Please do forgive me! I realized that I was behind in my updates and this has never happened before. I guess that I got caught up in school work and it just slipped my mind. All my other stories will be updated along with a few others that I started typing up when I was bored. Enjoy book 7 my patient readers.
Book 7
(Sapphire pov)
Sapphire was released from the infirmary about two days later, after the royal healer said she was good to go. The only people who had visited her in the short time she had been there were Sofia, Amber, James, the King and Queen, and Baileywick. Cedric came by once, when she was asleep, according to the healer to drop by a bouquet of baby blue orchids and forget-me-nots. After that, well he never came back by, leaving Sapphire to blame herself for what happened.
The young sorceress was currently in her room, looking out at the gently falling snow, watching it collect on the ground and cover everything. Her thoughts were filled with nagging voices and doubts about the visions she had over her two days in the infirmary. First it was the dream of Corundum telling her that she was in fact the ice sorceress incarnate; the second one was of the day the war of the gods began, something that Sapphire could've lived without. The goddess had then given her a choice (Sapphire decided to use the term choice lightly as the two options that were given didn't leave any room for choosing): either stay and live a normal life and let Ruby take over the world, or fight in the war as Corundum's champion and prevent the world from falling into darkness.
Of course Sapphire didn't really need to think about which one was the best but she still needed the time to make up with Cedric first. Sapphire had to figure out how to approach her friend.
Finally after about an hour of debating herself, Sapphire finally got the courage to walk to his tower with his favorite flowers, Bachelor Button and Bauhinia, in hand. The door to his tower was closed, and after a moments hesitation she knocked on the door. Sapphire tensed up when she heard an explosion; she assumed that she interrupted some experiment. Her assumption was confirmed when the door opened to reveal a sooty faced Cedric, his face twisted into a scowl. The sorcerer's face was soon reconstructed into a look of surprise when he saw who stood outside his door.
"Sapphire?" he asked surprised. Then he fumbled with the door as he opened it up wider. "Please, come in." Sapphire bowed her head in thanks as she entered his tower, relishing in the smell of dried herbs and fruity potions. "What can I do for you?"
"Oh I uh came to give you these," she said holding out her hand that contained the bouquets. "I got your flowers while I was in the infirmary. So I thought I'd give you something in return." Sapphire held the flowers for a long moment, as Cedric awkwardly stood there staring at the bouquet before taking it and placing it in a vase. Sapphire glanced around, spotting Wormwood on his usual perch, glaring at her. The sorceress glared right back, but pretended to be looking at the room when Cedric returned her attention back to her.
"Nice place you have here," Sapphire said trying to break the ice. It was in fact a pretty cozy place, with a bedroom to the side, and multiple closets. The tabletop was littered with potions and beakers all bubbling with the colors of the rainbow, the bookshelves filled to the brim with spell books. It was made to feel like home, and for some reason Sapphire felt like she was home. Ever since her uncle passed, Sapphire thought she would never find a place like the one she had left behind but now…. now it seems like she did. Finally after an intense silence, Sapphire spoke her mind.
"Cedric, listen," she started, after Cedric had picked up a rag and wiped his face off. "I've been meaning to talk to you about something. The last time we saw each other, I don't quite remember what happened. But I do remember your face looking at me with pure love through the thick wall of ice. I didn't want you to leave you but I had no choice. I hoped that as soon as I banished the she demon into the mirror I could escape and come back to you, but I dropped my wand. There was no way to escape without letting her back out. So I stayed in the mirror, my prison and punishment until Sofia freed me not too long ago."
Cedric cocked his eyebrow at Sapphire's explanation as if he was trying to sort through the lies in that story. But in reality, he was letting all that sink in. It wasn't as if he didn't believe her; heck Cedric trusted Sapphire with his life but this story was out of proportion. The royal sorcerer had heard stories of people getting stuck in mirrors but never heard of them taking five years to get out. Of course they probably had their wands with them. The young sorceress looked down in shame; sighing in sadness.
Placing the rag on the table, Cedric lifted her head and as they made eye contact, a tear slipped out of Sapphire's blue eyes. Using his thumb Cedric wiped it away with his thumb as they stared into each other's eyes. Cedric could've sworn that she seemed older, her shoulders weighed down with secrets that he could only hope to have.
"I have missed you so much Sapphire," he said barely above a whisper. More tears flowed at his words and suddenly; her lips were pressed against his in a warm, wet and passionate kiss. It was long and full of love, but Cedric was disappointed when he had to pull away for air. A small smile graced Sapphire's lips, which was soon mirrored on Cedric's own. Then an idea suddenly popped into his mind as he remembered the ring that currently sat in his wand case that Sofia had made for him three Wasailias prior. He was going to propose but Cedric needed to have the right place setting. And he just the idea.
