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 a ruthless prince find his way into the heart of a princess he once lost?
Chapter 38: Little Secrets and Hidden Clues
Sofia
Marry me…. Marry me…. Marry me…. The words echoed around in her head.
Sofia couldn't believe what just James just said – just proposed!
The words hit her head as well as her heart like a cannonball being fired. Suddenly, the room is spinning.
Proposed. Proposed. Proposed. Proposed! James just proposed to her!
Marriage?! Is he serious?
He can't be.
James was looking at her so vulnerably and so, so fiercely... and more honest than she's ever seen him. His chest was heaving so fast that if anyone were to walk in on them right now might mistakenly believe that he had just come back from a one hundred mile run instead of just relaxing in the tub not two minutes ago. It was more like he just didn't know how to breathe anymore after proposing to her.
He swallowed hard. "Sofia," he said her name like he was trying to shake off a wave of chills. "Marry me."
He is. He is completely serious.
His eyes were so piercing that Sofia couldn't look away. And in all those beautiful green flakes in his eyes, she could not see a single shred of doubt or hesitation in them. This is the clearest she's ever seen his eyes be. They were so sure and confident.
He wanted this. He really wanted to marry her.
"Be my wife." He said the words with so much conviction that it looked like each word felt completely right to him. "Be the person I walk through life with. Be the only woman who shares my bed. Be the first face I wake up to and the last face I see before I go to sleep. You're the one, Sofia. The only one for me. Marry me. Please."
"James – I – Are you serious?"
"Completely. I know it in my heart that you and I are meant to share this life together. I mean, we are soulmates after all. So it's only natural that we be husband and wife."
Sofia tried to think, but it was hard to do when her brain was scrambling at hyper-speed trying to bring its bearings back together after a sudden proposal like that. And it didn't help that her heart didn't know how to work anymore. Or maybe it just stopped all together. Sofia wouldn't know how to tell the difference because her brain isn't working anymore!
But… Her lungs are betraying her just like her brain and heart did. Now it was Sofia's turn to not know how to breathe. But we're so young! I'm only eighteen! And you're twenty! Marriage is too far into the future to be thinking about right now!I mean, I haven't seen the world yet. I haven't traveled. I haven't gone exploring. I still have so much to see...
Sofia honestly doesn't even know if she wanted this.
She's only been back in his life for a couple months now. Not even a year! And in all that time, not once had she thought of marriage. Yes, she wants to be with James and she loves him with all her being, but… marriage? She doesn't even know if she can handle that.
I-I-I'm still a mess… There's still so much of myself that I have yet to learn and discover….
"B-but…." Her voice fell down into a quivering whisper. "But what about everything else that's going on?"
How can he even think of marriage at a time like now?
She saw the light in his eyes recede and become an insecure glow. That wasn't what he was expecting her to say. "I-it's because of everything that made me want propose to you now. I've nearly lost you once already and with what happened just yesterday made me realize that I can't handle losing you again. I can't imagine my life or future without you anymore. There isn't anyone else out there for me but you. I need you to be mine, Sofia."
"But I am yours," she teased with a shaky laugh, hoping that it would relieve the room of all the tension.
It didn't work.
"We're already each other's true loves," she tried again.
Doesn't James like things the way they are now? Isn't he happy with what they have now?
He shook his head. "You know that's not what I meant. I've thought of marrying you for a long, long time, Sofia. I want a future with you."
"Isn't the present good enough?"
"It is for now, but I want more. I want you to be mine, as a wife." He placed her right hand over his heart. She could feel it beating rapidly. "Please tell me you want me to be yours too. As a husband?"
Sofia didn't say anything.
And the longer she remained silent, the dimmer the light in his eyes became. It soon faded into just a dying ember. It was like she was watching his dreams die right in front of her own eyes.
And she was the reason why.
"You're the only one I love, Sofia. The only one I want to hold in my arms, to kiss, to fall asleep with…. To love until every part of me is raw from your touch. I love you, Sofia, and I want to be with you for the rest of my life. This life and whatever comes next." James cups her cheek with his other hand and, if it's even possible, looks even deeper into her eyes. His voice shook. "Please…. Say you'll marry me. Say you want this as badly as I do. Say you love me…."
There was such a panicked desperation in his voice, like he was so afraid of what she might say… or not say. She knew he was trying so hard to keep it all calmly together or else he would frighten her away. She is grateful for that, she honestly is, it's just that… she did not know how to respond to this. To any of it. How can she even respond to a sudden proposal like that when she still had her own issues and problems that were unsolved!
She still could not bring herself say a word.
And her heart throbbed with each passing second.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Bringing with it a sharp, aching pang.
Sofia did not understand why she is feeling the way she is. Too frightened to make a move or sound. Too afraid. Too terrified. Her lips were not able to form the words "yes" as an answer to the one man she is destined for, the one who shares her soul and has her heart. Not able to commit herself to such an uncertain future.
Why?
Why can't she bring herself to say "yes"? What is so uncertain about a life with her true love? What is so scary about it? Shouldn't she want to share her life with her soulmate? Everyone in the world wishes and dreams of actually finding their true loves and being able to live the rest of their lives with them. Any normal person who found their fated love would automatically say "yes" with a happy shout, so why is she not doing just that?
A part of her said it did, more than anything else in this world. It wanted her to promise herself to James for the rest of their lives and marry him. It sounded like a dream to her…. But…. There was another part of her that didn't. And she couldn't figure it out.
What is making her so hesitant?
