Breaking Point

Summary: Sofia is in danger after a spell backfires and attacks her, leaving her completely at the mercy of time and Cedric's abilities. With so much going against them, including negativity aimed at the weary sorcerer, will Cedric be able to save the princess in time? *Requested by LongLiveNiNoKuni*

Disclaimer: I still don't own this show… If I did, there would be far less merchandise for the Royal Prep kids and more for Cedric and Wormy! :)

A/N: Okay… Brace yourselves. This is going to be more intense than most stories I do. With the very nature presented in LongLiveNiNoKuni's request, it almost has to be. But just hang in there, okay? I promise a happy ending (duh, I'm AquaTurquoise :P), but it will take some time. With that said, get some popcorn and some chocolate milk (or whatever you prefer, lol) and settle down for a while. YES, this will be a long story (22 pages, according to Microsoft Word). I'm sorry ahead of time! Ha! (PS—I'm setting this as the beginning of summer break; that way, Sofia won't have to worry about makeup work. I'm such a teacher… lol)

PS—I WILL be working on getting "At First Sight" and "Princess2Princess" completed this week. :D It's been a long time coming, but hopefully with Spring Break here I can finish them!

Saturday

Sofia and her siblings were beyond thrilled. Yesterday was the final day of school for the year, and the first thing they did was sleep in and enjoy their lack of academic responsibilities for a while. Granted, they all loved school and everything, but it did the soul a lot of good to enjoy a break every now and again.

Yet, the youngest royal couldn't find it in herself to just simply sleep away the day like others would do. Instead, she was up at a respectable enough hour (9:00 AM), and she got ready for the day as usual. With her dress and shoes on and her hair fixed with her usual tiara, the little princess hummed and exited her room to find her family.

Breakfast went as usual, with pancakes and berries, not to mention pleasant conversation. Sofia was even proud to see that James had dragged himself from his dream world to join them, though he still seemed rather sleepy since he kept yawning and rubbing futilely at his eyes. She giggled at his motions, smiling sympathetically toward him as he laughed tiredly.

"So what is on the agenda for today, everyone?" Roland inquired as he cut into his pancakes.

Amber smiled brightly. "Hildegard and Clio are supposed to meet me here, Daddy. We have a tiara decorating contest to prepare for, so we need some practice." She paused. "Is…that all right?"

"Sure, Amber. The more, the merrier…just try not to bother the staff while they're working, okay?"

"Yes, Daddy." She smiled pleasantly and returned to her food.

James yawned. "I'm going back to bed," he responded with his eyes drooping and just barely staying open.

Miranda raised an eyebrow at her stepson. "James, what time did you go to bed last night?"

"I think it was…a half past the witching hour." He grinned.

"You went to bed at 3:30?" Sofia blinked with concern. "James, no wonder you're so tired." She smiled. "I bet you were just excited about break, huh?"

"Yeah! No more homework or projects…" He sighed in content and grinned.

"And Sofia, what's your plan for the start of your summer?" Roland wondered as he looked at the youngest member present.

Amber rolled her eyes. "Oh, Daddy, if you have to ask then you don't know her that well. Sofia is usually found one of three places: with her friends—either villagers or royal—doing something Sofia-ish, with her animal friends, or with Cedric. And I'm guessing it's the last one, right, Sofia?" She smiled mischievously at her sister.

Sofia returned the smile, though she felt a little sheepish. "Am I that predictable?"

"I just hope you find some other things to do this summer other than spend all of your time with Cedric," Roland suggested with a shrug.

The auburn-haired girl looked at the king with wide eyes. "W-Why, Dad? I like spending time with Mr. Cedric. His lessons are really interesting and can be very useful, too!"

"While that may be the case, he's still my Royal Sorcerer, and he still has a job to do." He smiled gently at the girl as she seemed deflated. "Just remember that, okay? You can still do lessons with him and such, but let's try not to make it excessive."

"O-Okay, Dad… Excuse me." She pushed her chair back and bid her family goodbye as she hurried down the hallway.

Amber shot her father a disappointed look. "Daddy, why did you say that to her?"

The king blinked, clearly oblivious to the situation. "What?"

Miranda took her turn and eyed him carefully. "Sofia asks for so little, Rollie. Sure, I don't necessarily understand her fascination with sorcery and Cedric of all people, but they seem to bring out the best in each other. Don't take that away from them." She winked. "Besides, have you noticed Cedric has fumbled less and less this past year? His spells are practically perfect now."

James grinned. "I honestly think Sofia's the one actually doing them, and Cedric's just pretending." He laughed when the other three shook their heads humorously. "You never know!"

