Cedric made it his solemn duty to impress the king with his gentlemanly approach to wooing Sofia. He didn't need to court her at all, they already were deeply in love but he needed to prove himself to Roland. It had spread like a plague around the castle what was going on with the youngest princess and the sorcerer and even if no one had told them it was hard to ignore. Wherever Sofia was, Cedric was not far behind or the other way around, and the two were not short on being amorous with the other. Of course they never took it too far, Cedric only kissed her hand or cheek. Still for the staff that adored the little princess it was odd but especially so for Baileywick. He had grown to like Cedric with time, respect him, appreciate him, sometimes admire him, but he hadn't a clue his love for Sofia ran so deep.

He might have guessed so for Sofia, as she was endlessly in awe with the magician but for him? It appeared no one suspected his feelings for her went past friendship, that he was far too mature and sensible to even consider it and that she was nothing but his friend, that he could not see her as anything else. Even if he had felt anything they might have thought he would keep it inside but shock of all shocks he did not. Baileywick's mouth hung open when he heard that Cedric had outright proposed to her in front of the whole royal family. That took a lot of nerve, he would admit, and could have gone more than poorly for the man. Being fired would have been the nicest thing that would have happened, it was a surprise Roland was not so insulted that he said some things unbecoming of a king.

Baileywick supposed he understood why the king had not blown off his top and he thought it was a combination of being around his family, Sofia's pleading, the twins and his own wife standing up for Cedric, but most of all Cedric's own actions. One of the only reasons to even be mad was because of what Cedric was which was undeniably not of royal blood at all. His family line traced back to nothing but powerful magic wielders. Of course his age was another huge topic but neither in the couple even bat an eye at the large number representing his age. He wasn't mad that Cedric dared ask him at all mostly because it was done courteously but with enough shame that marked him as a low person before the high standing royals. It took everything in Cedric's system to not collapse from the stressful situation he had placed himself in and he was true in his wording and intentions. He meant well and he even admitted fully to at first even being revolted by his own love for her. That alone made it very hard for Roland to even be angry. He didn't feel an ounce of rage just confusion.

He watched them when he could and saw the light in Sofia's eyes shine harder than the brightest diamond and that glow he had almost ignored once now outlined her entirely. Sofia was always a chipper, giddy person, her gay prancing about and sweet laughter was normal but it was in Cedric he saw a change. Admittedly he thought it would be awkward for the man to perform as a romancer but he did it as if it was second nature. He didn't even seem to notice whenever he was being observed, he was too in love with her, so deeply enraptured with each other that they noticed not much else. They took long walks together, hooked arm in arm, gazing adoringly into each other's eyes, whispering words of nothing but the purest romantic things or just everyday casual chat. Nobody had seen Cedric smile like that, sigh like that, act like that. Suddenly the way he said my dear to her had a different ring to it and maybe it always did but they were noticing it now.

Roland had to be coerced into allowing them to be alone in his workshop but really only because Sofia looked like it would devastate her to not see him work. There was no denying those big blue eyes looking so downcast at the mere thought of not being around him. He made Cedric swear not to do anything and without missing a beat he did and he kept his word. Since then he had done nothing more than a quick kiss on the lips. It was torture to him to not be able to touch her and kiss her for prolonged times or do more than that but he had promised and he did not want to ruin this rare chance. He had to be on his best behavior. It was vexing at times, they both longed for that ability to act upon their heart's desires, but it would be worth it in the end.

It was enough for Sofia just to be near him, hold his hand, hear him whisper sweet nothings, though she would not lie that she had missed the familiar intimacy they had, now stolen because all eyes were on him. It was no wonder Amber did what she did with her suitors and never really spoke about them. It could be a little frustrating to shackle yourself down and act the role of a prim, proper princess. Sofia was never an ordinary princess, she would counteract the rules set before her, break the mold set for hundreds of years. Conformity was not for her, she had grown up believing she was capable of anything and could do anything, so she always questioned the logic before her. Thus women of power could now participate in sports, dangerous adventures, and dress in unique ways. If Sofia wants to wear pants then she would but, in this case, she must obey, like it or not. She was assisting with folding the laundry that would go into her room when Baileywick just blurted out a question that had been on his mind since this all started.

"Do you really love him Sofia?"

She turned her head up to him and smiled. "Yes, of course. I love him very much."

He pondered this for a moment, continuing his folding then paused. "And does he really love you? Does he respect your wishes?"

She blinked at him, a bit taken back. "He loves me as truly as any man has ever loved a woman. He treats me like one, a woman I mean, so I would call that respect. Why are you asking? Do you doubt us...? It's beginning to wear on me that I have to explain to everyone that Cedric is who my heart chose and his chose mine, no matter what. Please...please stop focusing so much on what he is... we never cared. It's just that simple."

"Oh Sofia, I didn't mean to upset you," Baileywick calmly explained, touching her back. To him this was the child he never had and though he loved James and Amber, Sofia held a special place in his heart. In that he felt he had to protect her from things but it seemed she already had her knight. "I'm just worried, is all. I've seen Cedric before you knew he existed and I have come to accept him slowly over time. It's hard for me, for anyone really, to understand this. However, that being said, there have been a lot of romances like yours in the history of Enchancia, just not too many during my time."