She could feel herself shaking and it's not because she was in nothing but a towel. "I-I-I do… love you. You know I do." Her voice sounded so tiny to her own ears that Sofia wasn't even sure that James heard it.
"Then why won't you say 'yes'? …Or is it that you do not want to… marry me?" She saw how it physically hurt him to say those words aloud.
"No!" She saw how James looked like he was just struck by her when that word left her lips. She winced and amended, "I mean yes – I mean… that's not it."
"Then what is it?"
"I-I-I…" she took a deep, trembling breath. "I don't know…." There was so much fear settling at the pit of her stomach, making her almost so nervous that she is almost nauseous.
Scared… that's what it is. Fear.
She was scared. Scared to answer James honestly. Scared to say "yes."
Frightened of what all of this might mean. Of what it might change.
Of everything.
The future. Her mission. Their relationship.
James.
It felt like she is near a ledge, just centimeters away from falling over, and there is no one to catch her at the bottom. And once she fell down, she would be all alone and broken into shatters. Irreparable.
Sofia is terrified beyond her wits.
"I'm… scared," she answered honestly. A lump was forming in her throat.
"Scared?"
She nodded. Already, her eyes were beginning to burn. She hated that her body always betrayed her and made the tears nearly unstoppable, inevitable. She didn't want the tears to fall against her own will.
"Of what?"
"I don't know…" she shrugged. "I'm scared of… everything? The future? Of not being ready for it all… For marriage…. For starting a family…. For all of the responsibilities…. For not knowing what's to come with all of that. That terrifies me, James." She pinched her eyes shut, hoping it would prevent her tears. She found it easier for her to talk honestly if all she could see were the black nothingness behind her eyes. "I-I just don't think I'm ready to give myself up to the uncertainties of it all…."
All the while, James did not say anything. He just listened to what she tried to coherently say.
Or at least that's what she thinks he's doing. It's hard to tell with her eyes closed. She just appreciated the silence as she tried to form some kind of answer for him that conveyed what she truly felt. He deserved her honesty at the very least. She owed him that much.
Sofia could still feel his beating heart under her fingertips, welcoming the steady rhythm and trying to put it to memory. She needed it like a ship needed an anchor to keep it from floating away to an unforgiving sea. She did not want to sink and drown in her own sea of unstable emotions.
"I don't think I am making any sense… but that's what I feel. I'm afraid of what I have to give up and what I might lose in the process." With her eyes still shut, she didn't hear him say anything. Only the sounds of the quiet bathroom were all that echoed about.
Sofia honestly didn't make any sense to herself. She couldn't understand why she was so afraid of a future with James or why she was even scared of the future period.
Wasn't she the one who told - yelled at James and the others to stop being afraid of what the future might hold? Wasn't she the one who said that life is unpredictable and no one can control it? That all they can do is live it to the best of their own abilities?
How can she not take her own advice and just welcome life with its uncertainties? Was she that much of a hypocrite that she can't take the advice she dished out to everyone?
She suddenly became aware of how much warmer his body heat felt, like he came closer to her. Then his hands were on her cheeks and one of his thumbs swipe across her skin like he was wiping away a tear. Sofia didn't know why he did that; she didn't feel herself cry.
Or maybe she had and she didn't know about it. What with all her emotions and everything being so crazy in the last few days, it wouldn't surprise her if a tear or two did fall and she didn't know about it. Her emotions are kind of a wreck these days and she wasn't doing that much to keep them in control.
"Sofia… look at me," he said gently.
She didn't want to.
"Please?" he asked.
She still didn't.
Suddenly, she felt him kiss both her eyelids like her eyes were cursed to be shut and the only way to open them was a kiss.
And dammit, it worked.
The eyes she saw looking back at her were so blazing that they could have set off an entire forest on fire. James's eyes were the warm sun on a cold winter's day, melting the ice off of snow-covered mountains.
"This doesn't have anything to do with marriage, does it?" he smiled warmly at her.
She shrugged in a helpless sort of way. Sofia doesn't know what this is all about. Hell, she doesn't even know half of the things she just said. Her brain is still a mess. All she did was tell him what she felt, and she can't do that and try to figure herself out at the same time. It could be about marrying him… it could be about the future…. For the love of the Fates, it could be about what she has to wear to dinner later. She just doesn't know!
"Sofia, I know that you feel scared about what you're not ready for and the unpredictability of the future, but isn't that life? You said so yourself that you can't prepare for everything, not matter how hard you try. Life, Sofia, is one big risk. All you can do is just enjoy the simple things and not worry about the uncertainties. And I want to enjoy them all with you."
Crap, now he's using her own words against her.
"I get that you're afraid of what you might lose, but you can't focus on what you might get and what you might have to give up or the 'what ifs'. You'll never really live a full life if you just go through it like that. I learned that from you, Sofia." James spoke so softly that it was almost like a caress to her. She was aware of nothing else but the way his eyes looked at her and the sound of his deep voice. She was sure that she could fall asleep to the soothing sound of him if he ever decided to read to her. "Take your own advice and live."
Live...
Something stirred inside of Sofia's heart. She didn't understand it, but something in her heart told her that there is a lot of truth to what he was saying despite not understanding it fully herself. Her heart understood, but not her head. It all rang so true to her.
It was as if Sofia was in the middle of the ocean, but she wasn't drowning. She wasn't in the vast, raging seas of her emotions. Instead, she was lost in James's eyes; in the beautifully green, calm waters of his eyes.
And she found it that she didn't care if she was lost or not because she had his voice leading her the way home.