"Well I hate to run, but I have things to do today," she said regrettably. Sapphire opened the door, and smiled before walking out. Almost immediately, Cedric got to work, quickly jotting down an invitation for a candle light dinner, the time and place, sealing it in a lavender envelope. He wrote Sapphire's name in lovely cursive, setting it down on the table while he rushed down stairs.
Cedric felt nervous and excited at once as he walked up to the king's council chambers. As far he knew the king wasn't in meeting with any one, so cautiously he knocked on the door, wilting instinctively as muffled voices ordered him to enter. Taking deep breaths, Cedric opened the thick wooden doors to see that Baileywick, King Roland and Queen Miranda standing around and talking.
"Ah Cedric," King Roland the second said as soon as he saw his friend and sorcerer. "Is there something you need?"
Cedric fiddled nervously as he spoke, "Uh well, um I was wondering if you could, uh assist me with um something."
"Sure what do you need help with?" Queen Miranda asked.
Nervously Cedric rubbed the back of his neck as he continued. " Well I was uh, just going to um ask if I could b-borrow the dinning hall tomorrow evening."
"Whatever for?"
"I'm going to propose to Sapphire," he muttered so softly that the king and queen couldn't hear him.
"I'm sorry?" Roland asked, with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm going to propose to Sapphire," Cedric said a little louder, but not loud enough. As Miranda and Roland exchanged questioning glances the royal sorcerer sighed before saying extremely loud, "I'm going to propose to Sapphire tomorrow!"
Queen Miranda's eyes light up as she placed a hand on Cedric's shoulder, causing him to tense up. She smiled and when Cedric made eye contact, the son of Goodwin the Great saw that the peasant turned queen was silently congratulating him. Cracking a slight smile, Cedric took a deep breath before continuing: "I just need the dining hall, the orchestra, a small handful of servants and the kitchen staff."
"Whatever you need buddy," King Roland patting him on the shoulder. "All you need is just to ask."
"Thank you your Majesty," Cedric said gratefully before bowing, turning towards the door. Then he suddenly remembered something. The young man turned towards Baileywick, waving his wand in his hand he conjured up a giant bouquet of blue lilies with a few pink and yellow roses. The royal sorcerer handed the bouquet and the invitation to Baileywick and kindly instructed him to leave these in Sapphire's room. The steward gratefully complied, and walked off, leaving Cedric and the royals alone collaborating on the dinner.
Meanwhile in the music room….
A certain young sorceress played a tune on the harp, one that was taught to her by one of her neighbors who was once a member of a court orchestra. She hummed along with the harp, her fingers stringing the story of a young woman who wishes for true love and true love's first kiss. Sapphire smiled softly as she plucked out the last note, right when Sofia entered, Clover hopping right beside her.
"That was beautiful Sapphire," the bunny complemented, hopping up on the piano. "Where'd you learn to play like that?"
"Thanks Clover. My neighbor was once a prized member of a travelling band. Dukes, duchesses, kings and queens sought her after. When she retired, she taught me how play."
"Wow," was all clover said before something else caught his attention. Sofia laughed at her bunny, before looking at Sapphire who picked up a guitar and started to strum a few notes.
"So, have you made up with Cedric yet?"
"You know what Sofia?" Sapphire asked sort of giddily. "I don't know what I was worried about. Cedric forgave me after I explained what happened, and he still loves me even after all these years. It's as if I was living in a dream or something."
"Really?" Sofia asked fascinated. Sapphire continued to tell how nervous she'd been when she was at Cedric's doorstep but in reality she had nothing to be worried about. He kissed her, but it wasn't like when Cedric kissed her when they were young. No, it was a kiss full of love and passion; something Sapphire hoped would've blossomed since she returned and made peace with Cedric.
"So what are you going to do now?" That was a good question, Sapphire realized as she thought about it. Cedric was bound to stay here, as it was his duty to protect the royal family, but Corundum wanted her to travel to the Northern Mountains to help Lady Argenta and Jade. Torn between love and duty, Sapphire decided to keep her lips sealed on the last part, as Sofia was too young to understand what war does to people. Or goddesses.
"I'm not sure," Sapphire admitted as she placed the guitar down and taking her place on the piano bench. "But I would certainly like it if you would join me in a song."
Sofia grinned widely as she quickly walked towards the piano and sat next to Sapphire, her tiny hands dwarfed by Sapphire's smooth pale hands. And they started.
