Chapter Nine: A Wedding Begins
Sofia stood in front of the ornate mirror that stood at the back of her enormous closet in her new room. Some of her clothes had already been shipped and the rest of her gowns were being brought over tomorrow, along with all of her other possessions.
Because today was the day. The day she married Axel. She wouldn't return home after today, not for a while. She was going to be on her own, stranded with a man she loved and a man she didn't. For the rest of her life.
"You look lovely, my lady," Violet said from the corner of Sofia's new room as she finished sewing the hem on her veil.
"Thank you, Violet," Sofia replied and spun around. The dress was snow white, the bodice sewn up with pearls. The skirt had silver flowers at the bottom and a silver filigree tiara sat atop her carefully curled brown hair. Her pink amulet was resting over her heart. She was going to give it to James tonight so he could put it back in the Enchancia jewel room. But she wanted to wear it one last time.
Violet stood up and hooked on the sheer lace veil on to her tiara and stepped back to admire the look.
"Wow," Miranda sighed as she walked. "You look lovely, sweetie."
"Thank you, Mama," Sofia responded, suddenly overcome with emotion. When she had imagined this day she had imagined butterflies of nervousness and joy in her stomach. But they were butterflies of fear.
"How are you feeling? Nervous? Excited? Eager?" Miranda asked as she put her hands on her daughter's shoulders.
"Fine. I'm feeling…fine," Sofia answered and blinked away her tears. She didn't want to walk down the aisle in front of the whole kingdom of Amalgamate with tear stains on her face.
"Sofia, I want to give you some advice," her mother told her and led her to a lavish couch in the sitting area in Sofia's room. Violet quietly exited the room, not wanting to intrude.
Miranda took her daughter's hand and looked into her blue eyes. "I want you to be happy. I've done some thinking and I've come to the conclusion that marriage is forever. It lasts until death do you part. Marrying someone is the biggest promise you can make and the biggest decision you can make. Your entire life will change, your children will come from this, and you will spend your entire life with this person.
"Happiness should come from a marriage. If you do not love the person at the end of the aisle then you should run away. I don't care if you put the kingdom in danger. It is not your job to save it. Be happy. Don't give up your marriage, your happiness, just for a piece of land. Live your life to the fullest it can be lived because that's how you should live it."
"But, Mom, it is my job to save the kingdom. I'm a princess," Sofia protested.
"You were a village girl before you were a princess. And you're still a person who deserves happiness. Tell me, Sofia, do you truly love Axel? If this marriage was not arranged would you choose him?" Miranda demanded, leaning closer, worry and love filling her eyes. Sofia stared for a moment before hanging her head in shame.
"No, I wouldn't choose him," she breathed out, terrified someone would hear her, arrest her, kill her.
"Then run. Tell him no. We'll negotiate with Axel. We'll be fine. Marry for love, Sofia. Only marry for love," her mother told her then stood. "Should I go tell him that the wedding is off?"
Sofia thought long and hard about her answer. If she said yes, if she called the wedding off, then Enchancia would lose a tragic war and many innocents and soldiers would die. Axel would go on a rampage, especially if she chose Hugo. He would wreak havoc on them, he would kill them if he could.
But if Sofia said no, if she went through with this, walked down the aisle and said 'I do' in front of God and the whole kingdom, then she would save her kingdom, save so many lives. She would ruin the chances of her ever being truly, 100%, happy, dragging Hugo down with her. But maybe one day they would be at peace, satisfied with the right decision. So, as Sofia pondered what to say, she realized there really was no choice at all.
"No," Sofia told her mom and stood up, posture as straight as a stick, face a mask, "I will go through with this wedding, I will marry Axel, and I will be satisfied with knowing that I saved our kingdom by doing so."
"Well, if that's what you think is right," Miranda sighed, disappointed by her daughter's choice. But she respected it and would honor it. "I'll let you finish getting ready then. I have to go find Roland, then our seats." Her mother hugged her one last time, then left the room.
Sofia sighed and looked out her new bedroom window. It was facing the sparkling blue lake that, during winter, would become the royal ice rink. She smiled as she remember all the times she had practiced ice dancing with Hugo. How young they were, how much fun they had, how innocent they were. But now everything was changing and Sofia knew if she did go back to ice dancing that Axel would never allow Hugo to be her partner. It would be inappropriate, anyway, for a queen to ice dance.
A humble knock on her door startled her. She turned around and gasped when she saw the young man standing in her door. A dark green jacket hugged his chest, tight black pants showed off his muscular legs, and black boots were laced up with golden laces. His black hair was swept to the side and his dark eyes were sparkling with emotion. Hugo. Hugo was here. On her wedding day. And he wasn't the groom.
