The past week has been a tough one for Sofia.
First, a story problem involving a sorcerer in training messing up on a spell and needing to clean up his mess before his master returned. It had been exhausting because the apprentice was using magic to fulfill household chores like sweeping and mopping, which resulted in him falling asleep and casting spells subconsciously. The end result was catastrophic, but somehow they managed to fix by learning the value of hard work and then convincing Jeremy to own up to his actions and confess his misbehaving to the sorcerer. Needless to say, said sorcerer was upset, but he was also happy to know his apprentice learned a valuable lesson in magic.
Afterward, Sofia found herself training with Chrysta and even earning some praises before they were contacted by Orion. The protector and protector-in-training had to hurry to his location and protect one of the Wicked Nine, luckily Prisma didn't get to it and she ran off after losing to the three of them. Orion was proud and Sofia was exhausted. Chrysta had recommended her to go home and take a break for a few days, with Orion nodding in agreement.
Sadly, though, Sofia couldn't even have one day off before there was an announcement that a massive ball was going to be held; something she didn't know until the last minute. Luckily, Amber was the one to fill her in on the important details.
"It's a compromise ball. Daddy and the king from a Batzar are trying to come up with negotiation terms because neither wants to go to war."
"War?!" Sofia gasps, "What war? I thought Dad didn't have any more enemies to deal with."
"Oh, Sofia," Amber sighs in sympathy, shaking her golden head. "You really need to pay attention."
"I'm sorry, Amber, I've just been so busy lately, I can hardly sleep. Please, tell me what's going on. Is there going to be a war?"
"Not as long as they can come to terms with their agreements. Apparently, the king of Batzar has some terms Daddy has to agree with and the ball is supposed to be our way of welcoming him to our kingdom. If everything goes okay, then we shouldn't have to worry."
Sofia sighs, grateful for the information. As long as they are well behaved and allow their parents to handle the Batzar king, everything should be fine. Besides, Sofia realizes, Enchancia is a magical place. The king of Batzar will likely enjoy his time here and would be more than willing to sign a peace treaty.
Plus, she thinks, Cedric is a sensational sorcerer, he can probably grant whatever the king wants.
Amber then seizes Sofia's hand, "Let's go find you a nice dress to wear. We want to look our very best when King Fefnir arrives!"
The youngest princess smiles and happily follows Amber's lead.
The next few hours leading to the ball were spent with Sofia dressing and redressing over and over again. It seemed that no matter what she wore, Amber didn't seem to like it. The future queen had officially dubbed herself the judge of Sofia's gowns and so far none were approved.
"That one is too puffy!"
"Not enough dazzle."
"Whoever designed that one was clearly blind!"
"Amber, can we please hurry up. I'm getting tired of trying on dresses." Sofia huffs. The dress she was wearing now was mustard yellow with white pearls sewn into the skirts. The pearls were placed to look like ocean waves rolling across the bright fabric. It wasn't particularly Sofia's style since she didn't like the color yellow, but she would wear it if it meant finally finding a dress.
"Absolutely not!" Amber exclaims, rising from the cushion of her chair. "That dress doesn't speak you, Sofia. You need an outfit that will say 'My name is Sofia the First, Protector, and Storykeeper.' Not: 'I'm Sofia and I'm just an average princess."
"Amber!" She hisses, clapping her hands over her sister's mouth. "I told you to keep this a secret."
The older princess pushes those hands away and offers Sofia a reassuring smile. "No one is here, Sofia. Besides, I want you to look beautiful tonight, and that dress is absolutely hideous. I'm gonna go and find someone to make you a new one."
"There's no time!" Sofia interjects with a bit of bite in her tone. "We'll just have to deal with what we have. If you don't like this one, Amber, then how about the purple one with white stripes?'
"Sofia, that doesn't speak you!"
"I don't care!"
Amber reels back, her eyes exploding wide with surprise at her sister's sudden outburst. Sofia winces, guilt rolling through her stomach. "I'm sorry, Amber, I'm just exhausted. Look, we don't have time to make a new dress and I certainly don't want to continue changing outfits. Please, let's just agree with that one. I don't think King Fefnir or his family are going to care about what I wear, so long as I show up. Besides, the purple one was pretty and I really liked it. So can I please wear that one?"
