AU: Sex Amnesia, Pregnancy
"There are no mistakes, just happy accidents" - Bob Ross
Spring was always a busy time of year for Cedric, the royal sorcerer. Like the rest of the castle staff, the shift to warmer weather was inspiring him to be more productive, preparing several potions for the upcoming planting season. Fortune tellers predicted a good growing season, but after this last harsh winter, a little more magical assistance to both flora and fauna was in order and so he didn't think twice about increasing the potency of the usual fertility potions. Brewed wrong, they simply sizzled out. A low risk potion. Or so he thought.
"Mr. Cedric!" Sofia's voice sang his name as she entered the workshop with a quick rap on the door, though he wondered why the girl bothered anymore when he no longer scolded her for disturbing his work.
"In a moment, Sofia," he told her without looking away from his cauldron. He waved a gloved hand behind him to assure her he'd acknowledged her presence and would be with her shortly.
Smiling happily, Sofia took a seat on the spare stool he kept for her visits and arranged her skirts all prim and proper princess-like to patiently await her sorcerer. They'd always been close, and their relationship had only grown as she did. Now a mature young woman, she could engage the man in more thrilling conversations other than idle gossip and magic raving, though with such a shared history after ten years together, they could easily enjoy one another's company without a word, usually over a pot of tea and conjured confections. She still helped him with his work at times, but today she had plans to get him out of the tower to enjoy the lovely spring weather.
Even without seeing her, Cedric could feel the warm admiration wafting over from her, curling his lips into a small smile. It was '"ah-mazing" as she would put it, how much enjoyment she gathered from watching him work. Brilliant as he was, watching him add ingredients and stir a cauldron wasn't what the ordinary man would call entertaining, but then again, Sofia had never been ordinary.
Perhaps he was distracted by his thoughts and miscounted the simmering time, or maybe one of the ingredients had gone off. He was never sure why certain potions failed, but the one before him exploded in the usual fashion, clouding the room in a dusty rose cloud whose sudden decompression opened the window to vent, though it still left Cedric and Sofia coughing as they waved away the smoke with their hands.
"A-Are you alright?" Sofia asked as the smoke dissipated, stepping toward Cedric only to feel her body tingle as she did so.
"Y-Yes," Cedric answered, clearing his throat an wiping away the soot from his cheeks as he turned to look at her. He felt a tingle run through his body as well. Likely a harmless side effect, or so he assumed until the sensation grew. Gripping him in the depths of his belly and tightening in a familiar sensation: desire.
"I feel... I feel a little strange..." Sofia confessed, her pupils widening and cheeks blushing. She shifted on her legs uncomfortably, sensing something amiss within her but unable to place it.
"I do too..." Cedric said, his breathing changing to longer exhales as he tried to put his brain to use for what to do next, only his brain didn't seem to be working like it should. It was as if the dusty rose cloud was inside his very mind, provoking thoughts he'd never speak to the princess.
"But we're okay, so..." Sofia's voice trailed off, her expression indicating she couldn't compel her mind to function as it ought to. It was scary, and yet, exciting. Exciting to the point she felt her skin heating up, which was a difficult thing to accomplish in Cedric's drafty tower. Yet here she was clawing at her dress, wanting to untie her laces and strip the garment from her body. "I'm warm... Are you warm?"
He nodded his head in agreement, pausing with his chin down and eyes focused on her rising and falling bosom. Such beautiful breasts, he thought, no longer able to care whether it was right or wrong of him to think such things at all. He reached a hand out to brush the tips of his fingers against the swell of flesh only to have Sofia close the distance between them to increase the pressure.
She inhaled deeply, not out of fear or offense, but relief and pleasure. It felt good to be touched and theorized if Cedric felt the same as she did, then touching him would ease his discomfort as well. She wrapped her arms around him as she often did, bringing them intimately close, her hands rubbing lovely circles on his back while his own began to caress her sides.
He dipped his head down to her neck, his long nose over her shoulder and his lips against bare flesh. The scent of her was no different than usual, other than it was intoxicating. Everything about her was exciting him. It should have scared him or at the very least made him wary, but it felt right, comfortable, like it wasn't anything new at all, and maybe it wasn't.