Sapphire started with the melody, Sofia entering softly in the background. The tune started out slow and beautiful, like a waltz, but before long, it sped up, turning into a jig. Both girls laughed as the song continued to speed up, unable to keep up with each other, the tempo going as quickly as a stampeding horse.
They finally gave up, collapsing in laughter, clutching their stomachs. Sapphire wiped a tear of laughter out of her eye, catching her breath. Suddenly she looked at the clock, gasping when she saw the hands closing in on the four.
"Well, it has been an honor princess," Sapphire said offering her hand for the always smiling princess, "But I must be leaving. Midnight will be waiting for her supper and I don't think that the stable boys will know how to feed her correctly." Sapphire bowed at the waist, bidding the young royal goodbye, before walking out of the music room. Something told her she needed to go by her room, so taking a detour she opened the door and gasped at the surprised. A huge bouquet of moon lilies and forget-me-nots sat in a decorative vase. A card was propped up against the vase, her name written in spidery yet lovely handwriting.
Opening it Sapphire read it aloud, "'Dear Sapphire, the honor would be all mine if you would care to join me for dinner tonight at six-thirty in the dinning hall. With all the love and care in the world, Cedric.'" Her hand flew up to her face as she reread the letter. Her blue eyes glanced over to her clock. Five thirty. She had time to feed Midnight but she had to do it quickly.
She was barely out the door when her amulet glowed, causing her to freeze. Either she was getting a new power or someone was trying to visit her. Sapphire didn't remember doing a good deed early today, so it was probably someone trying to contact her.
Sapphire…. A voice spoke. The sorceress whipped her head around her room, trying to find the source of the voice. Nothing. Nobody was in her room, unless there was an unseen assailant, lurking in the shadows. She pulled out her wand, pointing it around the room, a spell already on her lips.
Sapphire…the voice spoke once more. Sapphire whipped her head around once more, staring straight into the eyes of someone she remembered from not too long ago. Corundum, her dress fitted into armor, a blade with a jewel of the bluest make at her side. The goddess's blue eyes were narrowed and her lips were twisted into a frown. Not a good look for her.
"What do you want Corundum?" Sapphire asked, putting her hand on her hips. "I've got a date tonight and I would like to not be late."
"I believe I told you that you cannot have any relationships while Ruby is at large," the goddess said her voice echoing, stalking closer. "She will use your love against you and she will succeed."
"What do you want Corundum?" Sapphire repeated her original question, her tone harsh. She was raised on the prospect of respect.
"I come heralding news," she said, unbuckling the scabbard from her waist. "Ruby has taken the Northern Mountains, with Jade and Argenta on the run. They are on their way here; covering their tracks carefully to make sure Ruby doesn't follow them and unintentionally lead them to you. "
"I will keep an eye out for them," Sapphire said before opening the door, but Corundum had more to say.
"Take this," she said holding the sword out. Sapphire took it, the metal cold in her hands. "This will assist you in the coming battle, a blade made out of pure ice and a jewel plucked from the night sky during the coldest day in winter. It will help you hone in your ice powers."
Sapphire stared at it, unsheathing it, swinging it several times to get a feel of it. When Sapphire held up the sword to examine the jewels, they glowed slightly in the fading light, almost like they were stars. "It's so beautiful."
"It's called Svero ís," Corundum stated, the foreign language flowing off her tongue like a river. "Literally meaning the Sword of Ice. It has served me well and protected me for many years. It will do the same for you." And without another word, in a flash, the goddess disappeared, leaving a very confused and shocked Sapphire. Glancing at the clock, the young sorceress saw that she didn't have time to go and speak with Midnight, so she ordered a young servant to take her requests down to the stable hands.
Once the door was closed she started to get dressed, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out what to wear, until a light blue shimmer caught her eye. Walking over to the shimmer, she pulled out a teal blue sleeveless dress, with a purple train.
Maybe it's a gift from Corundum, Sapphire thought as she dressed, the outfit showing off her curves, the tight fitting material, sparkling like freshly fallen snow. Well I believe that my knight and shining armor will be waiting.
In the dining hall (Cedric pov)…
Cedric carefully lit the last candle on the stairwell, smiling slightly at the success of his plan. Usually he would be celebrating the success of a plan to take over the kingdom or stealing the Amulet of Avalor but something changed with the arrival of Sapphire. He felt his heart melt and the barrier he put up long ago crumble. Cedric no long wished to take over the kingdom, but wished to settle down with Sapphire and become husband and father to her and her children. The sorcerer was surprised that such greed could be wiped away with a sudden appearance of a woman as beautiful as Sapphire.
