Saving Prince James: A James and Sofia Love Story
Set in an alternate universe, James is now 20 and usurped his father as king and conquered every kingdom to create an empire, but he has lived his years as a lonely king with only power and wealth to keep him company. When Cedric summons a banished Sofia, 18, to the castle to secretly save the kingdoms and James, something stirs in James's heart the moment he sees a grown and blossomed Sofia. Can a banished princess save the kingdoms and can a ruthless prince find his way into the heart of a princess he once lost?
Chapter 16: Hugo's Confession
Sofia
"There, that should do it," Jade said with an obvious forced smile after she finished wrapping Sofia's feet with cotton gauze. "Now, this should be fully healed by tomorrow morning but only if you remain off your feet. If you do try to walk, you're going to feel some small stinging sensations."
Sofia nodded at her friend's instructions as she sat on her dark purple velvet love seat. Jade stood and lowered Sofia's feet back down onto the cushioned chair's matching foot rest. Ruby was beside her, cleaning up the soiled cloths and tossing the remaining ingredients used for their fast healing ointment into a nearby trash bin. The three of them were around the fire place in the inner chambers of Sofia's room, letting the heat warm the room against the cold autumn night. While her room was fully lit, the glow from the fire added a warm and relaxing ambiance to Sofia's room.
"I'm going to leave this ointment here for you," Ruby smiled at Sofia. "If you still feel some pain tomorrow, just sparingly rub on some more of the ointment. You're going to need to stay off your feet for at least an hour if you do put some more on."
"You guys didn't have to this," Sofia humbly said. "You could have just made the ointment and let me put it on myself."
This was what Sofia didn't want to face when she decided to return back to the castle, being cared for as if she was weak and fragile. She just wanted to talk to Hugo and get her answers, not being catered for by her own friends!
From the moment Sofia and James emerged from the forest, they were both bombarded with questions that ranged from relieved to somewhat angry shouts from those who chose to remain after the night's debacle.
The angry shouts were mostly from Amber, she was more upset with James for ruining the ball and starting a fight with Hugo. She became even angrier when Sofia was in his arms and he refused to let her go when Amber asked him to let her down. And when Sofia didn't think it was even possible, Amber's face was soon red like a ripe autumn apple when she saw how dirty and scraped Sofia was, especially her feet.
James was apparently right about how badly her feet were hurt, and seeing for herself, Sofia was surprised to find sharp pebbles, several splinters, thorns, and mud completely cover her feet. It shocked her that she didn't feel a single ounce of pain from it, her feet were either too numb from the pain or she has a higher pain tolerance than she expected.
Horrified by her feet, Amber immediately demanded that Sofia be bathed and healed, to which both Ruby and Jade volunteered to do when Sofia reentered the ballroom. Since Sofia had given a good portion of the palace staff the day off to go and celebrate Halloween with their friends and families, there was only about ten maids and butlers left in the palace. None of them were able to help because they were all too busy cleaning up the mess in the ballroom.
With their Buttercups backgrounds, Ruby and Jade knew how to make home remedies and ointments from whichever plant was around. Ruby made a quick healing medicine for Sofia's feet with some of the plants from the palace garden. Amber was pleased to smell that it had a lavender and mint aroma.
"Nonsense, Sofia," Ruby said, gently patting Sofia's leg as she draped a thick blanket over Sofia's lap. "It's the least we can do after we selfishly rejected your offer."
"What do you mean?"
"Sofia, Jade and I realized that when we rejected your offer to become your ladies-in-waiting, we were only thinking about ourselves. We didn't even bother to think as to why you would give us such prestigious positions, that you might need us here at the palace with you," Ruby said with an apologetic tone. "We're so sorry. We didn't know…."
"Oh, no, no!" Sofia looked aghast between her two friends. Ruby looked sadly at Sofia while Jade was rooted in her spot with her head down. "Don't be sorry. I totally understand why you two had to reject the idea. I was the one who was being selfish, I wasn't thinking about what you two went through while I was in exile."
"No, Sofia," Ruby protested. "We didn't know how bad it was here, and after tonight, I don't think we can ever forget it…. We thought it over and –"
Sofia never meant for them to feel guilty about rejecting her offer. She only wanted to be back together with them like old times and to have an extra support system while she was here trying to save James from this monster in the castle. But the last thing she ever wanted was to feel like she was forcing them into becoming her ladies-in-waiting.
"No, no, it's okay. Honestly, it is. You guys don't have to accept it."
"But we want to. Don't we, Jade?" Ruby said, looking over at their oddly quiet friend.
"Oh! Yeah, Sofia. We do," Jade hastily said, her eyes refusing to look at Sofia. She saw that Jade's hands were clenched at her side and her knuckles were turning white.
That's a lie, Sofia bitterly thought. You can't even look me in the eyes to tell me, Jade.
Her heart was aching at how forced their voices were sounding. She was hurt to know that James's and Hugo's fight made them feel so guilty that they had to feel like they were obligated to take up her offer. She saw the pity in their eyes, like she was some helpless girl taking on something too big for her to handle.
Sofia knew that they were coming from a good place in their hearts, but the pity and sympathy that was surrounding each and every word they spoke only made her feel disgusted. She didn't want them to look at her like she was incapable of handling this mission, that she was a pathetic and feeble young girl. It was like she was was twisting their arms into helping her. She didn't want to force or beg them into this situation. She wanted them to accept it because they wanted to, because they believed that together they could save all of the kingdoms.
But it was obvious that Jade didn't want to and Ruby was only trying to force her into it.
"See, Sofia? We want to do this, so just let us." Ruby forced her smile so big that it looked painful to even look at her.
Just stop. Stop forcing your smiles. Stop acting like you really want to be here.
Be honest, Ruby. You and Jade don't want to be here.
"No." Sofia firmly said. Sofia knew what exactly to say to convince them into dropping this issue. "Look, I've thought it over and I realized that it's just too dangerous for you two to be here. I don't want to bring you guys into this, it's not your fight."
"Sofia…." Jade said, this time actually looking at her. "I –"
"Alright! So Madame Collette is super mad at you for ripping her one of a kind dress," Amber said, barging through the doors and cutting Jade off.
Jade's fake smile immediately returned at the sound of the door opening and closing. She looked over at Amber, who was followed by Hildegard, Clio, and Vivian. It looked like she isn't going to say anything else for the rest of the night.
Sofia already knew what Jade was going to say though. The look in Jade's and Ruby's eyes betrayed them and told Sofia what she already knew. Jade was just going to apologize and admit that she didn't want the position, that they couldn't help Sofia in any way….
