Misspell
Summary: Cedric learns the consequences of miscasting a spell: one that makes him trade places with King Roland. While he finally gets to see what being the king would actually be like, he'll have to learn that sometimes some wishes may be best left not granted.
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING! …Okay, I own a "Nutella & Go" snack pack, but that's about it… :D
A/N: This story needed to be posted before "Shadow." I have a reason for it, but I won't divulge that just yet. Granted, this is a bit more lighthearted than "Shadow" is going to be… Actually, it's much more lighthearted. Lol. Hope you enjoy!
"Hmm, things just aren't the same around here with Sofia gone off on that Butter Finger trip, eh, Wormy?" Cedric asked as he glanced at his raven.
"Buttercup, maybe?" Wormwood replied with a slight roll of his eyes. Cedric had been a bit out of it today, so the mispronunciation of Sofia's beloved troop wasn't all that surprising, but the sorcerer was just so…off in La-La Land, he supposed. He didn't really have any other way of looking at it.
"What shall we do to occupy the time?"
"How about we take over the kingdom? You know, our original quest? Our longtime goal? Our favorite hobby that was spoiled when you started becoming friends with a girl whose incessant cheerfulness knows no limits?"
Cedric beamed. "Let's play Who Am I!"
Wormwood sighed and shook his head. "I give up."
"Look, look, Wormy! Watch!" He jumped up and straightened his robe as much as he could before putting on a serious face and holding out his hand, as if something were in it. "Come, come, everyone! Time is precious. No sleeping on the job—and make sure you dust everything! Yes, even the plants!"
The bird actually smirked at Cedric's impersonation of Baileywick. "Not bad."
"Oh, you liked that?" Cedric grinned. "How about this one?" He cleared his throat before grabbing a spare hat and placing it atop his head. He folded his arms and glared at Wormwood, who immediately could tell his intent. "Cedric," he rasped out in an older-sounding voice. "What have I told you about using the correct spells?"
This time, Wormwood couldn't contain his amusement as he fell over laughing, his wings flapping in delight. "Ha-ha-ha! I never thought I'd hear you impersonate your father!"
The sorcerer then joined his raven in doubling over in laughter. Just when they thought they were all laughed out, they looked at each other and started up again.
Cedric wiped the tears from his eyes when he heard a knock on his door. He ceased his laughter enough to call out, "C-Come in!"
In walked King Roland, who appeared to be slightly baffled by Cedric's unusual happy and upbeat response. "Cedric…are you all right?"
The sorcerer nodded, bowing to the king. "Yes, Your Majesty." He stood upright once more. "Wormwood and I were just…conversing…" He paused when the light-haired man watched him curiously. "You had to be here. What may I help you with, Your Majesty?"
"I need a favor."
"Of course he does," Wormwood replied sarcastically with a smirk.
Cedric eyed the bird pointedly before nodding toward Roland. "Yes?"
"I actually need you to create a potion that would change me into someone else for a day…"
"Oh!" The perplexed look on Cedric's face changed to interest. "Why is that, King Roland?"
"I'm, uh…h-helping James and Amber with a research project, and the premise is to 'put yourself in someone else's shoes for a day,' so I figured since I've got a Royal Sorcerer…why not literally do that?" He grinned.
Cedric blinked and asked dryly, "Queen Miranda is making you do this, isn't she?"
"Yes." He laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "She said I have a hard time recognizing how others feel or why people may react like they do, so she thinks it's a good idea for me to get a new and different perspective…" He didn't mention the fact that he'd already sort of had that experience a few years ago. The less Cedric knew, the better.
"So…it's a social experiment of sorts?"
Wormwood quirked an eyebrow. "Sounds fishy to me."
"Something like that," Roland agreed, sounding a bit hurried. "Can you do it?"
"Well, of course I can!" He grinned, raising his wand happily. "I'm Cedric the Sensational, after all. I'll have the potion ready for you in a little while, Your Majesty. Leave it to me."
"Oh, thank you, Cedric! And uh…don't tell Baileywick, okay? I'll never hear the end of it." He nodded and left the workshop.
