#the speaking look between eloise and pen 😂

[belladonnaprice]

.

[silverhallow]

The Sea Witch’s Curse

pairing: Benedict Bridgerton x Sophie Beckett

summary: when Sophie loses her voice at her job as a disney princess at the disney store she has to get creative… not thinking it would completely change her life

warnings: none. Just fluffy nonsense

word count: 2224 words

author's note: I saw a post on Instagram about something like this happening and @sophiebernadotte told me to write it… so I did 😂

The Disney store was not where Benedict had hoped to spend his afternoon but he had promised Hyacinth he would take her out shopping so that she could have whatever she wanted, within reason, if she behaved for him whilst he was looking after her the week before.

At 8 years old she was obsessed with Disney and the princesses and every weekend when she was at the shopping centre, she demanded she be took to the Disney store so she could hang out with the Princesses.

Benedict, so far, had managed to avoid that particular trauma with his youngest sister but this weekend he knew he had no choice, he had made the promise and since it was a toss up between Disney Store shopping or three separate events for Eloise, Francesca and Gregory… he knew which he’d prefer and so he’d bundled his youngest sister in his car and headed off to the shopping centre with no idea how much his life was about to change…

~*~

It was the last thing Sophie Beckett needed today. Waking up with no voice when she had a full day at work and they were already low on staff so she was working a longer shift than normal so she knew there was no way that she was phoning in sick.

Not only was it against her working ethics, it wasn’t fair to her friends there so she’d messaged her manager to tell her what was happening and that she had a plan…

It was a little unconventional, she knew some of the kids in the shop would be a bit confused but she was sure it would work, at least to some degree anyway.

And for the most part people just wanted pictures with her in her Princess uniform anyway so she wouldn’t be required to do much speaking she was sure of it.

She’d made sure her Ipad was fully charged and her Apple Pen was ready and raring to go as she made her way into the packed shopping centre.

Saturday’s were always the busiest and there would always be a steady stream of people with kids coming in and out of the disney store so she knew she was in for a busy day.

Kate, her best friend was also on shift but due to the shortage of staff was on the tills today rather than being dressed up as usual and had laughed at Sophie’s plan but said it was ingenious, Tabitha, who was dressed as Ariel had laughed and agreed to Sophie’s hairbrained plan for the day and agreed to back her up if anyone asked why Cinderella was walking around with a sign that said “Ursula the Sea Witch has gotten confused and stolen my voice today but I am still happy to assist you”

Sophie knew it was a long shot and some of the kids had been very confused as to how Ursula had gotten confused between the two of them but Ariel had explained that she and Cinderella had been trying on each other’s clothes and it must have confused the witch and some of the younger kids bought it.

Sophie did have one creep offer to give her “true love’s kiss” to get her voice back but after a disgusted look and the security guard coming over to protect the princesses from the creep in the shop who had no kids with them, most of it stopped.

That was until one of her regular and favourite customer’s came in.

She hadn’t seen little Hyacinth in a few weeks and the last time she’d come in her older brother had spent a lot of time talking to Kate and so Sophie had shown Hyacinth the new Moana stuff they’d gotten and it had been a fun afternoon with the young girl.

Sophie didn’t know much about the Bridgerton’s but she knew they were a large family and so when she heard Hyacinth’s squeal of happiness at her favourite princess being there and looked up and saw a different older brother with her, Sophie felt her heart do a little flip.

He could have given any Prince Charming a run for his money and some but Sophie didn’t have long to admire the man as Hyacinth had thrown herself into Sophie’s arms and was hugging her tightly.

So tightly, Sophie had lost the grip on her iPad and it had fallen to the floor, “sorry Sophie” Hyacinth exclaimed as she bent down and picked it up and then read what was on the screen and gasped “Ursula has stolen your voice!?” she explained

The man with Hyacinth chuckled “I thought it was Ariel that she usually stole the voice off…”

“Well Sophie’s got such a nice singing voice, even better than Ariel’s that clearly Ursula wanted someone else” Hyacinth said in a matter of fact tone to her brother as she handed Sophie back the iPad, “besides, it doesn’t matter, if she’s lost her voice then we have to find a way to defeat Ursula to get it back!” she said “Ohhh there is Kate! I’ll go ask Kate for idea’s!” Hyacinth said and ran off before Benedict or Sophie could say anything.

“Sophie huh? I thought you were Cinderella?” the handsome man asked with a brow raised and a lopsided smirk on his face

Sophie grabbed her pen and scribbled Hyacinth’s been in that often she’s seen me on non-princess days so refuses to call me Cinderella anymore, same with why she calls Kate, Kate and not her princess

“Well that make sense… that and Anthony is now dating Kate” he said

True. but she was calling Kate her name long before then.

He smirked and shrugged “she is very strong willed, she’ll have a thousand ideas as to how to get your voice back when she comes back”

I don’t doubt it but some rest and not speaking will do it for me I am sure. I’ve not seen you here with Hyacinth before but clearly you’re a brother… so you must be Benedict? I’m assuming.

Benedict blinked, most women, or people just saw him as another Bridgerton and rarely did someone who had never met him before even know his name

“How… did you know?”

