When Miranda and Roland finally arrived at the Facility, they were met by Dr. Kevin, who quickly usher them through the door, down the hallway, and after making sure no patients were hanging around he surprises them by pulling out a fake wall panel that leads into the observation room which was occupied by Tess who gave them a quick smile and continues to keep an eye on the two girls currently playing Dress up and House at the same time.
"Sofia," Miranda said softly, afraid to speak louder for fear that she would be heard.
Dr. Kevin came to stand beside her explaining in his most professional tone, "You don't have to fear them hearing you, your majesty, the room is soundproof so you can make as much noise as you want and they will be none the wiser."
Miranda nodded, not taking her eyes off the girls as they laughed and smiled as they played.
"Do you know what is wrong with Sofia, Doctor?" Roland asked as he too watched the girls playing around.
Dr. Kevin sighs, "I haven't had a session with her yet, she has only been here barely a day, but I do have her later this afternoon and I will tell you what I think she might have afterward, but I will not reveal what is said between us unless I fear for her safety or health."
Roland nods, "I understand."
They all sat in silence as they watched the girls play around for the next hour until it was time for Gym Class, which had Tess get up, say goodbye to the Parents and leave the room, and go straight into the Playroom.
"Girls it's getting near time to go to Gym Class, please clean up, and then we will be ready to go."
"Yes, Tess." The girls said almost in unison making them jiggle a bit while they quickly cleaned up and left the room with the nurse with Sofia carrying Clover in her arms.
Miranda just chuckles a bit in amusement, "I see she still has that stuffed Rabbit."
Dr. Kevin just nods saying, "Yes she is very attached to it, oh before I forget here is Sofia's Daily Schedule."
Weekdays Monday - Friday Schedule
6:00 am wake up
7:00 am Breakfast and Meds.
8:00 am School Lessons
12'00 Lunch
12:30 pm Recess,
1:00 pm Study Hall,
2:00 pm Gym
3:00 pm Therapy Session
5:00 pm Dinner
7:00 pm Quiet Time
9:00 pm Bedtime
Weekend Sat-Sun Schedule
7:00 am Wake up
7:30 am Breakfast and Meds.
9:00 am Picnic Day in Courtyard
12'00 pm Lunch
1:00 pm Games and Activities
4:00 pm Clean up
5:00 pm Dinner
5:30 pm Movie Night
10:00 pm Bedtime
"It seems pretty straightforward Doctor," Miranda said when she finished reading the schedule.
Dr. Kevin nods, "It is, but sometimes there are times when the weather is not great or someone is just having a bad day we just have to go with the flow sometimes, and following the rules and schedule will help give them structure and purpose, I don't expect the kids to be perfect all the time, kids will break or bend the rules now and then, and we will always be consistent with punishments, which mostly are having privileges removed, being input in timeout, or not being allowed to join the picnic or movie night, now that you saw Sofia are you convinced of her being under our care?"
Both Miranda and Roland nodded and after talking for a few more minutes they were quickly escorted back to their car and soon they were leaving the parking lot of the facility once more, relieved that their daughter was in good hands.
When they got home, they were greeted by their children before seeing them off with Helen who was taking them to the village for the afternoon, while their parents had an important staff meeting.
Cedric, Baileywick, and Violet were all sitting in Roland's office around the small conference table waiting nervously for Roland and Miranda to start.
"Greetings, my friends, I am sure you are all wondering why I called this meeting," Roland states, watching as they all nodded with curious looks on their faces.
"As I am sure you all notice that Sofia has been absent, well there is a reason for that, we talked with her doctor about some recent and odd behaviors and he recommended that we bring Sofia to the children's psychiatric ward and have her stay for 3 months to help her get better and learn to cope as well."
Cedric was stunned speechless, while Baileywick just stared off in the distance while Violet just leaned into him for support and comfort.
Meanwhile, in the village, Helen was showing them the places that even Sofia wasn't aware of as they talked and chatted with their friend, who they ran into while shopping and looking around, so now group 6 became the group of 13.
The adults walked further behind them talking while leaving their kids to talk without them overhearing.
"Hugo? How has Jack been?" Emily asked.
Hugo looks at her confused, "Jack? I thought he was still with you guys?"
