Blameless

Summary: Someone is framing Cedric for a magical mishap that destroyed an heirloom called "An Amber for Agatha," a painting originally worth millions. Can Sofia help her mentor figure out who the true culprit is before he is falsely detained?

Disclaimer: I'm still not the owner of "Sofia the First." Ah, well! :)

A/N: Hi, guys! Long time, no see! :D Well, I'm not "back" back, but I'm close. Just a few more days until I'm free for the summer! YAY! So this story is going to be divided into chapters. How many? Eh…we'll see. I'll play it by ear! ;) So I hope you enjoy this. Have fun!

"Ah-hah!" Cedric exclaimed happily as he extracted a rather old-looking wand from his antique chest in his room. "Wormy! I found it!" He grinned as the raven tilted his head while looking at him from his place on the sorcerer's dresser. "My very first wand that I ever received." He tapped it a few times against his hand and smirked. "Oh, Greylock never saw it coming when I zapped his spectacles and made them float away."

"Good to know you've done a fair share of maturing," the raven quipped sarcastically, rolling his eyes. His master hadn't changed much over the last several years, and they both knew it. Cedric was just less willing to admit it. "You set such a wonderful example for the princess."

"Come on, Wormy." Cedric stood and dusted off his robe before walking toward the dresser, allowing Wormwood to hop onto his shoulder. "Let's see if this thing still has some magic left in it."

Wormwood sighed and placed one wing to his forehead. "I have a bad feeling about this…"

Downstairs, the three children of Enchancia watched in awe as a large portrait of a blonde woman made its way passed them, with several workers struggling beneath and beside it to keep the object from colliding with the floor below.

"What is that?" James asked with wide eyes.

"It's An Amber for Agatha," a familiar voice replied with a giggle.

Sofia turned and beamed when she saw one of her closest friends. "Vivian!" She hugged her dark-haired friend and smiled. "What are you doing here?"

"King Magnus invited my mom and me to come along with him. He's presenting the portrait to your dad tonight, as a birthday gift for him."

"But Dad's birthday isn't for another month," Sofia corrected, blinking in confusion.

"I know, but you can't tell King Magnus anything…" Vivian giggled.

"An Amber for Agatha, huh?" James grinned and nudged his sister, who rolled her eyes. "Looks like your name is more popular than we thought!"

Amber sighed and snapped her fan open, moving it slowly in front of her face. "James, honestly, everyone knows that ambers are precious gems, meant to dazzle the eye." She closed her eyes and smiled pleasantly. "Just like me!"

"Rubies are more expensive," the prince teased, making Amber growl in annoyance and lightly smack him in the shoulder with her fan.

"Has anyone seen King Roland?" Baileywick wondered as he approached the children. "I'm afraid King Magnus has requested his presence, but I can't seem to find him."

"I think he's in the garden with Mom," James responded as he rubbed his shoulder. He made a mental note to remind himself to stop picking on Amber, who was apparently getting better at using that cursed fan. He then grinned to himself. Yeah, like that was going to happen!

"All right. Thank you, Prince James." Baileywick quickly ushered the children into the throne room, which is where both King Magnus and Queen Cecily had moved to, along with the portrait.

"Wormy, slow down!" Cedric panted as he chased after his feathered friend. "Some of us can't fly, you know!"

Wormwood smirked. "Some sorcerer you are! Use a flying spell already." He cackled before coming to a halt, making Cedric run into him and catch him haphazardly.

"What's wrong with you?" Cedric looked down at the dazed bird before glancing up. King Roland and Queen Miranda stood before him, staring at him strangely. "Um…"

"Cedric," Roland began calmly, "why were you chasing your raven down the hallway?"

The sorcerer laughed sheepishly. "I…have a good reason for doing so, Your Majesty, but… Well, I'm afraid it's a surprise!"

Wormwood looked up at his owner with a deadpan stare. "What are you doing?" He huffed when Cedric quickly covered his beak to keep him from cawing anymore.

"A surprise?" Miranda wondered, lifting an eyebrow. "Cedric, your 'surprises' don't always have good outcomes."

"I know, Queen Miranda, but I sincerely believe this surprise will be like no other."