"Oh...!" Sofia moaned as she felt his lips begin to peck kisses to her neck and his grip on his sides tighten. He wanted her, and she wanted him to want her. Every touch was so filled with reverence and genuine affection, she couldn't help but relish in it all. She was used to being adored as a princess, but this was different and far more wonderful.
"Sofia..." He breathed her name as he paused before her lips, his eyes locking with hers to deduce whether or not taking things further was a wise idea.
She brought their lips together, no hesitation, just happy sighs of relief as they met.
Her memory went blank after that, though dreams of intertwining bodies occasionally replayed in her subconscious, neither brought about the subject for further discussion. It was as if it'd never happened, and maybe it hadn't, some transient fantasy gone as soon it had come.
And so for a few weeks things returned to normal. The weather grew warmer and plants began to bloom, and poor Cedric began to sneeze. However, his allergies were a simply annoyance compared to this late cold Sofia had been battling a couple weeks now. Nausea and tiredness seemed to be the main symptoms, and while they weren't a completely hindrance, Sofia's family was concerned. Miranda especially, noting the usual telltale signs of early pregnancy in her daughter, but Sofia herself confirmed in all awkwardness that although her monthly was running late, she was still a virgin who'd never been near a penis.
Just to be certain, the physician was summoned to do a thorough examination, and much to Sofia's surprise, she was indeed six weeks pregnant.
"I swear I'm not lying, Mom," Sofia told Miranda, reaffirming she'd never had sex or anything close to result in conceiving a child.
"And... And I want to believe you, Sweetie, but these things don't magically happen. You say you don't remember, could you have been...?"
"Drugged? No! No, that doesn't make any sense," Sofia racked her brain for an answer, recalling conception would have been around the day both she and Cedric had that peculiar lapse of time and memory. Magic might be the culprit after all, and Cedric its victim as well!
Before the queen or physician could utter another word, Sofia flew from the office, needing to make sure of her hypothesis before she decided what path she'd take regarding her unexpected pregnancy.
"Mr. Cedric! Mr. Cedric!" She barged into the workshop without knocking this time and met the sorcerer at the bottom of the stairs as he descended from watering his flowers.
"Yes, yes, I'm right here, Sofia. What is it?" He asked before getting a clear read on her expression as she moved in closer to him than their usual distance, right into his arms. On instinct, he grasped her shoulders, preventing an embrace. "What's wrong?"
"That weird day six weeks ago... Are you sure you don't remember anything that happened?"
"Still haven't the foggiest, my dear. Why? Did you remember something?"
"It's not about what I remember. What potion were you working on that day?"
"The usual spring batch of fertility potions. The one I was working on before you came in was a new recipe, but it failed."
"I-I'm starting to think it didn't," Sofia gulped, steeling herself to tell Cedric the news. "Because according to the royal physician I'm six weeks pregnant and I don't recall having sex..."
Cedric's jaw dropped open. Initially he wanted to accuse her of playing a prank on him, but Sofia was no prankster, and even if she was, a baby was no joke. "A-Are you suggesting that I... that we...?"
"I don't know! But it makes sense if you think about it, doesn't it? Sure, it was an accident-"
"A pretty big accident!" Cedric huffed, running his hands through his hair as he tried to compose himself to process the news properly. "If I fathered a child with you... Merlin's Mushrooms, Sofia, I... I don't know where to begin."
"Is there a way you can check? To make sure?" She asked, and he gave a nod, moving over to his desk and one his spell books for a quick paternity spell usually used for the breeding of the livestock, not royals, at least not in the past one hundred years.
"Blue means yes, red means no," he told her, casting a spell between them that was nothing more than a circle of light that began to glow a deep blue, causing both of them to sink to their knees in disbelief at what they both already knew to be the truth.
Sofia was still processing the fact she was pregnant, now adding the knowledge that her best friend and mentor was the father ought to have been a bigger shock, and yet, it didn't seem like anything worth getting too upset for. Going to pieces wouldn't undo what had happened nor do the developing fetus any favors, and so she stayed oddly calm while Cedric racked his brain for what to do next though all he wanted to do was scream. How could he have let this happen? It hadn't been his intention, but the potion failure was his responsibility so as much as Sofia would try to assure him he was a victim as well, he simply couldn't see it that way.