"I've never seen any seamstress be mad before," Hildegard said with a wave of her fan. "It looked like she was ready to kill James and Hugo."
"Why James and Hugo?" Sofia asked, ready to change the conversation onto another topic. "They didn't rip my dress."
"Yes, but Madame Collette said that if Hugo didn't kiss you, then James wouldn't have fought him, and you wouldn't have run out into the garden to destroy her dress," Clio replied for Hildegard.
"It was just a chain of events for her," Vivian quietly said behind the three of them. Sofia wasn't able to see her, but she could still hear her. "So how are your feet, Sofia?"
"Better," Ruby replied for her. "If she doesn't walk for the rest of the night, then her feet should be healed early tomorrow morning."
"That's great to hear," Hildegard said, smiling warmly at Sofia.
"Try to keep her off of her feet because this fast healing ointment does have a side effect of causing some stinging if she tries to walk. It shouldn't be too painful but the side effects vary depending on the person. So just to be safe, make sure she stays put until tomorrow morning."
"That's going to be hard because it's Sofia of all people. Miss Busybody," Clio joked, making everyone in the room laugh.
Before the big fight, Sofia was excited to talk to all of her friends and learn what they've all been up too.
Clio was the only one out of the three that didn't change a bit physically or personality-wise, she doesn't even look her age. Sofia was amazed to see how youthful and young Clio looks for a twenty-one year old princess. During their chats, Sofia learned that Clio has been courting some viscount from her kingdom since her birthday six months ago. Apparently no one but Hildegard and Zandar knows about her possible engagement, but that was all she could tell Sofia before Hildegard interrupted and began her own speech.
And out of everyone, it was Hildegard that surprised her the most. To hear that she was now engaged to Zandar was a big shock to her and Amber because for so long, Hildegard always denied any feelings for him. It was no secret that Zandar liked Hildegard, but she always complained about him and griped that he was just some annoying puppy to her.
But when Sofia watched them dance together, she knew that they were a perfect match. Sofia didn't know how to describe it, but whenever they were together, it was like Zandar brought out the best in Hildegard. She suddenly looked mature and grown, as if she was sure of herself and her choices. Hildegard was always confident but Sofia knew that it was just a protective ploy of hers, but to see her so happy and assured of herself after all these years of self-doubts was something Sofia couldn't be any happier about.
"Do you need anything else?" Vivian asked, finally breaking through Sofia's sister and her friends, and appearing in front of Sofia.
"No, I'm fine," Sofia smiled at her, pleased to see that Vivian's personality hasn't changed in the slightest.
Vivian was the one person Sofia was the most excited to see. She was her closest friend from Royal Prep, and the one person who knew how to logically help Sofia understand her problems. Well, besides Queen Anne.
Sofia was sad to hear that Vivian had to give up her music career because of the responsibilities her crown and kingdom required. She always knew that Vivian had an incredible gift for music, and to give it up was nearly heartbreaking to learn. Vivian tried to convince Sofia that it's not as bad as it seems because she is currently trying to convince her kingdom's council to allow her to pursue music as a hobby and not a career. Sofia wasn't entirely sure about her plan, but Vivian said it was better than not having music at all in her soon-to-be life as a queen.
"Well, you'll be glad to know that your crown and heels are in perfect condition, unlike your dress," Amber said, pulling Sofia out of her thoughts and dragging a chair beside Sofia's cushioned seat. "I still can't believe the condition your dress was in after James carried you back to the castle."
"I just hope Madame Collette will still make me dresses after this," Sofia said.
"Doubt it," all six of the other girls said collectively, which made everyone burst out into laughter.
For a while, Sofia felt happy to be near her old friends again, just laughing together around the fire. It was almost like old times, when things weren't so complicated and they were still so young and innocent. The reality of the world didn't ruin their heart's purity yet and they still believed in the goodness out there.
But it didn't last long as her mind reminded her as to why she demanded James let her return back to the castle and cutting short their time together in the forest.
"Where is everyone else? Are they all okay?" Sofia tentatively asked, absently playing with her still wet braid that Amber had done for her after her bath. Amber even made sure to put Sofia into a comfortable and loose light blue dress after Sofia confessed that her gown, though beautiful beyond imagination, was too constricting and painful to wear. "What about James and Hugo?"
Sofia was curious as to where the boys were since all of the girls were in Sofia's room.
The only thing Sofia knows at the moments was what Amber told her during her mandatory bath that she insisted Sofia needed before anything else. She informed Sofia that she had Baileywick end the ball early and made everyone leave. But Hildegard, Clio, Vivian, Desmond, Zandar, and Khalid all chose to remain. Baileywick tried to convince them to leave for their safety, but they demanded to be allowed to stay and help in any way they can. Khalid's sisters, Maya and Leena, wanted to help as well, but as Maya's military commander, he persuaded her to leave with Leena and remain safely away from all of the chaos. Sofia later learned from Baileywick that Ruby and Jade decided to remain behind at the castle and help him and the staff clean up the ballroom while they waited for Sofia to come back.
Amber admitted to her that she was touched at how determined everyone was when they were searching for Sofia, which only made Sofia felt moved by everyone's efforts to make sure that she was okay.
"Everyone is okay. No one was hurt or killed. But just to make sure, Amber had everyone checked out for any injuries. Baileywick had the boys all put into the waiting room with a bunch of guards," Clio replied. "No one wanted another fight to break out, so Khalid, Zandar, and Desmond are both there helping to keep the peace since James and Hugo are just glaring at each other righ–"
Suddenly there was a knock at the door, interrupting Clio.
"It's Zandar. I'm with Desmond and Khalid too," Zandar called through the door.
"Enter!" Sofia replied to the knock.
And in walked the three handsomely grown men. Sofia still couldn't get over at how grown and mature everyone looks. She understands that this is what can happen after five years of having never seen anyone, but it was almost hard to accept that they are all grown. It was like if she accepted it, they couldn't go back to how things used to be back at Royal Prep.
Sofia knows that she's being irrational and maybe, even a little childish, but she didn't want to let it go. She wanted to at least feel like they were back together like they were when she was only thirteen, under her umbrella of naïve bliss.
"I'm sorry if I'm interrupting anything," Zandar apologized, "but Hildegard, Clio, and I need to get going."
"The three of you guys?" Amber asked.
