Chapter 229

"We have so much to catch up on. I don't know where to begin." Erik said, lying on the large bed with Pearl, holding her in his arms. They had made their way there after things had calmed a little and promptly laid down, holding each other.

"We have time. Spend some time with your family." Pearl said.

"No. Not tonight. Tonight I am laying right here, by your side and I'm not moving until morning." Erik said, in the large bedroom in the palace.

"How did you find out about the baby?" Erik asked. "How long have you known?"

"I woke up sick at Sebastian's house. He called the doctor and he came and drew blood. I hadn't been eating very well and he thought I might be iron deficient. Next thing I know, he's back with an ultrasound machine. Said the IUD fell out at some point because it was gone. Thinks it may have happens as far back as the accident. Told me it appeared I was around four or five weeks along but he couldn't be sure.

"Italy." Erik said. "We were in Italy six weeks ago. When I proposed."

"Yes." Pearl said, smiling.

He placed his hand on her belly and looked at her. "I don't think you realize how much you've changed my life. How important you are to me. I've always feared having someone mean so much, be so much of a need. It makes me terrified of losing you. And now, this child as well." Erik said.

"I understand. I experienced that over these last few weeks. There are no words for that feeling of loss." Pearl said.

Erik sat up and looked at her. "Marry me. Marry me sooner than months from now. Marry me as soon as we can put something together. I don't ever want to be away from you again. I'm not traveling without you. I'm not going to make any decisions without you. You are carrying my child. The next crown prince, once we are married. You are not ever leaving my side again. I don't care. Not after this. After this, we are one." Erik said.

Pearl smiled and looked down. "You know we can't always be together. You know we both have lives outside of each other. I still have a tour to do, most likely after the baby is born now." Pearl said.

"No. I don't care. I will be with you for it then, if it's something you have to do." Erik said. "There will be no more talk of us being apart again. Ever."

Pearl smiled and nodded. She knew he had just lived through something incredibly traumatic and wasn't being rational, but she agreed. She would try to make anything work with him.

"Erik." Pearl said. "There's something you need to do."

"Anything." He said.

"You need to talk to Sebastian. He was there for me through all of this. Erik... when I found out I was pregnant, he offered to marry me to legitimize the baby. Even though we didn't love each other. He offered as a good man. For you." Pearl said.

"He what?" Erik asked.

"Please don't be angry with him." She said.

"I'm not. I'm just, surprised. He and I haven't been very close since we were young." Erik said.

"I know. He told me." Pearl said.

"He told you? Everything?" Erik asked.

"Yes. I know about Mara. And I know you didn't attend his fiancée's funeral. Or his mother's" Pearl said.

"My god. I'm so sorry you had to learn about that. I hate who I was." Erik said, putting his head down. "I thought Robbie's mother was a terrible person. I blamed women for being weak and selfish. I wanted to punish them all. I was so screwed up as a kid and as a young man."

"I know. And I helped Sebastian understand that a little. He's not as angry anymore." Pearl said.

"Charles told me Robbie's mom was leaving his father. She had filed for divorce. I didn't know that. That changes so much in my mind. She was going to leave him, she wasn't weak at all. She wasn't negligent with Robbie. She was trying to save them both." Erik said.

"Charles told you that?" Pearl asked.

"Yes. Right before I ran a rusty table leg through his heart." Erik said.

Pearl gasped.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you that." Erik said.

"No. I want to hear that. I want to know everything. I'm not made of glass. Before your father left, I asked him to rip the beating hearts out of those men and let them watch it turn black before they died. I don't need protection. I will only marry you if you can treat me as an equal. If you can talk to me like I am person, and not some breakable thing." She said. "I have more than proven my abilities."

"You have. And I have something even better to offer you." He said. "Come."

He led her to his father's study. "Erik." Edward said, giving him a hug. "It's late. Everything alright?"

"Yes. Fine. As you know, I do not want to wait for fall to get married." Erik said.

"Yes. Your mother is going to start putting things together tomorrow." Edward said, smiling.

"But there's more. Pearl is not going to be the Queen consort when I take the throne." He said.

"She isn't?" Edward asked, puzzled.

"No. She is going to be the Queen. My equal. She will be present for all decisions and all doings and have equal say under the law. We rule together." Erik said. "It will be the same as princess. We will be equal."

Pearl looked at him. "Erik.. " she said.

"Erik, this isn't how it is done. This is a huge undertaking and it will upset many." Edward said.

"She saved my life, twice. More than that. She is brilliant. She was able to figure out where I was. And days were lost and almost my life because no one took her seriously. That will never happen again. Ever. She is my equal. She will remain as such until the day I die and perhaps even after. If you even think that giving her little petty female degradation duties should be considered, you are wasting her skills and intellect. The times are changing, my king. And it's time we change with them. There will be no more discussion on this. Pearl is my equal. End." He said. He bowed and took her hand.

"Erik, what in hell was that?" Pearl asked as they walked back to their room.

"That was me, giving you what you deserve. What you've earned. If anything happens to me, you will remain on the throne. You will remain Queen. Not Queen mother. Not consort or regent. You will be Queen. And you will be treated with respect while we are together. You will be heard and seen and given the same duties as myself. This is my way of telling you, showing you, that you aren't made of glass. That you are in fact made of steel and that you have earned the respect you deserve. I lied to you, Pearl. The biggest lie I have ever told. On the day I proposed I said that you have the heart of a Queen. I was wrong. You do not. You have the heart of a King." Erik said.

Pearl looked up at him, and into his eyes. "I love you." She said.

"The way I feel about you is beyond love. But I'll call it that, only because the words to describe it do not exist." Erik said. He kissed her, pulling her to him. And then held her for what seemed like forever. When he finally broke their embrace, he said, "Now, if you will excuse me a moment, I need to speak to my cousin."

Pearl nodded and smiled. He kissed her again and left her there at the bedroom door. She was exhausted and knew sleep would finally come to her now that Erik was home.