Sofia cracks open the door between her and James' room after dinner, catching sight of him pacing the floor. She stands watching for a moment, him running a hand through his hair every now and again. She knew why, of course. There were many things going wrong today.
Firstly, they hadn't seen Amber, or her brother for that matter. She had tried tirelessly to get the servants to at least let her see him after dinner before giving in and giving up for now. The ordeal certainly added to their worry, and it was made worse every time the servants said he was with a possible wife and not to be disturbed. They hadn't known how to interpret that.
The second thing on his mind was how much they were forced apart, even as an engaged couple. It bothered her as well, but she knew how things worked here better than he even if she had been little. She had never forgotten this place really, so she read up on the laws.
You'd be surprised what you could find in a library in another kingdom if you knew where to look. Granted, the book had been old, the letters faded and pages covered with dust, but the information was useful. Especially for this rescue mission.
That didn't mean she had to like being forced to sleep in an adjoined room, or that she would care if the guards or servants caught them in the same bed in the morning.
She moves into the room, directly into his path of pacing, and hugs him. "James, calm down," she says softly, trying to keep the desperation from her voice and succeeding for the most part. They needed clear heads, so he needed to relax. If he didn't they'd be in trouble and it might end up that not even the guards made it home.
He shakes his head and returns the embrace. "I'm sorry, Sof. I just... I'm so worried about Amber. We don't know what your brother's done with her, if she's even still here, or what could possibly happen if we don't get her out soon."
"I know," she whispers, touching his cheek. "But James, Amber isn't stupid. If it gets dangerous, she'll fight back. She may not have a sword, but my brother's reputation is very important to him, and we both know how Amber can get. Trust me, as long as we're careful and get her out before she marries him, everything will be fine."
I hope, she adds to herself.
"But what about your brother? Won't he do to Amber what he did to you?" he asks gently.
Nevertheless, tears spring to her eyes. "I hope not," she breathes, burying her face in his shirt. "I really, really hope he doesn't touch her beyond the normal greeting. I'm going to kill him if he does. Well... maybe. That would mean we have two countries to rule over. I don't think I could do that," she babbles nervously.
"Shh," James hushes, running one hand through her hair. "Everything will work out alright, Sofia. I promise."
"You can't promise that!" she exclaims brokenly before sobbing. "You can't. You don't know him like I do. H-he won't s-s-stop, n-not once he g-g-g-gets her."
James holds her tighter, rubbing her back instead of running his hand through her hair. "Sofia..." he breathes, voice hurt and confused. "Sofia, what did he do to you?"
She shakes her head, holding him tighter. No, please don't make me tell you. I won't, I can't. Not yet. I... I don't know how to tell you without you getting mad. Please, just let it go. I'll tell you when we're home and everything's okay again, I promise.
"Sofia, please tell me," he whispers, pulling away slightly and gently thumbing away her tears, looking deep into her eyes.
His jade green eyes are full of concern and worry. For her. It was understandable; she had never told him what her nightmares were about. That didn't mean she wanted to.
"James, I... H-he..." She bites her lip and looks down. "James, because of him, I probably shouldn't wear white on our wedding day."
A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, again, but I love cliffhangers and I couldn't help myself. I'm planning on posting chapter 10 sooner than I posted this one. ;) In the meantime please read and review. It always makes me smile :D