A Hugfia Miracle

Ch. 19: A Tense Piano Session

Enjoy!

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"Where have you been?" Mateo asked, his cheeks tinged red with anger. His hands were set firmly on his hips and his tambourita was firmly set by his side.

Sofia and Hugo had just walked back through the entrance of the Avaloran palace when Mateo ran into them, seemingly in a rush and a worried expression on his face. Apparently he'd been looking for them for hours, all over the palace.

"Was I wrong to assume we could leave the building?" Hugo asked innocently. He stepped back in alarm when Mateo started to raise his tambourita as if he was going to hit him.

"No matter whether I'm the king or not. You shouldn't be out there." Mateo sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm not saying you should be confined to the walls of this palace- or wait...am I saying that? Yeah- I am saying that. You aren't healed yet, Prince Hugo. It isn't safe to be outside wandering around with no guards behind your back."

Sofia pursed her lips and said, "Sorry, King Mateo."

Mateo opened his mouth to say something else but a giggle sounded from a pillar to the side. Everyone's heads turned to see Gabe leaning against the pillar, Elena's abuela's tamale in his hand. He snickered and took another bite when Mateo crossed his arms.

"You were there the entire time?" Mateo asked, unimpressed.

Gabe shrugged and nodded, his cheeks puffed out from the food. "I fuz fauching thfem the fole fimne."

All of the royals looked at each other in confusion.

Gabe coughed and swallowed his bite of tamale. "I meant 'I was watching them the whole time.' As in, I was behind their backs the entire time they were out wandering the grounds."

Sofia and Hugo's cheeks turned red from embarassment, but Hugo seemed to be more angry. "You watched us the whole time and didn't say anything? So you watched us in the waterfall and on our walk? What happened to privacy---"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Gabe said with his arms out reasonably. "I was only staying behind. I stayed by the gate when you guys were splashing around having the time of your lives. I didn't tell you I was there so that you could have as much fun as you wanted to have. Though, I do hope the splashing wasn't something else."

Hugo gagged and stormed off, his soaking clothes dripping all the way behind him.

Sofia glanced at both the snickering adults and rolled her eyes. "Thank you, your majesty, for being worried about us, but please- know when one of your guards is out and protecting us so you don't blame innocent people."

Mateo just gulped and watched the princess go by, glaring daggers and Gabe before walking back to his and Elena's sleeping quarters. Gabe laughed and headed back toward the kitchen.

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"Hugo!" Sofia called, her voice echoing on the walls. Goodness, why does Hugo have such anger issues? "Hugo!"

Sofia walked down the hallways, following the wet trail in front of her. Soon, she ended up in the ballroom, where so many things had happened. Elena's crowning ceremony, where Sofia came as a young child and went on a tour with Shuriki.

Ugh, the name Shuriki sent shivers down her spine.

"Hugo!" she called a final time before emerging onto the balcony of the ballroom. The large floor below her was empty except for a large instrument she had never seen before that was placed in the center. It had white keys with black ones placed in the center. It looked like a hurdy-gurdy- the instrument Sofia knows how to play- but without the strings.