A/N: WOW! As aforementioned, this is my first fanfiction. So...80 views?!?!?!?! THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!! Please, please, please comment and tell me what you think! I want to make this better and more enjoyable for you guys, so thank you!

Previously:

"So, m'lady, what's for supper?" Keefe asked with a wink.

"Do I look like I'm in a position to make supper?" she asked.

"Well, you're in quite the position with lover boy over here, so I guess m'lady is preoccupied," Keefe pointed at us. "Hey Taaaammmyyy, how's that inner fanboy of yours? I thought you would go nuts over this!"

"How many times do I have to tell you? I don't have an inner fanboy!" Tam glared at Keefe while Dex snickered.

I let go of Sophie's hand and walked over to the window, my face on fire. Keefe was so annoying at times. But our faces had been kind of close...

Tam POV

What was Keefe doing? If we were ever going to see Sophie and Fitz together, this was not the way. He interrupted a Sophitz moment, and for that, there would be no forgiveness. I grabbed Keefe and pulled him into a corner.

"What are you doing?" I asked him angrily.

"No need to get angry, Tammy," Keefe said. "I'm trying to give them hints!"

"That...is actually genius," I said, not believing what I was saying.

"Ha! DID YOU GUYS HEAR THAT?" Keefe yelled at the top of his lungs.

"What now, Keefe?" Fitz asked, his face still red.

"TAM CALLED ME A GENIUS!" Keefe pointed to me.

"I didn't call you a genius," I said.

"I dare you to challenge me to a battle of wits, then, to prove me right," Keefe declared.

I snorted. "I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but I see you are unarmed."

"Oh, burn!" said Fitz and Sophie at the same time. They blushed.

"Aw, you guys are twinning!" Linh clasped her hands together.

"Guys, supper's ready!" Vertina called from the fireplace.

We all came over and waited as Fitz carried Sophie over and gently placed her in a plush armchair.

"Hey, how come we don't get a chair?" Keefe pouted.

"Because you didn't almost die," I pointed out.

"What about that time-" Keefe argued.

"You're just not Sophie," Fitz said.

"That, I'll admit," Keefe said, defeated.

I took a bite of the mince pie Dex and Vertina had made. My eyes widened, and I practically inhaled the food. It. Was. Delicious. We didn't have good food to eat, mostly because we were all terrible cooks. Fitz was the only one who could actually produce something edible, but it was nice to have something this good to eat for once.

Sophie stared at me. "What?" I asked.

"Sorry, I just feel guilty," she hung her head. "I eat like this every day, while you guys sleep outside and eat little to nothing."

Fitz took her hand. "Sophie, it's ok! You shouldn't have to feel guilty. After all, you probably suffer more than all of us."

"The food part is mostly due to Fitz's cooking," Keefe joked.

"Hey!" Fitz cried.

"Your cooking isn't that great," I agreed.

"I'd like to see your cooking," Fitz retorted, then paused. "Then again, maybe not. Remember when Keefe tried to make imitation lamb chops out of rabbit?"

"Ugh, that was awful," Linh made a face while everyone else laughed.

"I just wish I could do something for the people," Sophie said. "I know! I'll invite everyone to the feast on the eve of the competition! There will be dancing, and food, and-"

"But how will you convince Prince Brant?" Dex asked worriedly.

"I have...connections," Sophie said.

I looked at Linh. What kind of connections? Her eyes met mine. I stretched my shadow toward Linh's and shadow-whispered.

A/N: shadow-whispering will also be in italics (Sorry to interrupt!)

Talk later, ok?

Linh nodded. I turned my attention back to the conversation, and almost squealed when I saw Fitz and Sophie blushing again.

"Taaaaam," Keefe poked my shoulder.

"What?" I asked, annoyed.

"You missed another Sophitz moment!" Keefe whispered.

I slapped my forehead with my palm. One of these days, their obliviousness is going to kill me.
"Is Keefe annoying you, Tam?" Fitz asked.

"Nope, just you," I muttered. Aloud, I said, "Do you even have to ask?"

Everyone laughed. "We should do this again!" Sophie said. "I haven't had this much fun in...a long time."

Fitz looked guilty. "Yeah, we should!"

"How about every Saturday night?" Sophie suggested. "And the eve of the competition?"

"It's a date," Keefe winked.

"Speaking of which," Fitz said while I sucked in a breath. Ask her out ask her out ask her out already! "How are you holding up?" Darn. I thought he was going to ask.

By the looks of it, so did Sophie. "As fine as one can be in this situation," she whispered, face red. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I just wanted to let you know that we're working on a plan to get you out of it," Fitz took both of her hands.

"Thank you," she said softly, her eyes focused on Fitz.

I extended my shadow to Keefe's. Let's let them be.

Keefe glared at everyone until they got the message. Slowly, we dispersed to different corners of the room, leaving the two oblivious lovebirds alone.

Linh POV

I watched from the corner, feeling guilty of being jealous earlier. Sophie had it so much harder than all of us. What Lord Fintan did to her...I don't think I could have survived it. And by the way that Fitz looks at Sophie, it's clear that they are meant for each other. I think that it's safe to say that I've moved on.

"Do you think she could be the one?" Tam asks.

"The one? Who?" I ask, confused.

Tam's shadow stretches over mine. Could Sophie be King Grady's heir?

I sucked in a breath. "It makes sense," I whispered.

*TIME SKIP TO WHEN EVERYONE IS ASLEEP*

I slipped the DNA cube that King Grady had given us from my pocket. Tam handed me one of Sophie's bloodied bandages, and I vomited inside of my mouth at the sight of it. I pressed the blood to the sensor and waited.

As we waited, I looked over at a sleeping Sophie. Fitz sat in the chair, holding her hand while she slept. I smiled. Fitz shouldn't be with anyone else.

I turned back to the DNA cube. The sensor on the cube beeped, and then flashed green.

"It's a match," breathed Tam.

Oh, yeah...did I forget to mention that there was gonna be a plot twist? There you go! Also, thank you Sydnietay23 for adding my story to your reading list! This is much appreciated.

Now, for those of you who are confused about the picture up on top, all I can say is that it has to do with this:

Comment if you know what movie I quoted when Tam said: I snorted. "I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but I see you are unarmed."

The picture should help! I'll reveal the movie in the next chapter. If you read my bio, you can figure it out that way as well!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!!!!!!!

⤮ Meels 

P.S. Does anyone else feel like this (comment if you're a Series of Unfortunate Events fan) when they are reading late at night? I know I do!