15 Her Raison D'être
Sophia was taken aback.
"Why would Julia ever want that?" She asked, trying to make sense of the situation.
"Is that… really necessary?"
"Didn't she mention you were like family?" She reasoned instantly.
'I have no idea why I'm saying this,' she mumbled.
"Surely she wouldn't send or force you away because of the ruse," she reasoned.
'Again, I have no idea why I'm saying this,' she mumbled queerly.
Nicholas chuckled softly.
"Caring about my future is sweet, but it's unnecessary," he said.
Sophia heard a soft ping come from her pocket.
She took her phone out of her pocket. She'd just received a text from Louis.
She groaned.
"Looks like this chat will have to be continued later," she said, visibly irritated.
"Louis just notified me of a luncheon Emilia's holding in about an hour," she said, pursing her lips.
"And why are we being told of this now?" Nicholas asked, confused.
Sophia remembered Nicholas knew nothing of Emilia, so she decided to give him a detailed summary.
"Long story short, Emilia's the stereotypical stepmother, being my late father's current wife, and with the interregnum not expired yet, she's still on the throne, and she intends to flaunt her title of queen now that I'm back here in Beldovia," Sophia explained.
"She purposely intended to inform her family members, me, Julia and Louis especially," she said grimly.
"And I'm certain Julia's infuriated by the news," Sophia added.
She sighed, mumbling, 'Emilia, what will you do next?'
Nicholas blinked.
"So this luncheon…"
Sophia scoffed.
"It's all some well-coordinated plan to make a fool out of us," Sophia finished.
"Her and her nieces… dreadful," Sophia said, eyes narrowed at the mention of Emilia's nieces. She had an awful history with them.
Nicholas seemed slightly… frightened at the mention of Emilia's nieces.
He asked Sophia, "Will her nieces be at the luncheon?"
Upon hearing that question, a weird feeling bubbled up in Sophia. A mixture of proprietorial-ness and anger. Sophia assumed it was her hatred for her wicked stepmother's nieces that caused this. Not the other 'unreasonable' possibility.
"Of course they'll be," Sophia said obviously.
Nicholas seemed dejected at the news.
He said disappointedly, "Oh."
Sophia stifled a laugh, suddenly remembering that Emilia's nieces were the same girls trifling with Nicholas. The nuisances that caused him discomfort. The thought of it managed to cheer Sophia up somehow.
"You do know that as per our deal, you're to join me in this luncheon," Sophia reminded him.
"No matter how incompetent you are at hiding your feelings of amusement, it's easy to see you're enjoying this, dearest duchess," Nicholas said, his facial features scrunched up.
Sophia scoffed.
"Amused? Me?" She made a sound of discontent.
"How am I to act like I'm having fun when it comes to something relating to you?" She asked rhetorically.
Nicholas gasped dramatically, something out of character for him.
"I'm absolutely offended, and I thought you enjoyed my company," Nicholas said, putting on a false front of being insulted.
Sophia shrugged it off.
"Anything involving you and pretending to have fun is far from easy, considering how disdain and contempt you are," Sophia said matter-of-factly, as if it were obvious.
"Quite the jokester, aren't you?" Nicholas asked.
"Only trying to keep up with you, your royal highness," Sophia said in return, clapping back with a witty reply.
_
Nicholas pulled a chair for Sophia, being the gentleman he was.
Emilia's nieces eyed him, wanting to be Sophia at that moment, their eyes burning with jealousy.
"She's not even that pretty," Sheila insulted.
"Right? What's an ugly duckling like her doing around a handsome gentleman like him?" Kiara said.
"What's she done to deserve him?" Kiara added.
"Totally unworthy and undeserving," Sheila said with disapproval.
"Girls, your manners," Emilia warned before smiling and addressing the other royals at the table.
"I'm so delighted you all could make it to my luncheon, even despite the fact you all were notified of it quite late."
Lunch on a patio seemed fitting for such a lovely day, regardless of who they were eating lunch with - Emilia and her dreadful nieces.
Speaking of which, Emilia was seated at the head of the table, whilst Julia sat across her, at the other head of the table. The farthest she could sit from the daughter-in-law she'd always loathed. Would a fight break out, it was enough distance for nothing too catastrophic to take place before someone would restrain them both.
Julia insisted on bringing royal guards to the luncheon, the said guards not situated too far away. Most would say it was unnecessary, but when it came to Emilia, who knew what she'd pull.
As expected, Sophia and Nicholas sat beside each other, having taken an extra step, holding hands whilst waiting for their food to be served - all part of their elaborate ruse.
Louis sat right across Kiara and Sheila. Somehow, he managed to sit beside them without any qualms.
Kiara and Sheila knew better than to try flirting with Louis. No amount of flirting with any girl - royal especially - would make him any more straight. He'd made it clear. He wasn't into those of the opposite genders.
Back to Sophia and Nicholas, the power couple of the afternoon, they were engaging in the more 'getting to know each other' side of topics of conversation.
"Knowing my vile stepmother, the raison d'être of this luncheon has something to do with us," Sophia said.
She was right, Emilia definitely had ulterior motives as to hosting this luncheon.
"Us as in… how the tabloids perceive us - courting," Sophia explained further.
[NOTE: The meaning of raison d'être is the most important reason or purpose for something's existence.]
"And with that, she's eventually going to grill us on how well we know each other, despite the fact that we haven't known each other for long, isn't she?" Nicholas asked, making sense of the situation.
Sophia nodded.
"Definitely," she said sheepishly.
"Looks like it's finally time to get to know each other better then," Sophia said solemnly.
