Chapter 9:
(Sofia POV)
"H-Hugo," I felt my eyes blink open. I looked down and saw that I was in my nightgown. My stomach began to burn and pain overtook my body. The events of the evening began to come back. I heard someone running toward me and came into the bed causing me to let out a groan of pain. "Sofia, you're awake" Hugo began holding my hand. I let my head roll to the side to look at Hugo and gave him a small smile. I tried to sit up but began to whimper in pain, "Hey, hey, hey easy Sofia." He then began to arrange the pillows and helped me sit up. It was still painful but, it wasn't as bad. I sighed as I leaned into the pillows. Hugo wrapped his arms around me and it felt so good but began to hurt. I saw Garrick in the corner of the room, "Dad, I think Hugo is going to reopen my stitches." Hugo released me, they were both taken aback, "You called me Dad." I nodded my head, I had heard him talking about his wife, he had already lost one child I wanted him to know that he now had another. He smiled as he came over and squeezed my other hand. I turned my attention toward Hugo. "You," I whispered. He looked at me confused and I let out a small laugh but it hurt so I stopped, "You asked me what I wanted. All I want is you." "You heard me," I nodded. I then realized I was on Hugo's side of the bed I leaned over to his table and grabbed it. "I gave this to you so that you can always find me," I said holding the compass, "You are the only one I ever want to find me." I placed it in his hand.
I then looked at both of them, "Did you hear everything we talked about?" I nodded. "Sofia we need to talk about what is happening with the advisors" Garrick said. I nodded acknowledging what they were asking. They turned toward each other, "We have the evidence that she is a Beaumont and that ties her to the people who killed my wife" Garrick began. "We also have evidence that they want me to marry Lady Eliza Cunningham and that they take the throne if we abdicate." Hugo said. "What we need is..." I felt like I knew what was coming but I really hoped I was wrong, "to know what has been going on with you in your training."
(Hugo POV)
When she said my name it felt like my heart started beating again and with every groan or pain-filled look that came across her face my anger grew. She had heard me when she was out and I was so relieved and then she handed me the compass, her wedding gift to me. I made a vow to myself to carry this in my pocket from now on.
I knew what I had to do to keep Sofia safe. I had the motive, I had the proof that Countess Cunningham is a Beaumont and that her daughter is Lady Eliza. All I needed was to know that her training with Sofia was not constructive in preparing her to be Queen and that she was intentionally going after Sofia physically and psychologically. "What we need is to know what has been going on in your training," I said. I looked in her eyes and saw them fill with panic. She began violently shaking her head and then started to clutch her chest as she threw her head back in pain. "Sofia, please calm down." I begged, grabbing onto her arm. I then saw the doctor walk next to me, " I turned and saw her maid Sarah walk back in. "I'm sorry, I thought I should grab the doctor," I nodded towards her. It made sense and she had done the right thing.
The doctor began examining her. He removed the bandages on her stomach. It had reopened and began bleeding again. He quickly stitched it back up and rewrapped it. He then took out a needle, "What is that?" I asked. He turned toward me, "It is to help with the pain and prevent infection." I nodded and watched as it went into Sofia's arm. The tension in her face began to dissipate. "I will be back soon to check on you later." He said bowing as he exited.
Sofia the turned to look at me, her eyes were filled with tears, "Hugo I-I-I am scared of what she might do." I closed my eyes and let out a breath. She didn't deserve to live through it the first time much less have to relive it. "Sofia, if you don't tell us, if you don't tell everyone what she is doing then there is nothing we can do to stop her." She nodded her head. She then began to tell me everything that Countess Cunningham from the berating the way she did everything, insulting her kingdom, ridiculing her for not being born royal, convincing her that she was eating too much and the punishments in the library. I felt my teeth clench as she continued talking. Dad just stood beside me and put a hand on my shoulder. When Sofia stopped she was crying. "Sofia, would you be willing to talk about this one more time to the advisors in our case" Dad asked. She just nodded her head. He left the room and Sofia turned to me, "There is one more thing I need to tell you about" she whimpered. "What do you want to tell me?" "When I got stabbed, it wasn't an assassination attempt. They were trying to kidnap me, when you came they figured killing me was the next best thing. And they said something 'Long Live Queen Eliza.'" If I hadn't already been angry I was now furious. They were trying to make me think that she left me, do God knows what to her and when they couldn't do that they were going to kill her.
"Hugo," she pulled me back from my thoughts, "please don't send me away." What was she talking about? I then remembered what I had said at her bedside to my Dad, "No, no Sofia. I am not sending you away." She was crying as she squeezed my hand. "Sofia, I was trying to think of what would keep you safe but, I promised you a long time ago that I would never force you into a life that you didn't want, I was just scared." She gently pulled on my arm letting me know that she wanted me to come up on the bed. I laid next to her and wrapped my arms around her, careful with her wounds.
(Sofia POV)
Hugo held onto me and we stayed like this in the quiet until it was time to go in front of the advisors. One of the maids helped me put on a very loose gown that didn't touch the bandages on my stomach. "Sofia, are you sure you want to do this now?" I nodded. "I don't want to think about this longer than I have to. Can you help me though?" He nodded. We walked next to each other as I heavily leaned on Hugo wincing every so often as I felt the pain. We walked into the meeting room and there was a chair waiting for me next to Hugo's. All the advisors besides Count and Countess Cunningham entered. King Garrick and Hugo stood but when I went to Hugo put his hand on my shoulder telling me to stay seated. "Welcome esteemed advisors. Princess Sofia won't be standing today due to the injuries she received at the Cunningham Ball." They all nodded in understanding.
