A young girl walked timidly down the halls of the castle. Her big curious eyes looking everywhere, drinking in everything they can see. The paintings on the walls were bigger than she was tall! And so many! It was while she was looking at these paintings, lost in her admiration, that she bumped into... him.
"Ow!" She exclaimed automatically as she fell on her bottom, more out of habit than actual pain. Once the slight pain eased after a few seconds she remembered, she ran into somebody!
She quickly got up and went over to help up the Gentleman that had fallen from her little accident. "Oh, how clumsy of me! I am so sorry! I was so taken by these..." The gentleman started getting up, grumbling all the way, "...paintings that..." The young girl saw his robes. They were not those of a baker. Or a maid. Or a steward. Or the king (Thank Merlin). No, these... Her blue eyes grew wide in awe... These were the robes, of a Sorcerer! "...That I... I'm sorry." She quickly finished and hung her head in shame. "Please forgive me sir, but... Are you... A Sorcerer?"
The man rose and dusted himself off. He seemed grumpy, and not at all like he heard the young girl. Finally he turned his head to look at her. "Figured that out on your own did you? Yes I am a Sorcerer. I am Cedric." The girl noticed that he seemed to beam with pride at this, and her smile grew as big as her eyes. "...The Sorcerer for this castle, or parlor monkey... With how the king has me doing menial tasks as birthday parties and the like..." This man, Cedric, mumbled the last sentence. Disdain clear in his voice.
"The King? My Father?" Her smile did not falter as she said this. So amazed was she to actually be in the presence of a real live sorcerer! And he was talking to her!
"Father?" The disdain vanished a bit to be replaced by confusion, "You are not Amber..." His eyes moved up as he thought who this child could be. Calling King Roland her 'Father'. The girl watched as the contemplating look left his face to only have annoyance on it when he looked back at her. "You're the daughter of the new Queen aren't you?"
The girl nodded in excitement, unfazed by his annoyed look. He knew her!
"Sarah, was it? No no... Charlotte? Suzy?... Something with an 'S'..." The young girl giggled at this Sorcerer trying to figure out her name, and getting it wrong every time. What a silly Sorcerer!
"Sofia, Sir." The girl stifled her laugh long enough to curtsy to him. "My name is Sofia. It is a pleasure to meet you! I have so many questions for you! Do you have a familiar? What is it? Do all Sorcerers have familiars? Can I be a Sorceress? Can it be taught? What can you do? Can you teleport? Have you heard of Goodwyn the Great? I heard he's the best there ever was! Did you go to schoo-" A finger on her lips quieted her instantly. Sofia looked at the finger, poking out of fingerless gloves and followed it up to the arm, covered in the deep purple robe (her favorite color), to the big yellow bowtie, and finally up to the face of the person it was connected to. His eyes were clenched shut and he was rubbing his temple with his other hand.
"Sofia... Yes that was it. Sofia, Why must you ask so many questions? And so fast? I can not understand." He removed his finger fro her lips and straightened himself up. "Even if I did, I am in far to big of a rush doing Sorcerer things to stay and engage in idle chitchat with a child." He was going to turn and walk away when a shine caught his eye. "Where did you get that?"
Sofia looked confused as she followed his eyes to her new necklace. "Oh. This? Father gave it to me. I promised to never ever take it off. Its so beautiful." Her hands cupped it and held it out for Cedric to get a better look. "It's purple too! I love purple!" Her smile came back as she put the pendant back on her chest, beaming with joy.
"Sofia? Sofia where are you honey?" A voice, kind as Sofia's, but older came flowing through the air.
Sofia turned towards where the voice was coming from, "I am over here mother, I found a new friend!" She turned towards Cedric and saw him flinch a little. How odd. 'Must've got a chill up his spine.' Sofia thought, as she could hear footsteps coming towards them. "Mr. Ceedric! You must meet my mother! She's very nice!" She grabbed a hold of Cedric's hand, ,and almost instantly had him pull away.
"It is Cedric, you infuriating child! Said-Drick! And as I said before I am very busy with Sorcerer duties for your Father. I really must be off." He looked down his nose at her only to see tears about ready to fall. Merlin's Mushrooms. He bent down to stop the tears... Somehow. "BUT! But... I will see you again! So don't... Don't cry... Please..." Cedric conjured a handkerchief out of no where and handed it to Sofia. 'I don't know how to handle it if you do!' He worriedly thought as the young Princess took it and dabbed her eyes.
"Promise?" She looked at him with big pleading eyes. Just as her mother rounded the corner.
Cedric, noticing this, hurriedly answered in the positive, and quickly sped off. Leaving Sofia to greet her mother alone. "Sofia, there you are! Who was your new friend?" The Queen hugged her daughter tight and watched the robes disappear around a corner.
"That was Mr. Ceedric, Mom. And guess what?" Sofia motioned her mom to come closer so she could whisper in her ear, which the Queen happily obliged. Sofia leaned in really close so no one else would hear, even though no one else was anywhere near them. "I'm going to marry him one day!" The young Princess tried and failed at hiding her giggles. The Queen smiled kindly at the young Princess.
"Oh really?" She patted Sofia's head, "Maybe one day, dear, maybe one day... But today you are going to be late for your first proper royal dinner if you don't get up and ready now!" She smiled at her daughter and shooed her towards her room. "Baileywick will come get you in 10 minutes!" Sofia yelled to acknowledge her mother as she went off to get ready as she suggested. The Queen chuckled to herself. Married? At 8? Oh to be young and have that imagination again!