The Cradle Will Rock
Summary: Sofia is abducted in the dead of night by none other than Greeneyes, an evil enchantress who has plans for the princess's unborn child.
Disclaimer: I own the villain Greeneyes, Angel, Corban, and Alamea (whether or not they end up being mentioned in here). Nana and Tanya belong to MarionetteJ2X.
A/N: *WARNING* While this chapter isn't as graphic as the previous one, there is still the gory element, not to mention the physical, emotional, and mental strain that Sofia will begin to suffer even more toward the end. Just keep that in mind.
Chapter 4: Unbound
"We are about four miles from her, according to the tracking spell," Merlin informed Cedric as the AutoCoach soared at a hyper-speed at which it had never been tested to operate before. "A place called No Man's Island. I've heard rumors about it: the locals say that no men ever survive on it; it's a magical island, so it could have some strange opposition to us… And others say it's simply because no human lives there—"
"To be frank, Merlin, I honestly don't care," Cedric interjected, his voice clearly shaky as he glared out the window at the passing foliage beneath them. "Not to be rude, but I care only about finding Sofia and discovering the vapid miscreant who took her in the first place, and why."
"No offense taken. I was just trying to make conversation." The older man smiled disarmingly as Cedric finally turned to face him. "I know you're worried for Sofia. I am as well… But it's a different level of worry now that she's your wife, and plus, of course, you are worried about your child as well…"
The younger sorcerer sighed and nodded, and he even smiled a little in appreciation as the wizard patted his hand. "Thanks, Merlin… I just want to find her, take her home, and keep her safe…"
"I know you do. We'll find her. Don't you worry."
Upon arrival to the island, Cedric and Merlin looked around, noticing that for miles, there was nothing but the sea. Before them was a looming stone building, no windows whatsoever, and with obvious weathering patterns along the surface of the building.
Cedric pulled his wand from his robe, having felt it reacting to something, and he gasped as he recognized what it was doing. "I think it's finally latched onto Sofia's amulet."
"Let's not waste time then," Merlin insisted. "Let's go!"
As they were navigating the interior of the building, their footfalls echoing off the large expanse of space, and the sound of water dripping all throughout the area, Cedric's wand reacted more strongly the closer they drew to the captured princess.
As soon as they'd reached what appeared to be a locked door, Greeneyes appeared in front of them, blasting both magic wielders back with some of her own powerful magic, knocking them into the hard stone wall and causing them to groan in pain. She smirked, tapping her fingers against her forearm, from which the baby's encased form was dangling (and neither Cedric nor Merlin noticed). "Here to rescue a certain princess, are you?"
"What have you done with her?" Cedric snarled, pulling himself to his feet, ready to strike her. "Give her back to me!"
"Oh, you just want her, then?" She nodded, seeming almost contemplative as she hummed. "Yes, I suppose I could make that happen…if you can handle me."
Merlin and Cedric, sparing only a quick nod toward each other, called out a powerful spell and knocked the woman away from the door. They watched as she sat up, obviously injured from having knocked her head against the stone floor, and her lip appeared to be bleeding as well.
She laughed, wiping the blood from her mouth. "You want the princess that badly? Fine…" She held her precious cargo closer, smirking. "I've got what I wanted anyway…" With a snap of her fingers, the door to the darkened room unlocked and opened, and Greeneyes vanished.
"Is it just me, or was that too easy?" Merlin watched as Cedric hastened into the room without waiting for him. "Cedric, wait! It could be a trap!" He hurried after the other magic wielder, stopping immediately as the sorcerer paused in front of him, staring down at a horrid sight, the color draining out of his face.
Sofia was lying limply in that same chair, a bloody white sheet covering her body. Her lips were blue, and her eyes were closed. She looked…
Cedric dropped to his knees next to his wife, reaching out with a shaky hand to brush his fingers along her cold cheek, and he released a soft sigh of relief as the princess moaned in pain, before the tears started streaking down her face again. "Sofia, my love, we're here… Merlin and I are here to take you home."
"C-Cedric?" she asked quietly, her voice clearly raspy and her normally cheerful spirit just gone. After experiencing the previous torture that completely mutilated some of her body, she was in a state of shock and disbelief. "Sh-She's gone…"
"Yes, Sofia… We saw that horrible woman in the hallway. We know she was the one who took you, but you're safe now. We injured her, and she vanished. And now, we're going to get you home."
Sofia's entire demeanor grew even worse, a sharp sob racking her broken body as she realized that he hadn't understood... "No, Cedric… She's gone…"
Finally, the bloody sheet registered in Cedric's brain as he looked at the crumpled white fabric draped over the princess's shaking body. "No…" His skin grew pale as he hesitantly lifted the sheet, only to feel nauseated as he saw what had been done to her abdomen. It was slit open, blood pooling around her and along her body, some vital organs exposed to the air, and clearly the injury was leading to the start of an infection. "Sofia…" He felt tears falling down his own face as he looked back at the princess. "N-No…"
Merlin, thinking quickly, gently moved Cedric aside as he held a hand over the princess, healing her wound and magically sealing her up to avoid further exposure. Granted, she'd still lost a significant amount of blood, so the best thing to do would be to get her somewhere warmer and work on a magical transfusion or something. Otherwise, Princess Sofia was going to die.
Reality was hitting Cedric hard as he found Sofia's hand, clinging to it for dear life, some of her own blood smearing his gloves and robe. That woman had taken their unborn child… He glanced up at Merlin, his brows furrowed and his eyes narrowing. "Do you know who that woman was?"
"Greeneyes," Sofia whispered, whimpering as both men glanced back at her. "Sh-She called herself…Greeneyes…"
Cedric gaped at her. They'd heard about this woman from Artie, of course, but never had he expected her to look like such a…typical villain. Looks could be deceiving, of course, but… He looked back toward Sofia, who seemed so utterly lost and hopeless, and leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "Don't worry, my love… We'll find her, and she will pay for this. I promise you…" Even holding her hand and trying to comfort her, he could still feel the rage rushing through him. He couldn't act on it now, though, not when Sofia was in such a horrible state.
Merlin stepped in, seeing how unnerved and angry Cedric was. "First, we take care of the princess. Then, we'll deal with Greeneyes…"
To be continued…
Next Chapter: Emerald Eyes