When Vivian awoke, she wasn't expecting the news of Sofia being rescued so immediate.

She thought Amber and James would tell her in private on Royal Prep grounds.

Not from one of the maids.

"Who found her?" Vivian asked sleepily.

"Your friend Clio and her family Miss," The maid replied. "The poor dear finally gets to go home and be safe from that horrible man."

The formerly timid princess couldn't help but smile. She couldn't wait to see her friend once again.

When the time for her to being the most appropriate that is.

She wouldn't want to rush things if she showed up unannounced.

Vivian giggled upon finishing up dressing in the day's attire as she heard Crackle's paws against the title floor of the hallway, picking her up.

If she told her the news, there'd be fire. She didn't want that.

Not first thing in the morning.

Putting down the dragon after a couple pets, Vivian joined her parents in the dining hall who were relieved by her smile.

It had been her first one in the last two weeks.

Vivian wasn't a sensitive child but like any child she had her moments, which to her parents' sympathies, just so happened to be the day she found out about Sofia's kidnapping from Amber and James.

Cecily and Marcus had never seen their daughter that devastated before then.

"I know Sofia's been rescued but is she alright?" Vivian asked.

"At the moment we're not sure," Cecily confessed. "Your father and I just learned the news ourselves before you awoke."

"But that doesn't mean we won't support her and the Enchancia family if needed," Marcus assured. "Zumaria isn't as close in relations with Enchancia like Wei-Ling and Khaldoun but we're allies and as such, we'll help them in a time of crisis."

"Is Sofia's rescue a crisis?"

"Well no but her trauma resulting from everything she went through will be."

"And you want me to be understanding if she has a reaction?" Vivian guessed.

"That's all we ask of you Vivy," Cecily smiled, putting a hand on top of her daughter's. "Can you do that for us?"

Vivian nodded though she was uncertain, not knowing what Sofia had been through.

Other than Desmond and Hugo's horror stories.

A brand new friend was all she needed.

Without or with strumming and humming to get them going strong.

Vivian wanted to be that friend with her timid nature no longer an obstacle.

Sofia would need friendship now more than ever.

She was her first friend. It'd be a debt Vivian would repay with gratitude.

Without her, she would still be timid, having Vivian shudder at the thought.

She couldn't imagine how her friend had to be feeling upon being rescued.

She wouldn't blame her if she had trust issues because of Boswell.

How do you call yourself an entertainer for children and adults alike but kidnap a child for your own gain?

That made Vivian boil with fury as she excused herself to the castle garden upon finishing half of her breakfast.

She could hear Sofia's giggles in her mind, recalling how butterflies had been her favorite animal.

Well sort of.

"I don't know why they're my favorite insect but Mom once said they stand for life and freedom," Sofia smiled.

Freedom. Vivian liked the sound of that.

...

Not again.

Dear lord not again.

Hugo had the same recurring nightmare for a week straight of the same wagon with his beloved beaten senseless.

Will it ever crease?

As if his prayer was answered, the wagon vanished without a trace.

"Hugo?"

The young prince found himself startled by a voice of a pure innocence that he recognized immediately.

Sofia.

She stood beside him, lacking her treasured amulet and wearing an abbreviated white dress that showed her legs yet still had a sense of innocence to it.

White.

No. Could she be gone? Did Boswell triumph in his greed? Was she venturing on to the afterlife?

A giggle only heightened Hugo's bafflement before he placed a hand on her chest.

Oh thank his faith that she was still breathing.

"Hugo I'm okay!" Sofia giggled. "You're as pale as a ghost."

"Sorry. It's just you and that dress..." Hugo trailed off.

"You don't like it?"

"No. It's beautiful."

Sofia giggled again, seeing his bewildered look. "Hugo, I'm going home!"

The young prince blushed softly but still found himself filled with dread.

"If you're going home then why are you wearing white?" Hugo wondered. "Doesn't that usually mean heaven?"

"Not in this case." Sofia took his hand in hers. "I'm free. I'm finally free."

Hugo nodded, his dread replaced with a smile. There was a small sparkle in her eyes again and oh how he missed it.

She smiled, hugging him close before letting go.

"You're free," Hugo smiled.

"That's hard to realize," Sofia admitted. "I thought I'd be stuck in that wagon for as long as Rapunzel was in her tower."

Hugo squeezed her hand, seeing her in tears at the thought.

She didn't have to think about that possibility anymore as Hugo wiped away her tears.

"Thank you," Sofia sniffed.

"You're welcome. You don't have to think of that wagon ever again," Hugo assured. "You're free."

Before Sofia could say anything back, Hugo felt himself being gently shaken before looking up, seeing his parents and Axel.

"Hugo are you okay dear?" His mother asked.

