2.

The reunited family sat at the banquet table, Cedric sitting close to Sofia but by the way he was fidgeting she knew he felt out of place. They talked about their travels, and Sofia finally admitted that they had been hiding out with a group of travelling thieves. Her father didn't approve, but seemed willing to let it go. They had protected, fed, and sheltered Sofia and Cedric the whole year in exchange for fairly little, so he claimed he would just drop the matter, for now. There were more important things to discuss, like the curse.

Baileywick was called, and then asked to send word to Queen Amber about her sister's return. He arched an eyebrow in Cedric's direction, but the poor sorcerer was too preoccupied with everyone else's intense gazes to notice. Her family continued to grill them about everything that had happened since they'd both been confined.

"How did you get out of your room?" Prince James asked. So they hadn't found the mirror. Sofia considered telling them, but she just shrugged and answered,

"Magic." It wasn't a lie, and the mirrors had come in handy so many times, she wasn't ready to reveal them yet.

"How did you two get out of the castle?" her mother asked. She still beamed at her daughter, happy to have her back.

"Invisibility potions," Cedric answered this time. He was looking at his hands which were resting on the top of the table.

"Mm-Hm" King Roland muttered, he still eyed the sorcerer suspiciously. "So you did want the amulet. And to take over the kingdom, but then changed your mind." He said it as a question. It hadn't been mentioned yet, but it needed to be addressed. Cedric looked at Sofia, clearly not knowing what to say. She took his hand and tried to give it an encouraging squeeze. "Maybe you could explain all that?" her father clarified.

"I think I just wanted to be respected." Cedric said slowly." And I thought I could get it with the power from the Amulet. But things changed…" he trailed off. "Anyway, I have no intentions of taking over the kingdom, or stealing Sofia's amulet. You have nothing to worry about from me, your majesty."

"I'm not so sure about that." Her father said, eyeing his hand which was clasped with hers. "But, I will remove the charges against you, and you may resume your position as Royal Sorcerer." He said bluntly.

"Thank you, your majesty." Cedric bowed his head, unable to do it properly while sitting.

"That doesn't solve the situation of," he pointed at Cedric and Sofia. "This."

Sofia started to speak, wishing to spare Cedric from any more awkwardness. But Cedric cleared his throat and stood up. Sofia watched him, curious. She had no idea what he was doing, even after he pulled her chair out. She gasped and clutched the arms of the chair, smiling up at him. He held out his hand, and she took it to stand beside him. She thought maybe he wanted to express him intentions formally, or maybe even hide behind her. She really wasn't expecting him to get down on one knee.

She froze, watching him pull out a small pouch from inside his robe. Even though most of her family was there it was as if the two of them were suddenly alone. He looked into her eyes, and she searched them, still not fully understanding even after the words escaped his lips.

"Princess Sofia, will you marry me?" he said, holding up a tiny black ring.

"What?" she asked, causing all of his confidence to deflate. "No, no, wait," his mouth fell open slightly, shocked by her accidental denial. "I mean yes!" She clarified, laughing. "Yes, I will marry you." She grabbed his hands and pulled him back to his feet. She threw her arms around him, laughing. He stumbled backwards from the force, but remained standing. "I didn't understand at first, I'm so sorry. I meant yes!" she said. "I'm just so surprised!" She pulled away, preparing to kiss him, when her mother interrupted them by clearing her throat.

"Surprise is an understatement!" Queen Miranda said. She was smiling brightly, "I thought this might happen one day." She said happily, clasping her hands together.

"You did?" King Roland asked her, looking shocked at his wife.

"Amber is going to be so mad that she missed this," Prince James said, grabbing Cedric's hand and shaking it before turning to her, "When you tell her about it, you should leave out the part where you said no." he said, laughing. Sofia covered her face, but despite her embarrassment she was filled with joy. She was home, and now she was also engaged. The amulet glowed softly again, and she thought the dark clouds outside had started to clear.