"There have been?"

"Oh yes of course, the earliest I could think of is your great great grandfather. He married three times I believe but his second wife, Wilhelmina, was the youngest he had but you see back then it was more custom to marry off your young daughters to older kings. It was a way to secure their future, some were even promised off before they were born. These days it's more based off of choice."

"Then why is my own choice being so limited? Do people think I'll just up and stop loving him then move onto someone more appropriate for me? Why is it no one thinks he's okay...that there is something wrong with our love?"

"You have to try and understand this from the perspective of those around you. We don't think he's a bad man, honestly ever since he changed he's been quite the opposite, but it's still unheard of for someone that age to be with someone your age in these times. That being said, Sofia, I don't think anyone will be against you. The fact that King Roland is mulling it over at all means it's worth his time, if he meant to say no believe me he would have said no. Just give it some time, he will warm up to the idea."

"Have you...?"

Baileywick breathed in deeply then as he breathed out he smiled. "It may take a while for me as well but as long as you are happy then I don't suppose I mind. I know him well, and he wouldn't harm you even if he was forced to. I know he will take good care of you at least."

Sofia wasn't sure if this was a positive thing entirely, this truly meant that all that was holding him back was the obvious. She tried to be understanding as she always was, to see it from their viewpoint, to assess it the way they were but the only one who was having trouble with it was the one person who they needed to approve of it. She gave it her all to understand the whole age and rank thing, those two big road blocks that were all anyone saw. She couldn't. So she tried instead to think about how he was and how he had tried to take over the kingdom. It took such a long time for Roland to fully trust him but he had come through again and again. So she was stuck pondering it all, pacing about the outside of her castle.

Her sister was on a date with Axel not that far away, he was rowing her in one of the large row boats on the lake while she relaxed, leaned back in her large summer hat. Sofia had rarely ever envied her siblings for any reason but in some respect now she did. Axel most likely didn't even need to ask permission to court her and nobody was watching them. Sofia let out a long exasperated sigh, both because of the situation and because it was exceedingly hot out. Too hot for these fancy dresses, she wasn't sure how Amber was surviving in her mountains of green colored cloth. She was taken out of her sudden and unbefitting gloom by Cedric, leaning before her with a grin.

"Hello beautiful. I have a little gift for you."

That made her eyes twinkle again and no longer did she think upon anything more than her excitement about a surprise from him. He pulled out a vibrantly bright bouquet of flowers from behind his back, the petals within inches of her nose so she could smell them. When she reached for them, thanking him for such a wonderful present, the flowers started moving suddenly in a strange way. They started leaping off of the stems and became a hoard of gorgeous butterflies, fluttering about her, playing with her hair and tickling her face. Her light laughter flowed from her, she was happy as could be, twirling in the sea of fast flying colors. They attached themselves to her body, wings still moving, causing a tickle about her then their wings stopped and she noticed her dress shortening in length. Now she was wearing an entirely different dress, one with the array of hues, and stationary butterflies decorating her hemline and one on her chest.

She excitedly squealed, turning around and around, the sunlight catching on each of the colors making her feel like a rainbow. "Oh my god this is amazing! Truly amazing! And it feels so...breathable, I don't feel so hot in this new dress. Oh how do you do it? You exceed expectation again and again."

He chuckled, a bit full of himself thanks to that. "Well it was nothing for me, really. Turning flowers into butterflies is an easy enough spell, turning butterflies into clothing is more advanced but for the sensational Cedric, an easy task. Impressive, isn't it?"

"Yes yes yes! Very much so! Can I keep the dress or will it turn back into butterflies?"

"It's a gown now permanently. Not that you need any more but I thought you could use a shorter one. It's disgustingly hot today, so much so I'm almost tempted to rid myself of my robes."

"Then let's take it off," Sofia suggested, loosening the front tie on his robe with ease. She was reaching up to help him take it off entirely when he stopped her with his hand. "What? Do you really want to keep it on so badly?"

"Yes and no. It's been a comfort to me for many years, something for me to hide in. Now that I'm with you I feel like I shouldn't hide anymore. Not that I'm ever getting rid of my robe but still. I'm only stopping you so I can do it myself. If you do it then... it would make things... well...I'd...Oh just let me do it."

Sofia backed off from her task, unsure by what he meant. She was too innocent to understand that Cedric couldn't be touched by her like that, to have her remove his clothing, even just something so simple. He had been withholding from his innermost wants, ridding his mind of them as much as possible, but if she did that it would make it harder on him. Her beauty was a blessing but it was in some regard a curse, like a rose with too many thorns, every time he went to hold her he got pricked by his conscious. He had to keep himself somewhat distant and they both knew that but that didn't mean Sofia always understood. Regardless of their previous actions she was still naïve to a lot of things. Once his robe was off and hung on a tree, he rolled up his sleeves under her attentive gaze. Even that was a bit much for him.

"See isn't that much better?"

"I still feel hot..." He responded but murmured under his breath, "though not for the reason you think."