He ran his fingers through his hair, messing it into mild disarray until the impact of the revelation eased. Taking a deep breath, he lowered his hands, one purposefully laying over Sofia's and grasping it reassuringly tight. "Whatever you want to do, I'm with you, unless you don't want me to of course."
She nodded and squeezed his hand tightly. "I'm still trying to process it all... It doesn't really feel like a bad thing or a good thing yet. I never really thought of children before."
"I had... And figured I'd never have the opportunity..." Cedric answered honestly.
The two sat on a floor for quite some time, holding hands while sitting apart from one another and thinking over the whole situation until both Miranda and Roland burst into the tower in search of Sofia and further explanations. It seemed a far-fetched scenario, but one both Sofia's eventually believed given the reactions of both princess and sorcerer. With the situation explained, that left only one more question: how did Sofia wish to proceed?
She wasn't sure yet. It was a lot to absorb in a few short hours. A decision at this point not taking into account her emotions would be the best answer politically speaking of course, but it wasn't so simple. Perhaps if had been some random man's baby, she could have distanced herself, but this was Cedric's baby. Cedric's. She may not remember making this child, but her love for the sorcerer was still there and she wouldn't deny it.
Sofia thought on it a few days before she made her decision, returning to the tower to tell Cedric first that she intended to give birth and raise their child, but wanted to know how his feelings on the matter.
"I told you, whatever you want," Cedric repeated.
"That's not what I'm asking after and you know it," Sofia huffed. "Cordelia left Calista with you all the time so I'm sure you know how to take care of a child, but do you want to? Do you want to see your offspring running around the courtyard? You don't have to be involved if you'd rather not be, but your feelings still matter to me Cedric. This is your home too."
"I don't think I'd much care being an acquaintance to my own child," he finally admitted, stepping toward her to look her in the eyes. "But if I'm going to be a 'father', I want... I want to be with the mother of my child, and that's something entirely different. I don't expect you to marry me."
"You'd marry me?" Sofia interrupted, surprised to hear him bring up the option. She knew marriage was an option politically speaking, to stay in society's good graces and avoid scandal and gossip, but she didn't want a political marriage. She wanted love. She and Cedric did love each other, but quite in that way or so they both thought.
Cedric's cheeks were burning red. "I-It's what's proper, isn't it? Though I'd understand if you wish to find a partner in the more conventional way..."
"I'd...!" Sofia reigned in her enthusiasm, resisting the urge to tackle the sorcerer. "I'd love to! I mean, if you're proposing, that is, I'm accepting!"
"I-I am? Y-You are?" He stumbled back, unsure and even more self conscious. She had that hopeful glimmer in her big blue eyes like he'd offered her something far grander than he envisioned. He considered it the wisest option politically speaking, and to maintain a family unit. He genuinely wanted a relationship with his child, to take responsibility for his actions and provide for both mother and child, and of course to maintain his friendship with Sofia. He'd never ask her to share a bed with him, but being together... raising their child together... being happy together... he could see them doing that.
"Mr. Cedric?" She called out in concern, stepping close to him only to watch as he cleared his throat and got down on one knee like a proper gentleman.
"Princess Sofia," he said firmly, extending his hand to hold her left. "Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
She smiled tenderly at him. "Of course I will."
"Very well," he bowed his head, kissing his lips to her ring finger and casting a spell that conjured a simple diamond band at the finger's base.
While Sofia gawked in awe, he then stood and placed another kiss to her forehead, this one merely for affection, but no less magical.
Only a few short weeks later, they were married in a small, simple ceremony ending with conservative clapping and yet another kiss to her forehead. Sofia certainly understood, Cedric fearing the wrath of the entire kingdom for being the sire of her child. The only person genuinely excited for them was Cedric's mother, Winifred the Wise, happy to finally have her son wed, to a princess no less, and already giving her another grandchild to dote on. She made her future with Cedric seem happy, not that Sofia expected to be unhappy, but that there'd be a certain lack of warmth between them given the circumstances. Her relationship with the sorcerer had turned awkward ever since the pregnancy revelation as well it would be, but any hope Sofia had that things would go back to normal soon were quickly fading.
