Chapter 1

So, I've just found this fandom, and I decided to join the troops in writing a Sofia the First fanfiction. I am only just starting to watch the show, so if i have any facts wrong, I am sorry in advance! If you like the story, please drop me a review! Much appreciated!

Sofia looked out of the carriage window as they rolled through the Evergreen Forest, and sighed as she saw the grey clouds gathering. Her and her family were supposed to be going on a picnic that she had been looking forward to for so long, but the weather was starting to turn bad. 'Are we going to have to go back?'

'I'm afraid it's looking that way.' Miranda said as she looked out the window, placing her hand on the glass as a couple of spats of rain splashed onto the pane. 'Don't worry, we can have our picnic in the palace instead. It will be just as nice.'

'Not as nice as a picnic in the forest.' Amber pouted. 'I'm sure it will go away shortly. We've waited so long for this, why can't we just wait it out?"'

"We can't control the weather Amber." King Roland shook his head. 'I'm sorry kids, but I don't think this storm is going to leave any time soon. We have to turn back.'

'Awe, but dad-' James whined.

'I'm sorry James, but we have to go back. We have no choice.' He went to tell the coach driver to turn around when he felt the coach stopping and opened the window. 'What's the matter?'

Bailywick jumped down off the driver's seat and walked over to him. 'There's been an accident your majesty, its blocking the road. We can't get past.'

'An accident?' Miranda asked as she opened the door, then saw the overturned coach and the bodies sprawled around. 'Kids, stay here, and don't look out the windows. You don't want to see this."

"But mum-" Sofia insisted.

Miranda looked at Sofia and the other kids, and placed her hands on Sofia's shoulders. "I need you three to stay here. Promise me you wont leave the coach."

Amber sighed as she gave in. "Yes mum."

"Good." She handed them the book she had been holding, intending to read it to them on the picnic. "You can read this while I wait. Be good." She turned and started to walk past the horses while Roland jumped out of the coach and followed her.

'Miranda, wait.'

'People might be hurt Rollie.' She turned to him as he ran up to her. 'They might need help. This road is barely used, who knows how long they've already been stranded here for.'

'Your right, as usual.' Roland looked around at the trees, feeling the wind beginning to rise. 'We must be careful though, whoever caused it could still be here and they might cause trouble for us too.' His hand rested on his sword, in case there was any danger to Miranda as he looked back at his servent. 'Bailywick, Higgins, stay with the children. I'm going to go and check this out. We won't be long.'

'I must insist-'

Roland cut him off. 'Bailywick, the children.'

'Yes, your majesty.' He relented. 'Please be careful though.'

'I will be.' He quickly hurried after Miranda, leaving the kids in the coach.

Miranda walked up to the wreak carefully, her eyes taking in the gruesome sight. Bodies lay sprawled out on the ground, their throats slashed open, blood everywhere. She trembled as she saw a child about Sofia's age, pinned underneath the coach and walked over to her. Gently she felt on the girl's neck for a pulse, but there was none. She bowed her head in respect and placed her shawl over the dead child's face, then stood up. The coach had been overturned, the horses traces were cut and all the horses but one had been stolen. The one that was left was struggling to rise, but she could see that the horse's back was broken. "Rollie, the horse."

Roland turned and saw the horse and knew what had to be done. "Turn around Miranda, you don't want to watch this."

Miranda looked away as she heard the horse's struggling stop and knew Roland had done the right thing. She continued walking around the wreck, checking the people lying on the ground, but they were all dead. She stepped over the luggage that had been thrown around, presumably by whoever had killed the people and she saw a doll on the ground. She picked it up, then as she slipped over on a slick part of the road, she figured out what had happened. She sat there, looking around at the death around her, knowing that this was no accident. The people had been ambushed, the road deliberately made trecious to cause the wreck .

Roland saw her fall and ran over to her. "Miranda, are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine." She assured as she winced when her helped her up. "I think I twisted my ankle, but not badly." She glanced around the empty road. "What do you think happened here?"

'Bandits.' Roland replied, his sword in his right hand in case he needed it, his other hand around Miranda. 'We haven't had a problem with bandits in years.' He looked around at the trees anxiously, the wind picking up. 'We best get moving, there is nothing we can do for them now. I'll have my men come back and take them away for a proper 's the least we can do, and I'll get a battalion out to find these scoundrels before they kill more people.'

