And this is the last chapter of A Royal Love. Hope I did it justice! I already made a goodbye post for this story on my tumblr, but I'd just like to state once more how happy writing this story has made me. It's offered a great escape from reality, and I hope that I write many many more stories to this extent in the future!
Enjoy!

365 days.

One year.

God only knows how much can change in one year.

"Inhale deeply through your nose, and exhale little, quick puffs."

Kate gripped her lower back; her eyes squeezed shut in pain. "It's," She spoke between exhales, "Not. Helping.
Will!"

Will frowned and tried to wrap his arms around Kate's shoulders, but she pushed him away.

"I need space," She exhaled loudly through her nose and walked in the opposite direction of where Will was standing.

"Do you need some ice-"

"No!" Kate screeched, her fingers pinching the bridge of her nose. "Will, this really hurts," She let out a helpless cry, her mood shifting from anger to distress in less than one shocking second. Will's heart couldn't help but shatter as tears of pain streaked his wife's delicate cheeks. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her, glad that this time she didn't push him away.

"I know, baby. But it will be over soon, I promise."

"Ow, ow, ow," She cried into his shirt, his comforting kisses not helping her very much.

"Okay, I think it's time to get you back to the room," Will said, his voice gentle. He tried to get his wife to move, but she wouldn't budge from her grasp in his arms. Her feet were planted firmly on the ground.

"Kate, why aren't you moving?" Will asked, rubbing the back of Kate's head as her face cringed with pain.

"I-I," Kate burst into tears, burying her face in Will's shoulder. Will sighed and squeezed her tightly against his body, kissing every available part of her face.

"Why, honey?" He asked once more, the tone of his soft voice causing Kate's heart to ache. She drew her face back from Will's shoulder and stared into his eyes, his deep, concerned blue orbs offering her some of the comfort she needed.

"Because once I step into that room, I'm going to have to go through with this!" Her voice hitched with panic and her eyes were frantic. "And I don't think I can! I don't think I can do this, Will!" Her eyebrows crumpled as tears filled her lids once more. Will shook his head prominently and kissed her forehead, his tender lips lingering there as his hands rested in each side of her face.

"Kate, my beautiful, beautiful wife," he muttered, pressing their foreheads together. "If anyone can do this, you can. You're brave," He kissed her nose. "You're tough," He kissed her left cheek. "And you'll have me by your side the whole time," He kissed her right cheek, caressing it as his lips left it.

"Do you promise?" Kate asked in a small voice. "Because some people chicken out and have to leave the room."

Will shook his head. "I would never do that."

Kate sighed. "I'm sorry for freaking out. My hormones are out of whack."

Will chuckled. "Don't be sorry, I completely understand.

Nodding, Kate clicked her tongue. "Okay, let's go."

Will smiled and hugged his wife tightly before releasing her and leading her down the hall with his hand placed on the small of her back. As they neared the door to their room, Kate abruptly stopped and turned to Will.

"You know, after I enter this room, our lives will never be the same?"

Will broke out into a brilliant, gleaming grin and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I'm ready for that change."

Kate mirrored Will's smile. "I am too."

Will never knew he would ever mix the emotions of petrified and proud in the same moment. As he sat beside the hospital bed, gripping Kate's hand while she screamed, many confusing emotions rushed through him. He didn't know whether to be scared and close his eyes, to trust his protective nature and tell the doctors to back off, or to sit back and watch helplessly, whispering encouraging words to his distressed wife. He had watched many shows about this with Kate in the weeks leading up to it, and most husbands went with the third option.

"You can do it, baby! You're almost there!"

Kate glared at Will, her face turning red as she kept screaming. Will checked the clock quickly; they had been in there for six hours. He was shocked at how his adrenaline was still pumping after all those hours. And then he looked at Kate and was even more stunned at how she had the strength to keep going after six hours. He knew he wouldn't have been able to do that if he was in her shoes. A new sense of pride and appreciation for his wife dawned on Will as she shrieked loudly in the hospital bed. She was unbelievably brave and strong.

"I love you, baby. You can do it!"

"Aghhhh!" One final scream escaped Kate's throat.

And then the room went silent.

Kate wiped the hair that was glued to her forehead with sweat away with the hand that wasn't still gripping Will's. No one in the room said anything at all, they left that all up to the little boy Kate had just given birth to.

A tiny, strangled cry came out of the boy, and suddenly, everything was reality.

"Oh, oh my god!" Kate burst into tears as the doctors held up her new baby boy. "Oh my GOD!"

Will couldn't help the tears that fell over his eyelids as he gazed at his new baby boy. He was completely infatuated.

