Pregnant For The Royal Prince

THE alarm chimed so violently breaking the still silence of the night and drifting into Rina's ears.

She yawned and tried to stop the noise by covering her ears with the pillow, and it actually helped, the noise from the alarm wasn't as much as it was.

It was a Monday morning, and so she was supposed to be up getting ready for school.

Thirty minutes later, the alarm went dead, and everywhere became as quiet as a graveyard again.

That was when she sluggishly came off bed, and dashed into the bathroom.

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Rina looked into the large mirror before her and smiled at the beautiful figure portrayed before her.

She's actually beautiful and none could doubt it, none.

Averaged height, slim figure with a long red hair and sea blue eyes.

Now dressed and looking exquisite in a white long sleeve top, black and white patterned skirt, a black socks with white shoes, she picked up her school bag from the bed and sauntered out of the room.

Getting to the living room, the first thing her eyes rested on was her father's huge portrait hung on the right side of the wall.

She slowly walked up to it.

A tear escaped her eyes as she remembered of his death, two years ago. A lot of tragedy had occured after that...a lot.

Not only had she lost her dad, her elder brother had followed suit. He had vanished months after her father's funeral.

Rina's father was..... she couldn't say rich, but at least he was able to keep the family's head above water, cater for their needs till his painful demise.

He was a little well to do, at least to have admitted his children into one of the big schools in town.

After his mysterious death, things became so hard for the family, everything turned turpsy-turvy and they all dropped down in their level of status, into the category of people the town's inmates calls paupers.

Yep, they became paupers.

Since then, humiliations from different corners followed, they were seen as taboos.

In school, she lived an isolated life. She only had a friend, her best friend, who made life worth living and manageable.

So going with all these humiliations and all, her elder brother, an only brother, vanished into thin air, soon after her dad's funeral.

Why not? He couldn't continue living with it.

He's never been seen or heard off. Whether he's alive or dead, no one knew.

Aside her best friend, Mrs Anika, her school principal had also made life worth living for her as well.

After her dad's death, when all hopes were gone, this God sent woman had called her aside and pledged to provide all her school needs till she graduates from high school.

That's the sole reason she's still in school, Mrs Anika has really made it happen.

"Rin?", her mother called jolting her back to reality.

"You okay?", she asked.

Rina slowly turned to the direction of the voice, it was her mother.

She was standing at the entrance, her petty clothes stained with ashes as usual.

Her mother was a local soap dealer, and with the little earnings she made, they used in feeding and kept life going.

"I'm fine mother", Rina nodded as she wiped off the little tears that had formed in her eyes.

Selena looked at the picture hanging on the wall above her daughter and the reason for the tears on her eyes instantly hit her.

She sighed and slowly walked up to her.

"It's okay daughter", she pecked her cheeks, "don't let that bug you and spoil your mood. Come on, cheer up", she stepped back to admire her.

"Mmm, you looking extra fabulous this morning".

Rina smiled, that was her mother for you, she knows how to make her feel elated at her very down moments.

"Thank you mom", she said.

Selena nodded and walked to the door leading into the rooms.

"You not eating? There's food, marshed potatoes....eggs".

She shook her head.

"Nah, I don't feel like, I wanna rush to school".

Selena smiled.

"Well, you can go. Do take care of yourself", she winked and opened the door, then went in.

Rina walked to the dining to pick up the notebooks she had left there the previous night after her usual prepping.

She had piled up the all the notebooks ready to put into her bag when her eyes caught something on the newspaper lying peacefully on the table.

She unzipped her bag and carefully put in the notebooks, then picked up the newspaper.

Removing the leaflet containing the information that had caught her attention, she left the house.

Once outside, she began going through the headline which had captivated her attention carefully.

ROYAL PRINCE HOMECOMING, PRINCE RAGHAV COMING HOME SOON.

She made a face, so it was this? It wasn't new anymore, the news had practically spread round like wild harmattan fire that the Royal Prince, the only son of King Neel of Shimla kingdom, would be finally coming home soon.

