Chapter 25: Fractures
Still reeling from the argument in Friezenburg a clearly distraught Sofia disembarked from the coach and marched straight into the castle, ignoring the multitude of questions from her family and servants. Wrapped in a cyclone of still-conflicted emotions the princess entered her bedchambers, slamming the door shut behind her.
It was so incredibly unkind. How could Cedric just dismiss her so casually? As if her life and feelings were simply an inconvenience he'd grown accustomed to but refused to acknowledge any sort of emotional attachment with. She felt an even bigger fool for struggling so hard against helping her Papa in Friezenburg, just so that she could stay behind and comfort the man who clearly didn't care about her feelings.
"His only friend." She reiterated to herself the words spoken to Lucinda that night she'd run from Cedric. A small chuckle of self-admonition and she flopped over onto the bed, groaning loudly, "but just in private."
A gigantic plume of green smoke filled the air, and there in her bedroom stood one wayward sorcerer, looking as if he'd been gutted clean through. Sofia sat up her bed, sizing up the man while trying to decide if she wanted to fling her arms around him and sob or shove him out the door.
"Sofia let me explain."
She stood angrily, but he was transfixed on her face, as if trying to gauge her emotions to measure his response. Growing impatient, she began tapping her foot and crossed her arms. "Well, I'm waiting, or are you worried someone will hear you MR. CEDRIC?" Her voice projecting to increase his nervousness.
He grew sour and tensed up, forcibly whispering at her. "Of course I'm worried someone will hear me, of all the ridiculous remarks." It set Sofia's teeth on edge as he continued grumbling in low tones. "This is exceedingly difficult for me, as I've done nothing wrong but clearly you're agitated and I can't stand to see you this way. I've got to say something to calm you down. How about this, I-"
"OOOHH! How can you say I have no reason to be 'agitated', and that you did nothing wrong?" Sofia stomped her foot and pouted while Cedric was clearly growing more perturbed by the second and began huffing. He was never one to take interruption lightly.
The whisper was gone. "Because I haven't! What would you have had me do Sofia?! Declare to all the world how much I need you! I'm sure that would have gone over just excellently. Don't you ever think about these things?! I'm not convinced you truly care about my safety or my feelings."
"ME! ME, ME. Are you saying that I'M the one not thinking of other's feelings? I can't even… OOH!" She spun and stomped off toward the end of the bed, landing roughly and bouncing on the mattress, infuriated. She gave him a livid backward glance and saw him bouncing strangely, clearly angry as well but also upset. A long stare was projected at the thoughtless sorcerer, who began clenching his hand in front of him as he tended to do when agitated. "Sofia if you would be ever so kind to put yourself in my robes for just a minute and think about what you're asking you might find you don't like the answer."
Sofia's jaw dropped open. Was he suggesting she had no… empathy? Her hands gripped the covers around her. "I can't BELIEVE YOU! I've always stood beside you and thought only of you and you don't even care!" After the words fell out she realized too much had been said. Suddenly she felt naked and exposed, if he put together the meaning behind those words it would be her undoing.
"Poppycock! To suggest you've only thought of me, we both know that isn't true Sofia."
So now she was a liar on top of being hurt and feeling abandoned. There was no upside to this conversation, and being insulted in her own room was the final straw. He wouldn't trade a grass clipping for her feelings. The tears started to fall and she sat there on the edge of her bed weeping while Cedric vacillated.
"Come now Sofia, be realistic, I couldn't possibly declare what you wanted me to declare, not yet. Your birthday dearest, when all your family and friends are present. It has to be your birthday, even though the thought of it terrifies me. Sofia, SOFIA LISTEN!"
She barely heard him through the tears and gasps for air. All she could see was the pain, the abandonment, the rejection. If this was a small taste of what it would feel like when he rejected her romantic feelings she never wanted to tell him, ever. Her hands were up against her eyes, covering her view as the room went silent. There was a somewhat loud thud on the floor next to her, and an accompanying groan of pain meant Cedric had landed on the marble without grace. Suddenly there was pressure on her thighs, and the startled girl looked up to see the sorcerer had rested his head in her lap. Even though she was hurt, angry, and bleary-eyed all because of his callousness the simple gesture made her feel better. He was basically defenseless, and was staring up at her sideways through his bangs with puppy-dog eyes.
"Please don't be upset any longer dearest."
Through the sniffles she managed to speak, "But you're not sorry for what you said, are you?"
His eyes bulged out and his head flew up as he shot to his feet. "Oh you frustrating female! Why can't you accept that I'm not wrong!"
Everything was a blur. On some level Sofia knew her arms were shaking, but the words, they just came out. Unfiltered reflections of the unbridled hurt swirling within her. "If you can't even understand why I'm angry, that you would completely disrespect me as a person and friend, then I don't know if we were ever truly friends to begin with."
He started shaking and arms were flung toward her. He was scared. But she didn't give him a chance to express whatever it was he was thinking, instead she took a step forward, "Being a friend means you're there for the other person and support them when they need you. Rolland never ordered you to make me your apprentice, and I've always thought we were friends. You need to decide if we are, or we…" The wind dropped from her and she ended up staring at his feet before catching her breath and staring him straight in the eyes. "If we aren't."
"Oh no, no Sofia NO! Don't say such things, PLEASE I can do better! I… I…"
"But you still don't know why I'm hurt and you should apologize, do you?"
"I…OOOHHH you talk about being understanding, but the double standards here are giving me whiplash."
He wasn't sorry.
With her last ounce of composure Sofia stood and delivered a methodical "Go."
Cedric's lip turned down, "But no, please I can say it. Sorry, there! I said it, now please don't do this."
"Go."
"But I said I was sorry. Doesn't that mean something to you!"
His arms tried to wrap around her but Sofia stopped him with an outstretched palm, her pain tumbling out, "It means something to me, but that apology meant nothing to you. GET OUT!"
It was shouted extremely loudly, and there was a knocking on her door. From the hallway a concerned, "Sofia, are you okay?" Came from a man's voice.
There was a moment. A fleeting span of time where she felt triumph. Nothing she'd said was wrong, he'd been dismissive of her to his peers, and she deserved to be treated with basic human dignity befitting a friend.
But then that moment was over. As soon as she caught Cedric's gaze and realized all the pain, hurt and abandonment had simply transferred to him she felt truly awful. He was on the verge of tears and shaking. Instant regret filled her but before anything else could be exchanged he was gone in another poof of green smoke.
Again there was a knock on the door. Sofia tried to collect herself, wiping the wetness from her cheeks and flattening her hair. Her fingers came across the star pin he'd given her, and it elicited a fresh wave of tears.
