*Just a friendly disclaimer. I don't own any rights to Sofia the First. Sofia the First and the characters herein is/are the property of Disney and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

CHAPTER 14

WHEN I FALL IN LOVE

Cedric wiped his dirt covered hands off of his brown trousers and sighed. This isn't exactly how I planned on spending my morning. He thought to himself, dusting off his knees as he stood up. I still don't understand how I got roped into this. Cedric looked around the lot and shook his head. The Dunwiddie community garden was pathetic to say the least; the tomatoes were shriveled, the lettuce was puny and bug laden, the beans were dry and frail. It needs a miracle not a sorcerer.

"Hey, Mr. Sorcerer, am I doing this right?"

Cedric groaned and rolled his eyes. Why did I agree to help? Why didn't I just drop off the basket and go?

"His name is Cedric, Jade; you think you'd know that after hearing Sofia go on and on about him so often." Ruby corrected her friend, while sprinkling a bluish powder over the wilting herbs. Cedric blushed slightly at the thought of Sofia talking to the village girls about him.

"Mister Cedric, then..." Jade amended herself sarcastically. "Is this right?" Asking again, waving her hand over the dry and shriveling cornstalks, lettuce, and tomatoes in front of her.

"Y-yes. Just a s-sprinkle o-over the plants." He muttered, still flustered from Ruby's comment about him. He couldn't imagine what Sofia would have to say about him, especially to some simple village girls. He was, however, curious what she had said in regards to him; they had been master and apprentice for years, and she did spend most days cooped up in the tower with him. Whatever the girl had told her friends up to this point could only deal with their professional relationship.

Up until the other day nothing inappropriate had passed between the two; other than the occasional hug initiated by the princess and one particular night, years ago, when the girl was but fifteen. But it seemed from the girl's tone and conversation that Sofia had conveyed a fondness for him beyond professional adulation.

"What do we do with that stuff again?" Jade asked, nodding over towards the basket Cedric had brought and left under a large oak tree. The basket was filled with multiple glass bottles, each full of a transparent turquoise liquid, sealed and corked with magic so not to leak.

"How many times need I repeat myself?" He groaned, wiping sweat from his brow with his exposed forearm. The heat was almost unbearable. Cedric understood why the garden was doing so poorly, with the extremely hot summer the kingdom was experiencing he was surprised that anything survived at all. "Mix one quart per five gallons of water; water per your norm, every day, until what I've brought is gone."

"Will it be enough?" Jade questioned, rolling the sleeves of her periwinkle dress up more.

"By my calculations, used with the magically enhanced fertilizer and magical organic pesticide, it should be." He replied, pulling a metal flask from his trouser pocket. He took a long draught, savoring the cooling effect the water had over his body. He emptied the enchanted flask, waved his hand over it replenishing its contents before returning it to his pocket. "For the life of me, I still can't figure out how you girls roped me into helping you. Shouldn't some farm hand be doing this work, instead of the royal sorcerer?"

"Everyone else is busy." Jade shrugged, continuing to spread the pesticide over the plants.

"And someone had to show us how this stuff works, normally Sofia is the one to help out." Ruby added. Cedric then realized why Sofia was always absent after they had completed an order for the village. He felt like an utter fool; he had been completely ignorant through the years that Sofia was picking up his slack. And all the while she had never mentioned it, she had never complained, never a hint of her actions to him. Silently she had helped him perform the duties which he had ignored; duties he had deemed unworthy of his time.

Cedric felt a wave of guilt wash over him. His arrogance had created more work for the princess; more duties for a girl already laden with school work, political studies, duties as storyteller, obligations as protector of the Mystic Isles and the Ever-realm, as well as the abundance of work he had given her as his apprentice.

He had known for years of the girl's secrets; he had been her soul confidant, excluding her aunt, the Duchess Matilda. She had tried to keep them from him; it wasn't until she was badly injured preforming her duties as Storyteller that he had found out. He remembered the day clearly; it was the day he realized how deeply he cared for the girl.

