Queen Sofia
I couldn't help but worry as I saw my husband leave for the borders of Whelsire. Every time he left in an emergency, I couldn't help but worry.
You could say it was because of our past. Every time there was an unexpected emergency, I worried for my family.
At this point, I didn't even want to go to the village anymore; I would have gone with him if it weren't for our daughter and Hugo.
I knew Hugo would never allow me to go with him, especially if there was potential danger.
Ever since our kids were born, I was only allowed to accompany Hugo to Whelsire business meetings, not emergent situations.
For example, my days of running with him in danger to help our people were now over, which worries me.
I'm unaware of his situation until he gets home, and I hate having to wait for news; luckily, my children calm me down.
"He will be alright, Sofia," said Dad, placing his hand on my shoulder as I sighed.
"I know, Dad, but I can't help but worry," I said, turning around as he smiled at me.
"That is to be expected because of everything that has occurred to the two of you, but your love triumphed through it all," he said, smiling, as I smiled and nodded.
"You're right, Dad," I said, smiling as he hugged me.
"Would you like me to come with you and Elizabeth to the village?" He asked as I shook my head.
"No, it's fine, Dad. You don't have to do that," I said, smiling as he frowned, worried.
"Are you sure?" He asked me as I nodded.
"Of course, besides, someone has to stay in case of anything, and you know Hugo, and I trust you on that, Dad," I said as he smiled.
"Alright then," he said, smiling.
"I will be taking Liam and Oscar, though, just in case," I said as he nodded.
"I think it's a great idea," he said as I nodded, and we began to walk towards the carriage.
"Liam, Oscar, we are heading to the village," I said as they nodded.
"Right behind you, Your Majesty," said Liam as Oscar nodded, and I smiled.
I still didn't like having to carry guards, but once the children were born, Hugo insisted I take one if I left the castle with them.
Hugo said it was more about safety measures for the children, and I agree with him on that, but I think it's also for his peace to know I am safe.
"One more thing, Dad," I said as he nodded.
"Please don't tell the boys what happened; Hugo and I will tell them when he returns," I said as he nodded.
"Of course, enjoy your time in the village," he said, smiling, and I returned his smile.
"Thank you, Dad," I said as I opened the door and sat next to my daughter as the carriage began to move.
Once we were out of the castle's entrance, I noticed Elizabeth looking a bit upset, and I frowned.
"What's wrong, Liz?" I asked her as she sighed before looking up at me.
"Daddy is going towards danger, isn't he?" She asked as my eyes widened.
Elizabeth was more smart and observant than my boys, which concerned me a bit because neither Hugo nor I wanted her to worry.
"It is a possibility," I said, a bit upset as she nodded.
"Where to?" She asked as I smiled.
"You're still young, darling, and shouldn't worry about these things," I said, giving her a small smile.
"As princess of Whelsire, I have a responsibility to care for my people and their safety. How can I when I don't have all the information?" she said as I smiled at her proudly.
"Sometimes, I forget how brave and kind you are. You remind me a lot of myself at times," I said as she smiled proudly.
You could say my daughter is a lot like me, but I think she is also like her father and GrandMum.
Like her GrandMum, she is fierce, determined, and wild but also a kind, beautiful princess with a good heart.
However, sometimes, she can act like her father and be very stubborn. Hugo says it's from me, but I think it's more of him than she has.
"It's to the border of Whelsire. Hopefully, it's nothing, and he returns safely," I said as she nodded.
"Mom, have you ever realized that every time they want to attack us, they always try to hit our resources and the border," she said as I nodded.
"Yes, I have. They have to start somewhere," I said as she shook her head.
"What I mean is that there's a pattern," she said as my eyes widened.
"You're right, but how do you know that?" I asked her as she smiled.
"From my tutor lessons and stories GrandDad has told me," she said, smiling as I smiled at her.
My daughter was very daring, like her father and me, which is why she reminds me a lot of us. She doesn't want to be one of those regular princesses; like me, she wants to be adventurous.
"You really are something else, aren't you, Liz?" I asked her, smiling as she nodded.