Why couldn't he just have apologized? Why didn't he admit he was wrong? Just because he was Cedric, and always knew he was right? Even when he wasn't. His apologies were rarer than unicorns.
The door handle clicked open, snapping Sofia out of her internal malaise and there before her stood Hugo.
A deep breath and hand wave were meant to dismiss the prince, but he seemed extremely concerned and would not be dissuaded so easily. "Sofia are you okay? I heard you yelling."
"Oh it was just, I was angry about everything that happened, that's all."
Introspective nods gave way to backward glances down the hallway, which were followed quickly by the prince taking her hand into his own. "Sofia when did you last take your potion?" His thumb was stroking itself lovingly over the palm of her hand, but the content of his message was clear.
"I don't need the potion to 'level me out' Hugo. All I need is peace and quiet and for everything to just stop."
"What do you mean stop Sofia?" Hugo was overtly worried now.
"I mean everything. The war, the story. I just feel like a ball rolling down a hillside. I just want it all to stop. Even when I'm acting and not reacting it's all still rolling out of control." She looked up at Hugo, who was confused beyond reason and sighed. "I just need to lie down for a little bit, okay?"
He smiled warily, but then guided her inside to her bed. She then realized he'd never actually been in her room before, and suddenly grew nervous. He'd let himself in after all without invitation, quite improper as Cedric had alluded to when she'd been burned. "Hugo wait, I'm a grown woman and I can lay down without help. You probably shouldn't be here."
"I know, but I want to help you. You mean the world to me Sofia, and I want to make sure you're okay."
She stood there stunned as Hugo turned down her sheets, then sat on the edge of her bed when the prince gestured for her to do so. He smiled kindly and bent down, helping off her slippers, then tucked her into the covers. He didn't try to sneak a kiss, or touch her inappropriately.
CAW!
It startled Hugo, and he bolted over to the window where Wormwood was menacingly perched. Around the mêlée of the prince battling at the raven and the bird flapping his wings into the prince's hair the little phoenix swooped in, landing on her bed. Hugo finally succeeded in shooing away the raven, and shut the window. Miffed, Wormwood scratched at the glass panels before flying back toward Cedric's tower. Hugo turned around before catching sight of Sofia's phoenix on her bed, "Wow! I know you like animals but that one seemed really grumpy. Oh man, there's another one. I'll take care of it."
On approach, one hand raised from the princess and a kindly smile was enough to stop the prince from dispatching her phoenix. Despite all the anguish of earlier, seeing Hugo's perfectly quaffed mane tossed about haphazardly by the run-in with Wormwood was hilarious. A kind smile escaped the girl, and Hugo's head fell to the side. "Your hair." The tiniest of giggles came out as she pointed toward his mismanaged locks.
"What?" Quickly the prince dashed to her vanity. "Oh man! This is going to take forever to fix." He started primping right there, but caught a glimpse of Sofia smiling and laughing on the bed, and a gigantic smile crossed his face.
"Don't worry, I'm okay Sofia."
"I know, it's only Wormwood."
The prince spun back around, his hair still sticking out strangely. His efforts caused one unforgiving spike to stick up, and it looked as if he'd been shot with electricity. She couldn't help but giggle between the sniffles and point, causing Hugo to look up unceremoniously.
There were running steps and the creak of her door, but Sofia was still laughing, and Hugo had begun to as well. He finally smoothed down his hair and walked closer to her, leaning over her in bed. Softly he whispered in her ear, "Okay get some rest. I'll be back with a surprise to brighten your day."
She nodded, and there was a loud crack of energy. It startled Hugo, who lifted his hands off her bed to stare at the void of shadows spreading over her entranceway. Cedric stood there, sucking the life and the light out of that corner of the room as only a sorcerer can do.
"What did I tell you about pompous princes entering princesses bedrooms!" Cedric spat at the prince. Hugo began to blister but Sofia reached out and grabbed his hand, stopping the prince. There was a loud pop and all the light was let back into that corner of the room as if someone had burst Cedric's bubble. He was just staring at Sofia holding on to Hugo's hand. Sofia thought it served him right for being so intractable earlier, and that she could be friends with whomever she chose, despite if Cedric liked them or not.
"I'm going to take a nap, ALONE." Hugo nodded, turned to kiss the top of her hand and let go, striding up to the sorcerer.
"You heard her, ALONE."
The prince was boring his eyes into the pained sorcerer, who looked again on the verge of tears. There was some odd posturing near her door, where neither seemed to want the other to stay, and Sofia finally had to yell, "Both of you OUT!"
Once the duo of anxious men departed quiet was finally restored. A quick nap did sound delightful, and had the potential to dull the pain this afternoon had brought. Rest was however short lived, as she awoke after the brief respite to Wormwood clawing at the window once more. Her phoenix, once nestled into the soft gossamer folds of her bed sheets napping alongside her had awoken at the noise and began chirping. Sofia pried an eye open and smiled. It was adorable how Wormwood was hopping along the windowsill just dying to enter. The stodgy old raven would never admit it, but he'd finally made a friend. The thought made Sofia remember how hurt Cedric had made her feel earlier, but she pushed it away and rose to open the window. An exasperated Wormwood flopped inside, then as if embarrassed regrouped and swooped around the room, landing on her pillows.
"Sorry Wormwood, but Hugo closed the window."
"Yes I do recall Princess, but why you'd allow that man into your bedchamber in Cedric's full view is beyond me."
Wormwood shuttered, and starting picking at his leg. "He's mad that Hugo was here, isn't he?"
The raven turned back, "You must have known he would be. You humans, the way you strip away each other bit by bit, it's insufferable sometimes."
Sofia's phoenix had now traipsed over to Wormwood's position and began pecking at his leg. Bending down, Sofia noted a small parchment attached to it.
"Take it already princess." Sofia reached out while Wormwood continued complaining. "I was hoping that with you we could avoid this particular endeavor."
"What do you mean by 'this endeavor' Wormwood?"
"I had hoped that you would be more understanding, that is your definition, isn't it Sofia? The kind and understanding one."
Ouch. If Cedric had somehow coerced Wormwood into dealing blows, he'd accomplished the goal. For his part the raven just sighed, "It seems humans are what they are, and Cedric will never change."
Sofia hesitated at undoing the parchment, as trepidation at its contents filled her.
Wormwood scoffed at the delay, "Why it's my lot in life to deliver these things for him I will never know, but take it already so he feeds me proper."