Roland sighed. "Okay, I'll take your words into consideration, Miranda…and Amber. But still, they do spend quite a bit of time together. I'm just afraid it's going to hinder Cedric's work."

"Has he ever not done something when you asked him to?" Miranda held up a hand when he started to respond. "Never mind if it didn't work; did he at least try?"

Realizing she had a point, he nodded. "He's always done what I've asked, though how well he does it varies…" He shrugged. "I guess we'll see what type of outcome we have, hmm?"

Despite the recent conversation, Sofia actually headed straight for the very person her father was trying to discourage her from seeing so often. She knocked on the door to the workshop and smiled when Cedric actually answered for a change.

"Come here," Cedric said quickly, grasping her hand and pulling her inside, shutting the door with his wand and making her yelp in surprise. "Look, look, look!"

Sofia blinked as they stood in front of a rather large spell book. She looked up at her mentor. "What is it?"

"It's one of the lost books of Merlin," he gushed in excitement. "My father sent it to me and asked me to review it and try some spells from it." He grinned toward her. "Are you up for it?"

She beamed back. "I'm always up for magic, Mr. Cedric." She then paused and sighed, seeming disappointed.

Cedric blinked. "What's wrong?"

Sofia clasped her hands in front of her, finding a particular interest in her fingers rather than him at the moment. "Dad said…um… He doesn't want me to interfere with your work, so he wants us to limit our lessons…" No, disappointment just didn't seem to cover her feeling right then; devastation was more like it.

"Don't be silly, Sofia," Cedric chuckled, placing a hand on her shoulder to get her attention. "I can manage myself rather well: between you and your father, I've gained more experience and confidence—actually, I fully credit you for that. Your father has yet to earn my gratitude." He grinned as she broke her forlorn look to giggle.

"Mr. Cedric…" She sighed and smiled. "I'm glad to hear you say that… I just wish there were a way to show Dad that you're an amazing sorcerer and can manage anything that comes your way."

"Well, for now, you are one of the few who believes in me that much… So until that day comes, I'll just revel in the feeling of elation that at least someone does."

While she knew his words were supposed to be positive, Sofia couldn't help but feel that they were laced with utter sadness anyway. But he smiled it off, and she loved it when he smiled, so she returned the sentiment and carried on. "What are we going to do with the book then, Mr. Cedric?" she asked, sitting on a chair and looking through the pages curiously.

"We're going to practice a few spells. Maybe something in there could change things around for a while. Who knows?"

So that's what they did for the next hour. The sorcerer and his apprentice found spells for just about everything: making purple water, curing minor illnesses, a method for creating the perfect jiggly-to-wiggly ratio in Jiggly Wiggly Pudding, and more.

Sofia noticed a section of the book that had a girl who looked remarkably like her, except her hair seemed lighter and longer according to the drawing. She had her head lowered and her hands folded over her heart. The girl tilted her head. "She seems so sad," she murmured.

"Hmm?" Cedric grabbed a jar from his cabinet and placed it on his table. "Did you say something, Sofia?"

"No, nothing." She smiled lightly before noticing some written script beneath the photo. She looked up at Cedric and asked, "How do you say this spell, Mr. Cedric?"

He turned with his wand in his hand and twisted the book toward him as he read over the spell quietly. "Mm, let's see. Tardus est mens. Abstrusum cor. Dormi usque amor sanat." He never noticed the stream of magic that fled from his wand toward the young girl next to him. "Or basically, slow the mind and quiet the heart; and one will sleep until love heals all…or some rubbish like that. Very typical for fairytale types, eh, Sofia?" Blinking and realizing the girl was being awfully quiet, Cedric glanced down to his left and barely had time to react as the girl's eyes closed and she all but collapsed from her chair and nearly hit the stone cold floor. He did manage to catch her in time though, and he was wholly confused as to her sudden state. "Sofia! What's wrong?"

Wormwood cawed at him, as if trying to hint what the answer may be. He flew down and stood on the page of the book while eyeing his master sympathetically.

Cedric looked up at the raven with a gasp of realization. "I…I just cursed her, didn't I?" He settled the girl in his lap rather than on the cold floor, and he supported her upper body with one hand and her head with the other, attempting to coax her into waking up. "Sofia, can you hear me?" Hearing nothing and feeling her growing colder, Cedric quickly shed his robe and wrapped it around the girl, holding her closer as he stood to read the book again. "Dormi usque amor sanat… Sleep until… Oh, Wormy, what have I done?" He looked down at the sleeping princess, realizing he was going to have to face reality soon enough, for her sake.

"You did what?!"

