Emmelyn cleared her throat and steeled her heart. She then turned to the prince and looked at him dead in the eye. "Now, you've got what you wanted. I think we no longer need to do 'that'."

Mars suddenly felt his throat choked. It was expected, but still painful when he heard her say those words.

She was right. The reason why they had been having sex every day was to ensure she would get pregnant.

So, Mars could get his heirs.

Now, that they were successful, there was no more excuse for any intimacy. He would really look like a perverted and sex-hungry man if he kept asking Emmelyn to have sex with him.

The prince nodded casually. "You are right."

"So... can I get my own room?" Emmelyn asked. She had to ask for this if she wanted to keep her heart in one piece after the job was done.

When she agreed to the contract, she thought too highly of herself. She thought she would never fall for the enemy and she wouldn't use her feelings... She just needed to keep her end of the deal.

However, only slightly over one month passed and she had been swayed from her original plans.

Now, she couldn't even continue with her plans to kill the king.

If they kept things going like this, she was really worried that she would be trapped in Draec because she fell deeply in love with the prince. It's too much complication, more than what she could handle.

Not only was he the enemy, but the prince had also confirmed that he was not looking for a wife. Why should she add heartache to her already tragic life?

Mars stared at Emmelyn intently for while, before he shook his head.

"I cannot grant that. I will always stay with you. So, if you chose to move to another chamber, I will just follow you there. I want to ensure you and the baby are fine." He added, repeating his words, "You know how important the child is to me."

The man talked in a gentle voice, but there was clear persistence in his tone. Emmelyn let out a long sigh. She knew she would not win should she want to argue.

"I will not touch you if you don't want it. That, I can promise." Mars took Emmelyn's hands and held them with his right hand, while his left hand touched her face. "Look... the last thing I want is to make you feel uncomfortable or stressed. I just want to be here to take care of you and the baby. I'll even sleep on the couch if you prefer. Just please let me stay here with you."

Emmelyn was in a daze when she heard him. When she thought the man couldn't be any nicer, he proved her wrong.

Finally, she just nodded weakly. "Okay..."

The man rose from the sofa. "I will leave you now. You look like you need time to be alone. I will go see Gewen and Edgar in town to celebrate this good news. I'll be back by dinner time."

"Hmm..."

"Do let Roshan know if you need anything."

"I will."

The prince walked out of the chamber and closed the door behind him. As soon as Mars left, Emmelyn sobbed silently.

She wished she could celebrate this joyous occasion with the prince. However, she knew better not to take further risks.

***

"What's with the sudden change?" Edgar clinked his cup to Mars's and downed his wine.

The burly man's face flushed red from consuming too much alcohol since an hour ago. The temperature had dropped and many soldiers spent their day off by relaxing and drinking to warm up themselves.

Once the break was over, the crown prince would definitely push them harder to train and get ready for war in spring. That was usually when they started marching and invading the next target.

Autumn and winter was used to train and cool down. And when winter was about to end, the crown prince would start coordinating with the governors on the the colonies around the next target to prepare army and supplies.

When spring came, they would be ready to attack. By end of summer they would return victorious and rest for autumn. And the cycle would repeat every year.

Mars met his two friends at their regular tavern in the king's town. As usual, they were given a private room just for the three of them and some girls for Gewen.

The latter would snuck in the corner with those girls and drink with them while doing indecent things. Mars and Edgar drank together on the other corner.

"What change?" Mars raised an eyebrow. He didn't understand Edgar's question.

"You give the soldiers THREE DAY REST. That's unheard of," Edgar chuckled. "I'm not complaining. I think we deserve the break. However, it just doesn't seem like you."

"Oh... I just want to spend more time with her," Mars replied with a faint smile.

"HER?" Edgar tried hard to hold back his laughter. "Is that a code for your boyfriend?"

"Shut up, Edgar!" Mars gave him a side eye. "I want to clarify this to you, but don't tell Gewen..."

"Don't tell him what?" Edgar glanced to the left and saw Gewen was still making out with two beautiful women in the corner of the room. One woman with long blonde hair and skimpy dress was sitting on his lap, while the other one, with red hair, sitting next to him, hugging his waist like a koala.

