Days passed after my stepmother's treachery. She was put in a prison that was far away from the castle. I stopped thinking about her. The mice were rewarded for their bravery. Greg made sure that they had a feast and new clothes and he began to work on mouse sized furniture for the tower room. They gave me a present for the baby. It was a baby bonnet they had created themselves.

The king was improving daily, but he wasn't confident he would live much longer. He knew, as did the rest of the kingdom, that he would need to step down as king so that Greg could take over. Poor Greg. I worried about him sometimes. I knew he was ready to b king, but he didn't see it in himself. He spent hours pouring over history books, maps, and legal documents, studying past rulers and their methods.

I was watching him write furiously on a scroll. We were in what I liked to call the flower room. It was a sitting room on the main floor of the castle near the ballroom. I called it the flower room because the windows opened into the royal garden. It always smelled like fresh roses. The wallpaper was a silver daisy pattern and the armchairs and sofas were a lovely shade of pink. The mantle and window frames were painted white, as was the desk where Greg sat. The embroidery piece I had ben working on sat, forgotten, on top of my swollen stomach. I was too busy watching Greg. He was wearing a white shirt under a deep blue vest with black buttons. His trousers were tucked into his plain, everyday boots. His left elbow was propped up on the desk, his hand on his forehead. He was frowning, concentrating hard on whatever he was scribbling. After a while, he looked up. Our eyes met. He smiled. "What are you thinking about, Katie-Beth?"

"Just you," I said. "You've been working on that scroll for almost an hour."

Greg put his quill in the inkwell and stood up. He was so tall and so handsome. His dark hair was slightly tossed from the way he ran his fingers through it while he was working. He came and sat beside me, holding my hand. "Just some ideas."

There was a slight nudging in my stomach. I smiled and pressed Greg's hand to the spot where the baby was kicking.

"Our baby's getting strong," Greg said, smiling. "You get to pick the name, you know. Pick whichever names you want."

"Well," I said. "What do you think about the name-" I gasped.

Greg was instantly alert. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I said. "Just a big kick." I shifted positions. "What do you think of the name-" I gasped again. "Nothing's wrong," I whispered before Greg could ask again. "I just felt a little pain."

Greg dropped down to one knee in front of me. "Pain? Katie, sweetheart, what's wrong?"

I touched his shoulder. "Greg, I'm fine, but we should call the doctor." Excitement sprung in my chest, followed by fear, followed instantly by happiness. "I think the baby is coming."

The clock struck midnight when the pain subsided.

"It's a girl," the midwife said.

Minutes later, a tiny bundle was placed in my arms.

"Shall I inform the prince?"

I nodded slowly. I could feel my fingers shaking as I stroked the cheeks of the crying infant I held in my arms. She was perfect and beautiful. "Hello, little one," I sighed. "Don't cry, I'm here." Then, Greg was there. He wiped the sweat from my forehead and kissed me gently.

"Look," I said quietly. The baby was quieting down now. "Look at our little princess."

Gently, Greg lifted the baby out of my arms. He sat next to me on the bed. I saw tears in his eyes. "She's so little."

The midwife moved next to us. "Begging your pardon ma'am, but you both need rest now. I'm sorry, your majesty, but it's been a long night for all of us."

Greg passed the baby to the midwife and kissed me again before leaving the room. I fell asleep almost instantly.

When I opened my eyes again, the sun was streaming into the bedroom. I could hear a baby crying. I smiled. My baby. Jane, the midwife, was holding her and rocking her. "May I see her?" I asked.

The midwife looked up in surprise. "Of course, your majesty. I'm so sorry, I didn't see you wake." She made her way over to me and placed a now sleeping baby in my arms. I held her, my baby, my little girl, close to my chest. She was wrapped in a soft, white blanket. Her face was pink and her mouth opened in a tiny yawn.

"Oh, somebody's sleepy," I murmured quietly.

"That makes two of us," Greg said. He stood in the doorway. "Can I come in?"

I nodded, then brought my gaze back to my sleeping angel. "We have to name her."

"Well, right before you started all of the yelling, you were about to tell me a name idea."

I started to laugh. "I was, wasn't I? What to you think of the name Lucy?"

Greg sat down, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and stroking the baby's cheek with his fingers. "Lucy Beth?"

"Yes," I whispered. "It's perfect." I couldn't even begin to describe the joy in my heart. I had a family. I had a perfectly healthy baby girl. The world was beautiful. Life was beautiful. "Greg?" I said.

"What, my love?"

"We're going to live happily ever after."

Greg kissed the top of my head. "Just like a fairytale."

And so, like a fairytale, Greg, Lucy-Beth, and I lived happily ever after. We had our trials, like when the king died, but we overcame. Together, the three of us always overcame. With love and hope, we truly did live happily ever after.

THE END