"I want to be like you, Mom. While in royal prep, we all heard the amazing stories about you and Dad," she said, smiling as I frowned.
"Like the time you beat him in the flying derby tryouts and proved that princess could ride, how you two won the flying crown and even did ice dancing," she said excitedly as I smiled.
"Not only that, but you were the protector of the Ever Realm and saved the mystical Isle and Enchancia many times, along with Dad's life and Whelsire," she said as I looked at her.
"Looks like your GrandDad included the last part," I said, chuckling as she nodded.
"Why didn't you or Dad tell us about this, though?" she asked as I sighed.
We told our children how we met in school and participated in many events when they were younger, but I never told them about my being the protector of the Ever Realm or what happened before we were married.
"We wanted to wait until you guys were a bit older to tell you about how we saved Whelsire," I said as she frowned.
"Why?" she asked as I smiled and brushed her hair.
"Because you were all children, and since this fell into the kingdom's business, we wanted to wait for you guys to be a bit older," I said as she nodded.
"Besides, it is a little hard for your father and me to tell our story," I said as she nodded and embraced me.
"You're not mad that GrandDad told me? He made me promise never to say anything," she said as I smiled at her.
"No, sweetheart. I am not mad; I am happy that you got to hear those stories because they are worth telling," I said as she smiled.
"I want to be like you, Mom, help and save people," she said as I smiled.
"You already are my darling, and with time, I know you too will find your prince charming," I said, smiling as she rolled her eyes playfully and smiled.
"I doubt it," she said as I frowned at her, confused.
"Why do you say that sweetheart?" I asked her as she sighed and looked out the window.
"Mom, all the princes of today are stuck-up and jerks. Those aren't the ones that will make me happy," she said as I smiled at her.
"What will make you happy?" I asked her as she sighed and smiled at me.
"I want to have something like you and Dad have. Since you were kids, there has always been that connection, and it never died; it only grew," she said as I smiled.
"True, but remember, darling, in the beginning, your father and I weren't that close," I said, nearly giggling as she smiled.
"But you helped him change," she said as I smiled.
"A little, but your father changed because he wanted to," I said as she smiled.
"But it was your love that helped him, Mom; all these princes don't want to change, and I am done with them," She said as I smiled.
"Maybe you have helped your prince already, and he's waiting for you," I said as she shook her head as I hugged her.
"Remember, darling, you're barely turning sixteen. There's still time for them to change," I said as she shrugged.
It wasn't very often, but when my daughter and I talked about boys, we tried to do it when Hugo wasn't around because he would get very jealous.
"Don't let Dad hear you say that, Mom," she said as we giggled.
"He would probably say, 'No, they do not. Boys are nothing but trouble, sunshine. Stay away from them,'" said Liz, trying to imitate her father as we giggled and nodded.
"So, you're turning 16 soon, darling. Do you have any ideas about what you want for your party this year?" I asked her as she smiled.
"Kind of; I do know I want the color light green and the theme of a garden," she said, smiling as I nodded.
"That sounds wonderful, darling," I said as he smiled brightly and nodded, and the carriage stopped.
'We must be there already," I thought as the coachman opened the door to reveal the orphanage and a young girl waiting for us.
"Good morning, Your Majesty," said the girl as she curtseyed.
"Good morning, um?" I started but stopped since I didn't know her name.
"Aria, Your Majesty," she said as Liz and I nodded.
"This way, please, the children are anxious about their reading," she said, smiling as I nodded and we headed inside.
Once we entered the orphanage, we could see the children gathering around in their little living room.
"Look who just arrived!" said Aria, excited as the children all looked at me and my daughter before coming to hug us.
"Queen Sofia! Princess Elizabeth!" exclaimed the children as we smiled at them.
"Well, hello!" I greeted them happily as I turned to look at my daughter, smiling too.
"We are so happy to be here with you guys," said Elizabeth as they smiled at her.
"Are you ready for your story?" I asked them as they cheered.
"Yes!" they exclaimed happily as I smiled and looked at Elizabeth.
"Well, you're in luck. The princess here is going to read to you guys. Does that sound like a good idea?" I asked as they cheered.
