Royal Rumble

Summary: Enchancia is hosting a competition called the Royal Rumble between their kingdom (as well as a few visiting members) and another kingdom called Carpus. However, what starts off as friendly rivalry quickly descends into madness as members from the opposing team start causing unnecessary drama and chaos. (Collab with MarionetteJ2X)

Disclaimer: Oh, boy… lol. I own the following: Corban, Alamea, Sir Finlay, Gabriella, Sapphire, Davina, Zinnia, Angel, Corban's new puppy named Ollie, and (if she shows up) Nina. All other OCs (especially Nana and Tanya) and the games belong to MarionetteJ2X (except a few that were from the show), and everything else is Craig Gerber's. Phew. Haha.

A/N: Time to get some exercise going on! Whee! Haha. Cedric has no idea what he's in for. 😉

Chapter 2: Training and Sustaining

"Papa, wake up."

Cedric groaned in dismay as he felt two small pairs of hands on his back, both gently pushing on him. The tinier pair of hands soon vanished, and he then felt them reappear on his head, slowly sliding down to pat his cheeks.

He sighed and reached up, carefully pulling Nana into his arms and smiling at her as she grinned sweetly. "I'm up, I'm up." He craned his head a bit to see Tanya slip from the bed and onto the floor, her arms folded and a serious expression on her features. "Tanya, are you all right? Why did you wake me up so early?" He glanced toward a nearby clock and frowned. "It's not even 6:00 AM yet."

"Your training begins today, does it not?" she challenged, her serious look altering into a more excited one. The thought of training in any capacity sounded great to her. Perhaps it was a little bit of leftover energy from her former life in the Never Realm, but training always made her feel more in control of her life and situations around her. Perhaps it would do the same for Cedric.

"Well, yes, but…surely not this early." He yawned as Nana slipped from his arms and used his sheets to climb down to the floor. "I doubt I'd even been asleep for a few hours… My body might have been in the bed, but my mind didn't finally relax until well past midnight."

"Consider that part of your training." Tanya's voice had changed. That wasn't the voice of the little girl who looked at the sorcerer as a father figure. That was her alternate form—the former Tanya. As if on cue, she morphed into her adult form, her hands finding their way to her hips. "One must train not only the body but also the mind. I can help you with that, Cedric."

Cedric was so used to Tanya calling him 'Papa' by now that her use of his name caught him off guard. Then again, only the child form called him that, so he should not have been too surprised. "Oh, very… Very well, then, Tanya. If you say so." He sighed as he heard a knock at his workshop door. "Listen, could you take Nana with you, and you both get something to eat while I'm getting ready for the day? I'd really appreciate it."

"Of course." She smiled knowingly as he sluggishly shuffled from the bed and onto his feet instead. "Just do not go back to sleep."

"Yes, yes. Run along now." He chuckled as Nana hugged his leg before hopping into Tanya's arms, scurrying to sit on her shoulder as they left. He maneuvered into his workshop and opened the door, smiling sleepily as he saw Sofia standing there, fully dressed for the day. However, this was an outfit he'd not seen before. "Sofia…"

She wore a long-sleeved lilac button-up shirt with fanned frills at the wrists, and underneath the folded collar was a hot pink ribbon tied into a bow just above her amulet. The shirt was tucked into a dark plum pleated skirt that fell to her knees, a dark cream underlayer barely peeking out from beneath. Her skirt was fastened in place by a simple black belt with a gold buckle at her waist. A pair of dark socks stopped somewhere along her calves, and over them rested a simple pair of lace-up brown boots. Last but not least, her hair was in a style he'd never seen before: a thick bun with a heavily braided outer layer, which was wrapped around the bun. Another hot pink ribbon was tied into a bow around the bun and braid, securing both into place, with a bit of wavy hair resting against her shoulders in a "micro ponytail," as it were. Her bangs and side pieces of hair were still in their usual positions, falling elegantly into place.

