Freya paced the hall as the doctors scurried into the room of the Princess. A nurse popped her head out. "Miss? Her Royal Highness is asking that you please accompany her." Her voice was sweet but urgent. Freya followed the nurse back in, allowing the door to close behind her.

The Princess was in tears as she lifted her hand to hold Freya's. She sadly shook her head, and words were not necessary. Freya knew exactly what had transpired.

It is with a heavy heart that Queen Esperanza and I share the sad news of Princess Cossette's miscarriage. We understand this happens sometimes, and the Princess is stable and resting. We appreciate the outpouring of support and ask for privacy as we continue to move forward.

The King's announcement had broken early in the morning. It was sad to see the look of pain and disappointment on the Princess’ face. But she was tough, and Freya knew she'd come through it with a little time.

Their Majesties were extremely thankful for Freya's quick thinking and ability to handle the matter discreetly. Magnus was in shock; he shared with Freya he'd never seen his sister so defeated.

The Princess had asked Freya to stay with her to which she happily complied. It was the least she could do considering the circumstances.

"What are you reading?" the Princess asked, alerting Freya that she was no longer sleeping.

Freya smiled and pushed the book to the side. "The Fallen by David Baldacci."

"I've never heard of him. But then again, I don't read too much. I suppose I should and now would be a good time considering I'll be getting a lot of bed rest."

"Do you know what kind of books you like? Or better yet, what is your favorite book and what is the last book you read?"

Cossette smiled. "I don't even know when the last time it was that I read for pleasure. Most of my literature was for college, but nothing stands out as something I thoroughly enjoyed. I did read Harry Potter."

A hint of color slowly covered her face as if she were embarrassed by saying that, so Freya quickly smoothed any doubt. "J. K. Rowling is an amazing storyteller. I've read all of her books."

Cossette adjusted herself carefully in the bed.

"Freya, thank you for being here for me."

"Princess, don't mention it," she said with a wink.

"And please, no need to address me formally. Well, you know, unless we are in public. But really, please, Cossette is fine."

"How are you feeling?" Freya asked.

"Better. A little sore and not as weak as I'd been." She sat quietly for a few moments. "They couldn't explain why this happened. I guess it isn't uncommon to miscarry in the first trimester."

"Yes, that is what I understand as well."

"I don't want to sound like I didn't want my child, because I very much did. It wasn't the baby's fault the father is such a... well, not a kind person. But maybe this was for the best."

Her comment didn't warrant a reply, and there was no way Freya was going to give her one either.

"I believe they said you can return to the Palace later this evening. If you are up to it."

"There isn't anything else they can do for me here. I'll have a follow up just to make sure everything is moving along, and as you heard the doctor, I should be back on my feet in no time." She smiled widely.

"Cossette, if you don't mind me saying, this is a bit of a traumatic event for a woman and her body. However, emotionally, it may become much more difficult to process as the days go by. Promise me you'll talk to someone if you feel like you need to. You are not alone in this. Many of us are here to help you get through it."

Cossette looked down and nervously fidgeted with her hands. "It really is sad, Freya. I had envisioned myself holding my son." she smiled sadly. "I'd secretly decided he was a boy. I saw myself making memories with him. Growing up. Lots of firsts for both of us. And now it’s all gone. Like a bandit in the night, ripping from me the one thing I felt I had any control over. And now he's gone." She cried.

Freya allowed her to let the tears flow, giving her space to breathe and mourn. She could only imagine how difficult it must be to lose a baby.

"I was going to ask you and Magnus to be his godparents."

The comment came as a surprise to Freya. She'd never imagined that would've been on the Princess’ radar. Apparently, Cossette was hopeful that she and Magnus would still be together. And more importantly, a godparent was a huge deal in many cultures. Heck, even in her own family, it was a big deal.

Godparents were like another set of parents and the very people who would be there for you when your own parents were not. It was a reminder to Freya that she hadn't been in touch with her godparents in a few years. Yet, they continued sending her gifts for her birthday and Christmas. She rarely logged into social media, but from time to time they'd drop her a message.

I'll have to reach out to them for Christmas this year, she thought to herself.

"That would've been a huge honor, Cossette. Thank you." She smiled and gently brushed back Cossette's hair.

"You know, he loves you. I see it. Anyone who doesn't see it would have to be blind."