Taking a step back away from the candles, Cedric took in all the details of the dinning room. A table in the middle of the room, a candlestick with two waxed candles, which were alit, sat in the middle. In the shadows of the pillars, stood servants with trays piled high with food waiting for Sapphire. Cedric nervously took out a pocket watch, and sighed as he saw it was only six-twenty five, the large hand ticking slowly.
"You look nice," a voice said, causing Cedric to jump in fright. Sapphire stood not too far away, looking like a goddess.
Her hair was curled, falling around her shoulders. She wore a lovely blue dress, similar to the sky on a clear deep, and her smile…. oh it outshined all the stars in the sky. Of all the jewels and gems in the kingdom, none could compare to the beauty of Sapphire Starlight's smile.
"Oh S-Sapphire," Cedric mentally kicked himself for stuttering like a schoolboy. "You're five minutes early."
The gorgeous woman shrugged her graceful shoulders. "You know what my uncle would've said." Her voice suddenly deepened in imitation of her uncle, "'There is no such thing as too early! Only such a thing as too late!'"
The two dissolved into a small fit of giggles at Sapphire's imitation of her late uncle, before they sobered up. The young sorceress looked around the dinning hall, taking in a deep breath, a smile tugging at her lips.
"Oh Cedric," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "This place is…absolutely gorgeous."
"Well I didn't do this all by myself," he admitted, looking up at the decorations. Offering her a hand, he asked, "Shall we?"
Sapphire dipped her head, and took Cedric's in graciousness. "We shall."
The young sorceress picked up a corner of her dress and they two walked down, music instantly floated from behind the stairwell, right on with Cedric's cue. As soon as they were seated at the table, the servers came out and set down an appetizer of warm chicken noodle soup. Not the fanciest of appetizers but it was Sapphire's favorite. On cue, Sapphire broke out in the biggest grin in the world as she took a delicate sip after gently blowing it to cool it off.
"Chicken noodle soup." Sapphire's cheeks turned bright red as she gave Cedric a knowing look. "You remembered my favorite soup." Cedric shrugged as the two quietly sipped their soup, the quiet void filled with the softness of the musicians.
Suddenly, Sapphire put her spoon down and looked up at Cedric. "What's all this for Cedric?"
The Royal Sorcerer just shrugged hoping to appear casual. "I haven't seen you in five years. Do you really think I would not take the chance to catch up?"
"You have a point," she said as the servants cleared away the bowls and another round of servants placed the main course on the table: two plates of well-cooked steaks. The meat sizzled deliciously, and as Cedric cut it, it sliced like melted butter. Both magicians ate their food slowly, savoring the culinary skills of the cooks, recalling times from their past and laughing about their good old days.
Finally it was time for dessert and the big surprise. Sapphire gasped in delight and her eyes light up with childlike amazement. A line of servants came in carrying loads of trays, piled high with the sorceress's favorite desserts. Chocolate pie, vanilla ice cream, chocolate truffles, custard, and cheesecake. Sapphire wiped a tear away from her eye as the servants placed the trays on the table, and they walked out, almost done with their chores. The musicians continued to play, the clock adding on to the orchestra.
Looking up at the clock, Cedric felt his heart race with nervousness as he fingered the ring box that was currently weighing his cloak down. In approximately fifteen minutes, as Sapphire was digging into the chocolate truffles, Cedric would kneel down and surprise her with the proposal. The Royal sorcerer went over the proposal in his head, taking deep breaths to calm his heart. Sapphire noticed his breathing was getting slightly irregular, so she looked at him with a worried glance.
"Cedric?" The sorceress asked, a truffle halfway to her mouth. "Is everything okay?"
The sorcerer quickly tried to cover it. "Oh, it just got a little warm in here. That's all." Sapphire didn't look convinced but nodded and continued to savor the delicacy as much as possible.
Fifteen minutes flew by like no one's business, filled by Sapphire chatting about how she didn't have anything fattening food in the mirror realm. Feeling a surge of courage, Cedric cleared his throat gently, silencing Sapphire.
"Sapphire, uh," Cedric reached forward and grabbed Sapphire's hand. "You were the only person to sit with me on that first day of sorcery school, and since then you and I have been friends. But my feelings went beyond friendship. It blossomed into a love that can never be matched by anyone. When I saw you at the top of those stairs all those years ago, wearing a beautiful dress, I clearly saw us together for the rest of our lives." Sapphire was getting a little teary eyed at Cedric's speech, but she really got misty as he knelt down one knee, pulling out a small ring case. When he opened it a ring with a medium blue and purple stone shining in the candlelight.
But Cedric continued, "Sapphire Starlight, will you me the highest honor and become my wife?"
Short chapter I know but this went through multiple re-writes and I went through multiple second guesses on how this would play out. Thank you for being patient and #summerof2016