The Enchancian Curse

Everything Has Changed

Chapter 2

(Sofia POV)

I woke up early the next morning and decided to walk around the castle grounds. The walls were still lined with knights armor but now there were also tapestries showing the victories that Enchancia had collected throughout the years. All the old adventures from defeating Princess Ivy to the defeat of Vor and releasing me from the amulet. I turned the corner and stopped in front of the next tapestry, it was of James and Amber who had prevented an invasion. I never knew that this happened and I couldn't help but wonder where I was when this happened.

"It was 2 years ago," Amber said coming up from behind me, "we tried to contact you but you weren't in the Secret Library or any neighboring kingdom so we had to assume you were out of the realm and handle it ourselves." "I'm sorry Amber I didn't know..." I said guilt washing over me, "How could you know? You have been gone for years, I can't remember the last time you were home to celebrate Wesslia. All of our friends asked about you and I didn't know any more than them. I didn't know what was happening to you Sofia." "Amber I'm sorry, but I was doing my job and it has a lot of responsibilities. Of course I missed you all but...""Sofia, you had other responsibilities than the ones given to you by your amulet. You were supposed to become my royal advisor but, you have been neglecting that training, you are a daughter and a sister but you have been blatantly ignoring that role and you were a friend and I bet you can't remember the last time you wrote someone from Royal Prep." Amber said her voice dripping in hurt and pent up feelings. I stayed silent not wanting to argue. She let out a sigh, "Look Sofia, I understand you had responsibilities but, you didn't have to drop off the face of the Earth. You left me and James to take care of the entire kingdom and put us in the position that we couldn't rely on your help anymore." She walked away leaving me alone with that as I held back tears that begged to be released.

Amber's words stuck with me as I continued walking through the castle. I had to let everyone go for a while but, the longer I was away the harder it was to come back. I went back to my suite no longer hungry and decided not to come down for breakfast. I took out a piece of parchment and began writing a letter to Hugo, the one I most regretted losing contact with.

Dear (Crown) Prince Hugo of Alberquerque,

It has been too long since we last spoke and I know that I am to blame. I did receive your letters and I wrote back to every single one but, I could never bring myself to actually send them to you. It is funny how easy it is to write you but, how hard it is to send. Nevertheless after months your letters eventually stopped like everyone else's but you were the only one that I continued to write.

I now know what you meant in your letters about what was happening in Enchancia and I wish I would have headed your words more carefully then. It is one of my many regrets in regards to you. I miss you, more than I care to admit to anyone else and I hope that one day when we see each other again you will be able to forgive me. I will also care about you and I want you to know how proud I am with the person you have become today, whatever value that may have. Please take care of yourself.

Yours truly,

Sofia

I finished the letter and sealed it in an envelope. I was going to give it to Baileywick but as I looked at the letter in my hands I quickly stopped myself and put it in my bag with the other sealed letter addressed to Hugo. "I can't" I said a knot forming in my stomach.

(Hugo POV)

I finally got a minute to myself after preforming all the tasks that had been expected of me. I closed and locked my chamber doors and internally cursed Axel for abdicating and giving me this role. I walked over to my desk and saw the portrait for my graduation at Royal Prep. I was in the far corner while she was front and center. She was too good for anyone in that place and yet she became friends with all of us. I guess it serves us right that the person we didn't deserve eventually disappeared from all of our lives. I began to write another futile letter