Give Me Your Riches: Chapter Two

Ten years hadn't done much to change the bones of the tower. Inside, it had grown into a tidier, broodier place as its inhabitant had grown into a composed, powerful man. After years of reflection, Cedric "the Sensational" determined that he had risen to his appointment as Royal Sorcerer of Enchancia too early in his career. His father had been anxious to retire with the death of Roland the First. This happened to coincide with Cedric's graduation from Hexley Hall. In a desperate attempt to please his ever-unsatisfied father, Cedric had leapt at the opportunity to try something to gain him elusive paternal favor. It didn't work.

Instead, Cedric fought through years of bumbling his spells in front of any audience, all while simultaneously trying to find his place in the world from within an isolated tower. The constant dismissal that Cedric endured, admittedly due to his own deficiencies towards authority figures, allowed him ample free time. After his last botched attempt at taking over Enchancia, he refocused his efforts on his personal endeavors. Cedric the Great died that night and Cedric the Sensational fully took his place. He studied in his home and out on short sojourns to gain power and knowledge that he would have sought on his own around the world, had he not been anchored to his position immediately after graduation. Cedric never had the opportunity to define himself outside of the parameters and expectations set by his parents, his school, or his kingdom. It left a sour, resentful taste in his mouth.

Cedric had gained the title of Potion Master at a prodigious age. It was the one and only activity he seemed able to dedicate true patience to. His expertise led him to be a guest lecturer at Hexley Hall often. Through initial requests, accompanied by thorough follow-through driven by a desire to only need to do the work once and the debt to the House of Winslow that he had made for himself, Cedric had used spells and potions to drive hunger from Enchancia and bolster defenses. His effort made the kingdom nearly impenetrable to starvation or war. That gained him a notoriety throughout the kingdom that was surprisingly respectful and not entirely unwelcome. That work combined with several scattered occasions of, begrudgingly, saving various royal family members, Cedric had grown to be not only recognizable but sought after. Celebrity was the word for it and it had its perks, but it was mostly an empty feeling. The notoriety along with Cedric's strength and power finally quelled his father's unending deluge of disappointment. There wasn't any kind of announcement or congratulations; his father simply stopped demoralizing Cedric one day. It wasn't as much of a relief as Cedric had hoped it would be.

Cedric's quest for power felt unending and hollow, no matter what avenue he chased. Ever since he ceased his pursuit of the throne, there had been an empty feeling around his efforts. He did let certain opportunities pass, usually ones that would take him from his post for too long. For, regardless of how alone he liked to picture himself, he never truly was alone. There was, and seemed there always would be, Sofia in his life.

Sofia had grown from a slip of a girl who couldn't pronounce his name correctly into a sorceress of significant prowess and confidence. Amber decided to continue on the main, ruling preparedness track of study at Royal Preparatory Academy. James deviated to an education based with the knights of the realm. But Sofia had become his. Well not his. But she had followed a natural gift, and undoubtedly Cedric's powerful example, to study sorcerery. She was his apprentice, though only in a part-time capacity so as to continue her responsibilities as a Royal. She had grown into someone he could share theories with, engineer potions with, and (perhaps the greatest accomplishment for the tittering girl she had been) share silence with. Sofia reminded him to eat. Sofia helped him develop an organizational system for his supplies that he could actually stick to. Sofia challenged him to know more and do better. Sofia was the constant in his life, endearing herself to him in a way no other person could.

Still, accolades and admiration from a wide variety of sources, Sofia included, had done nothing to sate Cedric's quest for power. With the Amulet of Avalor no longer an option, he devoted himself to research on other solutions. He would occasionally seek them out in the world but always returned to his tower, often with quest complete but lust unfulfilled. Something within him haunted his every step in his now-familiar home. The one thing Cedric knew above anything else was that he was meant for something greater than the mundane life he trudged through. The longing was never something on the forefront of his thoughts; it dwelled below, at the bottom of a deep pool filled with murky waters. The mystery of what dwelled below is what drove him ever forward on his search. After over a decade of dedication, he and his power became nearly as much of a crown jewel to Enchancia as the royal children were.

This morning was not especially different from any other. Daylight streamed into the tower from the upper windows, brightening the the walls laden with bookshelves. The light scattered through hazy smoke streaming from a cauldron on the work desk. The air swirled with the leftover scents of honeysuckle and pine from last night's concoction. The fireplace Cedric sat beside was cold, but the sharp, acrid aroma from fires past was well settled into the chairs surrounding it. Cedric was researching, as he ever was. A heavy tome in his hands, he reclined in a thickly stuffed armchair, occasionally brushing long strands of hair out of his eyes. He liked his hair at his shoulders, try though his mother might to convince him otherwise. He thought it made the contrasting shades of gray and black seem less overt and more purposeful; the coloring was an inherited trait he wouldn't waste the magic on altering it every day. Cedric refused to get it cut. It wasn't the trending style, but it suited him, and when had he ever been one to follow trends? One brush of the hair too many this morning, however, and he bitingly considered chopping it off completely. With a quick flick of Cedric's wrist, the hair was neatly wrapped back in a tie at the nape of his neck, forgotten.

