Confined

Summary: When visiting another kingdom to help establish a new sorcerer and his workshop, Cedric and Sofia suddenly get abducted by an unknown enemy. They must rely on the new young sorcerer to come to their rescue, though it may be easier said than done.

Disclaimer: I only own the Kingdom of Namile (Nah-meel-ā) and the characters associated with it (especially Dante and Seraphina). 😊

A/N: And behold, we have a new young sorcerer: Dante the Delightful! Yes, there's a reason behind his title. Isn't there always? Haha. Enjoy!

*Story*

Chapter 2: Dante the Delightful

"Oh, what did I do with—ah-hah!" A seventeen-year-old boy with brilliant amethyst eyes and long black hair tied into a messy ponytail winced as he bumped his head on the table before him. He wore dark slacks and boots, and he had a white vest over a black undershirt, as well as a navy blue and gold open robe with a matching gold belt, which completed his ensemble. Around his neck was a green prism pendant given to him by his mother. He withdrew a dark wand from under the table and placed it on the top as he carefully massaged the back of his head. "Ow…"

His name was Dante the Delightful, a title given to him by his professors for his upbeat and vibrant personality, his infectious positivity, and his charming ways. Dante was a prodigy of sorts, as he had managed to connect with his magical abilities at the age of two and had studied it continuously, day in and day out, ever since. While he was excited to have the title of royal sorcerer bestowed upon him soon enough, his older five sisters had all tried to talk him out of it, saying he was too young and naïve for such a prestigious job. Still, despite that, he had his parents' support, which benefitted him greatly and made him quite happy.

King Leandro and Queen Amelie, the rulers of his kingdom, maintained that they had every confidence in Dante's abilities, and they seemed really excited to see him get established. In fact, they were the ones who had requested a seasoned royal sorcerer for help, and during a chance meeting with the queen of Enchancia, Miranda had suggested Cedric on a whim, which had surprised both Cedric and Roland. Still, it calmed his nerves to know that he had an actual royal sorcerer on the way to help him.

"And here, ladies and gentlemen," he began playfully, gesturing around the empty room that was not yet finished, "you have Dante the Delightful's upcoming workshop! Soon, it will be filled with many potions, magical items, and the sounds of magic and science combined…" He scratched his head as he realized he was talking to himself. "Heh… Maybe I should save my grand revelation for actual people?"

Dante's favorite type of magic was alteration, in which one could turn one thing into something else. A lover of science, he found the relation to alchemy fascinating in its own right.

"Hmm, maybe Henri has one of his famous pies baked by now." He grinned. "I'm starved." He grabbed his wand and pushed it into his interior pocket of his navy blue robe before exiting the room, climbing up the stairs to the upper level of the castle. He walked into the kitchen, which was luckily near his workshop, and grinned at a dark-haired man who was currently cooking. "Morning, Chef!"

The man glanced up, irritation on his face. "Dante," he sighed, rolling his eyes. His name was Chef Henri, and while he appeared sort of quick-tempered, he was really just very passionate about his work. Truthfully, the two, though differing in their ages by forty years, shared a love for magic and education. Still, that didn't mean they were without their little quibbles every now and again, just like any close friends. "No, I don't have any pie baked. Come back tonight."

"Aw… But I'm hungry now." The boy pouted as he leaned against the wall, staring longingly at the food his friend was cooking. "Do you have anything I can eat?"

"Why don't you eat at a normal time, like everyone else in this castle?" Chef Henri sighed as he pushed a tray of food into the oven and stood back.

"I've been too busy to eat, honestly." He grinned. "I'm kind of excited about my upcoming establishment. I'll finally be a real royal sorcerer instead of 'that smart kid who likes magic but looks too young to be working.' You know, like pretty much everyone describes me."

Chef Henri finally smiled as he grabbed a towel and dried off his forehead. "Nonsense, Dante. You got where you are because of your abilities. Who cares about age? What matters is what you're able to deliver, and you have exceeded every expectation the king and queen had for you. So go easy on yourself." He draped the towel over his shoulder and picked up a plate from the counter, extending it toward the boy.

Dante's purple eyes lit up in excitement as he hurried over, grasping the plate with a silly grin plastered over his face as he eyed all the breakfast items before him. "Aw, Chef, you do care."

"Just…" Chef Henri sighed as he watched his young friend practically scarf down his breakfast. "Dante, just be careful, all right? Coming into such a position of power means…some things may be different afterward, and that may mean a few more challenges for you."

The boy nodded as he finished, passing the empty plate back to the older man, who took it. "I know. But I feel like I'm ready. I think it'll be fine." He grinned and placed his hands on his hips before Chef Henri could speak further. "And yes, dad, I'll be careful."

The man smirked. "I might as well be your back-up father at this point. You annoy me as much as any of my actual children." He chuckled and waved the teen away. "Run along now. I've got to get back to work."

Dante grinned. "Okay. See you later!" With that, he headed off to occupy himself until his visitor arrived. Unbeknownst to him, he wouldn't have to wait much longer.

To be continued…