Cedric didn't know how the hell he had ended up in that situation. Or the entire world was crazy o he was. He had never been too sure of his sanity, particularly, but that thing can't be normal, it was just too absurd.

At that very moment, two servants were taking his measures to tailor a white gala robe for him using the best fabrics in the kingdom and he could see Princess Amber busy, moving from one place to another, organising all the Throne Room to turn it into a majestic wedding hall.

Princess Sofia was sat in a corner, trying to train a rabbit, a squirrel and two birds to assist her as bridesmaids and Calista was learning her speech to officiate a wedding properly.

Even Prince James was helping and had offered himself as volunteer to take her sister to the altar as her best man.

Cedric seemed to be the only one in the whole Castle who could really see that whole thing was a complete madness. No one had notice the fact that was HE the one who was marrying Sofia? No one thought that was wrong? Weird? Disturbing? Why was there so much indifference? They were marrying a twelve years old child WITH HIM!

When they finished, the servants retired.

"Cedric!" someone grumpy shouted at him from him back, making him turn, scared.

"Wormwood!" he exclaimed gladly at the sight of the raven "My dear friend, you have to take me out of here. This is a nightmare! They are insane, all of them!"

"Insane? Who?"

"Princess Amber! And Calista! And the servants! And Sofia doesn't care, Wormood" he said anxious grabbing the bird with both hands "SHE DOESN'T CARE! I'm the only sane person here. I can't do this, I can't… HELP ME!"

"Cedric! Pull yourself together, for God's sake." the raven yelled, angry, releasing from the grip "What is the meaning of this tantrum? Aren't you a man? One might think you would show up more dignity in your Wedding Day."

"IT IS NOT MY WEDDING DAY!" the sorcerer replied.

"Then how you explain all this paraphernalia?" he asked pointing around with his wings"And isn't that a groom suit back there? Mh?

"IT'S A GAME! A FARCE! It's a girlish game, Wormwood, I'm just a hostage!" Cedric exclaimed, exasperated. "Don't you get it? Nothing is real! WE'RE INSIDE A CHILDISH FANTASY!"

Cedric took him again, sticking his face to the bird's. His eyes were shining with madness. Wormwood gave him a pitiful look shaking his head.

"So… That's the reason."

The sorcerer looked at him puzzled.

"You're acting like this" continued the bird "because you would like all of this were real, but it's just a performance. You're hysterical because you are not marrying Sofia for real. And you want to marry her veeery for real."

Cedric face was red with rage and embarrassment mixed; smoke could start to leave from his ears at any moment.

"THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING!?" he shouted furiously. The bird got out from his grip and beat his wings in the air "HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT?! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!"

"Huh, says the one who wants to marry a child…" Wormwood responded bitingly, clacking.

The raven took flight quickly before the sorcerer could leap on him, fuming mad.

Calista and Sofia were walking by there just in time to find the Royal Sorcerer yelling like crazy and running one side to another chasing the bird.

"Typical premarital stress…" Calista commented, shaking her head condescending before continuing her way.

Sofia, on the other hand, stayed and looked at him with concern. Cedric looked really upset; maybe he wasn't comfortable with the situation after all.

From a cautious distance, she called him.

"Mister Cedric… can we talk?"

The man stopped his hunt immediately and cleared his throat, nervous, before following the princess to the gardens.

In a hideout place between rose bushes, she stopped and started to speak softly to him.

"Listen… This has become a little more… elaborated than what we had in mind in first place. Actually I was thinking in something nice and simple… I'm not saying this isn't nice! It's beautiful, but… Maybe all of this is too much pressure for you and… I'm sorry. What I'm trying to say is… if you don't want to continue, I'll understand. And Calista will do too; she'll respect your decision."

Cedric was looking at her in shock, unable to conceive an answer.

Noticing his silence, Sofia looked at the ground, biting her bottom lip.

"Well, then… I'll go to… tell the others. I'm sure we can come up with something else." Cedric didn't miss the dullness in her voice "Maybe Calista would like to marry James. Though she was excited to officiate, but she will also love to be the bride…"

Sofia turned over and Cedric reflexes reacted right away. He stretched his arm and took her hand, impeding her for leaving. In the process he tripped over the stone kerb and fell on his knee over the ground.