"I can't promise you that I will always know what is to come next or eternal youth or that nothing bad will happen, but that's life." He leaned his forehead against her own. "What I can promise you is my love for as long as I stand here breathing and long after that. I can promise that I'll always be beside you through all the bad and good times. I can promise you that you will always have a tomorrow with me because you know damn well that I will make sure that happens."
Sofia said she didn't want to cry. She tried really hard not to, but screw it. They are currently locked naked in a bathroom after taking a bath together and James had just proposed to her while in nothing but a towel. She has every right to cry right now.
Hell, if she doesn't even shed a tear after a speech like that – a moving speech where James promises her his love for the rest of their lives together – she might just start to wonder what the hell is wrong with her tear-ducts because she knows she does not have a heart of stone. The erratic beating proved her sure of that.
"You're afraid of the future, so let me worry about it for the both of us while you just worry about the present for us. We're a team, you and I, and we'll go through life together. I'll hold your hand through it all, if you'll let me."
At those words, Sofia did cry. Not sad tears, but happy tears.
Happy, happy, extremely happy tears.
Sofia flung her arms around him and dug her face into his neck. Honestly, James understood her better than she even understood herself. Sofia is a mystery even to herself, yet James has managed to solve bits and pieces of her by just one look.
I guess that's the beauty of having a soulmate….
She felt his arms wrap around her too and he started to soothingly rub her back. "You'll always have me – heart, soul, and all. Everything I can give you. So say 'yes' already, Sofia, so I can finally seal this engagement with a kiss."
Sofia laughed into his neck.
She wanted this. She wanted James for the rest of her life.
She wanted to be in his arms forever. She wanted him to call her his wife. She wanted him to be her husband. She wanted him to be the only man she loves. She wanted to share a bed together with him. She wanted his eyes to be the first thing she sees before the sun and his voice to be the first sound she hears before all else and his lips to be the only pair she'll ever kiss.
She wanted to be married to the love of her life.
She wanted to marry James.
And this time, there was no sense of fear – well, about marriage that is. The future and the unpredictability of it all is still very scary, but she did not fear a future with James. He is the one light that is guiding her through the dark tunnel. He is the one holding her hand through it all.
She smiled through her tears and laughs, and nodded.
"Okay, I am going to need you to actually say the word 'yes.' That's the whole point of proposing, Sofia."
"Yes!" she exclaimed through her teary giggles. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"
And true to his word, James kissed her to make it all official.
It was a wondrous kiss that held all the promises he just said and more. It was a promise within all the promises; a promise that outshines all the rest.
A promise to their – while still very scary and very uncertain to Sofia – future. Together.
James cradled her face so gently, almost like she was a glass feather. She pressed herself closer to him, her legs automatically wrapping themselves around his hips. All of her being was craving all of his gentleness and the warm love that he brings. She could taste every happily ecstatic emotion he wasn't trying to hold back, like he was trying to pour every ounce of love into the kiss just to wipe away all her doubts. Nothing but sheer joy and pure love were all over his lips and intertwined deeply in the kiss.
Even when James stopped to allow them to catch their breaths, Sofia could still feel the effects of the kiss burning on her lips. It made it hard for her to even open her eyes. Their ragged breathing echoed around in the bathroom. She could feel James's chest heaving like hers.
When Sofia managed to open her eyes, she found James just smiling the biggest, goofiest grin at her with the most overjoyed laugh she's ever heard escape his mouth. That only made Sofia laugh too.
"I'm going to hold you to those promises, you know that right?" she teased.
"Good." James kissed her again. "Good. Good. Good." He continued to kiss her in between each word, like he was never intending to stop. But Sofia kept ruining each one by giggling so much beneath his lips.
Before she even knew it, they were just laughing together like two idiots in love.
"We're engaged!" he beamed so brightly.
"We're engaged," she grinned just as broadly as him.
"You're going to be my wife!" His smile was so full and cheesy that Sofia just wanted to hold it in her hands to save forever and ever.
"I'll be your wife," Sofia cupped his cheeks, "and you'll be my husband!"
"We're going to be married!"
"We're going to be married!"
Her heart has never felt so happy or light or so full of love all at once. All Sofia can think about is how much she loves this man in front of her and how unbelievable it is for her that he wanted to marry her.
It was true that the thought of marrying James has never crossed her mind, but it seems that the thought has crossed James's mind more than once. She can't believe that he's been wanting to marry her for so long and she's never noticed.
Honestly, how could she have not noticed? James is the worst at keeping things from her, especially things like this. It's amazing he was even able to keep himself from shouting out his proposal instead of asking her out of the blue like just now. She's surprised that he didn't even ask her the moment the question popped in his head.
"I can't believe that was your special question this entire time," Sofia teased.
"Believe it," he said, crushing her in his arms. "I've wanted to propose to you for so long."
"So why make yourself wait until we bring this guy down?"
"I didn't want to add more onto your already full plate. And because of how you might react. Just like now," he said dryly.
Sofia didn't know how it was possible, but she rolled her eyes and flinched at the same time. But can he really blame her for reacting that way? He suddenly proposes at the worst time! At least she can say that this reaction is better than how she reacted to when he said he loved her for the first time. She didn't go running away with her tail in between her legs.
"But it was bad of me to pop the question on you like that," James continued. "It actually just slipped out more than I had intended. I know what I said earlier and it's all very true, but it's not only that. When we were bathing together, everything felt so right and perfect. And when I was just watching you apply your creams or whatever, it was almost like we were married already. We were doing our own things but together and it was all so nice. I just couldn't stop myself from saying it."
