Author's Note: This has been sitting finished on my phone since about 2 days after I finished Once Upon a Sorcerer. Time to finally get it up. These take a really long time to do, because I have to watch each episode, pausing and writing all the way through, so no promises on when the next one will be up. Reminder that Cedric is 10 in this.
There was a knock at the tower door, distracting Cedric and causing his potion to blow up. Luckily, he managed to dodge the explosion for once, and he hurried across the room.
"What is it?" He answered the door, not bothering to mask his annoyance at being interrupted.
"Hi, Mr Ceedric." Sofia greeted him happily.
"It's just Cedric. Ced-ric." He corrected her. His eyes fell to the gem around her neck, and he smiled at Sofia.
"Oh, it's so good to see your amulet." He muttered. "I mean, you." He lied quickly, letting out a nervous laugh and hoping she wouldn't call him out on his slip up.
"Well, come in." He threw the door open wider and gestured inside, and Sofia walked past him into the workshop. He followed her in, closing the door behind them.
"Hi, Wormwood." Sofia called out, ignoring the way the bird made small agitated sounds in response.
"So, I have this sorcery class at school, and I was hoping, since you're such a great sorcerer, you could help me learn a few spells." She explained, turning her attention back to Cedric. He held up his hand to refuse her.
"I am going to be the royal sorcerer someday. I don't have time to play school teacher with you." He refused, not at all interested in helping the younger girl unless it benefited him in some way.
"I know, but I have a test coming up, and I'd be so grateful." Sofia retorted, her voice going up an octave as she batted her eyes at him.
"Can't you see I have more important things to do?" He demanded, moving further into the workshop to stand near his father's desk. "My father will be back in an hour, and I have to clean up this mess." He continued, letting out a groan and gesturing around the room. Sofia picked a wayward potion bottle up off of the ground and let out an excited gasp.
"I know... I can help clean up the workshop in return for magic lessons." She offered, placing the bottle on the desk and flashing him a wide grin.
"Hmm... Like an apprentice." Cedric pondered, tapping his finger against his chin. An idea was coming to him, and he grinned wickedly at the princess.
"A what?" Sofia asked, clearly unfamiliar with the term.
"Oh, it's a very special helper. It means you get to come here every day and assist me with my spells and potions." He studied her, finding it hard to believe that she actually looked interested in the idea. "A-a-and tidy up the place." He added, waving his arms out grandly. This is perfect, she'll do my chores for me AND I'll get the amulet. Now to really sell it.
"In return, I'll teach you all the magic you need to know for your little test." He finished, producing his wand and conjuring up a wizard's hat that matched her dress. "So, Princess Sofia, will you be my apprentice?" He asked, floating the hat towards her. She accepted it and immediately placed it on her head.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Sofia replied eagerly.
"Alright, then. You can start by cleaning up this mess while I prepare for your first lesson." He instructed her, leaving the princess to clean the workshop and heading down the stairs to his room.
Cedric sat working on an enchanted painting of his favourite knight, patting himself on the back for a job well done when dealing with the princess. He just finished the last details when Sofia knocked on his door.
"All finished." She called out. Cedric pushed past her and hurried upstairs to look at the workshop, surprised to see that the place was absolutely perfect. The sounds of heavy feet coming up the stone stairs outside alerted him that his father would be back soon.
"Fine, we start tomorrow." He answered her quickly, in a rush to get rid of the princess before Goodwyn found her there.
"Thank you, Mr Ceedric." She gushed, gazing up at him with admiration.
"Cedric." He growled out the reminder, flicking his wand at her to send her to the hallway outside of her room. He ran down the stairs to his room and pulled his familiar's perch down until he was staring the bird in the eyes.
"Wormwood! This is what we've been waiting for. I'm going to brew up a potion that will make me invisible." He told the raven, pulling a spellbook from his bookshelf and blowing a thick layer of dust off of it. "Then, while the princess is busy doing my chores for me, I'll pour the potion on myself and disappear. I'll be able to swipe her amulet without her even knowing it. Once the Amulet of Avalor is mine, I can use its power to make everyone sorry they ever laughed at me." He finished revealing his plan, then headed upstairs to greet his father.
