Author's note: So the reviewers won out again. Originally this conversation got delayed by Baileywick coming to collect Sofia so she could speak to her father. She didn't get back to Cedric's tower until next chapter. With a little reworking, the conversation happened right away, and I think this worked out much better.

It took a long time before Sofia calmed and allowed herself to be put down. She had gone so still that at one point Cedric thought she might have fallen asleep like that, but when he pulled back to check he found her awake and looking slightly better. When he set her down on the floor, she blushed, rubbing unshed tears from her eyes.

"I'm sorry." She apologized.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Princess Sofia." He told her gently, crouching down to look her in the eyes, having some inkling of the awful day the little princess had been through.

"Do you... want to talk about what has you so upset?" He asked hesitantly, a large part of him not wanting to know the answer. He walked over to his counter to get their tea started.

"It was a rough day." She murmured.

With the kettle brewing, and nothing left to do but wait, he gestured for her to sit down at the table. Grabbing his chess set, he set everything up. Sofia liked to talk while they played, and he had learned that it was a good way to get her to tell him things she was hesitant to open up about, not that it happened very often. Sofia beamed at him as she grabbed her pieces and assembled them into their starting positions.

"I've got lots of time, Sofia. Why don't you start from the beginning?" He prodded, settling into his chair opposite the little princess.

He listened patiently as she recounted the magic class gone wrong, cursing internally when she mentioned James grabbing her hand and running off with her into the woods.

"He wanted me to pair off with him, you see, but Amber insisted they work together." Sofia confided. Cedric somehow managed to sound aloof as he let out an mhmm and moved one of his pawns. He made a mental note to have Dax do something nice for the older princess.

He winced as she spoke of his spectacular magical failure and how it put her life in danger, though he was relieved to find she believed that it was an accident. He felt somewhat proud as she recounted his heroic - her words, not his - rescue. He felt himself tensing as she came to the part where she woke up in the infirmary.

"I heard a loud sound, and it woke me. I was still a little fuzzy at first, so I had trouble finding where it came from. I looked down, and there they were. Dax was on top of James, and they just kept hitting each other." She recounted, her face contorted with sorrow at the memory. For the first time, Cedric felt truly bad about the fight.

"They shouldn't have done that, Sofia, and I'm sure it was very upsetting for you to see such a display." He muttered, the closest he could come to apologizing without giving himself away.

"What's a pervert?" Sofia asked innocently, her wide innocent eyes imploring Cedric for an explanation. Instead, the sorcerer sat with his mouth agape. It took several long seconds for his voice to work.

"Wh-where in M... Merlin's name did you hear a word like... that?" He managed to stammer out.

"Dax called James one while they were fighting." She responded. Cedric wracked his brain, trying to remember. Did I really say that? He certainly felt that the word fit, and clearly Sofia heard him say it. He tried to figure out just how was he supposed to tell the young girl in front of him what that word meant.

"He shouldn't have said that, and it's not a word I'm comfortable explaining to a princess." He muttered. Sofia frowned at him but continued.

"How about bastard?" She inquired. Now that one Cedric fully remembered calling the prince. That didn't mean he wanted to tell Sofia what it meant, but it was far less awkward than explaining the other word to her.

"A bastard is someone whose parents weren't married when they were born." He answered, focusing on the princess's rook as she moved, because it was easier than watching her face.

"But James' mother and father were married." She replied in confusion.

"Some people just use it as an insult." He managed to mumble. Mentally, he was kicking himself for letting such language slip in front of the little princess.

"What about-" Sofia began, but the kettle whistled, and Cedric was thankful for the interruption. He poured their tea and left it to steep.

"Why don't you just tell me what happened next, Sofia?" He asked as he returned to his seat, anxious to skip over the rest of the words she may have heard him utter during the fight. She sat quietly for a moment, clearly choosing what she said next carefully.

"Did you send Wormwood to the school today?" Sofia inquired. Cedric was in the middle of taking Sofia's queen, though the devious gleam in the princess's eyes made him suspect she may have been surrendering the piece intentionally. His hand stilled over the board, bishop still pinched between his fingers.

"Why do you ask?" He drawled, placing his piece and grimacing as Sofia let out a triumphant sound to match her wide smile.

"He... um, he helped me with a problem during break today." She fumbled. Cedric studied the girl, taking notice of the way she avoided his gaze.

"Did he? I haven't the foggiest what he was up to today. You know he never listens to me." Cedric did his best to sound casual as he lied to Sofia. Seemingly satisfied with his answer, Sofia took her turn.

"Checkmate!" She exclaimed happily. Cedric stared at the board, mouth agape. Sofia just beat me. With a pawn? He scowled at the girl in front of him.

"I should never have taught you this game." He sulked, cleaning up the pieces and standing to put the set away.

Someone else knocked on the tower door, and Cedric narrowed his eyes, willing whoever it was to go away. The knock sounded again, louder and more urgent this time, and he groaned, turning to look over his shoulder at the door.

Oh, what is it?" He growled at the mystery person behind the knocking. The door swung open, and Baileywick cleared his throat, standing in the entrance of the workshop.

"The king would like to speak to his daughter about her rather... eventful day at school." He informed them.

"I don't want to go, Mr Ceedric, please let me stay." She pleaded quietly with the sorcerer. He sighed and shook his head.

"You know I have to do what your father asks, Sofia." He told her, though he wished he could do what she asked of him.