Miranda nodded to frightened and sad to speak at the sight she had seen then went to follow her husband back to the coach when she heard a weak cry for help. She stood for a moment, wondering if it was just a trick of the wind, but she heard it again 'Rollie, wait.'

'What is it?'

'I can hear something.' She looked in the direction the sound had come from, and saw a lady lying on the ground, barely breathing. Quickly she ran over to her and knelt down beside the woman, not caring that her dress was getting dirtied with dirt and blood. She glanced down at the woman, a beautiful lady about her age, but dressed in the clothes of a commoner. She gently moved the ladies blood soaked hair away from the ladies eyes as she heard Roland kneeling down beside her. 'Your going to be alright. We're here to help you." She gently soothed as the lady flinched at her touch. "What's your name? What happened?"'

"Luciel." She replied faintly, opening her eyes as she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked into the kind eyes of the queen. "Bandits." She tried to remember what had happened, but her only thought was for her girls, Emiline and Josephine, and the boys. 'My. Children?'

Miranda shook her head. 'We found three. I'm sorry.'

Luciel knew what the queen was meaning, but she knew her eldest daughter was still alive and out there somewhere. 'I. Have. Four. Kids. I. Know. My. Youngest. Girl. And. Boys. Were. Killed But. My. Eldest. Tried. To. Fight. Them. Off. She's. Probably. Hurt." She paused for a moment to catch her breath, then coughed, feeling someone help prop her up and hold a handkerchief to her mouth. "Promise. Me. You'll. Find. Josie.'

Roland saw the blood on the handkerchief and the blood on the woman's blouse and knew what it meant. Her lung had been punchered, either by a broken rib or a sword or both. He saw Miranda looking at him, almost asking if the woman was going to be alright and he shook his head, then turned to Luciel gently. 'What does your daughter look like?'

'Like. Me.' She replied, raking her body for every breath and word, but she needed to know her daughter would be safe. 'Tall. Brown. Eyes. And. Hair. She. Has. A. Fiery. Spirit. Always. Trying To. Protect Us. But . This Time. She. Couldn't." She lost her words as another coughing fit took hold of her.

"Sssh, save your strength." Miranda said gently, but even she knew the woman was dying, and she could tell that Luciel knew too.

Luciel tried to reach into her pocket, intending to get out her necklace, but she didn't have the strength and Miranda could see it. She looked at her gratefully as the woman pulled it out for her, then placed it on her chest, her eyes saying an unspoken thanks. She closed her eyes, momentarily, trying to summon enough strength for the next sentence. 'I. Think. She. Got. Injured. Last. I. Saw. Of. Her. They. Threw. Her. Over. There.' She motioned to the side of the road, feeling her strength failing, and reached up her hand to Miranda. 'Promise. Me. If. You. Find. Her. You'll. Take. Good. Care. Of. Her.'

'Does she have any other family that could take care of her?'

Lucil shook her head. 'No. There. Is. No. One. Left. Promise. Me. You. Will. Take. Care. Of. My. Daughter. I. Can. See. You. Are. A. Good. Woman.' She paused as she coughed again, weaking her further. 'Please. Take. Her. In. She's. Going. To. Need. Someone. To. Love. Her.'

Miranda nodded as she gently took the ladies hand in hers, then looked into her eyes. 'I promise.'

'Thank. You.' She coughed again, a terrible pain piercing her side, but she forced herself to stay with them for just a moment longer.

'Your welcome.' She replied sincerely as she felt tears rising in her eyes. She felt Roland's reassuring hand on her shoulder, grateful for the assurance he was there. 'We will take the best possible care of her. You have my word on it.'

'I. Know. You. Will.' She gasped for each word, feeling her life leaving her. 'Tell. Her. I'm. Proud. Of. Her. And. Its. Not. Her. Fault. Tell. Her. I. Love. Her. And. I Want. Her. To. Be. Happy. And.' She used the last bit of strength she had to hand the necklace to Miranda. "Give. Her. This. For. Me. Its. Her. Birthday. Today."

"Alright, I will." She looked into the ladies glazing eyes. "You have my promise. I will take care of her as if she were my own daughter."