With the way Sofia made the workshop look, he'll have to say something to me now. He thought, not caring in the least that he hadn't actually done the chore himself. His father was already concentrating on his work, and his mother was busy painting a portrait of her and her husband. Cedric approached the desk and cleared his throat.
"Did you... notice anything about the workshop, father?" He prodded, watching the royal sorcerer closely for some sign of acknowledgement.
"It looks alright, I suppose." He replied, not bothering to look up from his work.
"Ooh, nothing I do is ever good enough for you, is it father?" Cedric fumed, crossing his arms angrily.
"Goodwyn, did you even look? The place is practically sparkling." Winifred called over to the sorcerer, walking to Cedric and placing a comforting hand on the boy's arm. Cedric leaned his head against his mother and smiled, always cheered by her presence.
"Oh, Winifred, why must you encourage him?" Goodwyn asked his wife with a sigh, shaking his head as he continued to read the spellbook in front of him. Cedric groaned and returned to his bedroom.
"Oh, Wormy, we're going to show them all." He said, pushing the thoughts about his father's nonreaction away and focusing on all the things he planned to do once he got Sofia's amulet. The idea made him so happy, he nearly felt like singing. He worked on his illusions homework for a while before his mother knocked on the door.
"Ceddykins, it's time for dinner. Please come upstairs." She announced, peeking through the slightly opened door. He nodded his affirmative and she left. Behind him, the toy castle he'd been enchanting burst into blue flames.
"Merlin's Mushrooms." He groaned out, hurrying to use his wand to extinguish the flames.
Cedric stood in the middle of the workshop, listening to the sound of approaching footsteps, sure that they belonged to the newest princess. He magically opened the door just before she had a chance to knock, revealing a pleasantly surprised Sofia.
"Welcome, my apprentice." He greeted her with a wide grin, waving his hands out exaggeratedly.
"I'm ready for my first lesson." She chimed, walking into the large room.
"Yes, yes. Right after I finish this invisibility potion." He replied, turning back to his spell book and not bothering to suppress his devious chuckle.
"Why don't you, uh, clean up in the mean time?" He asked, pointing out into the room.
"Okay." She answered obediently, grabbing a broom and sweeping as he dropped ingredients into one of his father's smaller cauldrons. Sofia stopped to watch him as he added the emu's eyelashes, the final thing the spellbook called for.
"And presto!" He shouted, taking a step backwards. The brew began to bubble over before shooting in a bright blue ball up towards the high ceiling of the tower. Upon impact, it became hundreds of pieces of rainbow confetti, falling back down over Cedric and Sofia. The princess watched in awe until the last bits landed on the ground, then turned to address the boy sorcerer.
"Are you done with your potion, yet?" She sang out, fluttering her eyelashes at him. Cedric sighed and closed the spellbook.
"I'll finish it later." He stated simply, trying not to let the younger girl see how disappointed he was. Sofia hurried across the room and replaced his book with her own.
"Great! Can you show me how to turn a rock into a ruby, now? It's a big part of the sorcery test." She spoke quickly, holding up her wand in front of his face.
"Why not? It's simple enough." He answered, flipping through her book until he found the page.
"When it comes to magic, my father says that 'slow and steady does the trick'." He told her, bringing a rock over and setting it on the stool between them. Sofia moved to cast the spell right away, and he tapped his wand against the book impatiently.
"First, read the spell carefully." Cedric explained, stepping back so she could get a good look at the page.
"Hold your wand straight out in front of the rock." Sofia read out loud, turning to look at Cedric for further instructions.
"Then, slowly say the magic words and wave your wand with confidence. Like this." He dragged his wand downward through the air and watched as the princess copied the movement.
