Chapter 8- Sophia
Walking back into the castle is going to be tough I thought to myself.
The carriage stopped. I had stopped crying but I could still feel the dry tears on my cheeks.
"Here" Adeline said kindly as she handed me a handkerchief.
"Thank you," I replied wearily. The crying had drained much of the energy I had left during the day.
No one in the carriage moved. The door stood ajar and still none of us moved.
"It is polite for the women to exit the carriage first," Beau spat in our direction.
"Give her a moment," Adeline retorted, "Unless you would like me to announce what I witnessed in this carriage"
Beau scoffed at us.
"Come on Soph. Let's get you cleaned up" Adeline gracefully descended the steps of the carriage. She waited at the bottom of the stairs for me. As I slid over on the seat, Beau grabbed me by my arm.
"Haven't you done enough for one day" I said, move voice shaking with anger and sadness.
"You will not repeat what happened in this carriage. You will also never see that man again, if you want him to be safe."
I glared at him, "What would you do to him?"
"Let's just say his father does not have many supporters in this area, I am sure to see one less of his family around would not raise any suspicion," Beau replied.
I sat there stunned at the words that had just come out of his mouth.
"No" I practically whispered, as my heart sank.
"Do not doubt me. I am always true to my word" His eyes had a fire behind them and his mouth turned into a sinister grin.
I descended from the carriage. I fell into Adeline's welcoming arms, and I began to sob into her shoulder.
"Is everything alright Cherie?" Lumiere asked.
"It is obviously not!" Cogsworth said to his friend.
"Princess Sophia is just feeling under the weather today. Perhaps a short rest before dinner is what she needs" Beau replied.
"I shall get Mrs. Potts!" Cogsworth said as he waddled off.
"Allow me to help you Cherie," Lumiere said to Adeline.
I shifted my weight onto Lumiere. He led me through the castle to my room.
"Mrs. Potts shall be up shortly" he said simply as he helped me to the bed and exited the room.
I fell onto my bed. I heard the door open. I turned expecting to see Mrs. Potts, but I saw my sister, Adeline.
"Oh Sophia," she said painfully, "what happened!?"
I began telling her the story from the beginning, about Beatrice and Arabella, and when I began to talk about Emile saving me, I stopped. I looked at her. My eyes filled with tears.
"Oh, my goodness," she said with her eyes wide. "You have feelings for this man!?"
"No, I do not! How can I have feelings for a man I just met? That is just silly. I mean, I guess he is attractive. But he is also gruff. But he did save me… Oh no…"
"Oh, my goodness! You do have feelings for him!"
I did not reply this time. There was no use I was not going to change her mind, or mine for that matter.
"Why are you afraid to admit it?" she asked.
I started to cry again, "It is just awful! Beau will not let me see him again."
"Why not?" she gasped.
"He is one of Gaston's sons" as I said the statement it sunk in more that there was no possible way for us to be together.
"Oh." She must have had the same thoughts as I did.
Luckily, we had stopped talking because Mrs. Potts entered the room with a bowl of hot soup.
"Miss Adeline, if you would please give Miss Sophia some peace to feel better."
"Of course," Adeline said, she gave me a hopeful look and left the room.
"I brought you some soup dear." She helped me undress and get into my nightgown. I laid back down in bed.
"I am not hungry" I responded to her earlier question.
"You must eat, Beau tells me this will be the first time you have eaten all day!"
I winced when she said my brother's name. I hoped that she didn't notice. I took the spoon and reluctantly began feeding myself.
"Mrs. Potts?" I said before she left.
"Yes dear?" she asked inquisitively.
I thought about telling her what had happened but instead responded, "Can you tell Marquis that I will see him tomorrow morning?"
"Certainly" she said soothingly, then closed the door. I rolled over in my bed, and despite it only being in the early afternoon I fell right to sleep.
I awoke after the sunrise the next morning. The sky was still brilliantly pink, but it was fading into a pale blue. I dressed quickly and headed downstairs for breakfast.
"Good morning!" I said, trying to be cheerful, but still feeling the after affects from yesterday. I sat down next to my sister Adeline.
"Did you have a nice time at the village yesterday?" my father asked. He was still quite handsome. He had a few lines drawn on his face, but his eyes still shown.
I glanced over at Beau who shot me a look as if he wanted to remind me of the threat he had made.
"I had a nice time, but it was a little chilly and I did not feel well when I came home" I replied vaguely.
"Wonderful." He said. I was glad that he was engrossed in a book so he did not push the subject. My mother smiled at me. I winced. I felt awful lying to them. I wanted to talk to my mother about what happened but I knew that Emile would get hurt in the long run and I couldn't bear the thought of that.
I picked at my porridge. I just pushed it around in the bowl and after a few minutes my wish to be excused was granted by my father. I went straight to Marquis room. If I could tell one person it would be him. No one would find out what happened from him.
I knocked on the door and Mary answered.
"Great! He missed you yesterday," she said to me.
She exited and I entered.
"Hey" I said half-heartedly. His smile faded.
"What is it Soph? What happened?" I started to cry as I told him the story through my tears. He did not say much to me during the story be patiently waited for me to finish.
"You found your suitor on your own!" he said happily.
"I guess I did, but he doesn't count" I said disappointedly.
"He does count Soph! You love him!"
I sat there in silence. He was right. I did love him. I didn't know how I knew, but I loved him. He understood me, he knew what I wanted, cared about what I thought, he did not care that I was the princess. He saw passed that.
"But Beau threatened him. I couldn't bear to see him get hurt. I don't think I could live with myself if that happened." I started to tear up again.
"Soph…" he started, but we were interrupted by a knock on the door.
"I am sorry to interrupt, but Princess this came for you" Cogsworth said as he handed me an envelope.
"Thank you," I said to him. Then he closed the door.
"What does it say? Who is it from?" Marquis asked excitedly.
"It's from him. It's from Emile!" I said and grabbed his small hand.
"What does it say?!" Marquis practically squealed with excitement.
I read the note aloud:
Princess Sophia,
I am sorry that our time together was cut short by my brothers. I hope that you will forgive me. I would really like to talk to you. Please meet me outside the castle gates at sunset tonight. If you do not wish to see me again I understand, but I hope you consider my offer.
Until tonight,
Emile.
My heart beat faster. I could feel my face blushing.
"You had better meet him tonight!"
