Chapter Four

Sophie grabbed Fitz's arms to steady her as they walked down the banister, ready to tell everyone the wonderful news.

"Mom, Dad. Guess what." Sophie said.

"Hmm. Let me guess. You're going to the Solstice with Fitz. And…I don't know, what?" Grady asked Sophie sarcastically.

Then all of her friends yelled at the same time.

"They're getting married!"

They yelled so loud, Sophie was pretty sure that the whole Elvin world could hear them.

"We're so excited for you Sophie," Edaline cooed. Grady grabbed Sophie's hand, twirling her away from Fitz and ended up in Keefe arms for some reason. She stumbled to her feet, blushing even more when Keefe winked at her.

"Okay, okay. Calm down everyone. Give the couple some time to breathe," Alden's crisp accent rang through the high room, silencing everyone.

"Oh Sophie do you know what this means?" Edaline asked her in the most excited voice she had heard in awhile. "It means you're going to have an engagement party next Wednesday!"

Sophie had know about the engagement party from Biana, but she didn't know that it was going to be next week!

Sophie gave Edaline her most assuring smile, trying not to disappoint her foster parents. Ever since they lost their only daughter Jolie in a fire that they had later discovered was caused by Brant, Jolie's fiancé before she had died, the couple had taken their time to mourn their daughter's' loss, only occasionally getting out of the pastures that Sophie now called home. Until Sophie had come to Havenfield, they wouldn't dare talk to anyone, afraid that it would only bring tears.

Fitz took her hand, now dipping and spinning her around and around the artfully arranged room. Everyone grabbed someone and started dancing to the music that the gnomes had started playing, since Elves weren't that fond of music. Even Bronte joined the dance, grabbing one of the Councillors that Sophie had yet to remember the name of.

Everyone was having fun until Emery ruined the moment by telling them that Sophie and Fitz had a lot of planning to do. First, they had to pick who were coming, which was no use because everyone has to come since it was a Vacker engagement with the most powerful elf in the world. They then had to send out invitations, prep the yard at both Sophie's and Fitz's house for the parties after the engagement party, fill out a form to approve their choices to get married, go to the Matchmakers office to sign a form approving that they had received their scrolls, and, figure out the date for their wedding ceremony, pick the theme for the ceremony, which would obviously be teal and silver, invite everyone to the ceremony, find the best man and bridesmaids for the ceremony, and a bunch of other stuff that Sophie hadn't memorized since she started drifting off and getting bored listening to the Councillors trail on talking about how excited they were.

Later, when everyone had left Sophie and Fitz alone to start planning, they lept to Sophie's house to grab some things. When they arrived at Havenfield, they immediately noticed the chaos that had bloomed while they were gone. Verdi, their permanent resident T-Rex, had managed to get into the cage holding the unicorns, and the Verminion, the giant purple hamster-looking thing, was running wild in the pasture.

Where are Grady and Edaline, Sophie thought as she watched one of the gnomes trying to chase one of the Flaredons back into its hot cage, lasso around its neck.

"Should we do something?" Fitz asked, ready to help at any moment.

"Yeah, but I should hail Grady and Edaline too to see if they're going to be home anytime soon."

"Okay."

"Okay."

Fitz started helping the gnomes pull the Flaredon into it's cage while Sophie tried to use her inflicting to get the Verminion back into it's own cage. It stared at her with its beady eyes as Sophie stammered, "Nice Verminion, hamster thing," like she first did the day she had rescued Iggy, her pet Imp, from the giant purple rat. She was still afraid of what it could do.

"Sophie!" Fitz cried. "A little help here."

She turned around to see a struggling Fitz holding onto the lasso that was attached to the Flaredon. Below him, dozens of gnomes were trying to grab onto him, too short to reach.

"Hang on!" Sophie cried back.

"I am!"

Sophie rolled her eyes. She started to inflict to the Flaredon some "calm" to try to make it relax and not swing Fitz around too vigorously. The Flaredon had started to slow down, flying in circles, signaling that it was about to land. All they had to do now was usher it back into its cage.

