Everlastingly Loving You - Chapter 86

“You’re not his parent; you’ve never acted like one.”

“Hell, I’ve known him for about a month and I’m certain I know more regarding him than you do, and he’s your son,” she said flatly.

“Look at Countess Clarisse,” she added.

“There’s hundreds and hundreds of more things she would rather do than be here, stuck in an arranged marriage with your son who doesn’t seem willing either.”

“I speak for everyone in the room when I say no one has any idea why they’re here when there are other things they could be doing.”

“Take me for an example.”

“I came here to support a friend,” Sophia said, gazing thoughtfully at Clarisse, who shot her an appreciative smile.

“Not be interrogated as to where me and Nicholas’ relationship currently stands. Frankly, that’s none of your business,” Sophia said, putting Carter in his place.

“Respectfully, your majesty,” she added lastly before she straightened her dress before she left the room without any regrets.

Nicholas left soon after as well.

He caught up to Sophia, who was halfway to her quarters at the time.

“Listen, Nicholas, that was out of line, but in all fairness, I–”

“If you’re going to apologize, don’t.”

“That was spectacular.”

“No one has ever stood up to my parents and left,” Nicholas added.

“You’re amazing, Sophia, you know that?” Nicholas said.

Sophia smiled bashfully.

He looked at her in awe. One more thing to add to the never-ending list of why Sophia was perfect. She was fearless. She stood up for what she believed in no matter the consequences.

Sophia asked, “Did your parents send you to find me?”

Nicholas furrowed his brows.

“What? No! Of course not,” he denied.

“I came on my own accord, not my parent’s,” Nicholas declared.

“We ruined Clarisse and Oliver’s firstever meeting, huh.”

“Likely so,” Nicholas agreed.

“I doubt Oliver will mind,” he assured.

Sophia chuckled.

“Just… confirming things, you don’t intend to walk back in to the dining room, right?” Nicholas asked.

Sophia answered, “Of course not.”

“I’d like to keep whatever dignity I have left, thank you very much.”

Nicholas laughed.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

“So, any plans?” He asked, livelier than usual, disregarding what happened during dinner.

Sophia pondered on it.

“At the current moment? No,” she admitted.

“Why?” She then asked, her brow raised.

“No reason,” Nicholas lied.

“Although… we hadn’t had much time to finish our dinner what with all the talking we did,” he began.

Sophia’s mouth fell open.

“Nicholas Richard Alexander Maine Ambrose, are you inviting me out to dinner?” Sophia asked, seeking confirmation.

“And what if I am?” Nicholas asked.

“Here, in the palace, or?” Sophia asked.

Nicholas answered, “Outside, since we shouldn’t stick around for the aftermath of their dinner.”

“Right,” Sophia agreed wholeheartedly. She needed to be somewhere else. Somewhere other than the palace as of now. Not after the fiasco of a dinner that’d happened.

“Got a place in mind?” She asked Nicholas, who surprisingly nodded at her question.

“I do actually,” he admitted.

Sophia smirked.

“Excellent.”

__

“Well that was absolutely catastrophic,” Clarisse said.

“You think?” Louis asked.

“You must feel the least bit proud,” Louis reasoned.

Clarisse scoffed.

“Of course I’m proud, that’s a given.”

“She stood up for me,” she said.

“A rare occurrence,” she added.

“Rare indeed,” Louis said.

“Where is she anyway?” He wondered.

He checked his phone to see a message left for him by Sophia. She’d gone out with Nicholas.

He stared at his phone.

“What is it?” Clarisse asked.

Louis showed Clarisse what was on his phone, remaining silent.

Clarisse gasped.

“What is going on with her?” Clarisse wondered.

“She went out with him?” She asked.

“Out of the… palace?!” She cried.

Louis furrowed his brows.

“On the bright side,” he began.

“You won the bet,” he admitted.

Clarisse blinked.

“The bet,” she realized.

“I won the bet,” she said.

“I WON THE BET!”

A smug smile tugged on her lips.

“That means you’re going to have to do whatever I want you to do,” she realized next.

Louis groaned, “Not anything too extreme or life threatening, please.”

Clarisse patted Louis’ back.

“Of course not.”

“Nothing like that.”

“My request requires you to do nothing like that,” Clarisse promised.

“It’s more about you stepping out of your comfort zone,” she said.

Louis was like a brother to her, they were close friends, Clarisse and Louis had been friends before Clarisse and Sophia had met in the first place.

