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, and maybe a few others as well. 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: Okay! So, time for bowling with the two teams! And…maybe another interaction or two… We're getting close to the end, after all, so things will start becoming more obvious, as they need to.

Chapter 9: Royal Rumble Day Six

Sofia awoke the next morning feeling much warmer than she normally would. She could tell that Nana and Tanya were behind her on the bed since she'd felt them brush against her back a few times, but she wasn't entirely sure why she was so warm.

When she heard a soft sigh near her ear, she turned her head, gasping softly. "Cedric…"

Oh, right… Last night, she and the girls had begun their nightly stay with the sorcerer until the Carpus team left, just to be on the safe side. In truth, it wasn't the team she didn't trust—it was Zeke. For obvious reasons… Granted, she had started off on one side of the bed with the girls curled up next to her, but evidently, during the night, she'd moved closer to her partner, and…

Cedric sighed quietly before slowly opening his eyes, blinking as he saw a familiar pair of blue eyes staring back at him. He gasped, moving back a bit. "S-Sofia!"

"Calm down," she said softly, placing a finger to his lips. "Don't wake up the girls." She gestured behind her, where both Nana and Tanya were still fast asleep. Seeing him relax a bit, she smiled, lowering her hand. "It's okay."

"Y-Yeah…" He sighed as she sat up, allowing him to run his hands through his hair as he lay flat on his back, staring up at his ceiling. "I'm sorry about that, Sofia… I didn't mean to overreact."

"I get it." She shrugged as she began unbraiding her hair. "It's not every day you wake up to someone lying next to you."

He smiled, reaching out and playing with some of her loosening hair. "No… Not yet."

Sofia blinked at his words. "Huh?"

Cedric blushed and released her hair, sitting up. "I-I mean… Not…yet…ready to get up and get this day going, but I suppose it's unavoidable, eh?" Seeing her knowing smile, he cleared his throat. "So, um… D-Do you need any help? W-With your hair, I mean?"

She giggled and nodded. "Sure, if you don't mind…" She turned around, tossing her half-unbraided hair behind her.

He moved closer to her, reaching out and slowly running his fingers through the undone part of her hair, then moving them farther up and starting to unweave her braid. As he worked, he smiled upon hearing her sigh contentedly. "You know… I think after we get everything done with the Royal Rumble, including taking care of Zeke, and then later hopefully handling those Elementals…"

Sofia frowned pensively. She hadn't really even thought much about the Elementals lately. They were still out there, weren't they? Of course, Zeke, their current threat, was yet another issue. It seemed like they never really got a break. Oh, wait, what was he saying? She'd completely zoned out and missed whatever he'd said next. "Uh, Cedric, I'm sorry… I wasn't paying attention." She smiled sheepishly as he scoffed playfully. "Can you say that again?"

Cedric rolled his eyes and smirked as he finally unbraided the rest of her hair, gathering it into his hands and smoothing it down a bit. "I said… We should go somewhere for a while… Just you and me. Cordelia can watch the girls, and we can just get out of here, away from the craziness and the constant hustle and bustle of people, and just…breathe for a change."

She nodded in agreement as he used his wand to conjure a brush, beginning to brush through her hair. "I would…really like that…" She hummed softly as he continued his task. "Where would we go?"

"I recall briefly telling you about Morea Mountain before the mess with Cordelia's ex-husband." He quickly brushed that thought aside before saying, "It's a lovely place. Granted, as a mountain, it's rather high off the ground, but…" He shrugged. "I hear the view is unbeatable, and there is even a legend attached to it."

"Oh?" Sofia smiled as he paused his brushing. "And what does the legend say?"

Cedric also smiled before setting the brush aside and gathering her hair into a low ponytail, his fingers caressing her neck as he did so, causing her to shiver a bit. "I believe I'll keep that little secret for now…"

She scoffed playfully, laughing. "Whatever makes you happy, Cedric… So, which style are you going to give me today?"

"Oh, um…" He laughed softly. "I'm not sure… There are plenty of options, but…" He gasped as an idea came to him. "Oh, I know. How would you feel about an intricate braid?"