The princess looked at him surprised, with tears in her eyes and blushing cheeks. He was lost of words at the sight of her face, kneeling before her, holding her hand in his'.

"Er… Princess…" he babbled when he was capable of articulating sounds again "I… I am a bit overwhelmed, it's true. B-but I would feel better if I knew…" he hushed, embarrassed, and then swallowed to continue "If I knew that you… you really want me to be…"

He couldn't. He couldn't say it. It was too embarrassing to put it in words.

Sofia smiled at him, shyly.

"Mister Cedric, I can't think in someone better than you to do this."

Cedric looked at her, stunned, his eyes open wide and his heart stopped in his chest, and then it began to beat so strongly it could explode.

"Y-y-you're saying… Y-y-you would… You want… With me? You?!"

The princess let out a giggle.

"Yes. Yes I do."she pronounced."

The sorcerer made a high pitched noise from the deep of his throat.

At that moment, Calista appeared from between the bushes with Wormwood on her shoulder.

"There you are! I was looking everywhere for you two. What are you doing?" the girl analysed the scene and then smiled with enthusiasm "Ahhh! Of course! First you had to ask for her hand! How could I forget that? It's super important!"

Wormwood let out a laud laugh and Cedric suddenly was self-conscious of his position. Ashamed, he got up immediately and shook his robe with impatience, trying to recover his dignity.

"If you two are done here… Sofia, you have to try on your new dress" Calista said.

Sofia nodded and let the child guide her to the Castle, leaving Cedric dumbstruck between the rose bushes.

"Well, Romeo?" mocked the raven "Have you cleared your mind?"

The sorcerer glared at him, but at the sight of the princess waving her hand to say goodbye, he couldn't help but smile of pure joy.

The King and Queen returned from their business in the village.

"Would please someone tell me what is going on in here?" Roland demanded upon the sight of his Throne Room utterly turned into a wedding chapel. An altar had been settled just in front of the large stained glass which represented the Royal Family. "Amber!"

"Can't right now, daddy, I'm working. We're about to start."

"Start with what?" asked Miranda without understanding "What's all this...?"

"Love you! See you later!" said the princess moving from one side to another very busy.

"I can't believe it!" bellowed the king, outraged.

At that moment, Calista was passing right in front of them and the queen flanked her.

"Calista, honey. Could you tell us what is all this thing you've made?"

"We're playing weddings!" the child happily answered.

"Weddings? Oh, I see…"

"But why such a mess? Couldn't you play in the bedroom?" Roland asked.

"Amber wanted to make a huge wedding."

"That sounds like her…" he admitted.

"So, who is marrying?"

"My Uncle Ceddy" she said swelling with proud.

"For… real?" he couldn't believe it.

"Roland!" the queen scold him "It's appears It's going to be a great wedding, I congratulate you both."

"Thanks. I better keep preparing things." she said skipping away from them.

The King and Queen looked at each other for a second.

"Darling, let the girls have fun."

"Miranda, having fun is OK, but this… Don't you think this is a bit… creepy?"

"Why? It's natural she feels that way, he is her masculine model figure."

"He's her uncle!"

"Are you telling me Amber didn't want to marry you when she was little?"

"When she was four! Not almost eight like Calista."

"Well, to each its own. I'm sure all of this is as amusing for Cedric as it is for you." Miranda opined.

Roland thought of it for a moment and then he gave her a malice smile.

"You are right! And don't you think it would be… fun to watch?"

"What?"

"I can't miss Cedric's face being forced to play weddings!" the king expressed letting out a loud guffaw.

His wife looked at him, serious.

"You know what, dear, sometimes I believe that deep inside you are a bad person." she said, sharply.

"But you love all the same!" he said in good mood "Pleaaassseeee!"

"Alright, as you wish… I don't know why you hate so much that poor man. It seems every time he has a bad time you enjoy it."

"Let's sit on the bench in the back, we can't get caught!" Roland suggested with enthusiasm.