"Oh, that's right. We have breakfast with my sister tomorrow and we're giving Clio a ride," Hidegard said, rising from her seat and lightly hugging Amber and Sofia. "Sofia, Amber, it was great seeing you guys again, even though the ball was a bit on the crazy side."
"Yeah, best ball I've been to all year," Zandar joked with bowed to each of them. "It might even beat Clio's snake themed birthday party."
"Hey! Like I've told you already, I didn't plan on letting those snakes out," Clio pouted before turning to Amber and Sofia, giving each a formal goodbye hug. "Since you're back, write to us."
And soon after they left, everyone else began departed as well after bidding them a nightly farewell. Ruby and Jade were the first of the rest to make a hasty exit, slightly hurting Sofia even more with how fast they wanted to leave. Khalid and Vivian both decided to leave after making sure that Sofia was well and okay.
Desmond was the last of everyone else to remain, refusing to go until he was sure that she had everything she might need. Being honest with herself, Sofia was more than touched to see that he cared this much about her. And she surprised to find herself wanting his company around, needing someone else to talk to that isn't Amber or Queen Anne. The urgency to go and talk to Hugo disappeared for the moment, allowing her to just talk to her one of her best friends.
Avoiding the topic of tonight's disaster, Sofia and Desmond simply talked and caught up with one another. Reacquainting themselves wasn't all that hard to do since they were always so close when they were kids. Talking with him was like talking to a brother, someone who she cared for like he could have been a part of her family and whom Sofia was certain cared for her like she was his sister. And that was the beauty in Sofa's relationship with Desmond, they were close enough to practically be siblings and nothing could truly ever break that bond between them. He always made her feel at ease and comforted her like he really was her own older brother, even though they were the same age. They treated each other like they were family, teases and all. Though most of the teases came from Sofia and none from Desmond.
"So you became an even bigger nerd after I left," Sofia teased, sipping on her hot cup of hazelnut tea he brought to her. "I mean, who becomes a famously renowned prodigy at eighteen?"
Amber was polite enough to leave Desmond and Sofia alone so she and Sir Edwards can go check up on Hugo and James. He sat across from Sofia in another one of her velvet chairs, the two of them facing the fire with cups of tea in their hands.
"Hey, it's not my fault that you're not as smart as me," Desmond teased back with an exaggerated shrug.
"If I remember correctly, you and I were both the smartest kids in school. So I'm just as smart as you."
"Yes, but are you an academic prodigy?"
Sofia couldn't help the chuckles that bubbled out of her; hearing Desmond's old jokes and teases gave her a moment of simple amusement and laughs.
Desmond was the only one from her old life that truly felt like a brother to her. Her relationship with him was nothing like how it is with James, their camaraderie held a tight and understanding bond. In Sofia's opinion, Desmond has always been more of a brother to her than James ever was. Her relationship with James while they were growing up was similar in a way but there was always an underlying spark to it. Before, she always thought it was because James just too protective of her and she just liked it too much, but now she understands – it was because they were fated for one another.
"You know, you were never this cocky," Sofia laughed.
"And you were never this snippy," Desmond playfully poked her shoulder. "It's your fault I got this smart anyway."
"My fault?" Sofia raised a brow and faked a frown, pretending to be offended.
"Yes," Desmond continued on lightheartedly. "What was I supposed to do after Royal Prep became a magical prison and we were all basically kicked out of school? You were gone and James shoved us all back to our kingdoms, I had nothing better to do than just study and earn my degrees. Several of them, might I humbly add."
"Oh, 'humbly'. Suuurreee…" Sofia jokingly mocked. "Well, I still can't believe that you're some genius now and you're taller than me!"
"That's what happens when you don't see me for over five years."
Desmond is right…. I already knew that is was going to happen since this is my first time seeing him after five years.
During their time in exile, Sofia and Amber couldn't see anyone from Royal Prep. It was like Sofia and Amber were put into isolation. They didn't to hear of any news from them, no letters or postcards were sent to them like no one tried to contact them. It wasn't bad in the countryside with Amber and her mother, the townspeople were kind and caring to them, but it wasn't the same. If she had her friends there beside her, it could have made her exile a bit better.
And seeing all of their old friends after all of these years was a complete shock to Sofia. It was comforting to see their old faces again, but it was surreal to see who much they've all changed. A lot of the faces looked the same, but they've all matured in some way. Some grew taller while others didn't grow an inch, some slimmed and grew into their bodies while others widened in certain areas. A lot, Sofia saw, were either engaged or married now, ready to start a family of their own.
Desmond used to be the same height as Sofia, but now at the age of eighteen, he's grown nearly a foot taller than her. He's not as tall as James, but he still towers over Sofia. And after his awkward tween years as a clumsy bookish boy, Sofia was glad to see how handsomely he's grown. His dark brown eyes were still kind and held a quirky glint, his hair grew a little longer than when he had it as a kid but was still neatly cut and pushed away from his eyes. His body wasn't as muscled and toned like the other boys, it was actually more lean and lanky. His appearance overall actually made him look more like an attractive and goofy scientists than anything else.
And he's become so much more confident too. He's not so skittish or socially awkward anymore. It's like his personality grew with his height, he walks with a taller stride and Sofia couldn't help but notice how a lot of the girls at the ball followed him with their hungry eyes.
Chuckling to herself, Sofia leaned further into her soft chair. "Well, you could have tried to send a letter or something."
"No, we couldn't. James forbid anyone from trying to find you two or contact you guys in any way."
"What?" Sofia immediately straightened in her seat, shocked to hear that James refused allow anyone to see her and Amber. "Why would he do that?"
"No one knows why. All I know is that Hugo wanted to find you all these years."
"Hugo?"
Desmond smiled sympathetically at her, reaching over and gently giving her hand a tight squeeze. "Yeah… Hugo."
"W-why would Hugo want to find me?"
"You're going to have to ask him yourself if you want to find out." Desmond gave her another squeeze, as if silently urging her to go talk to Hugo even though she already wanted to do just that.
But Desmond knew her well enough to probably already know that she was a bit afraid to go talk to him because she doesn't know what kind of answers she might get. That once she opens Hugo's box of truths, things might change and become irreversible.
"You planned that, huh?" Sofia couldn't help but smile at her sneaky friend.
"You know me so well," Desmond slyly grinned at her.
"Well, too bad for you because I was already planning on talking to him after you leave," she countered, sticking her tongue out at him.
"Then, I guess I ought to get going," Desmond said, returning her gesture with his own tongue. Rising from his seat, Desmond respectfully bowed and lovingly ruffled her hair before he started towards the door. "It's been good seeing you again, Sofia. Make sure to not go and get exiled again, okay?"
