Chapter 11:
(Hugo POV)
"They have reached a verdict," My Dad said. I looked down at Sofia who nervously looked back up at me, "It's going to be ok." I then looked back at Dad, "Let's go." We began to walk down and we passed Sofia's family. King Rolland and Queen Miranda glared at me and I gulped. Sofia turned up to me, "What's wrong?" I whispered, "I'm 95% sure your parents want to kill me." She laughed and I was glad she found it funny, she needed the relief going into this meeting, but I was being serious.
We walked into the room and I continued supporting Sofia. As we stood before the the advisory board I could feel Sofia interlocking her fingers with mine. One of the advisors stood up, "In regards to the removal of Countess Cunningham as the trainer of Princess Sofia, the board unanimously grants this request." Sofia let out a small sigh and I closed my eyes squeezing her hand. Countess Cunningham would no longer be able to cause her anymore harm and Sofia would be safe for the time being. The advisor continued, "In regards to the removal of the Cunningham Family from the advisory board, the board grants this request." I wanted to cheer and shout but, I knew that I had to keep decorum right now but, I felt Sofia squeezing my hand while she maintained a straight face. My father and I bowed and Sofia bowed her head. "Thank you," Dad said. The advisor who was speaking then spoke, "The proposal, to forcefully annul Prince Hugo and Princess Sofia's marriage, has been tabled for the time being. We reserve the right to do so to return to this issue at a later date after Princess Sofia has begun her training and has been given a fair opportunity to prove herself." Of course, the advisors had to slip that one in. They have been fair in regards to the removal of the Cunningham Family but, they love to make it known that they have so much influence over our lives until we are crowned King and Queen. Sofia then spoke, "Thank you for the opportunity." I smiled at her, she was going to prove them all wrong. I knew that tone better than anyone, that was her determined voice and she was going to succeed.
We left the room and her family was standing there. Dad spoke, "They are being removed from the advisory board." "Wonderful," Amber said smiling at both of us. But, the look on King Rolland's face let me know I was still on trial with him. "Why don't we all go to our suite so that Sofia can rest and we can talk privately." He looked me dead in the eyes, "Marvelous idea." His tone dripping in passive-aggression. Sofia then turned to me, "You weren't kidding before, were you?" I shook my head.
(Sofia POV)
We got to our suite and Amber, James and Hugo helped me to the bed, while the adults stood watching us. "Prince Hugo," Mom started, "what happened to our daughter is unacceptable. We gave you our blessing for your marriage and allowed her to come to your kingdom because we trusted you and your ability to take care of her. She came here to a new place where the only people she knew were you and your father and this happened. Not only was she tortured by someone your country put in power but she was almost kidnapped and was left for dead outside a Ball." Hugo began to shrink back as Dad stepped in, "You are not the man that we let our daughter marry. That man stopped at nothing to keep her safe and would never leave her side. Where were you when all of this was happening?" Hugo began to open and close his mouth and I could tell he was beginning to blame himself again.
"Enough," I said from bed starting to sit up. Amber and James helped me arrange the pillows to support myself as I turned toward the adults. "I have two points I need to say and no one is going to interrupt me," I said glaring at the adults. "One, you may have given Hugo your blessing for our marriage but, you didn't let me do anything. I am an adult and I make my own choices, I may ask for your input but, that does not mean you get to choose what I do and do not do in life." I then turned to Hugo, "Same applies to you. I chose not to tell you what was happening in my training and I chose to let it go as long as it did. That is not your fault." I then turned back to my parents opened my mouth but someone else began speaking, "But, Sofia, even if you are an adult who makes their own choices you are in a new place. It is Hugo's responsibility to take care of you when you are in a new environment like this" Mom spoke. I looked her dead in the eyes I had warned them about interrupting me, "Like it was your responsibility when you became Queen and we moved to the castle. If I recall correctly I had no say in that choice and move. I was dropped into the middle of a new place and a new family..." Dad interrupted me, "But, nothing bad happened to you when you came to the castle." My eyes narrowed. I turned toward James and Amber, "I'm telling them." I said. The both knew what I was talking about and nodded letting me know they understood. I then turned back toward them, "On my first day of Royal Prep James pranked me into using the Enchanted Swing set and I got tossed into the fountain and was completely soaked. Thank goodness I landed somewhat safely or else I could have broken a bone, got a concussion or a number of other possible worse outcomes." James slouched back feeling ashamed about what he had done when we were kids, "And Amber, she didn't accept me as a member of the family at all. She would scoff at me when I made mistakes, was passive-aggressive all the time. She was the one who told James to do the prank in the first place and in addition to that during my dance lesson, you remember the ones I needed for the Ball, she gave me trick shoes so that I wouldn't learn anything in the class" Amber hung her head in embarrassment, I felt bad for them but I needed to make this point "Finally, I had gone to Cedric to get a spell, you remember the brief time that he wanted the crown and to steal my amulet right, anyways he gave me a spell that put everyone in the ballroom to sleep leaving me alone until I found Amber who evidently didn't particularly like me at the time." The stood there speechless.
