The short answer to your one question is that yes, that time between conception and birth are intentionally there as part of the queen’s character and her own plans and motivations for doing what she’s doing.

Plus you have to think of the politics. This world is supposed to be as “real” as possible and if you suddenly unexplainably (literally by magic, and in this case, a type of magic no one has seen or heard of before) discover without a doubt that your husband is not who he says he is, but have no evidence for it beyond your gut (haha) feeling, do you really think you’d just confront him?

What was your second question even if you already answered it?

- The queen finds out who this emperor’s son is AFTER she’s conceived, right? If this is the case, why doesn’t she confront him or how does she conceal this? Since she uncovers his identity PRESUMABLY in the between-time of sleeping with him and giving birth (else why would she bed him at all?), there’s a sizeable window of crap-he’s-the-enemy realization and it’ll be interesting to see how you handle that.

- I just answered my second question, so you’re actually only left with that one. I’m sorry.

PS that took me like two minutes to read&comprehend. 30 seconds my arse.