SofiaxHugo

Episode 9: Our First Date, Pt. 1

The following Friday evening, just like I had promised, I was standing in the foyer of Enchancia castle, waiting to pick Sofia up for our first official date. I wore my best suit, and had spent way too long in front of the mirror making sure I looked my absolute best for the night, but I was still scared to death. James watched me as I paced in little nervous circles on the rug while we waited for Sofia to come downstairs. He seemed to find my anxiety amusing.

"Dude, you guys have been friends forever. You hang out together every single day. Why are you freaking out about seeing her now?"

I stopped to try and explain to him, but I hardly understood how I was feeling myself. "It isn't the same this time," I said finally.

James didn't seem to understand. Of course, he had never been in my situation. James was always too busy with sports and his royal duties to have time to date. Being the crowned prince took up a lot of his time. "It's not like you're even new at this sort of thing," he commented. "You were like, the master of romance with Hildegarde."

It was true. To impress Princess Hildegarde, I had to be more charming than Cinderella's husband. That princess had been unfazed by flying carpets and dancing elephants when she was only ten years old, and every time I took her out I had to top what I had done the last time. The dates I had come up with for me and Hildy would fill a small book, each tale more extravagant than the last. I sighed and shook my head.

"But Sofia isn't Hildegarde. She's..." I couldn't think of a word to accurately describe my princess. "She's completely different. I can't even compare Hildy to Sofia. I've never met a princess like her, I-what?!" James was watching me with a huge grin on his face.

"You've really got it bad this time, don't you?" he asked.

I felt blood rush to my cheeks and I nodded silently. James' eyes flickered to the top of the stairs and my stomach erupted in butterflies, but it was Amber coming to greet us, not Sofia. I wilted. The tall blonde hurried down the stairs with an excited grin that matched the one on her twin brother's face.

"She's ready!" Amber announced proudly. She had probably helped Sofia pick out everything she was wearing, and done her hair, too. Sofia's older sister was always the more fashion-forward of the two, and loved to help style Sofia's hair and costumes for our ice dancing competitions.

But nothing could have prepared me for the vision that appeared at the top of the stairs.

Twenty-four hours a day, eight days a week, Sofia was a knockout. She was the most beautiful princess I had ever seen, whether she was in her usual lavender gown, her flying derby jersey, even just sweatpants. But the young woman standing at the top of the stairs was something worthy of Disney's big screen.

Sofia was dressed in gold, her full-skirted ball gown replaced by a slender silhouette that hugged her amazing curves. Her soft auburn hair was held away from her face by a glittering tiara, spilling in shining curls down her back, with diamonds dangling from her ears. The only thing familiar about her appearance was the amulet around her neck.

She started down the stairs, and high-heeled shoes peeked out from under the hem of the dress, which-oh god-it had a slit that went past her knee. Those legs. My heart fluttered. I had never seen a more beautiful woman in my entire life.

When Sofia reached the bottom of the stairs, she smiled her incredible smile at me. "Hi," she said simply.

I couldn't stop blatantly staring at her. It was all I could do to keep my mouth from hanging open. "Guh...-uh, hi." I cleared my throat awkwardly. "Hey. You-uh," my voice cracked. Talking was practically impossible. "You look great."

She giggled and clasped her hands in front of her, which squeezed her chest together, which almost made me die on the spot. "Thanks," she said. "You do, too."

It isn't hard to look good in a suit, but I grinned and tried to laugh. "Heh. Thanks." I swallowed. "Are you ready to go?" I had borrowed Axle's custom flying coach for the night, after promising my right arm as collateral should anything happen to it. My brother loved that carriage more than my father loved hockey.

My princess approached me and took my arm. "Yeah. Let's go." Her touch made me shiver.

I stole a glance at James and Amber. He was watching me seriously, but Amber was grinning excitedly. Somehow I had the feeling that when Sofia got home from our date, her sister would be waiting for her and ready to hear every single detail of the evening.

Finally, I turned my attention back to Sofia. To the glorious angel on my arm, the beautiful woman who was going out with me tonight. This night had to be absolutely perfect. "This way, princess." As I helped her into the flying coach, she asked, "Where are we going?"

I chuckled. "Let's just say it's a surprise."

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