cannot change her ways because she knows of nothing else. She knows not of life outside of palace walls. She is of the highest realm and all she can do is treat others as they are beneath her.”

“Maybe having to raise a child will reduce her to a level of understanding of the working class. Maybe she can finally learn what respect is.”

“There is always room for improvement for everyone. Except for you, as you are already perfect.” he grinned, kissing your bare shoulder.

“Hal, no need to flatter me for I am already in your bedroom, naked.” you leaned in slowly, smirking at your man before kissing him.

.......

"You will bed her tomorrow night? In here?" you asked Hal as you settled into his lush bed together. You felt so warm under the covers with him.

"Yes." he answered, adding, "I can take her to her own bedroom, if it brings you discomfort for me to bring her in here."

"Hal, I want you to do what is most comfortable for you. It is your room, not mine."

"It will be your room." he said plainly.

"Whatever do you mean?" you asked, struck by his statement.

"Eventually, the excitement over the wedding will die down, Sophia will be with child, and I want you and I to have as normal of a relationship as possible. You will be my true wife and sleep in here with me, if you choose to. Sophia will be my wife by law, but it matters not to me."

You sighed, "All of this is so heavy and all at once."

Hal hugged you tightly, resting his chin on your shoulder, "I know. But take it at your own pace, my love. I will be here for you."

You knocked on your Lady’s door, “Princess? Are you ready to rise for the day? You have a big week ahead of you, dear.” You did your best to sound cheerful, but you knew that most of the work would fall onto your shoulders, which you were dreading a bit.

“Yes, yes, come in!” she called to you from inside her bedroom.

Just as you were turning the door handle to enter, you heard a man call your name, and you knew the voice.

Youfroze against the door, leaving it closed and looking up at Hal.

“Y/n, my lady, it is good to see you. Good morning.” he smiled kindly.

Nothing happened. You told yourself, but your heart was pounding, your mind racing with the memory of the previous night. You cleared your throat, “Yes, good morning, Your Majesty.”

“I trust you slept well?”

Why is he continuing this conversation? “Oh, yes, my lord. Quite well in fact. What brings you to Lady Sophia’s chambers? Is there something the matter?”

Hal shook his head, “No, not at all. I only wished to bid good morning to my bride. But only if she is decent.”

“Oh, how very kind of you. But I’m afraid she is not-"

“Y/n? What is keeping you?” you heard Lady Sophia call out from behind the door. The door opened behind you, revealing the future Queen of England, clad only in her nightclothes. “Oh!” she quickly covered herself, “Your Majesty, apologies. I did not know you would come calling.”

You looked at how smitten she was with him; she was already blushing in his presence. It was a good thing they were to be wed, for if he were any other man, he would be severely punished for seeing the Princess in such a state.

"No apology needed, my Lady. I only wished to bid you a good day and see how you are doing, just a week before our wedding."

"Oh, I am doing wonderfully, Your Majesty. Thank you for your hospitality and for being so kind." Lady Sophia answered in a sing-song voice.

You could not help but notice how formal they still were with one another. They did not dislike each other, but there certainly was not any passion or desire to be sensed.

"That is all I could hope for. Please, do not hesitate to make yourselves at home. I want you to be more than comfortable here," he gazed from Sophia onto you, "both of you. And again, I would be pleased for you to call me Hal, enough with the formalities, really." He smiled and nodded to both of you. You could have sworn his gaze lingered longer on you than the Princess. "Good day, ladies."

Lady Sophia giggled like a little girl as Hal walked away. "See? He is terribly kind, even to the help."

You felt the subtle jab, even if she did not mean it negatively.

"Well, come now." she chirped, "I must get dressed for the day."

……..

Sophia started to gush about Hal, since it was just the two of you in her bedroom. “Did you know that the King is fluent in French? He is endlessly fascinating.”

For some reason, you decided to add your own knowledge to the mix, “He also enjoys horseback riding and a good book in a quiet place.”

She darted her eyes at you, like she was envious of you knowing a piece of information that she did not. “Is that so? And how might you know?”

You shrugged, “I had a short, but friendly conversation with Hal last night. I hope that does not displease you, my Lady?”

