A Bit of Love

Chapter 9

Hugo POV

"You know you didn't need to do this Sof," I said to her as she was pouring us tea. My eyes traveled to the corner of the tea house. I focused on the squirrel trying to make past the small barricade-like fence, in which is enough for him to fit in. A corner of my mouth lifted at the squirrel's dilemma. 

 I wish all my problems were that easy.

I just don't know what's happening this week, it has only been 3 days and I am losing it. Everything is so complicated like a set of tangled yarn hard to unravel and straighten. And if you ever find a way to untangle it, the string will be loose and messy. There is no winning in this situation. 

"Based on how you are looking at that squirrel, you need this," Sofia said and my eyes changed focus from the squirrel to Sofia. There was something off about her, it's odd. 

"Sofia, how are you feeling?," I asked her and I noticed how her blue eyes widened and then she quickly answered.

"I'm fine, but I am worried about you"

Maybe I was just loosing it for a moment, but still the feeling lingered. I don't know what it was but something is wrong about something. Excluding Axel and my obviously ill father, and how my brother plans to find the antidote that may lose us men, and an antidote that we have no way of knowing if it will actually work. 

it's a lot.

But this, this is something else entirely, I cannot wrap my head around it. When I look at Sofia she seems extremely fine. She cares about me a lot and that caused her to come here in behalf of my father so that she can take care of me. Still under the control of the love potion I see, but the way she answered my questions. 

As I was thinking, I slowly heard my name in the background getting louder with each passing second.

"Hugo," Sofia was calling me and the moment I looked into her eyes I felt a pang of guilt for having doubts regarding her. She is the sweetest and kindest person one could ever meet and I should be lucky to be her bestfriend. And having doubts on how she acts makes me feel like a bad friend.

"Yes?," I answered quickly when I realized she was calling me.

"Are you okay?" she asked and that is something I haven't asked myself for the past days. It was all so hectic and chaotic, to think about myself felt like a privilege these days. As a prince I knew my duties to my kingdom, and I knew as I was growing up, I have to leave some of my childish dreams and focus on the betterment of my people. I may not be a king, but I held some responsibility on how the kingdom is supposed to be ran. I respect my people the way they respect me, but sometimes it takes its toll on me.

"I am fine Sof, really. I am really glad you are here," she smiled skeptically, the corners of her lips turned in an unsure manner, her eyes darting toward something else. She has something to say, I have seen that look before, because I sometimes do it. It seems bad for her reaction to be that way. She was unsure, and I can't comprehend why.

"I have something to tell you Hugo"

This was serious, I can't believe I would still see this side of Sofia even after the love potion incident. It is something that the potion can't relieve her off I guess. The way she said my name was the give away.

She put down her teacup after a sip and she fidgeted with it while trying to think of what she was about to say. 

"I-"

"PRINCE HUGO"

I turned my head as soon as I heard the shout. The man was clearly out of breath, he was breathing heavily with his hands resting on his knees adding as support and her hand on the post beside him, but he spared no minute for the news.

"It's your father"

I stood up as fast as I could and ran to him, I felt Sofia follow me through the halls. It was a blur, everything was a blur. I entered my father's doors and there he was again getting revived by the doctors. My breath started to jump, longer intervals, shorter intervals, no intervals at all. There wasn't a pattern, it was nonsense, it was distinguishable. Everything that is happening right now is something I can't comprehend, it was such a noise. 

I don't know what I should do anymore, I got scared.

I ran outside with no direction. I just ran, and I let everything hit me. Hit me. 

Footsteps behind me. There were footsteps behind me, almost as quick as I paced.

"Sir, we can't" 

The voice who spoke it wasn't Sofia. 

I swallowed the lump in my throat and waited for him to fully complete the idea though I know what he was going to say next.

"He is on his last breath sir, he wishes to speak to both of you"

I can't disappoint him, this has been a long time coming up. I decided to drag my feet back to the room. It's quiet and I can see Axel is already there. People understood and came out of the room. I went to the other side of the bed and there I saw death looming over my father's face. He wasn't sad, but nervous, something unsure written across his eyes.

"Axel, I don't want to be the reason for you to take the wrong path," his voice coarse mingled with wisdom and care. "I want to be the reason for you to be better, be better than me and rule this kingdom with the same kindness that I upheld." 

Axel's eyes were red and tears were already pooling until the moment that he can't hold on. The first time I ever saw my brother cry. His head nodding as he held our father's hand. And finally he turned to me.

"Hugo, everything is fine, it is fine before, it is fine now, and it will be fine after," I reached for his hand, I touched my face and rubbed my eyes, I felt my face wet and my sight blurry, I was crying.

"I love both of you my sons, live your lives well."

Silence.