Baby after One Night with the Prince

Marco's POV.

Lily's screams ring in my ears, and she thrashes wildly in the pond, sending water in every direction. I race to her side, jumping in before Eric even reaches the edge of the pond. Lily wraps her arms around me with a gasp, her nails digging into my skin. I grimace as she splashes me, hauling her out of the water.

"Lily, calm down. Stop it. I got you," I growl at her, and she wiggles a bit less at my command.

I carry her out, setting her down gently on the ground. Eric quickly joins us, his expression wrought with worry.

"You shouldn't have done that," my brother says quietly to me. "I would have gone in to rescue her."

I know Lily is not mine to rescue. She's with Eric now, and he's the one that should be rushing to her aid. But I'm faster and stronger, and I would have done it for anyone. Even though Lily and I aren't together anymore, I wasn't going to stand by and watch as she drowned.

"You're welcome," I growl at him sarcastically before nodding towards Lily. "Take care of this."

Eric only glares resentfully at my biting tone before kneeling beside his fiancé. I step back, giving them some space.

"Lily, are you okay? What happened?" he asks.

"It was an accident; Ayana knocked her purse in the pond," Lily coughs, her voice overly breathy. "Oh, Eric, I was so scared. I feel so faint."

I roll my eyes, not wanting to get involved in whatever drama Ayana stirred up. Lily is safe, so I get up to head back into the ballroom and look for Tanya. But before I take a single step, Lily sputters.

"I told her not to go in... I tried to go in after her to help... I'm sorry I didn't stop her in time."

I whirl around to face Lily again, my brow furrowing.

"Her? Who else went in?" I ask, and it's more of a demand than a question.

Lily takes an exaggeratedly slow breath.

"Tanya... Tanya went into the pond. I think she was trying to get her purse back. I...."

Her words fade, and I don't register much of what she says after my wife's name. My eyes widen, scanning the dark waters. Something tightens in my chest as panic, unlike any I've ever known, fills me.

I jump back in.

***

Tanya's POV.

Dying happens very slowly and then all at once. At first, everything hurts, cold and tight and dark around me as my lungs scream for air. Then, I lose sight of which way is up and which way is down, and the pain quiets. It becomes a distant whisper as I feel myself fading, like falling asleep.

The strength seeps out of me, and my eyes slip shut, my limbs becoming loose. For a moment, I swear I can feel my heartbeat slowing, softer and softer with each beat.

Then, a kiss brings me back from the edge of death.

Cutting through the darkness underwater, someone's lips press fiercely against my own. Air is pushed past my cold lips, my tired lungs heaving as a breath is blown into me. Life shocks back through me as if waking me up from an awful nightmare, sensation slowly returning to me.

Strong arms wrap around me, pulling me out of the blackness. I'm still cold and dizzy; everything feels so far away, but I'm not afraid. I feel safe in this desperate embrace. If I died, perhaps these are the arms of my angel, coming to carry me away to a place of warmth and rest.

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But then we break through the surface of the water, and the world rushes back at me. I gasp, welcoming oxygen into my aching chest. Marco holds me as I struggle to steady my breathing, and the realization hits me like a crashing wave. I'm alive.

And I'm not alone.

***

Marco carries me out of the pond, our drenched clothes clinging to our bodies. The crowd has started to disperse, less concerned with my safety, while Lily is the center of attention. Several people register Marco and me as he emerges from the pond and lays me on the grass. I'm shivering slightly, and both of us are panting. But as soon as Marco's breathing steadies enough for him to get a word out, he growls at me. "What were you thinking?"

I'm too shaky to answer right away, so I just look down, unfurling my frozen fingers to reveal his mother's earrings in the palm of my hand. Marco's eyes widen at the sight of them and then narrow in disapproval at the relief on my face. "You could have died," he says, his voice low and angry. "You nearly drowned because of a pair of earrings?"

I frown up at him, confused by the frustration on his face. I'm still dizzy and lightheaded, but I manage to reply.

"They were your mother's."

He only stares at me in disbelief.

"Your mother left them for you, and you gave them to Lily. They're important," I say simply.

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A palace guard approaches us, discretely handing Marco a towel to dry himself off. He takes it and dismisses the guard, looking down.

"How did you know they were a gift? How did you know I gave them to Lily?"

I rub my eyes with the back of my hand, brushing off little droplets.

"There was a note from you in the box: 'For my love.' These earrings are a token of love, first from your mother and then from you to Lily." I mumble, trying to explain. "A token of love is a treasure. Something so precious is worth the risk." He shakes his head, but I can't tell if he's still mad at me. His expression becomes quiet and unreadable. I'd never seen him so... protective.

He looks at me, and for a second, I get the feeling like he's seeing me for the first time. There's still frustration and disapproval in his blue eyes, but also a hint of something else I can't quite identify. A strong emotion hovers in his deep eyes, as if he is trying hard to suppress it, yet it's still about to erupt.

“I'm sorry,” I whisper. "I didn't mean to cause a scene, really. I just..." I hold out the earrings to him. "They're important to you. I had to protect that."

He doesn't say anything, and he doesn't take the earrings from me. Instead, he tosses the towel at my face. I sigh somewhat ungracefully into the fabric, rubbing it against the back of my head to try and dry out my hair a little. With the towel over my eyes, I don't see him moving closer to me, but the next thing I know, his arms are wrapped around me.

"Wha- Marco, I can't see," I grumble, squirming slightly, but he pulls me against him, holding me even tighter. I go still, holding back my protests as I hear his muffled voice through the fabric.

"My wife is more valuable than any object- foolish little flower. A token of love is precious, but a life is priceless. You are far more important to me."