Their marriage already appeared to be off to an odd start after Cedric dropped her off at her bedroom door and bid her goodnight before retiring to his own quarters alone. Sofia was left feeling both unwanted and confused. Didn't he want to consummate their marriage? To have a memory of love making they would actually remember? Perhaps he was simply too tired, she thought, remembering how much older the sorcerer was compared to her. Still, that didn't excuse separate quarters. She wanted to sleep in the same bed as her husband otherwise what was the point of being married? He wanted to do right by her, but this seemed wrong... Had the wedding only been about saving face? Had her no love for her beyond that?
She sighed in defeat against her door frame, hoping time was all he needed, but night after night they parted for separate quarters. Sofia was only getting more pregnant and would much rather have her husband on call to help her than a chambermaid. She wanted to be direct with him, but fearing she'd only scare him further away, resorted to just a bit of deception when as they approached her bedroom door, she placed a hand to her swelling abdomen and winced.
"A-Are you alright?" Cedric asked, immediately moving to assist her - one arm on her waist while the other took hold of her hand.
"Just a bit... Oh... I... I just need to lie down. Would you help me inside?"
"Of course," he nodded, feeling her weight drop against his side as he escorted her inside her room and up into bed. "Should I summon the physician?"
"No, it's alright... Just a bit queasy..." It wasn't a complete lie. The baby did like to make her nauseous, but so far it wasn't anything she couldn't handle where as not having her husband by her side was becoming unbearably lonesome.
Cedric helped her settle into bed, fluffing her pillows and magically changing her clothes so she wouldn't have to bother with the encumbered task herself. "Can I get you anything else? Some tea perhaps?"
Sofia seized her opportunity, asking softly, "Would you stay with me?"
"Of course," he picked up her hand and kissed the backs of her fingers to show his devotion. Intimacy aside, Cedric was dutiful to her - he'd always been. She merely wanted him to extend that duty, to get just a little closer both physically and emotionally. She wanted very much to be his wife, but worried his own wants would keep her as a princess at arm's length.
It took a little more encouraging to get him to join her in the bed, seated up and only partly undressed, atop the covers and letting her lean against him, but it was a step in the right direction. After a few nights of coaxing him to stay a while, her boldness increased when she brought one of his hands over to touch her stomach. He looked unsure at first, not knowing if he was meant to feel something stirring in her womb yet or not. It still early for that.
Sofia contently laid her head against his chest, holding his hand over her belly simply to bond both father and husband to mother and child. It was a bit of a stretch, but slowly Cedric accepted it, allowing himself to fall asleep with his wife and unborn baby in his arms.
While strange at first, after only a few nights did it seem right. He was growing used to Sofia's scent and her warmth, the quiet conversations and sometimes just laying in silence together. He had dreams of all three of them together, their baby born happy and healthy, completing the cozy family image as they cuddled in bed. Sofia would look up at him and smile, and he'd smile back before leaning down to kiss her lips.
He awoke from that dream, startled, but not afraid.
Sofia remained asleep at his side, gently breathing and captivating his eyes to her lips. He licked his own, inspired by the dream and some trace memory of the softness of her kiss. Sofia deserved to be kissed, but Cedric still felt unworthy of bestowing such affection. It was for her honor's sake that he'd married her, or so he'd tried to convince himself. He wasn't blind to how beautiful a woman she'd become, but that'd never been an issue until... well, the developing fetus in her womb. Maybe it was curiosity due to lack of memory of conception, or perhaps her closeness was tempting him, or most likely he was just a perverted old man thinking he had something worthwhile to offer a princess.
He groaned, taking notice his usual semi had hardened to full attention. He didn't want to deal with this, but driving his thoughts away from how his seed ended up buried in this pretty young thing stirred something primal. He wanted to remember how he'd made their baby, how her legs wrapped around his, how she clung to him, how she cried out as he mated his virile member with her fertile body - memories he ought to be grateful not to have, and yet, now craved.
"Sofia..." he breathed out her name before muffling his mouth against the pillow, taking himself in hand. He inhaled sharply as be stroked himself, chasing after repressed memories and dreams as well as his own imagination to achieve his pleasure. He hated himself for doing so, hated that his love for her was tainted with lust, but it didn't stop him. Not until he surged into his own hand, whimpering and shuddering as quietly as he was able so as not to disturb his wife.
