I’d thought he’d remain a fantasy forever. Whenever I fantasized about him, I’d felt guilty—until, suddenly, he was mine. At least officially, because his heart still belonged to my sister.
The day I found out I would be marrying Danilo, I had been sitting at my desk in my room when someone knocked, then Dad stepped in. He’d sent me to my room a couple of hours ago like so often in the months since Fina had been kidnapped. Everyone thought I was too young to understand what was going on, to handle the severity of it all.
“Sofia, can I have a word with you?” Dad asked.
I looked up from my homework with a small frown. His voice sounded off.
“Did I do something wrong?” It was the only explanation for why my parents would seek me out. They’d been too busy since the kidnapping, so I was used to being on my own or with my cousin Anna. I wasn’t mad at them. They were hurting so much. I just wanted things to go back to how they used to be. I wanted us to be happy.
Dad came over to me and touched the top of my head, his eyes sad. “Of course not, ladybug.”
I smiled at the use of my nickname. It always reminded me how much he loved me even if he couldn’t always show it.
“Let’s sit over there, okay?” He pointed toward my pink sofa, then walked over to it and sank down, looking tired. I followed and sat beside him. For a long time, he didn’t say anything, only regarded me in a way that made my throat feel all tight.
“Dad?” I whispered. “Is Fina okay?”
“Yeah . . .” He swallowed and took my hand. “You know we have rules in our world. Rules we all have to follow. Danilo can’t marry Serafina anymore, so we decided that we’d promise you to him.”
I blinked, shocked. After a moment, my belly fluttered madly. “Really?” I cringed at how excited I sounded.
Dad’s eyes softened further. He squeezed my hand lightly. “In many years, you’ll marry him. After you turn eighteen. So, you don’t have to worry about it now.”
Six years and six months. “Is Fina sad?”
Dad smiled. “No, she knows rules have to be followed.”
I nodded slowly. “Danilo really wants to marry me when I’m grown up?”
I couldn’t believe it. Danilo was so handsome and clever. Serafina and he had looked like monarchs beside each other, like a Disney dream couple.
Dad kissed my forehead. “Of course, he does. Any man would be grateful to have you as his wife. He chose you.”
I beamed up at my father.
With a deep sigh, he pulled me against him. “Oh, ladybug.” He sounded sad, not excited, and I wasn’t sure why.
I’d dreamed about Danilo all night. I couldn’t wait to talk to Anna about it. She’d come over today before she and her family had to return to Chicago.
I’d woken before sunrise, too giddy to sleep further.
Lying on my belly on my bed, I couldn’t stop writing Danilo’s and my name over and over again, no matter how childish it was. Sofia Mancini sounded perfect to me.
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.