Sofia blinked before looking back at him. "What do you mean, intricate?"

"It involves multiple layers of braids being…well, braided together, I suppose."

"Okay… As long as it can be unbraided later." She laughed, turning back around and leaning forward a bit as she felt him gather some of the hair from either side of her head. "Have fun."

"Oh, I will." He chuckled.

It took nearly twenty minutes and a bit of trial and error, but Cedric finally successfully finished his task. Sofia's hair was braided into a half-up style at first, and then several sections of her hair were both braided individually and then into one large woven braid, the remainder of the hair tied off with a purple ribbon.

Cedric stood and pulled her to her feet, guiding her over to a full-length mirror and handing her a hand mirror, allowing her to look at the final product. He smiled as she gasped. "What do you think?"

She finished admiring his work before grinning at him. "I think I just found my daily hair stylist."

He blushed at her compliment before chuckling. "Well… Any time, my dear." He nodded toward the little girls as she set the mirror aside. "Perhaps we should wake them up, hmm?"

"Okay, but first…" She turned and fully embraced him, sighing happily as he almost instantly returned her hug. "Good morning, Cedric."

Cedric smiled. "Good morning, Sofia…"

"How are you feeling today, sweetie?" Seraphina asked as she and Dante were walking down toward the dining hall, smiling as she saw Isadora hanging onto her father's neck while they walked. "Better?"

"Much," he admitted. "Nakamo has some pretty powerful salve. We need to see if we can get his recipe so I can recreate it when we get back home."

"Daddy, I think that bad man did that to you," Isadora told him seriously, garnering the attention of both parents. "It wasn't a bite. I think it was magic."

"Why do you say that, Issy?" Seraphina asked, her eyes narrowing curiously.

The dark-haired girl shrugged as she turned to her mother. "I know magic when I see it…"

The princess hummed once before returning her gaze to her husband. "Keep an eye out, Dante… The last thing I want is you getting hurt again."

He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer as they walked. "I know, Sera… I know."

Once breakfast had begun, everyone was gathered together again to eat. Violet attended to their needs, as always, but even when everyone had been served, she still continued working.

"Violet," Baileywick told her calmly as she walked next to him, pouring another glass of water for him, "please sit down for a few minutes and rest. I don't want you to overdo it, on top of everything else."

"You always did it all," she reminded him, placing the pitcher in the center of the last stretch of the table. "I can do it too."

"I know, but…" He reached out and took her hand, guiding her into the chair next to him and smiling. "Even I knew my limits. I'm a bit worried that you don't…"

"Mr. Baileywick…"

He chuckled. "Just humor an old man, would you?"

She shook her head. "You're not old, sir. You're just…an advanced youth."

His chuckle changed to a laugh. "I like that one. I think I'll keep that description." He took the plate in front of her, loaded it up with the food before them, then set the plate in front of her again. "Now, eat."

Violet sighed, giggling. "Yes, sir."

"What you were able to do with simple salve was amazing, Nakamo," Angel informed the shaman, who was sitting across from him and Calista. "It is too bad that Enchancia does not have a royal shaman. Sorcerers have access to many useful spells, but to have a shaman who specializes in medicinal and healing arts… That would be invaluable."

"I am afraid it is a dying art, Angel," Nakamo responded. "I believe I am one of only three remaining royal shamans in the realms, though I could be wrong."

"It's too bad you couldn't be our royal shaman, Angel," Calista murmured. Then she tapped her chin. "Or…could you?"

Angel shook his head. "I do not believe I am skilled enough for such a thing, Chante. It would take many years of training."

Nakamo shrugged. "If you are interested, and if King Roland approves, you are welcome to apprentice with me to learn the methodology behind it."

The Native boy was stunned by the shaman's words. He felt Calista nudge him gently, giving him an encouraging look. He then smiled toward Nakamo. "I appreciate your offer, and I will consider it, depending on the circumstances that play out here."

"We will talk more in the future then." Nakamo smiled.

"James!" Sofia grumbled as she sat between her brother and partner, pulling her plate away. She stared at the prince pointedly, pouting a bit as she saw the blonde smirk and eat the small muffin he'd just swiped. "You have your own food, you know."

