The Princess

by Lori Wick

  “I’m hungry,” she said quietly, “or I think I would just go take a nap.”

  “Do both. I’ll even come in and talk to you until you fall asleep.”

  Shelby turned in his arms. “Most women don’t have this.”

  “Have what?”

  “Their husbands around. My father is gone almost all day, but you come and go. I like that.”

  Nikolai kissed her. She had never said the words to him, but he knew she felt them. She had told him one time that she didn’t like love-at-first-sight books or movies. She liked the ones where the couples moved slowly and were sure. Knowing her as he did, this was no surprise. She was not impetuous with matters of the heart. It was one of the things he loved most about her. She didn’t say things until she’d thought about them and knew she meant them.

  He also loved the fact that she was open to change and suggestions, something he was particularly glad for when they finished lunch and she agreed to climb into bed. She fell asleep quickly, and Nikolai found himself wishing that February 8 would come very soon.

  “Of all things!” Shelby said in disgust just a little more than two weeks later. The contraction had eased, and she was now venting her frustration.

  “It’s not as if you could help it, Red.” Nikolai tried to reason with her, his voice mild in the midst of her ire.

  “But in the middle of church, Nicky! I didn’t even get all the sermon notes, and now everyone will be waiting to hear. I wanted this to be quiet—just between the two of us.”

  Hands on his waist, Nikolai stared at her and rebuked her in quiet tones. “I think I need to remind you that you’re not the only one involved here, Red. When Saturday came and went, I was pretty discouraged. I would like to meet this little person.”

  Shelby’s eyes rounded as her voice turned contrite. “I didn’t know you were discouraged.”

  “Well, maybe that’s too strong a word, but I really thought things would get going right on your due date, and when they didn’t, I was a little let down.”

  Shelby took his hand. “I’m sorry. I am just thinking of myself and the big scene our leaving made in the middle of the sermon.”

  Nikolai nodded and would have spoken again, but another pain hit. They had gone straight back to the palace, but Nikolai wondered if they shouldn’t have gone to the hospital. He was very relieved to have his mother suddenly come in.

  “How are you?” She kissed Nikolai and then Shelby.

  “Uncertain,” Nikolai told her. When Nikolai explained what he meant, Erica took over. She talked with Shelby, timed contractions, and even called the doctor. Hours later she was still there when it was finally time to go to the hospital. It was nice to be in the competent care of the medical staff, but it was almost midnight when the doctor spoke to the royal couple.

  “You have an unusual situation, Shelby, in that the bottom of your uterus is contracting upward and the top is pushing down. Where it thinks it’s going to push this baby, I don’t know, but we’re looking at a c-section here.”

  “Is the baby hurt?” Shelby’s voice quivered; she was about done in.

  “No, the baby seems to be in good shape, but I don’t think delaying is going to help a bit.”

  Shelby looked to Nikolai, who was sitting close to her head. He looked down and nodded his head.

  “You can’t keep this up, honey.”

  Tears came to her eyes, but she meant it when she said, “Whatever is best for the baby.”

  Those words set events into play for the next hour. All the Parkers were present, as were the king and queen, when Nikolai accompanied his wife into surgery. Seemingly minutes later a baby’s cry was heard.

  “A boy,” one nurse sailed through and announced. “Everyone’s doing fine.”

  Daria, who had not slept since Shelby had called her the morning before, burst into tears as she tried to sign for Josiah. Josiah held his wife and prayed for his daughter and new grandson.

  Inside the delivery room, Nikolai was staring in wonder at the baby in the doctor’s arms.

  “Red hair, Shelby,” he said softly. “He has red hair.”

  Shelby gave a weak laugh. It was all she could muster. Just a moment later the nurse brought him over for the couple to see. They both laughed at his grumpy face and squeaky cry.

  “Would you like to come with me to clean him up, Prince Nikolai?”

  “I think I will.” Nikolai suddenly felt energized. “I’ll be back.” He kissed Shelby and followed the nurse. Shelby let her eyes close with a sigh. I did it, Lord. I had a baby. Thank You that he’s here. Thank You that You had a boy for us. I pray that he will rule in wisdom, Father, and always look to You for strength.