Edgar cleared his throat and nodded, "Sure. I don't think he cares to listen anyway."

Mars poured more wine into his cup and then sipped it slowly. His eyes gleamed in excitement when he shared his big news.

"Gewen is wrong. I don't have a boyfriend. Her name is Emmelyn and she fooled Gewen into thinking that she was a man," he said with a chuckle.

"Eh..? What?" Edgar furrowed his brows. He couldn't believe his hearing just now. "Come again?"

"Gosh... does drinking too much wine affect your hearing, Edgar? I have told you that Gewen is wrong. I don't have a boyfriend. She is a woman. One hundred percent."

"Are you sure?" Edgar stared at Mars intently. "Have you checked?"

"Good god, Edgar!" Mars rolled his eyes. "Of course, I have checked. Do you think I'm dumb?"

"Oh.."

For a few moments, Edgar couldn't say anything. Now, he believed that he did hear the crown prince said he didn't have a boyfriend like what Gewen claimed. So.. the man was actually a woman?

Was he talking about Lord Aldrich? Or was it an entirely different person?

"Gewen was trying to seduce her, so she pretended to be a man," Mars said. He seemed proud of Emmelyn's wit, even though the girl often put him in trouble.

At first, those troubles seemed embarrassing, but nothing he couldn't manage. And after he got over it, he could actually laugh about the whole thing.

"Gewen said Lord Aldrich claimed to be your boyfriend. Are we talking about the same person? So... that boy is actually a woman?" Edgar asked to confirm.

Mars nodded. "That's right."

Edgar let out a long sigh and shook his head. "Gosh. You people have complicated life."

"No, no.. it's just a misunderstanding. Like I said, Gewen suspected Lord Aldrich is a woman, so he tried to seduce her. To repel his advances, Lord Aldrich claimed to be a man and my boyfriend," Mars laughed heartily. "You can see it works."

Edgar laughed too. He still remembered the time when Gewen was drunk and complained that Mars didn't turn gay because of him. That was a funny sight to remember.

"Yeah, I remember that one." He glanced at Gewen again and nodded enthusiastically. "I won't tell him. I'll let him keep thinking you're gay. And we can even play it better. You should show that you're attracted to me or to any other men but him. He will go crazy... HAHAHAHAHA..."

Mars spouted his wine when he heard Edgar's words. It would be funny as hell.

He didn't mind to pull that prank since many people had suspected him to be gay anyway. However, he couldn't do it now that he was about to become a father.

He didn't want to keep flaming the gossip since people might question the legitimacy of his offspring.

"Nah... let's not do it. I have to clean up my act and kill all gossips about me being into men," Mars shook his head. "When my child is born, people might question if he is really my offspring or not."

Edgar lowered his cup and stared at the prince with a questioning look. "What's with the talk about kids now? Are you going to have a child?"

Mars nodded with a smile. "Yes."

His face was filled with a proud expression.

He was going to be a father for real! Doctor Vitas had already confirmed it today.

Since Edgar was his closest friend, Mars didn't mind telling the man about this secret, before he break the news to his parents.

Mars badly wanted to celebrate the occasion, but there was no one to share the joy at home. That's why he decided to meet Gewen and Edgar for a drink.

Gewen was too busy with his women and Mars also didn't really trust him to keep this very important news from his mother, the queen's lady in waiting. But Edgar was safe. He could take this secret to his grave, if necessary.

With those considerations in mind, Mars finally decided to share this news with Edgar and not Gewen.

"Emmelyn is pregnant and we will have our baby next summer."

Edgar was at a loss for words for a few moments.

.

.

>>>>

From the author:

(I'm adding notes at the bottom of the chapter since many people apparently cannot see the author's note box.)

If you want to imagine how Mars, Edgar, and Gewen look like. You can think of the handsome Mars like Geralt from "The Witcher", the burly Edgar like Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth), and the beautiful Gewen like Legolas from "Lord Of The Ring".

All men have long hair and are HAWT in their own ways!!!! (pictures in paragraph comments)

Mars

Edgar

Gewen

What do you think?