"You hadn't even touched yours though, Sof," James argued playfully, grinning. "Didn't want it going to waste."

"Have mine," Cedric offered, passing his small muffin to Sofia, smiling when she took it. "I'm full anyway."

She nodded. "Thanks, Cedric." She then shot a glare at James. "At least someone cares about me."

James snickered. "Well, I can't argue with that… In fact, I'd say he goes above and beyond to prove he cares about you."

The princess blinked as Cedric quickly busied himself eating, to avoid the conversation. "What?"

"Let's see… He made you his partner, defends you to everyone and everything possible, goes on just about all the trips with you, will make any excuse to hug you—"

Cedric choked a bit on his food, blushing, but composed himself and continued avoiding (or trying to avoid) James.

"Oh, yeah, and let's not forget his new way to show how much he cares about you: always touching, playing with, or fixing your hair… Which, I noticed, he's done again today…" James smiled as he noticed that both Cedric and Sofia were an interesting shade of pink right now. "Although… I'd say that's a bit more than just caring about someone."

"It's what you do for family, James," Cedric told the prince, placing down his fork and staring at his hands folded on the table. "And Sofia…is my family." He blinked when he saw and felt her hand rest over his, and he then turned toward her.

"And families stick together, right?" she asked softly.

He smiled, nodding. "Indeed."

James rolled his eyes, snickering. "Every time… They always go mushy on me," he muttered to himself just softly enough so that he was the only one who heard his comment.

At the little kids' table, Corban turned to Nana, grinning as she finished sipping her juice and placed her cup down. "Nana, here," he told her, passing over a small red rock with little green streaks on it. Seeing the little girl gasp and blink at the rock, then glance up at him curiously, he grinned. "It made me think of you, and I wanted you to have it."

Nana smiled sweetly and held the rock in one hand while throwing her arms around the little prince, hugging him happily.

"Aw," Sapphire cooed, giggling. "So sweet!"

"It's just a rock," Zinnia clarified, frowning in confusion. "I don't get it."

"You will one day," Tanya assured the younger girl. "Some things have more meaning than you realize."

"Hmm, okay…" She shrugged. "If you say so!"

Cedric looked toward Greylock after he had finished eating. "How is your injury doing, anyway? It's been a few days now."

Greylock shrugged. "Still hurts a bit, but it's not nearly as terrible as it was. Maybe that royal shaman can use some of the salve he used on Dante."

"It couldn't hurt," Sofia agreed. "We don't want you going home to Ivy injured, after all." She grinned. "She may never let you leave the island again."

He laughed. "Tell me about it."

Several hours later, once both breakfast and lunch were finished, it was time for the sixth game: Bewitched Bowling. It was a game often played during the Tri-Kingdom Picnic in the past, but it was also a popular game for the Royal Rumble. In fact, it was far more competitive in these circumstances.

For this game, the teams gathered directly outside the castle, where there was already a makeshift bowling arena set up. The spectators were to sit on the steps this time as the two teams competed.

Violet stood between the steps and the bowling setup. She announced, "Today's game is Bewitched Bowlin', made popular in earlier Tri-Kingdom games under the original title of 'Bewitchin' Bowlin'.' This particular game is magically-enhanced, hence the name, and the team with the highest score after one round will be named the winner." She pointed down the lanes, which spanned about sixty feet, toward the pins that were already set up. "Each player will go only once rather than twice. The number of pins the player knocks down will be tallied on a card." She glanced toward the crowd and pointed toward Sofia. "Princess Sofia, would you mind tallyin' for Carpus while I keep score for Enchancia?"

Sofia shrugged as she placed Nana in Tanya's lap before hurrying down the steps and over to her friend. "Sure." She took the card and pen from Violet and stood aside.

"The pins will magically reset themselves after five seconds, and the bowlin' balls will return to their own teams immediately afterward. Everyone get ready and decide who goes first while I get the bowlin' balls."