Cedric flinched as he held Sofia closer, as if seeking some form of comfort as the king snapped at him with a fierce glare he had never seen from the older man before. It was more terrifying than he could have ever imagined. "It—It was an accident, Your Majesty," he told Roland apprehensively, his voice shaky and unreliable as the angry green orbs gazed upon him.

"It's always an accident with you, isn't it, Cedric?" He watched as Miranda quickly rushed over and took her daughter from the sorcerer before stepping aside. Seeing that his wife had exited the throne room to get Sofia to her own room and perhaps summon a doctor, the king turned his eyes to his sorcerer. "Your accident may have killed Sofia, Cedric."

"But Your Majesty, she's still alive! She just—"

"Silence!"

Snapping his mouth closed before he got into any more trouble, Cedric watched the king carefully while he clasped his wand tightly in his hands.

"This is why I didn't want her spending so much time with you," Roland acknowledged, folding his arms. "Just look what happened to her!"

"Your Majesty, I—"

"For her sake and yours, you will spend every last minute it takes to find a counter spell and heal my daughter." The king stepped down from his throne and stood directly in front of Cedric, staring him down and making the dark-haired sorcerer rather nervous. "If you can't, then you'll do well to leave my sight lest my fury take over and do something Sofia would never agree with." He held up three fingers. "You have three days."

"Three days? Your Majesty, I don't know if I can find the proper cure with just three days!"

"Your father could," Roland retaliated, missing the look of hurt and annoyance that flashed on Cedric's face. "If you care about Sofia as much as everyone says you do, then you'll do it. As it is, you're the only hope she has. You want to prove yourself as a Royal Sorcerer? This is your chance—save Sofia. Otherwise, we'll find a competent sorcerer who can, and you won't have to bother remaining in Enchancia any longer. We're done here."

Taking that as a sign to leave, Cedric bowed shakily and left the room in haste.

As it happened, Cedric was ordered to move his workspace to the princess's room so that he could conduct and perform counter spells on her—anything that would wake her up. Feeling bad for him, James had told one of the servants to put a cot in Sofia's room so Cedric could rest. But he hesitated to rest, for fear of what Roland may say.

As night fell, the sorcerer's tired eyes scanned one last paragraph of a page in the lost book of Merlin before he sighed and stepped away from his makeshift table. He would be no good to Sofia or anyone in his current state, so it would probably be best to get some sleep.

The king and queen, plus the twins, had already been by for the night to check on Sofia. The girl remained in a near comatose state, her features calm but paler than usual. She still wore her amulet, which was just as quiet as she was.

Cedric walked over to the young girl's bed and knelt beside her, watching her sleep. He never could have imagined that this girl, the one who used to annoy him so much with her mispronunciation of his name and her uncanny ability to always surprise him with her unannounced entries into his workshop, could have ended up meaning so much to him. She was his best friend: she'd saved him, helped him, believed in him, encouraged him, and even loved him—her own words. That was a lot to get used to, especially considering how unworthy he'd often felt of her admiration.

He had tricked her on many occasions, and he'd deceived her trust, even if she didn't know it. The amulet lying stationary around her neck meant nothing to him now. It was just another reminder of how selfish and cruel he could be when he wanted to, and for that reason he made a silent promise to himself and to her that he would do better and cherish her friendship more; however, first he had to get her to wake up. He could really use one of her hugs right now…

"My dear Sofia," Cedric said gently, allowing one hand to rest on her head, her wavy auburn hair curling around his fingers slightly. "I promise you, I will not give up. I'll figure out this counter spell, and… I am very sorry about this." He sighed. "It's bad enough I'm somewhat clumsy on a normal day, but today of all days, I should have been more careful… I'll never forgive myself for that."

Sofia remained still, but her breathing was slow and continuous, a sort of lulling pattern for her friend.

"Good night, Sofia." Cedric carefully held one of her hands for a few moments before retiring to the cot James had retrieved for him. He was about to close his eyes when he noticed that Sofia was actually still wrapped in his robe from earlier. Despite the situation, a smile found its way to his face, figuring it was one way he had helped…sort of. He sighed peacefully and lay down, falling asleep.

Sunday

"Cedric," an urgent whisper hissed, stirring the sorcerer into alertness.

"Huh?" He sat up and blinked, realizing the twins were hovering over him. "Princess Amber? Prince James? What are you two doing here?"

"Dad's on his way to check on your progress," James informed him, watching as Cedric yelped and scrambled to his feet, scattering the covers on the floor.

Amber sighed and picked up the blankets, folding them neatly and placing them on the end of the cot. "Honestly, Cedric, at least be neater since you're in Sofia's room. She likes to keep it tidy."

