Rest Assured

Summary: The Sorcery Seminar is coming up soon, and Cedric has been requested to speak at the event; however, his nerves are getting to him, which leads him to create a confidence potion. After a mishap where he adds the wrong ingredients, he accidentally creates a suave potion instead, leading to some rather interesting situations.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Tanya and Nana belong to MarionetteJ2X.

A/N: Y'all… I had WAY too much fun writing this story. A different side of Cedric is always fun, and seeing how people react to him is even funnier. Hope you enjoy!

*Story*

"Why me?" a pathetic whine echoed down the tower steps as Sofia and the girls approached the door.

"What is wrong with Papa?" Tanya wondered as she glanced up at Sofia, who shrugged as Nana lazily clung to her head.

"I'm not sure. Guess there's only one way to find out." She grabbed the handle and opened the door, her curious expression turning to a mildly amused one as she saw her partner sulking while haphazardly lazing about in his chair. "Cedric, are you okay? We heard you before we even opened the door."

"Ugh, thank goodness you're here," Wormwood remarked, shaking out his feathers as he stretched his wings. "He's been whining and complaining for the last half hour, and I was getting ready to either attack him or fly away…or both, honestly."

The princess laughed as she walked over to Cedric, gently prying the tiny girl from her head and placing her instead on the sorcerer's head. She hummed softly as she saw Nana beginning to pat his head sympathetically. "What's wrong?"

"Ohh…" He sighed, looking up at the princess. "I've received a summons from the Sorcery Seminar. They want me to give a speech on Magical Ambassadorship and its positive effects on cross-kingdom communication."

"That doesn't sound too bad."

He raised an eyebrow at her comment. "Fine. How about you give the speech then?"

Sofia giggled before urging him to sit up straighter, which he did. "You'll be fine, Cedric. It's just a little speech. And it's a topic you're familiar with. I know you're not keen on talking to a lot of people, but it probably doesn't have to be that long, right?"

Cedric groaned softly. "The letter requested ten minutes. Do you have any idea how long ten minutes is? I'll bungle those words before they even manage to escape my lips, and I'll be a laughingstock all over again."

"That is nonsense," Tanya told him kindly, smiling as he turned to her. "Papa, you have a courageous and lovely way of speaking. I have confidence that you will do well."

He couldn't help smiling at the girl's words. "Thank you, Tanya… I'm afraid this is just an old fear that I just can't seem to let go of. I'm not a people person, and I'm not a big talker outside of my comfort zone."

"You could just tell them no," Wormwood suggested. "Or be —cough, cough— 'sick' that day."

"Wouldn't that be a little too suspicious?" Sofia rolled her eyes. "Cedric, I know it's not your strong suit, but I'll help you. We'll practice your speech." She reached up and ran her fingers through his bangs, causing him to sigh contentedly. "It will be fine."

"Hmm…. Or…" The sorcerer grinned as he stood, handing Nana back to his partner. "I might have a potion for this…"

Wormwood scoffed. "That's my cue to leave. I'd rather not go splat because of one of your chaotic potions." He saw Sofia's look of disapproval and shrugged. "It's not a knock on him, Sofia. I'm just saying… He's had a few mishaps recently. Lack of focus seems to be the culprit." He then eyed her pointedly. "I can't imagine why."

Sofia shook her head before sighing. "Girls, why don't you take Uncle Wormwood outside for a while, and let him stretch his wings?"

"What's this 'Uncle Wormwood' business?" The bird grimaced. "We'll have none of that. But I'm all for getting out of here for a while." He landed on Tanya's shoulder as Sofia passed Nana to the white-haired girl. "I've actually found a rather intriguing magical plant growing near the bridge that you might be interested in."

"Make sure you put on your coats before you go outside though," Sofia reminded the girls. "It's still a bit cold."

Tanya smiled over her shoulder. "Yes, Mama. We shall dress warmly."

With the trio gone, Cedric quickly scurried over to his cauldron and withdrew the wooden paddle from within. "Well, now that they're otherwise preoccupied, I can set my plan into motion."

"And what exactly did you have in mind?" Sofia folded her arms as she watched him flit back and forth, pulling down a variety of ingredients and skimming one of his spell books. "It's not dangerous, is it?"