"You look so beautiful," Hugo said as he looked at her. Sofia blushed pink and looked at the floor. The marble tiles were very shiny.
"Thank you," Sofia responded. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to see you. I know I shouldn't be here but I want to be," Hugo told her and walked into her room, shutting the door behind him. But she wasn't afraid. This was Hugo. Hugo would never hurt her.
"You should go," Sofia said and turned away, determinedly looking out her window.
"I wanted to say that I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you at the tournament. You were right, are right. We need to tell people about this," Hugo confessed. Sofia didn't turn around, she refused to show emotion. Not today. Not now. In a few minutes she would be Axel's. Permanently. And Hugo and she would never happen.
"What made you change your mind?" Sofia asked, her tone chilled.
"Another duke was killed. The Duke of Reeza. Another powerful town. Another man who was loyal to my father," Hugo admitted. "There are so many men who loved my father. So many people Axel can kill. We have to stop him."
"But how Hugo? Who will we tell?" Sofia demanded, repeating his words, mimicking his tone from Friday.
"I have a plan. But you have to trust me for it to work. You have to trust that I know my brother, that I know what I'm doing, that I…care about you," Hugo said. She could hear the plea in his voice, the plea for forgiveness. Sofia swallowed. She couldn't stay mad at him. It was one of her greatest weaknesses. She turned around.
"What's your plan?" Sofia asked. Hugo was smiling, glad she had turned around, given him a chance. He took another step forward.
"Do you trust me?" Hugo ignored her question, determined to have her answer. Sofia nervously bit her lip. Hugo held out his hand, as if inviting her to leap off a cliff. And she wanted to jump with him.
"Yes," she answered, taking his hand. "Of course I do."
"Then trust me. I have a plan," Hugo told her then turned back to the door, ready to leave.
"Hugo!" Sofia called after him. He turned, hand on the door knob. "I…I love you." Three words. Three simple words that had been stirring in her, that needed to escape, because it was true. And she needed to hear him say it back. She needed to know that he wasn't doing this for a friend. That he was doing this for love.
"I…," Hugo stuttered, a huge smile taking over his face. "I love you too, Sofia." She smiled and Hugo walked back towards her, radiating joy and power. He put his strong arms around her tiny waist and kissed her. Kissed her like there was no tomorrow, like he needed her more than air. Sofia held in a moan of bliss and kissed him back, her hands reaching up and pushing their way through his dark soft hair. This, this was love. True love. Love that could keep her happy forever. If only…
They pulled apart slowly. Sofia wasn't aware of how much time had passed. It could have been a second, it could have been days. Hugo looked devastated, heartbroken, as he looked into her beautiful blue eyes.
"I…I have to go," Hugo forced out. Sofia didn't trust her voice so she just nodded. He slipped his hand out of hers and walked slowly, as if in a daze, back to the door and left her room. Sofia gasped, hand on her heart, and sat down on her couch, breathing heavily. This feeling. It was amazing. And now it would be so much harder to walk down that aisle.
But Hugo had a plan. A plan to stop Axel. A plan to save his kingdom. And all she had to do was trust him. So she did. Without a second thought, she believed him.
"Sofia," a deep voice called as her door opened. Her father, King Roland, entered her room. "Are you ready?"
"Yes," Sofia told him and grabbed his arm. "I am ready."
White silk stretched all the way to a raised platform with a silver swirling alter decorated with flowers. Long benches sat next to the aisle, filled with nobles and the wealthy, all eager to attend the wedding. The minister was an old man who looked as if this may be his last day alive. Axel stood on the platform already, waiting for his bride, his trophy. Hugo sat in the first row, next to the many dukes of the kingdom. Sofia's family sat on the opposite side, all happily anticipating Sofia's walk down the aisle.
Roland was standing next to his daughter at the start of the aisle, patiently waiting for the music to cue their walk down. Sofia was clutching his arm, worry knotting her stomach, fear pumping her heart. If Hugo's plan didn't work… But it would. She had to trust him.
The music changed and Roland urged Sofia forward. One step. Another one. Closer and closer towards Axel. Towards a future that couldn't be changed. Hugo had to do something. He had to save her. She was praying to all the saints above that he would save her.
Roland let her go and Sofia was faced with the two steps leading to the alter. Two tiny steps, such a small climb but it felt like her feet were made of lead. It was a great struggle just to get up the first and an even greater one to climb to the top. Axel held his hand out to her and Sofia took it, cringing slightly as he squeezed it harder than necessary. Sofia glanced back at Hugo and saw that, though his eyes were burning with a hatred for his brother, they were also shining with a love for her. Axel pulled her toward the minister and she turned back. The ceremony was beginning.