"There's no hurry, the stone isn't going anywhere." He pointed out after noticing she was flicking the wand a little too quickly. They practised the movement a few times before he was sure she had it. "Go ahead, give it a try." He instructed. Sofia repeated the motion, aiming her wand at the rock in front of her.
"Mutato Rubio!" She called out. The stone shook slightly, then turned into a beautiful ruby.
"I did it. I really did it!" She cried out happily.
"Well, it's a simple enough spell." Cedric answered dryly, crossing his arms in front of him. A simple enough spell that it took me absolutely ages to get right. He added in his head.
"You're a really good teacher, Mr Ceedric." Sofia replied, smiling warmly at the older boy. Cedric's mouth dropped open at her statement.
"I... am?" He asked in disbelief. The door to the workshop opened, and the castle steward stepped in.
"Cedric-" Baileywick began, then noticed the princess standing in the workshop, decked out in her sorcery outfit.
"Sofia, what are you doing here?" The man asked in bewilderment.
"Learning magic." She informed him, holding her wand above her head proudly.
"How wonderful. You'll have to teach Cedric some when you're done." Baileywick replied, giving a kind smile to the youngest princess before shooting a pointed look at the royal sorcerer's son. Cedric scowled at him.
"Very funny, Baileywick. What do you want?" He demanded, in no mood for the steward's barbs.
"King Roland and your father wish to see you right away." Baileywick informed him, gesturing towards the tower door. Cedric gulped.
"The king?" He asked, wondering what the men could possibly want him for.
He walked outside, shoulders slumped and head held low. Sofia followed closely behind him, carrying his green backpack which he'd filled with some things he might need.
"Sofia, how's the apprenticing going?" The new queen asked when she spotted her daughter. Cedric grimaced and looked sheepishly at his father, who he hadn't mentioned the arrangement to just yet.
"Great, mom! Mr Ceedric is really helping me learn my magic spells." Sofia answered, shooting a smile at Cedric as she spoke.
"Cedric." The king's voice drew his attention away from the others.
"Yes, Your Majesty?" He answered, approaching the king hesitantly.
"We have a very important visitor coming to stay with us. King Magnus." Roland stated, standing tall with his hands tucked behind his back.
"He's always bragging about how great his kingdom is." Roland lowered his voice as he spoke of the annoyance to Goodwyn, who shook his head at the tidbit.
"So I want the castle to look it's very best. Could you transform these gloomy gargoyles into something more inviting." He returned to addressing the young boy, waving his arms upwards at the stone beasts.
"M-me?" Cedric asked, giving an astonished glance at the king, and then his father.
"You're going to be royal sorcerer some day, Cedric. King Roland and I think it's about time you start performing some of the easier duties as practice." His father explained, ignoring the pained look on Cedric's face.
"Oh... o-o-o-of course, Your Majesty." Cedric managed to stammer out. He thought about his options for a second.
"How about, uh... golden horses? I know just the spell." He offered nervously.
"Great." Roland stated simply, looking up at the gargoyles in anticipation. Cedric returned to Sofia and held out his hand.
"Wand." He commanded, though his voice was thin and shaky. She opened the bag and dug through it, then handed him the item he asked for. Cedric moved in front of the tower and took a deep breath, then let out a small whimper as he glanced over his shoulder at the king.
"Aero-equesium!" He called out, aiming the wand at the first of the gargoyles. It let out a loud neigh as it transformed into the golden horse he'd promised, only not quite as expected.
"I'm free!" The gargoyle-turned-horse exclaimed happily, laughing and flying off into the sky.
"Ah, Cedric, you were supposed to transform the gargoyles, not bring them to life." Roland admonished the boy, barely keeping the anger out of his tone.
"My apologies, Your Majesty. I'll get it right this time." Cedric stated, lifting his wand and turning back to try again.
"Don't bother." Came the king's curt reply as he walked past the young sorcerer.
"No, no, no, no please. If you'll give me just-" Cedric stuttered out quickly. The king stopped and faced him again.