"It's a boy!" Kate exclaimed, turning her head to stare at Will as the doctors whisked the baby away to clean him. "Will, it's a boy!"

Tears of pure happiness streamed down Will's face as he nodded excitedly took Kate's lips in his, kissing her with as much joy and as much passion as he could muster.

"You did so well," he said as the pulled back. "You did amazing, baby!" He wiped her hot tears even though his own kept falling down his face. "I love you so much! We're parents!"

Kate grinned and leaned her forehead against Will's. "You're a father!"

Will pressed his lips together as his heart skipped a beat. "I'm a father," he repeated exasperatedly. "Wow."

Kate smiled and grabbed Will's face, kissing him forcefully once more. "Climb onto the bed with me," She said, scooting over so Will could get on. As he climbed on, the doctors came back with the baby, a look of sheer pride
on their faces for holding the newest Prince of Britain.

"Oh my god," Will whispered as they handed the baby to Kate. Silent tears streamed down her face as she finally got a good look at her new baby boy.

"He's absolutely beautiful," She whispered, leaning her face down and kissing his forehead as gently as she could.

"He weighed in at a healthy weight of five pounds, two ounces," the doctor announced, a grin plastered on his face as he got to witness one of the most intimate moments in Will and Kate's lives. The happy couple grinned up at the doctor.

"He's perfect," Will said wondrously, his eyes snapping back at his little boy. "He has your nose," he said to Kate.
Kate smiled. "He does, doesn't he?"

And then their newborn baby boy opened his large, acorn eyes.

"Oh my-" Kate was stunned speechless by the shade of pure blue they were. A new round of tears fell down her cheeks as their boy got his first glimpse at the world. He didn't cry, he didn't fuss. He simply lay in Kate's comforting arms and stared around the room, his eyes curious and bright.

"He has your eyes," Kate whispered, grinning at Will. "He has your beautiful blue eyes!"

"He's amazing," Will breathed, reaching his hand out to stroke his tiny cheek as his eyes stared directly into his son's. "I cannot believe the shade of those eyes."

"They're unbelievable," Kate marveled, rubbing his tiny hand with her index finger. The room was silent for a few wondrous moments, until Will spoke of something very important.

"We discussed a couple of names if it was to be a boy, but I think I know which one I want to go with," He looked to Kate, who nodded her head, their thoughts on the exact same level.

"Spencer," They said at the same moment, causing a ripple effect of beaming grins, spanning from Will to Kate to all the doctors in the room. It was a great tribute to Will's mother who unfortunately wouldn't be there to watch their little boy grow up, but would inevitably be watching over them every step of the way.

"Welcome to the world, Spencer Cambridge," Kate whispered, her voice emotional. "I love you with all my heart and I always will."

She looked to Will, her eyes watery. "Would you like to hold him?"

Will nodded prominently, kissing his wife's cheek as she handed him his new son.

"He's light," Will joked, causing Kate to giggle as she placed her arms around Will's shoulders and leaned her head against his side, staring at their son in his arms.

"Isn't he so warm?" She asked, grinning as Will kissed him.

"Yeah, it's wonderful," Will smiled. "Hi Spencer," He spoke quietly, his breath hitching in his throat as his son stared directly at him. "Wow, uh," His gaze stunned Will for a moment. "Your mother and I love you more than you'll ever know. I just want you to know that."

Kate kissed Will's cheek and rubbed his shoulders. "Shall we get him dressed now?"

Will nodded and handed Spencer to the waiting doctors. When his son was completely out of his arms, Will turned to face Kate, a look of complete bliss on his face.

"We're parents," Kate sighed happily, snuggling into Will's arms as he wrapped them around her. She yawned and closed her eyes briefly. "I'm tired."

Will chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "You have every reason to be exhausted. I'm so proud of you, baby. You did amazing. I wouldn't have been able to endure what you just did for six hours," Will cringed just imagining the amount of intense pain Kate had been through.

"I'm sure you would have if you had to," she said sleepily. "I'm hungry," she giggled. Will laughed along with her.

"When the doctors come back I'll ask them to get you some food, okay?"

"Okay," she yawned and sat up in Will's arms. "I'm not falling asleep for when Spencer comes back in his little outfit. Keep me awake somehow."

Will wiggled his eyebrows at his wife and leaned his face down towards hers, capturing her lips in a sweet, gentle kiss.

"Great idea," she mumbled against his lips as they parted. "I love you so much. Thank you for everything."
Will broke out into a large grin. "I love you too."