Sophia hummed, “No, I suppose it is okay for you to speak to him. I think it might even be a good thing; you can find out things about him for me, so that I may know him better.” she nodded happily.

You frowned, keeping your eyes on her corset as you tightened it. “Would you rather find out these intimate things about your husband directly from him?”

Sophia sighed, “I can only talk to him so much, y/n. I am sure that there are other queenly duties for me to attend to. I cannot devote all of my time getting to know my husband. Besides, I already know that he is handsome, kind, and smart. What else do I need to know?”

You pondered over her words, nodding but not truly agreeing, but she was none the wiser. “Well, I am happy to help you in any way I can, my Lady.” You smiled at each other in the mirror.

As she straightened out her dress, Sophia said, “I think he will be a good father. He is so needlessly kind and present. Nothing like a typical father, he will gladly take part in raising the children, I am sure if it. Ugh, he is so smart and worldly, our children are so lucky.” she sighed.

“You say children as if they are already here, my Lady.” you observed with a small laugh.

“Well, they may as well be. I shall be with child soon enough. My wedding night approaches in merely a few days.”

You had read many books, some of them love stories. You knew what the marital act was. You could cringe at the thought of Hal with the Princess. You had thoughts late last night of laying in bed with him, of him kissing you…

“Y/n! Aren’t you listening to me?!” your lady snapped at you.

“Yes!” you were startled out of your daze, and had no idea what she had said, “Sorry, my Lady, I…got distracted. What is it that you said?”

“I said, the King would want babies straight away, would he not?”

You took a breath, “Yes, I suppose he would.” You helped with the finishing touches of her fashionable look of the day, fluffing out the skirt of her plump dress. You gave her a reassuring smile, “If only the King could see you know.”

“Thank you, y/n. Now,” she clapped her hands in excitement, “it is time for breakfast and then afterwards, wedding planning!”

………..

That evening, long after sundown, you stayed in the dining hall, arranging plates and silverware on dozens of tables. You put everything in its place, just the way the future Queen wanted them.

You became rather relaxed. Sophia had retired to bed for the night, and the other servants had been dismissed. But you chose to stay up for a while to indulge yourself in the quiet and your creativity.

You looked over the flowers that had arrived. There were many different varieties for the Lady Sophia to pick from for the ceremony and the ball to be held afterwards. Her favorites were the white and pink peonies. You decided to take a moment to see how well the florals complimented the dishes on the table scape.

As you placed the flowers in the table, you could hear footsteps. You looked up and saw the dark-haired, green eyed king making her way toward you.

“What are you doing in here all by yourself? And working so late? Did the Princess demand this if you?” there was concern laced in his tone of voice, you could sense it.

“No, of course not. I am here on my own accord, Hal.”

“And why is that, if I may ask?”

“I was enjoying the peace and quiet. And some time to myself, my Lord.”

“I hope I am not disturbing your peace.” he grinned, taking a step closer to you.

“Never, Hal.” you blushed. You knew why Sophia was so taken by him. He had you under his charms as well.

“Good.” he slowly reached out to touch one of the peony blooms. “These are the flowers she has chosen?” he asked.

“Yes. She loves the pink ones.” you answered, looking at him as he looked at the petals.

“Mm,” he hummed, “the future Queen seems to like things all frilly and lovely.” He then plucked one of the flowers from its stem. He turned to you, holding the delicate flower in his fingers. “But the loveliest being to enter these walls is standing before me now, tidying up dining tables for my wedding reception.”

“Your Majesty..” you began, you heart nearly exploded, but you knew these feelings were wrong, and that you had to stop them before they had the chance to blossom.

“Y/n, shh-sh.” he cooed, putting the pink flower up to your cheek, placing the short stem behind your ear as he pulled pieces of your hair back. Hal smiled softly, “Beautiful.”

“We should not meet like this.” you insisted.

“I know. And I know we promised to forget last night, but I cannot! The way I feel when I am with you-"

“It means nothing, my Lord!” you spoke firmly but quietly enough so that no one might overhear. “We hardly know one another, we are friends, even less than, we are mere acquaintances. But Lady Sophia, she is enamored with you, she is excited about this marriage, about future children.”