Emily shakes her head, "No I haven't seen himself since the fight. Did any of you see him?" She asked the rest of her siblings, only to be disappointed when they all shook their heads.
"We haven't seen each other since yesterday, maybe he decided to go visit his parents and just forgot to tell us or Hugo." Ryan reasoned while Michael agreed as well, which in turn showed how the rest of the boys agreed as well.
Emily nods her eyes still filled with worry, but soon she is pulled into a gentle headlock by Michael and squeals with laughter when he messes up her hair, while she tries to get out of his grip, while every one of their friends laughs at their antics.
After hearing a few bad jokes from James and some zingers from Hugo, Vivian turns to Amber and asks.
"So have you guys seen Sofia yet since she was put in the hospital?"
Amber, who was looking at a beautiful window display with Clio and Hildegard, turns her attention to Vivian.
"No, we have to wait 2 weeks and then we will be allowed to see her, but I will admit I am a little...well..."
"Afraid, nervous?" Vivian supplied, Amber nods sadly as she spoke once more, "Yes, I am afraid that when I go in there she is going to be a different person, I feel like I failed her in some way."
Vivian looked at Amber surprised as she breathed, "Oh Amber..."
"It's not your fault." Amber turns to see Emily standing behind her.
"But it is, I wasn't there for her when she needed me to be, I should have been there to help her when she was struggling but I was too self-absorbed to notice," Amber confessed.
Emily gently holds Amber's face in her hand and gently makes the now crying girl look up and into her eyes.
"I want you to look and listen to me, Amber Matilda Kimberly Lorelei of Enchancia, you are not to blame for Sofia's problems, she chose to hide her problems instead of facing them head-on and getting the help she needed to cope with them if anything I am to blame for letting her get away with not talking about it or not saying something sooner."
Amber's eyes widen a bit as she stammers, "Emily...I, you, it's not your fault either, you are just a kid."
Emily snorts, "If I am a kid and then you are a baby, let's just agree that no one is at fault for what happened with Sofia."
Amber nods as Emily lets her face go and soon they were embracing for a moment and then they were soon talking about clothes and styles.
Meanwhile back at the castle, Miranda heard her phone ringing and quickly excuses herself, leaving Roland to explain to an outraged Cedric, stoic Baileywick, and upset Violet about their decision to put Sofia in a hospital.
When Miranda got to her own office she quickly answered the phone.
"Hello? Miranda?"
"Eliza! I am so glad to hear from you, how have you been? I haven't seen you since the summer dance." Miranda said excitedly.
"I am good my friend, I was just calling to check up on you since I heard through the grapevine about Sofia."
Miranda sighs heavily and says "It's a mess to put it in simple terms, Liz, she was so full of life and was always happy, I am not sure what happened for me to simply not see that my baby girl was struggling and hurting inside."
"Yes I remember when I first met her 7 years ago, you had just recently married Roland at the time and Sofia was a ray of shine and when I found out that you were like me a simple village girl who was lucky and fortunate to marry royalty for love and accept your child as their own and Miranda it's not your fault, what happened to Sofia was not your fault at all, you were doing your best at a time when things were really difficult and uncertain."
Miranda sobbed as Elizabeth spoke words of comfort as she cried all her pain and misery she hadn't realized that she had suppressed until she couldn't anymore.
"Feel better?"
"Yes." Miranda croaked as she wiped her face.
"Miranda, how does a girl's spa day sound to you?"
"It sounds divine, tomorrow at say around 1 pm, we can have lunch and dinner," Miranda suggested.
"You are speaking my language, see you tomorrow at 1 pm, and Miranda I am here if you need to talk anytime."
Miranda smiles, "Thank you, the same goes for you too."
"See you tomorrow, I have to find out where Judith ran off too."
"Goodbye," Miranda said as she hung up the phone and leaned back in her chair, feeling lighter than she had in a long time.
Meanwhile, Jack was just waking up again and when he looked around the dimly lit cave, he let out a breath of relief when he saw that his captures were gone, at least for a while.
'I have to get out of here, I am sure that everyone is worried about me by now and I have to tell everyone about those thieves before they succeed.' Jack thought determined to make his escape, but he would have to plan it carefully or they just might kill him.
