So i know i'm always apologizing for posting late. The reason that this chapter is late is because i have a lot of stuff going on in my life right now. The reason is because of personal issues such as mental health and supporting my friends during tough times. Graduation is also coming up soon, so are exams :'(, so i'm pretty busy. So this is the final chapter for the story. This chapter is mostly building up to the plot of the sequel. It's a bittersweet moment for me. I'll like to thank all of you who have read, reviewed, followed and favourited. This chapter is dedicated to all of you. The sequel to this story, "Behind those blue eyes", should be posted by June 15th or the end of the month the latest.

So i know that i haven't responded to any reviews throughout the story but i want you to all know that i read every single one. I'm considering on responding to them throughout the sequel. Please keep reviewing and PMing. I love hearing from you guys or talking, even if it's not about the story. So feel free to PM me anytime.

I have also been considering over the past few weeks on starting a Wicked fanfiction. I don't know if any of you are fans but i love the musical and i suggest checking it out if you have never heard of it. Reading a few wicked fanfictions has inspired me to write my own. It'll probably be mid summer before i start that one.

I'm so happy that you guys love baby Emmaline. I've never heard of that name before it was suggested and i fell in love with it and decided then that the baby was going to be a girl. You'll see more Emmaline in this chapter and in the sequel.

Thank you guys so much for reading my story and i hope to be back with the sequel soon. :)

Chapter 25:

Knock, knock, knock. "Maxon get the door." I sigh, adjusting Emmaline in my arms. Maxon comes out of the bathroom with only a towel resting on his hips and heads for the door. I hear Mary giggle as she stands behind me, putting my hair into a braid. "Only the king of Illéa would answer the door in a towel." I laugh. "Yes and only you would marry that King." Mary jokes. Emmaline stirs in my arms. A frown grows on her face and I can already hear the cries that are about to come out of her mouth. Maxon enters the bedroom with Nicoletta as Emmaline starts to cry. "Oh mia cara." Nic whispers. I stand up from my seat at the vanity and lay Emmaline on the bed where we have a makeshift changing table. "She just pooped." I state, removing the dirty diaper. Maxon nods and returns to the bathroom to finish getting ready, leaving me with Nicoletta.

We've been in Italy for over a week now. It's been 5 days since Emmaline was born and we've had to wait a few days to fly back home. We are hoping to leave today if Dr. Cole gives us the okay to fly. Nicoletta was excited that we could stay since she's not leaving for her honeymoon until tomorrow. Queen Beth left the morning after the wedding but not before saying hello to Emmaline and receiving a huge thank you from Maxon. If it wasn't for her I probably would've had my baby in the ballroom. My mother has been overprotective and has called at least once a day since Emmaline was born. She plans to be at the palace when we arrive back home. I wish she was here with us right now, mostly because I could use her parenting advice.

"Is she okay?" Nic asks as she walks over beside me. I finish changing Emmaline's diaper and lift her back into my arms. "Of course she is. She just needed a clean diaper." I explain. Nic looks around the room sheepishly and sits on the stool of my vanity. I follow her eyes and notice the growing pile of clothes lying around the room. "I guess babies make a lot of mess." I laugh, cradling my daughter. Mary unsurprisingly takes this as a hint to start cleaning the room. I go to wave her off but I know it's no use. I sit down on the bed and sigh. I'm sure Nic has noticed the bags under my eyes by now but refuses to mention them. Of course I haven't slept that much since Emmaline was born. To be honest I haven't slept properly since January.