King Garrick then stood up, "Esteemed nobility of the advisory board as you know this board was designed in order to protect the kingdom from rulers unfit to wear the crown. This establishment dates back to our kingdoms beginnings when the other prominent families wanted to insure that King Peter and Queen Olivia were the right first rulers of our kingdom. They then came back when Prince Mavric was in line to talk the throne. He was not prepared to take the throne and was not the right person to lead our kingdom. This establishment of the new most prominent families in the kingdom were united once again and when the standing King continued to make excuses for his son. The group of advisors demanded that his other son Prince Marcus, a diplomatic, intelligent, leader who led our kingdom into prosperity. Even Prince Mavric thanked everyone in the long run for intervening he knew that he was never meant to be king. This group of advisors is in place to make sure no other king ever puts his own personal feelings or agenda above what is best for everyone within the kingdom. That is your role." He gestured to all the families that were there.
"Count and Countess Cunningham have abused this responsibility and have not only sabotaged Princess Sofia in her pursuit of training but have both psychologically and physically caused harm as well. It is our purpose here today to present this information to you and get Count and Countess Cunningham off the advisory board after which I will be handling whatever justice is fit and alined with our laws." He then sat down and Hugo stood up, squeezing my shoulder before going in front of the others.
"There are three things necessary when discussing the disqualification of a member of the advisory board: a clear motive, irrefutable evidence and the consensus of majority of the members siting on the board. This like the advisory board itself is to make sure that the royal family is not acting in their own interest rather than what is best for the kingdom. I have stood before you once before when Axel abdicated the crown and I stood before you to take his place," I didn't know this, "and you all told me that I had a long way to go to prove that I was what was best for the kingdom. I stand before you today on my 20th birthday" It's Hugo's birthday and I forgot and I just told him about what had happened to me and we were doing all of this today, "and I can confidently say that I have been well trained in the laws, customs and traditions of our kingdom as well as have more of an understanding of my responsibilities and role within the monarchy thanks to my father King Garrick Albridge. My wife Princess Sofia cannot say the same. Countess Cunningham has not taught her anything in this regard but, rather used bullying tactics of ridicule, humiliation and what I can only describe as torture to convince my wife she will never be good enough to be Queen. She held a prejudice against Princess Sofia for not being born into a royal family. This prejudice coming from when she was Lady Laurianne Beaumont and her engagement to my father was cancelled and he married a commoner instead. She married into the next family line that would receive the throne should the Albridge line end, the Cunningham Family. They are trying to usurp power from the kingdom and give it to themselves in one of two ways: having me annul my marriage to Princess Sofia and marry their daughter or abdicate the throne and give it to her family. She has a clear motive against our family and alongside her husband are trying to steal the crown for their own selfish purposes to take the crown away." He bowed in front of them before returning to his seat.
One of the female advisors then asked, "What proof do you have of this as you put it, 'bullying tactics of ridicule, humiliation and torture?'" Hugo then gestured to one of the maids and servants began entering carrying things. The dresses I was forced to wear, the pages of words I had written. Then Sarah, Mary and Gretchen walked into the room and stood before the advisors. Hugo then said, "We have the instruments of torment: the dresses" Sarah held up the small dresses, "the corsets" Gretchen held up the corsets, "and pages that she was forced to copy late into the night." They placed all the objects on their table, "These three women also witnessed this bullying behavior and are willing to testify before you."
Sarah stepped forward first, "I help Princess Sofia primarily in the mornings and from the first morning Countess Cunningham would go out of her way to make Sofia feel ashamed about her appearance blaming it on the amount of food she ate and forcing her to skip meals. She would have me tighten the corsets to the point where Princess Sofia was barely breathing and force on over gowns that are far too small. Every morning I would wake an exhausted Princess and be forced to put her through this torture and then I stood in the back of the room and would hear the Countess calling her an imbecile and criticizing everything she did saying that she wasn't worthy of her position and threatening to take everything away from her and Hugo." She nodded and stepped back.
Mary then stepped forward, "I am Princess Sofia's maid in the evening. I would be with her throughout the afternoon and into the evening. I would be there when Sofia barely ate her food and one time when Prince Hugo and King Garrick weren't here, she told Princess Sofia she was eating too much when she only ate half of what was on her already reduced portion plate. The Countess then proceeded to continue eating in front of Princess Sofia making her stay and watch. I would stand with her in the library while she began writing those pages. Princess Sofia would always dismiss me before it got too late saying she'd call me to help her get out of her gown because it was impossible for her to get out on her own. She would never call me, she would pass out exhausted before she had the opportunity to." She stepped back.
Gretchen then stepped forward, "I am the dressmaker and probably had the least interaction with Princess Sofia and Countess Cunningham but, it was disturbing none the less. She would schedule our sessions during Princess Sofia's dinner preventing her from eating dinner every night the week leading to the Ball. She told me to take the dress measurements after they tightened Princess Sofia's corset even further and I could see bruises up and down her ribcage and blisters and cuts on her hands. She had wanted Princess Sofia to go in a gown designed for a funeral to her ball in an attempt to claim that Princess Sofia was trying to insult her. Had Prince Hugo not issued for me to make a different dress she would have. The woman was unkind toward the young princess and it seemed to be without reason." She nodded her head and stepped back.
It felt strange hearing that other people had seen what I was so ashamed of and I could feel Hugo growing more angry as each person spoke. The room went quiet until another advisor asked, "Princess Sofia, do you have anything you want to say?"