"Alright then," I said, smiling as my daughter nodded, headed over to a chair, and began reading to the children.
I couldn't help but smile. It seemed that it was only yesterday that I was reading to them, and now my daughter was the one reading to them.
It was then that I remembered that we had brought them fabric to supplement the lack of cotton.
"Aria, do you know if Miss Ashely is here?" I asked her as she shook her head.
"She is not my queen. She went to visit the king today and hasn't returned yet," she said as I frowned, confused.
'Why would she visit my husband?' I thought as I nodded and smiled at Aria.
"Could you help me then bring in the fabrics I brought in today," I said as she nodded while I turned to Liam and Oscar.
"Liam, come with me, and Oscar, stay here," I said as they nodded, and Liam followed me to the carriage.
Once we arrived, I grabbed a couple of boxes from the back and handed some to Aria and Liam while I carried the last ones.
As we stepped inside, I noticed that all the children's gazes turned toward us excitedly, and their eyes widened.
"What is that?" Asked a small boy.
"Is that for us?" Asked a young girl as I smiled at them.
"Don't you guys want to finish the chapter?" I asked, smiling as I looked at Elizabeth smiling at me.
"We actually just finished; this was a short chapter," she said, smiling as I nodded.
"Well, in that case, this is and isn't for you," I said as they frowned, confused, and Elizabeth began walking towards me.
"You see, we heard that you didn't have enough supplies to make clothing to sell to earn money for the orphanage, so we thought we'd bring you some fabrics," Said Elizabeth.
"But how can we make comfy clothes with that?" asked a girl as we smiled.
"While we can't make things like mittens, hats, or gloves, we can make clothes," I said as their eyes widened.
"Like dresses, shirts, skirts, pants," said a girl as we nodded.
"And yarn to teach you how to knit," said Elizabeth as I nodded.
"Yay!" screamed the children as we smiled.
"Why don't we have stations to spread the work," said Aria as I nodded.
"If you want to learn to knit, come with me, and I'll teach you," said Elizabeth as some children went with her.
"I'll do the pants and shirts," added Aria as I looked at her surprised.
"You know how to sew shirts and pants?" I asked her as she smiled and nodded.
"I will sew the dresses then," I said as the children spread out, and soon enough, we began to sew.
"Where did you learn to sew Aria?" I asked her as she smiled at me.
"I lost my mother at a young age, and I was the one fixing my father's clothing from a young age," she said as I smiled and nodded.
I wanted to ask her a bit more about her family, but I could already guess what had happened to them. I mean, she was staying at the orphanage.
"How old are you, Aria?" I asked as she smiled.
"I turned sixteen a few weeks ago," she said as I smiled.
"Your Majesty, I was wondering," she started but stopped as I looked at her confused.
"What is it, Aria?" I asked her as she shook her head and smiled.
"It's probably nothing foolish of me," she said as I shook my head and placed my hand on hers.
"You can tell me, Aria," I said as she sighed and smiled before telling me.
"I was wondering if there was a way you could help us," she said as I frowned, confused.
"With?" I asked, confused as she smiled.
"The church. It seems since the last time we got heavy rain, it ruined the roofing," she said as I nodded.
"I actually went with one of the church sisters to see the king, and he agreed to help us repair it," she added as I continued to listen.
"The problem is the roof is already demolished, and I'm afraid it won't last very long before it collapses," she said as my eyes widened.
"And that could terribly hurt someone and cause a big mess," I added as she nodded.
I looked around and noticed that many of the children had already completed their first clothing piece and were starting on a new one.
"Let's go investigate; the children seemed to have the hang of things here," I said as she nodded as I turned to Elizabeth as she nodded.
"It was lovely seeing you all today, but I'm afraid we must go," I said as the children looked upset.
"Why?" they cried as I smiled.
"We have been called to an emergency and are needed somewhere else," I said as they looked slightly upset.
"But we will be back another day to check up on your progress," Said Elizabeth as I nodded.
"Will you come back soon to read again?" asked a little boy as we nodded.
"Promise," I said as they smiled and nodded.
We bid our goodbye to the children as Aria took us to the root of the problem. Once we arrived, I could see what she was talking about.