The clock chimed the hour and Cedric looked up, surprised to find it to be as late as it was. He unceremoniously dumped the book on a second chair and walked across the room to don his sorcerer's robes, dark maroon today. With his wand in a concealed pocket, Cedric, in a practiced pattern, waved a hand to serve some seed to Wormwood before waving the other to open the door and walk out. Yes, he certainly didn't need to use magic, especially wandless magic, to perform such mundane tasks. But even performing little tasks like these gave Cedric a touch of thrill. Very few other magic users in the world could do what he did without a magic conduit like a wand. The clock chimed again and Cedric picked up his pace, hearing the door close behind him. Sofia would find a way to hold the tardiness against him if he was late.

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Sofia had always considered herself a morning person but recently the late morning sun seemed far too bright to be allowed. A year out of school, her schedule no longer centered around Royal Prep classes. Instead, she was occasionally obligated to help with tasks for the kingdom but mostly she was bound to the whims of Cedric, his instruction, and his potion making. It called for the darkness of night more often than the brightness of morning. Last night required not only the witching hour, but three additional hours past it. Sofia blinked weary eyes in the mid-morning sunlight but continued on her task. Potion stores wouldn't refill themselves. As tedious, and poorly timed, as the work could be, Sofia was grateful for it. Her father wasn't stepping down from the throne anytime soon, which left Sofia and her siblings to venture into adulthood at their own pace and by the avenues of their choice.

Ten years had blossomed Sofia from girl to woman. She had departed from her obsession, but retained her affection, for lavender several years prior. Today she wore a burnt umber gown that equally complimented her auburn hair, tied back in a practical plait for the tasks of the day, and the tips of the leaves changing for the coming season around her. The skirt was full enough to accent her slim waist without being difficult to move in. She appreciated the way the square neck brought attention to her bust without revealing any salacious skin. Sofia was calculating in her conservative choices, never openly showing what she could simply allude to. Her beauty was a humble, natural one with no extraneous embellishments.

Her head was unadorned. Sofia had carefully placed her tiara in the bottom of her gathering basket. When doing sorcery work, she found that she didn't care to be a Princess. As she grew from girl to woman, she often found people no longer admired her plucky, can-do attitude and instead wrote her off, underestimating her skill or knowledge. More often, people only saw a pretty face adorned with pretty jewels. There was an advantage to that, but not when it was just her and Cedric at work. He valued her as a person first, seeing straight to the essence of her inner self. Some days, it seemed like he was the only one who could.

The only jewel she wore today was the Amulet of Avalor, which weighed heavier around her neck than it typically did. The conclusion to her time with the treasure must be coming soon, just as it had arrived for her Aunt Tilly. Sofia didn't relish that thought, but now she better understood the nature of magic and how small a role she played in the life of the Amulet.

There was a rustle of fabric in the near distance, interrupting her dour train of thought. Sofia peered around the bush she was crouched behind and allowed herself a smirk. Cedric couldn't find her, allowing her a rare opportunity to watch him unknown. He had grown so powerful and so aware of her that she could never surprise him anymore. His door often opened for her before she reached the top of the staircase in his tower. And yet she would walk in to find him completely engrossed in a task, seemingly unaware of her presence. It made her feel important that someone like him would know her so well that he could predict her next move. Cedric no longer walked with a self-depreciating hunch. His posture was straight-backed and proud. Even when relaxed, he looked as though he'd be ready to combat against any disturbance. Sofia had always been confident in his skills, but with these gradual changes in him, now everyone else was too. He branched out more in his sorcerer's robes though he was always drawn to darker colors and always paired it with a yellow tie that, Sofia only recently noticed, matched the one her dad wore. What he wore under his robes seemed not to change - dark pants, white shirt, dark vest. He wore fingerless gloves every day. Sofia initially wrote them off as something to combat his living in a rather drafty tower. But a mistake (of hers) nearly two years ago had him ripping off the gloves, revealing intricate tattoos across his hands. They never extended beyond the second knucklebone, allowing the gloves to aptly hide the black designs. This fascinated Sofia and she spent the better part of three weeks trying to get him to reveal their exact purpose. Cedric didn't crack under her pestering and the thought of his inky fingers continued to taunt Sofia's curiosity. She often found herself wondering how far up his hands the tattoos continued. Up his arms? His shoulders? His chest?

Sofia felt the pressure of her teeth against her lower lip and started to blush, releasing her lip. That wasn't the first time her imagination had gotten the better of her when thinking about her teacher, her friend. He was stern but surprisingly soft. Uncompromising and encouraging. And incredibly generous with his time and knowledge, with her at least. Sofia knew she saw a side of him that few did, but few took the time to know and care for Cedric as she did. He noticed her efforts and validated her, in his way, without an agenda. Sofia felt strengthened just by being near Cedric, though it was an intangible darkness from him that lent her that strength. She'd be lying if she said it didn't draw her to him, leaving her thinking about him when they were apart, barely able to contain her anticipation towards their next meeting.

