(ON HOLD. Editing) Alliances and Destiny's

Chapter One

The year is 1572 July 4th, tomorrow is my 19th birthday and I couldn’t be more thrilled and yet saddened by the thought. After losing my family to a horrible attack, my younger sister Rebekah and I came to Scotland seeking protection and a new family.
Queen Mary of scots and King Francis of France took us in as their own, they became our mother and father.
They had a son the same age as us, Jonathon he was a few months older than me, then within the first 8 - 9 years of living with them, Mary and Francis had 3 more kids, Prince Mathew, Princess Rosemary and Princess Lauren – the two are twins but not identical. We all became great friends and did everything together.
When Jonathon and I were 14, a week after my birthday and the day Mary told me I was to marry Prince Edward V of England – Elizabeth’s only son - to form an alliance between Romania and England. I was upset and went riding, Jonathon followed me through the forest and came across a lake, and we stopped there and talked. That day was the day we told each other of our true feelings for one and another.
Ever since that day we were forced to keep our feeling for each other secret from Mary and Francis, due to reason that I was to marry another when I become of age - 21.
We had hoped that one day the marriage alliance will fall through and Jonathon and I could wed; for neither of us could marry whom we have no feelings towards. For the good of our kingdom and reign or not, it feels like a sin.
Tomorrow is my 19th birthday and preparations were being made for the celebrations.
Mary and Francis were going all out for my birthday, for I am one year closer to taking back my thrown and one year away from marrying whom I’ve never met and do not wish to marry for I love another, Prince Jonathon future King of Scotland and France. My best and closest friend. We’ve kept our relationship secret from all since we were 14 and were true about our feelings for each other.
I was in my chambers with my sister Rebekah getting ready for a ride, I was riding out to meet Jonathon by a secret small lake with a waterfall we often spent most of our time together at, Mary and Francis believed I was taking a ride to a nearby village to shop for a gown for my birthday feast tomorrow night. Jonathon told his parents he was simply hunting, we often used excuses like so, to sneak off and be with one and another.
Rebekah, Lauren, Rosemary and Bash were the only other people who know of our true plans to meet and they were the only other people who knew about Jonathon and me, all but Mathew agreed that we should marry for love, not for alliances and reign.I looked in the mirror that sat on my dresser, my brown/blond hair, even pulled back into a braid, rested at my hips/lower back and my brown eyes were surrounded my little make up.
From all the paintings I’ve seen of my parents I had my mother’s hair and my father’s eyes.
Once I was dressed I was accompanied by two of my most trusted guards to the stables where my horse Areal was waiting for me. I mounted up and rode out into the woods to meet John – short for Jonathon – at our spot.
When I arrived, he was there waiting by the water with blankets, pillows, food and wine set up. I got down off Areal, tied her up but John’s horse and walked the short distance over to him, wrapping my arms his neck in a worm hug, he too, wrapped his arms around my waist pulling me closer, kissing my cheek.
“Oh, how I’ve missed holding you in my arms” he said as we pulled apart and sat on the blankets.
“I’ve missed it to. So, what have you been up to?” I asked
“Well, after breakfast father and I trained. I still have not beaten him in a duel but I am close. How of you, what did you do after we last saw each other at breakfast?” he said, eating a strawberry.
“Well, after breakfast Mary pulled me away from watching you – but she didn’t know I was watching – and together we planned my birthday tomorrow. Boring…”
“Sounds like it.” He agreed. There were a few moments of silence between us, just staring into each other’s eyes, his dark brown eyes could melt me with just one look, and he had Mary’s eyes and Francis dark blond hair.
His body was well built, muscular, dimples when he smiled, a squared jaw, very handsome. Each time we kiss or when he speaks, sends chills down my spine, in a good way.
With a pained look, he said “Sofia. You know we cannot deny what is to come. Next year you will be 20 and have to wed Prince Edward— “
“Stop…” I cut in; my emotions towards this were magnified along with everything else I felt, no thanks to my gift my mother passed on to me.
“Please can we not talk about it; I plan to deny his proposal. I cannot marry who I have never met and feel nothing for. You know that, I Love you and you alone.” Jonathon knew of how I felt on the subject, how they were heightened.
There was a moment of silence his sad expression turned into one of happiness.
“Ok, I won’t mention it again.” He told me, he moved closer to me, pulling me into his lap.