"I didn't even wanted to get exiled in the first place, you know," Sofia said, fixing her hair back into place. "And make sure to write to me now that I'm back."
Sofia watched as he laughed the entire way towards the door. She could even hear it as he made his way down the hall, enjoying how his carefree and gentle laugh echoed all the way to her. She sighed and sat back into her chair as he let her old friend's laugh calm and relax her for a moment.
Then it hit her.
She forgot to ask Desmond to call for Hugo.
Crrruuuuddd, Sofia outwardly groaned. Now how am I going to go talk to him? I can't get up and walk to him. Damn….
Her head fell back as she tried to think of a way to call for Hugo.
Then her eyes registered onto the long golden rope that hung from the ceiling, the lever that connected her bell down in the servants' waiting quarters.
Buuutt, maybe if I just shimmy over to the bell's lever…. I can ask one of the available maids to call for Hugo! Sofia thought, bringing her legs down and gingerly touching the floor with her feet. She didn't feel any of the stinging pain Jade and Ruby warned her about when her right foot touched the cold marble. If worse comes to worse, I can just crawl over to my door and yell out for Baileywick or one of the nearby guards to get Hugo for me.
Bracing her hands on her chair's armrest, Sofia rose into a standing position as she tried to balance one foot in front of the other.
But the moment she place the smallest amount of her weight onto her right foot, she felt a sharp, unbearable sting of pain rise up from the soles of her foot and cause her to fall back into her chair. Her feet felt like they were being struck with a million needles while a fire was slowly building up her legs and melting her from the inside out. It was impossible to understand how the smallest shift of weight on her legs can cause such unimaginable pain.
Dammit! Sofia cursed, rubbing her legs while the uncomfortable torment left her body as quickly as it came. That was way more than 'small stinging sensation', Jade.
She looked over at the bell's rope and saw how far it was from where she sat by the fire. The rope was in front of her closet's door, and normally it would only take her about five to ten strides to get there but seeing that she was unable to do so, that simple walk would cripple her in agony. She was sure that she would end up doubled over on the floor writhing with misery and tears.
I guess it did come to the worst. Sort of, Sofia quickly thought. Readjusting her plan, Sofia slowly lowered herself to the floor until she was on all fours. I'm just going to have to crawl to the rope since the pain is too much for me to handle.
Never taking her eyes off of the rope, Sofia hesitantly placed one hand and knee forward, carefully crawling towards the golden rope. Determination ran through her body as she got closer and closer.
The entire way there was slow and just plain horrible. Still a bit scratched and sore from her run in the forest, the palms of her hands and the tops of her knees began to throb and rebel against her. Once in a while, her knees would buckle and cause her bandaged feet to roughly skid against the floor or hit against anything nearby. The first couple times, she managed to battle through the pain from when her leg spasm caused her foot to bang against a table leg. But the third time her feet smacked against a chair, the pain was so excruciating that she fell over onto her side and hugged her legs towards chest as if she could smother away the pain. Curled into herself, Sofia tried to hold back the tears that began to well up in her eyes from the burning agony in her legs.
Through her blurry eyesight, Sofia saw that she only made it half way to the rope.
Crap. I'm no where near the damn thing, Sofia let out a tried and frustrated huff. Turning over, Sofia settled onto her back and stared up at her ceiling. Maybe I should just lay here until the morning, I mean the floor isn't so bad –
Suddenly, Sofia heard her door bang open. There was the sound of heavy panting, like the person was breathless from something.
What?
Lifting her head to the sound, Sofia was surprised to see Hugo heavily breathing in her doorway. His princely jacket and vest were both gone, the sleeves of his fitted white cotton shirt was rolled up to his elbows. The muscles in his forearms were so tensed that his veins were popping out. She saw one of his hands clutching the doorknob so hard that his knuckles were white and painful looking; the other was in his hair, pulling his the tops of his loose hair back from his hazel eyes and exposing a hint of hope running through them.
"Hugo?" Sofia said, confused as to how it was possible that he could be standing there in her doorway at a moment like this.
At the sound of her voice, Hugo seemed to finally register her on the floor, his eyes widening and worry immediately filling his face. He quickly ran to her, falling to his knees as he slid up beside her on the floor.
"Sofia!" Hugo exclaimed, his hands gently cupping her cheeks as he looked at her for any signs of injury. "Shit! Are you okay? What happened? Why are you on the floor? What the hell happened?"
Sofia was a bit taken aback by how fast his questions came; question after question rolled out of him like he was a broken dam. She wanted to stop him for a moment so she could explain why she was on the floor, but another thought began to weave itself into her mind and obliterated what she was going to say.
His hands are so warm…. They're a bit calloused and rough but….
The moment those words circled her thoughts, guilt and shame soon followed.
Why am I thinking that after that wonderful moment with James earlier in the woods? I get that Queen Anne said that it is okay for me feel like this, but I don't want to. I don't want to feel guilty about being attracted to Hugo! I just want James!
Sofia's hands went up and tried to push him off of her, but Hugo wouldn't budge. His eyes remained glued on hers as he hovered closer towards until he was just mere inches away from her face. She could smell his spicy cologne mix with his minty breath. But no matter how hard she tried to get up and push him away, he just refused to move. She even felt his chest stiffen beneath her hands like he wanted to remain in this position with her.
"Sofia…." He said again, his voice held a hint of worry but with something else too. Sofia's heart nearly leaped out of her chest when she heard Hugo's voice suddenly get dangerously low as his thumb began to stroke her cheeks. "Are you okay?"
Sofia couldn't find her voice. It was lost to her as she stared into his deep eyes. She tried to fight off the urge to run her fingertips along his chiseled cheeks and jawline.
And as his face remained above hers, Sofia was able to get a full look at how similar Hugo's face was to Cyrus's.
How is it that I never saw the resemblance between them?
Sofia would have never been able to compare the two if it weren't for the ball and the fight, but now…. It all clear to her. Hugo and Cyrus both had the same hair color, the same height, and the same body-build. The only exception were the smaller facial features. Hugo's voice was deeper than Cyrus's, it was almost enticing to listen to. Hugo's nose was straight and almost perfect while Cyrus's was longer and bigger, and Cyrus didn't have the defined cheekbones like Hugo's either. Sofia was confused as to how Hugo was able to change his hazel eye color to Cyrus's light chocolate brown.
