OMG this one took so long! I seriously apologize, this one was just so hard to get through and I feel even worse because it's probably one of the shortest chapters of the story (most of them will probably be more than 3k). School has become a major stress and not being able to write was tearing me apart. I probably spent a week away from this chapter, making it that much harder. On a better note, the next chapter is up! Yay! I also have decided to try something new: At the end of some chapters (not all, sorry), I have decided to put random facts about the story! Things like meaning behind character names, side notes on titles, and anything really that relates to the story. I'll put one at the end of this chapter, but you'll see them every once in a while! Okay, I'll be quite. Enjoy!
She had always seen the Palace from afar, always dreamed about the beauty and magnificence inside. She imagined walking through the extravagant hallways and dancing with royalty and wearing the most beautiful gown. She even imagined finding her true love. It was an unreachable dream, something she never thought would become true. But somehow, they were important enough to come to the Royal Banquet.
Little Sophie stared in awe as they walked through the Palace doors into the main foyer, greeted by so many guards in static lines. She held her stepmother's hand and her little sister's, Lettie. Martha had just turned two and was still fussy, so their father held the baby in his arms. All three girls wore beautiful gowns, just as Sophie imagined. She wore a blue dress that sparkled in from the light, her long, brown hair in dazzling curls to compliment the look. Lettie's dress was pink, her favorite color. Sophie never liked pink. In fact, she preferred yellow or green, but she was still grateful for the dress her mother picked for her.
Martha wore a white dress, which was typical for most infants to wear at such a gathering. While Ellis was much more traditional, his wife Honey was very stylish and wanted her girls to appear like they belonged, and Sophie felt like they had very much accomplished that.
As the Hatter family walked down the hallway, a pair of guards held a large door open for them to enter. Honey and Ellis nodded with respect, while the two older daughters rushed ahead in amazement, their eyes glistening with excitement.
Chandeliers of the most exquisite diamonds and jewels lit the space and decorated the large ballroom. The stars from above were clear from the glass ceiling and walls, the room an extension of the night sky. The wooden floor was a dark, seamless pattern throughout the entire space. Men in suits and women in ballgowns danced along to the symphony on the center stage. Sophie and Lettie tightened their grips as they squealed with content. Their dream had come true.
"Girls, why don't you talk to those three boys over there?" Sophie and Lettie turned around, Honey's hand resting on their shoulders. "I think it would lovely if you socialized with children your age."
"But Mother," Sophie whispered, "they look so much older than us."
"Only by a few years, but you'll get along."
She walked them toward the boys dressed in highly mature fashion. Two of the boys wore suits with gold ties and handkerchiefs. One was extremely tall and handsome, and Sophie guessed he was nearly three times her age. The other who matched him in style didn't appear as old, but still seemed to be in his teens. The third - also in his teens, she assumed - wore a more unusual style. No suit, but rather a colorful, exotic shirt and black slacks.
When the three noticed them, Honey smiled wide. "Hello there, boys. These are my daughters, Sophie and Lettie. I would much appreciate it if you made them feel welcome. They're so very nervous to be here and don't have anyone else their age to talk to."
The boys looked back and forth to each other, the oldest of the three rolling his eyes and whispering something inaudible to the others.
The one with the colorful shirt smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "I guess so."
Lettie and Sophie looked at each other, hoping Honey wouldn't leave them.
"See girls? They'd love to play with you." She pushed them lightly toward the boys and sighed with relief. "Enjoy, my little princesses."
As she scurried off, Lettie and Sophie spent the next few moments darting their eyes between each other, the boys, and the floor. Sophie only had a couple friends in school, and they had approached her, not the other way around. She was too nervous to start up a conversation with someone she didn't already know.
"So, are you both really princesses?" The younger boy in gold asked. Sophie darted her eyes between the three pairs of eyes staring at them, her fingers shaking and her foot tapping rapidly. The older boy seemed highly unenthusiastic from talking to two children. He yawned and searched the room for something of interest, and when he did, his eyes lit up.
Sophie gulped. "Um… no, we're-"
"Hey, Justin." The older boy elbowed his counterpart, a smile creeping on his face. "I say we sneak up on Miss Dafina and lift her skirt to expose her pantyhose. That'll get a rise out of these people."
Justin raised his eyebrow. "Aren't you a little old for stuff like that, Ro?"
"Nah, not at all." Ro said, brushing off Justin's response. "If anything, you and Owen here should be the ones causing a riot. I'm next in line for the throne, so if people saw me-"
"Wait, you're the Prince?" Lettie gasped. Ro and Justin glanced at each other, but Sophie and Lettie were glued to the two boys in gold who were now uncovered as the princes of Ingary.
Ro laughed. "You didn't know that when your mom dumped you on us?"
"No." Sophie said, though his use of the word 'dumped' made his opinion of the situation much clearer. "So, you're Prince Rolland and you're Prince Justin?"
Rolland bowed dramatically. "I aim to please the citizens of Ingary as your new king in… well, whenever that happens, I guess."
Justin rolled his eyes. "You make it sound like you're just waiting for father to die."