While Violet took a moment to get the enchanted bowling balls, Sofia felt a gentle tug on her braid. She turned, smiling, expecting to see Cedric, but her smile instantly faded when she saw a different sorcerer there. "Oh. Zeke."

His face was only marginally bruised from Cedric hitting him yesterday, but he didn't let that stop him from grinning at her. "Don't you look lovely today, Princess Sofia?" he murmured, his fingers trailing up and down her braid before moving instead to the purple and pink Protector dress she was wearing, tracing a bit of the fabric at her hip until she jostled away from him. He smirked at her reaction. "Ticklish, are we?"

"Don't touch me," she warned him.

"Oh, that's right…" He leaned in, whispering to her, "You only let pathetic, bumbling, useless sorcerers like Cedric do that, don't you? And here I've been told you were an intelligent princess, top of your class, defender of the Ever Realm… Yet your senses and reasoning are clouded by a worthless 'sorcerer' the moment he holds your hand and tells you all the words you've ever wanted to hear…"

She tried to move away from him, but he held her fast and steady as he kept whispering to her.

"He's not as innocent and wholesome as you'd like to believe, you know, Princess Sofia… He has a history with dark magic, did you know that? Did you know he's hurt others with his careless ways? He's damaged more than just objects. Oh…" He sneered as he whispered the next part, "And he doesn't love you… He never has. Dark Magic Masters don't know what love is." With that, he released her and walked over to his own group.

Sofia stood still for a moment, hardly believing what she'd just heard. She knew that Cedric had a troubled past, and he'd told her about it. And he'd told her about how he'd been tempted by dark magic before… But was there more to it than that? Had he glossed over the reality, or was this just another of Zeke's ploys? She frowned. And Dark Magic Master was a new term, though it spoke for itself… If anything, his brief description described himself more than Cedric. But that last thing he'd told her…

"He doesn't love you… He never has…"

"We'll see about that." She reserved herself to a secret promise to investigate this matter later. Her heart believed that Cedric wasn't nearly the horrible things Zeke had attested to (because really, why would she believe such a terrible person in the first place?), but her head told her to prove the Carpus sorcerer wrong anyway. She knew that Cedric had a terrible past, and he'd held none of that back over the years. He'd told her about some desperate and low times he'd experienced. He'd confessed to trying to (and sometimes even successfully managing to) steal her amulet. She wasn't oblivious to these issues, so why Zeke felt the need to exploit this information was beyond her. And once she discovered the real truth, she knew that she would have plenty to throw back in his face.

Violet returned, dragging a sturdy bag with the bowling balls inside. She sighed tiredly and smiled toward the teams. "All right, guys. Each team gets one, so have at them." She stood back and let Roland and King Hayden walk over to retrieve their teams' bowling balls. While they did so, she looked toward Sofia, who appeared distracted. "You okay, Princess?"

Sofia looked toward Violet and smiled softly, nodding. "Yeah. Just…tired, I guess."

The older woman laughed. "I know all about that, believe me." She held up the card toward her and began explaining how to tally the scores.

Cedric watched his partner talking to Violet and frowned at how distant she appeared. He had completely missed her interaction with Zeke, since Roland had been talking to him, so he was unaware of what had transpired. He grunted as he felt someone bump into him, and he turned and glared at Zeke. "Watch where you're going."

Zeke grinned crudely. "I could say the same for you. Oh." He leaned forward and whispered to him, "Your princess? Quite the lovely body—so soft and…supple." He quickly turned and began moving back over to his team just as Cedric growled and tried to lunge at him.

Angel and Sir Finlay grabbed his arms, holding him back. They exchanged glances as Cedric glowered toward the other sorcerer.

"You keep your hands to yourself, you wretched clod!" he threatened lowly enough to where only Angel, Sir Finlay, and Zeke (who'd stopped to smirk at him) could hear. "If you touch one hair on her head—"

"Been there, done that." He grinned as Cedric fought against Angel and Sir Finlay, trying to jump toward him. "Silkiest in the realm, I might add…" He laughed and headed back to his team, who seemed to be unaware of what had transpired.

"Let it go, Cedric," Sir Finlay advised him as his friend calmed down. "The wicked are always punished. You know that."