"I'm sure it will," Roland muttered as he turned and led his wife into the throne room. "Very well, Cedric. You can show us later. First, come greet our guests."

Cedric blinked and followed them inside, realizing there were now four children instead of three and two extra older royals. He caught sight of King Magnus and paused. "Wait, if he's here, then…"

"Fancy meeting you here, Broomstick!"

The oh-so-familiar eye twitch he'd had a few months ago during one particular visit returned once more as he turned and stared at his fellow sorcerer and sometimes arch rival. "Greylock… You know my name, so use it properly."

Greylock grinned as he moved over toward his friend. "I realize that, Cedric. I just like watching that little vein pop out on your forehead."

"And you wonder why I don't consider you a friend? Hmph." He released Wormwood, who flew up and landed on his shoulder again. He looked down at the older wand clasped in his hands.

"What is that?" Greylock peered over Cedric's shoulder and eyed the wand curiously.

"None of your business."

"Oh, do tell me that isn't our Hexley Hall days wand. I could have sworn those things were old and crumbled by now…much like your patience, eh?" He smirked as the dark-haired sorcerer growled impatiently at him. "Now, now, Cedric. We mustn't lose our heads over playful barbs. Whatever would the royals say?"

"I think I noticed Queen Miranda giving you a displeasing look last time you came, especially after you quite literally shocked me with your rude tricks." He folded his arms, tucking the wand next to his robe.

"It was merely a form of greeting…granted, not a receptive one, but still!" He smiled pleasantly and nodded his head toward the throne room, encouraging Cedric to follow him. "And how have you and the charming princess been recently? Bumbled any lessons lately?"

"I'll have you know that she's quite a scholar. Princess Sofia can outwit any seasoned sorcerer and is very much a prodigy."

"That's nice, but I was talking about you." Greylock chuckled when Cedric's face twisted into an offended glare. "Let's face it, Cedric. Our days as students sort of proved your affinity for not exactly following the formulas to the letter, and that's the reason you so often got into trouble—or hurt."

"Perhaps," the other magic wielder drawled, rolling his eyes. "But I've gained a much better grasp on the things I was doing wrong. Far be it for me to improve over the last several years."

"I'm not chastising you, old boy. I'm just curious!" He grinned.

"Whatever you say, Greylock…"

"Ah, Roland!" Magnus greeted fondly as everyone gathered around. "I'm proud to present you with An Amber for Agatha, a precious family heirloom that's been passed down from generation to generation in my line of royalty. I offer it to you as a birthday gift."

Roland blinked in confusion, having to mentally check himself to make sure that his birthday was indeed still a month away. He then smiled awkwardly, realizing it would do little good to correct the other king. "Well, thank you!" He then leaned over and whispered to Miranda, "He has no idea it's not my birthday, does he?"

She smiled pleasantly and whispered back, "Not the slightest."

Roland then chuckled and walked forward to observe the painting. "So why have you decided to relinquish this precious heirloom, King Magnus? Do you really trust me that much with something so special?"

Magnus laughed boisterously. "I'm just sick of looking at the eyesore! I mean, sure, Agatha was a pretty little thing back in her day, but I'm all about reds in the hallway now. These yellows are really drawing away from my theme."

Even Amber had to shake her head at this information. She understood color coordination, but really? The king was taking his task a bit too far.

"But surely this piece is expensive," Roland pressed on, trying to figure out just where Baileywick would be able to hang the large portrait.

"Horrendously," Magnus boasted with a grin. "But like I said, it's yours! Happy birthday!"

"Um, thanks! …I think," he muttered with a shrug to his wife, who just smiled and shook her head.

"Your Majesties," Cedric began with a slight humble bow, gaining the royals' attention. "I am honored to be in the presence of such honorable, noble—"

Magnus chortled. "No need to kiss up to us, sorcerer. We already know we're awesome." He grinned. "Got some magic trick you wanted to show us? And could it even come close to Greylock's?"

Greylock grinned guiltily as Cedric shot him a pointed look, as if saying, 'Don't you dare say a word.'

"What is he doing?" Vivian whispered to Sofia, who merely shrugged.

"Very well." Cedric stood upright and twirled his found wand in his hand. "I'm pleased to inform you all that I have found my very first wand ever bestowed to me."

