After Cedric has been gone from the castle for a week, Sofia decides she is ready to visit his lonely tower. She had promised to keep it in order after all. It makes her feel closer to him to take on this responsibility in his stead.
At the top of the stairs she removes the key hidden in the gargoyle's foot and unlocks the heavy door. The room is basically as she had last seen except there is a quiet she finds disconcerting. She couldn't remember entering this room and not finding her sorcerer there.
His family wand is gone and, with it, the wand case she had made for him. She smiles to herself, proud he had taken it with him and that he still uses it after all these years. A few books are missing from the shelves, their place obvious holes in her neat arrangement. His table is still a mess of various instruments and vials and she vows to make sure that it will be clean when he returns.
In the center of the table however is a stack of parchments, neatly gathered and seemingly not part of the usual miscellaneous clutter. She approaches and on the top sheet finds a note addressed to her.
Princess Sofia
If I know you, I've only been gone a few days before you have come to pilfer through my lair. So, to keep you busy while I'm away, I have left a little project for you. Each page here has the steps you need to take each day to create a potion. It will take you almost 11 months to complete if you do everything perfectly. Consider this a sort of Birthday Present for next year. But to be ready by then you probably need to start right away...
Cedric
Sofia's eyes widen as she reads, but not as much as her smile. A gift! For her! All that "preparing" for the council he insisted he had to do. This must have taken a large portion of his time the last 6 weeks before he left. Her eyes grow wet but she blinks away the tears and removes the note from the pile, revealing the next page with more text.
Day 1
In my medium size cauldron (not the invisibility spell size but more like the firework conjuring size) mix together in precisely this order...
She reads on. A recipe for an unknown potion! She is delighted beyond words. Sofia immediately sets to work gathering the ingredients to begin her potion. Once the items are in the cauldron as instructed, she summons a small flame and sets the cauldron atop its heat. Satisfied she is complete she looks back to the bottom of the parchment.
Don't look ahead at the pages that follow or you might ruin the surprise. Everything you need is in my workshop. You made sure of that with your incessant gathering runs in the garden these last few weeks. If you were anyone else I would think you might be tempted to peek but I trust you to follow instructions to the letter. Turn the page tomorrow and we will continue this lesson.
Sofia desperately wants to turn the page, to flip through the stack, but he is right. He knows her and he knows she won't if he clearly says "no".
Closing the door behind her, she turns the key and hears the heavy tumblers fall into place. She hides the key back in the weathered statue and takes off to the gardens for a stroll, her eyes sparkling.
Days turn into weeks and Sofia is diligent with her potion. Every day, as early as possible, she runs to the tower, eagerly turning the page to her next instruction. Some days are less exciting than others:
Day 11
Stir the cauldron.
Yes really that's it. Until tomorrow then.
Others more complex:
Day 23
You must add EXACTLY 3 drops of the red vial I left labeled "Day 23". Don't ask what's in it. You would probably prefer not to know. After that is done, stir for precisely 1 minute (use the hourglass with the brass handle, not the silver one). The color should turn to a soft blue. Not as bright as the sky, and murkier. Greyish I guess. Once it stops changing, cover the cauldron with the green cloth I left by the bookshelf and leave it for at least 3 hours. Come back, remove the cloth, stir another full minute exactly, and then let it rest untouched for 12-20 hours. No more, no less.
Sofia had never taken so much care with any chore, any hobby… anything. How he could top the snow crystals she couldn't imagine but she is beside herself with wonder. But mostly, she loves to read his words each day. Beyond the steps of the spell, his words are personal. It is his voice on each page, and she feels as though he had been in the room just before she arrived, leaving something just for her. Probably he had already forgotten her, the potion, and this tower, engulfed instead with daily rituals and incantations (or so she imagines). She envisions him dark and imposing, draped in his robes, muttering ancient words, with that smirk in his eyes she sees when he is proud of his spells. In her mind he pushes the sleeves up on his robe to free his movement, a tattoo of indecipherable text ringing his left forearm, a path of symbols snaking to his elbow on his right.
In these moments she shakes off the image, cheeks hot and heart racing. Back to the spell, back to flying derby, back to Amber's squealing courtship, back to being Princess Sofia.
Three months come and go and Sofia is relatively certain the potion is exactly where it should be. Today her message is one of the more simplistic
Day 92
Add 1 dried foxglove blossom. Do not stir. Be sure when you return tomorrow it has been less than 1 full day before the next step. But don't be impatient. At least 18 hours should pass. If you are here first thing in the morning, you might want to wait and do this step a little later so you know you can be back earlier than this time tomorrow. Very strange writing to you in the future while you read it from the past.
It is early in the day and Sofia knows she can't hope to be here before breakfast tomorrow. She decides waiting an hour or two will make it easier to be back in time. So how to kill some time? The tower is in amazing shape from her constant care for many weeks.
