Author's Note: I'm so glad people seemed to like this story. I was very nervous about posting it, and considered taking it down a few times after I did, but the positive response is what kept it up. Thanks to everyone who faved, followed, and reviewed.
After shaking off the sorcerer's robe, Sofia practically dove into the bed, the memories of their time spent together here a source of great comfort. She rolled onto her stomach and nuzzled her head into Cedric's pillow, discreetly giving it a sniff. Cedric had a scent very much his own, and she had missed it incredibly.
She had no idea what caused him to push her away in the first place, but for this one night she was determined to pretend that it never happened. She needed him tonight, the same way she needed him a few years ago, after the sudden, shocking death of her mother. His agreement meant that she didn't have to worry about why he built such barriers around their friendship. Such thoughts could wait until morning. Of course, now she had other worries, but she tried not to dwell on those, either.
Cedric watched the princess throw herself into his bed, willing himself not to be taken in by her antics. Her father is going to have my head for this. He reminded himself. He slowly climbed in after her, keeping as much distance between their bodies as his small bed would allow. When he made no move to close the gap, Sofia scooted toward him, the pair now mere inches apart.
"Sofia, don't." He warned, propping his head up on his hand to look down at the girl sternly. She turned her head to give an answering glare, but her mouth was set in a devilish smile. She gave a wiggle, and soon his chest was pressed against her back, long legs curled to tuck neatly behind shorter ones.
It was exactly how they slept for nearly a year when she was younger, but so very different thanks to the fact of Sofia's ripening features. He was no longer comforting a motherless child, he was soothing a blossoming young woman, and though his head remained in denial about that fact, his heart did not.
Sofia whined softly, and he groaned, knowing what it was she was after, and that, of course, he would comply. After pulling the covers up to their shoulders, he tucked his arm neatly under her rib cage, the motion bringing her even closer against him. Exhaustion settling on Sofia, she was asleep before another word could be said. Cedric stayed up, willing himself to let go of the princess and distance himself on the bed, but his body simply refused to cooperate. Eventually, sleep claimed him, too.
Cedric awoke with a start, looking around to determine what roused him. Sunlight was just beginning to illuminate his room, and he could hear the distant sound of birds chirping out their morning songs. Sofia, still tucked protectively under his arm, was whimpering loudly, her body writhing against his bed.
"Sofia!" He hissed into her ear. An unearthly moan was her only reply.
"Wake up, little one. You're having a nightmare." He moved his arm to shake her, but to no avail.
"Get up, child." He demanded, voice louder now.
"Wormwood!" Sofia called out in an anguished tone, suddenly upright in the bed, eyes wide with panic. He waved his hand in front of her face, but she stared as if she could see right through him. A night terror. He deduced. He witnessed her nightmares following the death of the queen, but never a night terror. Why did she call out for Wormy? He wondered.
Sofia blinked, and the episode ended. She collapsed back to the bed, shaking against the thin mattress. Cedric pulled her to him again. She was clammy and soaked in sweat. He frowned at the state of the princess. Vaguely, he remembered her saying something about a nightmare in his workshop last night. He'd completely forgotten about it, due to the bigger surprise the rest of her news contained. He shushed her until her body stilled and her breath slowed. Finally, he spoke.
"Will you be alright by yourself for a minute?" He asked. She gave a slight nod. Cedric placed a gentle kiss to the back of her chestnut curls before climbing out of the bed. He stood and stretched, allowing the girl time to change her mind, but she didn't speak.
"I'll be back soon, little one." He cooed before leaving the room. He climbed the stairs to his workshop, stopping to check on his raven familiar as he walked by the wooden perch. That's silly, of course he's okay. It was only a dream. He chided himself. He stroked the bird's chest feathers before moving on.
Sofia stayed in bed, chilled by the absence of Cedric's warm body, but otherwise beginning to feel better. She desperately tried to recover the details of her dream, feeling that they were somehow important. All she could recall was a single black feather floating to the ground, an image that made her heart ache with unexplained grief.
She noticed that Cedric left the bedroom door open, presumably so she could call for him should she have need to. She could hear him talking in the workshop, no doubt to his long time companion. She smiled to herself, thinking about the day that the three of them visited Hexely Hall, and Cedric accidentally dropped a speaking potion on the jet black bird. She suspected it was one of the best days of Cedric's life. He and Wormwood grew so much closer since that day, and now the pair were practically inseparable.
The image of the lone falling feather replayed in her mind, and a shudder ran through her entire body. It couldn't have been Wormwood. Why would I dream such a thing? Before she had much time to ponder it, Cedric was at the bedroom door, a tray of conjured food balanced in his hands. She sat upright, tucking her legs to either side of her body. Cedric placed the tray in the middle, with Sofia helping to pull out the legs as he lowered it. Then, he sat on the bed opposite the princess.
Everything about last night and today was as it was years ago, and it warmed her despite all her worries. Her eyes fell to the cup of steaming tea on her side of the tray, the smell giving away the nature of the contents. She wrinkled her nose at it.
"Not again?" She complained, and Cedric flashed her an apologetic smile.
"Three times a day for as long as the bleeding continues, I'm afraid." He explained, lifting a forkful of eggs to his mouth before hesitating.
"Eggs are still alright, aren't they?" He asked, genuinely concerned that he may have forgotten the details of the princess's unusual diet. She smiled warmly at him, glad he remembered at all.
"Eggs are fine. Unless Wormword has an objection to them." She teased. At the mention of the raven's name, Cedric's body stiffened, his weight shifting in the bed.
