Fragile Longing

There was a knock on the door.

“Come in!” I called, hiding my silly scribbling from view.

Fina stepped in, blonde hair trailing down her shoulder. She was in simple jeans and a T-shirt and not wearing make-up, but she was still the prettiest girl I knew. Why would Danilo choose me over her? She was already grown up. She was the perfect princess for someone like him.

I looked away from her, ashamed of my pettiness. Fina had been kidnapped and hurt.

“I wanted to talk to you about Danilo. I assume Dad already talked to you?”

“Are you mad at me?” I asked, worried that Fina felt bad because she was now without a future husband.

“Mad?” she asked, looking confused as she walked over to me.

“Because Danilo wants to marry me now and not you.”

“No. I’m not. I want you to be happy. Are you okay?”

Despite my embarrassment, I showed my scribbling to her, wanting to share it with someone else.

Fina’s eyes widened. “You like him?”

“I’m sorry. I liked him even when you were promised to him. He’s cute and chivalrous.”

Fear of her reaction blasted through me, but she surprised me when she bent and kissed my head. Relief flooded me.

Fina fixed me with a warning look. “He’s a grown man, Sofia. Many years will pass before you marry him. He won’t come anywhere near you until then.”

“I know. Dad told me.” I didn’t mind waiting, and it made me happy that Danilo had agreed to wait so long for me. That meant he really wanted me.

“So, we’re okay?” I asked, still unable to believe that Fina wasn’t mad at me for taking her fiancé.

“Better than okay,” Fina said before she left.

I hesitated, then decided to follow her to ask her more about Danilo. I didn’t know much about him. When I arrived on the gallery and peered down into the foyer, I spotted Fina and Danilo.

“Sofia is a girl. How could you agree to that bond, Danilo?”

My eyes widened at the rudeness in her tone. I thought she was okay with me marrying Danilo? It didn’t sound like it.

Danilo looked furious. “She is a child. Too young for me. She’s my sister’s age, for God’s sake. But you know what’s expected. And we won’t marry until she’s of age. I never touched you, and I won’t touch her.”

“You should have chosen someone else. Not Sofia.”

“I didn’t choose her. I chose you. But you were taken from me, and now I have no choice but to marry your sister even though it’s you I want!”

He didn’t want me? I sucked in a sharp breath as my chest constricted. Tears pricked my eyes.

Danilo and Fina looked up.

I whirled around and stormed back to my room where I flung myself on my bed and began crying. Dad had lied to me. Danilo hadn’t chosen me. He still wanted Fina. Of course, he did. She was so pretty and blonde. People often mourned the fact that I hadn’t inherited Mom’s blonde hair.

“Go away!” I yelled at the knock on my door and buried my face deeper in the pillow.

“Sofia, can I talk to you?” Danilo said.

I froze. Danilo had never approached me. Slowly, I sat up and wiped my eyes. I hopped off my bed and checked my face in the mirror. My eyes were puffy and my nose red. Fina was a pretty crier. I was not.

I tiptoed to the door, my stomach twisting with nerves as I opened it. Danilo and Fina waited in the hallway.

Fina smiled at me, but my eyes were drawn to Danilo. I had to crane my neck back because he was so tall. My cheeks heated, but I could do nothing about my body’s reaction to Danilo.

“Can I talk to you for a moment?” he asked.

I tried to hide my shock and quickly looked at Fina to see if it was okay.

“Sure,” she said.

I walked over to my sofa, suddenly self-conscious about all the pink in my room. I doubted Danilo liked the color very much. I sank down on my sofa, curling my fingers into fists in my lap to hide their shaking. Danilo left the door open and came over to me. He scanned my room, and I cringed when his gaze lingered on the array of stuffed animals on my bed. I didn’t cuddle with them anymore, I just had trouble throwing them away. Now I wished I had done it. Danilo must think of me as a silly little girl now. He sat down beside me but with plenty of space between us. From the hallway, Fina gave me a faint smile, then walked out of view, but I knew she’d be close by.

I risked a glance at Danilo. His dark hair was styled back but slightly mussed up, and he was dressed completely in black. I didn’t usually like black, but it looked very handsome on Danilo.