From the Diary of Sophie Seaforth

Dear Diary, it is late at night but I’m unable to sleep right now after today’s events. It’s been too much to bear. All I can think is if I don’t write everything down, and see it in black and white, then I’m sure I’m crazy. None of this can be true. It just can’t be!

It’s just too far off the rails, beyond all my worst fears!

The day started like a typical day. I was sullen as my sister served me breakfast, chatting to me in the artificial way she’d developed, pretending we were a normal, happy family, my eye on Sebastian, realizing yet again I wouldn’t be able to dodge past him for a moment’s peace.

My sister’s Ladies, as she called them, were hovering about, unable to understand why she would lower herself to cook breakfast with her own hands. Frankly, I couldn’t figure it out either because lately Gigi seemed to have gotten used to bossing them around pretty good. Get me this, get me that, she told them non-stop. And they hopped to it, too.

Finally, with eggs, bacon, and orange juice in front of me, Gigi plopped herself onto a chair across from me, a forced smile on her face.

“Eat while it’s hot,” she said.

I picked at it, my stomach churning. Of late, I had little appetite.

She began tapping her fingernails on the table. “Have you made any friends at school yet?”

What a question! Everyone at school avoided me. It was like all the kids there differed from me somehow, and I wasn’t sure why. I just shrugged as I took a few bites to appease her.

Once we were finally done eating Gigi and her bodyguard walked Sebastian and I outside the gates.

I stopped dead in my tracks.

And I mean dead.

I thought I might faint!

All the color left my face as I let out a blood-curdling scream.

Sebastian held his arms up to protect me while Gigi giggled.

My knees locked, and I swayed. In one swoop, Sebastian turned, facing me, and caught me before I fell, cradling me in his arms.

Our eyes locked, and he said in a low, calm voice, “Are you all right?”

Something in his tone soothed me, bringing me back to equilibrium. I nodded, and he helped me back to my feet.

Looking back at the “thing” that scared me, it was raking the leaves!

I turned on my sister, angry now that she’d laughed at me, and realizing sometime during my collapse that Laris had joined us.

“What is that thing and how could you laugh at me like that?” I screamed, my entire body shaking.

She hid a smile behind her hand, then said, “I’m sorry. That’s Bonehilda. We needed a maid, so I summoned her. You already know I do spells and make potions. Well, I learned how to…. um, make her.”

“That is hideous! I-I don’t even know what to say!”

“We can talk about this later. Go to school before you’re late.”

Go to school? That seemed an absurd thing to do after what I’d just seen. I wanted to argue with her, but then I also wanted to get away from her and Laris.

I hated the creepy way he always stared at me. Tilly and I had been talking, lately and she was on my side about living here in Midnight Hollow. It wasn’t at all like she thought it would be, either. She wanted to get Gigi away from here, too.

We were afraid, though, that someone would find out, even though we were pretty sure Gigi couldn’t read our thoughts anymore.

The direction of school was behind me, but I was afraid to turn around and go because Bonehilda was behind me, still raking leaves. Each scrape of the metal tines against the cement sent a shiver through my spine.

I’m scarred for life, I thought.

Tilly and I had to get out of here somehow. And soon.

The biggest thing, though, was I would never leave without Gigi or the baby. Gigi was acting weird. Horrible even. But I was certain if I got her away from Laris and Midnight Hollow, she would be her old self in no time.

From the Diary of Georgia Noble

Laris is my King, and he and our child are everything to me. I can’t wait to bring our little one into the world. I’m so full of joy when I think of it. Maybe we’ll have more, too.

I brought this up to Laris, and he seemed pleased.

“We will have as many as you wish,” he said, putting his arm around me, drawing me close.

Moments like these mean a lot to me lately. I’ve been trying hard to hold everything together, and I’ll admit, it’s been difficult. I used to read Soph and Tilly like so easily, but now, it’s like looking into nothing. I suspect they’re hiding their thoughts from me somehow. And I know they’re plotting against me. I can feel it with my whole being.

When I see them together, I’m certain they are talking about me, coming up with ways of escaping Midnight Hollow, of leaving me. I won’t have it! Never!

“My Angel,” Laris said, “you’re so tense. Whatever is wrong? This isn’t good for the child.”