Hearing her words, Cedric paused and glanced at the other princess, who was still sleeping. She hadn't moved from her previous location, which wasn't altogether unsurprising, but it was still rather disheartening.

James walked to the bed and helped the younger girl into a sitting position so he could remove Cedric's robe, which he did easily enough, before easing her back to her pillow undisturbed. He picked up the robe and walked over to the sorcerer, handing it to him. "Here you go."

"Thank you, Prince James." He wasn't going to mention that he'd felt keeping the robe around her may have been more comfortable for her, because really, why should they believe that? He slid into his familiar fabric once again before gathering his wand and returning to Merlin's lost book, picking up where he left off.

"Is there anything we can do?" Amber asked quietly.

"I'm afraid not, Princess Amber. I'm struggling to find a proper spell, and I'm a sorcerer. And after today, I only have two days left to help her…"

"If anyone can do it, you can," James told him with a smile. "We know firsthand, right, Amber?"

"Right. We believe in you, Cedric."

Aside from the encouragement from his apprentice, this reassurance from the twins really made his spirit soar. "Thank you both. That means a lot." He and the twins never saw the small glimmer of a white light from the amulet around Sofia's neck before it disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared

After the pair of blondes left, Cedric poured over his book and several other lists he'd acquired over the years. He aimed a few minor spells toward Sofia, willing them to work, but she seemed resistant to everything. He gasped when he heard the door open, and in walked Roland.

"Well?" the king asked, folding his arms and looking expectantly toward Cedric.

"I've tried a few spells, Your Majesty, but they weren't the correct ones," he responded honestly. "It's going to take more than just a standard spell though, because the one that struck Sof—Princess Sofia was actually from a lost book of Merlin."

"What do you mean, a lost book?" Roland frowned in concern. "As in, a book that was only recently found that may or may not have some sort of counter spell?"

Cedric didn't falter but sighed and raked his hands through his hair. "Your Majesty, I know you don't fully trust my abilities, and you have every right to question anything I say or do, but believe me when I tell you that I want to help her just as much as you do. In truth, Princess Sofia has done more for me than any other, and I owe her everything I can give her to repay what she's bestowed upon me."

"And what is that, Cedric?" the king asked while raising one eyebrow.

"Friendship," he said simply, surprising the fair-haired man before him. "And I don't care if I lose sleep or even my health—Princess Sofia will be saved. I just need you to believe in me."

Roland paused before staring hard at his sorcerer. "Keep at it, Cedric. Remember, two more days." He turned and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Cedric was mystified. How could the king act so cross when he had just told him that he would literally do anything to save his daughter? He'd give up sleep, health, position—anything to get Sofia back. But it didn't seem to be enough. Roland had never really liked him as much as he'd liked his father, and he understood why on many levels; but it seemed that the fact that Sofia liked Cedric a lot really struck some sort of chord with Roland—like it was a competition or something. Truly she didn't like Cedric better than her stepfather, the king? That was absurd.

Then again, was it? Cedric shook his head and meandered around his setup, searching deeper confines of his mind to determine the proper counter spell for the helpless girl he'd come to call his friend.

About two hours in, Cedric was granted a break to clean up and get some food, which he reluctantly took. He'd work better and have clearer thoughts if he stepped back from his work for a while. It's something his mother had always told him: "If you find that you are stuck, step away for a while and then return. Things will be much clearer." So he decided to take her advice.

While he was gone, Miranda and the other children stopped by to check on Sofia. Miranda sent James to get a wet cloth while she and Amber changed Sofia from her dress into her blue nightgown so she'd likely be more comfortable. Amber brushed her sister's hair so it wouldn't get tangled while she was in her still state.

James returned with the cloth, handing it to Miranda. The queen used the cloth to gently wash her daughter's face and arms, helping retain some moisture on her skin. Amber even sprayed a lighter perfume from her collection, indicating that Sofia liked the smell and maybe it would help her sleep better—or wake up.

Miranda smiled at Amber's train of thoughts before nodding to her. "I'm going with your father to a meeting, and we should return in a few hours," she told the blondes. "Are you two going to stay here?"

"Yeah," James replied. "We want to see if we can help Cedric."

"Well, don't get in his way too much. If he asks you to stop helping, it's not because he doesn't appreciate it, but probably because he knows what's best."

"You really believe Cedric can save Sofia?" Amber asked quietly, holding her younger sibling's hand.

"I do. He just needs us to believe in him." She turned and left the twins and her daughter behind.

Again, none of them noticed the amulet sparkling faintly before dimming away.