I have to remember to ask him how he did that… Sofia thought as her gaze lowered to Hugo's lips. They're a lot fuller now… h-how is that even possible? How did he change his appearance?
"Sofia?" Hugo's low and mature voice asked.
"I'm fine. I'm fine," Sofia said too quickly, hoping that she sounded convincing. This time she managed to push him off of her and sit up, hugging her legs to her chest as if that could shield her from Hugo's charms. Her heart was beating fast and loud in her chest, and she could feel a blush grow on her cheeks. "Why are you here anyway? I didn't call for you."
"I kind of ran here after Desmond told me that you were willing to see me," Hugo sheepishly smiled at her as he sat cross-legged across from her on the floor. "It sort of gave me some hope that you're giving me a chance to explain everything."
"Then explain," she said bluntly, wanting to just get her answers as quickly as possible.
"Can we discuss this while you're in a chair?" Hugo asked, gesturing to one of her chairs by the fire. "I'd feel less guilty if you're not on the floor with your injured feet."
"I wish people would stop that. My feet aren't even that bad," Sofia irritably sighed, lying about how bad her feet really were. "James, Amber, Ruby, Jade –everyone is just making it worse than it really is."
"Sofia, I saw thorns and pieces of wood in your feet."
"Well, I didn't feel any pain," Sofia pouted.
"That's true, I didn't even see you finch as they were pulling out the thorns and splinters," Hugo let out an amused laugh.
Sofia was ashamed to find herself liking the sound of his laugh, it was nothing like his laugh when he was Cyrus. It was deeper and fuller and… and… sexy sounding.
"Come on, at least just sit in the chair so your feet can be propped up." Hugo stood up. His eyes looked hopefully down at her as he extended his hand out to her, waiting patiently for her to take his hand. From another perspective, his gesture would have been sweet and gentlemanly.
But it was the look in his eyes that told Sofia the truth.
He wanted her to accept his hand so that their skins could touch, so that their fingers would wrap around each other and their palms align.
And to the best of her, she was curious to feel his touch again. She wanted to see how warm his hands can really be on hers.
"No," Sofia firmly said, refusing to betray James in any way. "I'm fine here."
"Oh, come on, Sofia," he sighed. "Desmond told me that you were sitting in a chair by your fire. How did you even get all the way over here when you're not supposed to be on your feet?"
"I crawled."
"You crawled?" Hugo's brow raised in confusion. "Why?"
"After Desmond left my room, I realized that I forgot to ask him to call for you. I thought that I could try and walk to the door so I could ask one of the nearby guards, but… I couldn't. So I just started to crawl before you barged through my door." Sofia felt her cheeks burn even more as she explained herself to Hugo, she was too embarrassed to admit that her feet hurt too badly to even allow her to walk to the door.
"Well, can you just crawl over to your chair then?" His mouth was pressed into a tight line while she saw how hard the corners of his lips was fighting the urge to not curl into a smile. It was as if he was trying his best to not burst out into a laugh. "Or do you need me to carry you there?"
"No." Sofia didn't want him to touch her, she was afraid of what might happen if she was close in his arms. "I'm fine here. So just start explaining yourself, Hugo."
"… Alright." Sofia heard some disappointment in his voice, like he really wanted to carry her over to her seat by the fire. He sat back down across from her. "Where do I begin…?"
"Try starting on the night you disappeared."
"Well, you already know what happened before that. I told you –"
"No, you didn't," Sofia snapped at him.
"Okay, I deserved that," Hugo said, looking guiltily at his hands in his lap. "Well, like 'Cyrus' told you, James had my kingdom conquered first because Zandar and I tried to fight him when he took control of Royal Prep after you and Amber were exiled. During the battle for my kingdom, James had my dad assassinated and that forced my older brother, Axel, to become king. I'll just save you all of the gory details of how James tried tried to trick and blackmail Axel into giving up the kingdom. In the end, my kingdom and its people were suffering because James drew up a huge blockade to prevent any of our allies to try and help us, so Axel was forced to give up and surrender to James. I was forced to watch as many of my soldiers and the poor families in my kingdom died as a result. A lot of my men died with honor, but it was the people who came up to my castle and begged for food and water that nearly killed me..."
Sofia watched Hugo as he took a moment to gather himself.
In the short moment he began his story, Sofia saw how quickly his calm and pleasant demeanor changed. His hands were clenched into tight fists in his lap as his entire body seemed to grow tense and his jaw was hard. His eyes stared down into his lap but if she could see them at the moment, she was certain she would see a blazing fire burning.
"I was helpless to do anything," Hugo continued on, his voice low and hoarse. It scared her at how controlled his voice sounded, there was a deadly edge in each word that left his mouth as if he was trying his best to not let the anger inside of him gain control. "All I could do was give them everything I had but it still wasn't enough. And watching them all die right before my eyes drove me insane with guilt because I couldn't do anything to save them." Hugo finally looked up at her, and the look in his eyes almost broke her heart. Sofia was wrong when she thought she would see a bright and golden fire in his hazel eyes. There was a fire, but a small one. A cold, plagued fire. "I was their prince, Sofia, and I couldn't do anything to save them."
He looks so haunted and alone, Sofia thought. It's like the old arrogant Hugo is gone…. I can't even see his usual cheeriness in him….
The air around them became dark and heavy, like it was trying to match the look in Hugo's eyes. The dark colors of his eyes seemed to have grown and cloud his usual brightness as if to intensify the gloominess around them.
All of the humor and lightness left the room as Hugo continued on. "So, when Axel told me that he was surrendering to James, I just snapped. I had to get out and try to do something – anything to stop James. I couldn't be under James's control after what he did to my kingdom. I left my brother a note stating exactly that and sneaked out on the night Axel officially signed over the kingdom to James. I was determined to not let James get hold of the other kingdoms."
"What did you do after you left?" Sofia tried to fight the itch in her hands, making her want to reach out to Hugo and uncurl his hands so that he could hold onto hers instead.
"I took my old riding horse, Electra, and went to from kingdom to kingdom so I could warn them about James. I even managed to rally a lot of support against him, gathering a small army in each kingdom to fight off James. But it only worked for a short while," Hugo shrugged. "It just delayed James's inevitable take over. And the longer I helped everyone try to fight off James, the more people died. I couldn't handle watching more innocent people get killed, so I just gave up and wandered the roads. I went around and later joined a band of thieves for a few months until I got bored of that and became a street fighter in an illegal underground arena."
"You were a thief and a street fighter? You?" Sofia's shock was so great that she forgot the try and hide her surprise so that Hugo wouldn't be offended.