"What, um…are you doing here so early?" Cedric realized she was already dressed for the day, and here he was, still in his matching dark gray pajama bottoms and button-up shirt. His hair was undoubtedly a mess, and he was definitely not even close to being alert.

"I came to get you for an early breakfast," she told him. "Angel, Desmond, and James said they were going to start training around 8:00, so you might want to hurry up and get dressed. You know James is bad about eating all the food if you're not fast enough." She laughed.

"And is your father going to be joining us in this oh-so-delightful training, or is he busy running the kingdom?" He rubbed at his eyes, yawning once.

Sofia smiled. "The second one. He said he'd do some of his own training when he can. But the other guys will be there to train with you. And so will I."

"Evidently so will Tanya." He sighed, looking at his partner tiredly. "Though she said she wants to train my mind, or whatever."

"That's actually not a bad idea," the princess admitted. "In any situation, whether in dangerous ones like we're used to or simple games like you'll participate in next month, it's good to have a clear mind. And if Tanya can provide that for you, that's even better."

"Yes," he murmured uncertainly. "I just wish she'd warn me before she changes from little Tanya to adult Tanya. I'm still not used to that."

She laughed. "Oh, that Tanya wants to help you? Good. That's progress." She pointed toward him. "Now, go get dressed."

"Couldn't I get at least ten more minutes of sleep?" he pleaded, folding his arms. "I'm so tired."

"Aw, Cedric…" Sofia stepped up toward him, her hands caressing the sides of his face before tracing down his neck. "You're tired, huh?" With a mischievous smile, she trailed her hands to his shirt, slowly unbuttoning the first few buttons, her fingers lightly brushing his skin in the process.

Cedric blushed darkly and stepped backwards, causing Sofia to laugh and retract her hands. "S-Sofia! W-What are you doing?"

"Oh, you're awake now, huh?" She grinned at his flushed features. "I figured it wouldn't take much." She winked as he flushed more. "Now, for the last time, go get dressed already before breakfast gets cold."

He stared at her in surprise, shaking his head. "You really are a cheeky princess, you know that?"

Sofia giggled. "You've mentioned it a few times." She folded her arms and leaned up against the wall as he retreated to his bedroom again. She rolled her eyes and laughed softly. "Oh, Cedric…"

After breakfast, the guys, Sofia, Tanya, and Nana gathered at the Enchancia Square Garden Dazzleball Field. The field wasn't in use for the time being, because the spring sports had yet to start up again since it was still late winter. Therefore, they had ample time to make the most of its availability.

Several stations were set up, including a relay area, a weightlifting area, a boulder toss area, and numerous versatile sections where any sort of training could take place over the course of the next few weeks.

"Okay, guys!" James announced with a grin as he looked at Cedric, Angel, and Desmond, who stood before him in exercise clothing: beige shirts and dark pants with simple black shoes. "If we're gonna beat Team Carpus this year, we've gotta be better than ever. Dad told me how the layout usually goes. Day one is Enchanted Horseshoe Toss. Day two is Tag-Team Triplenet. Day three is Tug-of-War. Day four is Riddle Relay. Cedric, that'll probably be your strong suit."

Cedric smirked and rolled his eyes.

The blonde continued, "Day five is Swift Swimming. Day six is Bewitched Bowling. And last but not least, day seven is Royal Roundup Race. So! I'm thinking today we should work on some simple stuff: sit-ups and pushups, maybe, just to get some minor workout in. As time goes on, we'll incorporate weightlifting, fencing, racing, and all other sorts of cool stuff."

"You say 'cool,'" Cedric quipped as he folded his arms. "I'm afraid I fail to see the excitement in any of this though."

"Look at it this way," Sofia interjected, getting their attention. "You want to beat Carpus this time, don't you?"

"Well, of course…" The sorcerer frowned. "It would be worth it, if only to see the look of shock and dismay on Zeke's face when he is—for perhaps the first time—on the losing end of something."

"Who's Zeke?" Desmond asked.

