Sofia enters the tower the evening after her return from Tangu and takes in the familiar scent of the stone room. She is still giddy with the thrill of their affair, cut short though it was. She bounces down the stairs to the empty room and, she is sad to see, empty mirror. Though it is not unusual for Cedric to be away from his chamber so early in the evening, she is still disappointed.
She has no intention of missing him however and decides to wait. Taking a book from the desk that she had left here over a week ago, she sits down to read but finds she can't concentrate on the words. Scanning the room, her attention lands on the wardrobe and her smile broadens, her eyes shining in the low light.
XXX
Cedric had been greeted by the council with two day's worth of spell casting to make up for his time away. He could not have cared less. If that was the price for two days with Sofia, he would gladly pay it one hundred fold.
He enters his chambers in exhaustion and looks to the mirror. Partially out of habit, not necessarily daring to hope she will be there, it being so late in the night.
But she is there, laying on his bed with a book in her hand and...
His robe draped around her.
He swallows hard and studies her. His beautiful princess engulfed in his heavy robes, he is aroused by the intimacy of it. He searches frantically for his scroll and when he looks up, her eyes have locked onto his.
She sits up and one large sleeve slips from her shoulder, revealing bare skin and his heart pounds. He notices her heavy brocade dress draped over the desk chair and he understands that the robe, his robe, is touching the most private areas of her flesh.
"Hello, Sorcerer."
Years ago, his heart had soared when she called him by just his name. So familiar it had been, with no title to ruin the closeness. Now the heat in her eyes sets his body aflame at the use of his profession as a name, the implication of dark power and her delight in it.
His lip curls slowly into his trademark sneer. "Good evening, my Princess. I hope you didn't wait too long." He drops his own robe from his shoulders and drapes it carefully on a chair beside the mirror.
"I'd have waited much longer than that." She rises from the bed and approaches, seeming to close the gap between them from miles to mere steps. The robe gaps at her chest, soft cleavage teasing his view, her amulet, all that remains of her Princess regalia, still shining from her skin.
He vows that the first time he has her she will keep the amulet on. Ten years and she has virtually never removed it. He ponders that for a split second. She must dress with it, bathe with it. It is a part of her, unmistakably Sofia. He no longer wants it for its power, he simply wants her.
He envisions her above him, hair draping her face and that cursed purple stone dangling above his chest, swinging with their rhythm.
She reaches to her amulet in the old habit of protection when she notices his intense gaze alight on the gem. For a moment he is afraid what she will think. She would have had a right to think it many times over during the early years of their relationship, but those days are so long past. He recovers and recaptures the moment.
"I was just thinking how lovely you will look in that amulet and nothing else when I finally make you mine."
To say she blushes would be a grievous understatement. This shift of power from her being the seductress to Cedric making her swoon is palpable, the pull they have over each other seems to pass back and forth between them with each new discovery. He is no longer shy in looking down her frame with admiration and obvious interest. The fire she lit threatens to consume him. "You look beautiful in a sorcerer's robe, Apprentice."
She counters, "I rather like you out of yours." He raises an eyebrow at her.
They stand that way for a moment. Neither speaking. He's not sure how far he can push or where they can realistically go. He wants very badly for her to drop the robe. Part of him would fall to his knees to beg the privilege. But then, does he really? Or would he rather wait until he can remove it himself, slide a hand down her waist as the fabric falls to the floor.
As delightful of a view as she is, he fears his own want of her might overwhelm him. He smiles a more natural smile and breaks the spell she has over him. "This is a dangerous game, Sofia. Maybe we should wait until I'm there to continue, hmm?"
She smiles back and shrugs. "Yes I guess so." He sees her giggle a little. "Probably I should go to sleep. You made me wait a long time you know." She pouts a little. Not typical for Sofia but he finds it adorable.
"Yes sorry about that. The council had a few extra things planned for my day. But I promise you this, not a day will go by I won't come to see you. If it gets late and you can't wait, I will understand. But I will be here."
She smiles at him. A very Sofia smile that reaches her eyes. "I'll just sleep here then if I have to. Good night, Cedric."