That earned him another kiss. "You know that we're going to have to keep this a secret, right?"
"Why? I want to rub it into Hugo's face that you've agreed to marry me. I'm not going to mention to him that you're afraid to start a family with me, but I do want to brag that we're engaged."
"James, no."
"What? I swear I'm not going push the issue of starting a family until you're ready. Anyway, it's making the family that's the fun part." He was babbling now, but this time it's not cute.
"No." She pinched his cheek to stop him while her own burned. "I don't want anyone else knowing right now. It's a bad time for everyone. Everyone just found out about our relationship, they don't need to know that we're engaged too. I don't know how Amber might react, she might try to plan our wedding and your funeral at the same time. And with everything that's happened, we cannot tell them anything." Sofia looked him square in the eyes. "Do you understand me? We are not telling them about your engagement right now."
To her surprise, James did not fight her on this. He actually took it a lot better than she had intended. She was sure he might have pouted and whined about having to keep their engagement a secret, but he didn't. He didn't look that thrilled, but not upset either.
"So, our little secret then?" he said.
She nodded. "I know how excited you are to tell everyone, but we can't right now. We'll tell them when the timing is a little better and when we're not trying to stop a madman from taking over the world."
"Okay. Yeah, I see your point."
"I promise, when this is all over, you can go and brag," Sofia said with an eye-roll, "about our engagement to everyone in the entire world."
He smiled at how sardonically she said the word. "Okay. Okay. I get it. Just imagine how Mom might take it if we told her now? She wouldn't want to leave. Anyway, you don't even have a ring. No one would believe me if I said we're engaged. It was bad of me to propose without one."
She nudged his nose with her own. "And yet, it's the oddest and sweetest proposal ever. It's very… us."
Now, that earned her a kiss.
Sofia did not want the kiss to ever end, she wanted to just bask in the warm, fluttering happiness that James has given her.
But it had to because she was sure that they are going to end up giving themselves to each other if they continued on. And it might not be on a bed either. Anyway, she was more than certain that more than half an hour has passed and that they are really late for dinner. The others are probably wondering where they are. She did not want to give Lucinda and her mother any more ammunition than they already had from today.
And yet, no matter how quickly she dressed or how fast she ran down the stairs, it wasn't enough.
Just like she expected, everyone was wondering why exactly she and James were twenty minutes late to dinner. At Sofia's blush and rambling at trying to come up with a descent excuse, no one believed a word she said. And that only made Lucinda and her mother playfully tease her to no end. Amber looked like she was not having any of it and chose to ignore it all while occasionally sending James little glares just like Hugo was doing. Except that his glares were a lot more bitter in Sofia's opinion.
James's big and obvious smile didn't help their situation either.
Yet dinner was not awkward in the slightest. It was actually very fun and lively, full of happy voices and laughter from the very people she cared about. The entire dining room was filled with such a warm glow the entire time and it continued on well after when dinner ended and they all collected into the main room to relax together.
The only problem through it all was that she found it a bit hard to look everyone in the face after what Sofia and James were close to doing in the bathroom and her bedroom, that James had proposed to her and she is keeping it from her sister and mother. The teasing she could deal with even though it was hard. The real issue was what was going through her mind as James held onto her hand and sat close to her throughout the evening.
A part of her was grateful for the joyous laughter, but another half wanted to just go back to the safety of her room with James.
With locked doors.
The time spent with everyone was fun, but… odd? Is that the word? Weird? Weirdly fun?
Whether she knew for sure or not, what she did know is that this is definitely a time that will forever be remembered in her heart. A time that, despite the turmoil and chaos that were outside, everyone she loved still laughed and smiled with all their hearts.
"It has gotten late," her mother said when the moon was high in the night sky. She placed down her cup of tea and rose from one of the cushioned chairs beside the fire. "I think it's best for me to retire. Baileywick and I have a busy day tomorrow packing what we need when we leave. I'll leave you six to your fun." At her last word, she gave Sofia a sly wink and wished everyone a "goodnight."
Sofia tried to hide her blush, but at her mother's retreating laugh, she knew that it did not pass unnoticed. She could even feel James smile at her blush when he tucked her closer to his side as they sat together on the long couch. Amber was seated on the other side of her with Edward and she saw the both of them blush too. Apparently she wasn't the only one who've had their share of fun.
She heard Hugo groan to himself. He sounded like he was nauseated at how her mother said the word "fun" and at James's affection towards her.
Hugo rose. "Well, I am going to head in too –"
"Sit," Lucinda ordered, she pointed to the cushioned chair he was just sitting in.
"What? But –" Hugo tried to protest.
"Sit." Lucinda's tone sounded like a warning. Hugo sat with an annoyed pout. "Good. Now listen. I was going to tell you all of this before dinner, but your mother said no more talk of evil dudes until later. So, I've been waiting until your mom went to bed so I can discuss this with you all." She held up two tear-shaped diamonds. "While I was outside today, I found these two."
"Diamonds?" Amber said.
Lucinda nodded. "At first, I thought these were just random things I found while scouring the grass for any feathers I might have missed, but these aren't ordinary diamonds. These are for you two," she handed the diamonds to James and Amber, "from Queen Anne. As she sacrificed herself, she shed her last tears for you two and they materialized into magical diamonds."
The room went silent.
Sofia looked at James and Amber, worried at how they are taking this. She wanted to know if they were okay, but all she saw were looks of complete shock on both of their faces. Amber reached over and held onto Sofia's hand. She could feel her shaking as Lucinda continued to talk.