Hal closed his eyes, nodding slowly, “I know this, but I cannot help what I feel. This is all so new to me,” he brought his hand to cheek, ever so lightly brushing his fingertips on your skin, “and it is so exhilarating.” A sweet smile snuck its way onto his lips.

“It will pass.” you put you hand over his, catching the gaze of his eyes. “Whatever this is, it will go away, just as quickly as it came. It has to. The Princess-" you corrected yourself, “the Queen cannot be embarrassed.”

“So, it does not matter what you and I feel, then?” he asked, his tone nearly dead.

“No, my Lord. You must be her husband. And we need to push these feelings aside.”

“Do you feel them too?” he asked, wonder filling his eyes. Was he disregarding everything you were saying?

You shook your head, “It matters not, my Lord. You need to put your attention on your bride, not me."

Hal nodded, albeit reluctantly. "I do suppose you are right. This will not work in the long run. Sophia is to be my wife and you are her lady in waiting. You and I cannot get involved; it is forbidden." he said the words as if he was trying to truly convince himself of them.

"That is correct: forbidden. And we need to treat it as such.”

“Y/n, I need to ask you one thing and then we can put it away forever, if we must. But I want to know for sure, do you feel the same way that I do about you?”

“And what way is that, my Lord?” you thought you knew, but couldn’t be sure. You were new to this as well. But for heaven’s sake, it felt like you had just met, but had known each other for years at the same time!

“I think I could really love you. I’ve never felt this way before. Never this excited to wake up each morning just hoping to see you, to talk to, to… kiss you again.”

“Hal, we cannot-"

“Just this once, I need to feel the kiss of true love. Tell me, do you feel it to?”

“Yes. Of course I feel it for you, Hal. But,” he cut you off again.

“No, please, let me kiss you, one last time. And that will be the end of it. You have my word.” he touched your hair, idly caressing the strands, he could not help himself, it seemed. “I need to feel it. I am not likely to get the opportunity to experience true love without you, so indulge me, please.”

You understood him completely, you were fated to a life exempt from love as well. Sure, Sophia may pick a husband for you in the future, but it would not be a love match. You would not be able to choose a partner for yourself. “Very well, your majesty.” you answered.

As Hal leaned in and your lips met, so softly, you knew that this was it. You could feel the love in your bones. This was unlike anything you’d ever imagined. No storybook in the world could have prepared you for the thrill of the King’s lips on yours or his hands on your hips.

You felt warm, like there was a fire burning inside of you. You could feel adrenaline building in your core.

He kept the kiss chaste, but massaged his lips against you, softly groaning through his closed mouth. His slid his hands onto your lower back, pulling you closer to him in the process.

You put your hands to his chest. “No, Hal, we must stop.” you warned when you pulled away from the kiss.

He sighed, ducking his head down and putting his face into your neck.

Your body knew how near he was, your blood was pumping. You felt excited, like you wanted to hold him and kiss him all night long. You put your hand on the back of his neck, letting your fingers graze into his soft curls. Forbidden. This could not go further, you knew it.

“I must leave you now.” he whispered against your skin. He lifted his head to look at you. He gave you a nod, “Goodnight, y/n.”

A few moments after closing your eyelids, you heard him say, "Well, if I am putting you to sleep, I cannot imagine what I am doing to the baby." he sighed.

"Oh Hal," you opened your eyes, looking up at him as you touched his face, "the baby does not care, as long as they hear their daddy's soothing voice, they are happy."

"You do not think a King will be too boring as a parent?" he asked, not shying away from being vulnerable with you.

"Of course not!” you tucked your finger onto his chin, making him look you in the eyes. “This child will be delighted to learn from their father and their king. You are so dear Hal, you will always be there for them and they will love you no matter what."

He hummed with a gleeful grin, rubbing your stomach. He kissed your firmly on the temple, "I cannot wait to meet him or her. I hope they are just like you, and I shall fall in love with them the same way."

You snuggled him closer, taking the fabric of his lightweight cloak into your fist. “And I hope they are strong and intelligent, like their father.”

“You flatter me too much, my sweet girl.” he leaned in, kissing your lips this time. “We should retire for the evening. You will need rest, especially after a round of lovemaking.” he smirked cheekily at you before rising up from couch you were sharing.