She nodded and freed the bird from the note. At least he shouldn't suffer for Cedric's choice in delivery mode. She proceeded to sit alongside the edge of her bed, the possibilities the note might contain exploding in her mind like a kaleidoscope of uncertainty. If he was furious there could be even crueler words inside the note than had already been spoken. If he was remorseful there could be apologies.
Cedric was never remorseful, but angry and indignant, he could do that well. She set the note down and pushed it to the side. Wormwood just shook his head and cawed, "Won't you read it already? He took the time to write it and more importantly I took the time to deliver the thing."
"But, I don't know if I want to." She stared at the parchment. "I don't know if I can take any more Cedric styled meanness today."
An exasperated huff and the raven was off. "Wait, where are you going?" Sofia stood as Wormwood flew in circles.
"I've done my duty, now I'm off to lunch. Come along phoenix."
Instead of following him out the window the red-plumed bird stayed put, pecking at Sofia's dress and curling up on her shoulder. Wormwood flew back in, most displeased.
"I'll not say it again. I'm leaving."
The phoenix turned, setting her long slender neck on Sofia's shoulder and cooing. Wormwood blistered, then flew off cawing mad.
All that was left was the note and an open window. She sat there for some time ruminating on whether to read the note. If Cedric was hurting as she was then perhaps he was trying to reconcile with her, and having been banished from her room this was the only way to go about doing it. But then, he could just fire another salvo at her about how he had nothing to be sorry for, and she should just accept being unacknowledged in his life.
A long time was passed in this cycle of torture before a tiny creak was heard, and then the telltale patter of slow rabbit feet on the soft little steps up to her bed was heard. One mass of grey and white fur, stiffened with age came lurching to her side. "Oh, hi Clover."
"Maybe I should come back later Sofia, you look like you've had a hard day."
"No, it's alright. Here." Sofia stroked the bunny expertly.
"Oooh yeah, that's the spot. Oh! I came by to tell you about your copy."
That's right. Sofia had set Clover on watching the girl, and there were lots of questions that needed answering.
"Oh tell me Clover! Mr. Cedric was acting so weird and there are all these things she agreed to but I have no idea what they are! What happened while I was gone?!"
The bunny flopped over, exposing his underbelly that was in desperate need of scratching, a task Sofia was happy to indulge in. "Girl will you relax! Nothing bad happened. I followed her, and she had dinner with your family. They invited her, I mean you, to a funeral today, and one tomorrow."
"Yeah okay, but what about Hugo, what did he do?"
"Well the guy has a pretty big crush on you." Sofia nodded, that was also a known event. Clover read between the lines, then continued, "Okay so you already knew. Did you know he's really jealous of the time you spend with Cedric?"
"I… figured that out. I already told him it's nothing romantic, but he doesn't believe me."
"Well, that's pretty much it. After dinner your copy came here and fell asleep, so I went home and slept."
"CLOVER. That can't be all that happened."
"Well it's all that I saw."
Sofia groaned. The unamused rabbit huffed, "Excuse me. I spent all night hopping around the castle following that girl, and my best hopping days are behind me."
"Oh Clover thank you, I know you followed her." Sofia finally smiled and gave the rabbit a nice long scratch behind the ears. "But I also know more happened, because I found her in Mr. Cedric's bed in the middle of the night."
The screetch that rabbit made should have unnerved half the castle staff. It was a good thing no one else could talk to animals and Clover's voice sounded like two cotton balls being rubbed together to all but her.
"Hold up! Hop back a few steps! What do you MEAN she was in his bed? Sofia I had no idea, she looked like she was asleep, I can't imagine, oh man I don't want to imagine what led to that. Oooouuugghhh that's just so wrong."
The rabbit was shaking as if he'd been doused in ice water on a winter day. Not a happy bunny. Less happy was the princess, who felt more than a little insulted with waves of shame washing over her for wishing that it was her in Cedric's bed, even still.
"What's so wrong with Mr. Cedric?" Squeaked out of her, before she knew it and long past any ability to cram the sentence back inside. She turned away in shame clutching at her amulet for comfort. The whole world seemed against this new wonderful, wretched sensation coursing through her veins. Even Clover, who always supported her was completely against the sorcerer on a romantic level. Not that it really mattered what anyone would think, as it was never going to really happen, but still her feelings took another beating.
"He's old, he's mean, he's creepy, and don't even get me started on that Amulet business." Clover was shuttering, but Sofia felt compelled to defend the sorcerer against the charges.
"He's not old Clover."
"Oh yes he is, almost as old as Rolland I think. That's four of my lifetimes, and I've eaten a lot of carrots if you know what I mean. More importantly it's more than two of yours."
It caused her pause. Sofia didn't know how old Cedric was, after all. She regrouped, "Well he's definitely not…" She couldn't defend against the 'mean' comment, not after today. She went for the easier of the charges. "He's not creepy. Not at all."
"If you say so. I've seen him pop out of dark corridors and cackle menacingly. He's always got ulterior motives, and the fact that he'd sneak your copy into bed means either he knew it was a copy and he could get away with… whatever happened up there without anyone knowing, or he didn't know it was a copy and wanted it to be you in his bed."
Clover made an excellent point. She hadn't considered the possibility that Cedric might also be steering events in his favor, and not just reacting to the chaos that was Sofia's life now. He'd been the one to insist she spend her nights with him, and was following her around like a shadow. This was the first time in days, since she'd been rescued from the caves actually, that she'd had a moment alone, besides purposefully locking herself in her closet.
"It's not like that Clover. It's nothing sexual like you're suggesting. He just, needs me. As a friend."
The rabbit's head flopped to one side. "I can't even list the number of things wrong with that statement Sofia. Since when is a girl in a grown man's bed not sexual? You can't seriously think Cedric just wanted a human bed warmer, can you?"
"Well, yes. I guess so. Maybe. He's just worried about me, and wants to know where I am." Frustration growing for both of them, Sofia finally laid down the elephant in the room. "Look Clover, he's gay." Blank stares came from the rabbit, followed by a series of odd blinks. "I know what you're going to say but believe me, he's gay, he has no interest in me, and he's just worried since all of the bad things happened in Leidleville."
As she said it Sofia realized it wasn't really true. The strange behavior had started far before that, but it wasn't necessary to expound upon to win the argument and convince Clover that no funny business had occurred.
The rabbit wasn't buying it, not for a second. "But Sofia you know he's devious, and I'm worried he might be after your Amulet again and just lying to you."
Clover had another excellent point. In the past he'd shown time and time again that ulterior motives could make him do unseemly things, but the return of her amulet in the coach came roaring back. Surely his redemption would assuage Clover's fears.
"Clover, he had my Amulet in his hands, and he chose to give it back."
