The Pri—I mean Lore, made great progress after we put on the labels and made other imrovements in the workshop. While we've yet to find a cure for her blindness, we've made great breakthroughs in other side projects, such as creating a new plant growth formula for my begonias made from ammonia and banana peels, which was suprisingly effective. She was turning out to be quite an impressive apprentice in the short amount of time I've been teaching her.

I was coming over to Lore's room to escort her once again to the workshop and she opened the door right before I was about to knock.

"I gave Alma some sleeping powder, so we don't have to worry about being loud."

I noticed she was holding a book in her arms and I read the title.

"Pyramus and Thisbe?"

"Father always forbid Alma from reading this to me because he found it too violent and tragic for me to handle, but I would always bribe her into reading it... I was wondering if you could read it to me as well."

I was quite confused at this demand.

"Why do you want me specifcally?"

"I like listening to your voice; its soothing." said Lore as she brushed back her hair.

I blushed. No one had ever given a compliment about my voice like that. I didn't know how to respond.

"Well... I was hoping we could continue on with your lessons, but I guess I could take the time to read to you."

Lore smiled and threw her arms around me; oh why does she always do that to me?

I took Lore to my workshop. I lead her over to my stool to sit her down when she stopped me.

"May I sit on your lap while you read to me?"

My face turned even more red; her requests were getting even more strange and I was too embarrased to say "No.", so I sat her down on my lap as she lay her head on my shoulder, opened the book, and began to read.

'In the city of ancient Babylon, two families that lived in terraced houses right next to one another were great rivals. Now it happened that both families had children: a son named Pyramus, and a daughter named Thisbe. Both Pyramus and Thisbe had fallen in love with one another against their parents' wishes and each night, they would speak to one another through a crack in the wall connecting their hou-'

I stopped as the corner of my eye caught Lore's hand reaching up to my face. I gasped and grabbed her hand before she was able to touch me.

"What are you doing?!" I shouted.

"I want to know what you look like."

"Weren't my hands enough?"

"No."

A knot formed in my throat. I had suspitions about her admiration towards me, but I had been too blind let myself see the depths of her obsession. I took her off my lap and stood up.

"Lore, whatever you're looking for in me, its not there."

"I-I don't understand."

"Lore, you're a princess and I'm just a sorcerer."

"I thought you said you were the greatest sorcerer in the universe."

"And you actually believe in that?"

"Well, you're the only sorcerer I know, so I wouldn't know."

"Of course you wouldn't. If you had met other sorcerers, you'd know that was a bold-face lie."

"Cedric, I don't care how good of a sorcerer you are; you're my friend. My only friend... maybe even more."

Lore got up and walked over to me.

"It may be small, but you've already played a significant role in my life, so I should be able to get to know you more."

Lore, once again, reached her hands out to my face. I grabbed both at once.

"You aleady know enough about me. Let us leave it at that while I go find possible cures for your blindness so you don't have to bother me anymore."

I let go of her hands and walked away to my workspace, looking over my spellbooks. I tried to ignore Lore as she walked over to me.

"Cedric, I don't care about finding a cure for my blindness anymore; I just want to be with you."

Lore's voice then became low and unsure.

"Am I really a bother to you?"

I tried to ignore Lore, looking away from her the best I could.

"Cedric, why are you distancing yourself from me?"

"Enough, Lore."

"Please trust me, Cedric, I've kept our secret; I haven't even told anyone about your plans to take over Enchania."

My eyes widened with shock and fear. I quickly got up and held Lore by the forearms.

"HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT?! WHO TOLD YOU THAT?!"

"You did. Well, not directly;" she said nervously, "you're always talking to yourself about your plan to take over the kingdom by stealing some sort of magical amulet."

The weight of my knowledge of her knowing who I was sank. I knew now that I had to let my dark side out to keep her away from me.

"The people of your country are right; sorcerers do use their magic for evil purposes and I'm no exception."

"But I don't think you yourself are an evil man; what evil man would try to help a blind girl in curing her sight and teaching her magic?"

"One that would use her as means for fame, fortune, and power."

I let go of her and turned my back.

"Cedric, whatever reason you had before in trying to help me, that's changed; I can sense it inside of you."

I started walking over to the potions cabinet and opened to find an atomizer of the escense from the flower, forget-me-so. I quickly grabbed the bottle.

"Please, Cedric, we can work this out! Whatever pain you're going through, I can help; just let me be by your side!

I walked over to Lore and held the atomizer up to her face.

"I'm sorry Lore, but you're just too naiive to understand."

I sprayed the escense into her face. Instantly, she went unconscious. I dropped the bottle in shock of what I did.

Wormwood crowed.

"You dare to call me a coward?!" I shouted at my bird, "Some loyal friend you are."

I looked over at Lore's limp body. I knelt down and held her in my arms; my fingers touching her soft waves of hair. I winced, not wanting to think about her as I started to carry her out of the workshop. I knew by the time she woke up, she would not remember anything of our times together; I just wish I could forget as well.