"They don't have as long of a message as the feathers because she poured the last of her magic into them," she said, "but they do hold something for you two. Hold it in the palm of your hand and wait until it warms."
They did exactly that. And what happened next was nothing like the golden feather Queen Anne had left for her.
The two diamonds began to glow a warm, iridescent color that could rival that of the sun and sky. The glow was small, but so vibrant. So tender. Something inside of Sofia's heart told her that this was much more personalized than Sofia's message. It held the love and care of a mother for her two children.
As the glowing continued to pulse, a soft and gentle melody began to play. It held no words, but the sound was so full of a heartfelt and dear love that the song did not need any words to convey it. It was the sound of a mother humming a sweet lullaby...
"I-it's the song mom used to sang to us every night when we were younger…" Amber said.
"That's it? Only a song?" Hugo asked.
James shook his head. "It's not only a song. There's a message in it. Don't you hear it?"
Lucinda spoke, "no. The message is only for you two to hear. All we can hear is the song."
"What's she saying?" Sofia asked the two of them.
Tears are freely falling down Amber's cheeks as she said, "s-s-she's saying she loves us… and that she's so proud of who we've become… th-that she's always been proud of us…." She started to openly cry so hard that she couldn't continue to speak.
James spoke for her, but even his voice wavered. "She saying that she's so happy that we found true love with people who make us smile. All she's ever wished for us is to be happy with the people we love…. And that she's sorry she never got to show herself to us. It was something she fought hard to do, but the curse on her made it impossible for her. But she's loved us to the very end…."
Sofia felt Amber's hand squeeze hers even tighter as she cried harder.
The feelings that stirred in her heart was not an aching or painful cry because this was not about her or her pain. It was about James and Amber. This was what they needed, the closure and healing that they never got.
This is their goodbye to Queen Anne.
She cannot fully understand what they were going through because she did not lose her mother. Sofia still has her despite everything, she was still alive and well and being protected as they speak.
And while James and Amber have her too, it was not the same as having Queen Anne beside them.
What she felt was more of an outreach to them, to simply empathize and feel for them. That was the best she could do for them despite how badly she wanted to comfort them and make it all go away so that they could smile again. But, like she said to James, the best way to do that and to get better is to let in whatever they were feeling and let it go. To let it run its course and heal along the way.
And all she can do is simply listen and be there whenever they needed her.
Suddenly Amber let out a short laugh. "She just said that James needs to learn to keep his hands to himself at the appropriate times."
"And that Amber needs to learn how to get along with others," he sniped teasingly at her.
"I do get along with people! I get along just fine with Sofia." Amber stuck her tongue at James.
"And Edward," James sing-songed. That made Amber's and Edward's faces flush immediately and redder than before.
It was good to see them be so sarcastic with each other, almost like they were repairing their relationship each day. Sofia wanted that for them. She wanted them to heal and be like they once were. They are one of the two most important people to her and she wanted them to get along.
The melody began to flicker and fade, telling Sofia that it was coming to an end. The soft sound of Queen Anne's humming grew quieter and quieter until the glowing completely vanished and disappeared back into the small diamonds.
"She said goodbye…" Amber whispered. Edward pulled her into his arms and held her tightly as she tearfully sniffled into him. Sofia watched as Amber just about melted into him the moment his arms wrapped around her.
When Sofia turned to James and saw in how he was looking down at the teardrop in his hands, she did the only thing she could do. She held him just as tightly as Edward did for Amber. James didn't pull away nor did he hold onto her, but he did let out a sound that seemed like a mix between a sigh and a small sob.
And yet, even though it looks like both of Amber's and James's hearts were hurting, it didn't seem it was the bad kind of hurt. They both seemed to welcome it because it made what they had with their mother real and true. It was a pain that they did not want to replace for anything else in this world. A needed pain that would turn into a gentle ache then into a memory they can look back on. And maybe – just maybe – there would be a smile on their faces as they did.
"If you two would like, I can make the diamonds into pendants or rings for you so you can always have it with you," Lucinda kindly offered.
James shook his head. "If... if it's alright, can you keep it in a safe place for me until we save the kingdoms? I… I don't know what I want to do with it right now, but I do know that I don't want to lose it."
Lucinda nodded with an understanding smile. "Amber?"
Amber didn't say anything immediately. She just looked down at the diamond again, turning it around in the palm of her hand. "I… I'd like – I'd like the same thing. Can you keep it safe for me until then? I don't want to lose it when all of this is still going on."
"Of course," Lucinda said as she took each of the diamonds. With a single wave of her hand, an orb of blue light appeared in front of her. She placed the two diamonds into them and the orb disappeared. "Just ask for it when you're ready."
"Where did it go?" Hugo asked what everyone was clearly wondering too.
"A safe place," she said with a knowing smile.
"How did you even know that the diamonds had messages in them if no one but James and I can hear them?" Amber asked with a sniffle.
"It's magic, remember? I can feel it," Lucinda said with an humorously arched brow. Sofia could tell that she was trying to be as sprightly as the atmosphere could allow to make the tension release just a bit and she was grateful for it.
"Not to be rude or inconsiderate of the whole family thing here, but I don't think this is something I should be here for. So can I go –" Hugo began to rise, but with one sharp look from Lucinda, he sat back down.
"There's still a lot more I need to talk to all of you about." She snapped her fingers and the Book of Hyproti and the bag of feathers appeared in her hands. "Now, to the really important part. You see, I've memorized all of the messages in each of the feathers and managed to put it all together –"
"All of them?" everyone but Amber exclaimed, shocked that she could do such a thing in such a short amount of time.