"What's the matter?" She asked, worried by his response. Cedric cleared his throat.
"You called out to him... Wormy. In your sleep. The anguish in your voice was so chilling, I guess I'm just having trouble reminding myself it was only a dream." He explained. Sofia's gaze grew distant.
"Did I?" She murmured, eyebrows furrowed as she tried again to remember her dream. Again the black feather fell. This time when it landed, an explosion of pain ripped through Sofia's head. She gave an audible gasp, instinctively reaching for her head. Cedric reached over and took her hands into his own, pulling them away from her face. A curtain of stars filled her field of vision.
"Drink your tea. The tumeric is for pain, and the black tea helps with headaches. Migraines are a common symptom." He said, trying to mask the overwhelming concern in his voice. Even though he possessed all the textbook knowledge on the subject, and had treated plenty of women over the years, somehow seeing his only true friend suffer through it was an entirely different experience.
When he saw how the girl's hands were shaking, he lifted the teacup for her, pressing it to her lips. She sputtered on the liquid once, and he worried that it might come back up, but she managed to swallow it instead. She was too desperate for relief and blinded by pain to give a repeat of last night's dramatic performance. When the cup was emptied, he shifted the tray to his bedside table, promising himself that he would get the princess to eat her breakfast later. He crossed the bed to sit by her side and wrapped protective arms around her, guiding her back onto the mattress so she could rest.
Just as he thought she might be asleep, she spoke.
"Did Amber..." She inquired, exhausting her strength with just those two words, figuring her older sister must have gone through the same thing. He caught her meaning easily enough.
"When she was twelve, if you can believe it." He answered softly, not wanting to aggravate her migraine.
"Did she drink the tea?" She managed to ask. Cedric chuckled, remembering the older princess's reaction to the concoction.
"She wouldn't touch the stuff. And the look she gave me for suggesting it... I thought she might actually throw the cup at me." He recounted, shaking his head. A hint of a smile played across her face.
"I thought as much." She said lightly. Cedric reached up and brushed some stray hairs off of Sofia's face.
"So you've treated every woman who's lived in the castle?" She continued her questions, though Cedric wished she would rest.
"Since becoming the royal sorcerer, yes. Though no one's ever required overnight care before." He teased. Realizing that what he said could be misconstrued as a euphemism, a slight blush spread across his cheeks. He could feel Sofia's body relaxing against him.
"Feeling better, little one?" He asked.
"Slightly." She nodded her response. When he shifted away from her, she whimpered at him, and he clucked his tongue.
"You have to eat, Sofia." He insisted, bringing the tray back onto the bed and reclaiming his seat opposite her. They ate the food Cedric had conjured, pausing here and there to chat. Sofia was gradually recovering from her previous state, much to Cedric's relief. When the breakfast was finished, he waved the plates away with his wand, and took the tray upstairs.
Cedric felt like he didn't have a care in the world, until he took notice of the time. Sofia's chambermaid would be coming to collect her from her room soon, and while he didn't like the idea of forcing Sofia to sneak around and be dishonest, he was also quite attached to his head. He glanced back towards his bedroom with a sigh. When he returned, she was laying back against the pillows, resting.
"Sofia, it's time for you to go back to your room." He spoke gently, knowing she wasn't going to be thrilled with the idea. Her eyes remained closed as she spoke.
"Do I have to?" She asked, but Cedric already anticipated that she would try to talk him out of it.
"Yes. They'll be looking for you shortly, and you are not going to be found here. I don't know the details, but I'm well aware that you can get around the castle without being seen." He played his trump card. For years he watched her seemingly appear in certain areas of the castle, despite not having been spotted in the halls. He had no idea how she did it, but that wasn't the important part. Sofia giggled, surprising the sorcerer.
"Do you want to know my secret?" She asked, her voice a playful tease. Cedric stood agape, wondering if it might be some trick. After some thought, he decided that while she liked her games, she never outright deceived him. It wasn't her style.
"I-I... Yes, actually." He stammered out, now dying to know. Climbing out of the bed, Sofia pressed a finger to her lips and shushed him, smiling mischievously at her friend. She grabbed his hand and led him up the stairs and out of the tower.
In the hallway, her hands scrambled around on the floor until she found the hidden trap door. Cedric stood frozen in shock as she lifted it and vanished down the ladder. After a minute, she popped back up and looked at him impatiently.
"Come on." She whispered. Cedric shook himself to attention and followed her down the ladder, carefully closing the door behind them. He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness of the hidden corridor the pair now found themselves in. Sofia reclaimed his hand and began to lead him forward. They turned a few corners, walking in silence. Cedric did his best to memorize the route as they went along. Shortly, they came up against what appeared to be a dead end.
"Do you think you can get back on your own?" Sofia asked him, frowning at herself for not considering his return trip earlier. Cedric turned his wide eyes toward her.
"You're not going to show me the whole way?" He asked, trying to puzzle out the logic behind showing him the passages only to leave him at this point in the corridor. Sofia's laugh only confused Cedric further.
"We're already here." She told him, watching in amusement as he glanced around, trying to find the exit.
"A false wall?" He asked, sure that must be the answer. He skirted past the princess and felt along the wall, but it seemed solid enough. She shook her head and giggled, still clearly amused at the game.
"I wish to be small." Sofia said, taking her amulet into her hands. Soon, she was tiny again. She pushed open the little door to her bedroom, waving goodbye to the sorcerer as she disappeared through the opening, leaving him to find his way back to his tower.