[Music Recommendation: Love Potion No.9 (Remastered/Single Version) ~ The Clovers]
After speaking with Adelaide, Adric left to discuss the treaty and war strategies with Malcolm, while Oriana went in search of her sister. She was still yet to understand what had happened and why Sophie suddenly wanted to get married to a man from a lower class. Though there was nothing wrong with it, it wasn’t typical when it came to Sophie.
The older princess of Orion had always dreamed of being a Queen. Not just any Queen, but one that rules a very big Kingdom. Sophie had always been a big dreamer, and a royal blood who would never associate herself with a commoner.
On getting to Sophie’s room, Oriana pushed the door open only to see her sister feeding the charmer.
"Sophie!" Oriana shouted. She looked from the man to the princess who was once untouchable. The most beautiful maiden in Orion, who never let her dress get soiled, was now feeding a commoner dressed in rags as he grinned ear to ear.
"Sister!" Sophie shouted back, "My beloved husband doesn’t enjoy the palace food. I would like to make him something better, but he won’t say what," she whined.
Oriana blinked, "Sophie, um, can I talk to you for a moment, please?"
Sophie twitched her lips and apprehensively followed Oriana outside the room. Before she left, she gave the young man inside the room a sweet smile.
"Sophie, you need to get a hold of yourself! I mean, I don’t know what that man said to you, but he is a swindler. And I’m sure if you were in your right mind, you wouldn’t be asking to marry him," Oriana spoke with a firm voice, scolding her sister.
But Sophie wasn’t going to have her sister badmouthing her betrothed. She stood tall, with both hands on her waist.
"Poor Ana, you must not know what love is... I am in love now, and I can see it. Galen is the man for me. Aren’t you seeing just how handsome and manly he is?" Sophie’s voice became dreamy as she turned to look at her husband.
Oriana followed her sister’s eyes and shook her head when she saw the charmer. The man looked unkempt, his clothes tattered and his beard all grown out.
"What are you seeing, sister?"
"Love, in its purest form," Sophie whispered. "I see the most handsome man who would cherish me and my children."
Oriana’s mouth opened, "Children?" She exclaimed. "Where is my sister!"
"Right here, but her heart now belongs to Galen," Sophie touched her chest, holding the doorpost as she continued to look at the charmer with dreamy eyes.
Oriana, seeing that things were getting out of hand, exhaled. "This won’t do," she turned to the young man, "You, come here!"
The charmer, who had been regretting his life since last night, stood up slowly. If only he had known that the noble lady was a Princess, he wouldn’t have done what he did.
"Your Majesty," he bowed to Oriana.
Oriana nodded, "I want you to undo whatever you did to my sister right now! And here? You swindler."
Sophie stomped her feet, "Don’t talk to my husband in that manner, and he is not a swindler. His name is Galen, and he is Sophie’s betrothed," she shouted, going to stand in front of the charmer.
The young man raised his brows, thinking to himself. It wasn’t such a bad idea that he had caught the princess in his charms. This way, he knew someone strong had his back.
"Sophie, you don’t know what you’re doing, trust me. Look, you swin-" Oriana paused, "Galen, I want you to take back whatever you said to my sister or undo it, anything, just make her come back to her senses."
Oriana pointed at the man’s face, "I mean now!"
"Yes, Your Majesty." Galen bowed, turning to the princess. He took out the ball and started. Though he knew he had been spared because the princess was protecting him, once the charm fell off her eyes, he would be punished. But he had no other choice.
"Keep your eyes on the ball," he started, "And listen to my voice,"
Sophie nodded excitedly, "Yes, my beloved husband. I will only listen to your voice for the rest of my life," she clapped.
Oriana rolled her eyes, palming her face with her hand. She couldn’t wait for Sophie to get her senses back.
"When I snap my fingers, you will remember that you didn’t -" the charmer paused when the necklace ball almost slipped from his hand. He caught it and, not knowing where he had stopped, continued with, "Love me forever."
The charmer snapped his fingers, "Now open your eyes,"
Sophie opened her eyes, looking at the charmer and then at her sister. The older princess started crying. What began as a small sob turned into wailing.
Oriana, thinking that her sister had finally returned, went to hug her closely, "I know, Sophie, I know. I’m glad you’re back."
"Sister," Sophie hugged Oriana closely, "I didn’t know."
Oriana was so happy to have her sister back. They weren’t the best sisters in the world, but they were still family. And if anyone was to punish her, it was up to Oriana, not a total stranger.
Sophie continued bawling her eyes out, tears uncontrollably streaming down her face.
Galen sighed, seeing that the princess now remembered. He knew it was time to pay for his sins.
"It’s okay, Sophie. Shh, I’ll make sure he is punished severely," Oriana patted her sister’s back.
Sophie moved back, "What?" she asked Oriana.
"Him, the man that humiliated you and turned you into his wife. I will have him punished severely," Oriana replied.
Sophie moved farther away from Oriana, looking at her like she was someone strange. "Why?" she asked, sniffling back her tears. "Why would you punish him? Do you want to see me die?"
Oriana, including the charmer, turned to look at each other. This wasn’t supposed to be happening.
"You were crying. I thought it was because-"
"I love him," Sophie cut her sister short. "I’m crying because it took me this long to realize it, and now I will die without him." Sophie wiped her tears. Turning to Galen, she said, "I’m so sorry it took me long to realize that I promised to love you forever. I have been a fool all these years, but no more... no more..."
It was then the charmer realized what went wrong. Before he snapped his fingers, he had paused, only to continue, and the words the princess heard were different from what he said. The words Sophie heard were;
’When I snap my fingers, you will remember to love me forever.’
Galen had learned to control people’s minds for years with a ball. It was something he picked up from his grandfather, and so he told others he was a charmer. His grandfather had clearly warned him as a boy,
’Controlling people’s minds should be done only twice. If you try to force them again, you might ruin their mind and damage the reality they know.’
And it only means right now, he can’t return the princess to normal, not even with the ball. With a stiff neck, Galen turned to Oriana and with a small shaky voice, he said,
"Y-your Majesty, I-I think we have a problem."
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