I turned to Amber and James, "You two I forgave you for all of that a long time ago. We are alright," They nodded and gave me a hug still apologizing. I then turned back to our parents, "All the stuff that happened wasn't your fault." I was looking at them in the eyes as they began to feel ashamed, "It was the responsibility of those who did it to me. Just like how it isn't Hugo's fault that a crazy, psychotic, revenge seeking lunatic became my trainer and did that stuff to me." I looked at Hugo and he was in a daze, I don't know what was going though his mind but I reached out and held his hand.
(Hugo POV)
I had not expected Sofia to say all of that. I had heard about what happened to Sofia in her first week of classes with the pranks but I hadn't known that it was Amber and James who did them. I thought back about how I treated her when she first came to Royal Prep and I had not treated her any better. She always seemed so happy and determined I thought that her family must have been supporting her since the beginning (not Amber with derby) but, knowing that she had been put through the wringer and stayed this kind made me love her more. I felt her hand in mine and looked down at her smiling.
We heard a knock on the door and everyone's attention turned towards it. "I hear Princess Sofia could use some magical assistance," "Cedric," Sofia smiled at her old family sorcerer. He walked over to her and began to examine the wound, "Not to worry, the doctor seems to have done a good job of sealing it off and preventing infection. Now I will just seal the wound and that should be the end of it." Sofia held onto my hand as Cedric said the enchantment. Within moments Sofia stood up and smiled, "Thank you so much Cedric." She pulled him into a hug. He then left and we were back to the awkward family situation we were in before.
Dad started shifting uncomfortably before he began to speak, "Well considering that it concerns everyone in this room, later this evening I will be sentencing the Cunningham Family." We turned towards him. "Sofia and Hugo must be in attendance as Crown Prince and Princess," We nodded, "Would you like to be there as well?" Sofia's parents agreed and so did Amber and James. "What is there punishment going to be?" Sofia asked. She didn't know the protocol thanks to Countess Cunningham and I could tell she was nervous that they would try something again, "They are going to be stripped of their land, titles and wealth, lose any claim they or any future generations would have to the throne They will also be exiled from the kingdom never allowed to return. If for whatever reason they come back they will be immediately captured and sentenced to a lifetime of imprisonment." She nodded along as I explained this to her. "What about Lady Eliza?" She asked and I was surprised, "What about her?" "What is going to happen to her?" "She will be stripped of her land, title, wealth, and lose any claim to the the throne." I didn't understand what about Lady Eliza was making her so nervous. "So, she can just disappear off the face of the Earth marry a very influential family and do the same thing to our future kids?" I had not though about that and clearly Dad hadn't either because I went to look at him and he was looking down at the ground. "Sofia," Dad started but she closed her eyes and sighed, "can we at least have someone watching her, to make sure nothing is going on?" Dad and I nodded. Moments like these I wished I was already King so I could do more but, it wasn't my place.
(Sofia POV)
Everyone left my room but, Amber. She was helping me pick a gown to wear during the sentencing and was tearing through my wardrobe. I had told her a little about the gowns I had to wear under Countess Cunningham's watch and I think that inspired Amber's choice. She pulled out a sky blue gown, the bodice was covered in white lace and the lace continues along the sides of the skirt leaving the front panel opened. The front panel was decorated in pearls. I turned toward Amber, "A final act of rebellion as you banish that monster." I smiled and nodded. Amber picked out a silver tiara decorated with diamonds and placed it on my head, "There now you are perfect because no outfit is complete..." "without a tiara" we finished together. I remembered her telling me that when we were younger and we both began laughing. It felt good to laugh again. I put on long white gloves wanting to hide my hands. Amber seemed to understand and borrowed a pair of my long green ones, "We are in this together."
We walked out of the room and I saw Hugo waiting for me. He was in his dress uniform with a navy singer jacket, white tunic and black pants. He wore a silver crown as well. He took my hand, "It will be over soon enough" I whispered. Feeling his hand shake. I was terrified but, I could tell he was nervous as well and one of us needed to maintain a straight face.
We walked into a court room like setup. Hugo sat beside his father and I sat beside Hugo behind a long elevated platform behind a judge's bench. My family stood along the side of the room and I could feel them stare at me waiting to see my reaction. I was doing pretty well at maintaining a straight face until they walked in the room. My breath began to quicken and my knees began to shake. Hugo placed a hand on my leg and I placed my hand on top of his. I focused on that as the sentencing went on. I looked at a point beyond both of them and remained still. I was only brought back to reality as they were being forcibly removed from the courtroom, "You will pay for this Garrick. We already took down one commoner Queen what is to stop us from taking down another," Former Countess Cunningham began to shout. Hugo then turned to me, "It's over Sofia." "For now," I mumbled as he wrapped his arms around me.
We left the courtroom and the maids escorted my family members to their chambers. They would be heading home soon because they couldn't all be gone for long. Hugo began walking me to our room when I stopped him, "What's wrong Sofia?" "You didn't honestly think that you could gloss over the fact it was your birthday and that we would not celebrate right?" He looked at me surprised and I shook my head, "Come on" I said pulling him by his arm. I was still scared of what was to come and what the Cunningham/Beaumont Family might do to us. But, I already stopped living my life once for that family and I refused to do it again. "Where are you taking me?" Hugo asked. I turned toward him, "To a surprise."