Sofia couldn't believe what she was hearing. How is it possible that Hugo was a former thief and street fighter? This was Hugo of all people. The last boy she would have figured to become a thief nonetheless illegally fight.
Throughout their entire friendship, Hugo was always so arrogantly classy and composed. Whenever dirt or grim or even a situation where he could get a single injury was involved, he would immediately refuse to tag along or participate. He was basically the male version of Amber, annoyingly pompous and throwing a fit if a speck of dirt was found on their clothes. The only thing he would work himself to the core and allow himself to get dirty in was at flying derby practice. Besides that, he would just stick his nose up at everything because he hated to get himself dirty or even a single scratch on his hands.
"It kind of hurts to hear you so shocked," he said with a weak smile.
"Well, I-I kind of am!" Sofia said bewildered. "I mean, it's you! You always hated dirt! And getting yourself scratched! So how is it that you became a thief and a street fighter?!"
"Ouch, I think that hurt more than your shock," Hugo chuckled at her. "First off, I don't 'hate' dirt. I just hate to get dirty and having to go clean myself off. It's a waste of time to clean yourself up and a complete hassle to change into a new pair of clothes. I just stayed away from it and tried to use my time more wisely. Second, my face is precious to me. I didn't want it scratched or scarred. And third, I'm actually a skilled fighter you know? I'm not just some pretty-faced prince."
Sofia refused to laugh at his obvious attempt at a joke, "seriously, Hugo. How is it that you became involved with thieves and street fighting?"
"After all of my attempts to preserve the other kingdoms was a basic flop and I was now a failure as a prince, I just felt completely empty. I kept on wandering and exploring each kingdom, learning some pretty neat skills along the way but that still left me feeling hallow. I had no purpose, Sofia." She felt her throat tighten at his words. Sofia couldn't imagine what he went through, having to watch as every single one of his attempts to save everyone fail and know that whatever he tried, people were going to die as he tried to save them all. It was all a horrifying thought. She doesn't know if she could live with herself if she was in his situation. "And one day I just stumbled into a group of thieves and joined them for a while until one of them introduced me to illegal street fighting. Stealing and fighting both gave me a short-lived purpose."
"'Short-lived'?"
"Yeah," Hugo nodded. "At the end of the day, I was always left feeling like something was missing. Like no matter how much I stole from someone or how much money I make for beating someone until they're unconscious, I still felt unfulfilled. Sure, I stole from everyone and I was bruised beyond recognition, but I didn't make me feel any better about myself and my situation. Every night, I would stare up at the stars, begging for them to tell me what I was missing and why I felt like a shell of a man. And you want to know what always popped into my head whenever I asked that?"
The look in his eyes caused her heart to skip a beat. Sofia saw the fire she predicted earlier, it burned bright like it was alive and made the green color in his hazel eyes to stop whatever words from leaving her mouth. All she could do in response to his question was shake her head.
"You. The thought of you. The memory of your laughs. The images of your smiles. Just you, Sofia." All of his smug humor was gone, leaving his expression serious and sincere. He looked so vulnerable in front of her, like he was offering her his heart and was afraid of what she might do with it.
"M-m-me…?" Sofia barely uttered once she found her voice again. "…Why?"
"I don't know why, all I do know was that you were the only thing that kept me going."
"Was that why you were trying to find me?"
"How do you know that?"
"Desmond told me. He said that you were trying to find me during all these years because James basically forbid anyone from trying to contact me. Is that true? And how is it that Desmond knows about that?"
"It's all true, Sofia. And Desmond knows because he was the only one I kept in contact with over these past years. He seemed like someone I could trust because you two were best friends. He knows about everything – my life on the roads, my plans to stop James, my search for you, my identity as 'Cyrus'… my love for you."
Oh, Desmond, you have a lot of writing to do now, she mentally nagged at her secretive friend. I better read about all of this in your letters to me.
"Then, why? Why were you trying to find me?"
"Isn't that obvious?" She heard desperation at the edge of his voice. "It's because I'm in love with you. I've been in love with you ever since you beat my sorry ass at flying derby try-outs. I've been in love with you since we won our first Flying Derby Crown together. I'm so in love with you, Sofia. And I'm still in love with you right now."
She could feel her heart beating in her throat now. Beat after beat, its loud pounding rang in her ears as it started to speed up with every single one of his words.
I can't handle this. I can't hear this. I don't want to feel this!
Sofia wanted to cover her ears and block out Hugo's confession.
I shouldn't be feeling like this. I have James. I only want James!
"It broke my heart when I heard you were exiled," Hugo continued on, oblivious to Sofia's internal predicament. "And it drove me crazy when James tried to hide you away from everyone, I was so scared that I would never see you again. But I never stopped loving you, Sofia. I couldn't even when I believed that you gone for good. And the fact that you kept appearing in my mind when I was at my lowest only made me love you even more. So after a year and a half with my gang, I left and started my search for you. I had to find you. The idea of seeing you again gave me this new purpose that fighting and stealing couldn't give me. I wanted to see you so badly and confess my love for you. I believed that if I couldn't return back to my kingdom anymore, I might as well go search for you and have you fall in love with me. I wanted to be with you, court you, and possibly marry you. But first I had to find you, and let me tell you, that was hard as hell. James hid you guys pretty well –"
Marry… he said marry. Oh my gosh, he said he wanted to marry me. Her mind was spinning, this was a lot more information than she had anticipated. Taking a deep breath, Sofia tried to calm her overwhelmed mind. Okay… okay. One problem at a time.
"Why do you keep saying that James hid me? He just put us in the countryside, it wasn't like he put us in a dark cave or something," Sofia said, rubbing her temples to soothe her pounding head. "And how did you even end up here as a palace guard if you were trying to find me? How did you even managed to change your appearance?"
"I was getting to that, Miss Impatient." His old cavalier smirk returned. It was like he was amused by her questions and was enjoying this moment between them, even though the air around them was still heavy and tense from Hugo's confession.
But it was good to see his smirk, he almost looked like his old self – like Hugo, the stupidly arrogant and snobby boy she knew back at Royal Prep. That one was easier to fend off than his honest, vulnerable one.