So with that thought in mind, he slowly and carefully crawls towards where the thieves have left their stuff laying around, after undoing the ties he knocks it all out and finds to his joy a pocket knife, picking up he tried to use it but then he could hear his captures coming back so he quickly crawls back over where he was laid out before and pretends to be still knocked out as he holds the small pocket knife in his fist.
He smirks when he heard Heidi yell at Gabriel for leaving a mess, even though the man claimed he was innocent but got clap on the back for it by Heidi, he dozed off lightly at hearing Gabriel grumble and curse Heidi under his breath.
Unaware that it would be 3 months of watching and waiting for him to be able to implement his plan.
Meanwhile, Judy had the time of her life as she skipped around her home with a disturbing smile on her pretty face as she cackled with glee as she thought to herself.
'Yes! Now that little princess peasant is lock away in the nuthouse for the next three months, it will give me just enough time to get Hughie to fell in love with me and when I tell him about how little miss peasant lost her head, he was will drop her and run into my arms and soon we will be married and have a large castle with a few kids.'
Judy sighed happily as she looked out the window as let her fantasies take hold as she plotted on how to make Sofia's life a misery when she got out.
The maids and steward all learned pretty quickly to avoid the Princess when she came around as they watched her giggle and mutter to herself as she looked outside.
The Next Moring , Sofia woke up feeling tired even though she had been following the schedule to the T, she still felt exhausted even though it had been 3 weeks since she came here.
"I don't know how Else can be so chipper this early, the sun is barely even up." She mumbles to herself as she drags herself to sit up and rubs the sleep from her eyes, just as Tess came to knock on her door.
"Sofia? Are you awake?" she asked as she came in smiling when she saw the still sleepy child sitting up, nodding when she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, letting out a jaw cracking yawn as Tess followed her into the bathroom to get ready for the day.
Once Sofia was showered and dressed for the day ahead, she was a bit more awake but still tired as she headed for the Lunchroom for her Breakfast and Medication.
After a cheerful hello from Elsa, Sofia digs into her breakfast of Goldenberry pancakes with fresh strawberries and blueberries around it and fresh orange juice which Sofia used to wash down her medicine, watching as Elsa did the same.
Before Sofia came here she was given a prescription of anti-anxiety at the lowest dose, but Sofia wasn't always good about taking it so now she had to be given it by one of the nurses and they check to make sure you swallowed them.
"I see that Clover isn't with us today?" Elsa noted when they left the lunchroom, watching as Sofia just sighs before saying.
"After the lecture, I got the teachers, Tess and Dr. Kevin, I decided that it wasn't worth the trouble and Clover would be safer in my room anyways."
The proud smile from Elsa was all she needed to know of what the girl was thinking and so with her head held high, she walked into the classroom.
Mewhile around the same time, Royal Prep's students were starting to head inside of their first class as well.
Hugo was walking with his friend heading for Magic class when he heard his name being called, he turned to see Judy running up towards him.
"Oh Hughie, I have something to tell you," Judy said.
Hugo just frowns at her, annoyed, "What is it, if it's about your undying love for me I don't want to hear it, I have a girlfriend."
Judy just smirks, "You mean the same girlfriend who has disappeared and no one has told you where she is or why."
Hugo narrows his eyes at her suspicion ringing in his head as he said, "You know something about Sofia."
Judy nods and with a smirk on her face she leans to his ear and says, "Yes, but I will not part with this information easily, you will have to do something for me."
"Name your price," Hugo said.
Judy was squealing with glee on the inside as she said, "You be my date for the Fall Dance."
Hugo shakes his head, "No dice and no deal." He starts to walk away from Judy only now realizing that they were alone in the empty hallway when enraged Judy shouts.
"YOUR GIRLFRIEND WAS PUT IN THE NUTHOUSE!" Judy shouts which had Hugo turning back to her both shocked and angry.
"That is not true, you are just jealous Judith," Hugo said but then when he looked in Judy's eyes he saw that she telling him the truth.
