Family Can Come As If By Magic
Chapter 25
Fear was all consuming as a faceless figure ran as if it's life depended on it, panting as it looked around in hopes escaping the shadows that were shouting and screaming.
"WORTHLESS! USELESS! BASTARD! ORPHAN! LOSER! WITCH! SHOULD HAVE THE KING BURN YOU AT THE STAKE! DISAPPOINTMENT!"
The figure tried out run the horrid words but it seem like there was no end in sight until a mirror appeared in front of it, wary the figure carefully comes up to the mirror, only to see... two images of a girl staring back at them.
One girl was dressed in a simple dress and apron, reddish hair and bright blue eyes, the other was dressed as a sorceress, with long dark wavy hair and bright green eyes.
The figure stares at them at both confused and curious as two girls look back calmly, but the without warning the two girl suddenly started to forcibly merge into a bloody mess of two halves as silent screams of pain on their faces as blood poured from their eyes, noses and mouths and ears, as the figure watched in horror, after a moment the now fused girls collapsed onto the floor, concerned the figure came closer to the mirror only freeze in pure terror as a bloodily hand reached out and grabbed the figure, forcibly pulling itself up to so they stood face to face a bloodily mess of a sinister smile on their fused faces.
"Who are you?" The figure asked heart beating rapidly as the fusion pulled them closer until it could whisper into it's ear.
"I am YOU!" The girls their distorted voices shouted .
Sofia woke up with a start, panting, putting her hands on her chest as she tried to breath try prevent the panic attack from taking hold, but tightness and pain didn't go away as she started to cry in fear as horrific images and words in her nightmare were still fresh in her mind.
"Sofia, breath, it was just a nightmare, just follow my breathing, in...out...in...out, that's it, keep going." Cedric says firmly as he moved from kneeling on floor to laying beside his distressed child wrapping an arm around her trembling body, his eyes shining with concern and exhaustion as he helps Sofia ride the worse of the panic attack as smoothly as possible.
After what felt like eternity, Sofia finally relaxed, physically, mentally, emotionally drained, but didn't fall back asleep for out of fear of returning to realm of dreams as she leans into Cedric's arms, closing her eyes as he started to run his fingers through her hair.
The sound of pound on his work shop door was woke Cedric from his sleep as he groans in discomfort as his neck cramped up from awkwardly sleeping in a small teenager sized bed, after carefully slipping out his arm from under Sofia's head, he quickly wakes down the stairs and with a grumpy scowl on his face, wretches the door open only reveal a frantic Amber.
"Uncle Cedric! Please come quick it's Maddie, she is extremely unwell, Mom and Dad already sent for the doctor, but want you to check her over, please hurry!"
At hearing this all exhaustion left Cedric as he summons his wand and potion bag.
"Go get your brother and stay with Sofia, she is currently sleeping right now, but if she wakes up, explain to her that I had to go see to your sister."
With that said Cedric disappears a puff of smoke and soon appears in front of youngest royal's door, without waiting for an invitation, he burst in and quickly makes his way towards the screaming and crying child, he does a quick scan with his wand, his face white as a sheet as he quickly scoops the now whimpering girl, completely ignoring Roland and Lorelei frantic questions as he books it towards the castle entrance, where he saw Baileywick greeting the doctor.
"Madeline of Enchancia, age 8, acute appendicitis, she needs to go to hospital, now!" Cedric said this in a hurry as he surrenders his young niece to other man, who was quick to take the carriage with both Lorelei and Roland following after them, while Cedric and Baileywick watched silently praying for Madeline's recovery.
Baileywick sighs heavily as he closes doors, turning to speak with Cedric only find the man slumped to floor, his face ashen, hand shaking as he stares off into the distance his breath coming in short burst.
Alarmed Baileywick quickly kneels down to Cedric's level, taking care to make his movements known as he firmly grabs the shaking hands in his own, making sure to keep eye contact at all times.
"I need you to focus on your breathing, Cedric, breath deeply for me, in...out...in...out...in...out...that it, keep going, good boy."
After a moment Cedric finally got his breathing under control, he did something he hasn't since he was small, he embraces Baileywick tightly and cries into the older man's shoulder.
A bit stunned by the action at first Baileywick quickly returns the action, familiar with sometimes having to reassure children in past, he smiles sadly as a memory from what seem like a lifetime ago came to the surface.
A slightly younger Baileywick was busy checking his list when he heard what sounded like crying coming from the alcoves, thinking that it was Prince Roland crying because his father scolded him harshly once again, he was surprised to find that it was Cedric.
"Young Cedric, what has you in such a state?" he asked softly kneeling down to the smaller child's level.
The young magic user said nothing he continued to crying, nearly hyperventilating in the process.
Without much thought, Baileywick simply embraces the child, who clings to him tightly, still crying.
"Take a deep breath, Cedric, that's it deep breaths, there now all better?" He asked gently as the child started to calm down, but didn't remove himself from the embrace.
For a while nothing was said, until Cedric decided to gently pulls himself out of the embrace, muttering a quickly thanks before leaving behind a bewildered steward, who just smiled and returns to his regular duties as if nothing happened.
