Disclaimer: Sofia is 25, Cedric is 41, and I don't own either of them, or anyone else.

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Sofia

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"SOFIA, NOOOO!"

The portal closed, as she'd meant it to.

They were safe.

Sofia only hoped Cedric would be able to forgive her. That he would understand why she did it. That he would know it was her choice, not his fault.

Even now, as the realization of just how bad things could go for her sunk in, she would do it all over again. How could she live with herself if she'd stepped through the portrait and let any of her friends or family be left behind instead.

"Well, well, well, what do have here?"

She was standing on the landing now, the soldier who'd grabbed her, still holding her by the wrist with a force that would leave bruises.

Sofia gave one longing look at the wand she'd been holding. It lay on the workshop floor now, where it had been flung so she couldn't use it against her captors. If only she could reach it!

They all surrounded her now, nine of them, big, brutal looking, and blood thirsty.

They might have been looting in the halls before, but they had killed tonight. Many more than the just four guards who'd sacrificed themselves for her family.

As they looked her up and down, she saw the inevitable result of all that unchecked bloodlust, and it made her truly fearful for the first time.

"She must be someone special." Another of them said.

His hand came out. Calloused, dirty fingers touched her roughly from the swell of her breasts, just above the neckline of her gown, all the way to her waist.

Sofia tried to move away, but the one holding her made it impossible to escape the wandering hands of the others.

"She's wearing more money than any of us have ever dreamed of." A third chimed in.

She saw them all, looking at the jewels on her neckline, and then letting their gaze move to her chest, greed transforming into lust. She knew if she didn't speak now she might never leave the landing.

"I am Princess Sofia, Duchess of the Ruby Isles, and I demand you take me to King Magnus at once!"

Sofia had never spoken to anyone as though she were better than them, but she tried to mimic Amber at her haughtiest now, hoping her rank might keep them from hurting her…or worse.

"I don't think you're in any position to be demanding anything, little pretty." The man holding her said, licking his lips.

Before he could say or do more, another man came up the stairs.

"Keep your hands off her." He said, authority ringing in his voice. "She's King Rolland's daughter. If we take her to Magnus, he'll reward us. You'll end up with far more than you'd get playing with her till you rip her to pieces."

His words made Sofia shudder. But she was gladder than she cared to say when the others seemed to accept his words and started hauling her out of the tower.

They walked down long corridors, some empty, others not.

Sofia tried not to look to closely when they rounded a hall and entered a corridor off the kitchen. She didn't want to know whose bodies lay mangled and mutilated, bleeding out onto the floor. And she knew if she let herself look she'd know each and every one of them. The sight of their bodies, cut down like slabs of meat, would burn themselves into her mind. Memories of them from her childhood would be replaced with the haunting visions of their bluish gray faces and lifeless eyes.

They passed the ballroom next.

Sofia saw it was ringed with guards, the wedding guests now hostages.

She heard frightened cries and indignant demands for release echoing into the hall. Though she was relieved there wasn't more death here, she couldn't help the anger that lit inside her. They were all alive. They were alive and they didn't have the sense to be grateful for it.

She had no doubt they would all be on their way homes soon, ransomed for ridiculous sums of money which would appear as if out of nowhere. Their wealth and station providing them safety from any true harm.

"One more for us, eh?" One of the guards laughed, moving aside, thinking she was going to be put with the rest.

"Sorry mate. This one is worth more than all the others put together! She's going straight to Magnus. Better luck next time." The leader of her captors said, smiling rapaciously.

Two more minutes and they were at the doors of the throne room.

The guards there, all wearing blood spattered mail and surcoats with Magnus's colors, lowered their swords to deny them entrance.

"The ballroom's for hostages." One of them said, dismissively.

"The ballroom's secondary hostages. This one's a member of the Enchancian Royal Family. Magnus will want to know she's been taken."

Sofia watched the guard grimace, before lowering his sword and opening the door.

"I said I wasn't to be distur…." Magnus's blustering voice died mid-sentence when he saw her.

Sofia had to stifle the urge to scream, watching that pompous, murdering bastard sitting on her father's throne.

She noticed, almost off handedly as she was dragged to the foot of the throne's steps, all the other chairs besides the king's had been thrown onto the floor. Amber's lay broken in three pieces, and Cedric's was nothing more than splinters.

"Princess Sofia?" Magnus rose from her father's chair and waddled down the steps to stand in front of her.

The years hadn't been kind to him. What had been girth a decade ago was now an unimaginable amount of bulge. Magnus had become so obese his stubby little legs were apparently no longer able to support him on their own, forcing him to walk with an ornate, gem encrusted cane.

Finally he was down the stairs and towering in front of her, his stinking breath far too close to her face as he leaned down precariously to inspect her.