"Another sorcerer I went to Hexley Hall with, Prince Desmond." Cedric sighed. "He was a brash, disgusting, rude, selfish, arrogant insect with 'handsome' features but very little intelligence."

"Huh, sounds like a few guys I met in knight training." James grinned. "Well, there's your motivation, Ced. You want to beat this guy, right?" Seeing his friend nod, he held up one fist. "Then let's get this training going so we can beat Zed!"

Cedric snickered. "That's Zeke, actually, James…" As time had gone on, like Amber, he'd been encouraged to drop the title from the prince's name too. Unlike with Amber, he forgot every now and then, but he was slowly starting to remember to do so. Fewer barriers between them meant better communication overall, or so he felt.

"Whatever his name is!" The blonde prince laughed. "Okay, everyone spread out and stretch. We'll partner up in a bit to do sit-ups, and after that we'll do some pushups." He turned to his sister. "You're staying too, Sof?"

"Yeah, I told Cedric I'd help him train…" She smiled sheepishly. "Although he might not even need me today, though I'll stay near anyway. Since I was one of the ones encouraging him to do this, I think it's only fair. Plus, with my training as a Protector, I can probably show him a few moves."

"And perhaps I'll teach her a few moves as well," Cedric added with a small smile toward his partner, who giggled.

James smirked. "Unless those 'moves' involve yelping and running behind a tree, I don't know if you'll actually be teaching her anything…" He laughed as Cedric shot him a pointed look. "Just kidding, Cedric. Relax!"

Several minutes later, after all the guys had stretched (however questionably, especially pertaining to Cedric), they partnered up. James and Desmond decided to work together, while Angel offered to work with Cedric. Meanwhile, the girls sat off to the side, watching from the bleachers.

While Desmond was counting off for James's sit-ups, Angel was doing the same for Cedric.

"I will be the first to admit that the only sit-ups I do are when I get out of bed in the morning," Cedric told his temporary partner, who laughed as he sat with his hands firmly holding the sorcerer's feet to the ground. He hadn't even bothered trying to sit up yet, with his head in the grass and his arms off to the side. "And even those are…iffy, at best."

"Do not worry," Angel assured him. "It only takes time and focus, and you will become better. Let us start here and work to improve afterward."

"Right…" The sorcerer glanced to the side as he saw a movement from the corner of his eye. He smiled as he saw Nana waving at him and then clapping for him, and Sofia and Tanya (still in her adult form) were laughing at the little girl's enthusiasm. "I suppose…let's give this a try."

"Let them be your motivation," Angel suggested kindly. "Doing something for oneself is to be expected, and for retaliation is another. But doing something for one's family…" He shrugged as Cedric sighed thoughtfully. "That is another thing altogether."

"You're right, Angel." He nodded firmly. "Let's do this."

Ten minutes later…

"…Am I alive?"

Angel laughed and rolled his eyes before reaching out with his hand, pulling Cedric into a sitting position. "You are indeed."

"And…" He panted slowly. "How many sit-ups did I do?"

The Native boy smiled sheepishly. "Let us…not dwell on numbers, Cedric… The mere fact that you are trying is what is important."

Cedric frowned. "How many?"

"…Fifteen."

The disappointed look on the sorcerer's face was predictable. "Wow… I used to at least be able to do thirty."

"Whoo-hoo! A hundred!" James cheered from the other side of the field as Desmond laughed tiredly and sat up. "Way to go, Des!"

"Thanks," the other prince responded with a breathless grin. "It's been a while…"

Cedric pouted and groaned, flopping back into the grass again. "This is impossible…"

"No, it is not impossible," Angel countered with an encouraging smile, even as Cedric peered up at him skeptically. "It takes time. The worst thing you could do is not try. And you, Cedric, are no quitter."

"Ugh… And how did you come to that conclusion?" He draped an arm over his forehead.

"Because I have seen you go up against evil in a heartbeat, your wand wielded and your magic flowing." He nodded as the sorcerer blinked at him. "You would risk your safety to protect this kingdom, and that is admirable. If you can do that, you can do anything."