It had been well into the night; the summer chorus of crickets and frogs filled the castle grounds with their persistent noise (for what had already been hours) when her horse, Minimus, had flown her to the sorcerer's tower window. The creature whinnied so loudly that it startled him awake from his deep slumber in his large study chair. He stalked to the window, book in hand ready to toss it at whatever insane creature was outside his tower. The horse neighed again as Cedric had leaned out the window, arm poised back ready to release his rage upon the creature that had awoke him.

"Cedric stop! It's the Princess!" Wormwood squawked, flying between the sorcerer and his prey.

"What on Earth-" Minimus neighed again, turning his body revealing the injured princess on his back.

"He said she's injured. You're the only one he could think of that she would trust to help." The raven went on, perching on his master's shoulder. "Heaven knows why he would think such a thing." He scoffed under his wing.

"Bring her closer!" Cedric yelled, ignoring his companion. Minimus backed up as close as he could to the tower, his wings beating softly as he tried not to upturn his princess. "Sofia! Sofia, can you hear me?" Cedric yelled again, reaching out to her. The girl didn't move. Cedric clenched his teeth together. What in Merlin's name has she gotten herself into now. He thought looking the sleeping girl over.

He leaned out over the cold stone slab and with all his strength he pulled the princess off of her steed and into his arms. "Sofia... Sofia wake up!" He urged brushing her tangled locks from her face. "What's wrong with her? What happened?" He yelled out the window at the flying horse. Minimus brayed, looking from Cedric to Wormwood. "What did he say Wormy?"

"She was chased by a pack of wolves and before he could get to her she slipped and fell into a ravine."

"Wolves!? What in Merlin's name was she doing? Nevermind!" He shouted, rushing to lay her on the chaise in the study. He looked her up and down; she was wearing a dark purple peasant dress that was mostly torn to shreds and knee-high boots that were now nothing more than scrap leather. She was bleeding from multiple locations; a deep laceration on her head, both arms were badly scraped and bruised, her hands were raw, her knees and shins were covered in bruises and cuts. "Forgive me Little One." He whispered sliding off her boots, revealing what looked like a broken leg. Cedric shook his head, pained at the sight before him. His apprentice was on the verge of death; she needed him now more than ever. He pushed his thoughts away and set to work; he tore open her dress leaving her clad in nothing but her undergarments and pressed the tip of his wand to the gaping wound on her head.

A soft sliver of light emitted from the tip of his wand and slowly the gash on her head began to close. He moved on, working from her worst lesions to the more minor ones, one by one, repairing her body. He worked for hours, lending every ounce of energy he had into his healing magic. Lastly, he kneeled over her mending her broken leg, rubbing up and down her smooth skin until he felt the bone mend together again. Spent, Cedric slid to the floor, his body and mind barely able to function. He leaned his back up against the chaise and closed his eyes. Just a moment. I need just a moment to- his thoughts were interrupted by a soft moan above him. "Sofia!" He yelled suddenly finding enough strength to turn and kneel beside the girl.

She was stirring awake, moaning as she tried to move her limbs. "Be still, your body still needs time to heal properly... I've done what I can." He whispered, caressing her face, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Ced..ric..." She groaned, fluttering open her icy blue eyes.

"Yes, Dearest, I'm here." He stated, taking her hand in his. "You're safe now."

"I hurt... so bad." She whispered, gazing up into his eyes, her own filling with tears.

"I know, Little One. I'm sorry there's not more I can do for you at this time." He replied wiping away her tears with his thumb as he cradled her cheek with the palm of his hand.

"How did I get here?"

"Your horse brought you to me... Sofia what on Earth were you doing? You could have died... You almost..." He shook his head trying to clear the thought of her lifeless body from his mind. He didn't realize it at the time but his eyes watered, brimming with tears.

"It's a long story." She mumbled looking away from the passionate man before her.

"Don't you dare try and keep a secret from me, not after all I've been through tonight..." He scolded her; his hands balling into fist beside her, his eyes hardening, his brow furrowing at her.

"Mister Cedric, I can't."

His eyes narrowed, his tears dried up; she hated the look she was receiving from her dear friend. She felt her breath still, her eyes brimmed with tears again. She couldn't keep him locked out. She couldn't push him away after he, most assuredly, had spent most of the night tending to her wounds. She knew healing magic came at a cost; the level of healing was only equal to the energy of the wielder. She realized now that Cedric must have consumed almost all his energy to heal her. The tears rolled down her cheeks as he turned his back to her, silently sinking down to the floor again.