The church's roof looked terrible, and we couldn't allow it to continue this way. This church means a lot to me since it was the one Hugo and I got married in.
"I see your point, Aria," I said as she nodded.
"Alright let's see what we can do about that," I said, smiling as she nodded, and we began to look for help.
Prince William
"Excellent Boys. It seems your training is finally starting to pay off," said Sir Anthony as I nodded.
"What do you mean, finally? I am pretty good with my sword," said Edward, confused as I slightly chuckled at him.
"It's all about the structure and balance, little brother," I said, cleaning my sword as Sir Anthony nodded.
"Your brother is right, young prince. Always be prepared for the unexpected," he said as I looked over at Edward.
"Especially if you want to travel," I said as he frowned and nodded.
"So expect the unexpected and balance my steps?" asked Edward, looking at Sir Anthony and me.
"Precisely, young prince," said Sir Anthony, and I nodded to my brother, who smiled and nodded.
"Sir Anthony, may I have a word?" asked a familiar voice, and we turned to see our GrandDad.
"Of course, Your Majesty," he said as he approached our GrandDad.
I quickly noticed they were talking very low, as if they didn't want us to hear. I turned around and noticed Edward looking at them with the same expression as I was.
"What do you think they are talking about?" Asked Edward as I shrugged and turned around to notice Sir Anthony returning to us.
"Alright, boys, that is enough for today," he said as I looked at him confused.
"Why so soon? I just began to understand," said Edward as I slightly chuckled.
"I'm afraid I have some business from your father," he said as we nodded before looking at our GrandDad.
"Prepare the men," I said as he nodded.
"Do you think there will be a war?" Asked Edward as he sighed.
"I hope not, young prince. I will see you boys around," he said, and we nodded as he left.
"What was that about GrandDad?" I asked as he sighed before smiling at us.
"Nothing, son," he said as I frowned.
"Are you sure?" asked Edward as he smiled nervously.
"Or is it that you can't tell us?" I asked him as he chuckled slightly.
"There it is," I said as he shrugged.
"Sorry boys, orders from your parents," he said as we chuckled.
"Fine, we'll know eventually, GrandDad," I said as he chuckled and nodded.
"I will see you boys for dinner," he said as we nodded before he walked away.
"Bye, GrandDad," Edward and I said as he waved away.
"Guess we can go to the village early," I said as Edward looked surprised.
"You'd go with me?" He asked, surprised as I nodded.
"Might as well, I have nothing else to do," I said as he smiled and nodded.
"Let's go then," he said as we began to walk.
"Besides, someone has to keep an eye on you, baby brother," I said, smirking as he rolled his eyes at me.
"Haha, very funny, brother," he said as I smirked at him.
"Always am," I said as he smiled.
"I see what you're doing, brother, and that is not going to bother me no matter how hard you try," he said, smirking as I rolled my eyes.
Usually, I would occasionally try to embarrass my brother by calling him baby-bro, but instead of getting the reaction I wanted, he simply smiled.
He claims to love it and even would try to hug me at times; at first, I thought he was also playing the game. But I quickly realized that he wasn't.
In fact, my little brother likes it when I tease him; he sees the good instead of the trouble.
I remember the first time I called him during dinner time a couple of years ago. When our mother heard, she couldn't help but giggle as our father shook his head.
It seemed our uncle would call our father that as well, and he hated it. It's funny how he hated it, but Edward is un-bothered by it.
"Let's take the horses," Said Edward as I looked at him confused.
"Really?" I asked as he nodded.
"Alright then," I said, smiling as we made our way to the stables.
"Wanna race?" I asked, smirking at him as he smiled.
"William, you know you're a better rider than I am; you'd win so easily," he said as I raised my eyebrow.
"You never know, baby brother. You're at Corinthian Sports; I went to Ever Realm Academy," I said as he smiled.
"True, but you were the first one at Royal Prep, next to Liz," he said as I nodded, agreeing.
Besides our sister, I was terrific at flying Derby and GrandDad, says Liz, and I get it from our parents and generations of the Whelsire royalty.