"Yeah?" she said like it was an ordinary thing to do.
"But how?" Hugo asked.
"It's magic and I am a prodigy," she said matter-of-factly. "Now, stop interrupting me so I can say what needs to be said."
"Sorry," Hugo apologized.
At his apology, Lucinda continued on. "I've already told you all what Sofia couldn't tell you; about Queen Anne's history with this man and everything in between. You all basically know everything that she knows, and of course you know how she needs to obtain thirteen gifts from her magical amulet. Queen Anne and I researched long and hard and she believes that Sofia needs to realize something in order to do that, but here's the thing: I think she is partially wrong about needing to realize something in order to obtain it."
What? Queen Anne is… wrong…?
"And with everything that's happened lately like the attack on Sofia and the fire at your mother's house, I don't think we can wait around for it to hit Sofia the traditional way so we need to find another way to unlock them now," Lucinda said.
"W-wait. What do you mean? Queen Anne has never been wrong before," Sofia said before she could stop herself.
"Partially wrong," Lucinda stressed the word. "I've only told Amber this, but as I was putting all the messages in the feather together – and let me tell you that was hard as hell. It's was like putting together a thousand-pieced puzzle – I found a sort of error in what she thought she figured out regarding your magic. I searched through all my books for answers, but while doing so, I discovered that Sofia's book holds a lot more information about the amulet than I had originally thought. And since it only reveals its secrets to you, Sofia, I am going to need you to help me prove my little theory true or false."
"What theory –" James began. "Wait, what did her feathers even say?"
"Her feathers revealed his entire plan. You all already know that he wants revenge on the Fates for not making Queen Anne his soulmate," Lucinda said with a grim expression. Already, Sofia could hear that whatever she is going to say is not going to be good. Nothing is whenever this man is involved. "In order to do that, he's going to sacrifice one hundred lives in every kingdom simultaneously. With that much blood spilled, he'll have enough blood magic to break a rift and enter the realm of the Fates and enact his revenge. He plans on gaining the power of the Fates to rule not only this world, but the next world. He wants to become Fate itself."
No. Sofia's heart ran cold.
If he achieves his goals, then he can control just about everything and bend it all to his will. He will be able to do whatever he wants and make so many suffer in the process! He'll bring the entire world down onto its knees and break it!
"And his plans all depends on if he can get his hands on Sofia and her amulet. With that amulet, he can resurrect Queen Anne against all magical law. Once he has her back, he will kill Sofia because he wants to pour every last drop of her blood onto the First Tree and taint its magic. Then, by absorbing it into the amulet, he will gain unimaginable power. Enough to kill the Fates and bring utter destruction to this world and the next." Lucinda looked at Sofia like she was sorry for her and angry at the man at the same time. "He is planning another attack on Sofia. I don't know when, but I do know how. He's going to bring the fight to us and it's going to be bloody."
Sofia felt nauseous and her heart wasn't beating correctly. And even with the two fireplaces burning, she was shivering.
His plans are worse than she had imagined.
Far, far worse.
It was plain evil.
He plans on tainting all magic just to get revenge on the Fates. Just because of his broken heart. This man let his obsession go too far and now he is willing to let the world burn and fall to disorder just to force love onto another person – a person he killed!
And he plans to murder Sofia for it. Whether his plans will begin or not is dependent on if he can kill her.
Now it was Sofia's turn to be held. James's arms came around her, and while Sofia was grateful for his comfort, she wasn't able to welcome it like she normally does. Learning this madman's plans made it impossible for her to find warmth in James's arms right now. It's like he stole something from her and she hated it.
"I will not let him lay a finger on you," James promised her. He hugged her fiercely. "I swear it."
His hug and his words still didn't make the cold go away.
"Now, what about your theory?" Amber asked. Sofia appreciated how Amber changed the subject for her sake. She didn't think she could bear to hear any more. Her heart wouldn't be able to take it.
Lucinda looked briefly at Sofia and nodded seriously. "I believe that the Book of Hyproti has a hidden page about the Amulet of Avalor that only Sofia can unlock and see." Lucinda handed the book over to Sofia. "And it might give us a loophole in how to obtain her thirteen gifts faster and without having need a realization like the traditional way."
Sofia's heart and brain went haywire.
She couldn't believe it. If what Lucinda is saying is true, then that just might give them all the advantage they need to bring this man down. The faster she got her powers, the faster they could defeat this man and save the kingdoms, and the faster Sofia could bring her mother back home safe and sound. His plans would all fail if she got her powers. It can't even begin if she got them!
He has already taken her castle and the kingdoms and he still has a hold on James, but if this one theory of Lucinda's proves true, then there was no way she could pass up this one glimmer of hope she had to finally ending this nightmare. No blood would be spilled and Queen Anne's spirit can finally rest in peace.
Whatever it costs, she will save James and the kingdoms, and stop this man.
Sofia hastily opens her book and flips to the page about the Amulet of Avalor. "So, I don't have to come to some big realization at all if I find the hidden pages?"
"It's only a theory, but according to her, yes," Amber said.
"But," Lucinda quickly stopped her, "before you find them, did you ever notice your amulet have any kind of reaction to your thoughts?"
My thoughts? Sofia tried to remember in the last few days when has her amulet ever react to anything she thought of, but all she could come up with was when it glowed and warmed whenever she got very angry at the Evil.
"Yeah, it would glow and heat up whenever I became angry at the man behind this," she said.
"And what were your thoughts exactly?" Lucinda continued to question.