A small frown tugged Kate's lips downward. "A year ago around this time is when we lost baby Diana," she whispered, chewing her bottom lip. Will sighed and squeezed his wife.

"I know," he said. "All we can do is [reserve her memory, and to raise her brother like we would have raised her."

"Yeah," Kate sighed. "I miss her. I wish I had actually given birth to her."

"Me too," Will replied. "But now we have a little baby boy," He smiled. "That's a miracle right there."

Kate grinned. "Yeah, he is our little miracle."

"Okay, here he is, Prince Spencer," the doctor announced, bringing Spencer back to Will and Kate. He was dressed in an adorable baby blue onesie with a blue hat placed on his tiny head. "He's one of the most precious babies I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot of babies," the doctor chuckled as he handed Spencer to Kate. Kate giggled as she took her new son back in her arms.

"He's perfect."

THREE WEEKS LATER

"Ugh, your turn, Kate," Will grumbled, shifting in bed as his three week old boy cried from the crib beside them. Kate sighed and rolled out of bed, picking up Spencer and pressing him against the right side of her chest. She rocked him and paced around the room, yawning in the process.

"Shhh Spencer," she soothed, kissing his tiny ear. "Shhhh."

And surely enough, thanks to the warm touch only a mother could give to her child; Spencer fell back into a peaceful slumber within five minutes. Kate sighed thankfully and climbed back into bed beside Will.

"You're much better at comforting him than I am," Will mumbled matter-of-factly. Kate closed her eyes and chuckled, still half-awake.

"You need practice," she replied. "You're getting him next time."

"Noooo," Will grumbled. But Kate was already fast asleep. Will sighed and pulled her into his chest, resting his cheek on the top of her head.

About Five Minutes Later

"Kate, get him," Will whined, cringing as his baby boy screeched. Kate shook her head.

"Nope. You get him. It's your turn."

Sighing, Will got out of bed, not without a frustrated huff. He picked Spencer up and cradled him in his arms.

"Please stop crying," he begged helplessly. "Please, Spence, for the love of all that is good and holy, stop crying!"

He didn't stop crying.

"Here, I'll make a deal with you," Will said. "If you stop crying, I'll give you all the formula you want tomorrow," He checked the clock: two am. "Actually, I'll give you all the formula you want today, since it's morning."

Kate chuckled and mustered the strength to get out of bed. She walked up behind Will and took Spencer from his arms, patting his back softly and holding him against her chest, just as she had done five minutes ago.

"Oh thank you," Will kissed Kate's cheek tiredly and started walking back to bed.

"Hey, not so fast daddy," Kate said, using her free hand to grab the sleeve of Will's shirt and tug him back towards them. "You're taking notes."

"Oh boy," Will ached to be back in his warm bed. "Okay, what am I supposed to do?"

"You hold him close to you, like I'm doing right now," Kate gestured to how she was holding Spencer. "And you pat his back lightly to see if he needs to burp. And you feel his diaper to see if it's full-"

"Blech," Will said, his face scrunching. "That's one thing I have yet to master, the infamous diaper change."

Giggling, Kate kissed Spencer's temple. "And if he doesn't need to burp or you don't need to change his diaper, just comfort him."

"Okay," Will held his arms out for his crying son. "Let me try."

Kate handed him Spencer and smiled as Will whispered words to his little son. There was something about Will holding Spencer that made Kate want to tear up with pride. He was an excellent father.

"Hey, he stopped crying!" Will announced incredulously, kissing Spencer's cheek as he drifted off into yet another sleep.

"You did it!" Kate exclaimed, watching as Will place Spencer back in his crib. He walked back over to her and tangled his hands in her hair as he kissed her.

"I'm so proud of you," she whispered after the kiss. Will grinned.

"Really? Because I can barely get him to stop crying without you there helping me."

Kate shrugged, placing her hands on his chest. "You're an amazing father. The way you act around him, it's like you were made to be a dad."

Smiling, Will blushed. "Well, I could say the same about you. Over these past weeks, you've been such an amazing mother. You're a natural."

"Well thank you," Kate yawned. "Okay, time to get back to bed. Pippa is coming over tomorrow," She blinked and chuckled drowsily. "I mean today."

Will bit back a smile and climbed back into bed with his wife. Just as they were drifting back to sleep, Kate spoke.
"Oh, before Pippa comes over tomorrow, you should know that she and Drew broke up yesterday."

Will's eyes widened. "What? Why? They were dating for over a year."

Kate shrugged. "I don't have all the details, Pippa was crying to me over the phone yesterday and said something about him cheating on her with another girl."