Baileywick quickly returns to the present as Cedric was now calmed down, looking a little embarrassed by his actions, but the steward just smiles in a reassurance.
"I am sorry about that, I am not sure what came over me, I thought I had put that particular part of my past behind me, but I guess some scars never heal right, even with time." Cedric said mutter the last part out loud to himself.
Confused and curious by this Baileywick asked.
"What do you mean?"
Cedric flinches a bit, as if he had briefly forgotten about the Stewards presence.
"Cedric...tell me, please." Baileywick said.
Seeing no choice he decided to tell the man.
"Years ago when I was a young child, my sister and I were playing a simple game of dazzle ball, when I kicked it, the ball hit her hard in stomach, she was a bit winded but recovers quickly and we thought nothing of it, but over the next few days she started to complain of stomach pains, vomiting and tenderness, at first our parents dismissed it as the flu, but when she didn't show signs of improvement, my father decided to finally perform a magical medical scan and his face was ashen, as he quickly whisk her to the hospital, as it turns out her spleen was severely injured from the force of the ball, she had to have life saving surgery to remove it, nearly dying in process, but thankfully she recovered, but when I found out about it, even though I know now it wasn't my fault and that was an accident, I blamed myself for years, I even tried to stop playing dazzle ball, but Roland persisted and after talking with Cordelia, as it turns out she never blamed me for what happened, saying that it was an accident, I slowly came to terms with it, but I guess it still haunts me. Just seeing Madeline like that reminded me of what happened with my sister."
"But she will be okay thanks to your quick actions, you have to forgive yourself, Cedric, it's only way to finally put it behind you completely." Baileywick states.
Cedric frowns a bit, turning his gaze from Baileywick's, before getting to his feet once more, seeing that Baileywick was doing the same, he straights his robes a bit before turning his attention back to Baileywick.
"Baileywick, do you recall when Madeline started to become unwell?" He asked.
The steward rubs his chin in thought, saying, "Hmm, I think it was 2 days ago, she was wincing holding her left side in discomfort when I asked her about, claiming that she pulled a muscle playing dazzle ball with her siblings, I just had an heated water bottle brought to her at bedtime, then the next morning she came down to breakfast, I notice that she wasn't eating at all, again she claimed that it she wasn't hungry and left for school, when she came home, she looked as pale as a sheet and when I felt her forehead she was warm, so I sent her to bed, when I told her parents they went up with me to check on her, when we heard a blood curling scream which was loud enough to alert the twins, we burst in and she was curled up on the floor screaming, clutching her stomach in agony, with great care Roland helped her back into bed, he notice that she was burning up, I sent Amber to alert you. How is Sofia doing by the way?" he asked curious and concerned.
"She is currently in my rooms, I left her with Amber and James, she had a rough session yesterday and is exhausted, speaking of which I have to get back to her." Cedric states as he turns to walk away and head back to his child, paying no mind to the second set of footstep following after him.
Meanwhile Roland and Lorelei sat across from the doctor who was holding their unconscious child as still as possible in a carriage, internally frantic as the man kept his finger on her pulse, muttering something French.
Finally after what felt like an eternity, the carriage arrives at the hospital, the man was out like a shot as he started to scream orders in both French and English as he quickly sets the child onto the gurney, and books down to the Operation theater along with some nurses and doctors, leaving the Royal parents waiting and praying outside it's doors.
A few agonizing hours later found both King and Queen sitting a private hospital room, watching their youngest child lay asleep peacefully, the surgery was successful, but the doctor did emphasized that if wasn't for their sorcerer's quick actions, things could have gone a different direction, they did understand, but right now they were just relieved knowing that Madeline was finally on mend.
Back at the castle, Cedric looks around his small living room, that was now occupied by 3 small sleeping bags that held both his oldest niece and nephew, who laid on either side of his daughter, all fast asleep as he looks back to the last few hours.
Earlier...
Cedric followed by Baileywick walked up the staircase leading to his tower, he opens the door, giving a quick greeting to Wormwood, before making his way towards the stairs of his sleeping and living quarters, Baileywick follows him silence as a mouse.
Opening the he barely made pass the threshold, when he was tackled by an upset Sofia, with the twins standing behind her, their expressions tired and torn as they watch as Cedric holds Sofia close, while looking at the twins, he notice their expressions as he reaches out to them, wanting to join in a group hug.
They didn't disappoint as Cedric soon was surrounded by three anxious, very tired teens, looking back to Baileywick they had silence conversation before the steward nods and leaves, while Cedric leads the kids back inside and conjurors up some sleeping bags for them, knowing that they wouldn't want to leave Sofia's side, while waiting for any news about Madeline, he then makes some hot chocolate with a mild sleeping potion mixed in and gives it to them, once they started to yawn, he directions to them sleeping bags and soon they were out like a light.
Present time...
Cedric was about to doze off on the couch when a knock startles him wake, he looks to sleep bundles before going to answer the door to see an exhausted Baileywick standing there.
"All is well, Princess Madeline is going to make a full recovery." Cedric let's out a breath he didn't know he had been holding as he nods, quickly thanking him before closing the door and going to lay back down on the couch, feeling a little bit lighter as he finally falls asleep.