PART 2
"Mmm. Good morning Rollie." A soft voice whispered.
'Rollie?' She thought.
Sofia felt someone wrap their arm across her side and opened her eyes to see her mother's face, a sleepy smile on her lips.
"Mom?"
"Sofia? What are you doing in here?" Miranda's eyes flew open and she pulled her arm back, she shifted back slightly to put some space between the two of them but fell from the bed. "Ah!"
Sofia and Miranda sat up in unison and scanned the room.
It was dim in the early morning light. Sofia looked over to the window protruding out from the building with a tattered window seat underneath. The creamy colour of the walls was darkened with soot from the tiny fireplace and wooden beams lined the walls reaching up to meet the ones across the ceiling.
Over in the corner was a small chair leaning against a wardrobe with one door open revealing two aprons. This room was a quarter of the size of her bedroom at the palace but it seemed so familiar.
"Mom? What is going on? Why are we here?"
"I don't know. Is this our old shop?"
"It looks like it? But why-" they were interrupted by a loud knock on the front door. Miranda hurried over to the window, placing her knee on the cushioned seat.
"It's a palace guard!" She whispered opening the window slightly to shout down to him. "Just a moment please!" She closed the window and straightened up.
"Okay but I don't understand- "
"Me neither. Perhaps it's one of Cedric's spells gone wrong and he is here to escort us back to the castle." Miranda said as she walked back over to the bed. "Don't worry we'll sort this all out before you know it."
"Okay mom." Sofia smiled half-heartedly as Miranda knelt down beside her.
"Happy birthday my darling." Miranda smiled, leaning in to kiss Sofia's cheek. "Come on. We don't want to keep him waiting."
After walking over to the wardrobe, Miranda laid down a dress and an apron on the chair for Sofia. They turned their backs away from each other and dressed quickly in silence.
Sofia slipped a pastel green dress over her head, tucking her amulet inside her shirt so it wouldn't be seen, and tied her apron round her waist. Miranda came up behind her and started pulling Sofia's shoulder length hair into a low ponytail. When she finished, Sofia turned around to look at her mother, admiring her faded blue dress. Miranda smoothed her creamy apron with her hands before reaching for Sofia's hand and they hurried from the room towards the narrow stairs.
Downstairs, everything was just as Sofia remembered. The shelves lined with finished shoes and there was a half-sewn dress sprawled across the table. She could see into the kitchen where their trusty old pot hung above the oven. The air was filled with the scent of charred wood and leather. Sofia stepped to the side as Miranda opened the door, both instantly recognising the guard.
"Oh, hello Richard. Has Rollie sent for us?" she smiled. The guard raised his eyebrow and stood there with his helmet under his arm. Miranda smiled again, unsure of what she had said to confuse him. Richard cleared his throat.
"Yes, Miss. His Majesty. Has requested your presence at the palace at once. There seems to be a grand ball tonight, although no one can remember the occasion and- "
"It's for the Princess' birthday." Miranda smiled but Richard furrowed his brow, annoyed at her interruption.
"Miss, the Princess, and the Prince, are not celebrating their birthday for a few months yet so I highly doubt that is correct. Anyway, His Majesty would like you to bring the pair of dance shoes he believes he ordered for this ball?" He raised his eyebrow.
"I-" Miranda went to answer him but Sofia interrupted, stepping in front of her.
"Yes of course. Please tell His Majesty that we will bring the shoes right away." She smiled and bowed her head slightly. Richard looked down at Sofia then back up to Miranda before nodding in return and placing his helmet back on his head. Miranda shut the door as he walked back towards his horse.
"I don't understand. What is going on?" Miranda said as she turned to Sofia.
Sofia stood there for a minute trying to work it out, reliving yesterday in her head. What she did, where she went, what she said.
'Oh no… It couldn't be the-' She thought, bursting into tears as it suddenly clicked in her mind. Miranda dropped to her knees in front of her and cupped Sofia's cheek in her hand.
"Sofia, Sweetheart? Don't get upset. Like I told you it's probably Cedric. He either messed up a spell or they're playing a small birthday prank on you." She gave a small, reassuring smile. "Although if it is a prank, I do not find it funny or appropriate on today of all days. And to pretend to forget your birthday? Honestly." She tutted.
"It's not a prank, or a spell. And they're not pretending. They really have forgotten us!" She said between small sobs.
"Sweetheart don't be silly."
"I'm not mom. I remembered something, from yesterday but please don't be mad at me. I didn't mean it, I wasn't serious. I- I promise I wasn't!"
"Sofia." Miranda said, her voice full of concern. "What has happened?"
Sofia nodded, sucking in a deep breath before telling her mother everything, from meeting Baileywick on the stairs, walking blindly through the kitchens and how she wanted to explore the attics. She told her how the last room reminded her of her bedroom in the village and how she felt sad sometimes about her new life.
"So you wished that you weren't a princess anymore?" Miranda wiped a tear from Sofia's cheek.
"Yes, but I didn't mean, I swear!"
"Sofia, it's okay but you should have told me how you felt." She smiled at her before sighing and looking at the floor, "I just don't understand how you managed to get into that room, it should have been locked."