Wormwood was now utterly lost. "…What in the world was that all about?"
"Calm down, Wormy," Cedric chuckled before grinning. "Besides, this could be fun! For once, King Roland finally requested something interesting."
"And you know what?" the raven pushed, though he knew Cedric probably had no idea of this. "He wants a potion that makes him into a different person, right? Why not create a switching potion? You and he could switch places, and you'll finally rule over the kingdom!" He laughed evilly, making his master eye him strangely.
"Wormwood…are you all right?"
The bird stopped laughing and sulked. "Just once I wish the man could understand me!"
While he was working, a surprised look came to the sorcerer's face. Cedric glanced at his companion with a startled gasp. "W-Wormy!"
Wormwood blinked.
"You know what this means?" He grinned brightly. "He actually wants this type of potion…" He lifted a vial of liquid, observing it carefully. "He wants to be someone else for a day? Why not grant him his wish?"
The raven smiled happily. "Does this mean what I think it means?!"
Cedric smirked. "I've always wanted to be the king anyway, right? And it's just an experiment, but oh…the possibilities!"
"YES!"
"Ha! Wormwood, just call me 'King Cedric the Sensational' from now on." He grinned and poured the liquid into a small cauldron, watching excitedly as it bubbled up.
Wormwood sighed, a content look on his face. "Finally!"
When Cedric's potion was finished, he smiled triumphantly. At last, he'd get to have a feel for the life as a true royal. And with Sofia gone on her Buttercup trip, she wasn't there to guilt trip him or convince him otherwise. It was perfect!
"Here goes nothing!" Cedric walked forward two steps before tripping and dropping the potion, the contents scattering all over the ground. "NO!"
Wormwood shook his head, sighing. "Saw that coming."
The sorcerer whined in disbelief as he lowered to the ground, attempting to salvage what was left of the potion by sweeping it into a new vial. It wasn't working well at all. "Cursed! I'm cursed! I must be!" He sighed in defeat and stood again. "Well, so much for that…" He glanced at the table where his wand lay and a slow smirk came to his face. "…Or not…"
Roland looked up from his book as he stood from his throne, acknowledging Cedric's approach. "Cedric!" He beckoned the other man forward and grinned happily. "Did you bring it?"
"Oh, yes, indeed," Cedric responded, holding out a vial with some purple liquid inside. "Here you are, Your Majesty."
The king looked around, seeing that no one else was watching, and downed the liquid in one gulp. He looked rather pleased with the taste. "Mm! That tastes like huckleberry punch."
The sorcerer chuckled. "I'm glad you enjoyed it, Your Majesty." He held his wand behind his back discreetly, waving it a little bit as he mumbled to himself, "Because that's exactly what it was."
"How long before I feel the effects?" Roland asked, still standing.
"Just another few moments," Cedric responded before whispering, "Commutationemlocorum, tenerespeciem!"
Several moments later, Roland and Cedric still looked very much the same.
Seeing the king's disappointment, Cedric enthused, "It'll be fine, Your Majesty! Give it a few more moments. This batch may have been a bit, eh, weaker than I meant it to be." 'Darn it, why isn't this spell working?!'
"Okay, thanks, Cedric. I'll let you know." He nodded, signifying Cedric that he could leave, and sat down.
Cedric shrugged and turned, about to walk out of the throne room, when Baileywick approached him. "Your Majesty, why is Roland on your throne?"
"Huh?" Cedric was always gifted with words when it came to confusing times like this.
"Roland, don't you have spells and potions to mess up?" Baileywick smirked, folding his arms.
Roland raised an eyebrow at his faithful steward before asking, "I beg your pardon?"
Cedric, meanwhile, was giddy on the inside. 'It worked! …Not the way I planned it, but it worked!' "Um, Baileywick, it's quite all right…" He glanced over his shoulder at Roland, who appeared irritated and a bit lost. "Actually, he's fine. Come back in about five minutes and…then you can clean to your heart's desire!"