"You were talking in your sleep Baby Bro," Axel added. "Is it your little girlfriend again?"

"Axel, no teasing your brother and Victoria, give Hugo some room before you crush him," Garrick mused, stroking his younger son's hair. "We didn't hear you screaming this time champ. Finally got rid of those nightmares?"

"I thought it was but Sofia showed up in a white dress and I thought she wasn't with us anymore until she tells me she's free." Hugo rubbed his eyes before he sighed. "Is her freedom really a dream?"

"No sweetheart. Your father and I got word from Corinthia about her freedom late last night," Victoria explained. She hugged him close, seeing him about to cry. "You'll see her again when she's ready for visitors."

"How long will that be?"

"We're not sure champ," Garrick admitted. "But when she's emotionally ready, King Roland will let us know."

…

When Sofia awoke, she nearly panicked before remembering her surroundings.

A full stomach, a warm blanket, and a stuffed animal to cuddle with.

She nearly forgot she had been rescued the previous night.

"Clover! Stop that!" Sofia giggled, feeling him nuzzle against her.

"What else would stop you from looking tense?" Clover smirked. "I know being rescued is a lot to take in but you got this."

"I got it. It just different."

"You went from prisoner to princess in nearly a day kid. Of course everything's different."

"But I broken," Sofia frowned. "After yesterday night, something in me broke and now I broken."

You're not broken Sof. You're traumatized by what happened and you have every right to be," Clover assured. "It'll take awhile to move on from what Boswell did and no one will ever blame you for that."

Sofia nodded softly, looking up to see one of the servants place a food tray on her bed.

Noticing her bafflement, the servant explained that Clio and her family thought it'd be best if she had some space for her first morning meal in two weeks, not wanting her to feel overwhelmed.

Sofia thanked the servant with a smile, taking a nibble at her breakfast.

When she finished what she could, Sofia stood up and looked at herself in the mirror.

Did her hair get longer in just two weeks?

Being unable to bathe helped in her being unable to notice until that moment as Sofia turned around and curtsied upon seeing Clio's mother.

"You don't have to do that sweetheart. You know me," Clio's mother smiled. She closed the down and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "I thought it'd be nice if I helped you get ready."

"No maids?" Sofia frowned.

"I'll help you with your hair that's all. Would you like that?"

Sofia nodded eagerly, pulling at her curls in embarrassment.

Her hair had been knotted over the course of the time she was kidnapped, running through it with her fingers was not enough to keep it from getting bad.

Clio's mother noticed her embarrassment, gently picking up the princess so she wouldn't startle her.

To her, Sofia looked so fragile as she cling to her before being sat down.

It broke Clio's mother's heart to hear Sofia's cries as the hairbrush went through her knotted curls.

But it was the only way to get her ready.

"It over?" Sofia sniffed upon hearing the hairbrush being set down.

"Yes it's over," Clio's mother assured. She squeezed one of her hands. "Your family should be here sometime after lunch. Do you mind waiting a little longer?"

Sofia shook her head. She was excited to see them again but knew not to show it.

By the time they did arrive, she was lacking shoes.

Sofia had argued that shoes would only keep her feet trapped inside like she was inside the wagon much to the annoyance of one of the servants.

Though they were annoyed, the servants were as sympathetic as anyone else to Sofia's situation.

At her refusal, they had alerted Clio's parents allowing them to make the decision.

So Sofia lacked shoes as she heard the familiarity of her family's carriage, running to it.

She was bursting with excitement as it approached, deciding to express the emotion with the royal family of Corinthia following slowly after her.

The hyperactive Sofia was currently feeling was new to all of them as Sofia was close enough to the doors of the carriage, reaching up on her tiptoes to get a peek inside.

"Easy. Let's get you down before you get hurt sweetheart," Clio's mother said much to her dismay.

"Why?" Sofia frowned.

"You're in the way of letting them out of the coach sweetheart," Clio's father smiled.

Sofia obeyed with a sigh escaping from her lips before backing away from the coach, bouncing excitedly as the door opened.

"Sof!"

James' voice was filled with relief as Sofia ran to him.

"James!" She giggled.

"Where's your shoes?" James grinned.

"No shoes."

James' expression was curious at her partial sentence but he shrugged it off, simply glad to see his sister again.

Amber wasn't going to be thrilled with her lack of shoes but he knew she wouldn't care for Sofia was the only thing she cared for at the moment.

"Sofia!" Amber gasped upon seeing her. "You look skinnier." She gently touched her sister's face. "I can't this is actually you! You had everyone worried sick!"

"You mad at me?" Sofia frowned. "I knew it."

"Sof, we aren't mad at you. We're only mad at Boswell," James assured, reaching out for her.

Sofia flinched upon seeing his outreached hand, hugging herself.

"I sorry," She whimpered.