Luciel smiled at her, then felt herself falling into blackness as her eyes began to glaze over. Her journey was done, and she was comforted by the fact her daughter would be safe.

Miranda felt the woman's hand go limp in hers and knew she had passed over to the other side. She looked at the ladies face. Even in death she was beautiful, a small smile on her cheeks. Gently she put the hand down and stood up, feeling Roland's arm around her waist. She brushed a tear away as he held her, then she looked in the direction the lady had pointed in, putting the necklace the woman had given her into her pocket. 'We need to find her daughter.'

Roland nodded, observing the weather around him. 'It's the only thing we can do now for her.' He looked up at the gathering clouds, feeling the wind go cold. 'But we need to hurry, or we will get caught in this storm and it's going to be a big one, for sure.'

'Right.' Miranda glanced around the forest, the trees starting to sway in the wind. 'We'll find her quicker if we split up. I'll go this way.' She ran off in the direction the women had pointed, looking around for any sign of the girl, then she saw a pink hair ribbon on the ground and hurried over to it. She picked it up and put it in her pocket, then surveyed the forest around her. 'Josie? Josie?' She didn't hear an answer, and looked back at the ground for answers. 'Drang marks.' She measured the tracks with her hand, then got back up. 'Rollie, I think I've picked up something.'

Roland heard Miranda call and ran over to her. 'What have you found?'

'Drag mark tracks.' She explained. 'Josie must have dragged herself into a hiding spot.' She saw a patch of wet dirt and put her fingers to it. 'And look. Blood.'

'Lets go. She wouldn't have been able to get far in her condition." He looked down at the tracks and began to follow them, Miranda hurrying behind.

Miranda saw a bit of red fabric underneath a bundle of branches and leaves and realized that it was the girls dress. "Rollie, over here! She made the tracks to throw off anyone who would follow her. She's under the bush." She ran over and began to throw the branches off the girl, uncovering her as quick as she could, but she could see that the girl wasn't moving.

Roland knelt down next to the girl, trying to get a response from her as Miranda threw away the last branches, but couldn't get one. As he looked at her, he shook his head as he saw her injuries, this girl looked like she had been in a battle. The girl was covered in cuts from a sword, or something like it and her face was a mess of bruises, her nose still bleeding. He put his hand on her chest, feeling it rise and fall, but it was weak. He looked up at Miranda. "She's alive, but barely. What do we do first?"

Miranda was about to give him a piece of her mind about not knowing what to do but she remembered that he hadn't had experience with injured people like she had, at least she was prepared. "We need to stop the bleeding, firstly." She began to tear off pieces off her dress and wrap them around the girl's worst wounds as thunder began to rumble overhead. She tore off more and handed it to him. "Wrap this as tight as you can around her arm, to cut off the circulation and slow the blood flow. We don't want her bleeding to death, she's already lost so much blood she can't afford to lose more." She looked up again as a bolt of lightning lit up the sky. "Then we are out of here. This storm is going to break any second now."

"Done." Roland looked around as he took off his coat. "We can wrap her in this, I'll carry her back."

"Good idea." She knelt down and rolled the girl into Roland's jacket, then glanced around. "I don't think we are alone out here, and I don't like it.' Her head snapped up as she heard a twig break. 'Lets get out of here. Now.'

Roland picked up the girl, looking in the direction the sound had come from, then he turned to Miranda. 'You take the girl, I'll need my hands free.'

'Right.' Miranda held her arms out and Roland placed the girl in them, propping the girls head up against her shoulder so that she could breath. 'Shes really light for her age, shes a feather.'

'To bad she can't fly.' Roland halfheartedly joked as they prepared to leave, but then out of the bushes, a form lept out towards them. He drew his sword, ready to defend Miranda and the girl against whatever the threat was, then gasped as it ran into the light, rearing and pawing the air, blood sparking off its horn and hooves, from where it had trampled the bandits to death. It roared and reared again as it saw the man in front on it.

'Rollie!' Miranda shouted as the Pegicorn charged him, knocking him down.

'Miranda, go!'

'No!' She yelled as she put the girl down, picking up a stick to defend herself and her husband with. 'Go on! Back off! Back off!'

