Falling For His Charms

CHAPTER 30

Sophie yelled out as they left. Seeing Bex and Rex disappear was almost as if those cloaked figures had ripped away a piece of her heart. Trying desperately not to cry, she turned to Lex, who was still sobbing and clutching his nose. She helped him up, gave him a quick hug, and grabbed his wrist to lead him away from the balcony.

"Lex, you are extremely brave and smart, so I have something that I need you to do," She said as they started speed-walking into the halls of the castle. "Can you go to the hospital wing, which is very close to where we are, and get Elwin to fix you up? Once he has, stay there until I, Grady, Edaline, Fitz or Keefe come get you, is that clear?"

Lex nodded, wiping his bleeding nose, before running of to do as she said. As soon as he was out of her sight she burst into tears; she didn't need to seem strong anymore. As fast as ever, she ran towards Fitz's so-called office.

She made it pretty quickly, with the adrenaline running through her veins and the need to see the children again pushing her on. She burst though the door, without knocking, making Fitz jump at the desk he was sitting. His surprised expression turned to immediate concern as he saw her alarmed eyes and tears running down her face. He stood up from his chair and ran over to her.

"Soph, what's wrong?" He asked, worry dripping in his voice.

"W-we were star gazing and these cloaked people took Bex and Rex, and they h-hurt Lex - he's okay now - but now the other two are gone! And it's all my fault!" She tried to stifle her sobs, but to no avail.

Fitz's emotions were now swirls of worry, concern, sadness, and anger. "We'll find them," He said with confidence. "I promise."

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Fitz had told his father about what had happened, and the Royal guards started looking in the surrounding area for possible clues of signs that Bex, Rex, or the cloaked figures had been there.

Now Sophie, on the other hand, was being questioned by the King himself, as Fitz sat on a chair beside her, holding her hand.

"The cloaked people had said that they wanted you, and you would only have the children returned if you left with them?" The King repeated what Sophie had told them, and she nodded.

"A-and I tried to bargain with them, because Bex a-and Rex were in danger, but then they went... away." She said, blinking back her tears. She refused to cry again. Fitz gave her hand a comforting squeeze.

"How did they leave? Did they light-leap, go into the castle..." The King pressed on.

"They jumped off the balcony and disapeared; I don't know where they went. I... I didn't even do anything to stop them!" Even as she blinked furiously, a single tear drop fell from her eye. The guilt pouring into her soul was coming in large amounts; she had never felt so guilty in her life.

"Sophie, you listen to me right now," The King urged, and Sophie lifted her head to meet his teal eyes; the eyes that Fitz had inherited from him. "Guilt is very dangerous for an elf. Did you know that?"

She nodded, and sniffed, wiping away the last of the tears that streamed down her face.

"So what I need you to do, is to forget any guilt you feel. Do you understand?" Sophie nodded once again. "Alright. Put all that guilt away - far away - so that you never find it ever again. Is all this clear?"

"Yes."

"Alright. Now that you no longer feel any guilt, here is what I am going to tell you. You were not armed, and you were trying to protect a small, hurt child as you feared the life of two others. To make matters worse, you were the only one that could be considered an adult, against two fully grown, dangerous others. Do these odds seem fair?"

She shook her head.

"I'm glad that this is clear. I am going to do all in my power to find those children, cross my heart. And one last thing: as a safety precaution, I'd rather that you not walk around the castle alone any longer. Please stay with Fitz or Keefe- you have met the later, have you not? I could even assign you a personal guard if needed. I am only saying this for you safety and well-being."

"I understand, thank you, Sir," Sophie said with a weak smile. He smiled back.

"There's no reason to worry; we will find them." And the King walked out the silver door, leaving Sophie and Fitz alone in the room.

"Why don't we go get you some tea?" Fitz offered.