  Shelby’s heart had never been so full. Given a choice she would have prayed for an hour, but her body had other ideas. She fell into a deep, blissful sleep.

  “What time is it?” Shelby asked softly of the nurse who had come in to check on her.

  “Almost five. How about some juice?”

  “That sounds good.”

  The nurse had only just finished giving Shelby the glass of cool apricot nectar when Nikolai’s head came around the corner.

  “I was hoping I’d find you awake,” he whispered as he approached.

  There weren’t many people for whom the nurse would alter her schedule, but this wasn’t just any person—this was Pendaran’s future king. As Nikolai came close and bent to kiss Shelby, the nurse rehung Shelby’s chart on the wall, slipped out, and shut the door.

  “You’re up early,” Shelby smiled at him.

  “The bed was lonely without you.”

  Shelby smiled. “That’s nice to hear, but I can’t say that I missed you,” she admitted. “I was asleep until just a few minutes ago.”

  “Good. Have you seen the baby?”

  “No. It’s a little hard to believe he’s really out there. They came in the night and wanted to know if I wanted to feed him, and I said he could take a bottle for now.”

  Nikolai chuckled over this. “I knew you would be levelheaded and take my mother’s advice.” The queen had told Shelby to take advantage of the hospital staff. You’ll be on call when you get home, dear. Let the nurses do the job while you have the chance.

  “But, Nicky,” Shelby reached for him as a moment of unreality hit her. “He is out there, isn’t he? No one took him or anything like that?”

  “He’s fine,” Nikolai assured her, his hand smoothing the hair from her brow. “He’s still asleep, and they’ll bring him in as soon as he wakes.”

  Shelby sighed and looked up at her husband. “It’s such a miracle, Nick; his birth is such a miracle.”

  Nikolai smiled. That was the very word he spoke to God about when he went home after the baby was born.

  “Thank you, Shelby,” he now said, his eyes on his wife. “Thank you for giving me a future king.”

  Shelby smiled. “That was one of my first thoughts as well. The House of Markham, Nicky. I love knowing it will last for more than two generations.”

  As if he knew he was being spoken of, the nurse entered the room with a fussing young prince. Both Shelby and Nikolai turned in delight at his presence and spent the next hour feeding him, talking to him, praying for him, and talking of the way their lives would change because of him. It didn’t matter that babies were born every day. It didn’t matter that theirs was not the first or last. He was a miracle to them—a small, dependant miracle—and with hearts committed to bring him up to know Jesus Christ as his own Savior, nothing else seemed to matter.

  “I heard about the baby,” Peter said a week later as he took a chair in Nikolai’s office. He had come especially to see the prince and now pushed off the carpet with his toe in order to scoot back into the slippery leather chair.

  “We had a baby boy,” Nikolai said with a smile.

  “Toby told me. My sister helped me find something,” Peter replied, his face solemn as he left the chair and placed a gift on the desk.

  “Thank you, Pe
ter. Would you like to give this to the princess?”

  Peter shrugged. “You can open it.”

  Nikolai was not fooled by his nonchalant attitude. The boy wanted him to open the gift very badly.

  Nikolai left his desk to do the job. He came around, took the chair next to Peter’s, and tore back the paper. Opening the box revealed a tiny suit, vest, bow tie, and all. The huge smile that spread across Nikolai’s face was from pure delight.

  “This is great. Look at that little tie.”

  Peter nodded a little, clearly pleased but not wanting to show it too much.

  Nikolai turned his head to watch him. “He won’t remember wearing this outfit, Peter, but we’ll make sure he knows someday that you brought it to him.”

  Peter nodded, his face still pleased but on its way to thoughtfulness. Nikolai was growing used to his swift mood changes and waited.

  “My sister’s going to church all the time now and taking me and Penny with her.”

  “Is she?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You sound as though you don’t like it.”

  “I do sometimes. Sometimes it makes sense, but not always.”

  “Well, if it ever all makes sense to you, Peter, come and explain it to me.”

  The little boy’s brow furrowed as he stared up at the prince.

