Everlastingly Loving You - Chapter 43

Despite feeling nauseous, dizzy and light-headed, Sophia felt much better once Clarisse left. She’d managed to patch things up, for now.

Bits and pieces of her memory of last night were slowly being pieced together and frankly, if what she remembered happened actually did occur, in front of Nicholas as well, she was most definitely screwed.

She slumped on her pillows.

‘Just abandon me, as did everyone else; my pea-brained father who’s six feet underground, my dead mother and Clarisse,’ she suddenly remembered telling Nicholas.

‘Is that what you really think of me? Impervious and invulnerable?’

‘I’m still here,’ Nicholas replied.

“I can’t believe I said that,” she said regrettably.

She then remembered another memory.

“I was the one who suggested he bring me to his room,” she realized. Her heart stopped beating momentarily, as it did the moment she first (properly) met him.

And frankly, she was surprised he stayed and put up with her drunk temperament in the first place.

She put a pause to everything she’d been thinking of, glancing around her quarters.

Her headache was gone. So was her dizziness and lightheadedness. It’d all disappeared.

She checked her phone. It had been about 16 hours since she’d gotten herself drunk, and it seemed like her hangover was over.

She grinned.

“Finally.”

__

It was the early evening, where high tea was being served to the two royals.

Separating the two royals from each other was a decorative silver tree with mouth-watering pastries on each branch. Then again, they were seated by a couple meter long table, so they didn’t sit in close proximity to each other.

They’d finished snacking, moving on to the chatting portion of high tea, which served as a ‘thank you for dealing with me whilst I was drunk’ gift from Sophia to the Sanguisian prince.

“So.”

“There’s to be a charity gala in Sanguis that I, as prince, am automatically invited to,” Nicholas told Sophia.

“And you’re telling me this, why?” Sophia asked.

A glimmer of understanding flickered in her eyes.

“Because you’re inviting me to come with you,” she said.

She scoffed, “Do I look like someone who invests time in charity?”

Nicholas glanced at her, “Do you not remember the few rules the ruse comes with?”

Sophia growled. Even though she wouldn’t admit it, he had a point. He’d followed through, so it was her time to.

“I suppose I wouldn’t mind not seeing Emilia around for a while,” she said, consoling herself.

“Besides, I’ve been trying to find a proper reason to update my wardrobe,” she added.

“How long is this… trip?” Sophia asked.

Nicholas answered, “A few days at most.”

Sophia nodded slowly.

“And when do we leave exactly?” She asked curiously.

“Tomorrow,” Nicholas answered.

Sophia looked surprised.

“Well that’s quite soon,” she answered. She had barely enough time to inform Clarisse.

The possibility of Clarisse coming with was slim to none, of course. She soon realized Clarisse wouldn’t exactly be welcomed in Sanguis, her being a countess of Samar.

She sighed.

“Alright,” she concurred.

“Hold on, what about the war between Sanguis and Samar?” Sophia asked. She’d more important matters to concern herself about.

Nicholas stared at her blankly.

“What? I pay attention to the news.”

“Most of the time,” she added.

She mumbled, ‘It’s a shame though, that Clarisse won’t be able to come with.’

Nicholas furrowed his brows.

“The Clarisse you were talking about was THE Countess Clarisse of Samar?”

“When you put it that way, you make it seem like she’s some villain,” Sophia said humourously.

“She was the reason why you got drunk wasn’t she?”

“How did you-”

“You told me,” Nicholas answered instantly.

“And the war?” Sophia asked once more.

“Ceased, for now,” Nicholas assured.

“So, tomorrow, at noon sharp we depart for Sanguis.”

Sophia hid her excitement.

Ongoing now ceased war aside, Sanguis had always been a kingdom on her bucket list. She’d just never got to go before, and now that she was, it was with Nicholas out of all people.

Sophia looked Nicholas from afar.

“Why do you seem less enthusiastic than I am about visiting your own kingdom?” She asked, taken aback.

“Should I be more concerned?” She asked Nicholas next.

Nicholas shook his head. He didn’t look as pleased Sophia assumed he’d be when he discussed his own kingdom.

“It’s not my kingdom,” he corrected.

His voice alone was filled with misery and hatred. Sophia wondered if it was Nicholas she was to be worried about and not Sanguis.

“Ah,” Sophia responded with.

Nicholas had a brooding look on his face.

“I suppose you detest your kingdom just as much as I do mine?” Sophia asked.

Nicholas shook his head.

“It’s not my kingdom that I detest,” he corrected.

“It’s its monarch.”

Sophia refrained from reminding him his father was Sanguis’ monarch. And frankly, she wouldn’t find being reminded her own father was Beldovia’s monarch pleasant either. But, his and her situation wasn’t far too different.

She nodded. She remained silent. She surmised it was preferable if she didn’t say a word.

Nicholas told her, “Other than that, it’s a beautiful place.”

“Amazing to know,” Sophia said sarcastically.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have my entire family to inform, and an entire wardrobe to attempt to fit in a couple of suitcases,” Sophia said.

Nicholas barely had to tell her anything before she left in a hurry.

Sophia was tense, and confused as to why she had suddenly had the urge to leave.

Was it nervousness after what he had to put up with when she was drunk? Was it merely her wanting to leave an awkward situation? Or was it something else?

She rolled her eyes. She had a trip to pack and plan for.

After she found a way to inform her family, of course. Going to Nicholas’ kingdom, the same one he grew up in and would likely rule one day, with no one else but him, that wouldn’t go unnoticed, to both the public eye and the royals alike.