Chapter 2

The Letter

Amber was waiting for Sofia on the other side of the throne room doors.

"Sofia," she looked like she could have been crying for hours, "what are you going to do?" She tried to imitate a hopeful tone, but it wasn't very convincing. Sofia knew that she didn't expect an answer, but gave her one anyway:

"Hope that this war will end in two days." Said Sofia, trying to sound as emotionless as she could. Amber opened her mouth like she was going to say something, but then closed it again, and the two princesses began walking down the corridor together.

Amber keeped opening and closing her mouth a few times, but otherwise nothing happened. When they came to Sofia's room, they stopped and looked at each other.

"Amber, there is nothing you can do." Said Sofia, trying to make this as painless as possible, for both of them.
"But what about Hugo?" Said Amber, and her sympathy was touching. "He's going to be broken when he finds out." Amber almost whispered, looking like she was about to say something horrible: "What if I do it instead, Sofia," she paused for a second, "then father can get his damned alliance, and you and Hugo can wait a few years.." but she didn't get to finish:

"Under no circumstances are you going to take my place," how could she even say that, Sofia thought, "besides, prince Jin isn't that bad, and it isn't father's fault that I fell in love." And with those words, a small but stern smile and a hand held high to stop Amber from saying any more, Sofia Walked inside her room and closed the door after her.

Inside she found a middle aged woman with her hands full of paper. When she caught site of Sofia, she gave her what looked like the biggest smile she could muster. Sofia, who had been expecting to be alone, now found herself the discomfort of trying to hold back tears that she moments before had thought she could just let flow.
"Princess Sofia," the woman said in a happy tone, which told Sofia that she must have mistaken the water in her eyes for tears of joy.
"So happy you are here. My name is Rose and I have prepared …."
"Sorry to interrupt, but can I please have my room to myself, for just a moment?" Said Sofia, trying to look as thrilled as the woman. "I have just gotten the news a few minutes ago, so naturally I need a little time to process this." There was a moment of silence, where the woman looked a little suspicious. But then she seems to remember that Sofia was a princess, and started smiling again, though with a little guilty look in her eyes.

"Of course princess, take all the time you need." She kept smiling as she backed out of the room, almost dropping some of the papers she was carrying.

Sofia felt her shoulders going down, the warm tears ran like rivers down her cheeks. She sat down on her bed and put her face in her hands. What was she going to do? She didn't want to marry Jin, not that he wasn't nice, but it all just seemed so meaningless. She was about to do something she didn't want to, to win some war she didn't want to be a part of either. Oh, if only her mother and the king had never fallen in love, then she wouldn't be in this mess. And what would Hugo think, when he would find out… that reminded her. She had to send word to him, he would feel even worse if he got the news from somebody else than her.

"Robin?" Sofia called, and felt a little warmth in her heart, for she remembered that she still had the animals to talk to, with whom she wouldn't have to pretend. A second later a red bird flew in the window, accompanied by a blue one and a rabbit.

"Sofia we heard the news, are you alright?" Said Clover, looking up at her, "you look terrible." Sofia wiped her eyes while walking to the window, and sat down beside them, "yes well, I don't feel very good either. But that's not why I called you here." Said Sofia, now trying to focus on what she had to do.

"I want to send a letter to Hugo. Robin, can you do that for me? I know you're not a carrier pigeon, but he really needs to get the news from me." Said Sofia in an anxious voice, but Robin just smiled.

"Sofia whatever it is, I will do it no matter what," Sofia's heart leapt. "Thank you, thank you, thank you,... oh what would I do without you?"

"Yeah, we are pretty amazing, aren't we?" Said Clove, "you know I'm a blue ribbon bunny, Sofia." Said Clover, in an effort to lift her spirit. Sofia laughed, and thought it was nice to have friends like this. Friends she didn't have to lie to, friendships where duty didn't play any part. Like Jade and Ruby from the village. Back then everything had been easier, back when it was just Sofia and her mother. No siblings to feel responsible for, or any kingdom to have loyalty to. Now she felt like her action was going to have an impact on all of the people in the kingdom. And not just this kingdom, she had fallen in love too, and had dared to tell him about it, which meant that she had him on her conscience too.