Freya felt her stomach flop as the words settled into her thoughts.

She grinned but wasn't sure how to reply.

"You don't have to tell me if you love him. But I know you like him very much. I see it in you, too. You light up whenever you are around him. It really makes me happy. I know I haven't always been the easiest to get along with my brother, but I love him, and I want what is best, and I see in you the woman who can make him the happiest King alive, next to my father, of course." She laughed.

"Thank you, Cossette. I do have feelings for Magnus that go beyond just liking him. It’s difficult for me. I've always shut myself out of having any type of meaningful relationship, and now I find myself unable to figure out how to properly reciprocate.

"Never mind all the self-doubts; constantly wondering if I'm good enough. Will the magic wear off at midnight, and I'm back home balled up in tears because I lost the one person I opened my heart to? I'm scared." Her voice trembled as she fought back to hold the tears. "I'm terrified to admit out loud that I love him. What will people say? So much is already going around because of me being here when we only just met."

"Freya, I'm going to stop you there. I'm not going to pretend like people don't think all those things you fear. But that's not your problem. What matters is being true to yourself. What do you want? How do you want to move forward with this relationship? Most important is trusting in one another."

Freya was shocked at the powerful words Cossette was speaking, considering the deceit she'd only faced a few weeks ago with Santiago.

"I get it. I really do. But there is another factor in this all, my family. I have so many unresolved issues with them. For starters, my mother doesn't approve of Magnus. Therefore, my sister and brother Will are right there encouraging her bad behavior towards me. My father, well, he does what my mother says even if he agrees with me following my heart; he wouldn't say it too loud because she'd oppose him, tooth and nail. I really only have Tristan to turn to, and that isn't going too well for him."

"I know you are not going to like this, but I'm going to come clean with it. When I was angry with Magnus and trying to take his crown, Santiago kept me well informed. He'd told me about you and how quickly Magnus was falling for you. In his defense, he said you seemed like a great fit. Of course, at that moment I wanted nothing that was good for my brother, so I had you investigated. I learned about your family. I felt bad for you because there seemed to be a longtime pattern of isolating you."

Freya looked at her with confusion.

"You must understand, we have our ways of getting information if we need it. People with money and power, yeah, we can dig very deep. In your case, it wasn't too difficult to dig. Your mother might put on this outer appearance of being the epitome of loving support, but everyone sees right through her. It also doesn't help that your sister-in-law, is it Penelope?" Freya nodded her head to confirm, "is loose-lipped. She shares everything that goes on in your family with anyone willing to listen. In the grand scheme of things, it's nothing too bad, but it is obvious to anyone who knows and has been paying attention that you are most definitely the black sheep, and not by choice."

"Wow. I don't even know what to say. I mean, I get it, why you did it. I don't agree, but I'm not going to hold it against you as long as you can assure me you won't do this again." Freya was assertive in her tone.

"Of course, I won't. Especially after being here for me in my time of need." She grinned. "Besides, I'm hoping to call you my sister-in-law one day and prove to you we aren't all slimy snakes." She laughed.

Freya froze. What on earth had Cossette just said? Sister-in-law? The Princess would like for her, Freya, to marry the Crown Prince, her brother, the future King?

Now it was Freya who wasn't feeling too good and needed to lie down.

She sat back in her chair, not even wanting to reply to what Cossette had said.

It was one thing to date Magnus. It was another to consider being married to him.

"You would make just as great a Queen as my mother," Cossette continued, as Freya felt tortured by emotions.

"I'm sorry, Princess. I need to get some fresh air. Do you mind if I step out?" She stood, not really waiting for a reply, and making her way to the door.

When she opened it, Magnus and the Queen were standing on the other side. She didn't know what to do, so she quickly curtsied and pushed past them, running toward the elevator. She heard Magnus call for her, but she didn't stop. Jean Paul was close behind, but giving her space.

Down the elevator she rode, making a quick stop at the information desk to ask where she could go for a walk. The hospital had a private garden, and the polite older man pointed her in the right direction.

Once outside she took in several deep breathes to clear her mind. Everything was moving too fast, just as she'd expected. It wasn't like Magnus was proposing, but his sister was talking about it as if he would.

No! She rubbed her neck. What am I doing here? She questioned herself.

Just then a hand reached her from behind; startled, she jumped. It was the Queen.