Maxon enters the room with dress pants and an undershirt on. "Yes love, it was the baby who made the mess." He jokes, kissing me as he sits down next to me. "Next thing you'll be blaming you're bad dancing on the palace chef." Nic laughs at that comment. "So are you still leaving today?" she asks with a sigh. "Hopefully, but that's if baby and momma are healthy enough." Maxon takes Emmaline from me and holds her to his chest. "I was hoping to keep you here for another day but I better not push my luck." Nic giggles. I laugh and pull my bathrobe closer to my body. "You're lucky you got us here for this long. We were supposed to be home 4 days ago." I state. "I know, I know but I love having you here." She smiles. "Well you'll have to visit sometime over the summer to check-up on your goddaughter." I state. I look over at Mary who is starting to pack Maxon's suitcase. "Even if we don't leave today you won't see us anymore. You're leaving tomorrow remember? And I don't think you want to miss your honeymoon." I smirk. Nic sends me a glare but blushes none the less. "Mary, can you bring us some tea and breakfast?" I ask quietly. Mary nods and quickly leaves the room. I lean up against Maxon with my head on his shoulder. "I should let you two pack and get ready. I'll hopefully see you at lunch or before you leave." Nic stands up from her seat and collects me in a hug. "Get back to your husband Nic." I smile. She waves a finger in front of my face. "I'm letting him rest." She smirks and leaves the room. I curl up to Maxon and he places a kiss on my forehead. "I should probably get ready and dressed." I whisper. "Yes you should before she decides she's hungry. Because we both know that I can't feed her." Maxon smiles. I lightly laugh and stand up from the bed. "If you need me just holler." "I think I can keep her happy long enough." I place a kiss on Maxon's lips and on Emmaline's head. Over the past few days I've been slightly worried to leave Emmaline alone with Maxon. It's not that I don't trust him; it's just hard to not have my daughter in my sights at all times.

I put on the lilac coloured dress Mary has set out for me. Although I haven't lost all my pregnancy weight my maternity dresses don't fit like they used to. The dressmakers here at the castle have made several dresses for me to wear during our extended stay. This dress goes to my knees and has a simple neckline and style. I exit the bathroom and grab my flats off the floor of the bedroom. The room is quiet and my family is nowhere to be seen. I put on my shoes and start packing some of my make-up. I hear the door of the bedroom open and Mary steps into the room. "There's some tea and toast waiting for you in the sitting room." She smiles. "Thank you Mary." Mary starts cleaning up some of the clothes around the room. The real reason this room has become a mess is because Mary hasn't been in here the past few days. When Mary came to visit me and the baby she explained that she fully cleaned the room and would let us have our privacy until we returned home to Illéa. I explained it wasn't necessary but she insisted that it was part of her duty to the Queen to allow for Queen to have privacy after giving birth. After a few days of missing Mary, who entertained herself with the Italian dress makers and an Illéan guard whom she began dating not too long ago, our bedroom became quite messy. I told Mary to forgo tradition today in order to help us pack and get ready.

"Mary, have you seen my husband?" I ask, putting the last of my make-up in a bag. Mary folds a pair of pants and smiles. "I believe he is still lying on the couch with the princess." She nods her head towards the sitting room. I shake my head and enter the bright sitting room. Maxon is lounging on the couch with Emmaline lying on his chest. I walk over and sit on the chair across from Maxon. "She's sleeping." Maxon whispers, stoking Emmaline's back. "That's a first." I respond, playing with a string on the chair. Maxon looks over at me with a sad smile. "You should eat something. As soon as she wakes up we'll visit Dr. Cole. Hopefully we can leave today and quickly; the sooner we get home the better." Maxon states. I pick up a piece of toast and start nibbling on it. "You should make sure that Aspen and the guards are ready to leave." Maxon sighs and nods. "I would but my princess is comfy and I wouldn't want to disturb her." Maxon winks at me. I finish my toast and grab a cup of tea. "I'm sure she's fine in her cradle Maxon."

Aspen enters out room carrying papers. "Good Morning. I have updates for you both." He states standing in front of us. "I scheduled a flight for 11:30, which is in 2 hours. You should arrive home around 6pm tonight Illéa time or 3am Italian time. Also Dr. Cole is ready for you guys anytime in the castle hospital for your check-up. If Dr. Cole states that you can't fly then the alternative day is in two days. We are hoping that you can fly today. Also the advisors have been able to keep the upper castes happy since your arrival in Italy. We are positive that they should stay that way until you return home." Maxon adjusts Emmaline into his arms and sits up on the couch. "Thank You Aspen. How has the country been reacting to the baby's birth?" Aspen looks over his notes and smiles. "They appear to be happy that the heir is born but are anxious that they don't know and details. Gavril has a report scheduled for a week after you return home to announce the princess' birth." I stand up from my seat and take Emmaline from Maxon's arms. "Thank You Aspen; please let Dr. Cole know we will be down momentarily for our appointment." I state. Aspen nods and quickly leaves the room.

