Chapter Fifty-Nine

I started freaking out, not the best move. I was flailing, not understanding what was keeping me under the water.

Suddenly I feel my foot unlodge and my body being lifted out of the water. I cough up water as soon as I breathe in oxygen.

"See, I told you I wouldn't let you drown." Aidan said as he holds me up.

"If you put me down so help me." I say as I feel him start to bend over so he stops. I wrap my arms around him and rested my head on his chest.

"Not exactly the relaxing dip in the lake I was hoping for." He said and sighed.

"I do feel cooler...but now my undergarment is clinging to my body." I said and picked up my wet clothing to watch it slosh back down onto my body.

"Yes...it is." He said, looking away from me.

"Why say it like that?" I ask and look up at him. He won't make eye contact with me and his face starts to redden. "Are you embarrassed?"

"No, I'm trying to calm myself."

"W-why?" I ask.

"I can see through your clothes." He says and I look back down at my clothes. I hadn't noticed before but my clothes my drenched, white clothes were clinging to me so tightly you could see everything.

I quickly looked around and didn't see the guards so I let out a sigh of relief.

"Consider it your punishment for throwing me in the water." I say with a smile.

He groaned. "You know I can't control myself when I see you like this."

"Then it's a fair punishment."

"Ca-can I put you down at least?" He asked, still sounding embarrassed.

"You can't hold your wife any longer?" I tease him.

"N-not like this." He said and cleared his throat.

"That's...fair. You can put me down I guess." I say and he puts me down.

"I'll have them bring you a towel."

"I'm not ready to get out yet."

"That's fine. It's to cover you."

"I-I'm not carrying a sopping wet towel around." I groan.

"Y-you can get a new one when you get out."

"I'm not carrying it in the water either." I say and he groans.

"You've seen it all before so deal with it. Let's go for a swim."

He sighed. "Ok fine."

"Yay." I said and smiled. I went farther out into the water until I was deep enough to swim. it was just the relaxing moment I needed.

I was so relaxed on the ride back covered with a towel and leaning on Aidan's chest I must've fallen asleep. I only awoke when we got back to the castle and the horse stopped. I groaned and opened my eyes when I felt the horse stop.

"Where are we?" I asked as I rubbed my eyes.

"We're in the stables." I felt him get off the horse and help me got down as well.

"Already?" I asked.

He chuckled. "You fell asleep on the way back. We ever rode slow so you could get some more rest."

"I don't believe it." I joked.

"Come, let's get you to bed for some rest."

"N-no way." I said as I pulled my hand away. "There's so much to do still for the coronation in a few weeks and the tour after. Ugh."

"You need to rest love." He said and pulled me into his arms. "You shouldn't work yourself this hard when you're carrying our baby." He said and kissed my forehead.

"I-I'm not useless you know."

"I know. You can do anything you set your mind to, of that much I'm certain." He said and chuckled. "It's ok to rest. It doesn't mean you're weak or that you aren't useful. You're not going to be able to get much done if you're exhausted."

I sighed. "But you don't rest."

"I do. I just don't require as much as others. The one unforeseen benefit of being held captive - you survive on very little of everything."

I frowned. "Come rest with me."

"I can't I-"

"You have to rest too. You're not going to be a very good daddy either if you're all worn out."

He smiled and gave in and we went upstairs. I fell asleep in his arms, it was lovely. I was saddened to wake up alone once again but I saw a note from Aidan saying he'd met with Winston to take care of the planning for today and that I should rest the remainder of the day.

As nice as that sounded I got up and worked on a few things around the castle. I tried to go at a slower rate and to take breaks but it was hard to do when there's so much going on - managing the castles finances and supplies, planning the coronations, redoing more rooms in the castle including the nursery, and getting ready for this tour. Maybe one day it would be less busy or maybe this pace was the new normal. I was okay with this as long as I could be with Aidan I could get through anything.