"Sofia, when have you ever known me to make something dangerous?" He paused, feeling her pointed look before turning to see it. "All right, fine, a few mishaps have indeed occurred… But I imagine if I follow the directions carefully, all will be well."

"What are you trying to make though?" She walked over and stood next to the table, leaning against it a bit as she watched him tossing several things into the cauldron.

"A confidence potion."

"Cedric," Sofia responded, sounding a bit exasperated but still smiling compassionately as he shrugged while offering her a sheepish look. "You don't need a confidence potion. You're plenty confident, or at the very least, you've definitely gotten better over the years." She sighed as one of the items he'd picked up (which appeared to be lavender petals) slipped through his fingers and fell into the cauldron, causing him to grumble a bit before he fished out the now-empty container. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Of course I am, my dear." He set the now-empty vial aside before taking the paddle and mixing the potion together. He smiled apologetically as he saw the princess fold her arms and give him an unamused stare. "I promise… Let me test it out. If it works, I'll just use a little bit to get me through the speech. I just…can't mess this up, Sofia…" He shook his head as he finished stirring. "It may seem so silly and trivial, and perhaps it is, but a speech at the Sorcery Seminar is a far bigger deal than you might realize…"

She finally relented, a small smile of acceptance on her features. "Fine. Just don't overdo it. I'm not sure what too much confidence potion could do, but I'm almost sure it won't be a good thing." She peered into the cauldron as he scooped out some lavender potion into a vial. "Is it supposed to be that color?"

He shrugged. "Normally, it's a dark blue. I'm not sure what the deal is…" He swirled the potion a bit, allowing it to settle, but the color didn't change. "Could be that extra lavender that fell in earlier. But no worries. Lavender has calming properties, so I'm sure it's fine." He lifted the potion toward his partner, who rolled her eyes and smiled. "Here's to a more calming and successful speech, then." He put the vial to his lips and drank a bit. "Mm, that's actually quite nice." Without thinking, he drank a bit more.

Sofia sighed heavily. "Cedric… You said you wouldn't overdo it, remember?"

"Sorry, Sofia, but it's actually very delicious." He set the vial down before smiling warmly at his partner. "It reminds me of you, in a way… Soft, sweet, and always fragrant…"

The princess couldn't help the blush that came to her cheeks, and she was instantly grateful that Wormwood and the girls had already left. "Oh… Well, thanks, Cedric…" She laughed lightly. "Guess that confidence potion is working well."

"I feel rather relaxed, though I'm also a bit restless as well…" He reached out and took her hand, pulling her toward him. "Perhaps a dance might settle me down."

She blinked. "W-With me? But…there isn't even any music…" She couldn't say anything else as he pressed a finger to her lips before pulling her into a gentle hug, beginning to sway back and forth as both of his arms embraced her as closely and comfortably as possible. "Cedric…"

Cedric began humming a gentle tune, one that perfectly complimented their slow rhythmic motion. His voice was so warm, so melodious, that he nearly sent his dance partner into the dream world… Until, of course, he suddenly stopped a few minutes later and parted from her, though he still allowed his right hand to linger against her back for a bit longer. "Now then, my darling…"

Sofia was a bit caught off guard by that term of endearment. He'd used it very rarely with her, usually during moments when she needed a bit more comfort than usual, so to hear it outside those reserved instances had surprised her.

"It appears we have all the time in the world…" He reached up with his free hand, twirling some of her loosening hair from her braid around his fingers. "What shall we do then?"

She was so enthralled with his gentle tone and actions that she was barely able to form a sentence. "I… We should…" She then came to her senses, giggling softly as she took his arm, ceasing his motions. "Cedric, make use of this potion of yours, and practice your speech already."

"Heh… The thing is…" He shrugged as he lowered his arms. "I…haven't exactly written it yet."

Sofia groaned in dismay. "Cedric!"

He chuckled. "Even when you're annoyed with me, you still manage to make my name sound so delightful."

She somehow managed to ignore that comment before sighing. "Maybe…I can help you write it then?"

"Very well." He gently tugged at her loose braid before caressing his fingers against her neck. "And since you're doing me a favor, allow me to do one for you as well… If you will pen my thoughts, I will fix your hair."