"Hmm…" He allowed a smile to cross his features again. "Thanks, Angel." Slowly, he sat up. "I suppose… Let's give it another go."

During the next ten minutes, Cedric managed to pull off twenty-five sit-ups instead of his previous fifteen. Progress, though he still wished he could do more.

"It is better to go slowly and not hurt yourself," Angel advised when Cedric expressed his desire to him. "Besides, once we switch partners, you will then do pushups, and those can be just as daunting. So do not overdo it."

He nodded. "Perhaps you're right…"

Cedric and Angel soon switched (as did James and Desmond), and they were able to practice their own set of sit-ups. While James pulled off 110, Angel managed just around seventy, all in ten minutes. Of course, James was moving much quicker due to his own knight training, and Angel wasn't really used to that sort of workout. Still, they did well in their own regards.

When time came to practice pushups, Angel partnered up with Desmond while James reunited with Cedric.

"You want to go first?" James asked with a grin as he pushed his sleeves up, snickering as Cedric folded his arms and offered him a pointed stare. "I'll take that as a 'no.'"

"As tempting as it is to get it out of the way…" He rubbed his side and abdomen. "I'd rather sit the first round out so I can stave off some of these aches."

"Oh, that's totally normal, actually." James lowered to the ground, dropping into a pushup position. "If you're hurting a bit, it means your muscles are adjusting to the new exercises. It'll become better as we practice the next few weeks. Before long, it'll feel like nothing and be totally normal for you."

"I'm not going to get my hopes up, but I appreciate your enthusiasm, James." Cedric sighed and sat down next to the prince. "Shall I count?"

The blonde nodded. "Go for it. We'll do two-minute pushup sets a piece. Sound good?"

"Do I have a choice?"

He grinned. "Start counting."

As James proceeded with his pushups and Cedric counted, Angel and Desmond were doing much the same on the other side of the field. Meanwhile, Sofia sat aside with Nana in her lap and Tanya leaning forward in anticipation a few bleacher seats down.

"Do you think we will be able to help in some way, Sofia?" Tanya asked eagerly. She really wanted to show Cedric some moves to help him out, but she also didn't want to overwhelm him on the first day of training.

"I'm sure we will, Tanya," Sofia answered with a smile. "But…maybe not today. Day one will probably be a little slow to get a schedule set. Maybe in a few days, we can step in."

"Hmm. Perhaps this is for the best." She nodded to herself before transforming back into her child form, pouting a bit at not getting to help Cedric out just yet.

The princess sighed before giggling quietly to herself. Tanya so wanted to help, and she could tell that it was difficult for her to hold back. Given her abilities, there were so many things the guys could stand to learn from the white-haired girl, but she also knew that overloading them with too much too soon would be a bad idea. It would take time to build up to the level where Tanya currently resided.

Nana yawned before leaning against Sofia's arms, falling asleep. She'd been watching her Papa exercising the last half hour (or maybe more), and just seeing all the things he had to do was exhausting to her.

"Strawbaby down for the count," Sofia laughed, leaning down and kissing her little girl's forehead. "Sleep well, Nana."

"Okay, Cedric, your turn," James indicated as he hopped to his feet, clearly feeling invigorated. He always seemed to be full of energy after a good workout.

"Yay," the sorcerer quipped sarcastically, assuming the same position James had. "Uh, J-James… Am I supposed to feel…wobbly?"

"Well, not really, but when's the last time you did a pushup?"

Cedric looked up at him sardonically. "Oh, about a hundred years ago…"

"Heh." The prince lowered next to him, repositioning his arms and then straightening his legs. "Try that. You were all out of sorts. No wonder you felt off."

"Well, it's marginally better, but there's still the whole aspect of ascending and descending in this position, and I'm not really sure how my body will like that."