"You still have that thing?" Greylock blinked in mild surprise. "I reckon my father tossed mine out years ago."

"Well, I tend to consider these things invaluable, Greylock." The Enchancian sorcerer smiled proudly. "Allow me to demonstrate what an old-fashioned wand can do." He held the wand up and began to mutter a few words to himself.

Meanwhile, a small and hardly noticeable stream of magic erupted from a different wand, coursing through Cedric's childhood wand and thereby cursing it. The owner of the wand snickered and ducked into the darkness of the hallway.

James blinked and turned around, scouring the area with his eyes. "Did you guys hear that?"

"Hear what?" Amber wondered as she turned as well.

"I thought I heard some voices… Ah, well."

"Pigmentum mutato!" Cedric thrust his wand forward and was clearly aiming at a vase nearby, but the magic ricocheted off various objects before finally blasting the portrait King Magnus had proudly displayed.

"Oh, no!" Sofia gasped with her hands thrown over her mouth.

"Cedric!" Roland chastised with a deep frown. "Look what you've done!"

The portrait was now a dreary gray and brown color.

"Oops," Cedric squeaked, feeling the tension surrounding him as Magnus glared at him. "Sorry?"

"Sorry?!" King Magnus pointed at the portrait. "You've just destroyed a priceless heirloom!"

"I can fix it! Um, restorato—er…flambato!" The wand jerked and struck the painting again, this time setting it on fire. "Ahh!"

Sofia moved forward, taking the wand from her mentor and firmly stating, "Ignis stop." She sighed in minor relief as the wand didn't backfire this time and the flames previously licking away at the portrait were now extinguished. She looked up at the baffled sorcerer and took his sleeve, tugging at it gently and getting his attention. "Mr. Cedric, what happened?"

"I…"

"I'll have you arrested for this," Magnus declared with a growl. Clearly, he'd never liked the bumbling royal sorcerer, but this all but sealed the deal. Destroying a royal artifact and a gift to King Roland was unforgivable in his eyes.

"Your Majesty," Cedric started desperately, turning toward Roland. "I'm sorry! I don't know what happened."

Roland sighed. "Perhaps you need a break, Cedric… I'm putting you on a week suspension starting now."

"Dad, why?" Sofia argued, looking at her stepfather in surprise. "That's not fair! It wasn't Mr. Cedric's fault."

"And whose fault was it, Sofia? The wand's?"

She nodded emphatically. "Maybe!"

Miranda frowned at the indignation in her daughter's voice. "Sofia!"

The young girl frowned in return and folded her arms. "You guys aren't being fair."

"It's all right, Princess," Cedric assured her with one hand on her shoulder. "I'm to blame, so I'll take the punishment." He bowed to the other royals with a quick 'excuse me' as he left the room.

Vivian looked at the other Enchancian children and shook her head. Something wasn't right.

Greylock shook his head with a sigh. "And that's why we toss out our old wands, Your Majesties," he informed them regrettably.

"Greylock, can you fix this?" Magnus asked hopefully.

"Certainly, Your Majesty. It's all a matter of finding the right spell." He smiled and wielded his wand. "Leave it to me."

Sofia slipped away from her friends and the adults as she quickly ran through the hallway, catching up with her friend before he could ascend the stairwell. "Mr. Cedric!"

"And that, my dear girl, is why I should stop attempting to perform any sorts of tricks in front of the royals," he witnessed with a weary sigh. "I'm just not the sorcerer I could be, Sofia. And what was I thinking, using this old thing?" He held up his childhood wand with a grimace.

"I don't think it was your fault, Mr. Cedric."

"Neither do I."

The two friends turned when they heard another voice in their midst and were both surprised and delighted to see Vivian standing behind them.

"I think someone cursed your wand, Mr. Cedric," Vivian informed him as she tucked her arms behind her back.

"Someone cursed it?" He frowned and pondered this. "I'm being…framed?"

Sofia took his hand and smiled encouragingly. "Don't worry, Mr. Cedric! We'll figure out who really destroyed the painting, and we'll get everything back to normal."

"I sure hope you're right…" Cedric sighed in resignation. "So…does anyone have any bright ideas?"

Vivian smiled happily. "I do!"

To be continued…