"It usually is, but I thought I'd try it and it opened." Sofia looked up at her mom. "Why is it locked?"
"Because of what is in there," She paused, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Do you remember when your father wished he was a baker because he thought it would be easier than being a King?"
Sofia nodded.
"Well," Miranda continued, "After he wished to become King again, I asked the staff to put the mirror back in the attic and to lock it away so nothing like that could happen again." Sofia hadn't thought of that mirror in years and honestly she thought maybe it was her amulet that brought her wish to life, not a mirror.
"So how do I fix it?"
"You just need to get back in the attic and wish to be a princess again." Miranda rubbed her shoulder reassuringly. "And lucky for us, we've already received our invitation." She smiled, holding onto Sofia's hands as she stood up.
Miranda checked the shelves for any shoes in Roland's size, finding some labelled for a local Lord. They weren't what she would have usually presented royalty but they were the finest finished pair in the shop so they would have to do.
It had been years since they had walked to the castle from the village and it soon became obvious that they'd forgotten how long the road was. They came up with a plan as they walked and eventually, they could see the gates.
"So, do you remember the plan?" Miranda said as she smoothed down the front of her dress
"Yes, you will go to Dad and fit him with his new shoes. And I will go to the attics and undo my wish." She replied with a firm nod.
"Right then let's go." They linked arms as they were escorted into the castle by the guard.
As they reached the doors of the throne room, Sofia grabbed her stomach with one hand and put the other across her mouth.
"Sofia, are you okay?" Miranda asked, bending down.
"Just nervous to meet the King," She looked up to the Guard with a small smile. "I feel a bit sick, could you please show me to the bathroom?" The guard grimaced, not wanting to watch her vomit all over the freshly waxed marble and pointed down the hallway.
"Hurry back Sofia." Miranda gave her a sly wink and Sofia nodded.
Sofia followed the guards directions before looking back to check she wasn't followed.
'Good, now how do I get there without being spotted?' She thought to herself
"Sof! Where have you been?" Clover shouted, bounding over to Sofia. "You promised we'd go berry picking!"
"Oh Clover!" She dropped to the floor and pulled him in for a huge hug. "You remember me?"
"Of course I do." He squirmed. "But I see you've forgotten I'm still not a hugger." Sofia laughed and let go.
"Oh Clover, I've-" she began to cry. "I've made a big mistake and I need your help. Can you sneak me into the kitchens?"
"Of course I can but why would I need to sneak you in? You live here?" he laughed. Sofia sniffed.
"I'll tell you on the way but we need to hurry." Clover nodded and hopped as fast as he could towards the kitchens, Sofia hurried behind him.
Clover knew they couldn't go through the kitchen so he slipped her out into the castle grounds towards a secret hatch. They climbed down into the dark hole and crawled along until they found another hatch that opened up below the stairs they'd taken yesterday. He jumped up into her arms once again as they ran up the stairs.
"So you made a wish and now no one remembers you?" Sofia nodded, "How do I remember you?"
"I don't know Clover," She paused as they neared the top, "Maybe because you were with me when I made it or maybe the magic doesn't work on animals, but I'm glad you do." She smiled softly.
Clover jumped out of Sofia's arms and they ran towards the door but when she turned the knob, it was locked.
"No." She whispered, rattling the door. "Now what?"
"I dunno kid." He groaned, "Hey? Can't you shrink down? Slip through the keyhole?" Sofia's eyes widened; she'd forgotten all about her amulet. She held onto the doorknob with one hand and wrapped her fingers around the purple stone.
"I wish to be small." She whispered. Her amulet sparkled and she clung to the handle as she shrunk before slipping through the hole.
On the other side of the door she used her amulet to make herself her usual size again.
The room was different then yesterday, instead of being incredibly bare it was now cluttered with all sorts of trinkets and large frames. The back wall was stacked with crates, blocking out most of the sun and darkening the room. Sofia tiptoed around the chaos. She didn't want to make too much noise and alert the people in the kitchen. She found the mirror, which was now covered by a sheet, in the same place as yesterday, resting against the post.
"Thank the Gods it's still here!" She whispered to herself. She tried to pull the sheet from the mirror but was startled by a noise from inside the room but quickly calmed herself down, reminding herself she was the only one in the there. Finally mustering enough strength she pulled back the sheet.
'What? Oh no…'
Sofia stared in disbelief, looking over the image in front of her. The glass was sitting firmly inside the frame but the disorganised veins between the shards distorted her reflection, as if creating a kaleidoscopic effect. As her gaze met her face, she could roughly see the tears forming in her eyes and for a brief moment she felt as if she had shattered too. Sofia fell to her knees, sobbing, not knowing what to do or what to tell her mother.
After a few minutes, she stood and dusted the dirt from her skirt. She left through the keyhole the same way she entered, scooping Clover up into her arms on the other side. Seeing her tear-stained face he rubbed the top of his head across her chin.
"What happened? He finally asked halfway down the stairwell.
"It's over Clover. The mirror. It's broken." She whispered.
"Don't say that. Let's go find your mom, maybe she'll know what to do?" Sofia nodded.