"He's going to pay for even looking at her, much less touching her," Cedric whispered, his voice shaking in clear anger.

Sofia turned a bit, noticing Cedric's enraged state, and quickly pocketed the card and pen before hurrying over to him. "Let him go."

Angel and Sir Finlay hesitantly did as she asked, watching as the princess instantly enveloped her partner in a warm hug. They were stunned how fast he reacted, calming down and returning her hug.

"Whatever he said," she murmured softly to where only the sorcerer could hear, "ignore him. Don't let him get to you…" She reached up, gently caressing his cheek as she smiled softly at him. "And just remember that…I love you, Cedric."

Cedric sighed, grasping her hand and squeezing it once before smiling at her. "I love you too, Sofia…"

Roland tapped his chin as he watched the partners hug again before parting. He leaned toward James. "You notice anything different about Cedric and Sofia recently?"

James smiled knowingly before shrugging. "I don't know. What do you think, Dad?"

"They hug a lot more, which is saying something. And they are always staring at each other in an almost daze." He chuckled. "Must be a partner thing."

The prince face palmed before laughing lightly. "Yeah, Dad… Must be." He shook his head and turned as Cedric walked over, getting back in line. "Everything okay?"

Cedric shook his head. "Well… Yes and no. But I can handle it."

James nodded. "If you're sure… But let me know if you want my help, okay?"

The sorcerer smiled. "I will. Thanks James."

Violet grinned as Sofia stood next to her again before turning to the teams. "All right, everyone knows how the game is played, right?" Hearing their affirmative response, she then said, "Very well. First bowlers, step up to the line." She waited until they'd done so then nodded. "And…bowl!"

Roland and King Hayden both released their bowling balls at the same time, and the Enchancian king's ball guttered while King Hayden knocked over two pins.

Sofia marked two points for the Carpus team while Violet marked zero for Enchancia.

Zeke watched the other team carefully. Now, who could he inconvenience this time? Again, Cedric was too easy of a target, and he had personal plans for him anyway. Dante had already been in his sights. Greylock was out. He'd already had a run-in with Bonvis, so that wouldn't work. He eyed Sir Finlay for a few moments, pondering the possibility, but then dismissed the idea, considering his wife seemed like she could likely pummel him herself—pregnant or not.

King Roland would be extremely risky, as would any of the princes (James, Desmond, and Daniel). And Angel had made friends with Nakamo, so that would be unwise. Who was left? He smirked as he looked at Tarrant, who appeared to be a bit uneasy as he stood last in line. Perhaps it was because he was a last-minute recruit due to Greylock's (ahem) injury, but he did appear a bit quieter and more unprepared than the others. He was practically a sitting duck.

When he thought no one was looking, he wiggled his fingers toward the boy, grinning as the magic circled around his own fingers and slowly began seeping into his skin.

Nana, who'd been watching from the steps with Tanya, noticed that Erine's brother seemed to be shaking his head a bit, and then he would rub his hands, a soft grunt escaping him every now and then. She frowned in concern. Technically, he wasn't her brother, but in a way, he sort of was… It was confusing, but she felt a protective bond to Tarrant, and she wanted to look out for him if she could.

However, the teams were still bowling, and it couldn't really be safe for a girl as tiny as she was to interfere, right? She decided to wait and see what happened.

Violet marked ten points as Sir Finlay had just bowled a strike.

The teams so far had scored as such: King Hayden (two), Omari (five), Idris (zero), King Haegan (four), Captain Thiago (eight), Rodney (zero), Kabir (one), Rodney (one), and Benson (six); Roland (zero) Angel (four), Sir Finlay (ten), Desmond (two), Cedric (three), James (six), Bonvis (zero), Daniel (one), and Dante (one). They were completely tied at this point, and the last score would determine the winner.

Last up to the line were Tarrant and Zeke. Benson passed off the ball to Zeke, and Dante handed off the ball to Tarrant before shuffling off to stand near Angel and Nakamo, since they were the ones who'd treated him and gotten him healthy again.

"Don't choke," Zeke suggested smugly as he prepared the ball.