When the Flaredon was back in its cage, Sophie was told that Grady and Edaline wouldn't be home until the Solstice celebration , on a "classified mission" somewhere, so the gnomes were left in charge.

Sophie asked the gnomes if it was okay if she left them alone while she was at Everglen, planning her wedding, since others couldn't plan it for them, it was all up to the couple to get ready.

She ran up to her room to grab her sketch pad and a pencil. Fitz followed, right behind her. Once she got to her room, she saw one of the unicorns jumping up and down on her bed. One of her shoes was laying on the floor, half-eaten. Probably Iggy's.

She picked up the shoe and threw it into the wastebasket by her desk and called one of the gnomes to get the stray unicorn.

"Okay let's go," she told Fitz, sprinting to the front door to get the most light so Fitz could use his home crystal to leap them home.

Once they got back to Everglen, they immediately went to Biana to help with the choosing for the style of the clothes they would be wearing for the wedding.

"Yes I will totally help you!" Biana practically shouted as they told her what she was to do.

"Can I see your sketch pad real quick Sophie? Oh wait, let me call someone with real artistic talents to help."

Sophie was confused until Biana hailed Keefe on her imparter, telling him to "come quick" and "it's an emergency!"

Once Keefe arrived, Biana tossed him the sketch pad and told him what to draw, while Sophie and Fitz started writing the invitations by hand. The Elvin world didn't have any printers.

Sophie only caught snippets of what Biana was telling Keefe, but she knew it was going to be perfect.

"Done!" Biana said with a flourish. "What do you think of my amazing idea and Keefe's awesome drawing?" She asked.

"It's great!" Sophie and Fitz replied when Keefe held up the gorgeous drawing of her and Fitz standing next to each other, fashioning what they were going to wear for the wedding, showing both the front and back of the dress in full color. Including hair and makeup.

Sophie was wearing a dress that dipped low on her back, stopping at her waist. The skirt was full and ruffled, slightly shorter in the front than in the back, barely exposing her feet which fashioned beautiful heels that were about three to four inches high and had an elaborate design stitched on it, showing only the tips of her toes, her heels, and the front of her feet. At the waist was a teal bow that matched her dress, while the top was white and laced. She also had in a glittering silver cape to show that she was in the nobility. Her hair was in a braid similar to the one she was fashioning right now, a French braid that was slightly fluffed at the end with teal flowers interweaving, except this time, she had a real train that followed behind her as she walked and a glittering crown.

Fitz was wearing an elegant suit and had on the same cape she had and a tie the same color as her dress and his eyes.

"Thanks Foster!" Keefe blurted, interrupting her thoughts.

"No problem Keefe," Sophie said, her voice barely a whisper as she looked at the detail of their outfits and memorizing every part so she could project it into her memory log later.

"Hey you alright Foster?" Keefe asked when he saw a stream of tears coming from her eyes. Fitz rubbed her back and pulled her into his chest.

"Yeah I'm fine. I just can't believe that I'm having a wedding. Or an engagement party or whatever. It feels like yesterday that we ran off to join the Black Swan or to defeat the Neverseen," Sophie replied, sobbing.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Fitz cooed, calming Sophie's nerves down.

She collapsed in a heap in Fitz's arms, losing whatever urge was left not to embarrass herself in front of her friends.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," Sophie reassured her friends, but she still took several deep breaths before continuing. "Come on, we have to finish these before tomorrow."

As they finished up mailing all the invitation scrolls for the engagement party next Wednesday, Biana and Keefe planned and prepped all, of the outfits that she and Fitz were going to wear for the wedding, engagement party, and the next two months. All in which included her wearing heels and a very formal looking dress.

"Wow Biana. That's…great! Thanks?" Fitz questioned, not knowing what else to say.

"Oh it was nothing," Biana said, as if Fitz wasn't questioning her why.

"Biana," Sophie started. "Don't you think two months of planning and wearing formal clothing is a little...ummm...too much?" Sophie finished.

"Of course not. So when the day comes, all you have to do is put it on. Now let's plan the decorations!"

Fitz and Sophie sighed. At least someone was excited for the events.