James snickered. "Only one way to find out. Let's go! One…"

Desmond sighed and sat up in his spot as Angel lowered next to him. "Wow… I don't think I've ever exercised this much. I wasn't big on it when I was in school. Can't say I'm big on it now either, to be honest."

"I was always active," Angel admitted. "My little brother and I often played sports in our tribe, and we were always exploring on our own adventures. It is natural for me. Perhaps these practices will be beneficial for all of us." He nodded toward Cedric, who was slowly but surely doing a few pushups. "Especially for Cedric."

"Yeah. He'll get it though."

While Cedric was doing his second set of pushups, Nana sat up and sleepily rubbed her eyes. She was still in Sofia's arms, though seeing her Papa on the field, she lit up. Without so much as a warning of any sort, she darted from one guardian's hold and rushed straight to her other guardian.

"Nana, come back!" Sofia called, quickly jumping up and hurrying down the bleachers, Tanya following closely behind her. Once she made it to the field, she paused, the white-haired girl next to her, and started laughing.

Nana had climbed onto Cedric's back as he was doing his most recent pushup and was doing her best to hug him, but not quite succeeding.

"Aw, Nana," Tanya giggled. "You are such a sweet little one."

Cedric, surprised by the intrusion, yelped and fell to the grass in an unceremonious fashion. He sighed before chuckling as Nana crawled along his back and up to his head, peeping over and smiling at him. "Hello, my darling." He slowly sat up, pulling her into his arms. "Trying to help, were you?"

She nodded vigorously, a serious look on her face as she mimicked showing off her non-existent muscles. She poked her bottom lip out as she noticed the lack of strength in her wiry frame and grinned sheepishly at her Papa.

The sorcerer laughed and hugged her before looking up to see Sofia and Tanya there. "Dare I ask how I did? Or how any of us did, for that matter?"

Sofia smiled playfully. "Well, it's… You're all only going to get better. We'll put it that way."

"Ah, I see. And I take it you, with your Protector skills, and Tanya, with her own skills, will both help me improve then?"

"Certainly, Papa," Tanya enthused with a beaming smile. "I cannot wait to show you some of my techniques. You shall outwit any opposer, on the field or even in battle!" In a brief demonstration, she showed off some of her moves from when she first met them. "And you shall be victorious!"

"Let's hope so," James said in amusement as he and the other two walked over to meet with the little family. "Dad has gone on and on about winning that trophy, and now I kinda want to win it myself. I'm not too competitive—"

Sofia coughed sarcastically as she glared playfully at her brother, who grinned. "Right, James. We so believe you…"

Angel glanced up as a slow rumble of thunder resounded across the sky. "I believe that is our warning to return to the castle. Perhaps tomorrow will be a better day, and we can get in more training."

"And can we maybe practice some of the games from the Royal Rumble too?" Desmond wondered.

James nodded. "Sure thing. Still gotta warm up though, so be ready."

Sofia glanced toward Cedric, who shakily stood to his feet. She wrapped one arm around him and smiled up at him. "You okay?"

"Define 'okay,'" he remarked in a light jest as he smiled. "I'm fine… I think."

"Let me take you back to your tower. Tanya." She looked toward the white-haired girl. "Can you take Nana and go hang out with Calista for a while? And maybe get you guys something to eat while you're at it."

Tanya extended her arms to Nana, who slid into her sister's grasp from Cedric's hold. "Yes, Mama." She smiled up at Cedric. "You did well today, Papa."

Somehow, hearing that from Tanya meant more than he realized it would, and Cedric laughed lightly. "Thank you, Tanya…"

Sofia opened the door to the tower and led Cedric, still wobbly from his first day of training, inside, before shutting the door behind them. "I have something to show you." She clapped twice, and the bottom section of the tower illuminated well enough to demonstrate something new just off to the side of the spiral staircase.

Cedric's eyes widened at what he saw. "Is that…a hot spring? Inside my tower?"

Indeed, there was a rounded off area filled with hot (or at least very warm) water, as evidenced by the quiet bubbling and steam rising from within.