Coming back from the states where he had gone to study for eight years.

Well, there was also news that the Royal Prince was also coming home to settle down finally, and to pick a bride.

This particular reason had made all the young girls and true daughters of the town go crazy and agog. Each of them all wanted to be his bride.

Of course who wouldn't? The bride of the prince, the almighty prince!

She looked up from the leaflet and hailed down a cab, then she was off to school.

THE cab halted just adjacent the school's gigantic gate, and Rina alighted.

She paid the t-fair and began walking into the school compound.

So much posh and expensive cars kept driving in and out of the school, throngs of students filing in, making the gate entrance busy.

That's how it always was at the gate every morning, very busy.

The securities themselves most times finds it difficult trying to control the traffic, as they either end up separating a fight which must have resulted from the students, mainly the juniors from stepping on themselves or something, or turning traffic wardens overnight, controlling incoming and outgoing cars.

Gosh! It was always busy.

She managed finding her way into the school compound and exhaled so deeply.

One marathon accomplished, she sighed.

Now in the school compound, students were all gathered in groups chatting and laughing.

She looked towards the lobby leading to her class and saw a lot of them, mostly girls. Groups of five and six, they were all chatting away, she sighed.

Getting to walk past these groups was another marathon itself, it was like hours of torture.

She heaved a sigh and braced up, she had to walk past, else she won't be in class that day.

"Oh dear, do you know the prince is coming home soon?", she heard a student asked and she made a face.

"Yep, and he's coming to pick a bride you know?", another asked and they all bursted into laughter.

"You all keep shut, heard Prince Raghav already has a girlfriend", came another.

"Girlfriend indeed, is she from Shimla town?", the second student who had spoken came again.

She hurriedly scuttled by, her ears almost itching from hearing of the prince here and there.

Why was this really trending? Everywhere she went, the prince, the prince. She sighed.

Making a left bend, she took the stairs, leading to her class.

Getting to the lobby upstairs, she came by another group of students, realizing their major topic of discussion and obviously fed up hearing about it, she braced to just scuttle by.

"Here comes the pauper girls", a student in the group sneered, or more like announced and they all turned to look at her coming towards them.

Rina now looked into the faces of the students and oh God! It was the bully girls, she hated crossing their path and always avoid doing so.

Now, just this Monday morning, she had run into them, was that a way to start the week?

Gosh! She felt like the ground should open up and swallow her, she hated being called that.

She bowed her head in shame, avoiding their eyes and slowly walked past.

"I wonder what she's still doing in our school, her likes should be in the public schools", the most smallest of the group blurted out.

They bursted out laughing.

"Look at her pauper school bag", another jeered and the laughing continued.

Rina couldn't stand this anymore, she hastened her footsteps. Suddenly the girl who had earlier spoken, put out her left leg on the way, Rina stumbled and fell.

The chattering increased.

Rina didn't know when the tears streamed her face, and slowly ran down. She was too sad to move a thing.

"Rina", someone shouted from a distance.

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Zaina sat in the class feeling all bored up, there was nothing in particular that enticed or interest her.

Even the novel she was engrossed in was only trying to savage the situation, she still felt bored.

She looked around the class and hissed for the umpteenth time, all students were gathered in groups talking about the prince and his arrival.

She was bored up with it, even her father who was one of the staunch councilors of the Bhagya Palace, haven't gone nuts as this when the news first reached them.

She looked out the window downstairs and towards the gate entrance, to see if she could get sight of her best friend.

She didn't see her or anything about her, and she was really feeling too bored.

Everyone was seriously occupied with the prince's discussion.

She looked at her wristwatch and winced, it wasn't that late anyway.

Then she decided to go out, take a walk or just go downstairs, she might even get to see her best friend.

She got up and walked out of the class, still looking into the novel. Just at the entrance to the class, she bumped into someone.

"Hey girl you blind?", the lady asked.