  “Listen to me, Peter,” Nikolai began very gently. “I understood that I needed a Savior, and I believed in Jesus Christ to save me, but I don’t have all the answers. You ask me how God could give up His Son to die. My human mind can’t quite comprehend it. I don’t understand a love that big, Peter, but I do accept it. Now you’re trying to understand it all, and I’m glad you’re searching. Don’t give up, Peter. Keep asking questions and listening to Pam, Toby, and me, and God will show you the way.”

  Peter nodded, and Nikolai smiled at him. He was learning that small drops on the pond had the biggest effect. If he didn’t keep it short and sweet, he lost the boy. But Peter kept coming back, and Nikolai kept seeing new interest and understanding.

  The two talked for a while longer and then Peter said he had to go. Nikolai saw him on his way, confident that God was at work in his young heart. Nikolai hoped and prayed that Peter would stay open to the truth.

  I’ve never seen anything so perfect, Shelby typed into the teletype machine to her father. They had been home from the hospital for a week, and she could not get over the wonder of this baby. He’s such a good baby too, Fa. I expected him to cry when he heard me typing, but he’s just as quiet as a mouse.

  Are you getting enough rest? Josiah asked.

  Most of the time. I nap and still go to bed earlier than I thought I would. I haven’t tried the stairs, but I feel good.

  I’m glad to hear it. You’ve been in my prayers a lot, and of course I have my grandson’s picture up at the shop. You and Nick will have to bring him to see it when you’re all up to it.

  We’ll plan on it. Oh! I think I’d better sign off, Fa. I’ll call you later, okay?

  Certainly. I love you, and hug Josiah Rafael for me.

  I’ll do it. I love you too.

  Shelby signed off and moved into the bathroom. When she came out, she realized that she really did think the baby would have cried already. Reminding herself that the womb was a very noisy place, she stopped herself from tiptoeing and went to her old bedroom to check on her son. She came to a complete stop when she found Nikolai ensconced in the rocking chair that sat next to the crib, the infant prince in his lap.

  “And someday, Siah,” she heard him say, “I’ll tell you all about the way I fell in love with your mother. She didn’t come to Christ until she was a teen, but I hope you’ll understand as a child, like I did. You must marry someone who loves Christ too, Siah. It’s very important to God that we obey Him in this.”

  Shelby was not a stupid person. She had a normal IQ, but up to now that hadn’t been very helpful to her. With eyes that saw things clearly for the very first time, she approached the man in the chair.

  Nikolai glanced up and smiled at her. “Isn’t he something?”

  “Yes,” Shelby said softly, her eyes caressing Nikolai’s bent head. “He’s incredible.”

  Nikolai looked up at her to smile again and found Shelby’s eyes on him. Having fully expected her to be watching the baby with him, he paused and stared at her.

  “I love you,” Shelby said softly.

  Nikolai froze for the space of several heartbeats. He then stood, put Siah in his cradle, and came back to Shelby.

  “Say it again.”

  “I love you.”

  Nikolai’s hand moved up to frame her face. “I honestly can’t think of a single thing I would want you to do differently, Red. You show your love to me every day, and for that reason I’ve not needed the words.” Nikolai’s eyes searched hers for a moment. “But I must tell you,” he now whispered, “they’re wonderful to hear.”

  “Oh, Nicky.” Shelby’s arms went around him, and she held on as if she would never let go. He was so wonderful. She had probably loved him for a long time, but not until she’d seen him sitting there, holding their son and talking to him about the Lord, did she know that it was time to say the words.

  “You’re not upset that I took so long?”

  “No,” he said close to her ear, his own arms hugging her tightly. “The timing had to be right, and as I said, you’ve been saying it in your actions for a long time now.”

  Shelby moved back to look into his face. “But you’ve said it to me many times, and I never could. Why is that?”

  Nikolai smiled. “I don’t know, and I can’t say as I care.”

  Shelby had a determined look on her face, the one that usually told Nikolai she had a problem to solve and must solve it.

  “Shelby?”

  “What?”

  “Look at me.”

  Shelby did.

  “Don’t worry about it. And I mean that.”