His wife... His mind repeated as he glanced up from the pillow to look at her. His chest tightened with both love and shame, but as much as he wanted to kiss her lips, settled for her cheek before slipping out from under the covers to go to the bathroom.
"Mm..." Sofia hummed softly in her sleep, smiling as if the simple kiss improved her dreams, blissfully unaware of her husband's growing want of her.
As the days passed without incident, Sofia's condition was now becoming apparent. Dressing became more complicated as she fought royal fashion for comfort. She modeled herself in front of her full length mirror in a simple gown with no corset, wondering if the low hemline of the bust was appropriate. Her breasts were achingly tender, along with the rest of her. So far the pregnancy hormones had been manageable, but today she was entertaining thoughts of what Cedric might think of her. She tried to reason it with him being a good father and simply wanting to know the health of his child's mother, but more and more it was about wanting his kisses and caresses, to be a loved and adored wife.
A realization dawned upon Sofia, widening her eyes and having her slap her hands together. Of course! Everything had been about the baby thus far, of course neither she nor Cedric had taken into account what it meant to be husband and wife. She needed to show him she was just as serious about being his wife as she was about having this baby.
Meanwhile Cedric went about his duties as usual, though his mind drifted often to prospects of fatherhood and Sofia. They were mostly innocent thoughts, but every now and then, his mind's eye would wander a bit lower and he'd have to snap himself out of it. He'd been more mindful of his potions for obvious reasons, but he seemed destined to have at least one blow up on him per day. It was amazing he got any work done at all really, what with such a big distraction on his mind. It made retiring for the evening even more with it. He looked forward to Sofia's welcoming embrace, but nearly had a heart attack when he entered her room to find her awaiting him dressed... or rather undressed in a lavender negligee, sprawled on top of the bed wither her long copper curls tumbled at her back.
"Welcome home, Darling," she called sweetly, as she imagined a newlywed housewife would to her hardworking husband. 'Darling' might have been a bit much, she noted. It didn't feel quite right. Nevertheless, she continued. "Did you have a good day?"
Cedric was stunned. He stood silent and unmoving for a good minute, wondering if he'd entered the bedchamber of a courtesan rather than a princess. Perhaps this was some fantasy, another misfired spell, either way it seemed too good to be true. He loved Sofia dearly, and he wouldn't argue her beauty, but to want her... oh, to want her... She was already his, carrying his child, how dare he seek to covet any more of her? "Princess... I..."
Sofia slipped off the bed, obviously needing to coax him to the bed by physical means. She had no trouble taking his hand and bringing him over to the bed. She took off his robe, untied his bow, and unbuttoned his vest with no objections. Carefully she stripped him down to only his shirt and trousers before sitting him on the edge of the mattress and herself upon his lap.
"U-Um, this isn't..." He supported her in his arms to insure the baby's safety, but wasn't sure he was comfortable having her in his arms like this.
"Kiss me," she requested, though it sounded more like a demand until she added, a soft, "please." She could feel the bulge in his trousers, assuring her she was indeed arousing him, but why he'd yet to act on his physical desires remained intangible.
Cedric paused, eyeing her lips hungrily, but choosing instead to kiss her cheek as he always did.
"No..." Sofia whined, her patience not what it usually was courtesy of her hormones. "Kiss me properly!"
"Princess-"
"And stop calling me 'Princess'!" She huffed, halfway to tears. "I'm your wife! I didn't marry you to save face! I married you because I wanted to! I love you, and I want to be with you so please kiss me...! Please...!"
Cedric's grip on her tightened while her emotions tightened his heart. The poor thing, here he thought he'd been doing his best to make her comfortable in their relationship. Apparently not. He didn't respond immediately, letting her vent as he slowly rocked them both back and forth to restore calm. He waited until she was down to sniffles to raise a hand to her cheek to brush away her tears with his thumb and shush her. "Forgive me, Sofia. I didn't think it'd be proper of us to consummate any vows given the circumstances... I didn't think in your right mind, you'd... want me in that way."
"...Is that how you-?"
He didn't let her finish. "No! I mean... I thought...! Sofia, my dear, I love you at a depth even the seas cannot fathom, yet... when it comes to physical love... I know it would be wonderful, and of course I've thought about it, but you deserve better than what I can provide. I'd inevitably ruin it... whether it simply be due to my age or... tendency to make mistakes..."
