Author's Note: I don't LOVE Cedric's dream, but I've rewritten it several times, now, and this is the best draft. I feel like I would probably keep rewriting it forever if I didn't have a deadline to keep. :P
"Cedric, I'm surprised to see you here." Queen Sara called as he approached. She often sat in the gardens in the moonlight, but only chanced upon the royal sorcerer once in a great while.
"My apologies, your majesty. I.. was actually hoping to seek your counsel." Cedric explained, hoping he wasn't intruding on the queen's privacy. While he wasn't overly friendly with any of the royals, Queen Sara was genial and approachable, so he wasn't nearly as nervous about speaking with her as he was when addressing her husband.
"No apologies necessary. Come and sit with me." She answered, patting the empty part of the stone bench for emphasis. Cedric sat uncomfortably next to the queen, eyes focused squarely on the plants opposite them.
"I'm sorry I nearly ruined your birthday." Cedric muttered his apology.
"Is that what you came to find me for?" She asked curiously. Cedric shook his head.
"I came to ask for some advice... with my niece. I want to get along with her, but I'm not particularly experienced with children, you see..." Cedric actually felt a tad guilty for lying to Sara, but he found he wasn't quite ready to explain the real situation. Instead, he told her about how no one could get the girl to eat, and how awful it felt to watch his father try to force feed her.
"What about your sister?" Sara pointed out, obviously wondering why Cedric and his parents were taking care of his niece.
"She's on vacation, so my niece is staying at my parents'." More lies. Cedric was beginning to think this whole idea was a mistake.
"It could be she just misses her mother." She answered thoughtfully. Cedric pondered this for a moment, but if that was the witchling's problem, he had no way to solve it, yet.
"No, she's always been picky." For the entire two days I've known her. Cedric added in his head. A quiet fell on them as the queen thought.
"Hmm.. Maybe try using the food she does like in a recipe, and have her help make it so she knows it's in there?" Sara offered slowly. For the first time Cedric faced the queen, staring at her with his mouth agape.
"No good?" She asked with a slight frown. Cedric shook his head.
"No, I think it might actually be perfect!" Cedric grinned, surprised to find himself excited to try this idea in the morning. He began to stand and head back to his tower, when a hand on his arm stopped him.
"You know, Cedric, I have tons of Amber's outgrown dresses in storage. Would you like to look through them some time and pick out some for your niece?" Queen Sara offered, giving the sorcerer a charming smile.
"Oh, I-I couldn't possibly, your majesty." He stammered, uncomfortably pulling his arm from her grasp.
"Nonsense. What little girl doesn't want to dress like a princess? I insist!" She prodded.
"Thank you, my Queen." Cedric voiced his relent, giving a bow and bidding her goodnight.
"Oh, and Cedric... One more thing." She smiled sweetly at him again.
"Yes, your highness?"
"When your niece is feeling more comfortable, I do hope you'll bring her around to play with the children." Queen Sara got to her feet as she spoke to him.
"Um... I suppose that could be arranged. When she's ready, of course." His voice didn't want to work, but he managed. He could just imagine the witchling loose in the palace, and he doubted it would go over very well.
When he got back to his tower, Wormwood greeted him with a loud, annoyed caw, and Cedric groaned as he realized he'd completely forgotten to feed his familiar, though he was sure the bird managed to find food outside at some point.
"Sorry, Wormy, I had a lot on my mind today." Cedric mumbled, retrieving the small satchel of seeds, and pouring some out for the bird. Wormwood let out another complaint and eyed him with annoyance before attacking the food vigorously. Cedric stroked his feathers before going to his bookshelf.
"I've had the strangest couple of days, you know." Cedric muttered as he scanned the volumes.
It occurred to him that maybe he could make the girl speak with magic, the way the magic shop doll was supposed to, but the search through his library was proving to be futile, and he only succeeded in falling asleep in his overstuffed armchair instead of his bed.
...
"Let's go for a walk, witchling." Cedric announced, entering her lavish room and making a beeline for the closet, intending to pull a dress out and prepare her for their outing.
A lone lilac gown hung in the middle of the large closet, and Cedric furrowed his brow in confusion. Closing the door, he turned to examine the room for the first time since arriving at the cottage, but it had transformed back into his parents' usual guest bedroom, with nothing to suggest the girl had ever been inside.
"Mummy!" Cedric called out loudly, marching out into the hallway as fast as his legs would take him.
"What's the matter, Ceddy?" His mother stopped her tidying to glance up at him with concern.
"Where is the girl?" He demanded, checking under the table in case she might be hiding there again.
"Didn't you get my letter? Her mother came to collect her last night." Cedric stopped to stare slack-jawed at the elderly sorceress in front of him.
"Her mother? But I thought-" Winifred chuckled softly, shaking her head at him.
"It's not like you were going to keep her with you, silly. You'll be far too busy with your duties once you're king." She pointed out, handing her son a large crown that felt much too heavy in his hands.
"Yes... I suppose, I had nearly forgotten. Isn't that strange?" He muttered, as much to himself as to Winifred, as he stared down at the bejeweled golden crown.
"Well, now you remember what matters, so go out there and take over the kingdom for me, Ceddykins." She replied, reaching up to pinch his cheek. Cedric chanced another peek at the bedroom door.
"I'm going to miss her." He confessed plaintively, placing the crown atop his head and leaving the cottage.