"Did you know I completely forgot I was pregnant yesterday?" I confessed to Evangeline as we sat in the palace's private garden. The sunlight filtered through the leaves, creating dappled patterns on our dresses. "I was speaking with Alistair about dinner plans and suddenly thought, 'Oh, I'm carrying a child.' It was the strangest feeling."
Evangeline laughed softly. "I've heard that happens. The mind plays tricks when your body is doing something so extraordinary."
I placed a hand on my still-flat stomach. Despite knowing intellectually that a child was growing within me, physically I felt mostly like myself—perhaps a bit more tired, occasionally queasy in the mornings, but otherwise normal. It was disconcerting how something so life-altering could feel so ordinary day to day.
"Have you been ill much?" Evangeline asked, pouring me another cup of tea.