I cradle Emmaline and look down at Maxon. "Did you make sure that the baby carrier is ready?" Maxon looks smiles weakly at me. "Not yet but I'll do that now my dear." I shake my head and laugh. "You better or else you can hold your daughter the entire 16 hour flight." Maxon stands up and wraps his strong arms around my waist from behind. "I'll make sure the carrier is ready." Maxon kisses my cheek and moves his lips to my neck. "Do you think Aspen could look after Emmaline on the flight so I can have some America time?" Maxon mutters. I smile and move Maxon off of my neck. "Give me a few weeks then you can have your America time." Maxon pouts and looks down at Emmaline, who is still asleep. "I still think she looks like you." He whispers. I shake my head and cradle my daughter closer to me. "She's all you Maxon; sweet and gentle." Maxon kisses me and moves the stray hair from my face. "I think she's the perfect combination of us both."

We make our way down towards the castle's infirmary after lounging around our room for a while. I cradle Emmaline close to my chest as she looks up at me with her shinning blue eyes. Maxon wraps an arm around my waist. "For your mother's sake I hope we can return home today." He states, looking at his princess lovingly. "I hope so too. She's going to go cra…" I'm interrupted by someone calling our names. An Italian guard comes running towards us. "You're Majesties." He bows to us and quickly starts talking again. "My King requests your immediate presence in his study." Maxon looks at me with his King face. "Take Emmaline to the infirmary and get Dr. Cole's opinion about leaving. I'll meet you in our room after." He states. I nod my head knowing it's better to agree right now. I would rather go to the King's study and find out what's going on but the sooner we get this appointment done, the sooner we can get on the plane. I put on my understanding queen face on as I watch Maxon follow the guard.

I enter the infirmary to see Dr. Cole waiting outside of the private room. He smiles at me and cheers. "Are you ready to go home?" I nod my head and hand Emmaline over as we enter the room. I sit on the bed as Dr. Cole examines my daughter. "Where's Maxon today? I figured we would be here asking 500 questions." He chuckles, checking Emmaline's eyes and ears. "He was called to the king's study as we were walking down here." I sigh, playing with the end of my dress. "Well I hope everything is alright." I look blankly at the white wall. That is what I've been thinking about since we were greeted by the guard. What if something was wrong? What if we can't return home or if something tragic happened to someone back home. Dr. Cole hands Emmaline over to a nurse and smiles at me. "Well the Princess seems to be in good health. She's the right size and weight for her structure. Has she been eating well?" Dr. Cole asks. "Yes, she seems to be a hungry baby but then again, look at who her mother is." I joke. Dr. Cole laughs, knowing all too well how true that statement was.

Dr. Cole does a quick physical examination on me and asks more personal questions. "So do you think we can return home today?" I ask, swinging my feet against the hospital bed. Dr. Cole sighs and sits down in a chair across from me. "Well I don't see any red flags." I start smiling but Dr. Cole's face brings down my mood. "I feel like a but is coming." Dr. Cole nods. "But I want the pilot ready for an emergency landing in case the baby becomes stressed." "Yes of course." I agree. The nurse carrying Emmaline comes into the room and holds out Emmaline. "Here she is. I just changed her diaper." I take Emmaline from her arms. "Thank you so much. So Dr. Cole, are we flying today?" I grin. Dr. Cole smirks and writes something on his clipboard. "I have to go pack my bags." He leaves the room with the nurses following.

