As You Wish.

Days seemed to pass more quickly than ever with the announcement of the engagement. The palace was on full speed, everyone had something to do, somewhere to be. There was never a dull moment, the atmosphere itself was thick with excitement and joy. Nothing, of course, could more thrilling than the marriage of the beloved Princess of Amaterasu.

There was, however, at least one person who lacked this feeling of excitement and joy, and that was the princess herself. Ever since the day she and Jack walked into her fathers study, Sophia wasn't the same. It was easy to walk mindlessly around the palace and enjoy being a princess when the thought of responsibility seemed distant.

But now that she had just taken the monumental first step to ruling the country, well, feeling as free as she once did was awfully hard. And who could blame her? Things had literally happened so quick. From waking up one morning thinking it was just another day, to falling asleep the same day engaged and suddenly light years closer to your destiny.

It was a scary thought, to say the least.

And now, seeing Jack everywhere was not helping Sophia's state of mind. She found it incredibly hard to feel devastated and confused when every time she seemed to step out of her room she was suddenly overcome with irritation and aggravation, both emotions often present when anyone a little overly conflicted had a run in with Jack.

The conversations between the two appeared to play along the lines of Jack picking at Sophia's weak spots. This made things increasingly difficult for Sophia because her strong spots contradicted her ability to defend her weak spots. Her etiquette, manners, and overall values were being challenged more than ever before in her 18 years of life, and she wondered how long it would be until she broke.

She was not the only one who wondered this, as Sophia expected, on account that Jack openly found pleasure in seeing Sophia flushed and mumbling at nearly every word he said. Jack, unlike Sophia, had yet to consider the seriousness of the situation. He understood that one day he would have to be very serious, very compassionate, and very well minded when it came the time for he and Sophia to rule... but for now he was content with a little fun and games.

Over the last few days the four adults had locked in their plans to visit Port Sapphire. Along with a visit to Duke, Duchess, and Jack and Olivia's mother Amelia, there was also to be a ball held in honor of Jack and Sophia's engagements. The ball would symbolize the beginning of showing Jack and Sophia's relationship to the country.

It was very important that the citizens of Amaterasu felt a connection to the King and Queen to be, they had to love them as much as they loved Stephen and Rosalinda. Therefore, Jack and Sophia needed publicity, they needed to be seen together and happy. The country would thrive only unless the people believed in them.

The trip to Port Sapphire would take most of the morning, it was a great effort to transport the royal family from place to place. There was a caravan of carriages, at least two to carry all of their luggage, a carriage for the four adults, a carriage for the three teenagers, one carriage of security, and another for their personal maids and butlers. Not to mention that in every town along the way, the entire population of the city would come to the streets to greet and cheer for them as they passed, seeming to always rattle the horses.

But in the large stretches of grassland they had to cross, it was an awfully soothing journey. Though, inside the carriage which held the teenagers was another story. Where, despite Sophia's hopes, Olivia seemed to find more interest in her than she had previously expected. And attention from Olivia didn't always make you feel good about yourself.

"So what school did you go to exactly, princess?" Olivia poked, waving her fan to her face in almost a degrading way. Her lips were pursed in the most impatient of ways, and Sophia felt a wave of uncomfortable heat wash across her.

Jack was staring out the window, both of the Malloy children sitting across from Sophia in the carriage. You could only see half of his face as his eyes trailed over the grasslands, but when Sophia replied, "As princess, I had the most esteemed tutors. No need to attend school." Her voice completely smooth and quiet that it was hard to detect the slight bite to her words, it was impossible not to see Jack's smile.

Olivia paused, but it was only a matter of seconds before she said, "You must not have many acquaintances then, princess." She stared directly into the princesses eyes, her insult indirect but ever apparent.

Sophia was more befuddled with the Malloy children than ever before. She had hoped that Olivia may be more likable in comparison to Jack, but their meager conversation was beginning to alert Sophia that Jack was a saint in comparison to this incarnation of evil before her. Most people were kind to her simply for the fact that she was a princess, but even after that fact, Sophia was so kind that being anything but the same to her was just uncalled for.

The only time she encountered anything different was when she was blessed with the presence of the children of other highly esteemed families. Old money had a way of altering a teenagers attitudes to a sort of intolerableness that was only really ever unleashed onto other teenagers. Snobs, in other words.

It was shockingly clear that Olivia was a classic case of this, and Sophia was suddenly thrilled to be heading to Port Sapphire. The sooner they got out of this carriage together, the better.

"I have acquaintances." Sophia replied shortly.

Olivia shut her fan and placed it in her lap, she folded her hands over one another, a look of complete amusement on her face as she said, "Yes, but you probably lack any amount of friends." Jack stiffened slightly as even he could tell his sister was being unfriendly. He looked toward the princess as her eyes shifted into a slightly territorial look.

"Oh Olivia," Sophia said softly, "I wouldn't trouble yourself with trying to discover the in and outs of life as a princess. It's a lifestyle you're just simply born for."

Olivia flinched at the remark and ended the conversation by flashing Sophia an unpleasantly distasteful look and turning her attention out the window. Sophia relished in the notion that Olivia would most likely leave her alone for the rest of the journey, but even more so in the way that Jack smiled brightly at her, obviously not having thought she could manage against his sister.

Sophia was timid, that much was true. She was raised to know how to be a respectful, honorable, and well minded princess; but a princess no less. She knew her superiority, and though like her parents she did not flaunt it, she knew when people needed to be reminded of her status.

And Olivia had yet to see even the half of it.