Ashima reared in surprise, her white mane blowing in the breeze as the woman ran in between her and the man, then she pawed the ground, the blood on her hooves wiping onto the grass, tossing her mane, challenging the woman. She reared and neighed again, her hooves pawing the air just inches from the woman's head, then she saw the girl. All thought of the other two humans vanished as she ran towards the girl.

'Roland, are you hurt?' Miranda asked as she helped him up. 'Did it get you?'

'No, I'm fine.' He said as he stood up, then his eyes widened as he saw the Pegicon standing over the girl. 'Uh oh.'

Miranda shook her head in disbelief as the Pegicon began to nudge the girl with its muzzle, then called to her with a loud moaning whinny when the girl didn't respond. 'Roland, what do you know about Pegicorn's?'

Roland looked puzzled at the mares strange behavior, nuzzling and whinnying for the girl, then he was jolted out of his thoughts as the thunder rumbled again overhead, closer this time. 'Not much, but this storm is going to break any moment.'

'I'm going to go talk to it.' Miranda said as she quickly moved towards the mare before Roland could stop her. 'There, there, woah, easy, steady girl. You are a beautiful thing, you know that?' She walked closer, her arm outstretched towards the Pegicorn. 'Woah, easy, I'm not going to hurt you.' She was now just inches away. 'See, its alright, you can trust me. I'm not going to hurt you.' She slowly and gently placed her hand on the mares muzzle, surprised as the mare nudged her back. 'Its alright, you can trust me.' Another bolt of lightning lit up the sky, and she turned back to the job at hand. 'I need you to move so I can help this girl. Shes hurt bad and she needs to be moved so I can tend to her. 'Alright?'

Ashima leaned against the soft touch, gaining strength from the woman, then she backed up, bowing her head in respect. 'My sincere apologies for the way I acted. It was uncalled for. I see now you were just trying to help Josie. I'm sorry.'

Miranda stared at the mare in amazement. 'You talk?'

'So I've been told.' The mare chuckled, then looked at the sky. 'You better get moving, if you want to help her. I have a feeling this storm isn't going to be a normal one.' She nudged the girl at her feet one last time. 'Look after her good, wont you?'

'I will.'

'Till next time.' Ashima flapped her wings and took off into the air, dissaperaing as quickly as she had come.

'Did I hit my head, or were you talking to a Pegicorn Miranda ?' Roland asked as he walked over after the mare had left.

'The latter.' She looked at the sky again. 'Come on.'

Roland gently picked up the girl, then hurried after Miranda as quick as he could as the first large drops of rain began to fall. Together they ran out of the forest and back to the road towards the coach when he heard a tree begin to break and looked up. 'Miranda! The tree!'

Miranda glanced up, saw the tree and lept forward, the tree missing her by only inches. 'That was close.'

Roland ran around the tree to her, looking up again as it began to rain harder. 'Come on, its not far now.'

'Mum! Dad!' Sofia yelled as they ran to the coach. 'We were so worried about you!'

'We're fine sweetie, just a bit wet and muddy.' Miranda replied as she jumped up into the coach, sitting down so she could take the child from Roland. 'Sorry we took so long.'

'Take us back to the palace.' Roland shouted to the driver as he handed the girl to Miranda, then closed the door behind him. 'Its really beginning to storm out there.'

'I don't like it dad.' Amber whimpered as the coach lurched, the driver turning it around on the narrow road. 'And you all stink of wet horse.'

Miranda chuckled a little as she handed Roland a blanket from the pile underneath her seat. "Sorry Amber, but we can't smell like roses all the time." She felt a blanket going around her shoulders and turned to see who had put it on her. "Thank you, Bailywick."

"No problem." He replied as the driver whipped the horses into a canter. "I can hold that child if you like, your majesty."

She shook her head as she pulled the blanket down around the girl, trying to warm her up. "I'll hold her. She's not heavy anyway."

"Who is she Mum?" James asked as he looked at the girl she was holding. "I've never seen her before."

"She was in the accident James." Roland explained gently, seeing that Miranda was momentarily distracted.. "She's hurt bad so we're taking her back with us so we can get the doctor for her."

"What happened to her parents Mum?" Sofia asked as she put her head on her mom's shoulder, glancing at the sleeping girl. "Shouldn't she be with them?"