Sofia shivered a bit at his statement and upon feeling his fingers against her skin. "A win-win situation for both of us, huh?"

Cedric smirked. "Something like that."

A few minutes later, Sofia found herself settled on Cedric's bed, her left side leaning up against a stack of pillows while she held a pen in one hand and a writing tablet in the other, the quill softly scratching at the parchment as she listened to Cedric. While she wrote, his fingers slowly trailed through her wavy hair, causing a distinctly pleasant chill to work its way down her spine a few times.

"…And furthermore," Cedric continued, his words as calm and slow as his fingers, which were slowly beginning to form the start of Sofia's braid, "Magical Ambassadors offer a great deal of insight to those who are willing to listen, especially since magic is to be regarded with an open mind…" He leaned forward, his hands still holding onto her hair as he whispered into his partner's ear, "How does that sound, my dear?"

Sofia gasped softly, not expecting his sudden inquiry, and smiled lightly as he returned to his task. "It…sounds great." She glanced down, noticing that her writing was far more lax than usual. It was probably due to her relaxed state, though she figured it was still legible enough for him to be able to read when the time came. "I think…you're really going to get your point across with this speech, Cedric…"

"Hmm. Turns out that confidence potion was a great idea after all. It's brought about such…wonderful thoughts…" He hummed in mild annoyance as his fingers slipped, causing the braid he'd so carefully woven to unravel, much to his dismay…or delight. "Oh, dear… It appears I've messed up." He smiled mischievously as Sofia laughed. "I suppose I'll just have to…start all over."

The princess couldn't help smiling as she sighed in content. "I'm not complaining…" She set the completed speech aside and gathered one of his pillows into her arms instead, resting her head against it. "You can play with my hair as much as you want."

He chuckled softly. "Careful what you say, Sofia… I'll gladly take you up on that offer."

Sofia giggled quietly. "I'm counting on it…"

About an hour later, Wormwood returned to the workshop, but he found it empty. "Hmm. Perhaps the princess got annoyed with his frantic antics and decided to ditch him. I wouldn't blame her one bit in this case…" He smirked. "And he's probably sulking or something. This I've got to see…" He flew toward Cedric's bedchambers, the door to the room ajar enough for him to slip inside. The raven had to stifle a choked gasp as he landed on a dresser.

Cedric and Sofia were both fast asleep. She was facing away from him, a pleasant smile on her face as she held one of his hands, his arm securely tucked over her waist. Her newly braided hair was draped over a few pillows, spilling onto the sorcerer's bed. And as they were sleeping, Cedric's head was resting comfortably on top of hers.

"Oh, you must be joking…" Wormwood huffed as he flew down to the bed, making his way toward the sleeping sorcerer. "You leave them alone for a while, and they are already acting like 'cuddle buddies.' Ugh." He hopped onto Cedric's shoulder and not-so-gently raked his talon across his neck to get his attention.

"Mm, be gentle, Sofia," Cedric murmured with a soft smile, pulling the sleeping princess closer.

"Oh, for goodness—wake up!"

Both partners bolted up in surprise, but not before accidentally knocking each other in the head. They exchanged glances before blushing as they noticed the raven glaring at them, one talon tapping impatiently on the covers, and his wings as "folded" as they could possibly be.

"W-Wormy!" Cedric yelped, laughing nervously. "W-Where are the girls?"

"With your sister…thank goodness." He gestured toward the two of them. "Mind explaining what led to this?"

"We were just sleeping, Wormwood," Sofia yawned, stretching a bit and smiling. "I was helping Cedric write his speech, and he was playing with my hair. We eventually got tired and decided to take a nap."

"…I love how nonchalantly you explained that." The raven smirked. "Well, at least it was me finding you curled up on Cedric's bed and in his arms than your father or mother, right?"

The princess just smiled sweetly toward the bird. "I know what you're trying to do, Wormwood, but Mom and Dad know that we spend a lot of time together. They probably wouldn't be too surprised to see that we fell asleep doing some work."

Wormwood cleared his throat. "Right. Work…" He rolled his eyes. "Aren't you two the least bit embarrassed or anything?"

