Hello friends, I'm sorry I haven't updated recently. I've had a lot going on. This is very short, and for that I apologize, I actually have much more written, but I'm splitting it up because there is still more tweaking that needs to be done before I post it. So sorry, for this but better things to come! And thank you to all of you who have given me advice while dealing with writers block. It's very appreciated. And also, for those of you who expressed concerned before, my Cat came back after 5 weeks! Thanks again for reading and reviewing and all that.

When darkness finally descended and she began to drift into unconsciousness, It was strange. It wasn't like drifting off as one normally would. No. She was very aware of her mind entering slumber, as if it were a small bird that was lost in a thick labyrinth of black thorns and brambles . The maze of branches melted away to intricate shapes, like leaves and flowers and a few other things she couldn't quite describe, all in shades of ebony and soon enough she was consumed by the inky blackness and she was dead to the world. Peaceful at last.

She slept fitfully, for the rest of that night. A bit too fitfully, in fact, as she neglected to wake up on her own that morning and was roused from her slumber by her maids. She'd awakened feeling very groggy, with a pain in the side of her head. "What had been in that potion?" She wondered. Possibly Valerian she thought. Well, Cedric had said it was effective...

"Cedric." she whispered.

At the thought of her Sorcerer she felt her heart constrict as images from her dream came back to her. She was haunted by that look he had given her, that anguished, lost look. She had a mind to run to his workshop at that very moment, to give him some sort of comfort. But perhaps she was as much at the root of his anguish as he was of hers. She didn't want that. Not at all. He suffered enough with all his insecurities and she hated to think she was adding fuel to that fire.

What was she to do? Her initial thought was just to ignore the situation. Pretend nothing had happened. But, she couldn't do that forever. Instead of just speculating, she needed to find out what was going on. She needed to talk to him. If he would let her.

Because she had been late in waking she wouldn't be able to see him anytime soon. Instead her ladies maids helped her dress in a silk and organdy gown in shades of mauve and by the time that was completed she was obliged to hurry to breakfast. Not that she had much of an appetite. She sighed. The days seemed to be an endless loop. She wanted to break up the monotony of each morning and was tempted to skip breakfast, but there would be too many unwanted questions, so she decided not to. Besides, there was a chance she might run into Cedric and to get answers to these questions was the first and foremost thought on her mind.

She kept a look out for him in the halls, but of course he was nowhere to be seen. If she had to guess, he was probably still asleep, or if he wasn't,( and something told her he'd probably not slept much at all) then he was probably going to hole himself up in his tower all day. She supposed she could wait til their lessons, that is if he didn't cancel them. And if he wanted to avoid her, there was a very good chance he would.

She didn't eat that morning at breakfast. Choosing instead to sip a cup of peppermint tea. She had little appetite after all and a sharp pain in her head. She tried to look as though she was listening to the conversations between her parents and siblings. She tried to keep an air of normalcy, so as not to raise any questions, but she was upset that she knew there was a very good chance that at some point her facade would crumble and she'd find herself a sobbing mess again. This wasn't how love was supposed to be, was it? This wasn't the stuff of storybooks and fairytales. This was pain and it was unbearable. She couldn't understand it.

"Sofia, did you hear me?" her Step-father's voice brought her back to reality.
"What was that, Dad?"
"There are going to be several important guests at the Upcoming ball and there are a few young men who are eager to make your acquaintance."
"Make my acquaintance?" She repeated slowly. "You mean suitors?" the words left a bitter taste in her mouth.
"Well, yes."
She sighed internally, this was the last thing she wanted to deal with. She had no interest in meeting any prospective suitors, she never had, and even if her heart hadn't been set on Cedric, she wasn't sure she ever would .

He must have sensed her displeasure for he quickly added: "It's just a meeting. You don't have to do anything except be your usual charming self and maybe dance and make small talk…"
"Why?"

King Roland looked a bit taken aback, "Well, I suppose you can just consider it one of your duties as a princess."
"But, I sort of promised Mr. Cedric that I would help him with his performance. I mean, I am his apprentice after all and there's this pretty involved trick and I know he'll need my help. So, I'll do what I can, but I may not have lots of time."
King Roland frowned slightly, "Sofia, that's so kind of you, but that's Cedric's job as Royal Sorcerer, you have your own duties to attend to."
"But Dad, I promised!"
"I'm sure Cedric will understand and I'm sure he'll be fine on his own. Probably."

Amber who had been listening suddenly spoke up, her eyes somewhat alarmed.
"What trick are you talking about, Sofia?!"
"Which one do you think, Amber?" she gave the blonde girl a pointed look.
"Actually Daddy, Sofia should really, really, help Cedric. I want this to be perfect!"

The King sat frowning,

"Oh Rolie, it'll be fine! Sofia will have plenty of time to socialize at this and many more events to come."
"I suppose you're right. Very well, Sofia, you can help Cedric. He needs all the help he can get after all. But do make sure you get a few dances in. Who knows, we may have another royal engagement to plan soon!"

Sofia was grateful that she wouldn't be disobeying the king when she assisted Cedric, but the way they talked about the Sorcerer with so little confidence bothered her, as did the insinuation that her Step-Father wished to have her married off and by the sound of it, soon too.
"May I please be excused?" Sofia asked abruptly.

"Is everything alright, dear?" asked Queen Miranda looking concerned.
"I-I just have a headache is all."
"Well, alright... do you need anything?"
"No. I just want to be by myself for a while."

And so, after assuring her mother she was fine and saying she most definitely did not need to bother Mr. Cedric for a curative potion for her headache , she departed, paying no attention to the words being said in hushed tones by her family.

She had made her way to her bedroom, deciding to read from the dream book Cedric had loaned her. She found that the room felt too stifling and so she left to go to the gardens and sat underneath a tree. She read about Astral projection and enjoyed the cool breeze that came her way. As lovely as this was she was troubled, she thought of Cedric and she thought of the expectations her Step-father had placed upon her, to have her paired off and potentially shipped to some far off kingdom. She was wishing for an escape from all the emotions that welled up inside her. Maybe she could learn to astral project? She could leave her physical form and just slip away. Just for a day... So absorbed was she, she didn't notice a figure coming up behind her and was startled when she felt a soft hand reach down and touch her on her shoulder. Alarmed, she spun around,to see who on earth it could be.