Miranda shook her head, then looked at the three kids. "She was the only survivor, her parents are both gone, and I'm guessing the rest of her family as well."

Amber saw the way Miranda was looking at the girl, and suddenly realized what was going to happen. "She's not coming to live with us, is she? She's just a commoner, she doesn't belong in our palace. Surely she has some place to go, an orphanage perhaps."

"Amber, that is not open for discussion." She looked at Amber with "the look" that meant she wasn't mucking around. "You may be forgetting that I was just a "commoner" as well. Her mother passed on right in front of me, but before she did, she made me promise to look after her daughter, and I intend to keep it. Understood?"

"Yes mum." Amber rolled her eyes, just knowing what her friends would say when they found out that another "commoner" was moving into their palace. Why, she would be the entire laughing stock of the entire school, and that was something she didn't like the idea of. She felt something wet on her leg, and looked down to see blood on her gown, dripping off the girl. "She's dripping blood on my dress!"

"Amber, forget your dress!" James said as he saw the amount of blood pooling on Amber's dress, dripping out of the coat the girl was wrapped in. "A dress can be replaced, not life."

Miranda unwrapped the blanket off the girls leg and groaned. "That one's deeper then I first thought, its bled right through the cloth." She looked at Roland, forgetting the children were in the coach too. "How much longer till we get to the palace?"

Roland looked out the window, not able to see much through the rain, but he could faintly make out the palace in the distance as lightning lit up the sky. "We're almost back, not much further now."

"Thank goodness." She tore another piece of her dress off her skirt and folded it, holding it against the wound to stop the bleeding, or even just slow it. "Roland, I need you to tie another strip around her thigh tightly and twist it. It should apply enough pressure to the vein to stop the bleeding, until the doctor can stitch it shut."

"Right." Roland quickly did as she instructed, then sighed with relief as the coach pulled to a stop outside the palace. "Bailywick, go find the doctor. Children, go up to your playroom and do something till I come for you." He picked to girl up as Bailywick opened the door of the coach. "We'll go take her to the guest room."

"Right away, your majesty." Bailywick ran up the stairs and disappeared inside the palace.

Miranda got out of the coach after him and waited for Roland to hand her the girl, the rain soaking her to the bone, but she didn't notice that. She waited while he wrapped the girl in a couple more blankets, then handed her to her. "Right, let's go." She quickly went up the stairs, careful though not to slip on the stones and sighed with relief as they entered the warm palace, the rain dripping off them onto the floor.

"Found him, your majesty." Bailwick said as he hurried up to them, bowing.

"Thank you Bailywick." Roland turned to the doctor. "We found this child out in the forest. She was attacked by bandits."

"We tried our best to stop the bleeding." Miranda said she carried the child up the staircase to the spare bedroom, the servant opening the door for her. She placed the girl on the bed, her hair still dripping water on the floor. "But she's already lost to much blood."

"I can see that." The doctor replied as he looked at the girls rapid breathing and clammy skin, uncovering the blankets Miranda had kept her warm in. "You have my word I'll do everything I can to help her."

Roland took that as the cue to leave, and he gently placed his arm around Miranda. "Thank you Doctor. I know you're a man of your word, and she is in the best possible hands." He looked at his wife. "Lets go and get dried off, alright?"

"Its not fair that they wont let me watch." James sulked a while later in the playroom, the kids all in a new change of clothes, listening to the storm raging outside. "I want to see what's going on."

"Ugh." Amber replied as she sat on the floor, playing a game of chess with Sofia. "Blood and gore, who wants to see that? All I know is, I'm glad I'm a princess, and not a nurse. They can handle the icky stuff. I can't even stand the thought of blood."

"Especially if it's on your dress." Sofia replied as she moved her rook. "Your turn."

Amber looked at the board carefully before she made her next move. "I don't understand why she has to stay here. Why can't she just go back to where she came from?"

"Because she's hurt." James walked away from the window and sat down on the floor next to them. "Besides, you heard Mom. She made a promise."

"Without consulting me first." Amber huffly moved her pawn forward. "If there is going to be another kid in the house, its going to take more of Mom and Dad's time away from us."

"She does have a point there." James agreed. "They're so busy anyway that we'll have even less time."

