Hugfia: The One That Got Away

Chapter 11

Present Day 

(This is the last time I'll label the top of the chapter because from now on, all will be Present Day)

Hugo's eyes widened. "I- I shouldn't have come here." He looked to the side of the balcony, as if calculating if he could survive the fall. He then looked down at his shoes, not daring to make eye contact with Sofia. "I wanted to see for myself whether it was true... I saw you had a child... and you're engaged... I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be talking to you."

"What child?" Sofia then thought of Tilly, and the rustling in the garden bush. "It was YOU in the garden, wasn't it?" She laughed, "Tilly's not my daughter, she's my niece."

"Well well well, why is my fiancée talking to another man in the shadows?" said a voice from behind.

Hugo bowed down, "Prince Friedrich, I was just about to leave, but I congratulate you on your engagement."

"Is that... the lost prince of Kryevka? Oh my, I must tell everyone at once that the scared little gecko that scurried away years ago has come crawling back!"

Hugo's face blanched and Sofia immediately clutched Prince Friedrich's arm. "Shall we go back to our dance?"

"Not yet-"

Hugo had pulled a grappling hook out of his pocket, hung it to the railing of the balcony and was sliding down. He was gone in an instant.

"Ah the scaredy cat has run away again," Prince Friedrich sneered and turned on his heel and re-entered the ballroom, Sofia following behind reluctantly.

Sofia looked around the room, full of her friends and family. Amber and Desmond were dancing, James was talking to Vivian who was blushing, and her parents were still being occupied by the crowd of ministers.

She had never felt so alone.

Down below, Hugo slowly lowered himself to the ground and looked back up to the balcony. He whispered to himself,

I should've bought you flowers

And held your hand

Should've gave you all my hours

When I had the chance

Take you to every party

'Cause all you wanted to do was dance

Now my baby's dancing

But she's dancing with another man

-  "When I was Your Man" by Bruno Mars

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

"Sof I need to talk to you," James stood at the entrance of her room. The engagement ball had ended a few hours ago and Sofia sat melancholily on her bed. 

"Come in," Sofia called out.

"Amber and I have been so worried about you, you seemed so miserable tonight with Prince Friedrich,"

Sofia let out a sigh. 

James continued, "So we decided that I should marry Princess Hildegard and you should call off your marriage. I'll be betrothed instead. That way we can still secure the alliance with Freezenburg."

"WHAT? No, please don't do this,"

"Sof, he's a miserable lout. Hildegard can be a bit uptight but she's nowhere near as bad as her cousin."

"James, that would be unfair of you to do. I don't want you to be miserable because of me." 

James opened his mouth to interject, but Sofia then added, "And what about Vivian?"

"Sof, we can't bear to watch you suffer like this,"

"There has to be another way. I'll find a solution, I promise. Please, don't make any rash decisions in the meantime."

James nodded, "Love ya Sof."

"Love you James," she called out as he left the room.