Chapter 16: Two more years.

"Sophia, my dear, what's wrong?" Queen Isabella asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper. Sophia collapsed into her mother's arms, her tears flowing freely once more.

"Mom... I don't want to get married," Sophia sobbed, her words muffled against her mother's shoulder.

Queen Isabella's heart ached as she held her daughter close. She wished she could explain to the king that their child wasn't ready for marriage, but she knew that wasn't an option. Sophia was their first daughter, and according to tradition, she had to get married before her sisters. The succession of the throne depended on it, and Queen Isabella knew that she couldn't change the course of history.

"There's nothing I can do, my child," Queen Isabella said softly, as she gently guided Sophia to the bed. They sat down together, Queen Isabella's arm wrapped around Sophia's shoulders.

"When I was young," Queen Isabella began, her voice filled with a mix of sadness and nostalgia, "I was also forced to marry your father, the king." Sophia looked up at her mother, her eyes wide with surprise.

"I was the first child of my father, King Jacob," Queen Isabella continued. "Our kingdom was small and weak, and we were struggling to survive. There was a war raging at the time, and my father needed help to fight our enemies. So, he went to your father's father, the king, for assistance." Queen Isabella's eyes clouded over, as if memories of the past were rising to the surface.

"The king agreed to help us, but at a steep price," Queen Isabella said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I was to marry his son, your father. I was young and scared, and I didn't want to marry him. But I had no choice." Queen Isabella's eyes met Sophia's, and for a moment, they just looked at each other, the past and present colliding.

Queen Isabella took a deep breath and tried to explain the situation to Sophia. "You see, Sophia, as the first daughter of the king, it's your duty to marry well and secure the future of our kingdom. The princes who have come to compete for your hand are all from powerful kingdoms, and an alliance with any of them would be beneficial for our people."

Sophia listened to her mother's words, but her expression remained unchanged. "I understand, Mother," she said softly, "but I'm just not ready yet. I don't want to marry someone I don't love, someone I barely know."

Queen Isabella sighed, trying to reason with her daughter. "Sophia, you're 18 years old. It's time for you to take your place as a queen. You can't keep putting this off."

But Sophia shook her head, her eyes welling up with tears. "Please, Mother, just ask Father to give me two more years. I promise I'll find someone I love, someone who loves me back. Just two more years, please."

Queen Isabella's expression softened, and she opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say anything, the door to Sophia's room suddenly swung open.

Both Sophia and Queen Isabella were shocked to see the person standing in the doorway. It was the king, his face stern and unyielding. "What's going on here?" he demanded, his voice low and menacing.