"I know." Sofia sighed as she jumped her knight up and over, taking one of Amber's pawns. "But wouldn't it be nice for us to have another person to play with?"

"No!" James and Amber replied at the same time. "Honestly Sofia, you can't be instigating accepting her into our family!" Amber glared at her. "There simply wouldn't be enough room for the four of us in this palace."

"Alright then." Sofia stood up. "I'm going to my room. James, you can finish the game. I want some time to myself." With that, she walked out of the room and headed up the stairs, then closed her door behind her and flopped onto her bed.

Clover saw her come in and bounced over to her. "Yo, Sofia! Why the long face?"

Sofia sighed as the bunny jumped onto her lap. "Oh, Clover. I'm so confused."

"Mmm. I'm listening."

"Well, we were supposed to be going on a picnic today." She looked out the window at the storm. "But this storm came, and then there was an accident on the road."

"And?"

"Mom and Dad found a young girl that had been in the wreak, and they brought her back here. Amber says if she stays, Mom and Dad won't have time for us anymore. I just don't know what to think Clover."

Clover gasped and flopped over onto his back, then flipped over and sat back up. "Are you telling me that your getting another sister?"

"Possibly. Mom said that her family were killed in the accident. I just don't know how I feel about it. I don't even know what her name is, and now their acting like she's going to live here."

Clover nodded understandably. "Well, if you were in her shoes, what would you want to happen?"

Sofia hung her head. "I'd want someone to take me in. Someone nice."

"And for her, that someone nice is your parents." Clover rubbed his paw over his ear. "If you want my advice, it's this. Talk to your parents, let them know how you feel, but be nice to the girl. Heck, if I lost my family, the last thing i would want would be a bunch of strangers picking on me."

"Your right Clover." She sighed. "That's what I need to do."

"Glad I could make you see reason." The bunny jumped over to the draw Sofia kept his carrots in. "That advice costs two carrots please."

"Oh, you greedy guts." She laughed as she got him a couple out. "Here you are. Enjoy them. I'm off now to go talk to Mom."

"Yeh, yeh, you go do that." Clover chuckled as she ran out of the room, then sat down to enjoy his snack.

Miranda and Roland were sitting down to eat a little while later, the doctor still tending to the girl. "Do you think she'll be alright Rollie?"

"I don't know." He replied as he poured some milk into his tea. "I guess, I mean, I hope so, but I don't like the odds of that Miranda."

"I know." She pulled the necklace the deceased lady had given her from her pocket and looked at it. "I could see that her mother loved her a lot. I could see it in her eyes, her voice. She didn't deserve to die like that. None of them did."

"No, your right." He folded his hands and placed them on the table. "While you were getting changed, I spoke with the Constable, and as soon as the storm clears, they're going out to try and catch them. They'll find them Miranda."

"I hope so. No one should die like that. Josie's the only one to survive it, I can only imagine the emotional and mental damage that she'll experience when she realizes that. A child shouldn't have to witness what she would have seen today, and it makes it even worse that it took place on her birthday. Every birthday she has will be a reminder of that to her, if she survives the injuries she's got."

"What I don't get is this." He grabbed his empty teacup and began to fiddle with it. "Her mother said that Josie always tried to protect them. I wonder what from. Were they running from something or someone? Or were they trying to get away from the people who killed them?"

"I'm wondering that too." She put the necklace back in her pocket. "Maybe in time the girl will reveal what happened." She looked up to see Sofia walking in. "Sofia, I thought you were up playing with James and Amber."

"I was." Sofia sat down beside them. "But I got bored and there's something I need to talk to you about."

"Well, we're listening." Roland handed her a muffin. "What's on your mind?"

Sofia took a bite out of the muffin before she spoke. "Amber and James are saying if the girl stays here, you won't have any time for us. I don't want her to stay if that is going to be the case. We hardly spend any time together as it is."

"Oh, Sofia." Miranda placed her hand on her daughters shoulder. "We will always have time for you and your brother and sister. Nothing will change that."

"But Amber said-"

"It doesn't matter what Amber says." Roland said gently. "We love you guys, and we love spending time with you. Nothing that they said is true, and it's definitely not true that we won't have any time left to spend with you. You guys are the most important people in the world to us, and no one can get in the way of that."

