Sofia the protected

chapter 17

Hugo's perspective

"Sophia? Sophia, can you hear me!?"

"Mmm" Sophia let out a low groan of pain and slowly opened her eyes. But she quickly shuts them again as if the light hurt her.

" Where am I?"Sofia asks, sitting up slowly and holding her head. I try my best to support her with my arms.

" On the Isle of Flowers. We were trying to defeat Princess Ivy and you got hit.

"Who is Princess Ivy? And who are you?"

"Um? Sofia?" Then I remembered back in the protector headquarters Sophia and said that these dragonflies have the power to erase memory. This was not good.

The Protector called Vega walked over to us and asked Sophia if she was all right. Sofia looked at her confused and almost scared.

" So my name is Sophia?"

" Yes." Vega answered.

"Why do you have wings? It's such a funny costume."

" Oh dear, it's worse than I feared. She really has gone and lost her memory. Prince Hugo perhaps it would be best if you took her home."

"Will do, Chief. I salute her as I'd seen the others do. I help Sofia to her feet and whistle for Electra to come to me.

Right now there are too many emotions and not enough time to process. I need to get Sophia home safely and maybe her family or Cedric or somebody will have an idea to fix her.

" I mount Electra and then extend my hand to Sophia but she has no trouble mounting the horse. Her memory may be gone but she still knows how to mount a horse. That's a good sign.

"Sofia hold onto me tightly okay."

"Okay."

The relatively short flight feels like forever. I just want to get Sophia home safely. When the turrets of Enchancia castle appear, I hear Sofia sigh from relief, or shock, I don't know which.

We allow a groom to take care of Electra and persevere into the throne room. Most of her family is already there

"King Roland, Queen Miranda, Princess Amber, Sophia lost her memory!"

"How did this happen!?" King Roland stood from his throne obviously agitated.

"We were fighting against Princess Ivy. Sofia got hit by one of her magic dragonflies."

Amber steps forward as if to examine Sophia. " Last time I encountered Princess Ivy her abilities were limited to erasing a single day of memory. What's the last thing you remember Sophia?"

"Waking up in a field of flowers in that boy's arms."Sofia points to me.

"Well, maybe we could try to jog her earliest memories by showing her around the village."Queen Miranda suggests.

"And I'll get Cedric on the case right away." King Roland stands to go find Cedric.

"Queen Miranda walks towards Sophia and offers her hand. "Come on ,Sofia. I'll show you where we used to live. You can talk to all your old friends." Sophia hesitates and looks at me before taking her mother's hand.

" Hugo, you must be very tired. Go home and get some rest, we'll keep you updated. All right honey?"Miranda smiles sadly at me.

"No! I mean- can he please stay?" Sophia looks panicked for a moment and her voice raises. Almost embarrassed, she lowers her head as she finishes her sentence.

"Miranda looks at me. I nod. "I suppose that's okay."

As we enter the carriage, a gray bunny hops on to Sophia's lap. She stares at it squinting as if trying really hard to understand something.

"Clover?"Sophia speaks slowly as if the word is laborious to say.

"Oh, joy!" Miranda claps her hands ,grateful that Sophia remembered something.

New hope floods me as I smile across the bench at Sophia.

The carriage lands right in front of an old-looking house with a thatched roof and thick timber beams.

As we hop in the carriage and make our way towards the door, Miranda starts fumbling with a big iron key. She opens the door for us and Sophia walks in slowly looking around, eyes wide.

The shop is dusty as it has been unused for many years. But a random shoe box or two lays among the cobwebs. Dark wooden shelves line the walls. This is where Miranda displayed the shoes she made. Now they were barren except for the spiders who live there now.

" This place feels familiar but I can't figure out why." Sophia speaks slowly again as she takes everything in.

Miranda starts heading up the stairs and Sofia follows.

The upstairs has two rooms. We scan the room and see there's a fireplace, the couch is covered with a tarp and the tarp is covered in dust. There's a kitchen and a table with two chairs. But Sophia walks straight into the bedroom.She stares at the small hay mattress and the window that looks out upon the village.

Seeing where she lived before she was a princess is really eye-opening. It puts into perspective for me how big of a jolt becoming a princess was to her. How much of a learning curve she really had to go through. It really gives me a new respect for her.

Her brow furrows and she turns around and runs back into the living room, nearly knocking me over.

I followed her out of the bedroom and back to the living space. I find her staring at a wooden ship on the mantle.

" Dad?"

Queen Miranda's breath hitches and her hand flutters to her chest."I'm so sorry Sophia. He's dead."

"Dad?"Sophia asks in a questioning voice and she sits on the muslin covered couch and starts to cry.

Queen Miranda sits next to her. "This is enough for now. Maybe we should go home."

"I thought this was our home."Sophia sobs harder. Clover the bunny hops into her lap and Sofia hugs her to her chest.

"Come on Sofia, let's go back to the Royal Palace."I put my hands on the back of her shoulder. She looks behind her to see me. She smiles through her tears and I have the urge to wipe them away. But she doesn't remember I'm her boyfriend and I really don't want to freak her out. So I'll have to settle for smiling back at her.