"Since when? If I recall you tricked him as much as he 'redeemed' himself, and that was years ago. He could have finally thought of another plan."
"No CLOVER, not that time. When he rescued me from the caves he had my Amulet, and he gave it back and said I was more important, and that he needed me."
Clover looked horrified. "Sofia, he's… after YOU this time! Don't you see it? You're the king's daughter and he couldn't take the kingdom by force, so he's after you to get the throne! You've got to stay away from him."
Sofia shot to her feet, the accusation more than she could handle, "Clover there is NO WAY Mr. Cedric would manipulate my feelings to conquer Enchancia. It's just not possible, it's… not." Feeling unsteady, she crumpled back down, the very real possibility that he was manipulating her feelings to get what he wanted, what he always wanted, began gnawing at the back of her mind.
Sadness filled her, that her feelings might have been coerced caught her breath in her throat. Remorseful for inducing this state, Clover approached and set a conciliatory paw on her leg. "Hey, Sofia I didn't mean to upset you, but the guy simply isn't normal, and he never will be."
Did it matter?
What truly makes people fall in love?
Does everyone fall in love for the right reasons?
And does the reason make love any less precious?
The questions streaked through her mind, and she came to one, unmistakable conclusion. "You're right Clover, Mr. Cedric isn't normal. But you know, his uniqueness is what I cherish about him. The way he sees and interacts with the world, it's what makes him special and amazing." She lifted her head out of her hands and patted her concerned rabbit lovingly on the head. "I know you're worried friend, but Mr. Cedric does care about me, genuinely, and it's only as a friend. Maybe that's why he doesn't have other friends, no one really understands how he treats a friend so they abandon him. He said something similar to that a while back, but I wasn't really thinking about it clearly."
Unconvinced, Clover grumbled and shook his head that his ears flopped against his furry sides. "Right…."
Sofia couldn't help but reflect on the argument earlier, and she really hadn't taken his words under consideration. To put herself in his robes, and to be understanding that his unique and beautiful mind didn't operate the same way other's did. "Thanks Clover, I think you helped me a lot."
"I did what now?"
Small traces of regret crept into the corners of her mind as Wormwood came swooping back in. This time the raven held within his beak an intricately folded paper of special magnificence. The parchment glowed silver, and upon being dropped from the bird's beak drifted as softly as a feather down to the bed, erupting in a choreographed display of origami which resulted in what looked like a rose.
"Wow, it's beautiful. Don't you think so Clover?"
"Oh yeah, he's not trying to manipulate you at all by having feathers over there deliver you shiny magical presents. If he's being genuine I'm a turtle."
The raven landed and spread his wings in a defensive posture. "I'd rather enjoy that, then I could drop you in the lake and watch you try and swim. Now if you don't mind the note is for Sofia so butt out floppy ears."
Unbecoming bickering ensued while the phoenix cooed at the note. Sofia ignored the raven and rabbit and inched her face up to the folded note, now pulsating with energy. Alongside her the phoenix still cooed.
"Do you think I should read it?" Sofia whispered to her familiar.
The bird chirped happily. Sofia reached out to unfurl it but was interrupted by a knock on the door and the call of a man's voice. It scattered the arguing animals, Wormwood flying back out the window and Clover back into the small circular portal from whence he came.
Sofia sighed heavily and rose, heavy with the sadness of earlier fighting to answer the door. Before her stood an overly optimistic prince, gripping a flying derby helmet in his hands.
"Hi Sofia. Did you have a good nap?" She nodded. ""So, are you feeling better?" She was marginally so. No longer did she feel like breaking down into a weeping mass, but still it wasn't a stellar day. She gave the prince a half-smile, but then looked away again at nothing in particular.
Unable to contain himself, Hugo finally burst. "Sofia I know you're upset about everything that happened but I thought if you did something you love you'd feel better."
It startled her to no end, the realization that he was considering her needs and feelings as paramount. Slowly he extended the riding helmet. "I know how much you love flying derby and riding, so I thought we could go for a ride."
"Hugo…"
"I know, it doesn't have to be with me if I make you uncomfortable but consider this, I'm available when you need me. Anyway, I don't think your Dad would be too happy if you went riding off alone right now, what with your condition and all."
Sofia groaned, "Hugo I'm FINE. I don't have a condition and I don't need that white potion. I'm the master of my own fate, and my own feelings."
A hesitant smile for her well-being made the princess smile in kind, but then Hugo realized she meant to reject his offer and went sullen.
Why not? If they were on separate horses he couldn't surprise her like he'd done in the dining room, and riding Minimus without someone's life in jeopardy would be a decidedly nice change of pace. Her copy was saving everyone in Friezenburg anyway, and Cedric needed to realize that if they were going to continue being friends he'd need to be a bit kinder to her. Perhaps even grow a bit as a person, and how amazing that thought seemed. She had to stay strong and be a doormat for his emotional issues no longer to make it happen. If she could just clear her mind and go to him composed after dinner then she was sure it could all be resolved, and it would be okay. A tentative nod to the prince was all it took, and within ten minutes they were boarding their respective flying horses in the stables, each decked out in their respective riding gear.
When Minimus saw her coming the horse whinnied and bellowed for dear life, but a satchel of carrots and assurances that it was a pleasure ride were enough to coax the derby champion out of the stable. The loud clacking of hooves along the cobblestone reception lane, the grunt of horses galloping, the rush of wind and rhythmic beating of wingflaps below, everything reminded her of the unbridled joy of racing. Soon enough Hugo was alongside her. A mutual exchange of glances, and the race was on.
Sweeping under the bridge to Dunwitty in turns so tight their horses' wings might touch the water was thrilling. The splash of hooves across the currents elicited laughter, and interweaving between apple trees in the orchard brought forth the cries of joy and excitement. They circled the castle several times, and at one point Sofia heard pleasant cheering from a balcony.
Her mother stood alongside Rolland, both of the smiling upward at the display while waving with encouragement as if this was a real race. "Hi Mom!" Sofia waved back. She watched them for a brief second more as Rolland wrapped his strong arms about his wife's shoulders in a loving embrace, but then it was time to focus again on the race at hand. They dove in between spires and the natural finish line of the main gate came into view. Sofia flicked the reigns and hoisted up into the two-seat position, egging the horse on. "Come on Minimus, we can do it, GO!"
The steady grunt of Hugo's horse was just behind, but all that lay ahead was victory. Sofia steered Minimus under the archway deftly and flung her arms up in celebration. Hugo finally caught up as they doubled back to the palace, now laughing together. "Congrats Sofia, you beat me."
"You let me, didn't you." She asked coyly.