"I know." Sofia replied unconvinced, then looked at her mom. "But it's hard enough having to share you with Amber and James, let alone another kid."

"I know it is." Miranda looked into her daughter's eyes. "But you have to remember that I still love you, no matter what happens."

"Even if this girl stays here?"

"Even if Josie stays here." She put her hand on Sofia's shoulder. "Can you keep a secret?"

Sofia nodded. "Yes?"

"Josie lost her family today, something that even Amber and James wouldn't be able to understand. They were too young when their mother died, so they don't really know how she would be feeling. I held her mothers hand as she died, and I promised her I would take her daughter in as my own. Her daughter doesn't have anyone left, they were all killed today, probably before her eyes. Can you imagine how you would feel if something like that happened to you?"

"Scared, lost, lonely." She replied softly. "Angry, Sad."

"Yes." Miranda could see Sofia figuring out where she was going with the question. "That's how Josie is going to feel when she wakes up and realizes that they are all gone. It's going to be extremely hard for her to work through dealing with all that, and she's going to need all the love and help she can get to see her through." She gazed at Sofia with loving eyes. "And I want to be able to help her, but I want your permission."

"My permission?"

"Mmmhmm." She smiled at her daughter warmly. "I want your permission to be a mother to her. She's going to need it, but I want to know that your okay with it first, sweetie."

Sofia thought about it for a moment, then chuckled. "Alright Mom, I don't mind. I'll help her too in anyway I can, and I'll get Amber and James on board too. You'll see."

"I know you will." Miranda gave her a hug then saw the doctor standing in the doorway. "Run along now Sofia, I think the doctor wants to speak to us."

"Alright Mom." Sofia got up and left the room, going back to join the twins in their game.

Roland and Miranda stood up as the doctor walked into the room. "How is she?"

Doctor Miller shook his head as he stood in front of them. "I'm not going to lie to you, your highness's. She's in a very bad way, and she was in a bad way before she got injured." He decided against telling them what else her had found out in his examination, that the child was severely malnourished, and had been constantly beaten, her body a patchwork of scars. "I've stitched up the wounds as best I could, but with the volume of blood she has lost, I don't think she'll make it through the night."

"Oh no." Miranda whispered, her hand going to her face as she felt Roland's comforting arm around her waist. "Is there anything else you can do for her?"

"I'm sorry, but no." He replied gently as he saw the look on the queen's face. "I've done the best I can."

"I know you have." Roland assured. "That's all we've ever asked."

The doctor acknowledged what he said with a tip of his head, then looked at Miranda. "The main thing is to keep her comfortable and let nature take its course. I've given her some stuff that will keep her sleeping, so that if her body decides to fight and she makes it through the night, she can rest, let her body heal. If the higher power decides to call her home she'll pass on peacefully. She won't be in pain, and that's the best thing for her."

Miranda nodded, a tear creeping down her cheek. She had made a promise, but it looked like she wouldn't even have the chance to keep it. She wiped it away and straightened up, years of her previous life making her control her emotions. She wouldn't break down in front of the men. "Thank you for everything you have done doctor. You can go now."

Doctor Miller humbly bowed as he prepared to leave, not noticing that the three children had listened to the entire conversation from behind a statue. "I only wish I could have done more, your majesty's."

Miranda waited until the doctor had left, then she placed her head on Roland's chest, her husband holding her tight. "I'm not going to even get the chance to fulfill my promise to her mother. I promised to look after her and love her as one of my own daughters, and its not going to even be possible."

"Sssssh, ssssh." Roland soothed as he stroked her hair, then saw the three kids looking at them. With a toss of his head, they quickly took off back to their playroom, Miranda not even noticing they had been there. "It's going to be alright. Whatever happens will turn out for the best. We've done all we could."

"I know." Miranda pulled back, and wiped her eyes. "I'm going to stay with her, can you watch the children please?"

"I knew you would want to." He gave her one last pat on the back. "Go on, stay as long as you are needed."

