Wow! When I started writing this fanfic I didn't imagine it would become this long. 21 chapters?! It won't be that many more until I'm finished tough.

I'm sorry that you've had to wait so long for this chapter. Next one will be done a lot quicker. Promise!

Sofia the first is not my property but I do have this story in my head and I want to write it down.

But please; read, enjoy and please write me some feedback!

Enjoy!

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Cedric stood outside the throne room trying not to sway back and forth. He took his hand from his head and made a pained grin when he opened his eyes again, making them go into tiny slits trying to filter the light out. Damn hangover! Damn those two twins!

They had tricked him into taking that naughty content from the bottle down his throat with their crazy talk and questions. They had known exactly what to do to manipulate him into doing exactly what they wanted. Brats!

James and Amber had both tried to persuade him into trying their tactic in how to make Sofia give him a positive answer to his question. James had finally admitted to himself that his first plan would never work. Doing heroic deeds for Sofia had already been done. Saving her and the country from utter ruin was hard to match. James was still puzzled to why she had rejected him when apparently Cedric had proven himself to be able to take care of Sofia…

No, it had instead been the other twin's idea that had been the one to be decided that he should try next. Cedric had his disbeliefs that it should work. But Amber had been rather persuasive. "Only a fool would reject something like this." She had said in her usual determined and self-assured way.

Cedric took a deep breath and opened the double doors. He stepped in and quenched when he saw the bright light in there compared to the dulled light from the hallway. His eyes adjusted to the light and he saw the one he was looking for. He walked towards the table that king Roland was leaning over looking at something with concentrated eyes. To his side the lovely princess Sofia was standing. She pointed at something advising him.

Cedric took determined steps towards them trying to look a lot calmer than he felt. Please don't say no… he begged in his mind coming closer to them.

Finally he stopped in front of them feeling nothing like the powerful sorcerer that James and Amber had tried to tell him that he was. He softly cleared his throat and the both of them turned their attention towards him. One of them filled with hope but still a bit unsure. Those eyes quickly turned towards the younger set, the hope fading a bit when seeing the hurt and determined eyes.

Cedric's own determination faltered a bit when seeing the look in hi beloveds´ eyes. But he felt a bit calmer knowing that he had backing from her family. Something he could never had dreamed of a few weeks ago.

"Good morning Cedric. For what great purpose do you grace us with your presence?" Roland asked in a hearty tone.

Cedric stretched tall feeling some of the determination returning to him.

"God morning sire. I was wondering if I could be so bold as to ask if I can have my apprentice back. I know that you love the council from her but…" he said.

Roland just laughed and gave him a booming smile.

"Cedric! I asked you earlier to call me Roland. It feels better this way since… Well, of course you can have her! Oh! Don't worry Sofia! James should be here any minute now and he knows these things too…"

Sofia sighed and went after Cedric out from the room. Sofia realized that Cedric didn't turn towards his tower but in another direction. She became a bit confused. Hadn't he said that he needed his apprentice? Shouldn't it be for the potions and magic in his tower? They walked in silence and only the steps were being heard from the impact on the floor. After a little while they came out to the courtyard and there Sofia saw something that made her smile involuntarily. It was Cedrics' old flying machine. It wasn't that common anymore, not after that she had taught him the joys of riding on Minimus or a flying carpet. But this brought back old memories.

"Why are we here Mr. Ceedric?" she asked in confusion looking at him.

He turned towards her smiling and looking a lot more confident that he actually felt.

"I'm taking you to some field studies…" he said.

He walked towards the machine and reached inside of it and took out two helmets. One of them he gave the princess and put the other one on his head.

He waited until she had seated herself before he reached for the tiny bottle in his pocket and drank the fluid inside. He hoped that the concoction would work for his hangover. Damn those pesky twins! He muttered for not the last time…

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"I'm so sorry Sofia! Here, let me help you…" Cedric felt awful but at the same time he was helping Sofia keeping her hair away from her retching face. They had had to land a lot earlier than he had first anticipated. Sofia had become sick; Travel sickness. She had never before had any problems with riding the flying machine before. Why had she… oh!

Cedric made a mental slap of his forehead. Of course! Sofia wasn't really sick from traveling. It must be because of the baby… This wasn't such a good idea after all. Why could nothing go as planned for him...

He searched his pockets and found a clean handkerchief that he gave his poor love. She took it and cleaned herself a bit with it and gave him a faint smile. Sofia tried to look calm and reassuring even when she herself felt like hell. But Cedric saw through it. It wasn't a happy smile she gave him and that made him feel even worse for making her sick like this and not doing things in the correct order.

He quickly helped her to a stone and helped her to sit down on it and at the same time he conjured a bottle of water to her. Sofia drank the contents of the bottle and made a sigh.

"I'm sorry Ceedric. But I do not think that I can manage to go any further in that flying machine today."

Cedric looked down at her and his heart that he thought was already broken into thousands of tiny pieces crumbled even more. His mind working while looking around. No, she was right. He had to come up with another plan all together. If he couldn't take her to the things he wanted her to see… then he should come up with a way to make them come to her…

He suddenly realized what he should be doing. Why didn't he think of this sooner!? He made sure that Sofia was sitting as comfortable that she could and took the basket out from the machine with their picnic in it. He arranged it neatly and made sure that Sofia took a bite from one of the sandwiches. He knew that it would help her feel better with the sickness.