"Sofia?" Was he calling her? How many times had he called her? Caught up in her own thoughts, Sofia barely registered the sound of his voice cutting through the crisp autumn air. She scrambled to her feet, scooping her basket around one arm and waving the other in his direction.

"Here, Master Cedric!" She smiled at him brightly.

"Ah, Sofia, there you are." Cedric's tone carried his usual aloof posturing. He ignored her Princess honorific. The role of Student and Master superseded titles, though it still made the servants blush to hear it, or rather not to hear it. Cedric was incredibly adept, however, at remembering when they were no longer in Master-Student circumstances and applying her Princess title appropriately. Sofia wished he wasn't so good at remembering it: she liked hearing him call her Sofia. Just Sofia. "Are you ready?"

"Yes. I checked the stores last night and noticed you were also low on rose hips. I was just now gathering them." She indicated her partially full basket. "We also need weevil paste, wasp stings, and newt tails."

"Very industrious, my apprentice." Cedric's hint of a smile alongside his approval made Sofia feel flush with pride. "Well done. Off we go, then."

The pair walked congenially side by side to the small castle village. The walk was familiar to them. They had made it together every two weeks for the past two years with rare exception. There was never any need to take a carriage, not when the walk included easy conversation, as it always did.

"Counter Hexes." Sofia offered as they started off.

"What of them?" The distance in Cedric's tone dwindled as he relaxed with the castle gardens out of sight.

"I haven't cast a single one successfully. I've been trying for weeks!"

Cedric chuckled lightly. "These things take more than weeks, Sofia. You know that."

"Yes, but I at least made progress over weeks with other spells."

"You're a talented Sorceress, Sofia. But it is remarkably usual for you to struggle with a school of magic here and there. Counter Hexes require a certain kind of defiance that isn't prevalent in your personality." The words were flowing from Cedric. He was in his element, teaching but never belittling Sofia. She loved listening to him like this as they walked, crossing over the waterway that encircled the castle. "With no offense intended, my apprentice, you never gained the defiant streak of your siblings. You've always been rather...chipper. Counter Hexes require a certain level of, shall we say, devilish intention. It isn't simply a block to a Hex cast upon you."

"Oh? Maybe that's where I've gone wrong."

"I suspect as much. Without knowing what your opponent will cast, you have mere seconds to match your knowledge and skill against their prepared action. On an unlikely, lucky chance, you might choose the right spell to successfully counter the Hex. A Blocking Spell is a broad spectrum cast that allows you to do just that: block the spell. A Counter Hex not only absorbs the Hex cast at you, but uses that magical energy, and thus less of your own, to redirect and counter the Hex with one of your own. Now this can go awry, say if you're casting against someone whose power greatly exceeds yours, which you shouldn't be doing in the first place, Sofia."

Sofia opened her mouth to protest that she could indeed defend herself, thank you very much. But Cedric anticipated her rebuttal and bulldozed over her objection.

"No, I'm not suggesting you can't take care of yourself. Your abilities have made it clear that you're a capable Sorceress. I only mean to say that you've already shown strength in Blocking Spells and would fair far better in a Spell Duel if you focused on them rather than trying to channel a non-existent diabolical bone in your body to Counter Hex." A sly smile crossed Cedric's lips as his eyes connected with hers. "Mischievous you can be, apprentice. Diabolical you are not."

Placated, Sofia couldn't help but laugh. He joined her, his eyes warming at their shared humor. He really was sensational. The title she had given him weeks into knowing him still fit him well. These supply stocking walks, just the two of them, were her favorite part of her apprenticeship, outside of all the incredible things she was learning. But the walks were always, always too short. After sharing an amenable silence, they crossed into Dunwitty. Cedric immediately lost the affable attitude he had gained on their walk. His face dropped to a serious intensity and he walked a pace or two ahead of Sofia. His changes, subtle as they may be, shouted to Sofia in jarring tones "Do not come near me. I am not to be trifled with and I am more important than you and this princess-apprentice." This was the attitude of Cedric the Sensational, occasional hero of the realm who suffered no fools, the Master to whom she answered who had no time or patience for unwanted attention.

Villagers peeled away from them on the street, but would stop after they passed to watch Cedric and his unadorned Princess-Student following at his heels. Sofia would timidly smile and wave at them as she passed while keeping up with Cedric's quickened pace. She was still a Princess, even if she wasn't acting as one today. And, though Cedric may deny it, he was special to the villagers too. He kept them fed and safe without conflict. They couldn't help but feel grateful to him. A group of children approached Cedric rambunctiously but froze ahead of his glare. They stared up at him as he passed and each made a little bow. Cedric paused long enough to nod his head in their direction before storming forward. The children cried out with glee and Sofia couldn't help but notice Cedric's ears lift up with just the hint of a smile.

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A/N: Lots of exposition in this chapter, but you needed to get to know these two again a decade(ish) after the show has taken place. I see Sofia as just shy of 20 here (from the poking around I've done, her cannon birthday is in October) and Cedric at about 30.

A huge shout out to Jessibelle811. Talking with you inspired me to finally write something instead of just brainstorming ideas. If you haven't read any of her StF works, what are you still doing here!? Go! Read!

Revised: 6/29/17