Will frowned. "Oh no. I'll have to have a little chat with Drew."

"Yeah," Kate yawned. "Okay, good night. I love you."

Will smiled and kissed Kate's forehead. "I love you too. Good night."

"What do you mean they broke up?" Harry asked, his voice a shocked squeak.

"I don't know, Pippa is here right now telling Kate about what happened," Will smiled down at his son cradled in his arm.

"And you're not listening?" Harry was almost desperate on the other line. Will chuckled.

"No, I'm too infatuated by my adorable son."

"Agh, Will! Okay, I'm coming over right now."

"Wait, Harry," Will furrowed his brow. "What are you going to do?"

"Uh," Harry scratched his head. "I don't know. I just need to talk to Pippa."

Sighing, Will shook his head. "Whatever. I'll see you soon."

"Yup!"

Will hung up the phone and placed it on the glass table beside him. He took his son in both his hands and rolled onto his back, holding him above his face at arms distance.

"Wheee!" He chuckled as he brought his son down and back up again like a rocket ship. Spencer had a large grin on his tiny face as Will played with him. Kate walked in the living room with Pippa and had to stop at the adorable image of Will and Spencer.

"Oh my gosh, look at them," Kate smiled lovingly at her little family. Will kept on playing with Spencer, oblivious to Kate and Pippa at the entrance of the room. "Let me get my camera, one second."

Pippa, despite her boyfriend issues, couldn't help but break out into a grin at Will and Spencer. Kate returned a moment later and snapped a picture of Will holding Spencer at arms distance away, high in the air, smiling adorably at him. Will turned his head at the flash and grinned at Kate and Pippa.

"Don't drop him," Kate said hesitantly, walking over to the couch and sitting beside her husband as he sat up. Pippa sat on the couch opposite of them and grinned at the perfect family in front of her.

"My goodness, that is a beautiful baby," she mused. "He has the prettiest blue eyes."

Will handed Spencer to Kate. "He got those suckers from me," he poked his chest proudly. "And when he grows older, his wicked sense of humor will be from me as well."

Kate rolled her eyes and laughed. "Okay."

"So Pippa, what happened-"

"Will? Kate?" Harry poked his head in the front door and walked in.

Kate looked at Will. "Harry's here?"

Will sighed. "Yeah."

Kate grinned. "Oh! Harry, we're in the living room!" She called. Pippa fiddled with her fingers as Harry walked into the room.

"Hey guys," he greeted, smiling at Pippa especially. "And there's the most awesome baby ever!" He extended his arms out to Kate so he could hold Spencer. Kate handed him over to her crazy brother in law and chuckled.

"Do you remember me, Spence?" Harry asked, holding him close to his chest in his arms. "We met the day you were born and twice after that as well. I'm your uncle Harry. I know, I'm much better looking than your father, I agree."

Will scoffed.

"I'm going to teach you how to be awesome, like me," Harry continued, smiling down at Spencer. Spencer's peaceful face suddenly scrunched and shifted to a devastated cry. "Uh-oh," Harry chuckled nervously and handed Spencer back to Kate. "I made him cry."

Kate smiled sympathetically at Harry. "It's okay," She stood up and walked towards the door. "I'm going to take him for a walk outside. Will, would you like to come with me?"

Will shot Harry a look that said something along the lines of you owe me one.

"Yeah, sure," He got up and placed his hand on Kate's back, leaving Harry and Pippa alone.

"They're great parents," Pippa said, staring at the floor. Harry nodded and clasped his hands.

"I know. That is one lucky kid."

The room went awkwardly silent. Pippa sighed a few moments later.

"So I suppose you heard about Drew and I…"

Harry nodded solemnly. "Yeah. I'm really sorry, Pippa," He snapped his fingers. "Do you know who the girl was?"

Pippa nodded. "Her name is Chelsy. She hit on him at a club and he didn't even think about me," Pippa scowled at the carpet beneath her. "I can't believe that he was even at a club without at least letting me know first!"

Harry shook his head. "He's a jerk," He looked at Pippa. "A stupid jerk, at that."

Pippa chuckled ruefully and shrugged. "I'm sodone with guys for a while," She sighed. "After seeing Will, Kate, and Spencer, it makes me want to stop dating these jerk guys and to start searching for the one, you know?"

Harry nodded, biting back a smile. "The one. Yeah, I know."

Pippa smiled at Harry. "Have I ever thanked you for being such a great friend over this past year when I was with Drew?"

Harry shook his head, the smile he was biting back shining through. Pippa mirrored his smile.