"I'm not waiting for the old man to kick the boot, I'm just preparing for when it happens."
"Wait, then who are you?" Lettie asked, ignoring their argument. Justin and Rolland stopped their bickering and turned to the third boy, Owen, though his relation to the princes was unknown. Everyone in Ingary knew there were only two princes, and they didn't have cousins or other relatives. Sophie had almost forgotten he was there, in all honesty.
Owen widened his smile and gestured toward the group of high officials. "You see where your wonderful King and Queen stand?"
Lettie and Sophie nodded quickly. He pointed to a woman in a long, green gown, her blonde hair so magnificent and proper. "My mother is the most powerful sorceress in the world. They call her the Royal Sorceress, Madame Suliman."
(—)
Justin. Rolland. Suliman. They all knew they were here. They knew where they were hiding. And Sophie had been completely blind.
"Th-they know… that we're here?"
Gwenda and Kenta lowered their gaze. Sophie took in short breaths, her knees failing to work and almost collapsing to the ground. Gwenda quickly rushed to her side and helped her stand straight, walking her slowly to the armchair. Her thoughts were running wild. They could be at the border or at the capital or even Magnol. Suliman must have somehow predicted this. With her abilities, she could probably sense Sophie's pregnancy and her magic.
"Suliman knew this would happen." Sophie whispered. "She knew it all. She's always one step ahead of us. She knew I'd end up giving in to the marriage and putting Howl in jail and my pregnancy…" Her jaw began to tremble before she could finish her sentence and her sight blurred from the tears. They were in danger. They always had been; she just thought that maybe this one time, they had outsmarted her.
"Hey." Gwenda knelt beside Sophie and held her hand. "She didn't know you would say no at the altar. She didn't know you would skip town and bolt. And she doesn't know how hard we are going to fight this."
Sophie shook her head. "It doesn't matter. We're practically caught as it is. She's probably been planning this war for months. Probably before Howl and I left."
"You don't know that." Gwenda turned to Kenta, but he just shrugged his shoulders. The Witch of the Wastes was no help, either. Gwenda would have been surprised if she was even paying attention. She turned to Calcifer, who had been sitting silently in his fireplace, contemplating this groundbreaking story. She stared at him until he realized and met her gaze, though he was as scared as everyone else seemed to be.
Gwenda breathed in deeply. "Sophie, you need to take in deep breaths. You don't want to frighten the baby."
"I can't…" Sophie whispered. "This is all too much, all these things are just popping into my head and I can't control my own thoughts and-" Out of nowhere, a bolt of lightning sparked from Sophie's fingers, hitting the log next to Calcifer and lighting a fire next to him. He jumped at the sight and leaned farther away from it. When he calmed down, he added the fire to his own.
Kenta, however, widened his eyes. "How did you… do that?"
"You didn't know this could happen?" Gwenda creased her eyebrows at the wizard who should have expected something like to happen.
He blinked his eyes. "I mean… I know it happens, but how did you produce lightning? That's far beyond the skills my mother had during her pregnancy with me."
Sophie shrugged. "It's pretty much all I've been doing, ever since we found out I was pregnant. Most of the time when I'm using magic, something goes wrong and I zap everything."
Kenta pursed his lips. "Well, you learned your source quite early, much earlier than even amateur wizards."
"My source?"
Kenta nodded. "Your source of magic. It is what drives your abilities to do the things they can."
"What's your source?" Sophie asked.
"I'm driven by the natural elements. It's a very common one, actually."
Sophie nodded. "And Howl's?"
Kenta raised his eyebrows. "Um… that's not really for me to say. I'm surprised he hasn't told you." He attempted to stand up once more, this time his strength returning much quicker than before. Gwenda stepped out of the way as he took her place next to Sophie. "I'll teach you a spell for beginning magicians. It will help you learn to channel your source to do the spell you wish to do."
He held his hands out to Sophie, and she gradually placed hers on top. He whispered a few lines and her heart rate slowed down. Her breathing regulated to a normal, calmer speed. She closed her eyes and relaxed her muscles. She felt in control.
"Now." Kenta whispered. "Turn the lamp on."
Sophie opened her eyes and snapped her fingers, the words to the spell naturally speaking in her mind. In a flash, the light turned on.
She widened here eyes. Nothing exploded. Nothing sparked. Her fingers felt the familiar sting, but it felt less sporadic and more centered. She finally felt confident in her abilities.
"How… how did you do that?" Sophie turned to Kenta, his smirk the happiest she had seen him in a while.
"That wasn't me. You used your ability to its highest advantage. Electrokinesis is the ability to control electrical currents. It's not unpopular, but not very common, either. My father's source was electrokinesis, so I learned a few tricks from him."
"So… I can only control things like lamps and power switches?"
Kenta shook his head. "You have the power to do other things, but you need to learn how to use your source in situations where it would normally be a disadvantage." Sophie crinkled her eyebrows together. Kenta sighed heavily. "That may have been confusing. But Howl and I will teach you to the best of our abilities."
