Falling For His Charms

CHAPTER 31

After a short visit with Grady and Edaline, who had sped off to go get Lex, Fitz and Sophie found themselves walking to the closest kitchen to them. Fitz kept sneaking glances at the girl, however she didn't notice; instead, she was staring at the ground, deep in thought.

"Sophie, do you want to talk about it?" He offered.

"Hm?" She hummed, still staring at the floor. When Fitz took her hand in his, she looked up and met his eyes.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He repeated softly. She smiled weakly and shook her head, turning left to walk into the kitchen. As soon as she saw the large kitchen, it cheered her up slightly.

There were dozens upon dozens of plates of pastries and desserts on almost every marble counter or table, and there were even exquisite beverages and drinks of all different colours. Sophie's eyes raked over the rainbow of treats that lay before her; even being a girl that had grown up with a mother as a baker, she had never seen so many desserts, all in one place.

"Crazy, eh?" Fitz's accented voice disrupted her thoughts, and she turned towards him, seeing his small smile that comforted her like nothing else. She nodded eagerly back, before gazing back at the amazing sight.

"I know that we came here for tea, but could we... You know, have some desserts as well?" She mentally cringed at her childish question, but the grin on the boys' face made her feel otherwise.

"Of course! That was the main reason that I brought you here." She grinned back, and they both sped off to the first counter, taking as many butterblasts into their arms as they could. Giggling childishly, they had their own mini-picnic on the floor of the kitchen, stuffing themselves until they could eat no more. Sophie sighed contently, before having the courage to gently lay her head on Fitz's shoulder.

As she did so, she found that she had never been so aware of anything in her life. She could hear the sound of her heart beating in her ears, hers and the boy's beside hers' even breathing, the sound of her stomach growling quietly (probably mad at her for eating too many sweets), the feel of Fitz's soft silk sleeve on her cheek.

"Thank you, Fitz," She thanked, closing her eyes comfortably.

"What for?" He asked; as he speaked, Sophie could feel the vibrations from his body transmit to hers.

"For distracting me for a while. I am grateful for it."

"Well, it was no problem at all. I do these things for my friends in need." His voice was meant to be soothing, however a small piece of Sophie's heart broke as the word 'friend' echoed in her brain. As she opened her eyes to stare at the wall opposite, she wondered: was she really only a friend to him? She had always thought that there was something more... Apparently not.

Sophie cleared her throat, and sat up straight, missing the warmth of Fitz's shoulder immediately. "We should go see how the search is going. They may have found something by now."

The boy nodded, helping Sophie off the cold floor. They walked out the door and through the halls in silence, the only sounds the clicking of their shoes on the tiles of the floor and the sound of their quiet breathing. Unlike on the way to the kitchen, neither had the courage to grab the hand of the other - they walked with nearly a meter in between them. Finally, the duo made it to the King's office, and Fitz knocked lightly on the hard mahogany door.

"Come in," A tired voice answered, and Fitz opened the door, letting Sophie in before him. As the two walked in, they met eyes with Fitz's father, who looked exhausted and frustrated. However, the irritation leaked away from his eyes when he saw who had walked into his office. A small smile made it's way onto his weary face as he asked a question. "Come for input on the search, I suppose?"

Sophie nodded, looking at her feet, and fidgeting with her fingers.

King Alden ran his hand through his hair, and sighed loudly and long, letting all the air out of his lungs until he spoke again. "Well... Unfortunately, there is no sign of the two children. We have searched everywhere. I would have sent out more guards to search for them, however many of them are helping with the reconstruction of Gloria, so there aren't as many trying to find them."

Sophie nodded, blinking away the next round of tears that made their way to her sorrowed brown eyes.

"Luckily, the reconstruction of Gloria will soon be finished, and we can send most of the villagers that were staying in our emergency tents back to town. That will consequently provide us with more guards that can help find those two Dizznee children." Alden added, and even in his tired state, added a comforting smile. "And what's even better, we are sending out a message to one of our greatest allies."

"If I may ask... Who are these allies?" Sophie asked, finally tearing her gaze away from her shiny shoes, and looking the king straight in his teal eyes.

"You may know them," He said. "As the Black Swan."

As soon as Alden uttered those words, Sophie felt a rush of memories flooding back into her mind. As strong as a waterfall, she saw answers to blotched and scratchy memories that she had been questioning for so long, overwhelming her completely. Colours of light came in flashes, and even though it was in her mind, she felt as of she was being blinded by all the light. She stumbled back into Fitz, who steadied her, and looked at her with his concerned gaze.

"Hey, Soph, are you alright? "

"I-I think so. Your Highness, thank you for the answers; I am very grateful." She smiled kindly at him, and continued on. "May I be excused? I must go somewhere."

"Is it urgent?" He asked.

"To me, yes."

"Alright, yes, you may go. If you ever do need anything, come to me," He said, and Sophie thanked him, rushing to the door. Before she could walk out, Fitz put his hand on my shoulder.

"I know that you want to be alone right now, but remember? My father wants you to have someone with you."

Sophie nodded, and grabbed his wrist, speeding down the hall without waiting for an answer.