"Wormy, lighten up," Cedric remarked playfully pulling Sofia into a side hug, causing her to giggle. "The only one embarrassed here is you."

"Ugh, yes, embarrassed to see my former 'master' cuddling with our former enemy. You, sir, are a disgrace to all former villains."

Sofia laughed. "Oh, come on, Wormwood… Where's your sense of humor?"

"The same place where Cedric's lack of confidence is. Which, by the way, seems to be getting out of hand… Though I'm beginning to wonder…" He groaned as he noticed Cedric whispering something to the princess, causing her to giggle gently. "Would you stop that?! Things are getting a bit too strange for my taste. Whatever potion you drank, it's time to undo it."

The princess snickered as Cedric brushed her fingers with his. "What are you talking about, Wormwood? It was a confidence potion. It…definitely made him more confident."

"Sofia, you don't understand… Don't you think he's giving you specifically a little too much attention for a mere 'confidence' potion?" The raven narrowed his eyes at the princess, who was currently distracted by Cedric caressing her cheek. "Sofia!"

"Huh?" Sofia laughed as she playfully batted Cedric's hands away before turning her attention back to Wormwood. "I honestly don't really mind the extra attention, Wormwood."

He rolled his eyes so hard that he nearly gave himself a headache. "Of course you don't," he scoffed. "I hate to break it to you, Princess, but this doesn't seem to be the doing of a confidence potion. It's almost as though he drank a suave potion instead. The first person the one who drinks such a thing comes in contact with instantly becomes the focus of all his or her affection." He nodded sarcastically toward them. "Case in point…"

She blinked. "A suave potion?" She instantly recalled Cedric's previous comment about the color of the liquid, where it was more of a light purple than a dark blue, like it was supposed to be. "He dropped lavender into the cauldron by accident…" She glanced at the impatient raven. "Wormwood, what color is a suave potion, exactly?"

The bird sighed. "Lavender, of course. It has the same ingredients as the confidence potion, but with a bit of lavender and perhaps any other sweeter fragrance." He shook his head as she gaped at him. "You became a sorceress of your own accord a few years ago. You should know the difference between those potions by now, shouldn't you?"

She laughed sheepishly. "Well…"

"Ohh, a suave potion actually makes sense," Cedric mumbled before shrugging. "Ah, well. Maybe it's a good thing…" He smiled fondly toward his partner, who blushed again.

"C-Cedric, as much as I don't mind the…affection and the attention…" She smiled gently, reaching up to caress his cheek. "I kind of miss my Cedric… The sometimes-shy, always-sweet, endearing but not overly amorous Cedric…" She smirked as he sighed. "Besides, I think we've learned an important lesson here. You definitely need to make sure you use the right potion if you're still going to do that for the Sorcery Seminar. I'd rather you not get all 'suave' with the wrong people…"

"Yes, imagine this happening with Malango the Magnanimous?" Wormwood shuddered. "I'd have nightmares for months."

Cedric sighed dramatically. "Fine… If I must."

Several minutes later, with Wormwood's guidance, Sofia had created a reversal potion, which was milky white in comparison to the suave potion. She passed it off to Cedric, nodding with a small smile as he took it hesitantly and drank it swiftly.

Cedric set the vial down and immediately turned to Sofia, blushing darkly. "S-Sofia… I am so very sorry if whatever I've done or said in the last few hours made you uncomfortable. I remember everything, and even I'm a bit uncomfortable…"

She smiled sweetly. "Why would I be uncomfortable, Cedric? Because you treated me so kindly and affectionally? Because you were gentle and sweet?" She caressed his cheek yet again, laughing softly as she felt his burning skin beneath her fingers. "I didn't mind it one bit, my darling. I think you know that." She kissed his other cheek once before smiling knowingly at him, causing him to blink. "I'm going to check on the girls. You guys be good." With that, she left, closing the workshop door behind her.

Wormwood sighed heavily before glancing toward the sorcerer, who seemed to be transfixed by the closed door before him. "Oh, don't tell me you're still under the effects of the suave potion…"

Cedric shook his head before lifting a hand to touch the cheek Sofia had kissed. "No… But I might be under the effects of…something else…" With that, he slowly smiled.

The end