Sofia forced herself upright. She realized now that she was completely undressed beside her tattered undergarments. She looked around the room and saw her clothes, torn and slashed in a pile before the fireplace. He had undressed her in order to get to her injuries, she knew that, part of her relished at the idea of Cedric seeing her so bare. But this had never been how she had imagined the scenario.

She pushed away her modesty and slid down beside the sorcerer. His eyes narrowed and his mouth opened to surely reprimand her for moving so much while still maimed. She slid her arms around his waist and held him tightly, her tears flowing freely now. "I'm sorry. I realize the trouble you went to in order to help me, I'm so sorry Mister Cedric!"

"Shush now. You need to rest, Little One." He mumbled, running his hand over her hair as she cried softly.

"No, I need to tell you, you deserve to know." She cried, sitting upright again, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. His eyes moved over her creamy skin; he had managed to heal her wounds, but feared she would have permanent scars from some of the deeper lacerations. It was then he fully realized she was half naked in front of him. She was no longer a child, she had begun to fill out a womanlier figure; her breasts were now plump and needed more support than a simple shift could supply. She wore a lightweight brassiere that she had fashioned, just for wear under her adventure outfits. It laced in the front, like a corset, keeping her breasts securely in place. Her hips had begun to widen slightly, giving her a voluptuous hourglass shape to her body. Her hip bones were slightly pronounced due to her lean and athletic build. Her stomach was toned; flat and flawless milky-white flesh stretched across firm muscle. He felt blood rush to his cheeks and broke his gaze her unclothed body.

He leaned forward and with what little energy he had left, pulled his baggy, peasant-style shirt off over his head and handed it to the pristine princess. "Cover yourself." He mumbled, keeping his eyes focused on the far side of the room.

"Oh, um, thank you, Mister Cedric." She muttered, slipping the large billowy blouse on over her head. Sofia slid her arms into the puffy sleeves, and pulled the shirt down as far as it would go, covering her to mid-thigh. She could feel Cedric's left-over body heat radiating across her skin, warming her body through. She smiled slightly, pressing the warm fabric against her chest as her fingers wrapped around the precious amulet resting below her clavicle.

"You know the Amulet grants me powers, well it also led me to a placed called the Secret Library. The library is enormous and filled with unfinished books, and it's the job of the Storykeeper to finish them." She stated, studying him while his gaze was still diverted. She noted that his chest and stomach were surprisingly toned with firm muscles beneath smooth ivory skin. He isn't skin and bone after all. She thought. Silently she admitted to herself that he proved quite pleasing to the eye. It was at that point that her eyes drifted downward and fixated on the trail of hair that began between his abs and trickled downward beneath his waistband. She felt herself blush at the way she was viewing her master.

"And let me guess, you're the Storykeeper." He sighed rolling his head to look at her fully. "And this damn library sent you off to be nearly killed."

Sofia winced at his words. "It was an accident; sometimes the stories are easy to finish, other times they're more difficult." She shrugged, clasping her hands, settling them into her semi-exposed lap.

Cedric nodded his head as if he understood, but in reality he was too furious that she had knowingly put herself in danger to really care why. "Is that all you're keeping from me?" He sneered at her, giving her a glare. Sofia swallowed hard and looked away momentarily. "There's more isn't there." He more or less stated as he groaned, looking up at the ceiling. "Sofia how can I protect you... help you... if you're not completely honest with me..." He sighed, watching her from the corner of his eye.

Sofia sighed and bit her lower lip, an act he found tantalizing but ignored all the same. "You're right... I haven't been honest with you... Please don't get mad at me Mister Cedric..." He clenched his teeth, fighting the overwhelming urge to yell at the girl.

"You're lucky I don't have enough energy left to berate you like I want to at the moment."

She smiled at him softly before continuing. "I've been to the Mystic Isles..." Cedric snapped his head towards her, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Excuse me?"

"I had a story that needed a good ending... and it took place on the Isle of Crystals..."