About an hour later, the twins had cleared out of Sofia's room to get some rest. Meanwhile, Cedric had returned and was thinking more clearly. Hours went by as his search continued. At one point, Roland requested an update, but the sorcerer was met with more disappointment than rage upon the king discovering the truth: there really wasn't an update Cedric could give him…yet. They both clung to that word desperately, trying to keep up hope for Sofia's sake.

Later Cedric glanced at the cursed passage that had caused the whole ordeal in the first place and read it carefully to himself: "Tardus est mens. Abstrusum cor. Dormi usque amor sanat… Slow the mind. Quiet the heart. Sleep until love heals all." He put one hand to his chin in thought as he frowned, pondering the true meaning of the words. "Love heals all… But what kind? She's too young for some dazzling prince to rush in and rescue her, not that her father would allow it." He rolled his eyes. "Such rubbish in the first place. Like a healing love can really be brought forth by a stranger. Love should be familiar and meaningful…honest…"

Cedric relinquished his thoughts for the time being and walked over to Sofia's bed. He knelt next to her, holding onto her hand. "I promise you," he whispered, "I'll figure this out." As he began to stand, he noticed a small purple tablet under the top corner of her bed. Out of curiosity, he reached for it, pulling it to his vision. "Sofia's Stories… She writes stories?" He blinked and opened the book to the first few pages. His eyes widened when he realized what it actually was: a journal. It was a place where she kept her thoughts. Sighing, he realized that reading it would probably be invading her privacy, and he struggled with the overwhelming sense of guilt he would feel if he continued to read, especially upon seeing his name in it.

Deciding one page wouldn't hurt, and promising himself not to be tempted to read anything else, he scanned his eyes over the first page he saw.

I finally got moved in to the castle. I was sad to leave my friends and village behind, but Mom says we will be happy here, too. I sure hope so, because I am a little sad and feel out of place right now. There are so many new rules to follow, and I don't want to mess up.

I did meet the Royal Sorcerer Mr. Cedric today! I kept messing his name up, but I guess I got nervous. He seems like a very interesting person. I'm not sure why the king is so hard on him. It's not very nice. Maybe one day he will be nicer to Mr. Cedric. Until then I can't wait to be his friend.

"Oh, Sofia," Cedric sighed, looking back at the girl. Even at the beginning, she'd only wanted to be his friend. Granted, she finally got her wish, but now he felt terrible that he'd kept pushing her away all that time. Realization struck him: they really were quite alike. She'd been so lonely and had stood out among the riches and the royalty at the beginning, and all she'd wanted was a friend and familiarity. Hadn't he been much the same?

He decided not to read further and placed the journal back where he found it. Out of respect for her privacy, he opted out of finding out anything else without her permission, even if he happened to be in other pages of her "stories," which he suspected he probably was.

Cedric pondered several of the events he and his young apprentice had gone through over the course of the last two and a half years: the Miss Nettle/Sascha incident, her losing her amulet to a greedy griffin, Sofia standing up for him in front of his father and his obtaining the Family Wand, Wassailia that had just passed and their gifts to each other, the numerous times she'd practiced and perfected spells he'd taught her… So entwined with his life she'd become that he couldn't really imagine his life without her now. How was that for irony?

He stood and pushed the covers back from the sleeping girl. He picked her up carefully and sat down in her spot, holding her closely as he recalled a recent request of hers.

"Will you sing me a song, Mr. Cedric?"

Cedric hummed a few bars of the song he'd recently sung to her to get her back to sleep. Now, sleep wasn't an issue, but still… "Lavenders blue, dilly, dilly; lavenders green,"he half sang and half whispered to the sleeping girl."When I am king, dilly, dilly, you shall be queen. Who told you so, dilly, dilly? Who told you so? T'was my own heart, dilly, dilly, that told me so."

As he sang a few more verses, his eyes closed during that point, the amulet glowed a bit more than it had with the twins. The gem sparkled once before dimming once more. Cedric never noticed.

After bidding his apprentice good night, Cedric returned to work long into the night before finally going to sleep.

Monday

Cedric sat up when he heard a loud clap of thunder. He looked around, noticing that the room was rather dark due to the weather outside. He grabbed a lantern beside his cot and placed it on the makeshift table before lighting it, the room's features now more visible.

He then walked over to the bedside table next to Sofia and turned on her lantern. Judging by his lagging state, he assumed he'd only gotten perhaps three or four hours of sleep. Regardless, he didn't suspect he'd be getting any more, so he decided to get a fresh set of clothes and some food before starting with his tireless work.

Less than an hour later, the sorcerer returned to the princess's room and set to his research. He had one final day remaining before King Roland decided his fate…and ultimately, Sofia's life hung in the balance. While it didn't appear that she was in danger, she was, in reality. Curses were unforgiving more often than not, and he wouldn't run the risk of the girl perishing because of an honest mistake. He couldn't lose her, and he feared for his own outcome too in all honesty.

