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Is This Really Happening?

Cedric couldn't believe his eyes. This couldn't be real. It just couldn't be. Yet, there it was, right in front of him…

The sorcerer had come down from his tower a few minutes ago to gather herbs for a potion he had to make that day. He had rounded a corner and there, right in front of him, was a sight he never thought he would see. His beautiful princess was sitting on a bench under a blossoming cherry tree. But she wasn't alone. She was wrapped in the embrace of a well dressed young man with dark hair. And… Were they kissing?

Cedric's heart split in two as he watched as Sofia's hands slipped around the young man's neck, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. How long had this been going on? Had she been seeing this man all this time, even though she was engaged to him? Deciding to get to the bottom of this, Cedric marched forward and cleared his throat, making his presence known.

The couple on the bench broke apart. Sofia had the grace to look guilty. The young man, whom Cedric now recognized as Prince Hugo, simply scoffed in annoyance and glared at the Royal Sorcerer. "What do you want, Sorcerer? Can't you see I'm busy with my lovely princess?"

"That is my princess, you horrid royal brat," Cedric declared, his blood boiling.

"You realize who you're talking to, don't you?" Hugo growled angrily, narrowing his eyes. "I should have you arrested right now."

Sofia gasped and laid a gentle hand on the prince's shoulder. "Please don't, Hugo. I'll talk to him."

"Fine," he pouted heavily, folding his arms.

Sofia stood and walked over to Cedric. The sorcerer grasped her wrist and practically dragged her a short distance away.

"What is going on here?" he hissed when they were a safe distance away from Hugo. He looked at her with narrowed eyes. "Tomorrow is our wedding day, and here I find you with that spoiled pain in the royal–"

"Mr. Cedric, please… Just stop it, okay."

He balked and stared at her with wide eyes. Sofia had never yelled at him in that sharp tone. And when had she started using his title again? He hadn't been "Mr. Cedric" in a few years.

Sofia averted her eyes, choosing to look down at her dress as she fiddled with a bit of lace. A minute of silence passed before she finally looked back up at him. "Look. I met Hugo a week ago in Corinthia at Clio's party. I hadn't seen him in a few years, and we sort of just reconnected. He's changed so much…" A dreamy smile crossed her face.

Cedric couldn't believe it. "You reconnected with him last week? And you're already… kissing him?" The words were bitter on his tongue.

"Yeah, about that…" She was giving him a rueful look. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Cedric. I wanted to tell you sooner, but… I called off our wedding this morning."

"What? W–Why?" This news stunned him. He reached for her hand, but she pulled away. "Sofia, I–"

"I realized I made a mistake," she said softly. "You're twenty five years older than me. Not to mention, you're just the Royal Sorcerer."

Cedric's shoulders fell. He could feel his world crashing down around him. "But… but those things have never mattered to you…"

"Well, they do now," she stated flatly. "I've been thinking about it all week. I'm a princess, Mr. Cedric. What kind of life would I have in your dusty tower? But Hugo…" She sighed dreamily. "He has the most wonderful castle. And he's young and handsome and strong. He'll be able to help me on Protector missions if I need it." She reached into a pocket in her dress and pulled out the ring Cedric had given her when he proposed to her. Taking his hand, she placed it in his palm.

Cedric blinked, struggling to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. He just couldn't believe what he was hearing. He swallowed hard, not quite able to keep his voice from cracking. "But, Sofia… I love you."

"You'll find someone else. Maybe a sorceress your own age." Her words were driving the knife deeper into his already breaking heart.

"But–"

"I'll always be your friend. Because that's all we can be." With that, she turned and walked back to Hugo. She had completely missed the tears that were now trickling down Cedric's cheeks.

Cedric wanted to move, but his legs refused to budge. He watched though his watery vision as Hugo got down on one knee holding a small box out to the princess. Sofia squealed and threw her arms around him.

Again, Cedric tried to move, but he was forced to watch as Hugo kissed Sofia passionately, his hands moving to inappropriate places on her body. Finally, they broke apart and left the garden, assumedly to announce their engagement to everyone.

The spell that held Cedric in a frozen state was finally broken. The poor sorcerer collapsed to his knees clutching the ring Sofia had given back to him. His heart shattered into a million pieces as he sat there silently weeping in the grass. He had lost her… What had gone wrong? Everything had been so perfect until now. Well… If Sofia didn't love him anymore… then there really wasn't any reason for him to be here, was there? He reached into his sleeve and pulled out his wand. Choking back a sob, he pointed the magical instrument at himself.

"Dis–Disappearo…"

A/N: Thanks for reading.