"Not every sorcerer can be as gifted as your father." Roland stated, clearly disappointed.
"But-" Cedric squeaked out, except he had no idea what else to say.
Roland gave a nod to Goodwyn, who easily transformed the rest of the gargoyles, refusing to look at his son as he, Baileywick, and the king and queen began to take their leave.
"Don't be late to dinner, Sofia. King Magnus is coming." Miranda reminded her daughter as they left.
"Okay, mom." Sofia replied, then gave a sympathetic glance to Cedric, who was standing near the tower completely depressed.
They returned to the workshop in silence, and Cedric flopped down into his father's desk chair, lost in thought. For lack of further instructions, Sofia began to sweep the stone floor, pausing to peek at Cedric every now and then.
"Sorry your spell didn't work right." She told him after a while. Her voice pulled him out of his trance.
"What? Oh. You missed a spot by-by the potion cabinet." He blurted out, pointing across the room. Sofia hurried to sweep where he had indicated, still watching him.
"So, your father's pretty good, huh?" She ventured.
"You haven't heard about all of his amazing deeds?" Cedric asked her in total disbelief. Sofia shook his head.
"He's the greatest royal sorcerer to ever wave a wand. Saved your dad's life nine and a half times." He gestured to the portrait his mother had just finished as he spoke.
"I'm sure you'll be just as good as he is." Sofia told him firmly. Cedric slumped back down into the chair.
"Hmph. I-I haven't saved anyone's life. Not even once. Not even half!" He complained, still facing the painting with a scowl on his face. He didn't hear the sound of Sofia bumping the table, or notice the potion bottle spilling to the floor at her feet.
"Oh, oops! I feel funny." Sofia said shakily, rousing Cedric from his thoughts again.
"Hmm?" He asked, glancing over his shoulder at the princess. She let out a moan before transforming into a small purple lizard.
"Princess Sofia!" Cedric called out, rushing across the room.
"Now-now don't worry, just hold still." He told her, raising his wand in the air above the princess. He backed away and cast a spell.
"Lizardo Chango!" He called out, aiming the wand at her. Almost immediately, she was turning back to her normal self.
"Ahh... Thank you!" She squealed, checking herself over and smoothing her robe. She stood on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around the older boy's neck, pulling him into a hug.
"Hmm? Oh. Oh, that's an easy spell." He flustered, pushing her away gently. "I learned it the first week of sorcery school." He continued.
"Hmm. You're so good at magic, Mr Ceedric. Why couldn't you turn the gargoyles into golden horses?" She questioned, still gazing at him.
"I don't know. Every time I get around King Roland I get so, well..." Cedric trailed off, turning his back to her.
"Well... what?" Sofia pressed.
"Nervous! There, I said it." He answered, his voice louder than it probably should have been.
"Well, I'm going to find a way to show dad that you're a great sorcerer." She insisted, reaching out and grabbing Cedric's hand between her own. He pulled his hand back and stared at her in shock.
"And why would you do that?" He asked her suspiciously, not believing for an instant that the girl was as selfless as she acted.
"Because you're my friend." Sofia replied, grinning widely at him. Cedric could hardly believe his ears.
"Friend?" He repeated, dumbfounded.
"Anyway, I better go clean up for dinner. See you tomorrow, Mr Ceedric." Sofia said her goodbyes, seemingly oblivious to the effect her previous statement had on the boy.
"It's, uh, Cedric..." He replied softly, watching her as she left.
"The night after tomorrow?" Cedric repeated Sofia's words, his eyes wide at the thought. The girl had only been in the tower a minute, and suddenly his whole world was in upheaval.
"I know, isn't that great?" Sofia beamed at him, clearly not realising that Cedric was now a bundle of raw nerves. He let out a whimper before answering.
"It is. I never expected King Roland to ask me to put on a royal sorcery show. And certainly not for a visiting king. I'll have to perform for, uh, two kings." He stated, letting it dawn on him just how in over his head he was. She's trying to kill me, that's all there is to it. He thought, sneaking a suspicious glance at the princess, who was now sitting on one of the stools near his father's work table.
