Chapter 375: Winter’s Embrace (II)
"What if it is a girl?" She whispered, her fingers tracing the silver embroidery on his coat, "what if our daughter faces judgment after being born? The Chevalier lineage has always been male, and since I’m your wife, a lot of the councils have bound me to this logic. Everyone is expecting me to give birth to a male heir, Ivan, and I’m honestly scared. What if I don’t fulfill it? What if they look down upon her? I don’t want our daughter to face rejection, I–"
"Listen to me," Ivan gently cupped her face, staring into her troubled eyes, "our child will be loved, cherished and celebrated. Doesn’t matter to me if you bless me with a boy or not. If it’s a girl, then she’ll be our legacy, and nothing’s going to change that."
Samantha’s eyes shimmered. "But tradition—"
"Tradition bends," Ivan said firmly. "It adapts. Our family’s honor lies not in gender but in character, and you know this better than anyone. Trust me, our daughter won’t be treated any less."
He pressed his lips to her forehead, inhaling the blossom scent she emitted, "And anyone who dares to look down upon a king’s daughter," Ivan’s eyes blazed. "They will face the wrath of not just a king, but a father."
Samantha smiled, her heart filled with hope. "You promise?"
"I promise," Ivan vowed. "Our daughter will know love, courage, and acceptance. No one will dare speak ill of her, not when she has us."
Samantha leaned into Ivan, her heart swelling, and she could feel her eyes getting glazed with tears, "I love you, Ivan."
"And I love you too." he replied softly, "unlike me, our daughter would be free to choose the path she wants. And she will know her parents."
"Together." Samantha agreed, "forever."
In that quiet moment, as the snow continued to fall, Samantha knew there were more trials that awaited them both in the future, but she was no longer afraid of what was to come, and as long as they were together, she had nothing to fret about.