"Besides, you're always practicing flying derby, and I kind of placed it aside; I mean, I didn't even try out for the team," he said as I nodded.
I was about to say something as we arrived at the stables and noticed one of the stable boys brushing the horses.
"Good morning, your majesties," He said as we smiled.
"Good morning, Brandon. Can you please get our horses ready?" I said as he smiled and nodded.
"Of course, Your Majesty. Right away," he said as he quickly prepared our horses as I turned to look at my brother.
"Why didn't you try out? You know you could have gained a spot like Liz did," I said as he nodded.
"True, but it isn't really my thing," he said as I nodded.
"You prefer ice dancing," I said as he nodded.
Sometimes, I feel like Edward might feel like the odd middle child, and that may be why he wants to travel and have adventures after graduation.
Elizabeth and I are very good at sports, but she takes that prize because she does flying derby and ice dancing. Plus, she is brilliant in school.
While I did participate in the flying derby while at Royal Prep, I think I gained more of the book's intelligence.
"I'm not smart or as athletic as you two, but I do love ice dancing," he said as I nodded.
"And you are terrific at it. Besides, you're braver than us," I said as he looked at me, confused.
"You're willing to head into danger and have adventures; that's pretty admiring, baby brother," he said as he smiled.
"Have you ever thought of becoming a knight?" I asked as he shook his head.
"Not really; I thought that wasn't my thing," he said as I shook my head.
"Nonsense, I believe that might be something you should consider," I said as he thought momentarily.
"Maybe I will. I mean, they do have all different kinds of adventures," he said as I nodded.
It was then they brought us our horses ready. I smiled, and we each took our horses and led them out of the stables.
"Thank you, Brandon," said my brother and me as Brandon smiled.
"Have a good ride, Your Majesties," he said as we hopped on our horse and began our trip to the village.
Since we had our Pegasus, we arrived at the village in no time. We landed our horses in the center of the village and began to ride around it.
"What are you going to do?" I asked him as he smiled.
"Just walk around, really, and make sure everything is going well," he said as I nodded, surprised.
"Shouldn't I be doing that, though?" I asked him as he smiled.
"I mean, the people already know who you are; they have met you since you were a baby, and there's really no need if you and Dad come more often than I do," he said as I smiled.
"So, it's really a walk?" I asked as he nodded.
"Yes. Plus, I believe the adventure always begins in the village," he said as I chuckled slightly.
"Well, you aren't lying there, brother; there's always something new to be done here in the village," I said as he nodded.
I was about to say something else when we came across the side church building; this is our beloved church where ceremonies were always held and organizations to help people.
In fact, here is where our parents were married, and where we would probably be married someday.
However, I never truly see myself getting married and settling down, but as the future king, chances are very high.
"William, look," said Edward as I turned to see the royal carriage and many people in front of the church.
"Looks like Mom is here," I said as he nodded.
"Why, though? I thought she would be at the orphanage with Liz," Said Edward as I shrugged.
"Let's go check it out," I said, turning my horse to their location.
As we got closer, I saw many men on top of the church working with Mom and our sister.
'What the heck?' I thought as we stopped near the carriage, hopped off, and walked towards Mom.
"Mom?" I called out for her as she turned to face us, smiling.
"William, Edward. What a surprise to see you boys down here," she said, smiling.
"What's going on, Mom?" I asked as Edward nodded.
"We thought you were going to the orphanage," added Edward as I nodded.
"We were there, but then one of the girls there talked about the church's problem, and we decided to check it out after we were done," she said as we looked up.
"There's a big gap on the roof," I said as she looked at me surprised.
"How did you know?" She asked as I smiled.
"All Men are on the roof, and you can see it from the side," I said as she smiled.
"Wow, Mom, I'm impressed you were able to gather all these people to come and help you," said Edward as she smiled.
"She is the queen, and above all, they love Mom," I said as she smiled.
"Why don't we give you a hand, Mom," said Edward as she smiled and nodded.
"Why don't you go help your sister? She's helping paint the wall," she said as we nodded and headed toward her.
As we were getting closer, I turned to Edward and singled him out to be quiet. He smiled and nodded as I kept getting closer to our sister quietly.