"Your show is the same day as my test. We can help each other get ready." She reassured him, hopping to her feet and grabbing his hand. She pulled him over to the desk and opened the spellbook. "So let's get started." She insisted, pointing her wand in the air between them.
"Oh, um... Okay." Cedric agreed. They sat at the worktable, Cedric helping Sofia with the spells she needed to know, and Sofia working with Cedric to brainstorm ideas for the show. They practised until Goodwyn came up to the tower and announced that it was late and Sofia ought to be leaving. The two children muttered apologies about having lost track of time, then Sofia hugged Cedric goodbye and skipped out of the tower.
The next day, Cedric raced out of school and transported himself home, actually anxious for Sofia to get there. He waited outside and more or less dragged the princess up to the tower the moment she left the carriage.
They studied some more, then went to work. Sofia turned all the rocks Cedric gave her into the gems she needed, then Cedric practised floating a rabbit Sofia brought in. When he succeeded, he glanced over his shoulder at the younger girl, who gave him a thumbs up. He grinned, an honest one, for once, and returned the gesture.
While she cleaned up, he made another attempt at the invisibility potion, not ready to give up his original plan entirely. It failed again, and Wormwood gave a disappointed caw, while Cedric crossed his arms and scowled.
To make sure Sofia really had the hang of the spells, and to distract himself from the let down, he had her try one more time. Her emerald spell made a cabbage, but she tried again instead of giving up, this time producing a perfect green jewel. They touched their wands together and the instruments let off a magnificent sparkle as the two of them shared a genuine smile.
Sofia went back to her cleaning, making sure that the workshop was spotless before she left, and Cedric went down to his room to do a page of homework he had from potions class. When he came back up, she was standing over his spellbook.
"Your sorcery test is tomorrow morning. You should go finish studying, now." He insisted, not wanting to get another earful from his father about the princess spending too much time in the tower.
"Mr Ceedric, I just cleaned a big smudge off your spellbook." She informed him, glancing back at the book behind her.
"So?" He enquired, not grasping where she was going with this.
"It looks like there are two extra ingredients you're supposed to put in your invisibility potion." She replied, using the cloth in her hand to wave him over. She leaned forward to watch him read the page. Cedric read the words silently and let out a gasp.
"Poseidon's Pumpkins, you're right!" He stated, barely able to contain his excitement.
"Goodnight, Mr Ceedric." She called out, happily bounding out of the tower. She paused at the door to look back.
"See you tomorrow at your big show." She added before leaving, pulling the door closed behind her. Wormwood let out a loud caw and clumsily flew towards Cedric as he reread the page and hurried to the worktable.
"So that's why the potion wasn't working. Now, all I need to do is add a sprinkle of moat moss and three warthog whiskers." He told the bird, holding the whiskers up to eye them mischievously. He added them to the potion and watched carefully as it brewed.
"So far, so good." He muttered, waiting to see the result. When it was finished, he picked the bottle up and held it over one of his father's paperweights, turning it to let out exactly one drop on the item. Some rainbow lights appeared around it, and then it was invisible.
"I did it. I did it, Wormy! I've made my invisibility potion. Oh, finally!" He marched proudly around the workshop, the bird following him and letting out a series of triumphant crowing sounds.
"I can swipe her amulet and get my revenge!" He called out, still wandering the tower. Something on a small table caught his eye, and he stopped to look at it.
"What's this?" He wondered out loud. There were several of Sofia's conjured rubies arranged into the shape of a heart.
"She-she made this? For me?" Cedric pondered, staring down at the display. He stood there, debating on whether or not he was going to go through with his plan after all, his internal conflict sounding much like one of his parents' arguments over good and evil. He was so wrapped up in his own inner war that he didn't even hear his father come in and step over to see what his son was staring at.