  Shelby nodded, seeing he was right. She was going up on tiptoe to kiss him just as the baby began to fuss. Nikolai made a move to let Shelby go, but she held on.

  “Don’t you want to get him?” Nikolai asked.

  “Both of our mothers have told me that crying is good for babies,” Shelby smiled and said, her hand going to the back of her husband’s head. “He can wait a few more seconds.”

  Not in a hurry to go anywhere at all, Nikolai kissed her right back, thinking he wouldn’t have argued for the kingdom.

  Epilogue

  Twelve Years Later

  “It hurts,” seven-year-old Jeremiah said.

  Shelby leaned to kiss first him and then the tissue that was wrapped around his finger.

  “Come on, Jer,” Nikolai directed, putting a hand to his son’s back. “We’ll see Fran and get you all patched up.”

  Mother and father exchanged a glance before Nikolai led the patient away.

  “Well, now,” Fran spoke as soon as the prince entered the kitchen. “What’s this?”

  “I cut my finger,” Jeremiah admitted. “I touched the sword.”

  Fran shook her head in loving exasperation as Murdock left his newspaper and came to inspect the wound.

  “It doesn’t look too deep,” he observed, and Nikolai stood back and let the faithful servants fuss over his son. Jeremiah had a flare for the dramatic—he and Shelby had noticed it often—but his heart was big, and all the staff was taken in by his round blue eyes and dark hair, much the way they’d enjoyed another young prince many years ago.

  “I think some gauze will do the trick,” Fran said calmly.

  She was like a second mother to the children, and Nikolai could see his son was already relaxing.

  Nikolai wasn’t quite so at ease. He had barely seen Shelby all day, and the sooner they got this show on the road, the sooner he would. The candy tin appeared out of nowhere, held by Murdock’s capable hand, and Nikolai allowed Jeremiah one piece. With a prayer for a calm heart, the prince made himself sit down and wait while his s
on finished.

  “Are you all right, Siah?” Shelby asked softly when she entered the large parlor and found her oldest child alone by the window.

  Siah turned to look at his mother but didn’t speak. Shelby waited.

  “What if I don’t find a wife to marry?” he asked softly, his eyes and hair so like his mother’s, his thoughtful manner also an inheritance from her.

  “Well,” Shelby said slowly, trying to find her bearings. “It could be a problem, but I guess I’m not too worried about it.”

  “But I only have until I’m 26.”

  Shelby had to stop herself from reminding him that his twenty-sixth birthday was many years away. She knew he would not find this helpful. Instead she said, “That very subject is up for review in Council, Siah, but even if it’s not changed, God will provide. You need to remember that it happens at all different times for people. So many kids go off to Bible school and meet someone the first year, but Peter didn’t. He didn’t meet Janie until his last year. There were times when he was uncertain if there would be anyone, but he waited on the Lord.”

  The young prince nodded, his face still thoughtful but not worried.

  “Tell me something, Siah,” Shelby went on. “What brought this up?”

  Siah looked disgusted and said of a second cousin, “Conroy has another girlfriend. She’s all he can talk about, and he’s only a year older than me.”

  Shelby well remembered when some of her friends had paired off and she had felt completely left out.

  “You’re going to think this is so dumb, Siah, but I wanted a phone in my room. I begged my parents, and they finally said I could have one for my thirteenth birthday. The only problem was that I was just past my twelfth birthday. I wished that whole year away, Siah. It was such a mistake. I don’t want you to do the same thing. Enjoy being 12. And enjoy not having a girlfriend. The time will come all too swiftly to talk about finding a mate, but having a new girl every other week is not the way to go about it. No matter what Conroy says.”

  Siah smiled at his mother when she smiled and leaned to kiss his brow. These days she didn’t have far to go. Siah looked as if he would catch his father in no time. She stared lovingly at his precious face. She knew they would have to speak of this again, but for now he looked more at peace. He was even eager to join the family as they waited on Nikolai, Jeremiah, and the king and queen. The whole family, including her parents, was going out to dinner. Shelby made her way over to her father and watched his conversation with their youngest daughter, four-year-old Mardelle.