Sophie beamed and wrote Hyacinth told me she had four brothers, Anthony i’ve met, she told me that Benni was taller than Anthony, and Gregory is 10… and i’m sure I saw Colin in here a few weeks ago talking to Kate and trying to make her see sense about Anthony and he was definitely shorter so you have to be Benni… and Kate told me it’s Benedict not Benni…

Benedict laughed “yes, Benedict, or Ben… it’s nice to meet you Sophie, Hyacinth doesn’t shut up about you or Kate or the rest of the princess to be honest…”

Well she’s a sweet kid

“Sweet isn’t how we’d word it…”

Strongwilled?

Benedict laughed “that’s kinder than pain in the arse but yes, she’s got the entire family wrapped around her finger”

It must be nice. Being close to your family

“It is maddening but it is nice…” he smiled at her, wondering why he felt so comfortable around her and found her so easy to talk to.

Hyacinth had always said that Sophie was a kind hearted girl, that she was training to be a Vet, that she was very pretty but Benedict was blown away by her green eyes, the smile on her face and he’d not heard her talk but he could almost imagine her melodious laugh and tone when he read her words.

There was a magical quality about her and it was drawing him in.

They spent half an hour talking, or he was talking and Sophie was writing, just chatting about his family, he’d asked about her course and how it was going, whilst Hyacinth was talking to Kate and then talking to Ariel and a few of the other princesses, her eyes kept flicking over to the keep and eye on Benedict and Sophie and he missed the scheming look in his sister’s eyes when Kate had come back and whispered in her ear a few seconds later Hyacinth came running over “I know how to fix it!”

Benedict and Sophie looked towards the young girl with their brows raised and looking amused “and how is that Hyacinth?”

“Kate said it’s the same with Ariel, she has to be kissed by her Prince Charming!”

That may be the case Hyacinth but I don’t have a Prince Charming

“I know! Kate told me! But Benni could be him!” Hyacinth said without a care in the world, causing Benedict to splutter and Sophie to go bright red.

“I’m not Prince Charming Hy, you know that…”

“But you could be!” Hyacinth said, jumping up and down excitedly.

“Hyacinth, you can’t just kiss people you’ve just met and not when they’re at work…” Benedict said trying to defuse the situation as he felt his own cheeks growing red

“But you could take her out and then kiss her! Kate said you were checking Sophie out and flirting with her! So you could!”

“Hyacinth…” Benedict whined as both Sophie and Benedict shot Kate a look who was just standing behind the till laughing away to herself as she served a customer and clearly enjoying the look on her friends face.

Hyacinth, it is nice of you to try and help me out but I am sure i’ll be fine in a few days, and besides I am sure Benedict wasn’t flirting with me.

“He was flirting with you!”

Benedict went bright red at being called out by his littlest sister.

“Hyacinth, look, just… here… here’s £30, go find a toy and buy it. Please…”

“But…”

“Look, just let us talk please… if you do this we’ll go for a mcdonalds and then an Gunthers on the way home…”

Hyacinth looked at the money and then between Benedict and Sophie and grabbed the money and ran off into the toys looking for something to buy and Benedict turned to Sophie, both of whom were bright red and a little mortified

“Sorry about her…”

It’s fine. She’s not the first one to try and find me Prince Charming today. It’s okay you can just… I don’t know tell her you’re not interested or whatever or say we’re going out and just lie?

“And what if I am interested in taking you out? And was actually flirting… and clearly doing a bad job if you think i’m not interested”

Sophie spluttered, the first real noise to come out of her mouth all day; you’re interested?

“Of course I am. You’re beautiful, you’re funny, I see why Hyacinth loves you so much, so what about it? Give it a few days for your voice to come back and i’ll take you out to dinner? If… if you want?” he said suddenly wondering if perhaps he’d misread the signs

Sophie nodded, i’d like that… if you give me your number i’ll message you when i’m off work and we can text whilst my voice heals then we can go out.

“Really?” he asked excitedly

Sophie nodded with a shy smile.

Benedict stuck his hand in his wallet and grabbed a business card out and with the actual pen Sophie had on her lanyard he scribbled another number down “this is my personal one, this is my work one… and my email just… just incase” he grinned sheepishly, realising how uncool it was to go over the top but Sophie just grinned and took the card and slipped it into the top of her costume and out of sight and Benedict tried not to look as it disappeared into her bra and he went more red than he already was

I’ll send you all mine later

“Thanks”

“BENNIIIIIII” came a voice that was skipping back with a huge Stitch stuffed toy and an innocent smile on her face “can I have this?”

“How much is it?”

“£55…”

Benedict sighed, it was more than he wanted to spend and he knew Anthony would kill him but considering Hyacinth in her bulldozer way had maybe just helped him get a date with the most beautiful woman he’d ever met in his life he nodded “fine… but you have to chose Gunthers or McDonalds we’re not doing both…”

Hyacinth squeaked “thank you”

“Come on, we’ll go pay, it was nice to meet you Sophie and I look forward to hearing from you later…” he grinned at her and Sophie beamed

It was lovely to meet you too. See you later Hyacinth…

“Bye Sophie!” Hyacinth said waving and Sophie watched as the brother and sister made their way to the till and Benedict’s clearly sheepish interaction with Kate and Kate looking over at Sophie with a smirk on her face, which Sophie returned with a glare, and mouthed “i’m going to kill you”

Though she knew it was just payback considering she’d done the same thing not a month earlier when Anthony had been in the store but as Benedict left with a bright smile back at Sophie, she couldn’t help but save his number into her phone as Prince Charming…

And when he proposed to her, 18 months later…he did so dressed as Prince Charming from Cinderella…