Zaina looked at her, it was Vidya, alias 'the busy body'. She scoffed.

"Hey", Zaina called, "I'm the one who's actually supposed to ask you that, make use of your eyes".

"You learn to make well use of your eyes or I call the palace guards", she sneered and walked into the class.

Zaina scoffed, that was Vidya for you, always showing off with the palace and everything concerning it. Just because her mom was a very good friend to the queen before she got married to the king, they were still best friends though.

But what makes Vidya behaves the way she does was what they didn't know, she wasn't of the royal blood, but she acts like one.

An uproar emanating from one of the gathered groups of students outside the class startled her. She made to ignore and continue her walking, but something drew her back...the hair of the lady on the floor.

A red hair, gosh, that was Rina, she alone has such natural red hair in the whole of the school, what was she doing on the floor? With those students surrounding her?

"Rina", she shouted and ran towards her.

ZAINA got to her and helped her up, she then turned to the girls, they had all already dispersed on seeing her coming.

"God save those girls", she spat out, then handed her face napkin to her.

"Here dear, help yourself", she smiled.

Rina sniffed, cleaning up herself with the napkin.

"Thanks Zaina, I wonder what would have happened if you hadn't come", she said.

She smiled.

"Nothing dear Rina, hope you didn't get a sprain?", she looked her over.

She shook her head, "no, thanks".

"Come on, let's leave here. I was actually out looking for you", she held her right hand.

"Oh really?", a smile played on her face.

Even though the whole world turns their back on her, she was damn sure of one soul who wouldn't.

"Yeah, the class was really boring and this book..", she held up the novel for her to see, "though interesting, but not when you aren't around. So I had to come looking for you".

Rina smiled again, she couldn't help it, and she held her in a tight hug. She laughed.

"It's nothing Rina", Zaina said.

"Thanks", and they disengaged from the hug.

"So how was your night?", Zaina asked, they began walking towards their classroom.

"Very okay, yours?".

"Good as well. How do you see this prince talk of a thing? I'm really getting fatigued by it", she diverged.

She sighed.

"Me too, getting fed up".

"One of the reasons I left the class, the students were all just discussing about it", she licked her lips.

Her eyes widened.

"Even in the classroom?", she couldn't believe it.

"Yep, in the class. Meanwhile all these ladies going head over heels for the prince should better know it that a more beautiful girl is available", she winked.

Rina gasped.

"Zaina", they laughed.

"Yes, if ever the news that he's coming to pick a bride is true, then he will have you to look at first, before looking elsewhere".

She laughed and slapped her shoulders.

"You're obviously the most beautiful in this school, and I guess that's why most of the schoolmates hate you so much".

"Ahh, Zaina".

"My opinion though, who knows?", she shrugged.

They looked at each other and laughed, then walked into the classroom.

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🇺🇲New York City🇺🇸

|•Raghav Estates•|

Prince Raghav sat on one of the large couches in the room, his head on the headrest, and his legs stretched out. His eyes were closed as a lot of thoughts were going on in him.

In few weeks time, he actually would be going home, going back to his town; his hometown.

Eight years ago, he had left the town in search of greener pastures in education. He had actually left for studies, he needed to further his education, and so leaving the town was the only way out.

Now, he's been able to graduate from the university as a Medical Doctor; a general practitioner in medicine and surgery, and going back to that town wasn't in his agenda at all.

Infact, he never wanted to go back, and that's why he's not been there for eight years. Even at least, a little visit, he never visited.

He had even told his father, the King, that he won't be coming back home. But trust royalties, he threatened to disown him as his son if he doesn't set his eyes on him again.

"You have to come home and develop your town to be like the others, it was people like you who developed the one you're staying in", he had said.

"Phew", he mouthed getting up, then shifted the side table which he had used to write down somethings, and he walked over to the French window to overlook the city's beauty.

It was a glass ceiling to floor window, very large and so, he saw the beautiful landscape of the city in full view.

It was evening and so the setting of the sun was highly visible, as it shone few metres away from him, it was a golden sun.

