Page 19 of Modern Romance September 2026 Books 5-8

As I start to reach for the cup, Carmen lays a hand over mine. “You’re pregnant.”

I stare at her.

“No.” I shake my head. “I’m on birth control.”

Carmen squeezes my hand before releasing it. “Remember that herbal supplement you told me you took to help you sleep while you were on tour? It can interfere with the efficacy of the pill.”

“Oh God.” I sink into my chair, my hands flying to my face. “Oh God.”

I’m pregnant. I’m carrying Dominic Hawke’s child.

“Who’s the father, Sophaya?”

Carmen’s use of my name calms me, gives me something to mentally grasp onto as my world tumbles down around me.

“He’s American. We slept together in Venice.” I let out a shuddering laugh. “It was great, but it never should have happened. I was…” My voice trails off as I look up, staring out over the sea. “I wanted just one night for me, you know? Just one night to not be a princess.”

“Understandable, especially with the upheaval in your life.”

“He doesn’t want to get married. He made that explicitly clear, and I was fine with that. We…” Heat blooms in my cheeks. “I was attracted to him, obviously. But he’s not the kind of man I would marry anyway. It was just about sex.”

Liar.

I push away the nagging inner voice. Okay, I liked Dominic. For a few hours anyway. Part of me even wondered what it would be like if we had more than just sex. But the morning after made it abundantly clear we would never have anything more than sex. We, and the worlds we came from, are too different.

“The situation obviously puts you in a tough spot.”

“I’m keeping the baby.”

Carmen’s eyes widen slightly. “That’s a fast decision.”

“But it’s the right one for me.” My hand slides down to my stomach. There’s no swelling, no bump. But beneath my fingers is a baby. My child. My eyes grow heavy as emotion rushes up. I know now some of it is the hormones coursing through my body. But the warmth in my heart is real. “I may not have many personal choices left, but this decision is mine and mine alone.”

Carmen’s eyes shine. “I know you never wanted the crown. But you’ll make an excellent queen.”

“Thank you.”

I pick up my tea and take a cautious sip. The earthy warmness fills me, calms the storm inside my mind and eases some of the tension in my chest. Allows me to think rationally.

I run through possible scenarios. Marrying Dominic is out; I won’t force a man who has no interest in marriage or family into accepting those terms, along with a life sentence of serving in the public eye. Besides, even if he was willing, we’re not a good fit. We’d be repeating my parents’ mistakes, and I have zero desire to have someone look at me the way the King and Queen of Siravelle glare at each other when they’re in private.

I could have the baby on my own. But I’m already facing an uphill battle with the politicians running our country, including many who would balk at an unwed royal having a baby on her own. I hate that it’s a consideration, but it doesn’t change the facts. Which leaves me with one alternative.

“I’ll have my aide, Amelie, compile a list of suitors.”

Unfortunately, I’ll have to consider not only public opinion but that of Parliament and my parents. Ultimately, though, I promise myself I will pick the best partner for myself, my child and my country.

“What about the father?”

I grimace. “I’ll fly to New York and tell him in person. But given his views on relationships and marriage, and given what I will have to do to protect the crown, he’ll want nothing to do with me or the baby.”

“And what about these suitors?”

I shoot Carmen a grim smile. “Haven’t you heard my mother’s stance on being a royal? My own wishes and wants don’t matter. Only the legacy of the crown does. And an unwed soon-to-be queen would most definitely not align with that philosophy.”

Carmen looks unconvinced. “Finding someone worthy of being your prince consort who will also accept another man’s child as his own seems like a tall order.”

“It is. It may be impossible.” I shrug. “But I have to try. I’m not giving this baby up, so this seems like the most logical course of action.”