A/N: Everyone put up with so many chapters of angst and sorcerer indecision I wanted to let Sofia and Cedric have a little more alone time before everything goes crazy.
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Sofia
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Cedric knelt behind her, gripping her hips.
He was so hard and Sofia was so slick now, it took only a single thrust to bury him as deep inside as she could take him.
"Yes, dear god yes!" She cried out.
Sofia had no idea what time it was or how long they'd been here.
She was sure it had been hours and hours since she'd last eaten, but they couldn't seem to stop.
Every time one of them tried to get up, something deep would flare inside and the other would pull them back.
She'd never dreamed it would be like this.
People were so secretive about sex Sofia had always supposed it must be something embarrassing. Then Amber married Axel and even though she'd been ecstatic on their wedding day, by the time they returned from their honeymoon she'd been miserable.
When Sofia had finally gotten her sister alone, Amber admitted tearfully that not only was Axel spoiled and arrogant, he was selfish and unkind as well.
Amber told her how much it hurt the first time. How it was always horribly uncomfortable. A sweaty, sticky, smelly, messy business that, only weeks into her marriage, she already loathed.
Sofia had felt awful for her sister. But more than that, she'd become secretly afraid. It was all too real a possibility she would be forced to endure a similar fate, especially if she ended up marrying a complete stranger or someone who cared little for her beyond the alliance she would bring.
But she knew now, it didn't have to be anything like Amber described.
In fact, it could be the complete opposite.
Cedric had been gentle and fierce by turns. He'd shown her things she hadn't ever imagined and let her make her own lustful if artless explorations of him too. But no matter how they joined he hadn't once shown the selfishness Amber implied was indicative of all men. Instead he'd been passionate and generous showing the depth of his love in every caress, in every kiss, in the way he watched her face for signs of pleasure, or changed his touch until she sighed or moaned, letting him know he'd found the perfect spot. And especially in the way he held himself back, determined not to find his own release before she found hers.
Sofia bucked hard now as she felt his hand snake around, sliding along her stomach until it disappeared between her legs.
"Ahhh," was all she could say as his fingers started making hard circles on her nub, pushing her closer and closer to orgasm.
"Come for me, Sofia," Cedric's words where a raspy whisper.
She knew he was holding on hard to control, his rhythm becoming erratic as he neared his release.
Sofia squeezed her eyes shut, trying to concentrate on the addictive feeling that seemed so close, but was managing to elude her. Without much thought she began to push back, meeting Cedric with every thrust.
She heard him groan and curse, sounds that seemed halfway between ecstasy and agony.
Suddenly she felt him take her bud between his fingers and pluck at it.
That was all it took
Stars burst in front of her eyes as her body seized. Sofia felt she was contracting in on herself and flying apart all at once. Only Cedric's hands on her hips kept her steady, even while he flew there with her, emptying fast and hot into her body.
Her legs finally gave out and she collapsed onto the blankets. Cedric let her go at the last moment, falling beside her, his head landing next to hers.
She smiled at him and wondered if her expression was as lazy and goofy as she suspected. Her whole body was buzzing. She felt intoxicated, completely drunk on him. Yet she was already getting tingly again, wanting to drink more.
"If you keep looking at me like that I won't be responsible for the consequences." Cedric leveled her with one of his sexy sneers.
"If you're really trying to keep me from rubbing myself all over you again, that's probably not the face you want to be making." She could hear the purr in her voice and wondered how she'd managed to become such a wanton in a single afternoon. "You have no idea how that look has tortured me over the years. You would make some wicked comment and curl your lip like that and I'd have to grip my hands behind my back and squeeze my legs together to keep from throwing myself at you.
I'm not sure what I would have done with you once I had you, but I'm sure there would have been a lot of rubbing and groping and kissing and begging you to help me figure out how to make it stop aching between my legs."
"If you're attempting to convince me I should let you rub yourself all over me again, that is exactly what you should be telling me." His sneer was back and Sofia didn't hesitate a moment longer. Lifting up slightly she pounced, throwing herself on top of him.