Tarrant faltered a bit briefly before trying to focus on his aim.

"Ready, bowl!" Violet called out.

Both guys swung their arms back a bit, and Zeke released his with a mostly accurate aim, while Tarrant winced as he felt his knuckles tense up. He barely managed to release the ball before it rolled haphazardly down the lane.

The spectators and team members held their breaths as they watched the scene. Both balls collided with some pins. Tarrant's knocked over two.

Zeke's knocked over four.

Team Carpus had won again.

"YES!" Zeke yelled, whooping and punching the air as his group yelled in excitement that they'd won another game (regardless of who was the deciding factor).

"Mm," Tarrant mumbled, turning and cradling his hand as he ambled off away from the crowd.

Nana, seeing this, hurried after the brunet as fast as her tiny legs would carry her. She grabbed hold of his pant leg and slowed him down, crawling up to sit on his shoulder long enough to slide down into his arms. She held out her hand patiently, nodding toward his injured one.

Tarrant blinked before allowing her to take his hand, her healing magic flowing from within her and beginning to heal him. He gasped. It was such a warm, comforting feeling… It reminded him of his sister, in a way… How warm and comforting she had been, despite never speaking a day in her life. Was this Nana's gift now?

When she finished, the little strawberry girl sighed and yawned a bit before smiling sleepily up at Tarrant.

He smiled back at her before kissing her forehead, making her giggle softly. "Thank you, Nana…" He turned a bit, noticing that she'd started pointing emphatically in Sofia's direction. "Oh, right… Here you go." He moved a bit closer to the crowd before letting her down, chuckling as she took off running toward the princess and embracing her legs. He smiled as Sofia picked her up, nuzzling her closely. "Hmm…"

"You know, it's too bad your team continues losing, King Roland," Zeke told the fair-haired man with a more joking than cynical tone. Anyone who knew him well enough could tell he was putting on an act. "You have such an amazingly powerful team assembled!"

"It's fine to falter a bit, Zeke," Roland answered with a patient smile. "Besides, there's one more game left, and it will be the deciding factor. Don't count us out just yet."

As the king turned and left with a few others, Zeke's pleasant smile morphed into a smirk. "Of course not, Your Majesty…" He narrowed his eyes as Cedric walked nearby, his arm around Sofia as she carried their little girl in her arms, Tanya soon joining them. "Wouldn't dream of it."

That evening, while the girls were already asleep, Sofia pulled Cedric into the workshop to talk. Seeing that Wormwood wasn't there (since he usually didn't return until close to midnight recently, due to an influx of cases at the Raven Haven), they would be able to have a private conversation.

"What's on your mind, my dear?" Cedric asked as they sat down on the staircase together. "You seem… I don't know if 'upset' is the correct term or not, but…"

"It's sort of right," she said reluctantly. "Zeke…said something about you today that…" She sighed. "I don't know how to say this to you, Cedric…"

"Just tell me, Sofia," he insisted, taking her hand. "There are no more secrets between us, remember?" Well, except the whole sea monster thing from several years ago, but he'd long since decided that it was for the best not to mention it… Although, she might have already figured it out, but he wasn't about to open that topic up yet. "Tell me what's on your mind, and I'll be perfectly truthful with you, no matter what."

She looked at him seriously. "Did you actually use dark magic when you were younger?"

He shook his head. "No. I had thoroughly considered it, as had Sir Finlay at one point, but we never actually did anything with it. I think subconsciously, we knew better and knew that it would cause more harm than good." He ran his thumb along her hand, smiling as she sighed. "Even in my angst-filled teen years, when I was angry at the world, I didn't want to cause as much trouble and chaos as had come into my life… Even with the whole 'take-over-the-kingdom' plot I'd concocted, I think I knew deep down that it was wrong and that I didn't actually want to do it." He gently nudged her, making her smile. "It just took a persistent princess to remind me of that."

"Hmm."

"Anything else? Because I already feel like I should just punch the tar out of him again…"

"What is a Dark Magic Master? Pretty much exactly what it sounds like?"