After three hours of research and trial and error, Cedric threw his Family Wand onto the cot and grasped the table wearily. "I can't," he sighed, feeling defeated. "I just can't. I don't know what to do anymore…" He glanced over at Sofia, who was none the wiser, and walked over to her side.

Cedric knelt next to her and took her hand gently. "Sofia," he said softly, "if you can hear me, please…just give me a sign. I don't know the counter spell, but I'm trying. I just… Oh, my dear girl, I don't want to lose you." He lowered his head to the bed, his hands still clasped around hers, and exhaled in dismay.

Sofia's amulet glowed more brightly than it had in a while, and the light from it engulfed the room to the point where Cedric even saw it. He sat up and noticed her amulet still shimmering dimly before hearing a voice behind him.

"You're not giving up, are you?"

Cedric turned around in surprise, his eyes wide. "Qu-Queen Elsa?" he stammered, in awe at seeing another royal in his apprentice's bedroom. "What are…? How…?" He recalled Sofia's confession about what her amulet actually did, but she'd never consciously told him again, so he still carried on the façade that he was clueless. Regardless, actually seeing the amulet in action was really quite astonishing.

"You should keep trying, Cedric, for her sake," the queen informed him as she clasped her hands together and smiled calmly at him. "If my sister Anna had given up on me, I would be alone and isolated, shunned from society all because of powers I couldn't control well enough." She raised one hand and flicked her wrist, a small blast of icy energy producing some snowflakes in midair. "Sound familiar?"

He blinked, recognizing the parallels between himself and the queen. "Yes… But what should I do, Your Majesty?"

"Please, just call me Elsa." She stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Listen, Anna risked everything to help me out. She believed in me when no one else would. When she finally found me, I accidentally cursed her. But it took real love, selfless love, to save her. That's what Sofia needs now, Cedric. Just be there for her, don't give up, and trust that you have the ability to save her."

"But I put this curse on her, and I don't know how to undo it. Her father has only given me one more day to help her, or I'll be banished, and Sofia—"

"You won't be banished," she assured him with a gentle smile. "No matter what the king says, he knows how much you mean to Sofia, and he won't risk her heartbreak when he takes away her best friend, nor do I suspect he'd risk her very life. Now, you already have the cure, but you have to believe in yourself enough to do this."

"How will I know what's the right thing, Queen Elsa?" He looked back at the sleeping girl and grew weary. "I've failed her so many times."

"Cedric."

He looked to her again, watching her stand and fold her arms before smiling.

"I know you can do it." Those words must have reached him, because he nodded in silence. "You'll know what to do. But it wouldn't hurt to start with her father…" Some of her own icy powers surrounded her, and she vanished into thin air.

Cedric sighed and released Sofia's hand before sitting down against her bed, leaning forward with his head in his hands. He never noticed the princess's door open, but he did notice two shoes appear before him. He glanced up and saw Roland standing before him, but he couldn't find it in him to move as he felt so tired and helpless. "Your Majesty…"

Roland sighed, and then he did something Cedric never thought he'd do: he sat down next to him. "I've been really hard on you," he started with lament in his voice.

"I—"

"Cedric, just listen to me." Seeing that the sorcerer nodded in agreement, he continued, "Admittedly, I don't always have a lot of faith in your abilities, but my children have reminded me of your accomplishments lately, and how you're getting better. I honestly believe that Sofia had something to do with that."

Cedric couldn't agree more, but he chose not to say anything for fear of this conversation taking the wrong type of turn. Instead he nodded.

"Now don't misunderstand: you two do spend quite a bit of time together, and I don't always understand her fascination with you and your lessons." He smiled a bit at the sorcerer's look of wonder. "But I do know that because of you, she's become more confident and is excelling in her sorcery class. And if I may say, I've seen quite a change in you, Cedric."

He had to say something this time. "Me, Your Majesty?"

"You used to isolate yourself unless needed. You were somewhat cold to many of my staff, from what Baileywick told me, and your spells were subpar."

'That snitch,' Cedric thought bitterly upon hearing Baileywick being mentioned. Oh, he would have some words for that steward later.

"However," Roland carried on, "you've grown exponentially these last few years. I rarely see you mishandle spells and potions anymore—except a few days ago—and you seem more confident, just like your father."

True. His father was always respectful but very assertive in his abilities. Cedric had a habit of simpering nervously and shying away for fear of doing something wrong. That needed to change. Hopefully, soon, that would change. "Really, Your Majesty?"