He sees her start to untie the belt that is holding the robe up on her petite frame and his hearts nearly stops and he gapes at her. Both shoulders bare, the soft curve of one breast is exposed, the robe opening down her center in a "v" that nearly reaches her waist.
A delicate hand grasps the mirror and, with a smirk, she turns the mirror away from her until he is staring at the grey stone of his own bed chamber back home. He grins and speaks quietly. With a bit of tree gum he keeps for sealing correspondence, he pastes his scroll facing his mirror and walk away shaking his head in frustrated delight.
After she has dressed, Sofia turns the mirror back around so it will show the room to him the next day. She sees his parting note and feels her heart flutter.
"You'll pay for that in 6 months, you little minx."
She dearly hopes she does.
XXX
First Sofia hears her father yell. Then her brother roars back at him. By the time she rounds the corner in the hall, James has stormed from the throne room and is stalking down the hall away from her.
Amber's wedding is now three months behind the family and things have been, in Sofia's opinion, pretty splendid. Her time with Cedric has been teasing and dangerous. Only another three months until his return and she has a vast catalog of fantasy involving their reunion.
But now a flutter in her stomach tells her whatever she has just stumbled on is not a typical James/Roland tiff.
From the throne room, Sofia hears her parents speaking in hushed tones.
"Rollie, I don't understand. Isn't Princess Clio a good match for James?"
Sofia starts. Her only thought is a vague "uh oh".
"That's not the point, Miranda. I'm sure Clio is a lovely girl, but I will not have James join the Corinthian royal family!"
"I don't understand. I thought we had a good relationship with that kingdom."
"We do it's just..." Sofia hears him pause and sit heavily on his throne. "Miranda, the Corinthians follow a strict matriarchy. Clio is the eldest child and heir. If James marries her he will become King, but not of Enchancia. He will have to give up his claim to the throne completely."
"I don't see how that is different from Amber marrying Zandar and leaving for Tangu."
"It's not except she has already done it and that can't be changed. Both of my heirs will lose their seat in Enchancia."
There is a pause in the room. Sofia's mind is racing. The weight of this is not lost on her. She hears her mother begin more softly but venomous.
"And I suppose since BOTH of your heirs are spoken for, that Sofia is not an acceptable choice to you."
"No Miranda that's not what I meant." He takes in a breath so deep even Sofia hears the intake of air. "When I married you I told you I would love Sofia as my own and I do. But you have to understand how it will look politically."
Miranda doesn't speak and Sofia hears Roland's voice shift to a more passive tone. Apologetic even.
"And more than that do you think she would even WANT the crown? And... and think of what this will do for her marriage prospects? What prince will touch her if she can't be his queen in HIS kingdom. The youngest, weakest of the lot I'm sure."
"Well obviously no prince if he feels the way you do. You might do well to discuss this with your children. BOTH of them. James would not give away his heart lightly. And I don't know what Sofia would think of inheriting the crown, but I know she will do what is right for the kingdom. If you expect any of your children to rule you might want to start giving them the responsibility of their own choices."
A short pause then, "You're right, Miranda."
She laughs a little. "As often as you tell me that you should just save us the time and listen to me first."
In the hall, Sofia backs away from the room. The CROWN? Years spent trying to "fit in" amongst the royal and elite and barely making it as a princess
And what will the nobility say? A common peasant, packed part and parcel to the castle like so much luggage with the new queen and all of a sudden they want her to sit the throne?
No not "want". No one wants her to. Not even her Father (there is a sting in that she can hardly understand), but they will need her to.
Her heart sinks lower. Chances are more likely now she really will be forced to marry a prince, to strengthen her ridiculously weak position. She goes numb and shuts herself in her room, not opening her door for the rest of the day.
When Baileywick knocks she is not surprised.
"Princess Sofia, your parents would like to speak with you."
She sits up from her reclined position on her bed and takes a breath. "Tell them I'll be right down." She doesn't think the shake of her voice is too evident.