He shook it off though, "Nah, I respect you too much to lie like that. You beat me fair and square, and besides if I beat you then you'd want a rematch, so then we could have done it again." It was so incredibly sweet. Perhaps Miranda was right, all she needed to do was give Hugo a chance. She'd spent multitudes of hours with Cedric in his workshop, in his life, in his arms… Sofia shook the thought away, perhaps if she spent real quality time with Hugo she could learn to love him, despite what Amber had said about not choosing who one falls in love with. Then everyone would be happy.
A blast of lightning erupted in the sky, and Hugo stared suspiciously at the castle. "Hey Sofia, did that come from your palace?"
"Lightning comes from the sky Hugo."
"But there's no—'' No sooner had he said it than a monumental rain storm burst from the sky. This was no natural storm; it reeked of magic, and was suspiciously similar to the torrent that erupted when she'd accompanied Hugo to the picnic in Dunwitty. Closer inspection of Cedric's tower confirmed her suspicions. The perceptible outline of a thin male figure was lurking near the open tower window, just watching her hurdle through the sky with Hugo. It an instant the figure was gone, and the torrential downpour of rain began.
Flying derby was over for the day.
After tucking the horses back into their stables Hugo managed to procure a parasol from a servant in the stables. The sentiment was gentlemanly, but the frilly thing buckled halfway from the stables to the front door, dousing her in water. They both stared at each other for a second, caught in the rain and giggled. It seemed like ages since she'd had fun with Hugo as a friend. He unbuttoned his jacket and held it over her head and they ran imperfectly back to the main entrance.
A downward, almost shy glance came from the man. "Sorry. I didn't know it was gonna rain. I guess that's just how the weather is in Enchancia."
It wasn't, but she didn't need Hugo fighting with Cedric again. She'd deal with him herself. "Don't be sorry. I had fun."
A bright smile toward the prince, and Hugo positively beamed with the pride of a job well done.
He leaned in a bit, but Sofia's attentions were caught by the sound of stomping. The princess turned to see an old friend angrily huffing as they strode out of the castle.
"CAROL!" Sofia called out to the middle-aged woman whom she'd befriended all those years ago, and the anger melted from the woman's countenance.
"Oh Sofia! It's so good to see you. Who is your… companion?"
Carol had a knowing smile, one that can only be seen on the faces of older woman who recognize the trials and tribulations of youth. "Oh, that's Hugo. This is my friend Carol." The prince gave a nonchalant wave, as if Carol was begging for scraps along the roadside. It was off-putting, but Hugo considered Royals set above the rest, so not altogether unexpected.
Carol however was unimpressed. "Oh I see."
"What are you doing here?" Sofia inquired.
"It's nothing HE would be interested in hearing." Hugo blistered at being addressed in such a disrespectful manner, but Sofia diffused the situation by cajoling the prince inside to dry off before dinner, and hesitantly he did as instructed, most likely to preserve the goodwill he'd won that afternoon.
"So why are you here Carol?"
The woman clenched her fists and stomped, "Sofia I don't know if you've heard what's going on in Friezenburg, but the royals there have turned on their people."
Sofia wiggled uncomfortably, but there was no getting out of this one. Not unless she fled. She could always run, right? Before she had the chance Carol was fuming in all directions, "I mean, I THOUGHT I'd come to an understanding with Rolland. He's supposed to be a great ruler who cherishes the people, but he completely shot me down just now. I thought he was better than that."
Sofia reached out a hand, catching Carol's in her own. "What did you ask Carol?"
"It doesn't matter Sofia. He denied me, so I'm going on my own with anyone who will join me."
Sofia gripped her friend's hands tighter. "Please Carol I need to know what he said. I need to know if there's something he said that can help Friezenburg's people."
Carol just stood there, stunned for a long moment before acquiescing. "Okay. I asked him to intervene and save the people of Friezenburg, and he told me that it was a civil war, and that it wasn't Enchancia's place to intervene."
"But it's not." Sofia blurted out. Silence fell over the foyer as the rain came down in sheets, pelting the ground and collecting in thin streams directed away from the castle.
"How can you know that?" Carol slowly stated, but then she grew hard. "I KNEW it, he's lying. He KNOWS it's not a civil war, and that there are other countries involved but he's still choosing to ignore the suffering of Friezenburg's people."
Carol was fuming angry, pulling away from the princess and stomping around the palace entrance. Sofia dropped her gaze low, "Rolland has been having meetings with King Aaron of Friezenburg and King Victor of Maldonia. It's that country who is invading Friezenburg, and stealing its people."
The woman's eyes bulged out and mouth dropped open. An angry glare was directed back toward the palace. "I see. I thought Rolland was different, that your family was better than this Sofia. I guess I was wrong."
"No WAIT!" Sofia lunged and took Carol by the shoulders. "You have to know Rolland doesn't speak for me, or my Mom, or even my siblings. He's trying to do what he thinks is best for Enchancia, and keep his people out of the war, but it's not all royals against the people."
"But others are dying out there! We can't ignore it."
"I'm NOT! I'm doing everything I can and so is…" Sofia stopped midsentence and clamped her hand over her mouth. The realization dawned, and Carol began nodding. "Oh no, PLEASE don't say anything to anyone Carol. You heard about Rolland's edict, anyone involved with this might be killed so I'm begging you not to say a word. It's not just me who's in danger. PLEASE don't say anything."
Carol stood proudly, as was her nature and took Sofia's hand into her own once more, crossing it over her chest. "On my honor I swear that I won't breathe a hint of this to anyone, and unlike some my word is a solemn vow. I will always do the right thing and now that's protecting what you've told me." While she said it Carol looked menacingly up at the castle, then gave a little bow.
"Goodbye Princess Sofia, and be safe. I have a feeling I'm going to see you again quite soon."
As Carol pulled her shawl over her head and hurried off into the rainy night Sofia could help but kick herself for her own stupidity. She hadn't actually told Carol what she'd been up to, but there was enough incriminating dialogue there that could lead back to the truth, the whole truth. The only thing Sofia had going for her was the probable ill-will Carol had left in her wake after being rejected by Rolland, a fact that was made evident by side comments around the dinner table. Miranda was unsure they should continue with the Villager's ball in two more days. Round table discussion over eggplant and pasta about the merits and drawbacks of holding a festival so soon after such tragedy was weighed heavily, but in the end Rolland was the one who decided to continue on as planned. He professed to want to keep with tradition, but as Sofia sat there studying the man it was evident he was unnerved by whatever conflict he'd had with Carol. So upset in fact that Miranda keyed in to his distress, and summoned Baileywick to whisper some sort of plan in his ear. The steward bowed and left abruptly, without Rolland's notice, and several sideways glances among Sofia and her siblings occurred while Rolland pushed his jiggly-wiggly pudding around in circles on his plate.