I take Emmaline back up to the room, hoping Maxon is back from the meeting with the King. I enter the room to see Mary cleaning the room. "Mary, can you finish packing my bags as well as your own. We're going home." I cheer. Mary claps her hands in joy and rushes over to me. "What time are we leaving?" I lay Emmaline down in the cradle and sit on the bed. "Well the plane is set to leave around 11:30 so we should be getting ready to leave the castle around 11:00. Also Maxon never made sure if the baby carrier was ready so can you go check on that for me please." I lean back against the headboard. Speaking of Maxon, he never returned from the meeting. Mary leaves to check on the carrier and I close my eyes for a moment. The lack of sleep hits me and I wish someone was here so I could sleep. Knock, knock, knock. "Well my wish came true." I mutter. "It's open." Aspen enters the room in a hurry. "Aspen, what's going on." I ask hesitantly. "Maxon needs you in the king's study. He hasn't told me what happened yet, he just asked for me to get you first." I hear Emmaline whimper in her cradle. "Okay, I'll go immediately. I'll have to take Emmaline with me though." I lift Emmaline out of the cradle and adjust her comfortable in my arms. Emmaline's cries stop and she looks up at me. "Let's go Mer, before Maxon threatens to come here himself and get you." Aspen jokes.

Aspen leads me into the study where I see Maxon and the king sitting at a table with a phone and papers between them. Aspen takes a seat beside the Italian head of security and nods towards the chair beside Maxon. I look down at the papers which seem to have several crossed out things written on them. The intense look on my husband's face lets me know that something isn't right. I place my hand on Maxon's shoulder as I sit down beside him. Maxon looks up with a sad smile on his face. "What's going on?" I ask. The room remains silent as I wait for an answer. Emmaline starts whimpering and I know that she is hungry and is about to full out-cry soon. "The upper castes have started to riot in five of the provinces within the last 24 hours." Maxon answers. "Why are we just hearing about this now then?" "Carter just called the castle to let us know. That's when we were called in here." I sigh and Emmaline takes the slight silence as a cue to cry out in hunger. I attempt to calm her but she only cries louder. Maxon takes off his suit jacket and covers my front with it as an indicator to feed Emmaline. The men in the room, with the exception of Maxon, all look away to give me some privacy. "So what are we going to do?" I ask, glancing down at my daughter. "Well we decided that we shou…" The door burst open and the Queen, Nicoletta and Aldo enter the room. Nic immediately takes a seat next to me and looks to her father concerned. "I heard there are problems in Illéa right now." The king sighs and leans back in his chair. "The upper castes are rioting against King Maxon. We are unsure of the reason but it is assumed because of the removal of the castes." I look up at Maxon. "Maxon, what are we going to do?" I whisper. "I'll have to return home and meet with the advisors. For now, the Italians offered to let you stay here until we know it is safe to fly into the country. We'll call Carter momentarily to let him know this plan and to somehow attempt to keep the riots under somewhat of control." Maxon states. I shake my head. "If you fly home today then so am I. I received word from the doctor that I am able to fly. I'm not letting you fly in alone Maxon." "America, if something does happen to the plane I want to make sure Emmaline and you live. The best bet is to stay here until it is deemed safe. The heir is born and as long as she lives, no one can overthrow us." "Maxon, I'm not staying here without you. We could fly to Illéa but land the plane in a closer province. Then we can take short flights throughout the rest of the country. We agreed we were leaving today." I state loudly. Maxon runs his hand thru his hair and leans back in his chair. "Fine here's the new plan. The three of us will return home today but at 11 instead of 11:30. We should arrive home by 5:00 tonight Illéan time. When we return home then we'll address the people and meet with advisors." Maxon stands up and turns to Aspen. "Leger, have your men ready to leave and have some of them up to our room to take our bags to the car. Make sure the pilot and Dr. Cole knows that we are leaving in 45 minutes. Make it clear we are to be in the air at 11. We don't have time to waste." Maxon looks around the room and takes his seat. "Leger, you are dismissed." He whispers. Aspen stands up and leaves the room quickly. "King Maxon, please call us when you arrive home; just to set our minds at ease and to let us know if we can help." The Queen offers softly. "Thank you so much. We'll be sure to call." I smile. Emmaline is finally fed and I remove Maxon's jacket from my front. I place her against my shoulder to burp her. We remain in silence as no one knows what else to say. A knock at the door interrupts our quiet thoughts. "Come in." The King calls out. The door opens to reveal one of our guards. "You're Majesties." He bows. "I was told by Officer Leger that you needed some men to help with your luggage." Maxon places a hand on my shoulder and nods. "Of course, we'll be out momentarily." The king stands up and Maxon follows. The men shake hands and smile. "Thank you so much for the help. We'll be sure to call." "Anytime Son. I'm sure we'll be over to visit in a few months. I don't think Nicoletta can stand being away from her goddaughter." The king laughs. I stand up and Maxon takes Emmaline from my arms. Maxon puts a hand on my back and leads me from the room.