He was still overlooking when he heard knocks on the door, he didn't turn, neither did he care to answer it. He just stood looking out the window.

Whoever was at the door should knock and when tired, he should go and come back later, but if it was some daring souls, they can come in after incessant knocks.

Soon the oak door opened and Bella entered.

She looked round the room and swallowed hard.

This wasn't her first time of actually coming to that room, she's been there countless times but it's beauty never ceases to amaze her.

It was a large spacious room. The floor covered in brown tiles, and at the middle was a mini rug with the portrait of a lion on it.

A small glass table stood on the rug, there was a flower vase with flowers on the table as well.

A chandelier in the shape of a lion hung from the ceiling.

Couches surrounded the corners, all embedded in a tiger skin casing.

Pillows with same casing strewn all over the couch, about two were on the floor.

She smiled, he must have dropped it mistakenly and left without picking it up.

The walls were practically designed with drawings of lions and tigers, depicting royalty.

Lights of different colours graced the room at intervals, going on and off. The cool breeze from the air conditioners relaxed her nerves.

By the right was the dining, a complete family dining set with strong chairs and a large long table made of strong oak wood.

By the left stood his piano set, where he sits and play musics at his leisure time.

He wasn't a pianist, but he was damn good with the piano.

Bella looked round, right.... left some other doors stood, leading into the little rooms. She's never been into any of them and never dared to, the prince had given a stern warning.

She then looked towards the window where he stood and damn! She was mesmerized, he was shirtless.

His hot muscular body radiated under the little lights in the room, seeing him shirtless again was something, she tried waving it out of her head, tried to fight it.

She couldn't hold herself anymore, she gave up. She slowly began walking towards him, got to where the pillows had fallen on the floor and picked them up, then threw them on the couch.

All these while Raghav never turned to even have just a look at the intruder, he just kept looking out the window.

Bella got to him and slowly wrapped her hands behind him, feeling his body, his scent, his cologne. It was warm, hmm, she closed her eyes.

Was this what she gonna miss?

Leaving him going back alone and....and then another lady begins....., she stopped, she never wants to think that would ever happen.

"Mi amor", she said in a whisper.

Raghav didn't flinch, neither did he turn or even reply, he stood still looking out the window.

Bella had held him in a tight hug that way for like ten minutes, before she decided to speak out, she couldn't envisage herself standing there like that for another ten minutes, she had to speak up.

"Um...my prince I...".

"What do you want Bella?", his deep emotionless baritone spoke.

Jeez! Bella flinched, and she withdrew her hands.

"I really want to go back with you mi amor, please", she pleaded.

Raghav said nothing, he still stood looking out.

Bella frowned, why was he behaving like she was nothing? Couldn't he notice her presence?

After about three minutes, he turned to look at her, his hair waved under the gentle breeze coming through the window.

Holy moly, Bella gasped, he's damn more handsome today.

"Bella have I told you anything concerning this before?", he asked, his Adam apple moving up and down as he spoke.

She looked downwards, avoiding his gaze.

"I'm talking to you", he blurted, his pitch a bit higher.

She flinched and slowly raised her head to look at him.

"Yes my prince", she replied.

"Good, I don't like repeating myself", he said and began walking towards the couch where he had stood from.

She turned, her gaze following as he walked.

"But my prince, I'm still pleading, please", she rubbed her palms together, her voice shook.

Raghav scoffed, was she really about to cry? He relaxed comfortably into the couch and picked up the magazine on the side table and began flipping through.

Bella felt ignored, what kinda man was this? How could he deny her following him back to his hometown, not just her, she wasn't just her, as far as she was concerned, she was his girlfriend.

"My prince?", she called again.

"Use the door Bella", came the command.

On other occasions, she would have began begging, but now, presently now, this command sent chills down her spine, she didn't want to envisage what would happen next.

The tears she had been trying her best to hold immediately came rushing down her face, and instantly she ran towards the door, and ran out.