"I don't care," she said firmly with a bit of a childish pout, tucking her head against his neck. "I just want you..."
He held her upright a few moments longer before braving his own self to nuzzle his face down against hers, encouraging her to tilt her chin up to meet his lips. The kiss was simple and brief, only a taste so they both still had time to refuse the other if it wasn't satisfactory.
Afraid to kiss her again, Sofia was the one to initiate the next. She started slowly, pressing a little harder this time and holding onto the sensation. The noise Cedric made in the back of his throat encouraged her to proceed, plying him with more and more sweet kisses until the prodding of her tongue along the seam of his mouth finally parted his lips. They both heaved a moan as Sofia swept her tongue against his, Cedric timidly following suit to distract himself from the now painful ache between his legs.
"Sofia..." He pulled back, trying to get a handle on himself, but she persisted, bringing him back into a deep kiss as she adjusted herself on his lap, her legs clamped on his thighs and her crotch brushing against his. He whimpered, taking hold of her waist to prevent more needless rubbing, at least until the kiss ended. "Sofia, please, I need a moment."
Reluctantly, she held herself still to wait for him.
His fingers fumbled with the fly of his trousers, finally freeing himself and bringing some relief to his groin.
Sofia glanced down between his legs at his erection, curious to see it since she still had no recollection from before. It looked a bit like a mushroom, a likeness she'd save for teasing at some further point in their marriage. She lightly touched her fingertips to him, memorizing its warmth and smoothness and coming to understand exactly why it was called a 'hard-on'. How amazing that this stiffness was simply blood and flesh, no muscle or bone.
"How would you like to...?" Cedric began before Sofia raised her head to steal another kiss from his lips. He couldn't think. He didn't even want to think anymore. This wanton creature could do what she wanted with him.
This position seemed fine, Sofia thought, raising her hips up to situation herself above the tip. She didn't want to wait any longer. She felt the tip part her folds and then carefully lowered herself down, Cedric's grip on her waist tightening as she fully sheathed him with relative ease.
The sorcerer fell back against the mattress, unable to remain upright given the rush of pleasure to his groin. She felt so much better than his hand, tighter, wetter, and so deliciously warm. It took what remained of his mental strength not to come immediately, though Sofia seemed eager to get him to his peak as no sooner had she settled on him, she started moving. "AH...! Sofia...! Sofia, wait...!"
"I don't want to wait...!" She exclaimed, splaying her hands on either side of him as she moved her hips back and forth. "I want you...!"
Left with little choice, he let her ride him with abandon. He'd have to consult the spell book later to improve his stamina, but for now he prayed he'd last long enough to give her some satisfaction. He kept hold of her waist to maintain some control. It didn't do much good, his restraint lasting only a couple minutes before he felt his seed surge. He shot back upright, pulling down on her shoulder with one hand while the other wrapped around her, his hips bucking up to deliver his load as deep inside as possible. He moaned, almost as if in pain, but it was all pleasure from her milking walls. By far the finest pleasure he'd ever had.
"Mm!" Sofia moaned into his ear, clinging to him just as tightly. As the high subsided, she placed a loving kiss on his cheek, completely satisfied with their first round of love making.
Cedric heaved a long sigh as his flaccid cock slipped from her warmth and fell back against the bed with Sofia still in his arms. He lay there, exhausted, still enjoying little kisses to his face by his amorous wife. He couldn't help but smile. "Did that performance warrant so many kisses...?"
"Yes," Sofia answered, pecking his lips this time. "Because I love my husband very much and he deserves as many kisses as I can give him."
If his body had the strength, he surely would have blushed. "You shouldn't. I'll become jealous of the baby when it takes you away from me."
"Then we'll just have to stay together, all three of us," Sofia promised, snuggling up at his side.
Cedric turned his head into her head, inhaling the scent of her hair and sex. "I still wish I could remember the first time..."
"Me too. It felt familiar, but I don't recall anything new," she sighed. "We'll probably never know, but that's okay. It was a happy accident."
He let out a weak chuckle. "A happy accident, huh?"
It was a uniquely Sofia way to look at one of his many blunders, but basking in the aftermath, he had little doubt it was anything other than happy.
Author's Note: A lil sappy, but gotta range the degree of smut to keep things interesting, dontcha think?