I tried to laugh, but it appeared pathetic. “Oh, I was just thinking about Sophie. I want her to be happy here, but I’m afraid she won’t be. I’m afraid she’ll run away.”

“Why don’t you just take my suggestion and spell her into happiness? It will be as if she was never downcast a day in her life?”

I frowned. If I did that, would she still be the Sophie I knew and loved? “I’m afraid that might be too drastic. I’m using that as a last resort, if nothing else works.”

“What will you try now? She can’t leave with Sebastian guarding her.”

“Yes, I’m afraid that made her even more angry.”

“She’ll get over it,” he said.

I nodded. “I suppose. Seeing Bonehilda was more than she could handle, I’m afraid. It was unkind of me to laugh. I don’t know what came over me.”

He smiled and brushed a tendril of my hair off my cheek. “It’s easy to forget that she doesn’t understand this place yet with its vampires, fairies, Bonehildas and the like.”

“I’m going to tell her everything,” I decided. “Once she hears about Dad, she won’t think about leaving ever again.”

“I’m sure you’re right,” he said.

“I love you, Laris.”

“And I you, My Angel.”

Later on in the day, my Ladies listened while I told them everything I was going to say to Sophie.

“So, she doesn’t know fairies exist?” Phira Plumspirit, my fairy lady-in-waiting asked.

I shook my head. “She knows something is odd about you, but she cannot see you the same way I can. She may or may not be able to after I tell her. I’m not sure. It depends on if she has any magic in her blood or not. What I do know is she can see that Laris has red eyes, and Sebastian has glowing eyes, so there is that.”

“Interesting,” Phira said.

“Do you think I’ve covered everything?” I asked the Ladies.

They both agreed I had.

I told them to let Sebastian in, who was waiting for an audience with me.

When he came in, he bowed low to the floor, then rose, keeping his eyes lowered.

“Sebastian, what news have you regarding Sophie?”

“I’m sorry to report, My Queen, I have nothing.”

The muscles in my neck tightened, and my adrenaline jumped a level.

“Surely there is something to report. Has she said or thought anything about running away? Or taking the baby and running away?”

Keeping his eyes lowered, he shook his head and said, “No, My Queen.”

“Look me in the eye and tell me your news.”

To this, he looked me square in the eye and said, “There is nothing to report, My Queen.”

I dismissed him and turned to my ladies.

“Could I be wrong about her?”

“It is possible she just feels strange here, My Queen,” Agatha Ebonywood said.

I would have to think about this.

Finally, it was time to meet with my sister.

“I hope your nerves are assuaged since this morning.”

She shrugged. “I guess.”

“Well, I have some things to tell you that might unnerve you further, but that you need to know. I’ve kept them from you in order to protect you because I thought it better for you. Now I realize things here just don’t make sense for you and so you should know.”

“Um. Okay,” she said, wiping her hands on her sweater.

“This might take a while,” I began, taking a deep breath. Then I told her about Laris, and how he found me through the Great Tragedy, what the ceremony meant, what having the child meant, how Midnight Hollow was absolutely crawling with fairies, vampires, witches, and werewolves. And, finally, how Laris and I were king and queen of them all.

She just stood there, staring at me for a full minute.

“Are you all right?”

Slowly, she nodded. Then her mouth fell open. But she said nothing.

“There’s something else, Soph. The reason I agreed to all of this in the first place is because we are going to have our family back.” I couldn’t hold back my grin.

“W-what are you talking about?” she asked, her voice shaking.

“Laris promised me if I gave him this child, he would bring our father back here to live with us. Once that happens, I’m sure we could get Mom out of that facility, too. Soph, we could all be together again, just like before! Isn’t that wonderful?”

All the color left her face until she was completely pale, and she stepped backwards, away from me.

“Are you crazy?” she shrieked. “Dad is gone! He’s never coming back! Laris has lied to you! Can’t you see that?”

Then she ran from the room, with Sebastian not far behind her.

Dragging my nails down my cheeks, I could barely hold myself upright. If it wasn’t for my Ladies, I never would have made it to my room to lie down.

After a time, I fell into a fitful sleep…

Only to have my father yell:

“WAKE UP!!”

Thank you so much for reading, liking, lurking, and commenting! I hope you enjoyed today’s post!

See you Saturday at 10am (EST) for the next chapter of Noble Doubt!