Chapter 16

His silence was damning.

"That's what I thought," she whispered.

"This isn't fair," he finally said. "You know how much pressure we're under. The entire country is watching, waiting—"

"You think I don't know that?" Her voice rose despite her best efforts. "I can't walk into a room without feeling eyes drop to my stomach. I can't hold a child without someone making a comment about how 'natural' I look. I can't escape it for a single day!" Maria had really pissed her off.

"Amelia—"

"Do you know what it's like?" She continued, unable to stop now that the dam had broken. "To take that test every month, praying for a different result? To feel like a failure as a woman, as a wife, as a princess? To see the disappointment in your eyes, even when you try to hide it?"

"I've never been disappointed in you," Niko insisted, reaching for her.

She stepped back. "Haven't you? I see how you look at me, Niko. I see how your eyes go to my waistline every morning, ho