Confined

Summary: When visiting another kingdom to help establish a new sorcerer and his workshop, Cedric and Sofia suddenly get abducted by an unknown enemy. They must rely on the new young sorcerer to come to their rescue, though it may be easier said than done.

Disclaimer: I only own the Kingdom of Namile (Nah-meel-ā) and the characters associated with it (especially Dante and Seraphina). 😊

A/N: Well, it's time for a new chapter story! Buckle up, because it's going to be an interesting ride! Also, this takes place about a week after "The Magic of Wassailia." 😉 Enjoy!

*Story*

Chapter 1: From the Ground Up

Sofia hummed happily as she started her ascent of the tower stairwell. Since she and her siblings were still on their winter break, she had more free time than usual; having just returned from Avalor over the Wassailia and Navidad holidays, she'd believed she would have been exhausted, but her energy was not yet spent. She was happy about that, of course, because that gave her more time to do the things she enjoyed and see the people she cared about. Which led her to her favorite sorcerer, naturally!

Pausing at his door, Sofia knocked and waited until she heard him call for her to enter. The princess opened the door and walked inside, only to pause, blinking at the scene before her.

Cedric had several pieces of parchment scattered all over the floor, information scribbled onto each in hasty handwriting. He seemed to be muttering to himself as he paced from one parchment to the next.

Sofia glanced toward Wormwood, who shook his head and rolled his eyes. She then looked back toward her mentor. "Um, Mr. Cedric?" she asked curiously as she avoided stepping on anything. "What's going on?"

"I know this looks a little chaotic," he began as he picked up a few of his documents, "but there's a method to this madness."

"I beg to differ," the raven scoffed. "This place looks even messier than usual."

"What exactly are you doing?" Sofia wondered as she sat down on his rolling stool.

"I'll explain in just a moment." Tiring of picking up the documents, he withdrew his wand and magically transported them all into several neat stacks on his desk. He then turned toward his apprentice and sheathed his wand. "How would you feel about accompanying me to another kingdom to establish a new sorcerer tomorrow?"

The princess blinked. "What does that mean, 'establishing' him?"

"It means getting him settled into his role as a royal sorcerer. You see, the Kingdom of Namile is relatively new, begun by a more progressive king and queen. The young sorcerer, Dante, is literally going to have to build his sorcery skills and workspace from the ground up." He leaned against his desk and folded his arms. "Establishing a sorcerer means preparing him for the job ahead, Sofia. He must have a proper workshop setup as well as know the ethics code for utilizing magic."

Wormwood snorted. "That's ironic, considering the source."

Cedric rolled his eyes. "Come off it, Wormy." He looked back toward the young girl, who was giggling. "Dante is only seventeen, which means he could use all the help he could get. For some surprising reason, the king and queen reached out to me to ask me to help." He chuckled as he recalled a vital detail. "Believe it or not, your mother was the one who recommended me, so…"

Sofia smiled. "I'd love to go with you, Mr. Cedric. I just need to ask my parents first. How long will we be gone?"

"A few days, perhaps three or so. Go ahead and talk with your parents. I need to finish organizing these notes, and then I'll begin packing." He looked toward the raven. "Wormwood, are you going?"

"No, thanks. I'd rather stay behind." He yawned. "That bunny wore me out on our trip to Avalor. Thirty-six games of Go Fish and a berry eating contest can really be rather tiresome."

"Oh, that's what happened to you guys," Sofia laughed. "Why doesn't that surprise me? Okay, Mr. Cedric. I'm going to go talk to Mom and Dad, and I'll let you know what they say."

"Very well." He looked up as she left, the door closing behind her. "Wormy, have you seen my travel bag? I could have sworn I left it on the cabinet."

"You did, but I got cold last night and…" He grinned sheepishly as his master raised an eyebrow at him. "It was rather warm and comfy, I must admit."

Cedric shook his head. "Oh, Wormy…"

Downstairs, Sofia walked over to her parents, who were conversing with a few of the staff members in the hall. She waited until they were finished to approach them.

"Oh, Sofia," Miranda acknowledged with a smile. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing much… But I did want to talk to you guys. Mr. Cedric said he's traveling to a new kingdom called Namile to 'establish a new sorcerer' or something like that, and he invited me to go. Can I?"

Roland wanted to say no, but he did recall that he was trying to make amends with his employee. After all, he'd done well on the trip to Avalor, and there had been no evidence of anything suspicious since 'that day.' So… "Well, Sofia—"

"Of course you can, Sofia," Miranda said before her husband could finish. She smiled at him when he gave her a look. "Your father and I will be traveling to Tangu for a few days anyway, and James and Amber wanted to go along. We were going to ask you if you'd like to come, but if you'd rather go with Cedric, you're welcome to."

Sofia smiled and nodded before glancing at Roland, who seemed a little quiet. "Dad…?"

Roland blinked before finally smiling and nodding. "It's fine with me too. You be careful though, all right? We don't know anything about Namile, and while I'm sure they'll be hospitable enough, it's best to keep your eyes and ears open at all times, okay?"

"I will. Mr. Cedric will be with me too, so…" She grinned. "I'll protect him."

Her parents laughed as she hugged them.

Miranda kissed her forehead. "We'll be home in a few days. If you two return before us, give Baileywick a hand every now and then, would you?"

Sofia nodded. "Okay, Mom. Thank you!" With that, she headed off to pack her suitcase.

"Should we be worried, Miranda?" Roland wondered as he glanced her way. "I mean, regardless of what's gone on with Cedric before, even though he's made improvements, we don't know anything about this new kingdom. What if something happens?"

"They'll keep each other safe, Rollie," she responded as she took his hand. "You know that as well as I do. Cedric won't let anything happen to Sofia, and Sofia always looks after everyone. So, have some faith in both of them." She kissed his cheek before walking off. "I'm going to go pack our suitcases now. Can you check on James and Amber and see how they're coming along?"

He chuckled. "Sure." With that, he headed off to see to the twins. "I hope you're right, Miranda…"

The next morning, the two groups went their own ways: Roland, Miranda, and the twins to Tangu, and Cedric and Sofia to Namile. As they were loading their luggage into the flying coach, Cedric noticed Sofia grasping her amulet with a frown set on her face.

"Sofia?" he asked in concern. "Something wrong?"

"Huh?" She smiled at him. "No, nothing… I guess I'm just a little nervous about the trip is all."

He offered her a reassuring smile before holding out his hand, helping her into the coach. "It will be all right. We'll get Dante established, and we'll be back home before you know it."

She nodded as he stepped inside, sitting next to her. "Okay, Mr. Cedric."

While the friends were on their way to the new kingdom, they couldn't have possibly imagined what lay in store for them…

To be continued…