Painted into a Corner
Summary: In an ironic moment of déjà vu while visiting the Dunwiddie Museum with the royal children, Roland and Cedric become trapped in a strange painting. While Cedric attempts to get them out, Roland seems to have other plans… *Requested by allyrwhitney*
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
A/N: Just to elaborate on the title a bit… It's taken from the saying "backed into a corner," where you're stuck and can't seem to find a way out, or where you can't seem to find an appropriate solution to your problem. Although people have literally painted and/or mopped themselves into a corner before and realize too late that they're stuck. Lol. Anyway, pairing Roland and Cedric up on an adventure sounded like a fun challenge, so thanks to allyrwhitney for that. This is just a short and sweet and silly little friendship story. 😊 Hope you all enjoy!
*Story*
The Dunwiddie Museum was bursting with movement and plenty of people, royals and commoners alike, walking through and admiring the beautiful displays of artistic expression. The Enchancian Royal Family was among the ones observing the different paintings and sculptures, and along with them had come Cedric and Baileywick. Sofia had asked Cedric to tag along, naturally, and he'd agreed. And Baileywick? He didn't want a repeat of what happened at this museum last time… Old habits died hard, supposedly.
"Wow, look at that," James breathed in excitement as he pointed at a portrait of what appeared to be a sword fight between pirates. He read the title etched below: Fight or Flight Aboard the Stony Knight. "I've never heard of the Stony Knight before."
Baileywick perked up, realizing he knew quite well the story behind the painting in question. "The Stony Knight was a pirate ship that belonged to a ruthless pirate named Left-Foot Magee. While his name doesn't always strike fear into the hearts of land-dwellers like ourselves, his reputation was well-known, and he was infamous for robbing other ships, especially their left shoes…"
"How riveting," Cedric drawled in boredom with a yawn.
The steward smirked as he finished his tale. "…After he'd hacked off their left feet, of course."
The sorcerer blinked, a bit more intrigued yet disturbed by the story.
"Cool!" James gushed with a grin.
Amber raised an eyebrow at her brother as she folded her arms. "James, you need to get new role models."
"What is this one about, Baileywick?" Sofia asked as she pointed out another portrait.
A rather huge painting a few paces down from the pirate image depicted a village scene similar to that of Dunwiddie. It was quaint and lovely, with matching houses scattered about in a circular pattern and a crystal-clear sky. However, some miniscule details didn't go unnoticed by a few people…
"Most of these houses look incomplete," Roland pointed out as he scrutinized the painting.
"And the trees look half-painted," Miranda added.
"And it's for that reason that this painting is titled The Unfinished Village," Baileywick explained. "The painter, Waldrow of Vandberg, liked for his audience to mentally form a completed image when they observed this painting. Of course, to those who are particular about details, such as myself, this painting may be seen as something of a nuisance."
"I like it," Sofia countered with a smile. "It doesn't fit the mold of a lot of paintings, and that makes it unique."
"Come on, guys," James encouraged the group as he bounced ahead. "I heard they had a new cannon exhibit, and I can't wait to check it out!"
"Please tell me no one has access to fire in here," Amber sighed as she followed after him.
"They remove the fuses before they put them on display, Princess Amber," Baileywick assured her calmly as he and Miranda walked behind her.
"Oh, good. I wouldn't want my brother accidentally blasting a hole in the wall." She rolled her eyes.
Sofia giggled and started following the others, but she stopped when she realized that Roland was still staring at the painting they'd just seen. She caught Cedric's eyes, smiled at him and discreetly nodded toward her dad, and then turned, hurrying off after the other four.
Cedric blinked before clearing his throat and approaching Roland's right side, following his example of observing the enormous portrait. "It is a rather fascinating painting, isn't it, Your Majesty?" Okay, this was good. They could manage a simple conversation. They had been getting better with their communication recently, so this should be a breeze.
"I kind of want to get a paintbrush and fill in all the missing spots," Roland admitted as his eyes roved over the canvas.
The sorcerer turned and rolled his eyes. Scratch that. Having a conversation with the king was harder than it looked. He always seemed to be off in his own little world. Perhaps that's where James got it.
"Can you imagine living in a village like that?" the king continued as Cedric turned back to him. "Like half-buildings, half-trees… Oh, I wonder if there are half-people too."
Cedric's face slowly began draining of color as he found his mind pondering this, but he shook his head to clear those thoughts away. "O-One would hope not, Your Majesty. Erm, your family has already gone, Sire…"
"Uh-huh. Yes, actually experiencing the world in the painting would be very interesting…" The fair-haired man paced the length of the painting, glancing at it every now and then, and soon turned to Cedric with a mischievous smile on his face. "I don't suppose you have a spell to make that happen?"
'Oh, you have got to be kidding me,' Cedric found himself thinking as he blinked a few times at the king's suggestion. "Y-Your Majesty… You don't really wish to venture into the painting, do you?"