"In a few months after I left my gang," he resumed, "I arrived in Enchancia and hunted down your old friends, Ruby and Jade, asking them where you and Amber were exiled to. They told me what everyone else already knew, that you guys were shipped off to the countryside. But where in the countryside, no one knew. It could have been in any direction; north or south, up or down. Figuring that the commoners didn't know much, I sneaked into the castle posing as a guard and asked around, but everyone just gave the same answer as the commoners. Then I bumped into Baileywick, he immediately recognized me. At first, he was mad that I was at the castle because if James saw me, I would have been killed right on the spot. Baileywick wanted me to run, to be safe and get as far away from Enchancia as possible. I said I would if someone told me where you were. He admitted that he knew where you were but he couldn't tell me because James had Cedric put a spell on him, forbidding him even hinting or telling anyone about your location."
"Why would James do that?"
Hugo just ignored Sofia and continued on, lost in his story. "I refused to leave and slipped back into the castle to demand Cedric to remove the spell so Baileywick would tell me where you were. Up in his workshop, Cedric said the spell on Baileywick could only be removed through James's voice. And because Cedric couldn't leave his workshop unless James or another royal family member authorized it, he was basically no help to me. With that bump in my plan, I returned back to the village and stayed at a nearby hotel to think of a new way to finding you. The next day, when I was about to leave the kingdom, some palace maid found me and told me to go to the troll caves to meet with Baileywick and Cedric. There, they both asked me to join their secret organization of trying to dethrone James and try to return you or Amber back onto the throne. They said that they needed someone to pose as a palace guard and gather support among the soldiers. They already had someone – Edward – but needed another person. Baileywick said that with my background in swordsmanship and flying derby, I was a great candidate and authority figure in the group; and Cedric pointed out that since I hated James already, I would be a great asset to their organization. I agreed to it because I figured that as a palace guard, I could snoop around James's office and try to find any clues as to your location. And since James was busy off trying to conquer every known kingdom, it was easy to sneak me in and pass me off as one of his loyal guards."
"Okay," Sofia said, annoyed that he still hasn't answered as to why James tried to keep her hidden away from everyone.
Remember, one problem at a time….
"That explains how you ended up as a palace guard, but what about your appearance and alias as 'Cyrus'?" She felt another head ache coming on and rubbing her temples or the bridge of her nose wasn't helping anymore. "And since when did you practice swordsmanship?"
"All Albrosnian princes and princesses has to be able to wield a sword and know how to defend themselves against any threats," Hugo explained. "As for my appearance, Baileywick convinced Cedric to change how I looked for my safety. He was certain that James would recognize me and order me killed. They changed the little things about me so that I would still look a little like me but nothing too drastic. For the next few years, I pretended to be 'Cyrus' and James never paid me a second glance. But during my three years here, I still wasn't able to find a damn clue about where you could be. It wasn't until James demanded Baileywick to bring you back was I able to finally figure out where you were all these years and I begged Baileywick to let me the one to escort you back to the palace."
"But why still lie to me? Like you said, you were the one to escort us back, so why didn't you say anything when we were in the carriage? Why keep up the charade all this time?" Sofia didn't try to keep the hurt out of her voice, she wanted him to hear it and know that he was the one who hurt her.
"I wanted to tell you the moment I saw you walk out of your estate, Sofia. I really did," Hugo frantically said, quickly reaching out and taking her hand into his. This time, Sofia didn't try to fight the warmth that spread into her hand and up her arms. "But Baileywick and Cedric both made it clear that I can't tell you, not when you were asked to come back and help James. Your mind was already too occupied with saving the kingdoms and James with his insane problems. I respect and love you too much to pile on another thing for you to worry about. So I ditched my idea of telling you the moment you came back and kept my mask on until it was the right time. I was hoping to tell you after this whole issue with James was over, but I got worried that it'll never be over, so I had Edward help me get ready this morning and smuggle me into the ball undetected. And, well… you know the rest."
Her eyes remained on their intertwined hands, amazed at how gently he held onto her as his thumb stroked back and forth on her knuckles. But no sparks or shoots of electricity ran through her hands as his hands tightened.
"But you still didn't answer my question as to why James would hide me away?" Sofia didn't like how low her voice sounded, it was almost raspy like she was breathless just from his touch.
"I couldn't exactly figure that out," Hugo replied. His masculine voice sounded as breathless as hers, he was close enough that his voice rumbled against her. "Originally I thought he just wanted to get you and Amber out of the way so he could have Enchancia's throne all to himself, but over the years, I realized that he wanted to keep you two and your mom away from something. I don't know… something bad, I think. I was close to figuring it out but then you came back and you became all that I could think about."
Keep us away from something? What does Hugo mean – oh my gosh, could it be about that evil thing in the palace? Is that what James is trying to keep us from?
D-d-does James know about The Evil? Queen Anne never specified if he knew or not, she only told me to not say anything to James….
If it is possible that he does know, than why did he try so hard to keep everyone else away from us? Why forbid anyone from contacting me or Amber?
"Sofia," Hugo hastily said, the urgency in his voice bring her back from her deep thoughts. "Run away with me. I can keep you safe. Amber too. I can protect you and your sister from him and whatever that bad thing is."
"W-w-wh-at?" Sofia gasped.
With every word that left his mouth, Hugo drew closer and closer to her. Then he suddenly pulled her towards him, placing both of her hands above his heart. She felt how crazily his heart was beating, erratic and fast. She knew it was beating with a hope that she might say yes, that she would say she loved him too and run away with him like they were in some fairy tale. That she was his destined princess and he was her fated prince who came to save her.
"I was serious when I said that I wanted to court you and marry you. I'm completely and utterly in love with you. I know that I can – "
"But you said that you would wait until I helped James and save the kingdoms," her voice weakly squeaked. "You said that you didn't want to add any more stress onto my plate –"
"I know, but Sofia, I want to take you away from all of this," he gestured around her room as if it contained all of their problems here within the castle. "This is what's making you stressed out in the first place. I've seen what James is capable of, Sofia. I've seen him take innocent lives without any remorse and then hop into some random women's bed like nothing was wrong. I want to protect you from all of that. I know I can, if you give me a chance."
James has been with another woman? No, other women? Sofia's chest painfully throbbed as bitter hurt and a slow burning jealousy began to well inside her. He's been in their beds. He spent the night with them. He's done more with them than he's done with me... So that's what he was so afraid of me finding out…. Oh, we are going to talk about this, James.
"Sofia, please. Please, let me save you from all of this. Run away with me. I can take you and Amber back to your mom and protect you from James. I can save you."
Save me…? He wants to save me….
There was so much vulnerability in his voice, so much sincerity in his eyes.
He wanted to take her away and keep her safe…. Hugo truly wanted to be her prince, to safeguard her from all of this chaos that surrounded the castle.
