A/N: Written for HSWW (Challenges and Assignments) and QLFC
(QLFC) Team: Wimbourne Wasps; Position: Keeper; Prompt: (King) write about someone who needs defending (must use the king in some sense)
(HSWW) Assignment #9 Dueling Lessons Task 2: Write about looking out for someone else
Around the World in Twenty-One Days: 193. Yemen - Dialogue: "You won't do better than a Lord!"
National Princess Day: Isabella - Galavant - write a Medieval AU
Word Count: 1,174
"I'm not going to be harmed, Madame Pomona," Cedric told her with a smile, "I've done this plenty of times."
She gave him a warning look. "And I'm going to continue to fuss at you each time because I'm going to be worried, dear." She took a step away from him as she finished adjusting his cloak.
"There's no need to worry," Cedric assured her, leaning forward to kiss her cheek lightly. Madame Pomona's cheeks reddened, and she swatted him away playfully.
"Off you go," she told him, "before I change my mind and keep you locked in this room forever."
Cedric gave her a cheeky grin. "You wouldn't be able to keep me locked here; I'd use my smiles to get the key out of you," he said with a laugh as he began to leave the room.
Madame Pomona clasped her hands together as she watched him go off on another one of his ventures outside the palace.
As Cedric was making his way towards the castle walls so he could get to the forest, he noticed another tall boy struggling to get his basket through the main gates. Looking back between his position and the blonde boy, Cedric knew he had to help him and moved swiftly to the boy's aid.
The boy jumped at the sight of Cedric appearing from nowhere, but Cedric didn't seem to be phased.
"What's your name?" Cedric asked suddenly and casually.
"N-Neville," the boy answered.
"Pleasure to meet you," Cedric said with a head nod.
"I haven't seen you around here before," Neville said.
Cedric's smile was visible when he nodded. "I don't come around here often. I normally explore into the forest, but I couldn't leave you there helpless."
Neville looked down, scratching the back of his head. "Thank you for that," he said.
"It's no trouble at all," Cedric replied. "Where were you heading to?"
"I was gathering food for my Nan. With my parents away, it's only me and her, so I get the dinner while she cooks it."
Cedric nodded. "Sounds simple enough."
"It would be if I weren't such a failure," Neville said with a dejected tone.
Cedric's brows knitted in confusion. "How are you a failure, Neville?"
"I never get the right fruits and vegetables according to Nan," Neville explained.
Cedric waved his hand dismissively. "Nonsense. Even if that were true, that won't be the case today."
"W-Why not?" Neville asked as he clasped his hands together.
"I'm going to help you myself," Cedric said with a grin. "What are friends for?"
"Friends?" Neville repeated in a high tone.
Cedric nodded. "Friends," he confirmed.
"Huh, I don't have many of those," Neville commented as they went into the direction of the market. "I either fumble on my words before I can properly greet someone, or they run away anyway."
"Well, your speech has been just fine, and I'm not running away," Cedric told Neville with a chuckle. He held his hands behind his back as they walked.
Neville looked down briefly before clearing his throat and pointing ahead. "Here we are," he said. "This is the one Nan wants me to go to specifically."
Cedric looked at the small food market with different stalls and people around it. He walked alongside Neville, who was mumbling vegetables to himself as he grabbed some and placed them in the basket on his arm.
Neither boy noticed a man staring at them intently before shouting was heard.
"Unhand that basket, you pesky little thief!" a man shouted from a stall away. He was hunched over with stringy, black hair, beady eyes, and thick furrowed brows. "I won't have you taking things again around here!"
"I h-haven't stolen anything before!" Neville protested, but the man continued walking towards them. Cedric had his eyes narrowed under his hood, standing slightly in front of Neville instinctively.
The man pointed a bony finger at Neville. "Liar! I know a pathetic beggar when I see one," he spat, "and I've seen you here more than once with items gone after you leave."
"I-I pay for my things," Neville started to say, but Cedric placed a hand in front of Neville and stepped up completely.
"Excuse me, sir, but every portion of this basket was going to be paid in full with no problem," Cedric said formally, "so I believe you owe my friend here an apology."
The man sneered at the two. "I will do no such thing to you scoundrels," he looked at them both. "You should be lucky I don't have the two of you arrested for your crimes."
Neville shook his hands violently in protest while Cedric cleared his throat. "I could perhaps get someone who would be able to clear up this whole misunderstanding," he said.
"You won't do better than a Lord!" the man snarled. "Why I oughta–"
Cedric frowned at the man, shaking his head and removing the cloak completely from his face. "There's no need, since you're in the presence of the future king."
Neville's eyes as well as the man's eyes went wide at the revelation that Prince Cedric were right in front of them. The man fumbled for something else to say, but Cedric had jerked his head to the left.
"Best be off, then," Cedric said simply, but the man must have heard something else in Cedric's tone because he bolted off without so much of a bow to the prince.
Neville continued gaping like a fish for a few moments, causing Cedric to look at him with an amused expression.
"Perhaps I shouldn't have revealed myself just now?" Cedric mused as Neville shook his head swiftly and fumbled to kneel before Cedric.
"M-My liege," Neville said softly, bowing his head.
Cedric's expression softened as he kneeled to Neville's level. He reached a hand out to touch Neville's shoulder, causing Neville to stare at him with wide eyes once more.
"I am not your liege," Cedric said with a friendly smile, "I am simply your friend."
"But–"
Cedric raised his hand to stop Neville. "No buts," he told Neville, "don't treat me any different than you did moments before the hood was removed."
Neville nodded his head slowly. "I will try," he said, "but I cannot make any promises. My Nan would kill me for such informalities!"
"She doesn't have to know," Cedric said with a chuckle as he straightened up and helped Neville up.
Neville's ears turned pink. "I can't keep this from my Nan!" he squeaked.
Cedric clapped Neville's back. "We'll take one stride at a time, my friend," he said as he started maneuvering them away from the market.
"We will?" Neville asked with a hopeful tone.
"Of course we will!" Cedric exclaimed with a grin. "The first stride being to meet your Nan."
Neville groaned. "Anything but that!"
Cedric laughed heartily. "If you think your Nan is bad, wait until you meet Madam Pomona."
Neville visibly gulped. "F-Fun!"
Cedric laughed once more, his voice echoing throughout the market as they left.