Proof Positive
Summary: Cedric and Sofia attend a sorcery seminar in the Kingdom of Helvetica where they run into Gabriella, a reformed sorceress-in-training whom they encountered a few years ago. She informs them that her mentor, Sir Finlay, has been arrested on what she proclaims are false charges of treason and seeks their help to clear his name. *Many references to "Magic of Memories"*
Disclaimer: I don't own Sofia the First. I only own Gabriella, Sir Finlay, the Kingdom of Helvetica, and any original characters associated with it.
A/N: Please make sure you've read my story "Magic of Memories" before you read this; otherwise, you'll likely be confused with any references made in here. Lol. Anyway, Cedric and Sofia can never just enjoy an outing to sorcery-related events. No, there's always something that comes up that either deters them or requires their attention. *ahem* …This is no different. :p This is going to be a sort of 'who-done-it' type of story. Spoiler alert: It's not who you think it is. ;) With that said, enjoy!
Chapter List:
1: Across a Crowded Room
2: Framework
3: Dungeons and Dragons
4: A Break in the Pattern
5: Gideon
6: Approach
7: Honesty is the Worst Policy
*Story*
Chapter 1: Across a Crowded Room
"Ooh, I'm so excited!" Sofia, dressed in her apprentice outfit yet again, gushed as she peered out the sides of the flying coach. She turned back to Cedric, who seemed a little less enthusiastic than she did, although she could tell he was secretly excited too. "I love going to these Sorcery Seminars with you, Mr. Cedric. Thanks for inviting me."
"It's the least I could do," he informed her with a shrug. "After all, they will have all sorts of new spells and magical instruments there this year. I figured we could probably pick up a few things before heading back to Enchancia."
"Will Merlin be there?" she wondered.
"More than likely. Though I doubt very much that he'll be all that thrilled to see me, considering…" He sighed, raking his hands through his hair.
Sofia just smiled and grabbed his hands, getting his attention. "Look, Mr. Cedric. If I can forgive you, so can he. Don't be so hard on yourself."
Cedric smiled thoughtfully, still amazed at the girl's resilience and ability to forgive so easily. "Thanks, Sofia."
"We're here, Princess Sofia," the driver announced as they touched down in front of a rather large building in the Kingdom of Helvetica.
Both friends thanked him and exited, instructing him to return at the end of the seminar, which would be late afternoon. As they observed the building, they noticed some rather eye-catching details. For example, the color of the building itself was a shade of deep blue they'd never seen before…and it even seemed to have moving properties. It was almost like looking at a stream of water or something. Cedric naturally assumed it was probably enchanted, and Sofia was inclined to agree.
They walked inside together and signed in before receiving their necessary materials for the meeting. Sofia tugged Cedric's sleeve and pointed toward the side of the room, indicating Merlin and a few other familiar wizards speaking. She smiled up at him, and he returned the sentiment.
"You want to go say hi?" she asked sweetly as they pressed on.
"Maybe later. Right now I'm more curious about some of those new instruments they had advertised. Follow me."
Sofia smiled and did just that. As they approached a table with a few demonstrators, she observed the items laid out before them. They were unlike the ones Cedric had in his workshop. These looked relatively new and boundary-pushing. She ran her fingers over a small object that resembled an hourglass.
"Ah, you've found the Sands of Time," a lady cooed as she picked up the object and turned it over, the green sand within now falling to fill the bottom of the other side. "It works similarly to an hourglass, as I'm sure you've guessed, but if you use this in accompaniment with the correct spell, you can quite literally control time. You can stop it, reverse it, forward it, or anything really."
The princess blinked and tilted her head. "It sounds really neat, but isn't it also sort of dangerous?"
The woman smiled in acknowledgement and shrugged. "I suppose it depends on whose hands it's in and what motive that person has for such an activity. Unfortunately, yes, I would agree with you…it could be quite dangerous in theory. Yet we try to encourage others to utilize it safely."
Oh, the irony… Magic and methodology went hand in hand, yet both always seemed to fall into the wrong hands. Slickwell? Ivy? Rotten old Grimtrix? Yeah, they all had some sort of magic or magical item at their fingertips, and they allowed it to overpower their sense of morality, thereby causing nothing but chaos for those they encountered. Then again, she supposed she'd come to expect it by now. There were so many people making selfish decisions that it should have surprised her… Well, she chose to remain positive. She still believed in the good in people and that they could be helped. With that, she smiled up toward her mentor.
Cedric smiled back at her. "Find something interesting?"
