Why Purple?

Summary: Sofia and Cedric discuss their interest in the color purple.

Disclaimer: I do not own Cedric, Sofia, or the show "Sofia the First." Also, I realize this theory is non-canon; until we find out more about her father besides his name and homeland, this is my perspective. :)

"I have a question, Mr. Cedric," Sofia said one day as she was watching her mentor pour ingredients for a potion into a vial.

"Of course you do," he replied somewhat sarcastically as he finished his task and set the vial aside before writing something down. "What is it?"

She tilted her head and smiled. "Why do you like purple so much?"

"It brings out my eyes," Cedric deadpanned before taking another vial. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm just curious. You've got purple robes, and a lot of your things here seem to be purple too…"

The sorcerer smirked as he finished filling another vial. "Tell you what, princess—you tell me why you like purple so much, and then I'll tell you my reason. How's that?"

Sofia blinked and then laughed. True, she also seemed to favor the color: nearly all of her favorite clothes, from village girl to princess, were of the same hue. "All right. That's fair." She reminisced as her current company actually seemed interested. "It's because of my dad, actually…my real dad."

Cedric nodded quietly. He'd never asked about the little princess's past or family, especially not her father. Of course, he was curious…she practically visited every day and talked about nearly everything under the sun, so he wondered when they'd get around to this.

"When I was three years old, I really wanted this pretty purple gown I saw one of the seamstresses making. It was similar to the one I'm wearing, but it was darker and had gold and ruby embroidery. It also had lots of sparkles and beads. It was the prettiest thing I'd ever seen in my life." She sighed. "Well, you already know my mom and I were sort of poor. Mom worked for a living, and I helped her out a lot. We couldn't afford anything fancy like that."

Cedric nodded again and leaned against his desk as Wormwood edged closer and hopped onto his shoulder, seeming to listen also.

"But when my fourth birthday came, my mom said that my dad had left a surprise for me. I went outside and met him, and he handed me a package." She smiled as she recalled one of her favorite memories. "When I opened it, I found this really pretty purple dress. It wasn't fancy like the one the seamstress made, but…my dad actually helped my friends Jade and Ruby make it for me." She laughed. "Ruby had wanted it to be red; Jade wanted it to be green…but my dad insisted on purple, because that's the color I liked and saw first."

The sorcerer cracked a small smile. For some reason, the whole 'arguing over colors' thing seemed familiar. Three bickering fairies came to mind.

"I actually still have the dress in my closet. I can't wear it anymore, of course, because I outgrew it…but that's why purple is my favorite color."

Wormwood hummed as he heard her conclusion. Far be it for him to find Sofia interesting, but it was nice to see that she was a bit deeper than her stepsiblings tended to be.

Cedric, on the other hand, was a little more intrigued. "So… Your father instilled in you the appreciation for the color, hmm?" He nodded when she replied positively. "Interesting… Well, my reason is going to sound a little petty, then."

Sofia laughed happily. "No, it won't, Mr. Cedric! Please tell me."

"Very well… Well, you already know I'm a royal sorcerer, of course." He smirked when she giggled and nodded. "Of course, you do. Anyway, while I cater to practically every need of the royal family, I'm not exactly part of the 'royal group,' as it were. For heaven's sake—Baileywick ranks higher than I do. He even has his own song from what I hear."

The princess sighed with a small smile as she heard a bit of jealousy in her friend's voice, but she let him continue.

"In order to…fit in more, I suppose, I like wearing this purple robe. Purple does represent royalty, you know. Plus I've always been fond of the color. There's something about it… It stands out more than the other colors."

"It's the most expensive," the young girl chimed in.

"Yes, that, too," Cedric added with a devious grin. "I do like to appear rather extravagant." He shrugged. "So that's my main reason, Princess Sofia. I like purple to feel more like I'm part of the 'royal family' and because it makes me feel more expensive—or important, I guess."

"Aw, Mr. Cedric," Sofia sighed as she shook her head. "You're important! No one else in the kingdom can do what you do. And you are family. You live in our house, right?"

He chuckled and rolled his eyes as he stood from his seat. "I appreciate that, Princess, but I'm not quite sure it works that way." He glanced at Wormwood when the raven squawked, seeming to symbolize it was time for him to get back to work. "Right, I suppose I should continue my potions. And don't you have a test to study for, young lady?"

She giggled. "You're starting to sound like my parents..."

"Ugh, isn't that annoying? It gets worse the older you get…" He smiled at her as she hugged him, something she'd become accustomed to doing each visit. He just rolled with it now and returned the hug loosely.

"Good night, Mr. Cedric. Good night to you too, Wormwood. I'll see you both tomorrow." She released the sorcerer and waved as she left the room.

"Interesting girl, isn't she?" Cedric asked his companion, who said nothing. "Hey, Wormy…" He turned and grinned at his animal friend as he held up his wand. "Perhaps I should make you a purple robe to match mine."

The look Wormwood gave his owner could have stopped the most dangerous person in his or her tracks.

"It was just a thought, Wormy. Calm down." Cedric rolled his eyes as he returned to his work. "No sense of humor…"

The end