A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby

Loyal readers,

my favorite holiday is just around the corner.

Christmas means joy,

excitement, family, love and lights.

It also means my first year as Queen of Aldovia

is nearly under my belt.

And just... Wow!

What a year.

Royal life has a way of transforming everything.

As the year began,

Richard and I enjoyed a magical honeymoon.

Once home,

our revised new Aldovia initiative continued to grow.

And that's how we'll fund the tech center.

And the new hospital.

And quickly began paying dividends.

As did my efforts to learn about Aldovia's history and families.

That knowledge is very helpful

at functions like Royal State dinners.

And the people of Aldovia are fully embracing

their Queen Amber of New York.

This year has been super busy,

but next year is gonna be...

even busier.

Richard, this way!

Congratulations on the baby!

Over here!

Beautiful!

Have you chosen the baby's name?

No.

Are you expecting a boy or a girl?

- We haven't found out yet. - We're waiting to be surprised.

You've updated Aldovia's line of succession to include females.

Does that mean it's a girl?

It means that we are hoping to bring Aldovia

into the 21st Century culturally, just as the new Aldovia initiative

has done economically.

Will you at least tell us the baby's due date?

January the 11th.

Will you be taking time off?

- Yes. - Starting in two days time,

following the centennial treaty signing with the Kingdom of Penglia.

Our last official duty of the year.

Now are there any policy questions, economic queries, foreign affairs?

No.

About the baby. Do you have any names to share?

No.

Have you truly not chosen the name?

You won't give up, will you?

Well, I'd be delighted to finally know what names you're considering.

We're not telling anyone, Mother.

We're all family here.

What Richard said.

- For a girl, I say Khaleesi. - Hermione is lovely as well.

Claudette is a family name I'm very fond of

or Claude for a boy.

Well, if it is a boy, I won't be offended if you decided to name him Simon,

or Simone for a girl, obviously.

All lovely names, we will take them under advisement.

Your Majesty, in a few weeks' time when the baby arrives,

the surprise will be all the sweeter.

You always put things in perspective.

I just hope I'm half as beautiful as Amber is when I become pregnant.

That's an unsettling thought to put into your mother's head.

Not nearly as unsettling as your continued presence.

Your Majesties,

you have a guest.

I wonder who on Earth that could be.

Surprise!

Melissa!

Oh, you look fantastic!

I feel like a watermelon.

But it's so great that you could surprise me early for the baby shower.

I am early, but that's not actually the surprise.

Simon's invited me to stay through Christmas.

A fabulous idea, if I may say so.

Wow, great!

It's so good to see you.

Yeah. You too. So, are you daddy ready?

Getting there, I think.

Staying with someone's family over Christmas is a big deal.

- She should've told us. - She wanted to surprise you.

She knows how you feel about Simon.

- Well, I don't trust him. - No, neither do I.

He has behaved all year.

In the hope that we'll give him an official position.

Which we haven't.

I just don't want Melissa to get hurt.

Let them be.

We have more important issues to attend to.

Like my birth plan.

And the baby's musical enrichment.

I'm pretty sure research debunked the myth

that classical music makes your baby smarter.

Classical music makes everybody smarter,

which I need to be to build this crib.

Instruction manual's more complicated than differential calculus.

Taxi!

Oh!

Hey, Pop.

Hey Peanut. I'm almost packed.

What's cracking in Aldovania?

You still can't say it right.

Pack warmly, it's cold here.

Now why couldn't you marry the king of some tropical paradise?

She sunburns too easily.

Did you figure out how long you can stay yet?

Gus is gonna cover the diner,

so I can stay from the baby shower all the way until little Rudy's birth.

- Pardon me? - Oops! Sorry.

Prince Rudy's birth.

- Pop! - Hey, I'm just saying.

Amber, what are you doing out here? It's so cold.

- Just getting some air. - You should've woken me up.

You need your sleep.

You know, when the baby comes.

What do you have there?

Nothing.

Don't judge my cravings.

Never.

What do they call it? Sympathetic weight gain syndrome?

Don't tattle to Dr. Magoro. I'm supposed to watch my sugars.

You have my word.

Mm.

Fetal heart rate excellent.

Amniotic fluid levels superb.

Your baby is beautiful.

Going forward, anything special we should do?

Avoid special as much as possible.

Queen Amber needs her rest and relaxation,

nothing more.

That sounds ideal.

Hello, can we get a peek?

I'd love to see my little grandchild.

Can you print a copy for auntie Mel?

If you want to know if it's a boy or a girl, you'll be disappointed.

Foiled again.

Try harder next time.

Just what the doctor ordered.

Nothing is more important right now

than time to ourselves.

Ooh...

To quote your sister, I'm not a china doll.

No, you're far more valuable.

I want you both to have the best of everything, including sleigh rides.

I've been thinking,

and I want this baby to have a normal life,

as normal as possible.

Our child will be heir to the Kingdom.

Still, I went to public school, I played with neighborhood kids.

I went to boarding school and played polo.

I was riding a subway by myself when I was ten, and I ate diner food.

I had nannies to make sure I ate my vegetables.

- I turned out all right. - So did I.

We'll find a new definition of normal together.

- No boarding school. - No boarding school.

But no subway riding, either.

Well, luckily for you, Aldovia doesn't have a subway.

Your Majesties,

with an eye to the Penglians' official visit and treaty signing

proceeding as smoothly as possible,

we feel a review is prudent.

Thank you for making the time.

Well, this is the last of the time you will get of our Queen,

for the rest of the year will be dedicated exclusively

to the preparations for the birth of the royal baby.

Of course.

Mr. Little.

The centennial treaty

renews an ancient truce between Aldovia and Penglia

that dates back to a war 600 years ago.

That was the war over Silk Road trading routes, right?

You've studied your history, Queen Amber.

It was a fearsome and brutal war with no end in sight.

Finally, on Christmas Eve 1419,

Prince Claude of Aldovia and Prince Jun of Penglia,

inspired by the season of peace and goodwill,

found a way to end the conflict.

Just before midnight,

on that fateful Christmas Eve 1419,

the truce was declared and the treaty signed.

The treaty, your Majesties.

To honor the peace and friendship between our nations,

the treaty has been ceremonially renewed

every 100 years since, without fail.

The artistry is incredible.

It's a treasured artifact.

It's been under our protection since 1919.

And after the signing, it goes back to Penglia

for the next hundred years.

It's beautiful, with the signatures of every king.

I'll be the first queen to sign it.

You will, indeed.

As long as the royals from Penglia agree.

Whilst Aldovia boldly plunges into the 21st Century,

this treaty dates back to the 15th Century.

We'll have to proceed very carefully, Amber.

The Penglians are our closest allies but,

in many respects, they are quite traditional.

An attitude personified