After dinner Rolland stood to leave, recusing himself to continue on with work but Miranda stopped him with a simple gesture and kind smile. She beckoned everyone, Hugo included, to accompany her to the ballroom. An ornate chair had been placed next to Sofia's that Hugo occupied readily, and with the princess's attention transfixed on her father and his reaction to the Carol confrontation she barely noticed how the prince had taken possession of her hand, stroking it lovingly for all to witness.
The lights dimmed and the curtain went up on whatever entertainment Miranda had beckoned Baileywick to summon, and then there was silence. Hugo gave her hand a little squeeze, causing the princess to spin and observe one emotionally devastated sorcerer standing in the middle of the ballroom. Hair disheveled and layers a mess of half-assemblage he alternated between gripping his wand and flopping his arms to each side. Baileywick noted the show was not progressing as it should and discretely wandered over to him, which Sofia was sure did nothing to improve Cedric's abilities.
Waves of sympathy and pain washed over Sofia, the sum of their argument now visible for all to see. She knew she was the cause of this, and was yet again sabotaging his ability to perform his beloved job. She practically shot from her seat, the only thing preventing her advancement toward the pained purple mass Hugo's grip on her hand. She looked back and gave a tug to beg for release but he returned a quizzical stare to her, and then Rolland boomed, "Sit down Sofia. Cedric can do his job himself. Isn't that right Cedric?"
Anxious fingers grasped each other as Cedric spun in little circles banging into the arranged potions before him. She knew this moment, and had seen its end point many times. They all had. If she didn't do something he was going to fail, and fail spectacularly.
"But Dad I'm Mr. Cedric's apprentice. I need to help him, I want to help him, it's my job." With that she finally shook loose of Hugo and came bounding up to Cedric, but he turned away, grabbing three potions of unknown origin. Without another thought he uncorked them all and splashed himself before Sofia could reach him. A series of small explosions rang out halting the princess in her tracks, mini fireworks exploded around the dinning hall, and when the dust had settled Cedric was covered in green slime.
James yelled out "Brilliant!" at all the fireworks, and the faintest traces of worry were on Miranda's face to see Cedric intentionally humiliate himself.
"Yes thank you Cedric, that was very amusing." Boomed Rolland.
Cedric just stood there; green, sopping wet and thoroughly humiliated. Without a second thought Sofia grabbed the silken cover off a nearby table and came at the embarrassed sorcerer, but he cringed and stepped away. "You needn't waste your silks on a silly sorcerer like me your highness." Below his breath so none but Sofia could hear he also muttered, "I truly am the royal fool."
And with that he was gone in a poof of smoke, along with his bag of potions.
She felt horrible. Sure, he'd accomplished interjecting a little levity to brighten the king's mood, but at what cost? His self-dignity? Nothing was worth that. Hugo came up to where she stood. "Sofia I've been planning an even better activity that I know you'll love. Do you think that you could…"
She'd tuned him out and was bounding out of the ballroom toward Cedric's tower, Hugo regrouping and in hot pursuit. However it was Amber who stopped her. "Sofia wait."
"But Amber! Mr. Cedric…"
"Oh it's fine Sofia." Hugo had caught up now and was standing there impatiently.
"It's not fine! He was really embarrassed, I know it!"
"Don't you think he'll be more embarrassed if you barge in on him while he's cleaning up? Seriously Sofia men like him don't like to get dirty, so you should let the guy wash it off. Bug him in the morning, trust me it's better this way."
"But I…"
Rolland had come over, and was smiling at Hugo. "Well now, isn't it about time you two got going? The moon's full tonight and should be perfect."
"Yes sir." Hugo smiled, then took Sofia's hand and led her down a hallway, away from Cedric's tower.
"Look Hugo I had a lot of fun this afternoon but Mr. Cedric is my friend and he's really upset right now. I think it's time I talked to him and—"
"Sofia just wait. You're going to LOVE this. I've been planning it for days and the moon is just perfect tonight."
He'd pushed her toward the doors that led to the gardens and was going along with some sort of plan that Rolland was obviously privy too. It had been a fun afternoon while it lasted, but she was needed, Cedric needed her, and despite what he'd said earlier about not needed to acknowledge their friendship publicly she knew on a deeper level he needed to be comforted or his magic would suffer. She'd pushed him as far as the sorcerer could go.
"No Hugo, Mr. Cedric is my friend and he needs me. I have to go."
"Really Sofia? He wasn't exactly treating you kindly just now." It made her stop and think. Once again Cedric had shied away from her, not wanting to publicly acknowledge in any way that they were friends. He'd even refused her help not once but twice! Perhaps Hugo was right, he'd spent the day thinking about it and decided he'd rather not count her as a friend in public. The end goal of his personnel growth thwarted.
The thought ignited the swirling emotions once more, and overwhelmed with hurt she clung desperately to composure while trying to suppress the tears. Hugo noted her sudden mood shift and broke out in conciliatory platitudes, trying desperately to guide her outside to the gardens and whatever he was planning. There was another crack of thunder even though the rains had stopped, and Sofia shook free, bolting towards Cedric's tower.
Her sorcerer was humiliated and upset, and deep inside the only place she wanted to be was with him, to comfort the lonely man in his hour of need.
Bolting up the steps she came upon the door unlocked, and flung it open. A miserable soul stood hunched over a silken rag practically weeping, and Sofia recognized it from the explosion when he'd tried to concoct her potion from the expired Willow's weed. How she'd adored draping the cloth over his skin, how happy he'd seemed when he'd cleaned her in kind. She wanted that moment back, right now.
"Mr. Cedric, please let me help you. I promised to help clean you up the next time, so let me, please."
He bristled, sadness replaced with a seething anger. A sharp turn so fast his bangs and robe continued around his thin frame, and an entirely different emotion than she was used to seeing was streaked across his face. A tinge of fear crawled up her spine to see him so enraged.
"You needn't bother princess. I am a grown man and capable of managing my own affairs."
He stepped closer, but she stood in protest despite the twinge of fear, unyielding to it. "No, no I want to help you, you're covered in goop and I said I'd help you, I'll always be here for you Mr. Cedric, I was just upset before but this-"
Bone-chilling laughter rattled along the stone walls as the sorcerer looked a man processed, "Your pretty lies are just that princess, and you should know better than to mangle the feelings of a sorcerer. Others haven't been so lucky down this road you travel." At that he paused, breathing deeply and gripping at his yellow bow. Once again the light was being sucked from the room. Wormwood swooped round, batting his wings in Cedric's face. It broke the tension somewhat, and the light was let into the space once more.
