Sofia the protected

chapter 6

Amber's perspective.

When we enter the games room, James, Hugo, and Sophia immediately go to the snack table. Snickerdoodles and decaf chai tea have been prepared for us. To be honest, they do smell amazing. But I would rather sit by the fire and have the cold seep out of me. Everyone else is fine because they were running around but Hilde, Cleo, and I were just watching. I clench and open my hands repeatedly, to try to get the blood flowing.

The couch cushions sink down, alerting me that someone has sat beside me. I look over to see Desmond smiling at me, offering me a cup of hot tea. I take it smiling up at him in thanks.

I expected Cleo or Hilde to come and talk to me. But when I look around the room Hildegard is busy flirting with Zandar.

Hugo is leaned up against the bookshelf by the snack table. Sophia is opposite him. They're laughing pleasantly about something. Just at the other end of the small table, James seems to be surrounded by a semi-circle of girls; Izza, Cleo, and Vivian. Elena is there, too. From the snippets I hear, Vivian and Cleo are telling funny stories about the latest production at the Performing Arts Academy.

"It appears James is in trouble," Desmond's soft voice startled me. I had been so intent on watching my friends.

"I was just thinking the same thing. I should probably go help him," I sigh. "I don't want to leave my comfy spot on the couch."

"Will you?" Desmond's voice started out soft but rose at the end, making it clear he was asking a question. The teasing glint in his eyes made me realize it was rhetorical. He knew if my brother actually needed me I would go over.

"Probably not." I laugh. I'm glad Des came over to talk to me. I'm also glad for the tea he brought. My fingers are warming and the pleasant aroma is calming. I don't mean to, but for a moment I get lost in his eyes.

"I think James is going to have a hard time deciding who to be betrothed to. Not like you, Amber. You knew in the first 30 seconds." Elena's loud voice startles me. Up until that point I had not realized Desmond and I were whispering.

"Yeah, that's some confidence, Amber. Out of all those names on that list, how did you know you wanted him? Do you even know if he will choose you back?"Desmond's voice dropped almost below a whisper. He refused to make eye contact. Instead, his eyes were focused intently on his cup of tea.

"Well, I... I've liked this person for a long time. It'll be a good alliance for my kingdom. I guess I didn't think about it a whole bunch because I've already thought so much about it. In my heart, I had already chosen him. And yeah I guess there is a possibility that he won't choose me but I'd rather not..."

Sophia's perspective

"Sophia, I love Flying Derby." Hugo runs his fingers through his hair causing his perfectly gelled locks to fall loose and flop onto his forehead. His hair, although now messy, looks more authentic.

He looks up at me through his eyelashes. His eyes hold a mischievous quality. Confidence is displayed in his square shoulders. But there's an oddly timed quality in the way he moves his hands. "But recently it's been hard. I haven't been able to find a good partner." Hugo breaks eye contact and looks down. His roguish smile is absent from his now despondent face. That was just the motivation I needed to make my announcement.

I knew Amber wouldn't like it. But this was something I have been contemplating for a long time. My mother finally convinced me to do it. Now I needed to tell everyone.

"I think you will, soon. Pardon me, Hugo. I have an announcement to make."

I clinked my spoon against my teacup in an attempt to get everyone's attention. It worked. I watched as all eyes were now on me. " I have an announcement to make. Starting next Monday, I will be attending the Corinthian School of sports." Amber's high-pitched shriek broke my ears. Vivian ran over to congratulate me. Hugo high-fived me, a childish grin on his face that he simply couldn't hide.

I watched as Amber stalked out of the room. James ran after her.

James's perspective.

"Amber, I know you want Sofia to go to school with you, but aren't you being a little selfish right now. You should be happy for Sophia. This will make her happy."

"Is that why you think, I'm angry? Really James. I'm just upset that we didn't know first. We are her family. She didn't tell me, she didn't tell us. Yeah, I'm disappointed I'm not going to be going to school with her anymore. I'm sad because this probably means that she's not going to be my royal advisor."I took a deep breath. I was angry at James for his assumption. I was sad and confused. " But if this will get Sophia back to normal, then I'll try my best to support it. You should have known that. Now if you'll excuse me I need a moment to collect myself."

I made my way to the nearest restroom and cleaned my face. I returned to the party in a few moments and hugged Sofia. I whispered in her ear that I was happy for her. I try to make it sound as genuine as possible. Because I really did want my sister to be happy. I was going to miss her, quite a lot.