"Mm. Now, if it helps, I believe in your ability to save Sofia, Cedric. Do you?"

Cedric blinked at the question before answering, "Without a doubt, I believe I can save Princess Sofia. I'd never give up on her, Your Majesty, because she's never given up on me."

Roland smiled. "That's what I wanted to hear. And…I apologize for my behavior these last few days. I realize it was an accident…plus Miranda and the kids gave me a hard time." He cleared his throat when he thought he saw the beginning of a smirk on Cedric's face before it faded into a simple smile. "Yes, well… Forget the deadline, Cedric. What matters is my daughter's health and restoration, not bad blood between us. Whatever differences we may have, let's set them aside and save the one thing we have in common."

"Yes, Your Majesty…" He watched as the king stood and dusted himself off before nodding and leaving the room. Well, that was unexpected… Maybe Elsa was right. Start with her father, who seemed to have had some revelation himself, and then move on to saving the princess. Thankfully, the entire thing wasn't too cliché…

Cedric looked at Sofia, who was still sleeping. He reached over to feel her hand, which wasn't as cold as it had been the last two days. She was starting to gain some more warmth, which was a good sign. He smiled at her. "You really are the glue that holds this royal family together, my dear," he told her gently. "You've shown so much courage and thoughtfulness to everyone, and expected nothing in return. You said I'd saved you on many occasions, but it's only because you saved me first…from myself." He sat next to her and brushed her hair from her eyes. "For that, I thank you dearly, Sofia, and…I'll always love you for that." He kissed the sleeping girl's cheek gently before turning to stand, aiming to return to work so he could continue finding the correct counter spell.

Cedric frowned when he noticed that he couldn't move. His hand was being gripped rather tightly. He then heard it: a yawn. He gasped and looked down, seeing Sofia blinking her eyes open for the first time in days. "Sofia?"

She smiled sleepily and giggled. "Mr. Cedric? Wait, what are we doing in my room?" She looked around in confusion. "And why am I—oh?" She was surprised as he moved forward and embraced her, a sigh of relief escaping from his lips. "Are you all right, Mr. Cedric?"

"Oh, Sofia…" He smiled as he leaned back and looked at her confused expression. "I'm much better now. I'm glad you're all right."

"What happened?" She rubbed the back of her neck. "And why do I feel like I've been doing nothing but sleeping?"

"Because you have," he answered honestly. "I am sorry, my dear, but…I accidentally placed a spell on you—a curse, actually…but it was an accident!"

She giggled. "It's okay. I know you'd never do something like that on purpose." She tilted her head. "So what was the counter spell?"

He paused. Well… Technically, forgiveness and love seemed to be the counter spell, from what he gathered. He took her hand gently. "Do you remember what you told me when I was fed up with everything and thought I'd quit? When I'd all but given up on myself, but you refused to give up on me?"

Sofia thought back to that occasion and nodded. "I told you…" She grinned as she realized what he was trying to say. "You love me, too, don't you, Mr. Cedric?"

"Almost as much as Wormy," he joked lightly, making her laugh and hug him again.

"So the counter spell was love?" she asked, trying to get better clarification.

"There are many different kinds of love, Princess. And according to the spell, which I'll not be reciting again thanks to what happened last time, love had to heal all. And interestingly enough, from what I understand, it wasn't just me…"

Sofia blinked in curiosity.

"Your father, your mother, your siblings, and others contributed. And, believe it or not, your father and I seem to have made amends."

"That's great, Mr. Cedric," the girl gushed in relief. "I'm proud of you—of both of you. And talk about a picky spell."

"You're telling me." He gestured toward his makeshift work area. "Now I just have to clean all of this up and head back to my workshop."

"Aw, you stayed with me until the spell was broken? Wow, you really must love me, Mr. Cedric." She grinned as he rolled his eyes and smirked at her.

"Anything for my apprentice, right?" He picked up his discarded wand and aimed it toward his table and cot, making them disappear from the room and supposedly return to his workshop. "Now then, I suppose I'll let you get some proper rest, but I'm expecting to see you bright and early tomorrow morning, got it?"

"Got it." Sofia leaned forward and hugged him once more. She whispered, "I love you, Mr. Cedric."

Cedric felt his heart warm at her words. "I love you, too, Sofia."

Tuesday

When the king and his family heard of Sofia's alertness, they all visited her and indicated their happiness that she was back in the world of the awake, so to speak. Amber and James lingered longer, spending time with their sister, before she decided to get up and get cleaned up and dressed for the day ahead of her.

"You look much better," Miranda told her daughter as she sat down at the breakfast table.