"Please, I'm sorry the spell went wrong and I know it was my fault! I'll tell them, just let me help you!"
Again the unnerving laughter, this time a gloved hand was flung between them, clenching at the heavy air. "Wrong! I'd say it was a spectacular display of illusion, made all the more captivating by the depths of this human's suffering on full display. That is how you Royals get your jollies, isn't it! From the Royal Fool!"
He wasn't listening, and Sofia could endure no longer, "STOP SAYING THAT! No one thinks you're a fool okay! I think you're the most marvelous, magical, most ah-maz—"
"ENOUGH!"
Normally he'd revel in the compliments, but not this time. His usual pallor resembled the moon, but the faint trace of blood that normally colored his thin lips had departed as well, leaving him with the distinct impression of being one of the ghouls that haunted the castle. "I know this dance of deception princess, and I know you'd have me accept this fate, lucky to occupy any corner of your thoughts, but to this you must know, one should never intentionally fracture the feelings of a sorcerer."
Silence hung in the damp air as the clatter of heavy shoes began ascending the tower. Hugo must have been following her, but gotten lost in the castle's many halls. Cedric heard the prince on approach as well, and groaned loudly. "Oh the humanity! To think your attentions have been pilfered by the prissy, pompous prince so accepted by propriety, all for the lack of a few words, is simply sickening. Have your loyalties no foundation? Or am I to assume you actually enjoy his vapid conversation?" Cedric's eyes dropped to the stone floor while she tried to process the meaning behind what he said. "Or is it visuals you find so enrapturing about him? I suppose he is rather tall, and muscular. Just like Rolland was in his youth. A handsome prince here to squirrel his princess forevermore." Did Cedric hate Hugo on a whole other level besides his horrible manners and ill-treatment of Sofia's boundaries? Was he worried Sofia would leave for Maldonia and never return? That… she'd stop being his friend? Cedric grit his teeth and narrowed his eyes as the footsteps came ever nearer. "Princes."
"Wait Cedric, it's not like that. I know you don't like him but—"
"Spare me your Highness. You speak in forked tongues and deal in double standards. I'm just glad I didn't loose my senses completely before your true intentions were revealed."
"My true… Mr. Cedric please stop saying these things! I love-"
Hugo had appeared and set a heavy hand upon her shoulder, disrupting what was sure to be the worst possible confession in the history of such things. Cedric stood a stone in the center of his workshop, the very airs of death swirling around him. The stately prince was understandably intimidated and reached into his pocket while bending down toward something sight unseen, "See, you shouldn't have come here beautiful, he's being all weird. Let's go."
Cedric practically growled, then stood much taller and prouder than one who was covered in green slime would typically attempt. "Mark my words prince, you think you've won the day but I guard what is mine dearly, ALL of what is mine, and you shall never trespass upon it." Cedric took a step toward the prince, wand drawn, and Hugo looked to be advancing. If the prince stepped inside the workshop all bets were off, especially in Cedric's current emotional state. She turned and flung her hands up to stop Hugo. It had the effect of pressing her torso directly into Hugo's, and the protective arm of the prince wound its way around her, gripping her tight. Cedric went deadly quiet, the wand in his hand pulsating with magic.
Sofia turned to look at Cedric, he was so incredibly upset at the world. The horrible things he'd said to her about forked tongues and fractured feelings crumpled her resolve, and unable to continue seeing him in pain like this she doubled over and cried out in anguish. A faint, "not again" escaped her and she ran once more, Hugo following her out and down the steps. At least this way Hugo would leave Cedric's tower, and no one would be injured in a fight that was most certain to occur if she had stayed. But the pain was real, and becoming all to familiar.
…
"WHOA Sofia stop okay!" He'd managed to catch her by the shoulders and pressed her into his chest, his rhythmic breathing helping to calm her. Finally the hyperventilating stopped and she was able to extract her face and look up at the young man. "Hey Sofia, that guy is seriously bad news, I hope you see that now."
"He's just upset, that's all. It's my fault, it's—"
"Stop it okay! It's NOT your fault. None of this is your fault. He messed up and he's taking it out on you, and I'm starting to get the feeling you're letting him because you're so wonderful and nice to everyone."
Their relationship had been up and down as of late. In actuality it had always been like that, and now Sofia was starting to see she'd been sugar coating his interactions with her for all the wrong reasons. How long had she thought of him romantically? It had come on so gradually. Pinpointing any exact moment was escaping her, and Sofia sat there sorting through the train wreck of emotions the confrontation had brought when Hugo was mere inches from her face, smiling triumphantly, as if he'd dealt Cedric a blow without throwing a single punch. "Hey there my beautiful, there's still my surprise."
A cautious smile given by the prince was not enough to slay the pain of Cedric's words, and Sofia turned away, curling her arms up to her chest in a defensive position. "Oh Hugo I'm not up for more tonight, okay? I can't, I—"
"Come on. You were upset this afternoon and riding made you feel loads better."
"But I…" A loud groan couldn't mask the truth he spoke. Begrudgingly she allowed herself to be led out to the gardens, but nothing out of the ordinary lay before her. Quizzically she looked around, and after a brief few moments turned to the tall prince, unsure of his motivations.
Hugo was grinning, a sight to behold if ever there was one. "Close your eyes, okay?" She reared back, scanning him lengthwise. The last time she let her guard down Cedric was the only thing stopping it from ending poorly, and he wasn't here this time. Sofia glanced up toward his tower and wondered if they could ever reconcile after the way he'd spoken about her.
"Don't worry, I won't dishonor you with your eyes closed." Hugo stated. She didn't really trust him though, and covered her important bits up before closing her eyes.
There was some groaning, a bit of stomping and something swishing through the air. Hugo mumbled, "Frizz.. " something or other, then let out a large exasperated string of syllables. Sofia began to drop her hands but was inhibited from doing so. "No wait, just wait I can do this, I was practicing while you took a nap."
Relenting she covered her face once more. It began to grow ever colder, until finally the shivering made her stop this pursuit.
"Hugo I'm cold and I can't keep this up."
"Okay! Sofia you can open your eyes now."
"Wow."
Before them the gardens had been transformed into a winter wonderland. The collected rainwater had been solidified into a giant frozen sheet of ice covering the ground, and even the fountains had been frozen in place. Sofia took a cautious step and slipped a bit, causing her to reach out for Hugo. "How did you do this Hugo? I love it. The only thing better would be if it was-"
As if on cue tiny snowflakes began falling from the sky, landing on her nose and eyelashes. She turned up to face him, a fleeting happiness wrought upon her face. "Thank you. It's a lovely present."