“What is it?” Louis inquired inquisitively.

Clarisse replied with, “To go on a date.”

“I– what–”

“Why would you–”

“Clarisse,” he protested.

“Louis,” she said in return.

She reckoned a date would do Louis good.

“You’ve got to at least give it a try,” Clarisse reasoned.

“Bottling up your emotions after you-know-who,” she added.

“Don’t,” Louis shook his head.

“I’m fine,” Louis lied.

Clarisse tilted her head to the side.

“Then you’ll be fine going on another date.”

“Are you choosing who I’m being set-up with?” Louis asked with a sigh.

“No,” Clarisse denied.

“Because, you are,” she said instead.

“I’m not forcing you to go on this date, I’m just saying, as your friend, I think this’ll help take your mind off of him.”

“It’s time you move on, Lou, he’s done enough to your life,” Clarisse persuaded.

“You’re fortunate I haven’t made Sophia do the persuading.”

“You told her?” Louis asked instantly.

“I did not,” Clarisse denied.

“But I am close to doing it,” she admitted.

Clarisse pouted.

“For me.”

“You lost the bet, Sophia said it loud and clear, that she and Nicholas were courting.”

Louis took one look at Clarisse before he took sudden interest in the palace’s carpeted floor.

He knew she was right.

He’d spent too much time pondering over Leonard. It was unhealthy.

He convinced himself there was nothing left to think about; Leonard used him for his own gain. He left Louis without looking back once Louis told him to leave and never come back, that was all.

“It’d be quite nice, going on a date,” he said with a curt nod.

Clarisse jumped with excitement.

“Great!” She exclaimed.

“You won’t regret it,” she guaranteed.

“You’d make an excellent saleswoman,” Louis admitted to Clarisse.

Clarisse shrugged, “I know,” she said to him sassily.

__

“Glad we decided to have dinner here instead of at the palace,” Sophia said.

Nicholas held up his glass.

“Cheers,” he said in agreement to what Sophia had just said.

They’d gone to a swanky, world-renowned restaurant that took months to get a mere reservation. If not for their status they wouldn’t have been able to close the entire restaurant for themselves for dinner.

They ate on the restaurant’s rooftop, and upon arriving, the decor, atmosphere, and kingdomscape views didn’t disappoint.

The night breeze stirred beneath Sophia’s grey tie-waist longline coat.

“How’d you discover this place anyway?” She inquired curiously.

Nicholas remained quiet.

“I spent my time searching for places to bring you for our first date before I finally decided I’d bring you on a picnic in the mountains,” Nicholas admitted.

Sophia’s cheeks flushed.

She didn’t realize he’d put that much effort into their first date. She appreciated the sentiment.

Nicholas noticed her now-empty plate.

“Since you’re done, I’d like to show you something,” Nicholas said to her.

“Oh?”

Sophia pushed her plate away.

“Would you look at that, I’m done,” she declared.

“You can show whatever you meant to show me now,” she said.

Nicholas chuckled.

“Come with me,” he instructed.

“Honestly, it sounded less creepy in my head,” he mumbled.

Sophia laughed, getting up and out of her chair.

Nicholas led her to the edge of the rooftop.

“You don’t intend to push me off the rooftop, do you?” Sophia asked, looking downwards.

There was no way she’d survive the fall. It was a twenty-six-story building.

Sophia looked back up.

“No,” Nicholas shook his head. He would never.

“Look there,” he said, pointing at something in the distance.

Sophia furrowed her brows.

She looked in that direction, letting out a small gasp.

“Oh my goodness,” she said in complete amazement.

She was filled with awe.

“I’ve never seen the palace like this before,” Sophia mused.

Albeit she was far, far away from the palace, it was still visible in the distance.

The palace was an opulent complex and the Beldovian royal residence, it was a symbol of the absolute monarchy system, made of white stone and brick. It was one of the largest palaces in the world, boasting thousands of rooms and facilities such as state of the art gyms, swimming pools, spas, ballrooms, conference rooms, dining halls, gardens, etc.

Built in the 1600s to show off the power the royal family held, and visited by royals of the world’s most powerful and elite kingdoms, it was a sight to behold, even from afar.

She’d never considered the palace her home, but simply looking at it gave her a sense of nostalgia.

“It’s beautiful,” she praised, smiling.

Nicholas had a shy smile on his features.

“It’s beauty is nothing compared to yours,” Nicholas accidentally told her aloud.