With moving hands Cedric started to conjure magic. A big swirling mist was seen before the two of them. "Let me show you some of the great things I can give you Sofia if only you say that you will be mine…" Cedric said.

Sofia tried to say something but it got lost when she gaped in awe from the wonders she was seeing. The mist started to show different places and different people in it. It was almost like looking through a window. She marveled at the illusions that she saw.

Some of the places she knew from text books that she had read about. Some of the places she recognized from visiting earlier. One of them the valley where Minimus brother were running in freely. She saw in the illusion how the two of them were looking up on the Pegasus with her holding a bundle; a baby in her arms… she saw them brewing potions together in a new magical workshop… how they were talking like equals with the magic counsel…in the next she marveled at and had no idea what it was, but it was looking gorgeous and she would love to go there and have a look… the illusions kept coming to her one after another…

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Cedric lowered his arms. They hurt and tingled with having used that much visionia magic. He looked at Sofia with insecurity. She had been awed by the magic and what he had shown her. But was it going to be enough?

"If you marry me Sofia this is what I can give you. All the magic in the world and all my knowledge of the arcane studies… please say yes…"

Sofia looked up at him and silently rose from her sitting position. She looked around herself realizing that they had been there for quite some time. She looked at him again with her sad eyes.

"I'm sorry Ceedric, but my answer is still no. Everything you've shown me today has been wonderful and I would love to go see all the wondrous things you've shown me. But I can't marry you under these circumstances… not for the reasons you've stated…"

Cedrics' whole body slumped. He almost toppled over when trying to move away from her to give her some space while trying to come to terms with the denial from her.

He turned around and went to the machine. They couldn't stay here and he couldn't leave it. He used the magic to make the old machine tiny as a model. He bent down and put it in his pocket. Luckily he had managed to get the spell right a couple of years ago. Before that he wouldn't have had been able to lift it since the weight would have been the same…

He turned around looking over the princess head and told her that they would have to walk back to the castle. Or at least walk until they found a carriage that could bring them back. He felt the sadness from Sofia that quietly walked behind him.

It was going to be a long walk home…

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Walking in silence made the trek feel miles longer than it really was. Cedric realized that Sofia was starting to walk slower and slower. He discreetly gazed behind his back and realized that she wasn't really outfitted for the adventure. He felt like smacking his head once again. His ideas this day had not been any good at all.

The quick glance had told him everything he needed to know. Sofia's shoes were not the type of shoes you put on going for a "walk" in. poor Sofia, he thought. Her feet must be blistered all over. They could not continue to walk under these circumstances.

Luckily at the same time he realized that, he saw an inn after the bend in the road. There they would find a place to rest her feet, eat a meal and rest for the night. Even if they would find a carriage to take them back to the castle he realized that they would arrive in the middle of the night.

He turned around and looked at the princess.

"We have to stop at the inn over there and rest for the night. We have to care for your feet and let you rest. I'm sorry Sofia for making you walk all this way."

Sofia nodded and tried to walk. But the word 'rest' had made the last of her energy drain away and her legs gave way. She fell down whimpering of relief.

Cedric was quick to catch her before she could feel the ground and lifted her up in his arms. Sofia tried to object but he held her in a firm grip. He stomped off towards the welcoming inn and before he had the chance to open the big door it opened up and a big man looked out.

"Oh! These look like weary travelers! Come in and let us make you feel a bit like home…"

The innkeeper let them in and Sofia felt like crying in relief once again. Cedric put her carefully on the bed and hurriedly stepped back two steps. Her feet felt like they were killing her and it wasn't until the innkeeper closed the door after them and she looked around that they had received the owners own room. She turned towards Cedric looking worried.

"Ceedric, we can't take their rooms. Where are they supposed to sleep?" She tried to stand up but was quickly pushed back by strong arms.

"Didn't you hear them Sofia, They didn't mind and since they saw that we were royalty they didn't mind to give us this room. All the other rooms are occupied tonight. They will share with their kids so they will be fine."

Sofia didn't feel all that convinced by him but before she could come up with any objections they heard a soft knock on the door and it opened up wide. The innkeepers' wife and what looked like two mini copies of her brought in a wooden bathtub and big buckets with hot water.

Sofia made a sigh of relief when she saw it and their meaning; A bath!

The three ladies went in and out a couple of times with more water and a tray with some supper for the both of them.

"Now you will be fine for the night mam. We will fetch for the bathtub, water and dirty dishes tomorrow morning. Now I will let the you and your husband be for the night." The innkeepers' wife said with a big smile.

"Wha… We're not…" Sofia started to object.

"Don't worry. Me and my husband eloped all those years back so if anyone comes asking you can feel safe. God night." She said and Sofia blushed when she heard the two young women giggle at the door.

Everything turned quiet around them. Cedric started to fill the tub with some more cold water to make the temperature right while Sofia tasted the stew in front of her.

That's when it hit her: It was only one bed and one room…

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This chapter felt really hard to write. I re-wrote it a couple of times before feeling that it was telling what I wanted it to tell and felt like it was flowing correctly. Sometimes it even felt like I wanted to jump ahead a bit and maybe that was one reason for the long delay of this chapter.

I promise you that the next chapter won't take as long before it will be released!
Please tell me what you think of it.

Until next time,

Aaska.