He honestly thinks that I'm the one that needs saving…. That I'm some princess that needs to be saved!
But that was just it, though.
Yes, she is a princess. But a princess with the courage of a warrior, the strength of a lioness, and the power of a goddess!
Sofia doesn't need to be saved. She is the one who does the saving!
She isn't a damsel in distress or a girl stuck in some peril. She is the soldier that saves those around her! She can save herself!
She doesn't want to be kept safe and sound. She wanted to be on the battle field and fight alongside the men!
And that is the difference between Hugo and James.
James and Hugo both sees her as a weak princess. They can see her weaknesses but it is James that sees them in her and believes it to be her greatest strengths. She can tell by the way he looks at her that she is his goddess, she is his warrior.
Hugo believes that he can save her, but James believes that she can save him. Hugo claims to love her, but it's not the truest love that can satisfy either of them. She may be attracted to him, but his love for her is not anything compared to James's. Their's is true love.
He loves her on a level that no one can ever reach. It's a love that profound her in the best way possible. An all-consuming love that sets her soul on fire, burning her body with a need that only James can extinguish. He steals her breath away and it's his kisses that breathes life back into her.
He can be possessive of her, but it's his possessiveness that she needs. She wants to feel like she belongs to him, just like he belongs to her. She is needed by him and it's his love that she needs back. He has her heart like she has his.
Sofia knows that Hugo doesn't see her as his equal, he thinks she's his princess that he needs to rescue. But James treats Sofia like she's his queen. They are equals in every sense of the heart and of the mind.
"Hugo, I can't," Sofia replied, pleased that her voice didn't waver in the tiniest bit. "I love James too much to just leave and give up on him. I can't run away with you."
"Sofia, please," Hugo continued to beg her. He dropped her hands and cupped her cheeks, drawing her in so close to him that their noses touched. "Don't say you can't. Run away with me, we can explore whatever's between us. I know you felt something in that kiss because you kissed me back, please tell me I didn't imagine that. I know I didn't... I want to save you."
"Hugo," Sofia sighed, ready to refuse him again. "I mean it. I can't give up on James. I won't. I lov –"
Suddenly, the door banged open again, interrupting Sofia mid-sentence.
Seriously... What is with the interruptions tonight?!
Annoyed with everyone, Sofia glanced over at the door to find James being held back by Edward and Amber. Edward had his arms firmly around James's shoulders while Amber was trying to pull James back by his waist.
"I said that they need time to talk, James!" Amber hissed at him, frustration high in her voice.
"Like hell!" James yelled over his shoulder as he gripped onto her door with both hands. "I gave them enough damn time to talk! An hour and a half should damn well be more than enough time for that piece of shit to explain himself to her!"
"James…." Sofia heard Hugo bitterly growl.
She saw James's eyes immediately shot over to where they sat on the floor. She watched as he slowly registered their close position and Hugo's hands on her cheeks.
"Get your damn hands off of her!" James roared as he fiercely ripped Edward's and Amber's arms off and stormed towards them.
In one rough and swift motion, James grabbed onto the lapels of Hugo's shirt and dragged him away from Sofia. With a loud bang, she was shocked at how hard he pinned Hugo against one of her oak bedposts.
"James!" Amber angrily shouted after him.
"Why. The. Hell. Were. You. Touching. Her," James hissed at him, pure fury and rage radiating off of him.
"That's between me and her, James," Hugo confidentially sneered.
"You son of a bitch!" James angrily barked, one of his forearms then began to press into Hugo's throat. "I want you out of here, you understand me? I don't care if Sofia wants to hear whatever pathetic excuse come out of your mouth, I want you out and away from her! She's not allowed to see you!"
Did he just say that?! Sofia grew aggravated. He said I can't see Hugo?!
"Oh, too bad," Hugo mockingly choked out with a sing-song tone. "I'm her personal guard. I can't just leave my princess."
"She's not your princess!"
"James! Hugo!" Sofia screamed at the two, glaring as hard as she could from where she remained on the floor.
She was frustrated and tired of their bickering! She doesn't want to hear any more of their fighting!
Sofia was bitterly upset with both Hugo and James. She was irritated at Hugo for trying to win her love even though she was already - well secretly - with James and for telling her about James's promiscuous past. And she was more than angry with James for being with other women. How dare he keep that from her?!
"And, Sofia!" James yelled, turning his anger at her. "Why the hell are you on the floor?! How could you let this scumbag touch you?!"
Oh, hell no. You can't be angry with me, James! She furiously thought. I'm not the one that has to explain themselves! You do!
"James. Shut. Up." Sofia menacingly said, letting all of her annoyance, rage, and fury reach their peaks so that they could flow out of her like burning lava. "Don't. You. Dare. Yell. At. Me. Right. Now."
She took in joy as she saw the enraged storm in his eyes die and fear quickly replaced it. By the looks of it, everyone in the room heard her fragile temper as they looked at her afraid and scared. It seemed like they were certain that her temper was a short second away from blowing.
"You. Two. Sit. Down. Now," Sofia ordered, gradually feeding the hellish fire in her. Her tone was low and reached a new level of threatening. More bitter joy rushed through her when the two of them hurriedly fell to the floor and landed with a rough thud in front of her. "Amber, Edward, can you give the three of us a moment, please?"
Sofia saw a proud but slightly frightened smile grow on Amber as she nodded and took Edward's hand, pulling him out of the door.
"You guys are in for it now," she taunted before shutting the door behind her.
Chapter sixteen! Woo!
As always, thank you to everyone! All of your lovely reviews and encouragements always make me so happy that I've continued this series. And look at how far I've come! Oh my gosh, sixteen chapters! I want to hug each and every single one of you guys!
Anyway, I hope you like this super long chapter. I made it all about Hugo and his past. I didn't put in a lot of JamesFia moments... sorry... But for you HugFia shippers out there, tell me what you all think about Sofia's moments with Hugo. Originally there was going to be a bunch more JamesFia moments, but I didn't realize how long this chapter was until I reached over 15,000 words! I had to cut it shorter and split it into another chapter, which I'll reveal to you all that the title is... *drum roll*... James's Confession!
Yes, you've read that right! James is going to have a his own little confession session! Tell me what you all think he might confess in the next chapter. If a total of three or more people guess right, I'll give a little hint at what/who The Evil voice is in my own review. So get started and good luck!
Read. Review. Etc.
Thanks :)
Ps. Happy American Thanksgiving! Or whatever holidays are out there in the world right now! :)