"Thankyou." She whispered, giving him a hug, then she turned and walked up the stairs to the bedroom. Quietly she opened the big wooden door and closed it behind her. Slowly she approached the bed, and sat down carefully beside the girl, her eyes filling with tears. The girl was almost entirely wrapped up in bandages, and piled up with blankets to keep her warm, leaving only her face and arms exposed, but Miranda could still see the injuries that had been inflicted on the girl. Tenderly she stroked the girls grayed face, careful to avoid the bruises on her cheeks, but feeling how clammy the girl was. Oh, to heaven that the girl would live. Even under all the bruises and cuts, Miranda could see how beautiful she was, and not just outer beauty. After the longest time she took her eyes away from the girl and gently held her hand, beginning to sing a ballad her mother had sung to her, gently whispering the words. "Darling, don't you cry. I'm here and I'm never going to let you go. Though mountains may crumble, and rivers dry, I'll always be here, right by your side. Nothing can break this bond, our love, something gifted to us from above. I'll be your arm to lean on, your wings to let you fly. I'll be here, never mind the time. I'll be here for a laugh, I'll be here when you cry, cause darling, I love you."

After she finished whispering the song she had heard a thousand times when her mother would sing it to her, she looked back at the girl. "Josie, I don't know if you can hear me, but I promised your mother today that I'd take care of you, and I'd really like the chance to do it. You need to fight, and get better, so I can honor my promise to her. I want you to get better sweetie, for your mother. When she spoke of you, I could see the sparkle in her eyes. You were her jewel, her sun, her world." She went quiet again, looking at the girl, then she felt the necklace in her pocket and pulled it out. "Your mother wanted you to have this, as your birthday present." She gently slipped the chain around the girl's neck and did the clasp up. "I think it meant a lot to her." She touched Josie's cheek again with her fingertips, then gently kissed her forehead. "You get some rest, I'll be right here.'

Miranda sat beside the girl, looking out the window as time wore on. She didn't' notice that the jewel in the necklace had begun to glow as night fell, then as the night dragged by, she fell asleep by the girl, her hand resting on hers.

Roland walked into the children's playroom after Miranda had headed to be with the girl, the kids stopping their playing as he entered. He went past them and sat down beside the fireplace, then motioned for them to join him. "How much of that conversation did you guys hear?"

"All of it." Sofia confessed quietly.

"Why didn't you stay up here like I told you?"

Amber spoke up. "It's not her fault Daddy, it's mine. I wanted to find out what was going on."

"Mine too." James agreed. "Sofia told us we shouldn't listen in, but we didn't listen to her. She was trying to get us to come back when you saw us. It's not her fault, it's ours. Please don't get mad at her."

"I'm not going to get mad with any of you, though I am disappointed that you were eavesdropping after I had already told you to stay here until I came for you." He put his arm around Amber and Sofia, then looked at James. "But I think you are all old enough to understand what's happening."

"The girl isn't going to die is she dad?" Sofia asked, concerned. "Mom couldn't keep her promise then."

"And Mom always keeps her promises." James added.

"I know, and the answer is I don't know." Roland glanced out the window at the still blowing storm. "As you heard, even the doctor doesn't know. He's done everything he can though, and that's all we can do."

"What happens if she does die and Mom can't keep her promise?" Amber asked. "I mean, I don't like the idea of having to share you with another person, but surely she would have some family left that will come looking for her."

Roland shook his head. 'Her mother told us before she died that there is no one left to take care of her. All her family was killed today Amber, she has no one. How would you feel in her situation.' He knew by her silence that he had gotten his point across.

'Then she needs us to be nice to her, and not jealous.' James looked at his twin. 'Amber-'

'Alright, alright.' Amber cut him off. 'I'll be nice.'

'That's all I ask.' Roland placed his hand on her head. 'If she lives, I know its not going to be easy adjusting to having her around, but we'll work through it. Just like when your mother and Sofia moved in. It took awhile, but we are a family now, and family sticks together.'

'Yes Daddy.' Amber gave him a hug, then the other two joined in. 'Mind the tiara!'

Roland laughed as he stood up, seeing that the storm was still raging outside, even though it was getting dark. 'You three should go and get ready for supper, I'm going to go check on your mother. I'll be along shortly." He walked out of the room and went up to the spare bedroom. Silently he opened the door and peaked in. Miranda was sitting on the bed next to the girl, looking out the window, seemingly lost in thought. He closed the door as quietly as he had opened it, then went down to eat with the children.