Most Unlikely

Summary: When Amber suffers another breakdown as the time has come for the anniversary of the loss of her mother, she finds comfort in one of the most unlikely places.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sofia the First or a handkerchief. Lol! Actually…I may… I'm not sure. Now I have to look! :D

A/N: So to start off, theblindwriter95 did win the challenge from "Ninety-Five Percent," so the requested story will begin "production" very soon. :) And MANY people got my challenge correct. Anton Ego's room is indeed shaped like a coffin. Very smooth, Disney. ;)

A/N 2: On another note, this is going to be a little bit more somber than other stories, as it's based on what I'm going through personally this time of the year. Almost a year ago (February 17), my mom called me while I was at school on my day off preparing for the parent-teacher conference for the following day. My Nana was unresponsive. The family got to the hospital to find out she'd suffered a brain hemorrhage and was not likely to make it out of the ordeal. The next day she passed away, and I had to go to school to greet parents with THAT on my mind. Needless to say, I took the rest of the week off. I didn't handle it very well and it took me MONTHS to be "okay." I'm much better now. In fact, when I first wrote "Super" last summer, it was a renewed sense of normalcy and happiness. And ever since, I've been in the "Sofia the First" group. Thank you all for making the transition a lot better. I'm not sure how I would have done without you all. :) Meanwhile, I plan to have a few short stories out before fulfilling at least two requests, so look for those within the next few weeks. On we go!

Amber sat at her vanity, surrounded by so many trinkets and ornaments that life as a royal had afforded her since birth. While she adored everything she had, she felt certain she would give it all up for just one more…day? Hour? Minute? If only she could have back the one person she'd lost far too early.

She sighed and stood from her seat as she smoothed down her white nightgown. She'd mostly made it through the day without too much of a problem, because she'd been with friends and family who had clearly set out to keep her mind on more positive things, but it was always the nighttime when she crumbled. Every year. "Another year, Mom," she whispered as she closed her eyes before feeling a sob shudder through her body.

She was still just a child—barely eleven years old. Sure, many would think a princess wouldn't have to deal with things such as losses or complicated emotions, but the fact remained that princesses were human beings too. Amber felt conflicted with how she should act versus how she wanted to act.

All too often, it had been hinted to her that emotions such as these—just like the anger she sometimes tried to repress—should be kept at bay. Well, obviously, that was easier said than done, especially for a young girl.

Sniffing, she grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders as she slipped out of her room and down the hallway. She had to get out of the castle—escape from reminders and echoes of years gone by. Every portrait hanging on the wall held a memory—something her mother had painted or ordered or had gifted to her… Even every potted plant made her crumble inside. Her mom had insisted on greenery in the castle, and Baileywick had been more than happy to oblige her. She'd been a true definition of a queen: kind, caring, loyal, and just. And while Amber liked Miranda, it just wasn't the same. It never would be.

Amber dropped under a tree in the gardens and pulled her legs closer, resting her chin on her knees and pulling the blanket closer. She wiped her tears from her eyes as she observed fireflies peacefully flitting from one blossoming flower to the next. She closed her eyes again as the wind blew past, stirring the fallen leaves and ushering the fireflies along to a new place. On the wind, she heard a melody—a lullaby her mom used to sing to her.

Unconsciously, the princess began humming the familiar yet long withheld tune.

"For a minute there, I thought I heard your mother's voice…"

Amber gasped sharply and opened her eyes, growing defensive as she picked up a stick nearby for a potential 'weapon' of sorts. She blinked when she saw, through the gleam of the moonlight, the last person she'd expected to find her there. "Cedric?"

The sorcerer shrugged as he held onto a basket. "Relax, Princess Amber…it's just me." He nodded toward his tower. "Wormy—er, Wormwood—knocked some of my ingredients out the window, and I really needed to go ahead and collect them before tomorrow..."

"Oh." She nodded. "Well, good evening, Cedric." She sighed and lowered her head again, hiding her face as her hair draped around her.

"If it's any consolation," he started, garnering the girl's attention again, "I know how you feel." Now why in Merlin's name he was trying to comfort a princess who had done nothing but cause him more trouble than he cared to admit was beyond him, but thanks to Sofia and her ever-insistent belief in 'doing the right thing,' he felt he had to say something. He had known the queen far better than he'd ever gotten to know Miranda, and like Amber he did miss her presence. There was no greater queen than this young girl's mother.

"Y-You know how I feel?" She paused before frowning, glaring at him. "You don't know how I feel. Cedric, you still have both of your parents—I'll have to live the rest of my life without ever hearing my mother's voice again. She'll never see me off to school; she'll never help me plan parties and balls; and most importantly, sh-she'll never be…" She looked down as a rush of new tears sprung to her eyes. "She won't be at my wedding…or see me have children of my own." The young girl sniffled. "And I'm supposed to be okay with that."

Confused, Cedric knelt beside her and offered her a handkerchief, which he was surprised to see her take and cling to as if it were the last thing holding her to reality. "What do you mean, you're supposed to be okay with that?"