Amber seemed ready to argue, yet she reconsidered her words and decided better of it; giving in to Sofia's request with a defeated sigh. "Very well, we'll go with that one. But I am going to find some shoes to go with it and a tiara!" Not waiting for Sofia's response, Amber hurried off down the hallways until she was a tiny yellow dot in the distance.
Sofia resisted to roll her eyes, it was silly to think Amber would give up so easily. Regardless, the older princess was a force that would never bend easily, especially when so close to having her way. Still, Sofia was happy about how far Amber has come from acting like a wicked step-sister.
Coming out of his secret passage door, Clover bounded inside the room with a tiny doll hanging from his mouth and partly dragging under his hopping gray body.
Sofia heard a muffled noise and was pleasantly surprised to see her friend with the plush that oddly looked just like her. It had light brown curls of yarn sewn around her head, with a little plastic tiara glued to the top. Her dress was identical to the purple one she usually wears, a mini version of the lilac bodice trimmed within two lines of pearls down the front and along the neckline and wings of the skirt. A pearl-hemmed and stutted lilac petaled skirt with a row of great lace drops nad trumpets each arranged like a four-leaf clover or cross on a nimbus and a yellowish petticoat with a lilac band. Violet slippers with bows and mid heels were fitted snug on her tiny feet. And of course, a necklace, the same shade of soft pink as the real one, hung off the doll's neck with a near identical design.
Sofia gasped in delight upon seeing the toy and picked it up when Clover laid it down her feet. "Where did you get this?" She smiled at the toy and playfully stroked one it's cute little button eyes.
"I found it an old chest," Clover chuckled, "Seems like it's been there for years!"
"Years?" Sofia looks down at the doll again, there was definitely some dirt stains on her arms and a few smudges on the face, but that didn't mean it's been there for years. "What chest did you look through, Clover?"
"Cedric's." The bunny laughs as Sofia gives him a playfully mean look. He had only gone into Cedric's workshop to find a potion that could turn his stack of carrots into a mountain. Surely the royal sorcerer had something. He managed to open a very old chest, one that was tucked away in the farthest corner of the workshop and found only one item: the doll. It was rather strange, he assumed, but didn't think much of it. Afterall, what harm can a doll do?
"Clover," Sofia says a hint of disapproval in her tone. "You know you can't go through Mr. Cedric's things. Magic isn't a toy. We should give this right back to him."
"Come on, Sof. Don't you think it's weird he has a doll version of you?"
"Maybe it's a Wassilia gift." She suggests, "Either way, we shouldn't take things that don't belong to us. Let's take it back before, Amber-"
"Sofia!"
Too late, the door opens with Amber skipping in holding up a lovely pair of shoes and a sparkling tiara. "Look what I found!" She then gasps upon noticing the doll in Sofia's hands and instantly puts the shoes and tiara on the bed. She takes the doll from Sofia's hand, fiddling with one of the tiny hands. "Where did you get this, it looks dirty."
"Clover found it in Mr. Cedric's workshop."
Amber frowns and sets it down on the toy chest located at the foot of Sofia's bed. "Isn't that a bit weird for him to have a doll version of you, Sofia?"
The princess giggles, "That's what Clover said. I'm sure it's just a Wassilia gift he's planning on giving me later this year."
"But Wassilia isn't for another four months," Amber says, doubtful.
Sofia shrugs and adds, "He's an early planner, Amber. Since Dad needs his help all the time, I'm sure Mr. Cedric needs to plan months ahead or he'll never get anything done."
With no argument available, Amber grabs the shoes off the bed and gives them to Sofia. "Try these on first and then we'll see if they'll match your outfit."
Rolling her eyes, Sofia does as asked if only to please her sister and get this over with before the ball starts. As royal protocol, the entire family will need to be present in order to greet the King Fafnir and his children. As Sofia begrudgingly follows through with Amber's requests, she faintly notices her amulet growing warm against the skin on her neck. An early warning for what's to come.