"Umm… something about the light and the dark?" Sofia tried. "I remember getting mad at him for being such a coward that he had to use James and Hugo in his plans to take over the word with his dark magic. Why? Do you think there's some kind of revelation in that?"
"Maybe, but if it is, it'll be really hard for me to figure out. Let's hope that my theory proves true," she said with a nod over to her book. "Ask it for the hidden pages."
"Book of Hyproti," Sofia asked aloud, "please show me the hidden pages."
At her words, the book's pages began to shake and flutter about like it was out on a windy day, but there was not a single breath of it in the room. The entire room was dead still except for the moving pages. Then, a sudden beam of light shot out from down the center of the book where it connected all the pages. It split and spread apart like a pair of wings expanding. For a moment, Sofia did not understand what shape or form the light had taken until it solidified into two rectangular pages connected to the book.
"Woah…" Sofia heard Hugo utter.
Without even realizing it, Sofia's fingers reached out and touched the page made of light. The moment Sofia touched it, the pages floated back onto the book and words began to appear. One by one, the words revealed themselves, floating up onto the pages like it was in water.
"'With each deed performed, for better or worse, a power is granted, a blessing or curse,'" Sofia read the first sentence aloud. "Chosen for her purest heart and her bravest soul, only a princess can be bearer of the powerful Amulet of Avalor. Many hands this amulet have passed through and many hearts it has judged. Yet, while many in the past have proven themselves genuine, only a handful has been able to barely unlock the true secrets of the amulet. However they still were not capable of wielding its immense power and therefore, relinquished the amulet to the next chosen princess when their time was done. They all did so without ever obtaining the ultimate gifts of the amulet. Only one has ever been granted the thirteen gifts of the Thirteen Princesses."
Sofia stopped reading. "Wait, I thought you said that no one has been able to do that."
"That's what Queen Anne and I believed when we researched through my books," Lucinda shrugged. "Like I said though, I think we were wrong. Keep on reading, let's find out the truth."
Sofia continued where she left off. "The one who proved herself worthy of such a gift was Princess Matilda of Enchancia. By strength of her mind and her constant heroism, Princess Matilda understood the revelations of the amulet and was granted the thirteen gifts."
"Aunt Tilly?" Amber and James both gasped.
"She had the amulet before?" Amber said.
"I always thought she was just a boring aunt," James muttered to himself.
"I take it that they didn't know about her yet?" Lucinda pointed at the two.
Sofia shook her head. "No. It never crossed my mind to tell them this entire time. I didn't even know that Aunt Tilly was the only one to ever have gained all thirteen gifts. All I knew was that she had the amulet before me."
Aunt Tilly was the only other person who knew the truth of Sofia's amulet before that night five years ago. She was the one who actually taught Sofia many things about her amulet and how it truly worked. Sofia could always rely on her and her quirky wisdom throughout the years. It was her weird optimism and belief that everyone has a "happily ever after" that made Sofia love her so much.
And despite being an adventurer and doing so many incredible things, she had always made time to be there for Sofia whenever she needed her most. She understood Sofia like no one else because Aunt Tilly knew of Sofia's secret life behind her amulet. The amulet was their secret they shared together.
It was the amulet that bonded them and it was their weird adventures they had that kept them together until her tragic end with Sir Bartleby.
"You knew that she once wore the amulet?" Amber gave Sofia an accusing look that looked hurt to learn that Sofia still had more secrets even though she had promised to leave nothing between them. "And you never told us?"
But before Sofia could explain herself, Lucinda cut in and said, "whoa, whoa. Okay, to be fair here, what I was told by your mother is that Duchess Matilda didn't want anyone else knowing about her connection to the amulet. Sofia only knows because she wears it, but there are things about her that she doesn't know. There are dangers and a long-held secrecy that come with the amulet. Your father never even knew about the amulet when your aunt was its owner."
"Dangers?" Hugo asked, looking worryingly over at Sofia. "This whole time that Sofia has been wearing that thing around her neck, she's been in danger?"
"Well, duh, princey-boy." Lucinda rolled her eyes at him. "What do you think has been going on? Didn't you listen to me when I talked to you all about it? From the moment its newest master puts on that amulet, her life becomes a hundred times more dangerous because everyone will be after it for its power. That's why Duchess Matilda never told anyone about it. The less you are aware of it, the less you are in danger."
"So, then why did she give Sofia the amulet if she knew about the dangers?" Hugo asked.
Again, Lucinda rolled her eyes, obviously annoyed with Hugo and his questions. Clearly they had talked this over while Sofia was asleep earlier in the day, but it seems that Hugo was still having a hard time on this. If looks could speak, Sofia could swear Lucinda's look would be shouting "idiot" at Hugo right now.
"You just don't listen do you?" Lucinda sighed. "The amulet choses its masters. A princess's time with the amulet can last for a few years or her entire life, but it is all up to the amulet. When her time with it was done, Duchess Matilda gave it up and just decided to watch over who was next, which turned out to be Sofia. You good now?" She did not let Hugo answer. "Good. Sofia continue on."
"One's true character and understanding of the amulet's hidden revelations are crucial to obtaining the thirteen gifts. Truth and kindness, courage and purity are keys to one's character. Light and magic are key to understanding the amulet's secrets and what it wants its owner to know," Sofia said. "To understand the amulet is the only way of acquiring the gifts."
"'Light and magic'…" Lucinda repeated with a knowing tone.
The words flowed fast and relentlessly, like it was trying to get them out as fast as possible before the pages of light lost their glow. Sofia tried to keep up as fast as she could, but she was too enraptured by what the pages were saying that she kept stumbling over her words because she was reading it in her head instead of aloud.