"Thanks, Mom. I hear I have not only Mr. Cedric to thank, but also all of you. So thank you for saving me." She beamed as a plate of biscuits and white gravy was set in front of her.

"We're just glad to have you back," Roland responded brightly.

"Yeah, it's no fun without you helping me set up for my pranks," James snickered.

The family carried on with their conversation, thrilled to have their fifth and youngest member present for the first time in a few days.

Cedric had hidden the lost book of Merlin somewhere Sofia couldn't find it. That last thing he needed was another strong spell going wrong. His workshop was back in working order, and he had returned to his normal routine.

"Mr. Cedric?"

He turned and smiled at his student as she walked inside. "Good morning, my dear. Feeling better?"

"Much." She rushed over and hugged him, giggling as he knelt down to return her hug more fully. "So…" She leaned back to look at him. "What are we doing today?"

"Today…" He stood and nodded to Wormwood, who flew over and settled on his shoulder. "I don't know about you, but I could use a break from spells and potions for a little while. How does a trip to the garden sound?"

"Sounds great." She took his hand as he smiled once again. "Wormwood."

"Princess," the raven returned pleasantly, though it just sounded like a caw of acknowledgement to Cedric.

The trio left on a new adventure, anxious to see what awaited them outside the castle walls.

The end

*Answering Reviews from "Fish and Butterflies"*

Royal Detective: Thanks! :) I love being sarcastic (somewhat) when it comes to Cedric. :D He has a droll side, which I just love. I had the same conclusion you did; "Substitute Cedric" was SUCH a big "Cedric" episode, so I'm sure they were like, "All right, let's give him a break, and we'll see him next season." Haha. Aw, and I'm glad you thought of me with Amber's star fascination. I loved that they put that in there! And thanks, I'm really enjoying my break. Heading home from vacation as I type. ;)

theblindwriter95: I'm on Spring Break through next Monday! ;) You have no idea how much I needed this. Then again, you probably do. ;p And I can see Sofia being a rabbit, too. For some reason, "fish" just wouldn't leave my mind, so I was like, "FINE, mind. I'll put fish. HAPPY?" Hehe

CedricAmber: Holy guacamole! You outdid yourself. :p Oh, and I'll move the pictures on the website when I get home. Haha. The laptop I took on vacation wouldn't let me sign in for some reason, so I gave up. :P

I'm glad you liked the story! The little jabs back and forth between Cedric and Sofia make me laugh, so I love writing them. And true story: one of my friends DID get chased by a hummingbird that happened to LOVE her ears for some reason. Haha. That's why I threw that in there. I always laugh when she tells me the story, but she said it wasn't funny at the time. :P I beg to differ.

I looked up the peanut butter thing. Apparently, it's because of the "buttery texture" or something. Haha, whatever they say…

The 90s were amazing. Good shows and movies, laser tag everywhere, dial-up Internet (just kidding, that was horrendous, lol), and so on. Ooh, Miss Driving a Car next year, huh? One more step to freedom! Lol! And happy early, early, early August birthday. :P I'll tell you again on your official day, hehe.

OMG, yes, Jade needs to have an intervention. I think Baileywick should do it, because he's the calmest. :P "So tell me, Jade, why do you feel the need to belittle everyone around you again?" Haha, jk (maybe). :D So no love for Tizzy, huh? I don't really blame you. She was a bit much. Watch her be brought back later. I was more excited about seeing Lucinda again in the other episode. :D I love her. Oh, and glad you liked the song. ;) Little Cedric is adorable and huggable. Hehe, and you do definitely make the days brighter. God bless you and your humongous family. ;) Seriously, I have one sister; I can't imagine more! You must have the patience of a saint. :D

Sofia2015: Glad you're feeling better. :) Still hoping for the best for your situation. Hope you liked this story too. ;)

LongLiveNiNoKuni: Haha, glad you liked the last story, and I did have fun on vacation. The 32 degrees wasn't all that terrible. In fact, now, I've dealt with the normal 85 degrees while traveling home, and I want my 32 back! Haha. So, this did end up being just one loooooong chapter, and I apologize for the length. :p I didn't see "Home" but plan to. I love Sheldon. :D And I had almost completely finished the story before I saw your last review. Whoops! Well, maybe we can fit that scenario of a fight/argument into another future story. We'll see. ;) Hope this met your expectations! Thanks again for your mind's awesome idea. Hehe.

To ALL:

Thanks to everyone who's read, reviewed, favorited, followed and so on (including xcawolix, shugoitim, Tabatha Ackley, PokeBakuFanfics, Garnet K. G. Sky, Nalia1999, DoctorWho53, and others). I appreciate every single one of you. Till next time! ~AquaTurquoise