"That's not the best part. Hold still again, okay?"
"Uh, do I need to close my eyes?"
"No, I just need to check something first."
He turned around and unfurled a few pages. She managed a peak over his shoulder, and saw parchments with spells on them. He was trying to memorize one to alter clothing.
"Hugo, you know I can help you, right?"
"But it won't be a present if you do it."
"It's okay. Let me. I really like magic."
He stood tall and held out a very thin and beautifully crafted dark blue wand. It looked nothing like the wand he'd used at Royal prep. Where he'd gotten it was anyone's guess. It almost looked like…
"Where did you get the wand and spells Hugo? You were never that crazy about magic when we were in school together."
He smiled as he handed over the wand. "I know, but you always were, and even though it's not my thing, because you love it I can try, and look! I did it, I'm just perfect for you, aren't I?"
It was impossible for the princess not to perform an over-exaggerated eye-roll at the comment while demanding the spell parchments. She was looking them over as Hugo kept on bloviating, "Don't you see how amazing I am? How good it feels to be together Sofia. I can do anything you like. I even borrowed Cecelia's wand and spells to make it happen. Aren't you impressed?"
Wow he was fishing hard. "I already told you it was really nice, now stand still."
She cast the spell that altered his clothes while thinking about Cecelia. The princess had considerable doubts the witch would have helped if she knew Hugo's true intentions.
Spell performed, skates appeared on his feet, and the realization of what this was about dawned on her.
"Can you conjure it on yourself too Sofia?"
She looked away hesitantly, but he took her hand into his own. "Please, won't you skate with me? You're wonderful, you're marvelous, and when we skate I feel contented. Please Sofia."
"I don't know about this."
Dejected, Hugo looked down. "After the day I had at Hildegard's funeral all I wanted was to skate with you, to take my mind off things with my Dad. I'm sorry if that bothers you."
Oh, the guilt. She groaned, but gave in to a delighted Hugo. Taking her mind off what happened in the tower seemed her only recourse, Cedric had made it abundantly clear he was furious with her and her presence only aggravated him further. Skates conjured, they took a turn around the gardens, building speed. It had been an incredibly long time since she'd skated with him. They used to do it often as children, but ever since his affections were known she'd felt uncomfortable. Skating required he touch her in places, but to his credit he kept his hands mainly to himself. Suddenly he stopped. "Wait, I was going to conjure some music too. It was one of the spells."
"You mean this one?"
Sofia pulled the last parchment out while Hugo nodded. "Yeah, that's the one."
She recoiled, "Maybe it's better this way, okay? I'm not so comfortable with that. This isn't a recital." Begrudgingly he accepted defeat, and contented himself with twirling around on the ice. He was truly gifted at this, and was impressive to behold. It reminded Sofia of Amber's departed pet peacock Praline when in the midst of his infamous, 'shimmer' move. The association made her giggle, Hugo was indeed putting himself on full display.
He registered the smile the peacock's memory had brought to the princess, and moved in closer, putting a hand around her waist and gliding her around the ice. He was a master of the rink, and dancing with him along it was calming, even if it required a different muscle set than she normally used.
The quiet was broken by Hugo, "This is so nice Sofia, don't you think so?"
"It… is."
"Especially after the funeral this morning. My dad made me so incredibly angry."
He pivoted, guiding her expertly around in a spin, "What did your Dad say Hugo."
"He was actually standing there, telling me that he knew somehow I'd be okay and it wasn't worth putting the kingdom in danger."
"Oh Hugo, I'm so sorry."
He took to a more aggressive pace that mirrored his growing emotional turmoil, spinning her around in swirling motions across the ice. "At least Axel was worried. Even though I'll never be king because he was born first, at least my brother thinks my life has meaning."
Sofia slid into a stop, the full magnitude of Hugo's words landing on her as a meteor falls to the earth.
"What did you say Hugo?"
"Axel, my brother, the crown prince? He's going to be king once my Dad passes on." Hugo looked her up and down, as if she'd been injured. "Isn't that obvious? He's the crown prince, he's my older brother, so of course I'm never going to get the chance."
Sofia was reeling. Axel was sympathetic to the revolution, and if he took over Sofia was sure the slave trade would end, definitively. Aaron only went along with it because his country was beaten into submission, and he was in no position to govern right now anyway.
But how to go about doing it?
Hugo was bent over with concern, and Sofia was sure she lacked the ability to maintain composure after a revelation of this magnitude. "Hugo, does your family traditionally abdicate when the ruler gets old?"
She waited with bated breath for his answer, but he shook his head 'no'. Crestfallen, Sofia's hopes dropped down and landed like a thud in her stomach.
"Hugo, can Axel take over for your father… now?" The prince met the hesitant question with incredulity. "What are you suggesting Sofia? That Axel overthrow my Dad because he was mean to me? That's… That's just…"
He reached down in one fluid motion and pulled her closer, the conjured skates gliding across the ice until their bodies touched. He knew exactly what he was doing, and Sofia wasn't skilled enough to stop it. "That's the most romantic thing you've ever said to me."
She sneered.
He sighed and gave a soft chuckle, "That you're protective of me and you'd want the world to change to make me happy, that's so sweet Sofia. But Axel never would, even though he's mad at Dad he'd never go against our father publicly, and he'd never in a million years take the crown. Axel believes in family, and Dad is still family, even if he's more interested in ruling the kingdom than supporting his children."
Hugo began swaying with her pulled close along the ice while Sofia tried to process everything. She could ask Axel herself, when she saw him next, and considering he'd gone against his father's commands and was fighting against him in this war it was possible. Then she wouldn't need to risk being cursed by the Amulet to end this war. But there were logistics to consider. A coup was a messy affair in the best of circumstances, and how loyalties were divided in Maldonia was anyone's guess. But… Hugo might know some of the grittier details.
Lost in thought the princess wasn't cognizant of Hugo's hand, now roaming freely along her torso. "Hugo, if Axel did want to take over, would your kingdom accept it? Would you accept it? You wouldn't fight against him, would you? Is there any way Axel could win against your father? Please Hugo tell me."
She looked at him earnestly, the gravity of her statement seemingly lost on the smitten prince. "It doesn't matter Sofia." He'd drawn her in ever closer, taking full advantage of her distracted state,
All that matters is you."
"And me".
"But Hugo—"
"And this."
Set underneath the moonlight and gently falling snow, the prince's soft lips were pressed against hers in one effortless moment of passion across the ice.