Cedric's mouth was agape; open and closing as he tried to find his words. "B-b-but h-how? O-only a handful of p-people have ever m-made it to the Isles..."

"That's a story for another time... point is, after that the Isle dwellers appointed me the Protector of the Ever-realm, which is what they call our world."

Cedric blinked a few times, then closed his eyes pinching the bridge of his nose. "I think I might have spent too much energy healing you...I must be delusional."

Sofia laughed softly, then clutched her sides from the pain that spread through her ribcage. Cedric's eyes flew open when she moaned, and eased her back against the chaise to mirror him. He grabbed a light cotton blanket off of the chaise and draped it over them both. She leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed. "I know it's a lot to take in, but I'm telling you the truth Mister Cedric. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I was just trying to protect everyone..."

"Alright, enough talk for now. I can't focus anymore..." He muttered closing his eyes resting his head on hers. Sofia smiled and pulled the blanket up to her shoulder as she snuggled up to her Master. His shirt bunched up around her waist as she adjusted herself to his form. She felt his arm snake around behind her and pull her closer; her breath stilled as the touch of his warm flesh sent chills down her spine, the feeling of skin-to-skin contact with Cedric was electrifying. "Just promise you'll be more careful... I couldn't bare to lose you."

"I promise." She whispered into his chest.

"Good, finding another apprentice as good as you would be a terrible pain..." He murmured into her hair. She giggled, then winced at the pain again. He chuckled lightly and held her tightly to his side. Sofia sighed and draped her arm across his stomach.

"Let's get some rest."

"Yes, lets." He mumbled already falling asleep, wrapped in the princess's embrace.

"Well we're done now." Ruby stated, snapping Cedric from his memories. She dumped her bag of magical pesticide power upside down, allowing the remining dust to fall out. "Where is Sof, anyway? Is she okay? She just kinda disappeared at her ball and we haven't heard from her since... it's kinda odd for her." Ruby stated, brushing dirt and blue power from her candy-apple red dress.

"W-what makes you think I would know?" He scoffed, picking up his robe and vest from under the tree keeping his back to the girls. Ruby and jade snorted.

"Maybe they're both still in denial." Jade murmured to Ruby, loud enough for Cedric to hear. He gritted his teeth. Does everyone really thing Sofia and I have been having a secret affair all these years?

"Jade!" Ruby reprimanded her friend, in a hushed tone. "Well, you two were always close before; she was your apprentice after all. You two didn't pick up where you left off?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business." Cedric snapped, glaring at the girls from over his shoulder, rolling down the sleeves of his moss-green shirt.

"Touchy." Jade muttered, crossing her arms.

"We just want to know if Sofia's okay. Can you at least tell her we're still here for her; that we're concerned."

"Or is that asking too much your Royal Sorcery-ness?" Jade interjected, arms still crossed. Cedric sighed and turned to face Sofia's friends.

"I suppose I deserved that." He muttered, running his hand thought his hair. "Yes, I'll tell her. And yes, she's fine; so to speak. I'm sure when she gets the first opportunity she'll fill you in."

"I knew it; you do know what's going on." Ruby pressed, her hands on her hips defiantly.

"It's not my place to say anything. She'll fill you in when she's ready. Don't press her though, Girls; not this time."

"You make it sound like something dreadful happened..." Ruby replied shaking her head.

"Or they had a lover's quarrel and she's avoiding him." Jade quipped, with a snort.

"Now, I remember why I try to avoid the fairer sex... Are you all so inquisitive and pushy?" Cedric groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "She's fine. Listen, I have to come back to town in a few days away, I'll bring her with me. Will that suffice?"

"I suppose." Ruby agreed hesitantly, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Fine." Cedric stated curtly, rolling his eyes at the infuriating girls. He let his eyes linger on the sky for a moment as a flying coach glided overhead, he noted that it was traveling in the direction of the castle. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other things to tend to."

"Sure you do; thanks for your help Mr. Sorcerer." Jade muttered strolling away, grabbing a bucket and heading towards the well. Cedric ground his teeth together and stalked away. Sofia and I are most certainly having a discussion about her 'friends' when she gets back. He told himself, shoving his burgundy vest on, and giving it a rough tug to straighten it. Along with a few other things as well.