17I looked through my schedule for this month to see how many dresses I needed made. There was an unwritten rule that I wasn't supposed to wear the same dress twice in public but I just couldn't do it. I refused to throw away such expensive dresses. With the support of Natasha, we managed to convince the previous Queen, Ed's mother, that remaking the clothes into something that looks different would save us money and reduced waste. Queen Victoria had always been fond of Natasha and would listen to her more. She still felt that because of my commoner background and my history as a royal phobic, I would bring down the palace with me so she installed Natasha and Lucy as my left and right hand people in the hope that I would learn from them. They also served as her spies. I couldn't care less. I admitted I was inexperienced and I needed all the help I could get. It didn't stop me from making small changes around the palace though. When I became Queen, I introduced green living in all the aspects of palace life. I installed solar system, rainwater tank and recycle bins throughout the palace. It made me feel so much better knowing that I could at least reduce the ridiculous amount of waste generated by this big place.
'Your Majesty, you've gained a couple of inches on your waist,' Taylor, the tailor told me. I could see Lucy eyed me from the corner of the room.
Ah damn it. I cringed at him. Must be the irregular meals we had during our trip. 'Sorry,' somehow I felt the need to apologise. Seeing yourself in the media all the time made you critical of yourself. The camera did put on five kilos. I lost a lot of weight ever since I became Edward's wife and would fret if I put on some. It didn't help that Queen Victoria was extremely critical of my appearance. Even a strand of misplaced hair didn't escape her.
'Do you think you'll lose the extra inches or should I let out the waist a little?' He asked.
'She'll lose it,' Lucy replied for me. Well, I guess I had no choice.
'Thanks Luce,' I said sarcastically but Lucy just rolled her eyes.
'Alright, that's done,' Taylor said to my relieve. Dress fittings had never been my favourite activity.
'We'll schedule another fitting in a week. Hopefully Her Majesty would have gone back to her original size then,' Lucy told Taylor. That meant diet for me from this day onwards.
It had been five years, but I still found life in the palace suffocating sometimes. I never wanted to be a princess, let alone a queen. The sole and only reason I agreed to this was so I could spend the rest of my life with the person I loved. But when that person was hardly around, I couldn't help but wonder what was the point of all these. I dared not say I regretted marrying him, but I couldn't deny that the thought popped up occasionally.
I hated feeling like this. I tried not to complain. I had always tried my best to embrace the royal life and be grateful of everything I had been blessed with. However, sometimes when I knew Edward had long busy days ahead, I couldn't help but felt a bit down.
I said a quick bye to Taylor and Lucy and decided I would go and see Edward. Seeing his face often enough to remind me why I was here. He probably didn't want to see me seeing how busy he was but if I brought his lunch over, I would have an excuse. He would have to eat anyway.
I went to the kitchen and told James I would personally deliver the King's meal. James nodded understandingly and even asked me if I wanted to add some personal touches to his meal. James had always been a romantic. I still couldn't understand how he ended up falling in love with someone as uptight as Lucy. As Natasha always said, opposite attracts. Just like the case of Edward and myself.
James helped me make a freshly baked bread roll and drilled a little hole on it. I wrote 'I love you' on a piece of paper, rolled it up and put it into the hole. I just hoped he didn't accidentally swallow it.
'Thanks James!' I said as I wheeled his lunch out of the kitchen on a trolley.
When I got to Ed's office, I told his office doorman not to announce me. He helped me push the double door and I went in.
Edward was on the phone. He saw me with the lunch trolley and raised his eyebrows. He held his hand up to signal me to wait while he finished his conversation.
'When did my queen became a delivery woman?' He asked as he put down the phone.
I smiled at him. 'I just wanted to surprise you.' I set his lunch on the dining table.
He stood up from his chair and walked over to me. 'What's the occasion?'
'No occasion,' I told him.
'Did you cook this?' He asked.
'Ha ha, very funny, Edward." I couldn't cook to save my life. That was one of the things I was thankful for living in the palace. I never had to lay a finger in the kitchen.
'Eat,' I told him as I pulled a chair for him. He sat down and told me to sit too. I took a seat opposite him so I can watch his face.
'Where's your lunch?' He asked.
'I'm on a diet apparently,' I told him.
'Why?'
'Gained some weight on the trip. Taylor said so. So Lucy is on it straight away.'
Edward snorted. He never understood the women's obsession with weight. 'You're married, you have no one to impress anymore. I'll still love you even if you get fat.'
'If only everyone else is as easy to please," I told him.
'You only have to please me.'
'Thanks. I knew I could rely on you to feel better.'
'What's wrong? Are you upset because you gained weight?'
'Not exactly. It's just one of those days you know. Don't worry about me. How was your morning?'
'Busy. See that?' He pointed to a pile of folders on his desk. 'I need to go through those today.'
'No kidding. Andrew isn't helping you?'
'He wanted a few days off to spend with the twins since he had been busy while I was away.'
'I see. He's such a family man.'
'Are you saying I'm not?' He asked eyeing me. He had this little insecurity going on when it came to Andrew. He knew I was fond of him so he often got a little jealous.
'I wouldn't know. There's only me and you in our family,' I told him.
'You'll see,' he said. 'I'll be the best father ever.'
I smiled at him. 'That's great to know.'
He must have sensed a hint of sadness in my voice because after that he added, 'you really want a baby, don't you?'
'Don't you?'
'Hmm. I'm happy with just you and me for now.'
'You should tell your mother that so she stops pestering me.'
'Is she pestering you?'
'Is she ever not?'
Edward laughed. 'Sorry. I can't choose my mother you know.'
I smiled. 'That's okay. She gave birth to you. I can put up with the rest just for that reason.'
'You know you're the best wife I could ever ask for?'
'Oh Ed.'
'I love you Anna.'
I smiled and felt the familiar tingle in my stomach. This was why everything was worth it. He never failed to make me feel loved and appreciated. 'You should eat your bread.'
'Why?' He asked as he picked up the bread roll and broke it into two. He then noticed the piece of paper. 'Whoa. What is this?' A grin broke on his face when he read the content. He stood up and walked across to my seat. He pulled me into a big hug.
'I love you too Edward.'
'You know what I want to do right now?' He whispered in my ear.
'What?'
He suddenly lifted me and sat me on the table. 'I've always wanted to do it here.' He stood in between my legs and gave me a passionate kiss.
I kicked him on the backside and hopped down from the table. 'You're crazy.'
Edward laughed. 'Unlike you to deny a session.'
'What session? It's your office and it's in the middle of the day. If you want something, come home early tonight and do it properly. I'll be waiting for you.'
'Is this why you came to deliver my lunch? To seduce me?'
'Maybe,' I winked at him.
He laughed and ruffled my hair. 'Alright, I better finish my work quickly then.'
I knew it would never happen, there were just too much work and once he got back to it, he wouldn't want to stop. But it made me happy to hear his intention nevertheless.
Author's note:
I once again apologise for the slowness of updating. But if it's any consolation, I'm currently working on rewriting the first part of Anna's story ('Anna and her Prince Charming'), it's the prequel of 'Anna: Princess in Training'. I hope you check it out and give me some feedback there :)
Thank you for all the lovely reviews! Keep them coming, they keep me going :)