She nodded before following him elsewhere. As they continued their observations, Sofia squinted as she stared at someone in the distance. Before long, realization dawned on her. "I know her," she said in awe as she tapped Cedric on the arm. "Mr. Cedric, look. Isn't that Miss Gabriella?"
"Huh?" He turned in the direction indicated and blinked in surprise. "Indeed, it is," he murmured curiously. "We haven't seen her in, what? A year? Two perhaps?"
Gabriella, a misguided sorceress-in-training whom Cedric had helped train a bit a few years ago, was indeed directly across the room from them. She now wore a more solid purple sorceress gown with an ebony pendant dangling around her neck—a new addition to her wardrobe, it seemed. Her hair was a bit longer and was tied back into two neat braids instead of being messily braided throughout. She no longer looked like a trainee. Instead, she looked like a legitimate sorceress. Of course, one thing both friends were curious about was her attitude.
Gabriella had been notoriously difficult to work with. She grew angry and frustrated often, which led her mentor, Sir Finlay, to sending her to Cedric to train so that she could receive a different perspective instead of his consistent one she'd evidently grown too used to. Also, she'd had some sort of unexpected rivalry with Amber. For some reason, Gabriella had felt threatened by Amber, like she was seeking attention from Sir Finlay, with whom she was actually in a relationship…so she'd attempted to wipe the girl's memories as punishment. Though she'd fixed and owned up to that problem, the fact that she had caused such a ruckus in the first place had really unnerved the Enchancian group.
Still, time managed to change people. Maybe with age came wisdom? With that thought in mind, Sofia waved to get the other girl's attention.
Cedric made a face. "Are you sure you want her to see you?"
"Mr. Cedric, have a little faith. Maybe she's matured."
"Says the most mature princess I know," he uttered sarcastically, making her giggle.
Gabriella indeed noticed the friends and actually seemed to light up. In fact, she crossed the floor to them so quickly that they were surprised. "Oh, wow. Cedric and Princess Sofia of Enchancia… I never thought I would see you two here," she said in an almost awed manner.
"Miss Gabriella, what are you doing here?" Sofia asked happily. "Are you here with Sir Finlay?"
At the mention of her mentor's name, her face grew rather distressed all of a sudden.
"Is everything all right, Miss Gabriella?" Cedric asked in concern, noting the dark-haired girl seemed really out of sorts.
"Um, c-could we talk privately please? There's…something you two should know." At their affirmative responses, she led them away and toward a secure and out-of-the-way room. She pushed a chair up against the door after locking it, just to ensure no one would attempt to interrupt their private meeting. She turned and sat in the chair, holding her head in her hands. "I…don't even know where to start."
"The beginning," the young princess suggested as she placed one hand on the sorceress's hand.
Gabriella glanced up, her brown eyes shining with unshed tears. She looked at both of them and sighed heavily. "Finlay has been…arrested."
They both gasped in shock. Sir Finlay? The kindest, gentlest, most noble sorcerer either had met? Arrested?
"For what?" Cedric inquired.
"Treason against King Cyprus of Helvetica," she responded methodically, as if she'd repeated the same phrase for far too long.
Sofia gazed up at Cedric, who seemed rather speechless. She looked back at the other girl. "This is a joke, right? Sir Finlay could never be guilty of treason."
Gabriella frowned heavily and shut her eyes as tears started streaming down her face. She hated crying. She felt she was much stronger than that, but given the circumstances, she felt they were warranted. She did gasp in surprise, though, when she felt small hands wiping her tears away. She opened her eyes and sighed gratefully as she gently patted Sofia's hands. "He was found guilty for plotting to overthrow the king. Apparently that's something that's been going around a lot lately…"
Again, Sofia and Cedric exchanged concerned looks before returning their attention to her. Could Sir Finlay have been involved with the Order of the Wand with Grimtrix? No, it was impossible! But then again, they had to consider the surprise guests they'd seen at that meeting…
"You don't believe he did it, do you?" Cedric inquired, more as a statement rather than a question. After all, he knew of his old friend's involvement with the sorceress, so naturally he'd expect the bond they shared to be rather strong.
"I… Cedric, there is no way Finny could do something like that. He would never. Finlay has the biggest heart and the most intact sense of morality I know. If he's guilty of treason, then this world as we know it will cease to exist."
Sofia shook her head and lowered her hands to Gabriella's, squeezing them gently. "Don't worry, Miss Gabriella," she whispered reassuringly. "I'm with you. I don't believe Sir Finlay could have done something like that. There's just no way."
"So I suppose the real question is, 'What can be done?'" Cedric folded his arms as the two girls stood side by side.
The princess gave her friend a firm stare. "We need to help them, Mr. Cedric; we need to get to the bottom of this..."
To be continued…