A Magical Evening (Chapter 21)
I've been gone for a little bit, but now I'm back with Chapter 21. I want to thank Niagara14301 for giving me permission to use an element from his story "New Beginnings".
Sofia and Lucinda were together one night in a bedroom in Cardoenia Castle.
"Remember what I told you about the original time line?" Sofia asked Lucinda.
"Yes" Lucinda answered.
"Tomorrow is the day" Sofia announced. "It's time to prevent that accident from happening".
Flashback (from Sofia's original time line):
In Friezenburg Castle, Hildegard was having tea with Cleo. Hildegard's parents, as well as Cleo's parents, were enjoying a carriage ride together in the Friezenburg countryside. As Hildegard and Cleo were having tea, a man burst into the room where Hildegard and Cleo were. The man was Garth, the royal advisor to Hildegard's father, the King of Friezenburg.
"What is the matter, Garth?" Hildegard asked, concerned.
"As you know, your parents, as well as Princess Cleo's parents, were taking a carriage ride together this afternoon" Garth started, with tears streaming down his face. "I wish there was an easier way to tell you this ...".
"Tell me ... what?" Hildegard asked, becoming nervous.
"Your parents, and Princess Cleo's parents, were on their way back to Friezenburg Castle" Garth reported. "When the carriage they were on rounded a curve, the horses suddenly broke free ... sending the carriage over a cliff. It is my sad duty to tell you that nobody aboard the carriage survived".
Hildegard fainted in shock. Cleo stood there, frozen in place.
"Nobody ... survived?" Cleo asked in shock.
"Nobody" Garth sadly answered.
End of time line, and back to the present.
The next afternoon, Sofia and Lucinda arrived by flying carriage in the Kingdom of Frizenburg. The carriage landed on a country road.
"Stop here" Sofia directed the carriage driver.
"Of course, Princess Sofia" the carriage driver acknowledged.
The carriage, with Sofia and Lucinda aboard, stopped on the side of the road. In a little bit, another carriage appeared in the distance.
"You may proceed now, driver" Sofia directed.
The carriage with Sofia and Lucinda started traveling down the road, heading for the oncoming carriage. In a few minutes, both carriages approached each other at a point in the road that contained a curve. At that moment, the horses on the carriage heading toward Sofia and Lucinda's carriage broke free.
"Now, Lucinda!" Sofia shouted as she and Lucinda stood up, and pointed their wands at the other carriage. Sofia and Lucinda were able to stop the other carriage just before it would have plunged over a cliff. Shortly after the other carriage had come to a stop, the people aboard the carriage quickly got off - Hildegard's mother and father, and Cleo's mother and father.
"We are forever in your debt" Hildegard's father said as he came up to Sofia and Lucinda's carriage, not noticing at first who it was he was addressing. "Princess Sofia? Princess Lucinda? It was a lucky thing you happen to be here. What brings you to Friezenburg?".
"Lucinda and I were on our way to visit my birth father, Birk Balthazar" Sofia answered. "He owns a restaurant here in Friezenburg".
"I've heard of it" Hildegard's father smiled. "It, and your birth father, have a fine reputation".
"Thank you" Sofia smiled back.
Lucinda brought out her broom, and turned to Hildegard's father. "If all of you will wait here, I'll go and round up your horses".
"That would be much appreciated" Hildegard's father said gratefully. "Thank you".
Lucinda flew off on her broom, and in a little while came walking up with the escaped horses in tow. The horses were then reconnected to the carriage they had broken free from. Hildegard's parents, and Cleo's parents, then climbed back aboard their carriage.
"Princess Sofia, Princess Lucinda - thank you for helping us" Hildegard's father smiled.
"It was our pleasure, sir" Sofia smiled back.
The wagon carrying Hildegard's parents, and Cleo's parents, went on it's way as the carriage carrying Sofia and Lucinda went on it's way.
"Our good deed for the day" Sofia smiled at Lucinda. "A disaster averted".
In this time line, the public (including Hildegard's parents, and Cleo's parents) had no idea that Sofia, Lucinda, Hildegard, and Cleo were gay, so when Hildegard's parents, and Cleo's parents, had just encountered Sofia and Lucinda, they simply assumed that Sofia and Lucinda were two friends on a day out.
In a little while, Sofia and Lucinda reached the town where Sofia's birth father lived. The carriage they were on pulled up next to Sofia's birth father's restaurant, and the two climbed off of the carriage and walked into the restaurant.
"Sofia!" Birk exclaimed with glee as he saw Sofia walk through the door. "This is a wonderful surprise!".
"It's good to see you again, Dad" Sofia smiled.
"Your looking lovely, Sofia" Birk commented. "And you too, Lucinda".
"Thank you, Birk" Lucinda smiled.
"There is something we would like to discuss with you, Dad" Sofia announced.
It was quiet in the restaurant at the moment, with a lull between the lunch and supper crowd. Birk showed Sofia and Lucinda into his office, and shut the door. The three then sat down.
"So, Sofia, what would you like to discuss with me?" Birk asked, curious.
"Well, the truth is, I and Lucinda are each pregnant" Sofia announced.
To be continued in Chapter 22.