Falling For His Charms

CHAPTER 37

Even with her eyes closed, Sophie could feel the warmth of the sun from the windows on her face. Yawning, she sat up and stretched, slowly opening her heavy eyelids. Her warm brown eyes slowly got used to the bright sun peaking through the curtains, and she let a smile place itself on her lips; she had slept.

Looking at the clock, she noticed that it was nearly eight o'clock, and she threw the heavy white covers off of her, running to the bathroom to get ready for the day. After the finishing touch of trying the back of an orange dress, she skipped over to the door, and flung it open; then shrieked.

Keefe was standing right on the other side, waiting for her, and winked when he saw her shocked face. "Why good morning, Sophie. How are you on this lovely day?" He sniggered at her when she was still too shocked to answer right away.

"You startled me, Keefe!" She breathed, letting out a weak laugh. He laughed at her, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, leading her down the hall.

"I know; I planned it perfectly," He added with another wink. Sophie scoffed and rolled her eyes playfully. The duo walked to the dining hall together, arriving just in time to see a stressed looking Fitz striding out of the room with a muffin in his mouth and a tall stack of papers in his arms. He smiled - well, as much as he could with food in his mouth - and rushed past them, nearly running. Sophie raised an eyebrow and looked at Keefe.

"Is he heading towards this certain 'important meeting'?" She asked, and Keefe nodded.

"It was completely forgotten; he only found out some time last night."

"He had told me about it as he walked me to my room after dinner..."

Keefe sighed, and ran his hand through his styled blonde hair, messing it up in the slightest. "I am not one hundred percent sure of what it is about, but I'm fairly certain that it's about the kidnapping of your siblings."

Sophie cleared her throat, and she and Keefe headed into the large dining room. "That... That would make sense." The older boy nodded, as he pulled out a chair for her at the table. She smiled in thanks, and sat down. She had wanted to continue their conversation, but just as she was opening her mouth again, Lex plopped down in the chair on her right.

"GOOD MORNING!" He shrieked, a large grin on his freckled face. "I have the bestest of news!"

Sophie fought of the urge to cringe at his loud voice, and smiled at the excited young boy. Keefe sniggered on her left at Lex's improper grammar. "What would that be?" She asked, putting food on a plate for Lex.

"Dex is coming out of the hospital wing today!" He clapped excitedly, his grin widening impossibly more, showing his missing teeth in the front of his mouth. Sophie's eyes widened as she put down the plate in front of the younger boy.

"I had completely forgotten about that! Thank you for reminding me, Lex." Her only response was a big smile full of food from him. "What time is he coming?"

Lex swallowed a large bite of a blitzenberry biscuit and thought. "Hmm... I think in about an hour; Elwin wanted to give him a little more medications." His voice shrunk to a whisper and he scooched closer to Sophie, so that only she and Keefe could hear. "Elwin even told me that one of them is made of unicorn pee."

Keefe choked on his water, and spit it into the face of the noble sitting across from him, Lady Stina Heks. The girl, around Sophie's age, shrieked out in horror, and her jaw dropped. Keefe tried to hide his sniggers as he continuously apologized - not genuinely - to the poor girl. In all honesty, he wasn't the only one trying to hide their laughs; barely anyone at the table actually enjoyed being around Lady Stina, so it was a field day at the dining table for those who did not.

Keefe, Sophie and Lex finished their eventful breakfast, and Lex skipped ahead, humming a loud tune that echoed in the broad hallways of the castle. After a few minutes of walking, Lex suddenly stopped.

"Does the castle have horses?" He asked as he turned around to see the older elves, curiosity stitching across his face. Keefe grinned and nodded.

"Of course we do; we live in a castle after all!" Lex grinned back. "Can we go see them?"

Keefe looked towards Sophie to see if she would give permission. With a growing smirk, she agreed. The three of them ran wildly to the castle stables, looking absolutely crazy as they stomped outside into the yard. Smiles painted on their beaming faces, Keefe led them through two tall barn doors, into a hall lined with horse pens. Lex gazed in awe at the magnificent animals, his eyes shining. Sophie smiled at the young boy's expression.

"I take it that you like animals?" She asked, walking up to a black horse that stood on her left. Lex nodded enthusiastically.

"I want to own an animal clinic when I'm older," He said. "I have always wanted to."

Keefe picked him up so that he could pet one of the horses; he was too short to on his own. Lex grin widened to an impossible size as he petted the horse's blonde snout, giggling loudly.

"You know..." She started, leaning against a tall beam. "Back in Gloria, my father owned an animal clinic himself."

Lex froze and slowly turned to look at her. "Really?" He whispered, as Keefe put him back on the ground. She nodded.

"I used to help him, when I wasn't at school or working in the bakery. I can ask him to show you around once the town is rebuilt." Lex laughed and clapped his hands excitedly, jumping up and down.

"He would do that?! For me!"

"Of course!"

Keefe was about to add something when they heard a loud horse sound coming from the other side of the stable. Lex ran towards it, looking for the cause of the noise. Keefe and Sophie followed, curiously looking into the pen.

There was a rather fat looking horse, who wasn't as... majestic, let's say, as the others. He looked like one of those silly ones that were talked about in children's stories.

But he was real. And Lex absolutely adored him.

"Awww, look at him! His black mane is so curly! And look! He still has his baby chubbs!" Lex gushed at the odd creature, who snorted maniacally, which only made the young boy love him more. Lex opened the pen door and walked inside, so that he could poke the horse's chubby brown stomach.

Keefe, however, looked slightly mortified. "I... I never saw THAT horse before..." He whispered to Sophie, who was gazing at the creature with her jaw slightly slacked. "And I've been here tons of times."

"I don't know if I would have wanted to."

Lex turned to look at the older elves, his eyes begging. "Can I please ride him?"

Keefe and Sophie shared a look, not knowing the answer.

"Please please please please please please pleeeeaaase? I'll be good! I won't scream in the halls anymore! I'll stop throwing slime at the guards! I'll -"

Sophie nearly scolded him for his last remark, but Keefe allowed Lex to ride the horse. He prepared the sadle, and helped the seven-year-old onto the small horse. As the horse (whom Lex had named Gary for some reason or another) and Lex trotted away, Keefe swung his arm around her shoulder.

"Sorry for agreeing without your permission. I just saw his face, and... That horse rarely gets used. I would have seen him around otherwise. Do you think that you could forgive me?"

Sophie let out a small chuckle, and forgived him. "I was never mad at you, anyways. It's actually quite funny watching him ride a horse his height."