Sofia nodded. "Yeah. I remembered a spell I saw in one of your books a while ago, and I decided to try it out."

"When did you even do that?"

"While you guys were in the middle of your training, I came back for a snack for the girls and me and decided to fix this up for you." She grinned.

He glanced toward her, raising an eyebrow at her words. "And…what exactly were you wanting to remember that sort of spell for, my dear?"

Hearing the way he'd asked that, she blushed a bit. "Well… Sometimes when I'm done training, it's nice to get a hot bath. But I know hot springs have healing properties, and since I'm sure you're pretty achy after all the workouts today…" She shrugged. "I figured it would be nice for you to be able to use it if you want to after your training."

Cedric chuckled, wrapping one arm around her. "Always thoughtful, my dear…"

She smiled up at him. "I try." She gestured toward the spring. "Want to try it out?"

He nodded as he released her and walked over to the water, peering down at it. "It's so clear too… That was quite the spell you found." He sat down on the cobblestone floor, removed his shoes and socks, and hesitantly slipped his feet into the water, surprised to realize it was pleasantly warm and deeper than it appeared. He rolled each pant leg up to his knees as he sighed in relaxation.

Sofia giggled and took off her socks and boots before sitting next to him, lowering her own feet into the water. "Ohh, that's nice… And I wasn't even the one training today." She nudged him playfully. "You did a great job for your first day, by the way. I was proud of you doing all those pushups. And then Nana decided to crawl onto your back, and…" She laughed as he rolled his eyes.

"For such a tiny girl, she sure did knock me down." He shrugged. "Or maybe I was just tired."

"Maybe…" She sighed. "I think I'll leave you to your hot bath. I need to go get the girls from Calista. I promised them a bedtime story tonight, so…"

"Sofia…" He took her hand before she could move, and he then placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. He chuckled as she flushed a bit. "Thank you for such a considerate gift. Even if it is in the bottom of my tower."

She grinned. "No problem. Besides, after all the training you're going to be doing, I have a feeling you'll make good use of it just about every night."

"Oh, absolutely." He sighed heavily, releasing her hand and gently massaging his abdomen, a look of pain crossing his features.

Sofia's amused expression melted into one of concern. "Are you all right?"

"Hmm?" Cedric looked toward her, shaking his head. "Oh, I'm fine. Just a bit sore." He shrugged. "The price you pay for 'getting in shape' in order to settle a score and do what's best for the kingdom, right?"

She nodded quietly before reaching for her discarded boots, withdrawing her wand from within one of them.

He laughed. "Clever storage for your wand."

The princess smiled and shrugged. "I make use of what I've got. Hold still." She took his hand again with her free one and waved the wand around them. "Aqua vestis."

With a swirl of magic covering them then vanishing, the partners were now left in simple swimming attire. Cedric now wore a loose off-white shirt that was probably a size or two too big for him and some matching shorts. Sofia wore a loose white top and a pair of matching shorts as well. Their clothing was light enough for the water and modest enough to make them both comfortable.

"What's all this?" Cedric asked in surprise.

Sofia grinned. "You're not the only one who could use a hot spring." Without saying anything else, she pushed him into the water, causing him to sputter as he broke the surface.

"Oh, think that's funny, do you?" He reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her into the water next to him. He chuckled as she surfaced, her braided updo nearly coming undone from the sheer weight of the water. "Before you retaliate, I'd like to remind you that you started this."

"I know." She smiled softly as she rested up against the 'wall' of the spring, sighing in relaxation as the bubbles gently massaged her skin, and the warmth embraced her in its own way.

Cedric watched her for a few moments before copying her actions, allowing himself to finally unwind and relax. A few moments of silence passed before he finally said, "Sofia…"

"Hmm?"

"Why…?" He looked over at her as she opened her eyes and nodded for him to continue his question. "Why did…you stay?"

She smiled, gently grasping his arm and leaning her head against his shoulder. "Because I wanted to."

