Falling For His Charms

CHAPTER 5

Sophie thought about Fitz all day and night. While she sold treats to customers, she would keep looking towards the door to see if he entered. The next time Verdi got out of her enclosure, she kept hoping that Fitz would suspect something and come to help. But, worst of all, he kept popping up in her dreams. In the few hours that were supposed to be calm and to regain energy, she still thought about that bloody handsome prince. Why did she, of all people, fall for the Prince's charms?!

"Sophie?" Someone asked, but she didn't register, lost in her thoughts.

"Sophie.... SOPHIE!" She jumped out of her daydream, and looked at Grady.

"Are you listening now? " He asked, looking slightly irritated. Sophie nodded quickly.

"Can you set the table please?" He asked, his gaze softening.

"Of course," The girl walked to the cupboard, and took out the utensils and bowls.

As the family of three ate their soup, Sophie zoned out again. She was thinking of the time when Fitz helped her pick up the fallen muffins, when the two of them met... He was so kind... And, not to mention, so handsome...

"Sophie!" She snapped out of her thoughts, looking up at Grady. Edaline looked at her. "Are you alright, sweetie? You've been seeming a little distant lately."

Grady scoffed. "You can say that again."

Edaline smacked the back of his head, and whispered something that sounded like "She's your daughter," in his ear.

Grady turned back to Sophie, but then grimaced. "Is it... You know... What happens...."

Sophie raised on eyebrow at him. "What are you even saying?"

He groaned. "You know, monthly cycles!"

Edaline and Sophie looked at each other, then burst out laughing.

"N-no, Dad, it's not that!" Sophie was laughing very hard by then. He rolled his eyes, but joined the laughter too.

"Fine, I guess that I sounded a little ridiculous, but... I know something's up. You don't need to tell us now, but it might help if you do," Grady said.

"Whenever you're ready," Edaline added with a smile.

"There's nothing-" Sophie started, but stopped when she saw her mother's raised eyebrow. Sophie huffed.

"I bet that it's love," Edaline sang, clasping her hands together. Grady's cheerful demeanour quickly shifted to anger as he glared at his daughter. "It better not be! You are too young for that! Oh, it better not be one of those school boys..."

"I'm not in love!"

They finished their diner pretty quickly after that, then Grady and Edaline went back to the clinic to get the animals ready for the night. Sophie had the task of cleaning the table and putting away the dishes.

She hummed while she worked, swinging her hips a little to the tune. She usually did this when she did chores, and music seemed to clear her mind... Until the Prince entered her life, obviously.

Her mind drifted off into its own imaginary land, a land where she wasn't just a peasant and where Fitz wasn't the Prince of the kingdom of Everglen - some day destined to be King, of course. In this land, they owned a large house together; not too large, but big enough so that it was comfortable, yet spacey. There, away from any worries of war, of the dangers of the world, they would fall in love, and nothing could drag them apart...

Sophie sighed.

The problem with her imagination was that it imagined things that would never come true.

That could never happen.

And that meant that Fitz would never, EVER think of Sophie the way she thought of him - his heart would never flutter when he heard her voice, his skin wouldn't ever tingle when his skin touched hers...

Tears filled the poor girls' eyes.

Why did she think that she ever had a chance?There was no way that he, someone so high above herself, could ever want her-

Crash.

The sound of glass breaking stopped Sophie's thoughts. Then, from the street outside, a scream of terror sliced through the air. Sophie froze, trying to understand what was happening. From where the sound of the glass breaking came from, she heard footsteps. And they were heading her way.

Thinking of what to do, Sophie walked quietly away from the nearing burglar, to where the staircase lead to the clinic. But, before that she could make it there, she slipped on the the sponge that she dropped when she noticed that she was in danger. In a loud crash, Sophie fell to the floor. Even though she had the wind knocked out of her, the young girl got up, shaking from head-to-toe. She froze in horror.

There, standing five feet away from her, was an ogre with his sword drawn.