He placed his hand on my cheek, tilting my head up to look up at him bring his head down to mine, our lips colliding in a soft passionate, love-filled kiss.The lasted a minute or so then we pulled apart, I rested my head on his chest and we ate the delouses berry’s and drank the wine.We stayed there like that for a few hours, talking, we’d kiss now and then, had races on our horses, seeing who was faster, of cause’ I won. We had a duel which ended with us in the grass consumed in a deep, passionate kiss.
Too keep up the excuses we hunted a deer using my ability to hear great distances and run fast, I could run 1000 meters in a blink of an eye.
When it was nearly day brake we rode back to the castle, laughing and having a race to the stables.
Our horses were put in their stall and we walked up to the castle where we parted ways at my chambers, leaving after another soft kiss.
“Bye, I’ll see you at dinner. I Love you”
“I love you to, what will you do now?” I asked
   “Father Want’s my help making swords etc. in the tower. I’m also working on a gift for you for tomorrow. You’re going to love it”
“I’m sure I will.” With one last kiss, he left, leaving me smiling like a fool.
When we left, I changed out of my riding attire and dressed in a purple and white silk dress with the help of Rebekah.
“So, How way your day with John?” Rebekah asked, doing my hair.
“It…It was amazing. I wish we didn’t have to hide how much we love each other from Mary and Francis, I feel guilty for lying to them”
“I know, I agree, but you are to be wed to Prince Edward V next year, you can’t disappoint them.” She said. We talked no more on the topic and she left to her chambers to prepare herself for dinner.
I sat at my desk and the letter from my Uncle Maximilian 1 who was in Romania, helping me reclaim my home; he informed me of what was going on there and how England was already an ally with us, for he had formed an alliance between our two counties with Henry VI only a year ago and how it was a strong hold. When I read this I imminently went to the throne room to Mary, letter in hand.
I walked in and saw her talking with her advisors; I walked up to her and waited for her to see me. When she saw my presents, she dismissed her advisors and everyone so we were the only two in the room.
“Sofia! I was going to come see you soon. What may I do for you?” she asked walking up to me.
“I got this letter from my Uncle saying that we do not need a marriage alliance between Romania and England because we are already allies, there for I will not marry Prince Edward V, do not force me to. Please”
“Yes, well that’s what I was going to talk to you about. And you will not marry, Prince Edward” she agreed. I felt a sense of relief and turned to leave, only to be stopped by her words. “Wait.” I did;
“Yes?” I waited by the entrance where someone entered behind me, I turned my head around to see who had entered. Jonathon and King Francis, I bowed my head in respect and turned back to Mary.
“You called for me mother” Jonathon said looking to her. Francis now stood next to her.
“Tomorrow night at Sofia’s birthday celebration dinner we will announce that the marriage alliance between Sofia and Prince Edward V has been voided for there is already a strong alliance between the two nations and that a new marriage alliance will formed and the two will wed when the two become of age (2 years).” Francis explained. I looked to Jonathon; we shared the same look, a look of shock, anger and sadness.
“A new marriage alliance. To who?” I asked with a bit of anger and surprise laced my voice.
“A stronger marriage alliance between Romania, France and Scotland. On Sofia’s 21st birthday she will marry you…Jonathon.” Mary said with a proud smile. Once again John and I looked to each other but this time in surprise and happiness.
I turned back to Mary and Francis in confusion, “When did you two decide this?” I asked.
“You two really thought you could hide your feelings for each other from us. We knew of your ‘secret’ relationship for quite some time now” Francis said with a knowing smile.Jonathon and I stood there in shock and speechless. Mary gave a small laugh and continued;
“On Jonathon’s birthday we saw you both sneak off so I followed you and saw you but the lake. We thought it best not to tell you we knew because of your engagement to prince Edward V but now that’s no longer happening and we know you both would only marry for we thought it best if you two wed, forming a new alliance and giving you what you both want. To marry for love. You are a lot like me and Francis, we to only want to marry for love not for the sake of our throne.” She finished.
I walked up to them and gave them both a hug and whispered thank you to them both, as did Jonathon.     After that Jonathon and I walked hand in hand out of the throne room towards the 4th floor balcony. It was kind of our spot in the castle.
“I can’t believe they knew?” I said laughing
“Me too.”
We both stood there laughing for a few minutes before he cupped my face in his hands and brought our lips together once again. Only this time the feeling was much stronger than any other time we kissed. We wrapped our arms around each other, deepening the kiss.
After a couple minutes, we pulled apart and stood there still in our embrace and watched as the sun went down…