"Ladybug!" I said as she quickly dropped the paintbrush and jumped before laughing and turning around to face Edward and me.
"Don't do that!" she said, placing her arms on her hips, upset as we continued to laugh at the fact we were able to jump-scare her.
"Come on, Liz, we're just playing," I said as she smirked.
"Well then, it looks to me like you just volunteered," said a girl. We turned to see a girl with dark brown hair and eyes approach us.
"I think you are right; why don't we hand these two a brush and let them get started," said Liz as I shook my head.
"Mom said to help, not to do all the work," I said as she smiled.
"Punishment for scaring me," she said as they each handed us a brush before they took off giggling as I shook my head.
For one thing, I was glad my sister made a new friend in the village, but I didn't like being stuck doing all her work.
"I think she's a bad influence; what do you think, Edward?" I said, slightly chuckling as I looked at Edward, who seemed to be staring at them.
"Edward?" I said as I looked over at our sister and her friend, then back at my brother, before slightly chuckling and shaking my head.
"Is it my imagination, baby-bro, or did she strike you?" I asked as I began to paint the wall. He turned his head towards me, confused.
"What do you mean?" he asked as I smirked.
"You like her, don't you?" I asked, smirking as he shook his head slightly and laughed.
"No, I was just amazed by her beauty, that's all; she's beautiful," he said as I continued to smirk at him.
"Whatever you say, baby-bro," I said as he began to paint the wall, and I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Why don't you go talk to her baby-bro?" I asked as he shook his head.
"There's no point if I am going to be gone real soon," he said as I sighed.
"Besides, she could be courted by someone, and it would be weird if I went and randomly asked her if she was or wasn't being courted," he said as I nodded.
"You do have a point, brother. Besides, there's a lot more of those adventures where you're going," I said as he smiled.
"As Mom and Dad once said, what is yours will be yours; no one can take it away from you. It doesn't matter if it leaves. If it truly is yours, it will find a way back to you," he said as I shrugged.
"All I have to do is wait and see if we cross paths again," he said as I nodded.
"If you say so, baby-bro," I said as he smiled.
We didn't have any problems when it came to girls; in school, we were very, very popular and fancied by many girls.
But you could say my brother and I were hard to please, but for different reasons. He was looking for something different from me. I was looking for growth while he was looking for happiness.
It took a while, but we soon finished painting the church, and the walls and roof were all done.
"There, good as new," said Mom happily as we all nodded.
"See what happens when we work as a team; we get everything done much quicker and efficiently," said Liz. I raised my eyebrow at her, and she smiled.
"Thank you so much for all your help," said Mom, smiling as the townspeople bowed and smiled.
"We should be thanking you, Your Majesties," said a villager.
"Thanks to all your support and hard work, we were able to finish the church accommodation," said another villager.
"Bless the gods for sending us a wonderful king and queen who help and support us," said a woman smiling.
"Bless you and your children," said a villager.
"And the crowned prince who helped us, not caring to get his suit covered in paint," said a man as I looked at the side of my shirt and saw it covered in paint as I chuckled.
"You raised him well, my queen," said a female villager as Mom smiled and nodded.
"Thank you. He really is a blessing after everything," she said, smiling, as I frowned, confused.
'What did she mean by that?' I thought as I smiled at the people.
"I promise that, like my parents, I will do anything I can to help you all," I said as the villagers cheered as Mom hugged me.
"Come on, let's go home," Mom said as I nodded.
I helped Mom and Liz get into the carriage as Edward and I hopped on our horses and began our journey to the castle.
Edward and I could easily fly because of the Pegasus, but we decided to ride with our Mother and Sister for extra safety precautions.
Even though her personal guards, Oscar, and Liam, were with them, a little safety wouldn't hurt anyone.
"What are you thinking about?" asked Edward as I sighed.
"About what Dad wanted to talk about," I said as he nodded.
I knew he was about to say something when we heard a noise and saw a flying carriage taking off from Whelsire.
'Strange, I didn't think we'd have visitors today?' I thought as we continued to walk through the gate of Whelsire.