A New Identity
1249 Words
The king and queen exchanged a surprised glance, then turned their attention back to Sofia who stood frozen. The queen smiled and nodded, while the king's expression remained neutral.
“Really?” The queen enquired as her eyes lit up in excitement
“Yes mom, She’s the woman I want to get married to” Stefan responded as he took hold of Sofia’s hand looking straight into her eyes
“What’s her name?” Queen Camila asked Stefan. It was then that it dawned on him that he didn’t know her name and he hadn’t even remembered to ask. He stood quiet for a while, looked at Sofia then back at the queen.
“Her name is..her name is…” he stammered and cleared his throat
"...Aurora," Prince Stefan said finally, a confident smile spreading across his face. "Aurora Wynter."
Sofia widened her eyes in a mixture of shock and laughter.
Sofia's eyes darted to Prince Stefan, and she tried to convey a message through her gaze. She raised an eyebrow, then looked at the king and queen, and back at Stefan, her eyes sparkling with amusement and a hint of warning. It was as if she was saying, "Really? Aurora Wynter?" without uttering a word.
“Very well then” The queen said
“Where’s she from?” She questioned further
Prince Stefan's smile faltered for a moment before he regained his composure. "Ah, Aurora is from...the southern province of Azura," he said, his tone confident.”
“She’s human then” The queen said as she admired Sofia. She related to her so well due to the fact that she was also human. It was obvious that the queen already liked Sofia.
"Her parents were noble merchants, and she's been educated in the finest schools." He glanced at Sofia, hoping she would play along, as he continued to weave his web of deceit.
“Were”? She queen inquired
“Yes mom. “Were” Unfortunately her parents are late” Prince Stefan lied further
“Oh my God. I’m so sorry for that honey” The queen said to Sofia with a soft and kind look
Sofia's eyes grew wide with mixed expressions, and she struggled to maintain a neutral expression. She felt like laughing at the absurdity of the situation, but also worried about being discovered. Her gaze darted between Prince Stefan and the king and queen, her eyes sparkling with a mix of amusement, annoyance, and warning. She subtly shook her head, her eyebrows raised in a silent "what are you doing?" gesture.
Despite her efforts to remain composed, a faint blush rose to her cheeks, betraying her growing unease. She had barely known Stefan but here they were in front of his parents playing games alongside him wanting to get married to her. The whole situation was just hilarious.
The king who had been quiet throughout the whole situation finally spoke up
“Where did you both meet?” He asked
“We met at….” Stefan tried to say but was cut short by the king
“I believe she has a mouth Stefan. And she can speak” The king stated coldly making Sofia shudder
Sofia's eyes locked onto the king's, and she hesitated for a moment before speaking. She decided to play along, curious about how far Prince Stefan's deception would go.
"Y-yes, Your Majesty," Sofia stammered, trying to sound demure. "We met at a...a charity event in Azura. Prince Stefan was kind enough to...to donate to my family's merchant fund." She glanced at Stefan, hoping her words would align with his fabricated story.
Sofia's tone was polite, but her eyes sparkled with mischief, as if daring Prince Stefan to continue his charade.
The King hummed and nodded whilst rubbing his chin.
“You both have my blessings” the queen said in excitement and they all looked at the king waiting for him to consent as he cleared his throat
“Very well, let us discuss the details of the wedding at dinner. I expect you both to be there."
Sofia's eyes widened in alarm as she realized the king was already planning their wedding. She glanced at Prince Stefan, hoping he would intervene, but he simply smiled and nodded.
"Of course, Father," Prince Stefan said. "We will be there."
The king nodded and turned to Sofia. "Welcome to the family, Aurora. I hope you will make our son happy."
Sofia forced a smile onto her face. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I will do my best." The realization hit Sofia that she didn’t know why she was excited about them approving the wedding. Her life had been decided in a split of seconds and here she was happy about it that she was getting married to a strange man, a prince, who bought her? Sofia couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all; she was fleeing from royalty and marriage only to find herself right back in the midst of it. But for some reasons she preferred this situation better.
The queen stood up, a warm smile on her face. "I will show you to your room, Aurora. You must be exhausted."
Sofia nodded, relieved to be escaping the throne room. She followed the queen out of the room, Prince Stefan's eyes on her back.
As they walked, the queen chatted about the palace and its history. Sofia listened politely, her mind racing with thoughts of her predicament.
She was trapped in a web of lies, and she had no idea how to escape.
Soon after the queen left Sofia’s room, Prince Stefan walked in.
“So I trust you understand the situation” He said his expression cold and detached
“What situation?” She asked acting oblivious her voice firm
Prince Stefan’s expression didn’t change “The engagement and that we are getting married soon” He said
“That’s it? You can’t just say we are getting married against without my consent” She argued
“So if I ask you will you refuse?” He asked calmly as he tucked his hands in his pockets
Sofia's eyes darted to his face, her expression faltering. She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. She looked away, her cheeks flushing with uncertainty.
“Very well then” he said with a slight smirk
“As far as I know, you are mine. I bought you, so you’re my possession. It’s left for me what I do with you and we are getting married Aurora” He stated and turned around
“The name is Sofia not Aurora” She said
Prince Stefan turned around, a hint of surprise on his face. "What did you just say?" he asked, his voice cold.
"I said, my name is Sofia, not Aurora," Sofia repeated, her voice firm.
Prince Stefan's expression turned icy. "I don't care what your name is," he said. "You will be known as Aurora Wynter from now on. And you will do as you are told."
She didn’t say anything but she didn't argue either. She just stood there, her silence a reluctant acceptance. Maybe her new found life outside her family should start off with a name change. She thought seeing it as not entirely a bad idea
“Seat tight, we have a dinner to attend later and a wedding to plan..Aurora” He said with a wink placing emphasis on the name and walked out of the room
- Writer