"Sofia? Are you okay?" Said Mia, looking worried, and Sofia was brought out of her thoughts and back to reality. She hadn't even noticed that tears had started to run down her cheeks again.

"No but I shouldn't sit here and cry my days away, I have things to do." Said Sofia, and got to her feet. "I'll write a note, and then you will bring it to Hugo, can you do that Robin?" Said Sofia trying to concentrate; the letter had to be short but precise. He had to get the news, but she also had to make it clear that he was not to do anything about it. She sat down at her desk where she normally would read, with a piece of parchment and a pen. She sat thinking for a few minutes before she began, and then wrote a short letter:

Dear Hugo

This morning I got the news. It's going to be prince Jin,

as you thought it would be. The wedding is in two days,

so now I say it again as I have said it many times:

There is nothing either of us can do about it, other than hope.

Yours always Sofia

When she was done, she walked back to the window, and tied it to one of Robin's legs with a little purple ribbon.

"Now make sure that Hugo gets the letter personally, the outcome could be catastrophic if someone else gets their hands on it first." Said Sofia to Robin, very focused.
"Yes ma'am." Said Robin saluting, and then taking flight, disappearing out of the window. Sofia leaned out of the window to make sure nothing happened to her. She stood there for a few minutes until Robin was out of sight. When she sat back, she realized that Rose was still waiting outside her room.

"Clover, Mia! You have to leave now, I have to pick out a dress," said Sofia, feeling a little guilty about throwing them out. "Understood Sofia." Said Mia flying out the window. But Clover stayed back, and looked up at Sofia. "Are you sure you are going to be alright without us, Sofia?" He said very quietly in a worried voice.

"I don't know Clover, but I have to try." Clover nodded, and then he too swooped out of the window.

Sofia turned on her heel, and called: "Rose, you may enter."

Rose opened the door and popped her head inside, with an interested look on her face. Sofia got the feeling that she had been listening at the door. When she had examined the room from the opening of the door, and there was nothing suspicious to see, she walked inside, closed the door and slowly walked across the floor. Sofia could have sworn that she heard her say something about hearing voices under her breath.

"Dresses!" Said Sofia, with a slight smile. Rose looked confused for a short second, apparently her mind was on something else, but then came to her senses.

"Uuhhm… yes, I have prepared some sketches for you to choose between." she said looking more confident being back in her own field. As she talked, she spread her papers all over Sofias desk. Sofia felt like a couple of pounds was added to her weight.

"uhm, how many sketches are there, exactly?" Said Sofia, suddenly feeling tired at the thought of the work that was lying ahead.

"forty one, your highness." Said Rose, with a proud smile, "I have been working all day yesterday and all morning." Sofia tried with all her might not to let her thoughts shine through.

"Great, … then I can find the perfect dress." She wasn't very good at lying, but Rose already seemed to be so lost in her own creation that she didn't notice.

They went over all of the dresses multiple times and after one and a half hour, they had agreed on a dress that was a combination of three different sketches. Sofia had tried to imagine that she was going to marry prince Hugo, so that she would want to invest more time in choosing the dress. Rose seemed very pleased, when she took Sofia's measures before she left the room.

"I will have the dress ready for fitting tomorrow morning." She said right before she closed the door.

Being left alone, Sofia didn't really know what to do with herself. There was probably a lot more to plan, but if she just waited here, maybe they would do it without her. They could do the wedding without her too for all she cared. If only she was still a village girl, like she had been all those years ago. But then she remembered that she would never have met Amber or James, or fallen in love. That would be horrible. But before she could go on with her thoughts or decide whether or not she should hide until the wedding was over, there was a knock on the door.