The steward raised an eyebrow a Cedric. "…All right, Your Majesty." He then turned and left.
"What is going on?!" Roland huffed and got up from his throne, marching up to Cedric. "What happened with that 'weak' potion, Cedric?"
"I think it worked after all, Your Majesty…just not quite in the way we expected." He grinned. "They think I'm you and you're me! Well, so to speak."
The king folded his arms. "Fine. I guess this will work. But I refuse to call you 'Your Majesty.'"
"I appreciate that, because it would be a little awkward…" He smiled sheepishly. "How about 'King Cedric?'"
"You're pushing it, Cedric."
"Sorry, Your—er, Roland."
Roland sighed, shaking his head. "This is going to be a long day…"
While Roland stayed hidden in Cedric's room most of the afternoon—taking a nap, no less (because when at other times would he have gotten to do that?)—Cedric had been somewhat bombarded with things he hadn't expected.
"Do you like the taupe or the emerald curtains, Your Majesty?"
"Have you decided on the new declaration, Your Majesty?"
"Don't forget your seventeen meetings in the upcoming weeks, Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty—Your Majesty—Your Majesty…!"
Cedric yelled in aggravation and jumped up from the throne, glaring at Baileywick and all the other servants surrounding him. "Stop! Stop right now!" He pulled his wand from his robe and aimed it at them all.
Baileywick simply blinked. "Your Majesty, why do you have Roland's wand?"
"It's my wand, you oaf! I'm Cedric the Royal Sorcerer—Cedric the Sensational! I'm most certainly not 'King Cedric' or 'Your Majesty!'" He jumped down from the steps leading to the thrones and took the paper in Baileywick's hands, ripping it up. "And I refuse to do all of this stuff! I don't have time! I have to make a blasted potion lesson plan for Princess Sofia's studies this week! I don't have time for this!"
"Princess Sofia…as in your step-daughter?"
The dark-haired man glared at Baileywick. "O…kay, now things are truly getting weird. Baileywick, repeat after me: Cedric is not the king."
The steward tilted his head. "But Your Majesty-!"
"SAY IT!"
"Cedric is not the king!"
Cedric beamed. "Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go get King Roland from my workshop before he becomes angry with me again about switching our roles around. Good evening!" He quickly rushed out.
Baileywick scratched his head, uncertain of what was going on, before whining slightly at the sight of the ripped paper on the floor. "…Maybe I need a vacation."
Roland looked up from his spot near the table as Cedric opened the door and slammed it behind him. "Cedric?"
"Your Majesty, as much as I can appreciate that your wife decided you needed some kind of 'perspective' into someone else's life, please don't let it be mine. I can't handle being the king! These people are demanding! They want this and that, and Baileywick follows me everywhere!"
The king smirked. "And I deal with that every day…"
"And I applaud you for it, but I can't take it. I'll go mad!" He held up his wand. "We must switch back."
"Cedric, no!"
"Sorry, Your Majesty. Reddere ueritatem!" He sighed in relief as magic washed over him, and he could even feel the restoration of his true self flowing through his veins. It was a strange yet comforting feeling, and he relished in it. He glanced at the king, who seemed unamused. "Sorry…"
He sighed and shrugged. "Well, at least I got in a nap." He grinned. "Well, good night, Cedric. Don't work too hard." He chuckled. "Now that you know what that's like." He smirked and left, shutting the door behind him.
Cedric glared at the shut door before silently mimicking the other man, just in case he happened to be within earshot. He sighed and glanced at Wormwood, who didn't seem to be all that impressed. "Well, that was a waste of time…"
"I'll say," the raven retorted with a pout. "I didn't even get to be 'Mini King Wormwood' or anything."
The end
A/N: Lol, don't ask me what happened. This turned out way differently than I thought it would, but I kind of love it. :D Anyway, hope you enjoyed the silliness and fun, because I'm probably about half way through with "Shadow," and it's going to be pretty dark and heavy for me. Hope you're ready. ;) Look for it by the end of this week. Till next time! ~AquaTurquoise