Kenta stood up slowly, pushing on the arm of the chair for balance and support. With her due date approaching faster than he would have preferred, there wasn't much time for slow learning. She would have to pick things up faster than most. He was surprised that Howl hadn't taken much time to go through the trials with her, but being in hiding in a land with a unanimous hatred for magic had its disadvantages to a learning human.
"What if I can't control myself and I hurt someone?" Sophie asked as she bit her lip. She didn't have the skills that masters like Howl and Kenta had, and she didn't have the time, either. She loved this gift, even if it was only for a few short months. She wished she had known more and been able to control it sooner, but maybe this time her abilities would improve.
Kenta winked. "That's why you're training with the best."
(—)
It was very risky to come to the fields, even if all the workers had gone home for the night. Howl didn't know if anyone would come back if they had forgotten something or if Thomas checked the fields at night. The sun was setting and Magnol would be preparing for dinner, while the magicians prepared for a lesson.
"It's not that hard, Sophie." Kenta said. He moved his arms like the wind back and forth, repeating a spell meant to change the wind's pattern. "Try it."
Sophie nodded and shook her arms to release the tension building up. She was still in the learning phase, even if she had been practicing with Howl and Kenta nearly every night for the past two weeks. She was definitely gaining more control over her powers, but she hadn't mastered the more difficult spells yet.
Howl and Kenta watched as she swayed her arms like Kenta did, repeating the spell slowly and articulating every syllable. Howl nodded with approval as the wind switched from blowing against his face to nearly pulling him toward Sophie. This spell was common with magicians traveling overseas, but it was a great beginning spell.
"She's doing wonderful." Kenta said.
"As are you." Howl replied. "You look much better than you did two weeks ago."
"All those healing spells. And Sophie's stellar cooking, of course." Howl and Kenta chuckled as they watched her dance with the wind as she controlled its movement. She twirled around, spinning the air in a mini tornado around her. Howl gritted his teeth with worry, but Kenta held him back. "Let her handle it."
Sophie noticed the tornado reaching higher speeds, spinning wildly around her. She appeared frightened, her arms tightening closer to her chest. Sophie turned to Howl and Kenta, both of them nodding. She pushed her arms out and the wind stopped its motion, quickly shifting from rapid to calm. It returned to its regular patterns, blowing against Howl's face.
Howl sighed. "You were right."
"You can trust her with magic. She's actually quite good."
"I know." Howl closed his eyes. "I know."
Kenta turned to him. "I was wondering why she was so far behind in her knowledge of magic to the point where she didn't even know what her own source was. Of all people, I imagined that you would have trained her from the moment you found out about the pregnancy."
Howl opened his eyes, looking slightly downward at Kenta from the corner. Kenta crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows, as if he were reading Howl's mind. Howl sighed and returned his gaze to Sophie, watching her as she rubbed her stomach and spoke softly to the baby. Their baby. Their soon-to-be magical child with powers used for good or evil.
"I know you're scared."
"Wouldn't you be?" Howl said. "The love of my life is pregnant with a child of magic and Suliman has been planning to have our baby since the moment we met."
Howl clenched his teeth, the thought of that woman ruining everything they had poisoning his mind. She was a nuisance; a troublesome being who found pleasure in other's suffering as long as she was content. She may have been powerful, but she was completely and utterly heartless.
Howl took a deep breath. "I don't know if Suliman will get what she wants or if we may somehow be able to evade her again, and then for what? To keep running and hiding? That's not the life I want for this baby."
"Shielding Sophie from learning these abilities will hinder the baby's ability as well. You know that."
Howl turned to Kenta. "I also don't want Suliman to complete this decade-long battle to control every ounce of magic we have in this world."
Kenta creased his eyebrows. "Keeping Sophie from learning magic won't stop the baby from becoming a magician. Even if she never used her powers, that child will still be like you and me."
Howl held fists at his side. "But maybe not as powerful as Suliman is looking for. Maybe she won't come after us if the baby isn't extraordinary."
Kenta frowned. "And you think that's why she wants your child."
Howl shook his head. "I don't want it to be true… but what if our child is more powerful than Suliman, and she knows that already?"
"Then you fight." Kenta said. "You fight like you've never fought before. You can't allow her to think she is in control of everything and everyone. You have to show her that you can outsmart her."
Howl bit his lip. "How can I be a father if I can't protect my family from her?"
Kenta lowered his shoulders. He had seen the devastation Madame Suliman caused. She separated families, forced magicians into a mindless battle, and so many other cruelties. It was no wonder that any magician would be frightened about bringing another power into this world, knowing she would be there to snatch away anything stronger than herself.
"You just can't be afraid." Kenta said.
"Um, Howl?" Howl and Kenta turned to Sophie, her eyes wide as she looked at the sky. "I don't think we're alone."
They're not alone? What? Who could it be? I know, I'm so rude when it comes to cliffhangers (hehehehe). I will do better with updating because I feel bad that you have a writer who procrastinates and is busy with school like me. I hope you're still enjoying the story and things will definitely start picking up. And now, here's your random fact!
RANDOM FACT!
A Heart in Flames was actually going to be called "Howl's Dark Side." I didn't like the title and it didn't make sense with the story. Also, AHiF sounds so much cooler :)