Sofia looked up, seeing Miranda come between her and the twins.

"Sofia, the only one who should be apologizing is that magician," Miranda frowned, kneeling beside her. "You didn't ask to be kidnapped and you certainly didn't ask to be traumatized. It'll be a rough road for us all but forever will I love you."

Sofia flung to her arms upon hearing the same words she'd seen in her mother's letter, burying herself in Miranda's chest. "I missed you Mommy."

"I missed you too. My sweet little girl." Miranda's voice was gentle as she held back tears. "My Sofia."

She stroked Sofia's hair as the twins hung close by, though Amber was glancing at Clio, considering going to thank her for taking care of Sofia for the past day.

"We all did."

Sofia heard Roland's voice, watching as he knelt down beside her, being careful not to scare his youngest daughter.

"Daddy," Sofia smiled. "You not mad?"

Roland shook his head. "I'd never be mad at you Sofia."

He reached his hand out carefully to fix her hair, which had fallen in front of her eyes, not wanting to do anything that could startle her.

Sofia almost flinched before remembering that she trusted Roland. She always had before her kidnapping.

"Sofia? Are you all right?" Roland asked. He saw her wince. "Let me take a look at what's hurting okay?"

Sofia sighed hesitantly, rolling up the sleeves of the dress she was wearing.

Roland's eyes widened upon seeing the burns on her arms.

Miranda let out a small gasp as she saw her daughter's arms. None of the family could believe what they were seeing.

They knew the magician had burned her but they hadn't expected it to be so bad.

"We can have Cedric heal them right?" Amber asked.

"No magician," Sofia whimpered.

Roland gave her an shocked expression. He hadn't realized that Sofia might be scared of Cedric or anyone else with magic because of what Boswell had done.

"Sofia, honey, Cedric isn't a magician. He's a sorcerer," Miranda explained softly, seeing her terrified expression. "His magic won't hurt you."

"Mr. Ceedric does good magic?" Sofia sniffed.

"Occasionally but yes," Amber smiled.

The younger princess nodded though she wasn't sure if she could trust the opposite sex so easily like she used too.

Boswell had destroyed it in only two weeks by his cruelty.

Sofia found herself giggling as she felt a butterfly land on her nose.

"Butterfly!" She squealed much to the surprise of both families.

"It's a pretty butterfly too," Amber smiled.

James smiled at the sight of Sofia giggling over the butterfly.

Despite the trauma she showed, her happiness was a blessing to behold.

And that's all he wanted to experience.

...

Sofia hadn't had a full day in two weeks as she climbed into her bed that evening.

Not just any bed. Her own bed that was safe, warm, and had Clover at the end of it to protect her.

As she dreamed, she heard a voice, staring at the unseen person.

"Who are you?" Sofia asked, hugging herself. "What you want?"

"Don't be scared pequeña. I'm a friend," the voice assured. "You just can't see me yet."

The voice was young and feminine but left Sofia baffled.

"What you mean not yet?" The newly freed princess wondered.

"It's difficult to explain," The voice confessed. "But you'll understand in two years."

"You're a girl?"

"Si. I'm a girl."

"Good," Sofia smiled despite the petrified expression in her eyes. "Boys are scary."

"I know," The voice muttered sympathetically. "I can't say where I am but I witnessed what that magician did to you."

That left Sofia even more baffled but she couldn't question a person she could only hear.

Instead she and the voice talked to one another until she felt a gentle shake in the void that was her first dream since her rescue.

"Before I go, what your name?" Sofia asked.

"Elena Castillo Flores, crown princess to the kingdom of Avalor," The voice answered. "Don't give up niña. Keep on going until we meet."

"I promise," Sofia smiled.

She awoke to Miranda who gave her a kiss on the forehead, causing her to giggle.

"Seems like someone enjoyed her first night in her own bed a little too much." Miranda took Sofia in her arms, kissing her cheek. "Good morning sweetheart."

"Mommy!" Sofia giggled.

"Looks like Sofia slept well," Amber smiled, noticing the glow of the nightlight disappearing. "Guess Cedric's magic works after all."

"You suggested a nightlight for your sister in the first place. Cedric only enchanted it," Miranda recalled.

"Amber do magic?" Sofia gasped.

Amber giggled at her innocence. "No Sofia. I'm just a princess."

"Yes you princess but you sister too."

"Yes Sofia I am your sister. And I promise to help you through this."

"We all will," Miranda assured, stroking Sofia's hair. "We won't let you go through this alone."

Sofia nodded happily at the thought while trying to adjust to the idea of being around love for the first time in two weeks.

She knew Boswell's fury better than anyone and while she was sure he was expressing it, she was thankful for not being apart of it.

Not now, not ever again.

All Sofia needed was love.