He nodded. "Yes." He gestured vaguely with his free hand. "All the truly evil or despicable characters we've come across? They've all been Dark Magic Masters. They've honed their skills well enough to use dark magic without it adversely harming them." Seeing her nod, he then asked, "Did he say anything else to you?"

"He doesn't love you… He never has…"

Sofia turned her head away.

"Sofia…" He placed a hand on her back, gently patting it. "Come on… You can tell me."

"It's stupid," she muttered, turning to face him again. "He said…" She sighed, looking down. "He said you… Y-You don't…love me…"

Cedric frowned heavily, anger welling up within him. How dare Zeke say something so horrible to his partner, his confidant, his best friend, his family? If he ever got his hands on him… "That's the worst of any lies he could have told you…" He placed a hand under her chin and gently turned her head to face him again, the frown fading into a sad smile. "Sofia… Please tell me you didn't, for even one second, believe him?"

She shook her head as he dropped his hands to his lap. "I…didn't want to… I think…" She sighed. "For just a brief moment, I wondered… 'What if Zeke's right? What if Cedric doesn't love me?' But then, as the game continued and I really thought about it, I realized how stupid that is…" She pulled her braid in front of her and began playing with it. "If you didn't love me, you wouldn't have saved me so many times, you wouldn't have entrusted me as your apprentice and partner, you wouldn't have wanted to co-parent with me with Nana and Tanya…" She gestured toward her hair, smiling teasingly. "And you wouldn't have taken the painstakingly long time of braiding my hair."

He laughed. "That's the true test of love, right?" He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer as she leaned on his shoulder. "Sofia, I haven't always been an easy person to love, but you were the first one to say anything of the sort to me. That meant the world to me, considering I rarely heard it from anyone else, except perhaps my mother…" He ran his hand up and down her arm. "You've always been easy to love, through your positivity and gracious nature. It's because you believed in me and gave me a second chance that I'm even able to be here right now…rather than in that cold, horrible dungeon."

"Nothing about you is cold, Cedric," she reminded him. "Not your nature, your eyes, your heart…" She reached up and placed a hand on his chest, smiling as she felt his heart beating a little faster. "So, I couldn't leave you there, because you didn't belong there." She turned and hugged him, whispering, "You belong with me…"

Cedric sighed softly, returning her hug. "I know, my darling… I know…" He then whispered, "And don't ever doubt these words: I do love you, Sofia, with all my heart…"

"I love you too, Cedric…" She closed her eyes and smiled. And once again, like it had been seeming to both of them recently, those words felt like they carried far more weight than usual… They felt different now, versus how they'd felt in the beginning, or even a few years ago… Well, if Sofia was being honest with herself, those words had been changing their meaning for quite a while—

"Mama? Papa?"

Cedric and Sofia parted, turning to see Tanya and Nana standing in their matching floor-length white nightgowns, their hands clasped. Nana's hair was up in tiny pigtails while Tanya's was down. Nana had a stuffed strawberry toy clutched in her left arm while Tanya was rubbing her eyes.

"Is everything all right?" Tanya asked worriedly. "We woke up, and you were not there."

"We're fine, Tanya," Sofia assured her as she released Cedric but held his hands instead. "We'll be there in a minute to tuck you girls in, okay?"

"Yes, Mama." Tanya smiled and giggled as Nana yawned. "Come, Nana. Let us go back to bed."

Nana nodded and followed her sister as they left.

Cedric chuckled. "You know… I know they're not technically our daughters, but…"

"Family isn't just blood, Cedric," Sofia told him with a smile. "You and I both know that well by now. James and Amber are my siblings as far as I'm concerned. And those little girls? They're ours… Regardless of the circumstances."

He smiled. "They are." He stood and pulled her to her feet, brushing her braid behind her before tucking some of her loosening hair behind her ears. "Now, then… Is there anything else we need to take care of?"

She noticed the soft look on his face and the slight inquiring and lighthearted glimmer in his eye, and she smiled in response. "Soon… But for now…" She began walking, pulling him along. "Let's get some sleep."

He laughed. "As you wish, my dear."

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Royal Rumble Day Seven