"I m not, jealous I m just telling you this because I care about you, do you want to be known as the prince that courts a crazy princess wannabe peasant, think about it, she will be back in 3 months and who knows how she will be when and if she comes back, maybe she will be even crazier than before, well I have to get to Dance class now, ta- ta." Judy breezes past a shocked Hugo, smirking as the seeds of doubts are sowed.
Shaking himself, Hugo quickly gets to class just barely on time as he sits next to his friend, Zander.
The Prince of Tangu notices his friend's distress and whispers, "Hugo what happened you pale as a sheet."
"Zander, I want you to be honest with me, do you think I would be a fool to dump Sofia."
Zander looked at his friend in surprise as he said, "Yes, you guys are perfect for each other."
Hugo sighs annoyed, "If we are perfect together as you say, then why isn't she here? Why hasn't she written to me? if she loved me she would have said something by now."
Zander puts a comforting hand on the other boy's shoulder, "Maybe she is unable to write right now, I am sure that she hasn't forgotten about you, she loves you, man."
Hugo sighs heavily and says, "If that was true then I would have heard something from one of her siblings, but they avoid my questions about Sofia and now as time goes on I am starting to wonder if maybe it's time for me to move on."
Zander was shocked by that as he said, "Don't do it, man, if Sofia comes back and finds that you have moved on, it will crush her."
Smiling ruefully, Hugo looks at Zander, "I know, but I have no choice, it's time for me to move on."
"You are a fool Hugo Garrick Alexander and I will be the one that told you so when it all blows up in your face," Zanders states as he turns his full attention back to the lesson ignoring his friend sputtering angrily.
For the rest of the morning Hugo stewed, until it came time for lunch and recess, he decided that he would write the first letter and see if Sofia would write back, so he grabbed a pen and some paper and started to write.
'Dear Sofia,
I am writing this letter to let you know of how your absence has affected me so this past 3 weeks, I felt so helpless and lost without you by my side and I know that if you were here, that you would try to lift my spirits, but the truth is you aren't and I can't sit around and wait for you come back to me and...I have found a new love, someone who has been there for me, when things got tough, Judy.
She has helped me see that my courting you has been a mistake from the beginning, I, a prince should have a lady of high status that was born and raised into royalty, and while what we had was great, I just can't do it anymore, I hope one day you will find it in your heart to forgive me and remain friends instead.
I bid you farewell my darling Sofia.
Prince Hugo Garrick Alexander of Terra Kingdom
PS. I want to let you know I asked Judy to do the Fall Dance instead.
Satisfied with his letter Hugo folded it up and sealed it with wax, signing it to Sofia, then he got up to go find James or Amber to have one of them give the letter to Sofia.
When he spotted James he ran over to him.
"James, I need you to give Sofia this letter for me," Hugo said, holding out the letter for James to take.
James looks at Hugo for a moment before nodding and taking the letter, watching as the boy walked away without another word.
Turning back to his friends, Desmond and Zander, they all looked at the letter in his hands and then Desmond said firmly.
"Open it."
James was hesitant a bit before unsealing the wax and reading the writing inside, which made him angrier by the second.
Seeing the fury on their friends they each grabbed an arm to stop him from going to find Hugo and beat his head in.
"Let me go! He deserves to have his head bashed in, if Sofia reads this it will devastate her, she is just starting to get better, this will set her back big time, she believes that Hugo is waiting for her, but just proves that she is nothing to him!" James shouted.
"Then just don't send it." Desmond suggested which had his friends look at him surprised, but then they smiled at him, and then Zander said. "Desmond, you are brilliant."
Desmond looked puzzled, "I am?"
Zander then turned to James and said: "James hid the letter where no one could find it."
James nodded and said, "I know just the place."
Later that same day, James tucks the letter deep into Amber's vanity drawers where she keeps all of her last season dresses and clothes, smiling at his genius he leaves the room without another thought just as Amber went into her room and straight for her vanity drawers where she decided to clean them and that when she notices the letter.
Confused, she picked it up and saw that it had Sofia's name on it.
"Oh, this must be one of the letters I didn't send by accident, silly me, well I shall give this to Baileywick right away!" Amber said as she leaves her room quickly and runs off to find Baileywick with the letter in her hand unaware of its contents as she passed the letter on to the Steward who promised to have sent it straight away to the Facility the next day.