She didn't hear a word he said, either that or she didn't get it. Sofia just took his hand in hers and walked with him to the gazebo so they'd be under some shade. There they sat and enjoyed each other's company as well as some food Cedric conjured up, mostly confectionery since Sofia loved sweets. Unbeknownst to them Roland was on watch duty right now, peering through the curtains at them. Sofia was laughing, Cedric had just finished a joke. Roland was startled by his wife tapping him on the back.

"Oh Miranda, sweetie. Don't you look lovely today."

"What are you doing?" She asked with suspicion in her voice.

"I'm just looking outside that's all. Isn't it a wonderful day? We should go out and enjoy it."

"And then casually drop by Sofia and interrupt her date?" Miranda hinted with a raised brow.

"I didn't have any intention of such a thing. I didn't even know she was outside."

"Roland, of all the things you are great at, lying isn't one of them."

He let out a sigh. "Alright, you've caught me. I can't get anything past you. It's true...I was watching them but that's what I said I'd do. I have to make sure-"

"Of what, honey? Why does that man have to prove anything anymore? Hasn't he done more than enough? I trust him, your children trust him, it's only you who seems not to, at least not enough to trust him with handling being a good husband."

Roland shifted his vision to back out the window, viewing his daughter and Cedric, hands intertwined, eyes only for each other, nothing but smiles all around. Then far off into the distance he could see his other daughter and Axel and begun to ask himself why he was not concerned about them. Were they any different? What would happen if Cedric happened to be of age, at the very oldest 20? Axel was about that age and Amber was sixteen, almost seventeen her birthday would be within a few weeks. Why did sixteen feel like an okay age but fifteen felt so young? He had no clue what Amber was up to unless she was literally in front of him and he usually paid her no mind. Perhaps it was that Amber felt more grown up and womanly in comparison to Sofia, whose earnest good spirit and wonderment made her seem young. Her purity made her seem like a baby almost and Cedric seemed, thanks to genetics and stress, ten years older than he was. Thus it was like a small white baby bird and a giant black crow. Something about that may have come off as wrong to him.

Seeing them now as they were removed that. Cedric seemed just as youthful and lively, all of this sprung forth from knowing her and being around her. Roland had to put it out of his mind somehow that this man was about his age for that was the biggest thing in his mind but no one else seemed to care about it but him. He wondered why when her own mother approved of it and if the roles were reversed and she was in control they might already be planning their wedding right now with an eager Amber by their side. This was her birth child and she gave it very little thought. Why, he wondered, was it such a simple task for everyone else but him? As he was about to answer that question, he heard a lot of ruckus, the front door had been opened as if someone was barging in and there were rapid footsteps. He and Miranda knew this conversation would have to wait for another time, whatever was going on was more important.

When the king and queen made it into the main room, they almost collided with someone who was running towards them, clutching a scroll or some sort of parchment in his hand. He seemed to be of slight high standing but not a nobleman, just a high ranking servant. Roland grabbed him by his shoulders and urged him to calm down and explain what was going on. The man was able to pull himself together, breathing slowing down over time. He took off his plum colored feathered hat and began to fan himself with it. It was obvious the heat and running so fast and so much had gotten to him. They both felt bad for him and sat him down, ordering a cool glass of water for him. The maid immediately went to go fetch it and when she brought it back, he thanked all of them for their kindness before gulping it all down in seconds.

"Forgive me, your highnesses, for the sudden intrusion but it was an emergency. I am Reginald, a royal messenger of the kingdom of Brightland and I have a message from my king and queen. They told me it was imperative you read it and that I best be quick getting it to you or else."

Reginald handed over the crushed up scroll to Roland who undid the red ribbon and began to read it, though not aloud. Miranda peeked over his shoulder and read it too and as they followed the words their eyes rounded. Suddenly nothing else in the world mattered besides what those words had spelled out to them both. Roland had heard of this kingdom though briefly and there was some bad blood between them from long long ago from their ancestors. Nothing had come of it for a long time since there had been a temporary armistice but now that was over and it seemed the new rulers had a proposition to make, one that laid heavily on them, and one that would decide everything about not just the future of their kingdom but of Sofia's as well.

After excusing himself and relieving the messenger, Roland went and sat in his office reading and re-reading the message, every muscle on him was taut, every nerve in bundles. It was the most complicated thing he had to deal with and it was tied with the other, in retrospect, less complicated thing he was already dealing with. He didn't know how or when to talk to Sofia about this since it concerned her in depth. There were already a lot of things going on in her life, too many things including the most recent one, and he didn't want to put more on her but the alternative was going to put her and his entire kingdom in terrible danger.

How exactly the letter was written was lengthy and as cordial as could be for what it was saying but it boiled down to this; they wanted to grow the wealth and posterity of their kingdom by conjoining it with Enchancia. Their way of doing this was to marry off Sofia to their eldest son, thus making her the queen of Brightland. There were obvious complications with that. The most obvious was Cedric and her affections with him. Roland had not approved of them and if he did then his problems might be resolved but it was the opposite because their options laid out were either marry off Sofia or they would start a war and claim Enchancia for themselves.