A Bit of Love

Chapter 8

Sofia POV

"I took it too far Amber," I said to her while she was drinking tea in my balcony room. She was sipping it with one pinky lifted just like what they taught us at school. I waited for an answer, instead she picked up a crumpet and took a bite off of it. She swallowed and looked at me sternly.

"Sofia, we talked about this, this is the only way, besides it is working, yes?," She said and I pursed my lips reluctantly. I mean, he didn't change much the past few days, he looked like he just was becoming more stressed by the moment. The bags under his eyes was slowly getting more visible and an obvious tiredness in his voice could be heard. 

"Yes?" I replied with hesitation, Amber noticed and her left eyebrow went up in question looking for a sure answer. "No?" I replied again.

"Listen, I think he is just focusing on me because I drank the 'love potion' in which case I actually didn't." 

I sat down in front of Amber and let my body go sluggish by the wooden chair. I looked at the horizon and wished I never lied in the first place. I am not the kind of girl who could do this thing, I have garnered a reputation of the kind and honest  princess. And now, I don't feel like I deserve that. This is too much, I'm scared to tell Hugo the truth because he might see me differently now. 

"Relax Sofia, 4 more days left right? Just wait for it to pass by and everything will be back to normal, as if nothing ever happened," she paused and sipped her tea yet again. "Oh!" she said and I shot up a look thinking if she might say something that might actually help me. 

"You should try the tea Hildegard gave me. This is sweet and bitter at the same time, I don't actually know how to describe the taste. It's marvelous," I groaned at her random topic which in anyway wasn't help at all. i looked at the crumpet on the patio table before me.

"The problem is, the 'truth potion' worked," I admitted. And amber almost dropped her teacup on the cemented floor. "I thought we revised the ingredients?," she asked as if she is slightly panicking, but more or less, she is. "I don't know, it just worked, because when Hugo and I we're doing our project the other day, he asked a bunch of questions and I answered truthfully, I tried to stop it from coming out, and he almost got me." I told her.

"But you drank a potion before that which makes you immune from any potion, and besides the potion that should work was the love potion, not the truth" She said and I pursed my lips. I knew none of them worked, but my amulet did. I should have thought this through, as long as Amber doesn't question anything about it, she won't know.

"But earlier you answered my question with an unsure answer, why was it like that?," She asked, and I was unsure either. "My guess is that it will only work once I know the whole truth, not just by me guessing the situation, " I replied, which is good. I won't have to always tell the truth. I may be kind and honest, but like any other person, I sometimes have thought that may not be good to hear.

"It makes sense, well you just have to wait," she said and continued munching on the other confectionery laid on the patio table. "You know, I was actually scared on the day I drank the potion, I never expected Hugo to go straight to Ms. Fiona" I said and reminisced that day.

I was trying to stop him by acting that I don't want him to leave me, but still he created a way to speak to Ms. Fiona. I barged in the door hoping Hugo wouldn't tell her, but she did, but at least now I know the side effects of the potion, because I didn't actually know there was a book connected to that, thinking that I could just milk the whole situation. 

What's weird is that Ms. Fiona looked at me funny that day, and I know she was having doubts as this is something that I wouldn't usually do. Drinking poorly made potions was out of the ordinary. I decided not to mind it. But back to the issue at hand, I now have a week to do this performance, and it's getting quite tiring. And I know Hugo is having his doubts now too.

Someone knocked on the door completely throwing me off of my thoughts. "Come in," I said as I straightened my back and corrected my composture.

 Baileywick came in and bowed slightly. "The King of Rossero invites you to their kingdom to and I quote "spend time with his second son."" My eyes widened at the coincidence of events and a bit skeptical at the invitation, this is sudden, the king is inviting me? 

"Baileywick, is there any reason to this sudden invitation?," I asked him.

"You haven't heard Sofia?," Amber's eyes widened too. "Hasn't Hugo told you?"

"Told me what?," from Amber's way of speaking I know something bad happened or is happening, and that is involving Hugo.

"It is true Prince Hugo's father is sick, but as for the cause of invitation, I'm afraid I am not sure," Baileywick said. 

This is bad, this is actually bad. I'm adding problems to Hugo's life and maybe it is high time I told him.

"Shall I order a carriage to take you there?" Baileywick asked and I nodded in return. "It will be ready in and estimated time of 5 minutes, the carriage will be waiting at the carriage driveway," he bowed again. 

"And Baileywick, please ask the maids to ready a basket fit for a picnic, thank you," I said and Baileywick nodded.

"Well, what do you plan to do?," Amber asked and I inhaled heavily. 

"I will tell him the truth."