They kissed and kissed, hands roaming, legs tangling together, until Sofia's stomach gave a load gurgling sort of grumble.
"Opps, sorry" She giggled, blushing.
"How long has it been since you've eaten?" Cedric had a scowl on his face now, and not a sexy one.
"I don't know. I don't even know what time it is."
Cedric craned his head, looking out the small casement that had once been a window and seeming astonished.
"It's dark out, real dark, not just gloom. It must be well after sunset by now."
Rising from their little makeshift bed he walked over to the crumpled pile that was their clothing.
Despite how hungry she was, Sofia felt herself growing warm all over at the sight of him striding about completely naked.
She knew Cedric felt inferior to other men, especially men like her father and his. But she could never understand why. He was brilliant and magical, and looking at him now, she knew she'd never wanted anyone else so completely or so shamelessly.
There was nothing saggy or weak about him. He was all clean long lines and lean angles. And the tattoos that covered him were positively mouthwatering. He had spells and ancient incantations etched on his arms and mystical symbols drawn in alluring patterns on his chest and back.
She'd been right all those years ago, he was utterly sensational.
As he walked back to her, wand in hand, he noticed her studying him openly and blushed.
Sitting beside her again, he pulled the blanket over himself.
"Are you cold?" She asked softly.
"Hmm, oh… no, why are you cold?" There was concern in his voice.
"No," she grabbed the blanket and pulled it off him. "But I'm much warmer when I can see you."
That only seemed to make him blush harder and so she rose on her knees and leaned over, cupping his cheek and pulling his mouth to hers.
He came willingly.
As they kissed Cedric wrestled her onto his lap.
Sofia gasped into his mouth, feeling their bodies slide together. All of her new favorite parts of him aligning perfectly against her, making her hot and achy to fit them together, like the two piece puzzle they now were.
If it were anyone else Sofia would have been utterly humiliated by how out of control her body seemed to be. It hadn't even been five minutes and she was already rubbing against him again, pressing her breasts to his chest, rocking her hips so he could feel her wetness sliding against his groin, trying to convince him to forget something as inconsequential as eating in favor of letting her ride him until they both collapsed starving but sated.
But with Cedric she couldn't find it in herself to be embarrassed.
Not when she could feel the vibration of his moans against her tongue and his fingers pressing eagerly into her back. When she could feel him hardening right against her entrance.
And suddenly… her stomach let out another much angrier growl.
Tearing his mouth from hers Cedric moved her from lap, setting her down beside him.
"We should eat something." He said decisively.
Waving his wand he conjured a veritable feast next to the blanket.
They ate in silence for a while, before Cedric put his plate aside.
"Sofia we need to decide what we're going to do.
"I've had a bad feeling about this place since we got here, but after today it's obvious someone is trying to harm you. You weren't yourself by the stream this afternoon. Only very powerful, very dark magic could have done that.
If I had to make a guess I'd say the queen and her eldest son seem the most likely culprits. They seem to dislike you out of all proportion to how long they've known you. In which case we cannot risk going back to the castle, we need to leave as soon as it's light."
Sofia looked down, knowing he was right but feeling suddenly guilty all the same. She loved Cedric so much and she'd wanted this for so long. She just never imagined they would finally come together only after she'd agreed to be another man's wife. And now she was going to sneak off without even saying goodbye to that man or explaining why she was going back on her word.
As though Cedric could read her mind, his hand went to her back, rubbing comforting circles.
"He'll get over it. Your life is more important than his pride."
"I know. It's not just that though. I just…I always thought I was an honest person. I've always tried to be good, to put other's feelings before my own, and yet I've been doing nothing but deceiving him this whole time. I didn't feel anything for him, but I encouraged him at every turn and…," Sofia looked up now with a horrified expression, "Cedric he loves me. He's loved me for years. He's been watching me for years."
Sofia watched the color drain from Cedric's face.
"What do you mean he's been watching you? " His voice was like ice.
"His brother has this enchanted mirror in his workshop. It will show you anything you want to see. When Aleric was little he asked it to show him his perfect princess and it showed him me."