Noticing she was still being physically restrained by the men who'd brought her in, his enormous face clouded over with anger.

"Let her go, you worthless pig. How dare you touch a Princess in that manner! Have you no respect for your betters?" Magnus roared, turning red from the effort.

"But sire, we found her. The others escaped but we were able to capture her!" Their leader pleaded, his voice suddenly far less authoritative.

She watched Magnus mull that over, before he motioned behind him.

Sofia turned, her eyes going wide with shock, as two familiar figures stalked out of the shadows.

"Graylock, make yourself useful and conjure a reward for these gentlemen. Something appropriate for the…prize they've just brought me.

As for you Elliot, go up to the West tower and see if you can make use of anything in the sorcerer's workshop."

Elliot smiled like a kid told to help himself to a candy store and Sofia saw red.

"Don't you dare step one foot in there!" The words were out of her mouth before she even realized she meant to speak.

Elliot stopped short, but only long enough to throw her a malevolent smirk. As though her indignation only made what he was about to do that much more enjoyable.

"Ahh, I'd almost forgotten, it's yours too isn't it, Princess." Magnus looked amused by that.

Sofia stared back defiantly, which seemed to amuse him more because he started to laugh.

"I had forgotten you married what passed for a Royal Sorcerer here in Enchancia. What was it you used to call him Graylock…Card Trick?" Magnus laughed some more, his fat belly rolling as he threw back his shoulders like he'd never heard anything so funny.

But when his mirth finally ran out and he settled a deeply unsettling gaze on her, she almost wished he would go back to laughing.

"Such beauty,"

Magnus's voice dropped, as meaty fingers came up. He grabbed a lock of hair from beneath her veil, letting it run through his fingers till he was grasping just the ends.

The sight made Sofia shudder in disgust, even as she was forced to move closer to him or risk having her hair ripped out.

Bringing her hair to his nose, he took a long inhalation, savoring the scent, before exhaling on a groan of appreciation.

"I remember you as puff of purple pastel, all big eyes and pert innocent opinions. But you're all grown up now aren't you?" His eyes swept over her with approval. "I hadn't thought to find such exquisite beauty. And all of it wasted on a bungling clod. Even if your father had lost his kingdom for no other reason than that, it would be too good a punishment for him. To sacrifice a woman of your caliber to the inept groping's of a blundering fool twice your age…."

"DON'T talk about my husband or my father that way!" Sofia interrupted, pushed past caution. "Cedric is an amazing sorcerer and an amazing man. And my father is the greatest King Enchancia has ever had! You aren't half the man either of them is! And when they come for me, it's you who'll end up without a kingdom or a HEAD!"

There was no amusement in Magnus's expression now.

Instead he leveled her with a look so frightening Sofia had to stifle the urge to shrink back from him.

"Let the cowards come and we'll see, Princess. I have no reason to fear any man now, but especially not men who'd abandon a woman to save their own skins."

Sofia wanted to argue, but her fear of him was suddenly too great.

"You're still young. I'll excuse your disrespectful words on that count." He continued threateningly, before his face became lustful once more. "I'll wager no one's touched you but that skinny oaf. Don't worry sweet Princess. You'll forget all about him... in time."

Magnus, let her hair drop then, and Sofia felt a moment of relief. Until she realized he meant to grab something besides her hair.

"Don't touch me again!" Sofia breathed. Afraid or not, she couldn't bear his hands on her again.

"I've just taken your Kingdom by force. It's mine now, and that means so are you! Do you understand me?

You belong to me now, Sofia.

To do with what I please.

So I better never hear you order me to do or not do anything again! Otherwise you won't find me as forgiving as I have been tonight.

I'm sure you have no problem bossing around that sniveling coward you claim is so amazing. But real men aren't cowed by little girls who don't know when to hold their tongues.

I can assure you I have more important things to attend to right now than your insolence.

Killing half of Enchancia isn't going to endear me to the people who remain. And it grows tiring putting down rebellion after rebellion.

But… perhaps you can be of use to me in that regard.

If I were to have the Kingdom's most beloved Princess by my side, on my arm…if you're seen accept me, so will they. And you will accept me Sofia, or things will go very bad for you."

Sofia felt panic rise up in her.

She believed with every ounce of her being her family wouldn't abandon her. Cedric wouldn't abandon her. He'd promised her long ago he would never let anything part them.

He was coming.

She only needed to buy time. She just needed to keep Magnus's hands off her for a few days at most and this would all be over.

"You won't touch me again," her voice low but defiant.

Magnus's nostrils flared at that, and there was rage in his eyes.

Grabbing her arm he hauled her against him, his face coming down till it was mere centimeters from her.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't teach you your new place right here on the throne room floor, you obstinate little witch!"

Sofia jutted out her chin in defiance and met his gaze head on.

"Because I'm pregnant."