The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

"Oh, baby,” mom says, cupping my cheek in her hand and looking at me sympathetically. “Sometimes...the Goddess has plans for us that go beyond our

own."

"Damn right she does," I say with a scowl, flumping back into mom's pillows and shooting a little glare at the crescent moon, which I can see hovering just above the dawn horizon. "Surprise after surprise with that one."

"Are you unhappy with it?" mom asks, clasping her hands beneath her chin and looking at me, worried. "You...you don't have to be happy, sweetie. I'm sorry, I should have been more restrained -"

"No, mom," I say with a sigh, flicking my eyes to her and then down to my stomach, where I press my hands. Where two babies now live, apparently. "I... don't really know precisely how I feel - I mean, I'm really surprised – and the timeline is not fantastic but...I don't think I'm unhappy..."

I let my words trail off, trying to figure out how I feel but coming up with an answer that's split between about twelve different emotions.

A baby. Babies.

Two little babies.

Jackson's... Jackson's babies.

A tiny little smile comes to my mouth at that thought because...

I mean. They're going to be so cute.

My mom squeaks again and I look up, laughing when I see the big smile on her face. "You're smiling," she whispers, still holding her hands in fists beneath her chin. "Does that mean..."

"Mommm," I groan, pitching myself forward, still laughing, a bit hysterical. "I don't know, okay! Give me...ten seconds to figure it out." I sigh, putting my head down in her lap, closing my eyes and trying to sort through it.

"You got it baby," mom murmurs, sweet and kind, starting to stroke my hair. "Ten whole seconds, just for you."

I grumble something to her, and she laughs again, but I just allow myself to

breathe and let myself again adjust to the radical new reality of my life. It takes a long, long time to get it into my head that I'm pregnant.

That there are going to be two more little Sinclairs in the palace. And they're going to be mine.noveldrama

But...are we even going to be in the palace?

Didn't I...weren't we just talking about going back to school? I sigh deeply, confused, turning my head to press my forehead against my mom's thigh.

"Tell me, baby," she murmurs, still stroking her hands through my hair, kind and sweet as she always is.

"Jacks and I were just talking about it last night," I murmur, my voice a little muffled against her leg. "About...wanting more babies someday. I didn't think it would be today."

She laughs a little. "More babies?"

I turn my head up, sighing again even as I smile. "I'm going to adopt Marigold as my own. We talked about it last night. Not right away - we want to let her adjust but...I want to be her mom. Jackson is on board."

Mom's face crumples in an instant, tears filling her eyes as she lays herself down next to me on the bed and wraps me up in a hug, pulling me close. "Oh, Ariel," she sighs, think as undone with emotion as me "I...I mean, I hoped you would. I think that's so fantastic."

“Me too," I whisper, smiling as tears prick my own eyes. "Though I guess now

she's getting... siblings. And who knows how she'll feel about that."

"Fantastic, of course," mom mutters, sniffing a bit.

“But, I mean..." bite my lip, grief

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starting to curl in me. "I'm...I'm really young for this. Three kids at twenty-three? I mean...I know it's been done before, but......." I sniff," feeling very overwhelmed. "I really liked my life! I'm a really good sniper! I Want to be a spy!"

Mom pulls me even closer, letting me cry a little into her shirt,

eli

murmuring all sorts of comforting nonsense to me about how fantastic I am, and how it's fine to be confused, and how we'll sort it all out And, as it always does, her

warmth and support bring a great deal of comfort.