Your heart sank a little, having to tell him the news from the doctor. “Oh Hal, about that… we really should not take part in intimacy, not like that anyway.”

The King blinked a few times, confused, “What? Why?”

“The doctor said he would not recommend it during the pregnancy. ‘It is such a fragile time for a woman’, he said.”

“But I would be most gentle.” he cooed, moving toward you, taking your hands into his.

You blushed, even after everything you had been through together, he still had the ability to make you feel weak in the knees. "I know you would." you squeezed his hands, "But let's talk about this later. I want to get some sleep, I wish to speak with the Queen tomorrow." You dropped one of his hands and tucked your fingers into the laces of his other hand to lead him to your bedchambers.

"Hm." he hummed, "Are you sure that the timing is right, my love?"

"I think so. We have to try at some point.”

.........

The next morning, you knocked on Queen Sophia's door.

"Enter!" she called.

You pushed the door open, smiling softly at her as you stepped into her room with light caution. You did not expect objects to be flung at you, but you did not expect the warmest of welcomes either. "Hello, Your Grace."

"Oh, y/n." she answered, smiling back at you.

"Is it alright if I come in?"

"Yes, of course, please." she said calmly, gesturing for you to have a seat on her bed as she was sat down at her vanity.

You smoothed the back of your dress as you sat down and placed your hands on your lap. Clearing your throat, you started, "Sophia, I am forever sorry for hurting you the way I did."

"I know you are, y/n. But there is no reason to apologize anymore. I understand." she was shockingly calm.

"What do you... understand?" you frowned.

"You and I have been intertwined for a long time. And it's taken these last few weeks for me to realize how much I have taken you for granted. So it is I who should apologize to you. I am sorry for not treating you better all these years.”

You sighed, shaking your head, "It is okay."

"What I understand, is that you love him. That he is the only thing you have ever had that is just yours. It is a special thing, and I am happy for you."

"Thank you, Sophia. That means so very much to hear it from you." you wanted to touch her hand, to let her feel your warmth, but you kept still for now.

"You deserve happiness, more than anyone I know. Old Lady Agnes has been helping me these last few weeks, doing handmaiden things.” she shrugged, “And I have realized that it was never really about fixing my hair or picking my dresses, but it was you. You were a friend to me, a confidant, when I really did not deserve one." It was difficult for Sophia to say, she looked down at her lap.

You felt sad for her, remembering that you really cared for her as well. You sniffed, and touching her shoulder you said, "Everyone deserves a friend."

The Queen blinked back tears as she stood, opening up her arms for an embrace.

You obliged, standing as well and hugging her for the first time ever. It was soft, warm, and absolutely genuine. "Oh, my Queen. Could we be friends, do you think?"

"Yes, I would love that.” she pulled away from the embrace, holding onto your upper arms, “We can do everything we used to do, but you would not be my servant." she pulled away from the hug, clapping her hands together and grinning from ear to ear, "Oh this is going to be such fun! I promise there will be no jealousy. I want you and Hal to be happy. I think your child will be such a blessing.”

Smiling, you added, “I hope you will soon have a blessing of your own.”

.........

You felt so happy and warm on the inside, finally resolving with Sophia.

“Is there a reason I did not see you all day long? And why are you smiling like that, my love?” Hal questioned as you readied for bed.

“I had a great day with Sophia.” you answered.

“Oh? Good, so what has she been doing with her time? Has she gone to the children’s shelter?”

“Yes! She said she has and it has really opened her eyes. You know, she has never really known what life is like out there, beyond living in a castle. She has gotten to know some of the children there. Some of them have lost both parents, so she dotes on them, she hugs them tighter than the rest. She longs to be a mother, I know she does, Hal.” you looked at him, seeing him nod softly.

Your King took a moment to think, sitting on the bed, he asked, “Do you think I should offer myself to her?”

“Offer yourself?” you laughed, “Like a servant?” You walked over in front of him, kneeling down, touching his legs. You sighed, “Maybe you could talk to her about giving her a baby soon. Tomorrow, perhaps.”

You felt the smooth brush of his palm on your cheek as he rested his hand there. “Alright. But I need you first.”