"O-Oh…"

"And because you wanted me to." She laughed softly as he grinned sheepishly.

"I suppose… I can't deny that. Given the strenuous events of the day, it's quite nice just to have this one quiet moment…" He shifted a bit, holding out his arms as she took advantage of the change and hugged him. "With you."

"Mm-hmm."

"Although…what about the girls?"

She smiled, glancing up at him. "I think Calista can handle them for a little while longer. Ten more minutes?"

He chuckled and nodded as she rested her head against his chest. "Ten more minutes…"

And that ten minutes was their favorite part of the day: the quiet, the warmth, the togetherness… Everything they needed after all the events they'd experienced.

And it was wonderful.

The next few weeks of training slowly escalated in both skill level and speed. While the daily exercises of sit-ups and pushups remained, they incorporated other techniques such as sparring, weightlifting, boulder tossing, racing, jump-roping, and several other workout methods.

Sofia and Tanya both got turns training the guys in their own skills. The princess taught them all some quick moves that had gotten her out of plenty of scrapes on Protector missions, including dodging enemies and effective concentration techniques. Angel was unsurprisingly good at these, and James was far too easily distracted to be overly successful.

Tanya trained specifically with Cedric toward the end of the first week, not only showing off some of her methods but also teaching him some as well. Though he would never be as physically strong as she was in her adult form, he was able to pick up on some of her agility approaches and could even mimic her movements every now and then. She also showed him how to concentrate and clear his mind, even in the most intense situations. In addition to all those things, working together with his adoptive daughter was unique bonding time that he wouldn't trade for the world.

As Desmond had requested, by the second week, they'd started rehearsing actual games. They tossed horseshoes, played Triplenet, practiced tug-of-war, swam a bit in the water (though Cedric had to use a spell to keep them warm, since it was still late February at that point), tried out Bewitched Bowling (which James won nearly every time), did racing and jumping practices, and lastly exercised their brains with numerous riddles (which Cedric and Desmond dominated, naturally).

Endurance was one thing everyone was concerned with. Could they continue what they'd started? Would they be successful? Even Roland joined in training every now and then when he had free time, and he was a great asset to the team. He was very agile and knowledgeable of all the games (naturally).

While their physical appearances hadn't changed too drastically, all of the guys could definitely tell a difference in their own bodies. They were all a bit faster and nimbler. Cedric even discovered that his normally sinewy frame was a bit leaner and even more muscular than before—not enough to cause a stir, but enough for him to take notice.

On the last day of practice, which was the Saturday before the Carpus team was due to arrive, they finished their training with absolute confidence that they would succeed in their goal of winning the Royal Rumble.

"So, here's the plan," James told the others as they were gathered on the field. "Tomorrow, the Carpus group is supposed to be coming to stay at the castle. And last I heard, Sir Finlay and his family, Greylock and his daughter, Bonvis and his…whatever they are, Dante and his family, and Prince Daniel will be arriving to stay too. At least…" He laughed. "I hope that's right. I tried to remember everything Violet told me this morning, though I might have missed something." He folded his arms. "We'll spend the day getting to know each other and all that good stuff, and the games will officially start on Monday. Any questions?"

"Is it too late to withdraw?" Cedric joked, smirking as Sofia nudged him.

The Enchancian prince grinned. "Just a bit."

"It'll be fine, you guys," Desmond told the others. "I'm not the biggest fan of stuff like this either, but it's been really fun getting to train for it. A bonding activity, for one, and a practice of camaraderie amongst friends."

"I only hope the rest of our teammates are prepared," Angel mentioned quietly, "given that they were unable to train with us."

"We'll just have to keep our fingers crossed," James responded. "But I think we've got a good team. I really do." He grinned. "So… This is it."

Sofia held out her hand. "Team Enchancia on three?"

The others nodded and placed their hands on top of hers, Nana's resting on the very top as she grinned.

"Team Enchancia!"

To be continued…

Next Chapter: We Meet Again