XXX
Sofia finds her parents in a sitting room off the main hall. They are seated in high backed chairs to the right of a fire place. The fire is low lest the room become too stuffy. Across from them are 2 more chairs. James is there but he is not sitting, choosing instead to stand. His arms are folded and a scowl twists his face.
On her entry, Roland stands quickly. "Ah, good, Sofia. Thank you for coming quickly. Please have a seat." He gestures to the chairs. Sofia glances at her brother but does as she is asked and sits in the chair closest to the fire, not wanting to be in the way of James and the door should things go awry.
Roland sits and addresses his son. "James, please sit down so we can talk."
"I don't have anything else to say."
Miranda puts a hand on her husband's arm, silencing him as he opens his mouth. "Please, James. We would really like to discuss this as a family."
James relents. Though Miranda is not his mother by birth, she still holds that power that mothers have over their sons. As he sits she smiles and looks to Roland, urging him to continue.
He clears his throat. "Yes well... your Mother and I have been talking and..."
He trails off but Miranda finishes his sentence. They have done this for years, seeming to rule together as one mind. Or at least, to parent that way.
"...and we are very happy that you have found a lovely young lady who returns your love. However, there are considerations that should be discussed, especially when they affect other members of this family."
James glances at Sofia and then looks away and stares into the fire. "You're right."
He snaps his attention back to his parents quickly. "But it won't change how I feel."
"We understand that, James. But perhaps we should explain to Sofia what this means for her future if this is indeed the path you take."
Sofia looks from her brother to her parents. She already knows what it means but waits to see how they frame it now.
James sighs and looks at her. "Sofia I've proposed to Princess Clio and will marry her next year."
Sofia smiles and out of habit begins to congratulate her brother, even though she already knew. But he silences her with his hand and continues.
"Clio will be the Corinthian Queen and marrying her means I will be her King. I will not be King of Enchancia." He pauses and looks her in the face. "It will fall on you, Sof."
Sofia looks to her parents. Her Mother looks anxious. Roland is... unreadable.
Sofia has had all day to prepare for this but has no idea what she will say until the words spill from her mouth.
"If… if that is what needs to happen then I will do my best to make you proud and do my best for the kingdom but…" She stops and considers. Is this the time? Should she say something now?
No it doesn't feel right. It feels selfish. She glances at her Mother then looks back to King Roland quickly, unable to meet her Mother's eye.
"…but that is far away. You're the King, Dad. I'm sure you can teach me everything I need to know." She rises and nods to the room. "Congratulations, James. Clio is a lucky Princess. If you'll excuse me."
She flees the room and, in a swish of satin skirts, nearly runs back toward her chambers in near panic.
James catches Sofia in the hallway, well out of earshot of the sitting room, and grabs her arm to stop her.
"Sofia, are you ok?"
She turns to look at him and shakes her head. "No, I'm really not."
"What's wrong? Would being queen be so bad? I mean, if you marry an elder Prince, you would end up HIS queen. For that matter, if you married a younger prince, things happen. It's just part of being royalty."
"You don't understand." She shakes her head sadly, the tears threatening to fall. "It's not really the crown, it's..." Can she trust James? She adores him and he has been exceptionally good to her. He welcomed her as part of the family before Amber ever did, before many of the other royals at school.
Not to mention, he has had his own secret tryst that will rock the kingdom. Maybe more than her Mother, more than Amber, James would understand better than anyone.
She lowers her eyes and says sadly, "I'm in love with a man that a queen shouldn't marry." She looks back up. "Maybe if I was just a Princess it would be ok. Maybe not, I don't know...but at least there was a chance. Now-"
James' eyes are wide. He whispers, "Who is it, Sof?"
"Well, he's NOT a prince. So that's pretty much all you need to know, right?" She's not shouting at James but there is certainly an edge to her voice.
"Sofia, I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"Would it have changed anything if you did? I would never have asked you to give up Clio."
"Yes but now here I am asking you to give up the man you love, and I don't want to do that either."
The siblings look at each other a moment then Sofia steps forward, falls forward almost, to embrace James, a single sob escaping her lips. He holds her in the cavernous hall of their childhood castle and lets her weep quietly.