"Well, I want to thank you right now. It must not have been easy to be my friend. I would hate me right now if I was you."

Harry's jaw dropped slightly as he shook his head. "Pippa, I could never hate you."

Pippa chewed her lip. "I could never hate you either."

Harry grinned, a feeling of confidence spurting through his veins. He didn't know what came over him when he did what he did in the next moment, but he was glad whatever was affecting him, did.

"Hey, I know this is a long shot since you just said that you were done with guys for a while, but, would you want to go get dinner some time?"

Pippa tilted her head and blushed at Harry's question. "You know what? Yes. I would."

Harry's already wide grin grew. "Well, great. He stood up and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I'll call you later?"
Pippa beamed.

"You'd better."

"It's such beautiful day," Kate sighed, pushing Spencer in his stroller with Will beside her. They strolled through the trails behind their humble house. After baby Diana's death, they had decided to not move into Kensington Palace until they had another child. Now that Spencer had arrived, preparations were going to begin to move the young family into the grand palace.

"It is indeed," Will breathed in the fresh air, smiling as the sun shined down on him, his wife, and his baby son. "Everything in our lives is absolutely perfect right now."

Kate broke out into a brilliant grin and looked at Will, their gaze locking. "It really is."

The couple found a large rock, and rolled Spencer over to it. They sat down on the rock and Kate cradled Spencer in her arms. Will wrapped his arm around Kate's shoulder and pulled the two most important people in his world close to him.

"Can you think back to a year ago, how different life was?" Kate asked, resting her head against Will's shoulder. Will rubbed her arm and nodded.

"Yeah. I went to Afghanistan last year."

Kate swallowed a strange lump in her throat. She always got choked up when she thought about Afghanistan. "Yeah."

"And you had your appedicts taken out," Will hummed, kissing the top of Kate's head. Kate nodded once more.

"Yup. That sucked."

"Oh and we got married," Will chuckled. "That seems like a lifetime ago."

Kate giggled as well. "I know."

"And Diana…"

Kate's lips curved downward. "Diana."

Will sighed and bit the inside of his lip. "I think about baby Diana all the time, just like I think about my mother all the time."

Kate's eyes filled up with tears, but they didn't spill over. "Me too. She was such a huge part of our lives. When you were gone, she got me through so many lonely nights."

Closing his eyes at the sudden breeze, Will rested his cheek on top of Kate's head.

"Spencer is truly a miracle."

Kate blinked her tears away and stared down at her sleeping son. "He really is."

Will broke out into a smile as he reopened his eyes. "Have I told you how much I love you lately?"

Kate grinned. "Almost every day, yes."

Will shrugged. "Well, I'm going to tell you again. I thought I loved you before we had Spencer. I thought that the capacity of how much I loved you was at its limit," Will shook his head and chuckled at himself. "I thought it was impossible to love you more. But seeing you as a mother now," Will smiled warmly as Kate's eyes watered over. "I almost can't believe how much more I love you. You know, the way you are around him, how you're so loving and comforting and basically the perfect mother. It feels as if my heart has grown because of this miracle baby," He caressed her face as a single tear streaked down it. "I love you, Catherine Elizabeth Cambridge," he smiled at her last name. "Never forget it."

Kate's smile of happiness had never been truer until that moment. She leaned her face forward and caught Will's lips in a kiss, a kiss that spoke volumes of her feelings for him.

"Would it be suffice to say a simple 'I love you' back?" She chuckled, another tear streaming down her cheek. Will grinned and wiped it away, nodding.

"Yes. Because no matter how hard I think about it, I will never fully fathom how you could love me," He shrugged.
"So when you tell me you do," Will closed his eyes and shook his head. "I feel like the luckiest man on the planet. Correction, I amthe luckiest man on the planet. I have the most beautiful wife in the universe-"

Kate chuckled.

"-and the most amazing, beautiful, healthy baby boy," Will continued. "I literally could not ask for anything more."
Kate nodded. "Me neither."

The couple's eyes locked in a loving gaze. Neither of them budged for only God knows how long. As they sat staring into each other's eyes, Will and Kate knew they could have stayed like that forever. It was only until Spencer began to stir in Kate's arms that they needed to get up.

"Continue our walk, shall we?" Will asked, standing up and offering Kate his hand to help her off the rock. She smiled as she secured Spencer back into his stroller. Will wrapped his arm around her shoulder as the overjoyed, blessedcouple continued their walk, not just in the trail behind their humble home, but down the path to the rest of their lives together.

The end.

Suuuuuper cheesy last scene, I know, I know. But what can I say, I like cheese.
Thanks for reading :)