"Magic knows no limits, right?"
"Well, actually, it does have certain limits—"
Roland held up one hand to stop his employee from speaking. It worked. "Just answer the question, Cedric: is there a spell to allow you to go into a painting?"
Oh, this was just great. Of course there was a spell, but he didn't want the king knowing that. He could just imagine him trying to enter the paintings in the castle and, Merlin forbid, getting stuck in them. And then, despite their progress, it would somehow be his fault once again. But if he lied and Roland discovered this later, it would certainly set them back even more, and he would likely lose the king's trust again. So, it was with great hesitation that he finally responded, "Yes… But—"
"Wonderful!" The king gestured grandly toward The Unfinished Village. "Let's go then!"
"Right now?!" Cedric tried to calm down, and he especially hated that his voice had gone somewhat higher pitched when he had responded, but he was finding it somewhat difficult to reason with the other man. "Your Majesty, I would love nothing more than to allow you to experience the magic of entering a painting, but your family will be missing you eventually…"
Roland smirked and folded his arms. "Not if we go now… In fact, we could have been in and out already if it weren't for you trying to talk me out of it, Cedric." He chuckled as the sorcerer sighed in exasperation. "I'm kidding, of course. But really, Cedric, a few minutes won't do any harm. They're off to see the cannons, right? It's going to take Miranda, Amber, Sofia, and Baileywick to keep James away from them."
"Very well…" Cedric then raised an eyebrow at the king in question. "And what exactly is this 'we' business? Are you saying that you want me to go into the painting with you?"
"Yep."
He couldn't exactly deny the king… He wasn't only his friend (sort of), he was also his boss and the ruler of the entire kingdom. Cedric sighed and nodded uncertainly. "If that is what you want to do, King Roland. But I must insist—only for a few minutes. It's for both our safety."
Roland nodded in agreement. "All right." He then closed his eyes and held out his arms.
Cedric's face became one of utter confusion. "Um… Your Majesty, what are you doing?" 'Please don't pull a Sofia and request a hug… Because I don't know if I can take anymore strange requests today.'
The king opened one eye and peered at his friend. "Is this not how you grant wishes?"
"Wishes? I'm not a genie, Sire. I'm a sorcerer." He motioned for the king to lower his arms, which he did. "And magic works whether your eyes are open or closed. Observe." He pointed his wand toward Roland. "Entavo paintavo!" In a flash, Roland was transported into the painting.
"Well done, Cedric!" Roland exclaimed happily as he began observing the surroundings. "It's strange. I can see you before me, like I'm looking through a window. But all around me, the world is fully functional."
"That's the power of magic, Your Majesty," Cedric explained before pointing the wand toward himself and using the words to enter the painting with him. He shook his head once. Magical traveling usually took a lot of energy, so it wasn't often he opted to do so. But when the king requested it… Well, he wasn't going to object. "We mustn't stay too long, Your Majesty."
"Yes, yes, I know. I just wanted to look around and get a better idea of what these things look like in person." He walked forward, mouth agape as he stared in awe at the half-buildings and half-nature around them. "Fascinating!" He grinned toward Cedric. "But seriously, do you think there are half-people here?"
Cedric blanched. "Please, Your Majesty, don't make me think about that…"
He laughed and shook his head. "It's a really neat concept; you've got to admit that. The idea that something is unfinished… It usually tends to annoy me a bit, but seeing a literal expression of that is truly awe-inspiring."
The sorcerer fell a few steps behind Roland, who pressed onward and gushed over every strange thing he saw. "This man really needs to get out more," he murmured, and that was coming from him.
They explored the available parts of the painting as well as they could, venturing through the half-finished houses and observing the partial plants. Even Cedric had to admit it. This was kind of neat. It was not the typical museum-enhanced painting that one would expect. No, it was actually better. It was the weirdness that made it likeable.
"Hey, Cedric," Roland began, pointing toward a small dwelling that didn't appear to have a roof, "do you think the house asked its barber for 'a little off the top,' and got far more than what it bargained for?" He laughed.
"Ha, very clever, Your Majesty," Cedric replied halfheartedly as he paused in his walking. "I think we should head back and get out of here."
"Aww, but we're only…halfway done exploring." He grinned as he noted that the sorcerer seemed to be developing a distinct twitch to his eye. He knew he was getting on his nerves, but it was almost too easy. "I'm sorry, Cedric. I know that was a lame joke."
"It's all right, Sire," Cedric assured him distractedly as he withdrew his wand again.
"Next time, I'll make sure I have a completely different one prepared."
The sorcerer gave the king a deadpanned look before simply turning and walking away. He'd clearly heard enough. It was definitely time to go.
"Oh, Cedric, don't be like that!" Roland teased as he hurried to catch up to him. "I don't half to tell these jokes…" He began laughing again, unable to help himself.