"Please tell me you understand how deeply disconcerting that is?"
"I do. I nearly flipped out when he told me, which was why he asked you to join us on our excursion to the city. He was trying to smooth everything over and he thought he could use you as a buffer."
"Well thank god for that." Cedric's tone was as sour as she'd ever heard it.
"I know it's creepy Cedric, but it doesn't change the fact he feels something genuine for me and I used him over and over to try and escape our problems. "
Sofia watched a guilty look pass across Cedric's face, if only momentarily, before he took her hand in his, intently studying the sight of them entwined.
"When you said you would marry him did you mean it?" He asked after a long minute.
Sofia's eyes shifted to the blankets, not able to look at Cedric as she answered.
"Yes."
"Then you weren't dishonest. You can't be blamed if love makes a fool of the boy. It's been making fools of princes and peasants alike since long before either of us drew breath."
Sofia knew empathy wasn't one of Cedric's strong points, but she still wondered how he could be so dismissive of her terrible lapse in character. Given everything they'd been through though, she decided to let it go with only a shrug.
"Maybe not, after all we've apparently been around for eons."
One of Cedric's eyebrows rose directly into his hairline.
"You don't really believe that do you, Sofia?"
"The book said so. After all this you're still questioning it?"
Cedric snorted before pinning her with another sneer.
"Absolutely. I question utterly any book that claims I'm one half of some near divine being whose job it is to bring cookies and rainbows to the universe. And you should too. The whole thing is absurd."
It was Sofia's turn to snort.
"Cedric you're a sorcerer. You've been practicing magic your whole life. You said some words and waved a stick over a rock and created a living, breathing raven for a life partner. You put a bunch of completely random objects in a pot, stirred over medium heat, and ended up with a potion that turns you invisible.
You spent years of our relationship trying to steal a piece of jewelry from me because you believed completely it would give you the power to…I don't know, kill everyone I love and destroy everything good in the world, but an unfinished book is your weirdness tipping point?
Please tell me how that works? "
Cedric took a long drink from his cup.
"If you're going to put it like that…. You're taking the whole amulet thing rather better than I ever imagined you would." Cedric's tone was offhand, but his face as he said it looked slightly nauseated.
"You were never really serious about it." Cedric expression changed from nauseated to offended.
"Now who's not believing the book?"
Sofia huffed, rolling her eyes.
"I know you thought you were serious about it, but Cedric how many times were we alone together in those years you were trying to take my amulet? I was a little girl. I worshipped the ground you walked on and thought you were made of goodness and light. Churlish light perhaps, but still, I never suspected a thing. If you really wanted it, you could have ripped it off my neck and shoved me out the tower window on any number of occasions."
Now he just stared at her, eyes wide, mouth slightly agape.
"I had no idea you were even capable of thinking such things. I thought I was supposed to be the malevolent half of our supposed shared soul."
"Well I have spent every day of the last ten years with you. If you've taken some of my goodness then some of your...'not always so goodness' was bound to rub off eventually."
Before he could say anything more, there was a riot of sounds outside the cottage.
Menacing growls were followed by sounds like shots and then a barrage of bright lights lit the darkness.
Cedric was up like a shot, wand in hand, pulling on his pants.
Sofia attempted to do the same, only to find her dress torn straight down the middle. Having no other alternative she wrapped one of the blankets around herself as best she could and followed him outside.
By the time they made it out the door, whatever fight had taken place was over.
Two of the wolf-like creatures were lying on the ground dead, and there were four figures in dark cloaks standing ten feet from them, one holding a torch, and the other three brandishing wands.
Cedric raised his own wand and put himself between Sofia and the figures.
"What do you want?" He sounded confident, but Sofia could feel the arm that held her back trembling.
"We are the hands of fate in this lifetime. We have come to help the soul torn asunder." One of the figures said in grand tones.
Stepping forward he lifted his hand to pull the hood of his cloak away.
Once he did, he smirked at their shocked faces as though it were all a fabulous joke.
"I say Red-brick old boy, you do end up in the strangest places."