Her glance falls across the room to the door that she knows opens to a stair case. Behind that door and down the stone steps is a room she has never entered: Cedric's private chamber. That is, his bedroom.
Three months with no inhabitant, it might be getting dusty down there. Maybe she should clean it? Her heart beats a little faster. Because she knows she has never been invited there? That Cedric might be upset if he knew she was snooping in his private space? Or because it is his bedroom? You don't get much more personal than that.
The good girl sensibilities that make up the largest part of Sofia lose a battle within her. A rare occurrence to be sure. She is far too curious to see how he lives. To see WHO he is in every corner of his life. She locks the door to his workshop so no one will enter the tower and opens the door to the stone steps leading down into the center of his spire.
Her first reaction to the room is that it is startlingly clean. "Of course it is," she thinks to herself. "Probably an enchantment to keep any dust or dirt from collecting". It is a sparsely furnished room. A bed, unmade from the last night Cedric slept here, a writing desk, and a tall wardrobe, mostly empty of its contents and the door hanging ajar.
She crosses the room and looks inside the piece to find a tall mirror leaning against the back panel and a robe hanging to the far right, almost unseen at first glance.
She touches the heavy fabric tentatively. It's cool from hanging in the chilly room. She opens the right door all the way to look at the garment. Carefully she removes it from the wardrobe and carries it across the room, seating herself on his bed.
Sofia lays back onto his pillow and pulls the robe over her, hoping to find his scent on the fabric. His sent of smoke and spices and old books. It's faint but she finds it. Or she imagines she does at least. It doesn't really matter if it's there or not. The memory is enough.
Weeks become months and Wasaillia is upon the kingdom. Sofia wakes to find the holiday white with fresh snow. Her heart swells at the sight and she rushes to join her family in the hall to celebrate together.
"Happy Wasaillia, Amber and James!" She hugs them both and accepts a cup of hot tea from the castle steward.
"Thanks, Baileywick! Happy Wasaillia!"
"And to you as well, Princess Sofia." He smiles at her and continues to flutter about the room, directing the staff in the day's preparations.
Sofia spends the morning laughing, eating, drinking, and opening gifts with her family. Miranda is cheered to see her daughter in such high spirits. The effect she feels over the loss of the Royal Sorcerer is evident to the queen. Others may not have noticed but a Mother knows. She knew Sofia had been passionate about her magic study but is beginning to suspect it is the company, not just the subject, that has her so enthralled. It is a mild concern, nibbling at the back of her mind. An older man and a sorcerer at that?... Surely there is nothing more than young infatuation.
In the middle of the day a member of the castle staff approaches the family and clears his throat. "Excuse me, Your Majesty, but a young man has just arrived and requests the audience of yourself and Princess Amber."
Amber screams a tiny scream then fans herself. "Oh, Daddy, it must be Zandar." Quickly turning to Sofia and Miranda, "How do I look? Am I blushing? Quick someone I need a hair brush...!"
King Roland instructs the man to show the gentleman into the room.
Dashing and exotic, Zandar of the kingdom of Tangu enters the room, dressed all in white and gold. His olive skin set against the pale garment and his black hair gleaming in the candlelight.
He bows to the king first, then the queen. A quick glance to Amber and he begins, "Your Majesty, as we have spoken first in private and now in the company of your family, I come to officially ask for Amber's hand. Someday, with your leave, I would make her my queen."
Amber, usually so respectful of the proper protocol in all things "Princess", runs to Zandar and nearly tackles him. She wraps her arms around his neck and sobs against his shoulder.
King Roland chuckles slightly. "Well I think I couldn't possibly say no, Prince Zandar. I know you will make my little girl very happy. I look forward to our families uniting in a strong friendship for generations to come."
The new couple embraces for a moment then separates. Zandar continues to speak with the King regarding his plans for their future (and sneaks a quick high five to James). Amber rushes to Sofia to hug her.
"Oh, Sofia, isn't it exciting! And just think, now that I'm engaged I can spend more time helping you find a Prince to marry! I mean I will have a lot to do planning the wedding of course but we will find time I'm sure!" She continues and Sofia beams at her; happy for Amber of course, but dreading what is obviously intended to be her own near future. This is what is expected of her. That frozen smile returns to her face. She wears it as easily now as Amber wears rouge.
The evening brings colder air. The growing family lights their Wasaillia candle together, Zandar having been invited to stay rather than make the long journey home until the morning.
As the day's festivities come to their end, Sofia excuses herself under the pretense of sleep and instead walks up the familiar steps to his tower.
Their tower.
Her spell step today is basic and she finishes quickly. Once complete, she looks out the tower window at the white snow gleaming in firelight around the castle's perimeter and pulls the tiny gold box from her pocket. Gingerly she picks up a single crystal, holds it away from her and shatters it between her fingers. The weather outside seems to blow through the portal and she is immediately standing in snow, staring up at the stars, and holding herself for warmth.
"Happy Wasailia, Cedric."