"Sire, I believe you have fallen prey to what many call 'dad jokes.'"
Roland blinked. "Well, I am a dad, and I do like jokes, so…"
Cedric shook his head. "Never mind. Let's get back to the museum before the others worry over our whereabouts." He held up the wand and paused, freezing in place, not saying one word.
After an entire minute went by, the king glanced toward his employee. "Um, Cedric…? Don't you have to…'magic spell' us to get out of here?"
"…"
"What was that?"
Cedric sighed heavily. "I've forgotten the exit spell." He grabbed his bangs in frustration. "Ooh, this happened last time when I accidentally got Wormwood stuck in that wretched painting!"
"So… We're stuck too?" Seeing Cedric nod apologetically, Roland grinned. "Well! No use worrying over it now. Let's go explore some more! After all, I'm sure it's only half past the hour at this point!" He snickered and rushed off.
"Oh, for Merlin's sake…" Cedric attempted to pound his fists against the barrier where the painting surface met the real world, but he was having difficulty managing it. "HELP!"
Back in the museum, Sofia turned around as the rest of the group was observing the cannon displays (and trying to keep James from touching them). She blinked. "Have you guys seen Dad and Mr. Cedric? I thought they'd be right behind us."
Miranda shook her head. "The last time I saw them was back at that really big painting. Maybe they're talking or something, or maybe they went to see different displays."
"There are a lot of things to look at, after all," Amber agreed as she grabbed James's arm, yanking him away from touching a knight suit next.
"Ow, Amber!"
"Don't touch it, James. If you break anything in here…"
He grinned. "I'm not that bad. I have some restraint."
"Tell that to the three vases you broke last week," his twin returned, narrowing her eyes at him as he sighed and rolled his eyes.
"I did suggest not using your rolling-wheelie shoes in the castle, Prince James," Baileywick added.
"Okay, fine. Point taken."
"Guys, I'm going to go look for them," Sofia announced as she turned away from the current conversation.
"All right." Miranda smiled at her. "We'll be right here."
She nodded and hurried back to where she last saw her dad and mentor. Once she approached the painting in question, she couldn't help the amused grin that formed on her face. Cedric was waving desperately in her direction and calling for help, and Roland… Well, he seemed to be admiring one of the half-formed trees.
"Sofia!" Cedric sighed in relief as he watched her walk forward, placing her hands against his—sort of. "Thank goodness."
"Mr. Cedric, what happened?" she asked. "Why are you guys inside the painting?"
"Because your father is a strange man who is a little too enthusiastic about the potential possibilities of magic…" Seeing her perplexed expression, he rolled his eyes. "He wanted to explore this ridiculous painting, so I obliged…and then I forgot the spell to get us out." He gazed at her imploringly.
Sofia smiled patiently. "You really need to write this spell down. You always seem to forget it." Hearing him sigh in agreement, she delivered the appropriate spell: "Outo paintuvo."
"You are a life-saver." He grabbed his wand and looked over his shoulder as he heard Roland gushing over the scenery again. "I swear, if your father makes one more joke about this painting…"
The princess giggled. "He's joking? You'd better get him now, Mr. Cedric. It only gets worse after the first few." She winked playfully. "Trust me."
Cedric turned fully. "King Roland! It's time to go. Your family has just asked about us and has indicated that we're needed!"
Sofia snickered. Obviously, he was stretching the truth…or making it up, rather. But at this point, she couldn't blame him.
"Oh, splendid!" Roland walked over toward Cedric and then smiled as he saw the auburn-haired girl on the other side of the painting. "Ah, Sofia! What do you think? Pretty neat being magically inserted into a painting, huh?"
She smiled and playfully rolled her eyes. "Been there, done that. But yes, it's pretty neat."
Cedric pointed his wand at Roland. "Outo paintuvo!" Once the king had reappeared on the other side of the painting, he copied the same spell for himself and appeared next to them. He sighed heavily and shook his head. "Right then. I think I've had quite enough adventure for one day."
"We should do that again sometime, Cedric," Roland said with a grin, spotting the uncertain expression on the sorcerer's face. "Could explore some stained glass next!"
Sofia decided to intervene, especially since she could tell that her friend seemed so bothered by the notion of traveling through more artwork with the energetic king. "I think you guys have done enough exploring for a while, Dad." She smiled, grabbing both of their hands. "Let's go! I told the others I was going to find you, and if I'm gone too long, they'll probably get worried we've all gone missing."
"Especially Baileywick," the king and sorcerer agreed simultaneously, both blinking and smiling sheepishly as Sofia laughed.
"Okay, now it's just getting weird. Come on!" Sofia tugged them along.
"Hey, Cedric," Roland started as they were walking, "thanks for indulging my crazy idea today. I appreciate it."
A little surprised but pleased nonetheless, Cedric smiled at the king. "My pleasure, Your Majesty."
The end