"Where did that come from?" Goodwyn asked, startling his son back to reality.
"Princess Sofia made it." Cedric murmured, feeling his cheeks grow hot.
"What a lovely gift. Looks like you've made a new friend." Goodwyn replied, heading over to his desk to make sure there was no other business to attend to for the day. Cedric sighed and walked down to his bedroom.
Cedric paced around the workshop while he waited for Sofia to come, feeling for all the world like he might throw up from nerves. Finally, she knocked on the door and wordlessly grabbed his green backpack and his hand, dragging him all the way to the thrown room, where an impromptu stage had been set up for them.
"Good luck." Sofia chimed out, ducking through the curtain to hand him the bag.
"Yes, yes, yes, yes. Just get ready." Cedric urged her through clenched teeth, taking the bag into his own shaking hands. He set it down and unzipped it. With a wave of his wand, all of the potions popped up on a tiered platform, which Sofia inspected with curiosity while Cedric walked away.
Okay, I'm going through with it. When it's time for my last trick, I'll pour the invisibility potion on myself, swipe Sofia's amulet, and be gone before anyone knows what happened. He went over the plan one last time in his head as Baileywick announced him. Taking a deep breath, he found the spot he needed to be in just as the curtain opened to reveal him and Sofia.
"Good evening." He stated, but was dismayed when his voice came out hoarse and strange sounding. Clearing his throat, he went on.
"You are about to behold a display of sorcery so fantastic that my last trick, this potion..." He paused and gestured to a bottle of blue liquid sitting on top of the table next to him.
"Will change the kingdom forever." He finished proudly, glancing at Sofia. She wiggled her fingers at him in a wave that was becoming far too familiar, the gesture nearly unnerving him again.
"But, u-u-u-uh, first things first." He went on, jumping across the stage to stand by Sofia and making a show out of conjuring her rabbit, who appeared on an empty table he had set up.
"You know, my sorcerer made an entire zoo appear once." King Magnus bragged loudly enough for everyone present to hear. Cedric paused, allowing himself to reflect on how woefully inadequate his magic really was.
"I-I bet you've never seen a rabbit fly until now." Cedric continued, trying not to let his nerves get the best of him.
"Flotilla Rabitza!" He aimed his wand at Sofia's bunny, turning his head away and scrunching his eyes shut so he wouldn't have to see the trick inevitably go wrong.
The rabbit lifted off into the air above the stool, and flew past Cedric, but then began to bounce across the floor of the throne room.
"F-f-f-flotila rabitza?" Cedric stuttered out, now panicking completely.
"That doesn't look like a flying rabbit to me, King Roland." King Magnus growled out, looking downright angry at the display. Roland turned and said something to his wife, but Cedric was mercifully unable to hear it, and too busy watching the bouncing rabbit to notice, anyway. When the bunny came to a stop, Cedric was so frazzled that all he could do was stammer out some sounds, completely frozen in place.
"Woooah, whoops!" Sofia said, spinning clumsily across the stage with a potion in hand.
"Sofia spilled a potion on herself!" Prince James called out, rising from his throne. In seconds, Sofia was a purple lizard again.
"Sofia!" Queen Miranda cried out in horror.
"Someone, do something!" King Roland commanded, standing and taking several steps towards the stage.
"Sofia?" Cedric breathed out in shock, just now coming out of his daze to realise what had happened. He pulled himself up to his full height and rolled his shoulders back.
"Lizardo Chango!" He stated firmly, snapping his wand through the air. A strong stream of magic left the end and immediately, Sofia was back to being a girl in a sorcerer robe and hat.
"Ahh. You did it!" She exclaimed happily as her family hurried over to check on her. Roland marched right past Sofia.
"That was magnificent! You saved Sofia's life. Thank you, Cedric." The king said, taking Cedric's bony hand into both of his large, masculine ones and shaking it firmly.
"I... saved her life?" Cedric repeated in disbelief, a wide grin taking over his normally sour features.