Several guards follow us down and into our room. I walk into the bedroom, leaving Maxon in the sitting room with Emmaline, to see Mary closing her small black suitcase. "Mary, are the bags ready to go? We really need to get going if we are going to make the early flight." "Yes you're Majesty." She curtseys as she takes in the guards behind me. "All the bags are packed and are ready to be put on the plane." I wave the guards into the room. "Take the bags to the plane and get ready to leave Italy. We'll be departing soon." I state. I stand and watch the guards pick up the bags. Maxon strides into the room rocking Emmaline in his arms. "I wish you would stay here for an extra day. Just to be sure it's safe and for my sanity." He whispers. I notice Emmaline looking up at Maxon with awe. I watch Mary pick up her suitcase and softly excuse herself from the room, stating she'll meet us on the plane. "Maxon, I'm not letting you go home alone. We're a family now and family doesn't leave each other." Maxon adjusts Emmaline into one arm and wraps the other around my waist. "I love you Ames, with all my heart." He places a kiss on my lips and squeezes my waist. "I love you." I whisper against his lips. We stand there for a few moments until Emmaline's gurgling noises makes us laugh. "We should get going. The plane and Nicoletta is waiting for us." "Not to mention your mother." Maxon grins. Maxon lays Emmaline in the carrier and lifts it up. "Not only my mother but the Woodworks and the rest of my family. Astra is going to be so happy to finally meet her baby cousin."

We enter the foyer where the Italian royal family is waiting for our departure. Nic sees us coming down the stairs and watches us with adoration. Maxon is carrying the baby carrier down the stairs with Emmaline in it, meanwhile I'm holding onto Maxon's arm. "You two are so adorable. Sometimes I wish me and Aldo could be as cute as you." Nic dreams and we reach the bottom of the stairs. I pull her in for a hug and whisper into her ear. "If this honeymoon goes as planned then you should have a baby in 9 months that'll make you guys as cute as us." I smirk. Nic slaps my shoulder and places a kiss on my cheek. Maxon places a hand on my back and smiles. "It's time to go my darling." I nod my head and hug Nic one last time. "Call me anytime." She whispers. "I'll be coming to visit sometime soon. That baby is too cute for words." "It's been a pleasure having you in our home." The queen smiles. "Thank you for allowing us to stay here longer than we thought." The queen waves it off and grins widely. "We are just glad that mother and baby are healthy." Aspen enters the room quietly. "It's time to go you're highnesses."

I enter the plane and sit down in a plush seat. Maxon straps the carrier to the seat beside me and sits on the other side of the carrier. "We'll after a long week we're finally going home Ames." He cheers, placing a hand in the carrier to cradle Emmaline. I look at the window and watch as we start to lift off the ground. "I can't believe that last time we were on the plane she was still in my stomach. Now she's here with us." I look up at Maxon. "It's hard to believe that we have a daughter." I whisper. Emmaline's eyes start to close and I place a gentle kiss on her head. "She's precious." Maxon takes my hand and places a kiss on it. "Just like you." I lean back against the seat. "I hope everything is going to be okay Maxon." I sigh. Maxon looks at me softly. "I hope so too Ames." Somehow within all this craziness I managed to get my happily ever after. I just hope my daughter gets hers.

-SelectionGirl0723