"Everyone always looks at James and me with pity when this day comes around, but they always try to make it a fun and uplifting day, even knowing what really happened back then." She huffed and held tighter to the fabric in her hand. "Well, maybe I want to remember my mother and what she meant to me without all of these stupid distractions. I want to miss her in peace, and I want to reflect on my memories with her, but I feel like I'm not allowed to."

Cedric pondered on Amber's confession. She really was far deeper than he'd imagined her to be. She obviously cared a great deal about her mother, and he'd seen that for himself all those years ago. She'd just somehow lost a bit of herself along the way. And to him, he hoped that would change, because she looked and sounded so much like the former queen, and perhaps someday she would reflect that image perfectly. But for now… "That's rubbish," he told her while sitting down fully on a stone beside her.

"Excuse me?" Amber narrowed her eyes at him. "Cedric, I'm not Sofia. You don't have to try to 'mentor' me in a moment of crisis. I can figure it out on my own."

Cedric raised an eyebrow at her words. He knew the older princess would be harder to talk to, and he wasn't entirely sure why he bothered, but he knew he had to at least attempt to talk to Amber. So far, no one else had bothered… "I highly doubt that, Princess Amber, or you wouldn't be crying to the flowers and fireflies near midnight." He pulled his wand from his robe and twirled it around his fingers absently. "And you say you're not allowed to have the feelings you wish to express. That's ridiculous. No one can take away your emotions or what's inside. You're allowed to feel however you wish."

"It's not that easy," she snapped, folding her arms and clinging tighter to his handkerchief. "As a princess, people hold me to a higher standard. I'm supposed to be composed and 'get over' things faster. I don't have much privacy when it comes to personal things, and it's starting to weigh heavier on me than I expected." Her face fell as she lowered her head to her arms and mumbled, "Why do you care anyway? You don't even like me."

This took him by surprise. Sure, he didn't care much for her attitude sometimes, and she could be a pest, but the words had shocked even him. "I…respect you, Princess Amber." He winced inwardly at how that statement might have sounded.

She rolled her eyes. "Respect is expected for royalty though, isn't it?" She gazed at him pointedly. "You don't have to worry about me, Cedric. I'll be fine. Collect your ingredients and get back inside already."

"All right, that's enough." He waved his wand, mumbling an incantation, and pointed it at Amber.

Amber's eyes widened. "Cedric, what are you…?"

"Ex memoria," he said as his wand collected treasures and memories from Amber's past and pulled these things into reality, settling them around her.

The blonde gaped at him before looking around her. "H-How did you do that?"

"I'm a sorcerer, Princess Amber," he reminded her with a smirk. "Just look around you."

Amber glanced down and picked up a doll her mother had given her when she'd only been a toddler. It was blonde with buttons for eyes and wore a green dress. She hugged the doll to her. "Anne Louise," she whispered, remembering her favorite doll. She then looked to her right and gasped, picking up the note she'd kept for so many years in her treasure box in her room. She'd read it again just the other night, but there was always one part that stood out to her…

I pray with all my heart that you do not let my absence harden your heart. Know that I'll always be watching over you.

"Cedric…" She sniffed and wiped at her eyes as she put the doll and note aside. She then did something she'd never allowed herself to do before: she hugged him.

Cedric's eyes widened as he felt the girl wrap her arms around him. This was rather strange… The only ones he'd ever gotten hugs from had been Sofia and his parents (especially his mother)…and Rapunzel briefly. But to receive a hug from Amber was rather surprising and baffling. He didn't know how to react.

"Thank you, Cedric," Amber whispered as she let go of him and composed herself. "I, um… I apologize. I know the hugging thing is usually Sofia's ordeal, and I didn't mean to startle you… I just really appreciate this so much. You have no idea."

Once the shock wore off, the sorcerer merely smiled and waved a hand. "Think nothing of it, Princess Amber. I'm glad to help. And as I've told you before, your mother was one of a kind. She should remain in your memories, because she deserves it. And honestly, there's so much of her in you that it's quite surprising."

Amber smiled as she completely dried her tears. "Really?"

"Absolutely. Now it's late, Princess, and if they go to check on you and you are not in your room…"

"Baileywick would send out a search party," she responded playfully before standing up and brushing her gown off.

"Don't forget," he reminded her as he gathered his basket to continue his original quest. "Take some time for yourself, and remember what's most important. That way we won't have to have another meeting like this."

She laughed softly. "I will. Thanks again, Cedric." She draped her blanket around her once more as she vanished inside the castle.

Cedric looked up at the sky for a brief moment, smiled thoughtfully, and then carried on with his intentions.

The end

A/N: I knew I was going to get to this point…Cedric and Amber NEED some bonding time. He's probably known her for her whole life yet doesn't get to spend any time with her or get to know her better. This needs to change. :p So, I changed it…miniscule-wise anyway. :D We'll see what happens in the future. Hope you all enjoyed, and yes, this story was MUCH shorter than my 9,000 some odd words from the last story. Haha. Have a good night/weekend, and look for the next story to POSSIBLY be out Sunday or Monday… We'll see how everything goes. ~AquaTurquoise