"Did you see that, hmm? That's the future royal sorcerer of Enchanica." Roland announced, turning to face the thrones while gesturing at Cedric with what the boy almost believed was pride.
"The greatest in the land." The king continued, surprising the boy even further.
"That... he is." Magnus conceded, standing to applaud for Cedric.
"What happened?" Cedric whispered, leaning close to Sofia so only she would be able to hear him.
"I'm just clumsy, I guess." She answered with a sly smile, shrugging slightly as she spoke. "But it turned out to be a great trick." She finished, giving the older boy a thumbs up. It finally dawned on Cedric what she had done, and he gasped.
"You did it on purpose." He accused, trying to puzzle out why the princess would willingly turn herself into a lizard.
"It's the one trick I knew you could do no matter how nervous you were. And it worked. Everyone saw how great you are." She explained, clasping her hands in front of her and bouncing on her heels. Cedric was touched, and he stared at the princess in growing adoration.
"So. Cedric, let's see that last trick you were talking about." King Roland instructed as he returned to his throne, unknowingly ending the moment.
"Uh, yes. Yes, Your Majesty. My last trick." Cedric replied, his smile fading as he thought about his plan. Sofia skipped past him to place the potion bottle on the small table, standing on the other side of it and gesturing to the bottle for the audience's benefit.
"An invisibility potion. Uh... It's a trick I've been... planning for uh... long time." He announced nervously, steeling himself as he looked at Sofia's amulet, a wicked grin forming on his face. Time to make myself invisible and steal her amulet. He reminded himself excitedly. He was so very close, and this plan couldn't possibly fail.
His gaze lifted to Sofia's wide azure eyes, watching him with excitement and something else that Cedric couldn't quite put his finger on. Cedric's expression softened as he made a crucial decision. Sofia believed in him. She'd arranged this show, helped him put this whole thing together, and put herself in danger to earn him the admiration of not one, but two kings. He cleared his throat, turning back to address his audience.
"Behold my invisibility potion.." He declared, lifting the bottle into the air. "Which I will demonstrate on... my trusty rabbit." He stated firmly, watching as Sofia retrieved her pet and set him back onto the table. He gave one last glance at his best chance so far for getting the amulet, then tipped the bottle over the rabbit's head with a smile. Slowly, the animal disappeared.
"My sorcerer..." King Magnus began, and Cedric worried that he was going to make another disparaging comment. He wasn't sure he could handle any more of that right now. "Has never made a potion like that before. Cedric is a great sorcerer!" The rotund man finished in astonishment, standing to applaud. Soon, the entire royal family joined him, rising to their feet and clapping for the boy sorcerer. Cedric bowed deeply before raising his hand towards Sofia to acknowledge all the help she had given him. The princess bowed, too, and then they packed up the magical items and headed back to the workshop.
"What a performance! Did you see the looks on their faces." Cedric exclaimed as he burst through the door, so giddy with how things gone that he felt he might float at any second. Sofia pulled a roll of parchment from her robe, holding it in the palms of both hands to present it to the older boy.
"Here. This is for you." She chimed happily as she held it out for him to take.
"What is it?" He questioned, stretching his hand out tentatively before grabbing it.
"I got a gold star today, and I thought you should get one, too." She explained as Cedric unrolled the scroll to inspect it. He smiled at Sofia, a sincere, heartfelt expression of his gratitude. "Thanks for all your help. It was fun being your apprentice." She went on, removing the hat he'd conjured her and handing it back to him. She let out a giggle as she headed for the door.
"Goodnight Mr Ceedric." She bid him farewell as she pulled the door shut behind her.
"It's uh..." He started to correct her, even though she was already gone, but chuckled instead. "Yeah, goodnight, Princess Sofia." Cedric quietly tiptoed back to his room, placing her apprentice hat on his desk. His raven gave a loud, angry caw.
"Oh, Wormy, we can always take her amulet tomorrow." He pointed out, unrolling the scroll to look it over fondly one more time.