"Magic for magic's sake," Sofia continued as best as she could. "The understanding that there is magic in the light just as there is magic in the dark, but the magic of light that resides in the dark is the strongest of them all because it is the magic that survives and endures."
At those words, her amulet suddenly rose from her neck and glowed bright and so hot that Sofia could feel the scolding temperature beginning to burn her even though it wasn't directly on her skin. It was as if the amulet was trying to tell her that what she just read was the most important part of what her book was revealing to her.
No. Not "as if."
It is. That is the most important part.
But what it means is another mystery.
"Grasping that knowledge is how one can find themselves being able to connect to the Thirteen Princesses and have their hearts judged. Whether one achieves the gifts is dependent upon their judgement during the time when the light shines brightest in the dark at the place where magic is the strongest."
The pages flickered and its glow disappeared taking with it the magical words. Nothing appeared on the pages anymore. Now the pages of light looked like ordinary, sun-worn pages.
"That's all it says," Sofia said.
Her amulet dropped back down and was cold as ice. And the moment her amulet hit her skin, the pages burst into a thousand pieces of golden butterflies. They all flew into the fire and were gone.
"Shit, all of that was just a bunch of riddles," Hugo cursed under his breath. "It's going to be a pain trying to understand it."
"But it's something," Lucinda gave him a sharp look. "Anyway, my theory was proved sort of wrong. You do need to realize something, but at least the book hinted at what the amulet wants. And it all connects to what Sofia said earlier too. 'Magic of the light that resides in the dark is the strongest.' Ring a bell? I think the amulet's reaction to what you thought and felt then was its way of helping you to unlock its secrets before and now."
"The magic of light that resides in the dark is the strongest of them all because it is the magic that survives and endures," James repeated.
"Whether one achieves the gifts is dependent upon their judgement during the time when the light shines brightest in the dark at the place where magic is the strongest," Edward said.
"All we have to do us figure out what that means," Hugo wondered aloud.
A long, mull silence filled the air as they all sat around trying to decipher what it is her amulet is trying to make her understand.
What could those words possibly mean?
Magic of light that resides in the dark…? Can light even exist in the dark?
Wait. Yes, it can….
If there is one thing she knows, it is that the two exist because of one another. One cannot be without the other. Without the dark, there would be no light. And without the light, there would be no dark. The two must coexist in balance and peace. One cannot overpower the other or else everything falls to chaos and upheaval.
But this man, he is trying to use the dark to eliminate the light…. He already has. Everything is unbalanced. Everything is in turmoil and anarchy. Many have lost their lives and their magic. Many have lost their hope. All because he is trying to make the dark magic more powerful than the light.
That can't happen. One must never be more than the other. It all must coincide together as equals.
And if one tries to overpower another, it takes the other to bring back the balance. It is going to take the light to make it all equal once more….
A feeling like a punch hit Sofia's stomach and heart at the same time. Her amulet began to burn her, and despite the pain of the hot gem on her neck, it made her smile like she just won a hard-earned trophy. That… that's it!
"The light is the only way to defeat him!" Sofia exclaimed happily. She was so excited that she figured out something that she slammed her hands on the coffee table with too much force. "That's the meaning behind the first part of the amulet's riddle. I have to use the magic of the light to beat him! His power is rooted in the dark, and mine is rooted in the light. We're opposites, but mine is stronger."
Everyone looked at her surprised. Mouths were gaping and eyes were bug-eyed.
Well, all except for Lucinda. She was just smiling with her arms crossed. "By how her amulet is reacting, I think she got it. So, one down, one to go."
"So, then what does 'whether one achieves the gifts is dependent upon their judgement during the time when the light shines brightest in the dark at the place where magic is the strongest' mean?" James said, bringing back the serious silence.
Yet this silence was not as long as the last because Amber broke it when it was only a few minutes in.
"Well, if it's anything," Amber spoke. "I think it means that Sofia needs to go to the forest where the First Tree of magic is."
"Why do you think that?" Lucinda said.
"Magic for magic's sake," Amber shrugged. "I think what the amulet is saying is that if your trying to gain magic, you're going to need magic in order to make it happen. Therefore, the forest where magic was born."
"And it did say 'where magic is strongest'," Edward nodded in acknowledgement of Amber. "Where else is magic the strongest besides that forest?"
"I think…" Lucinda pondered. "I think you're right! Our answers are in that forest! And I think 'when the light shines brightest in the dark' could only mean that we need to go when there's a full moon. I mean what else shines in the dark?"
"When's the next full moon?" Sofia rushed.
In her heart, she hoped it was soon. She did not have the time to waste just waiting around for a full moon in order to end this nightmare. Everything was coming together and it felt like it was all beginning to come to be. Things were on their side and Sofia needed to keep it that way.
Lucinda snapped her fingers and a calendar appeared before her. "In three days."
In three days…
It's all going to start in three days.
Her real mission begins in three days.
Chapter thirty-eight! Woo!
She said YES! James and Sofia are ENGAGED! WOO! *Throws confetti* WOO! How did you all like this chapter? Was it good? I hope it was for you guys because this has become my newest favorite to write. They're engaged! BUT! What about that part of the Evil! His plans are revealed! *Dun, dun* And what about Sofia's thirteen gifts! Things are happening people! It's all starting to kick off and come to an end!
Tell me what you all think. How do you think Sofia will get her powers? Do you think she even might get them? Can James even keep their engagement a secret?
Read, review, etc.
Thanks :)
