Author's Note: And. We're back to the main plot... Just realized I mixed up my updates, and this one was supposed to be on Sunday. Oops. We'll go back to the usual schedule next week.
Cedric sighed as he gathered the preparations for the potion. He had a ton of work to do, tea to prepare thrice daily for Sofia for the next few days, and now that gods awful ball to help plan, and here he was accepting yet another responsibility. He almost longed for the days where he was only called upon to entertain the children with a cardtrick or two. That thought reminded him of another.
"Is your brother's cough better?" He inquired. Sofia smiled warmly at him, and he couldn't help but feel relieved. He wasn't overly involved with the youngest royal, but he knew how much the boy meant to Sofia, and that was enough to make him vested in the child's well-being.
"I didn't hear it once at breakfast, and his coloring is good, too. He has such an appetite this morning, it's a wonder we have enough food to sate him!" She giggled. Her brother's health had been nerve-wracking when a virus sent his already weak lungs into overload, but he was doing well now, all thanks to Cedric for helping her make curatives for the tiny prince.
"I'm glad to hear it. Fetch some water for the cauldron, Sofia." He answered, returning to the page in his book about end of life care to confirm he had everything he needed. Sofia brought the pitcher to him when she finished, and he nodded his appreciation.
"You'll need to enchant it. You're far better at healing magic than I am." He admitted, though it pained him slightly to do so. Sofia attempted to find her wand before realizing that Amber's red gown didn't include a wand pocket, and she'd forgotten the tool in her chambers. She flushed sheepishly. For the first time since she walked in, Cedric studied her, trying to discern the reason for her hesitation, but noticing her peculiar outfit in the process.
"Red doesn't suit you." He muttered, not meaning it to sound insulting, but never being particularly good at sugar coating his words. Sofia shrugged, accustomed to his manners enough to know he meant no harm by it.
"Apparently, I'm expected to wear these until things go back to normal." She said, giving an exaggerated eye roll. Cedric simply gave a hmm, still waiting for his apprentice to perform the spell on the contents of the pitcher.
"Well, go on." He insisted.
"I've forgotten my wand, Mr Ceedric." Sofia confessed, knowing she was going to get an earful. The sorcerer's eyes narrowed.
"That wand is for far more than you seem to remember, child. It's to protect you! I can't always be around to take care of you, you know. What if you were attacked? Or found yourself trapped during one of your adventures? Do you never stop to think of such things?" He lectured. The thought of Sofia walking around without her wand agitated him, especially with the growing unrest beyond the walls of the palace. The princess stared at her feet contritely.
"I'm very sorry. This gown has no pocket, and I forgot to carry it with me." She explained. Cedric shook his head, and with a flick of his own wand, hers was retrieved from its resting place and brought to the table beside him. She had gone through a phase of losing her wand completely, so he linked them, his now forever able to call hers to it, no matter where it may be. He suspected the spell worked both ways, but hadn't let on to Sofia about it.
"There, now hurry up and enchant the water so we can get started." He mumbled, beginning to crush the dry ingredients into a powder as she cast the spell. They worked quickly, and soon Baileywick's medicine was cooling on the worktable. Sofia wiped her hands on her skirt as he cleared away the mess they had made.
"What's next?" She asked brightly. He gestured to the long list on his desk and she retrieved it, skimming over the scribbled chores before handing the page to her mentor.
"Can I help with any of those?" She offered. He eyed the paper warily, feeling that most of the jobs to be done were a complete waste of both their talents. He found one that suited the princess's skill set, and wouldn't require the use of his currently full cauldron.
"Here. A chest salve for the villagers. Seems the nasty virus your brother suffered has half the town in bed." He pointed to the item, and she leaned in to read it, invading his space again to do so. Her overly large gown hung loose, unknowingly exposing her cleavage to his view, and he made it a point to set down the list and busy himself with his own task to avoid taking pleasure in the scenery afforded him.
"How long have you known about those hidden passages, Sofia?" Cedric asked one of the questions he'd been tumbling around in his head all day.
"Seven, maybe eight years. Aunt Tilly told me about them when I was little." Sofia replied absently, already absorbed in gathering the ingredients for the curative paste. He turned to face her, raising one eyebrow in amusement.
"You're still little." Cedric teased. Despite her age, he still towered over the petite princess, who had once declared she'd be taller than him when she grew up. He reminded her of this fact nearly every time the chance presented itself. Sofia turned and stuck out her tongue at him before returning to the salve. Cedric thumbed through the pages of a crimson-bound book, double checking the words for the spell he needed. Confirming that he had the right incantation in mind, he broke the silence.
"Knowledge of every inch of the castle at your disposal, and you use it to sneak into the tower of a crochety old sorcerer?" Sofia giggled, then bit her lip and nodded her answer. Cedric shook his head in disbelief.
"You're not that old. And you are arguably the most interesting person in the castle." She corrected her friend.
"I'm older than you think, girl. Remember, your father and I were children together in this palace. Though, he's closer to my sister's age than mine." At his reply, Sofia turned to study her friend, having quite forgotten that he was nearer to her dad's age than her own. Where Roland had gray scattered through the entirety of his hair, Cedric's white hair remained sequestered to the two thick strips of his bangs. The rest of his hair was as jet black as it had been since the day they'd first met.
Her father's face had deep lines, showing the aging effect that the stress of being in charge of the kingdom had on him, undoubtedly increased by the loss of two wives. Cedric had only two small vertical indents between his eyebrows, and a few horizontal ones near the corners of his eyes, all much less pronounced than the king's. Instead of making him look old, Sofia thought the ones near his eyes made him distinguished, accentuating how handsome he was overall.
"It's rude to stare." Cedric admonished, shifting uncomfortably under the intensity of her gaze. Sofia returned to her project hastily, hoping he hadn't had a chance to see her face redden.
"Sorry, it's just that you don't look anywhere near Dad's age. It's easy to forget." She explained what she had been thinking to her friend.
"Yes, well I suppose all of the pressure does age one." He muttered, running his long finger down the list of chores before he landed on another one that didn't seem entirely dull.
For hours, they worked in peace, the only noises in the workshop were Sofia's contented humming and the occasional soft thud of a book being placed on the desk and opened, pages rustling as one or the other referenced a tome. With both of them going to task, Cedric's obscenely long list of chores was nearly completed as lunch time drew near.
Cedric dipped his quill and scratched out yet another task, mentally splitting the remaining ones between him and Sofia. Selecting his next job, he grabbed his wand from the case Sofia made him years ago, smiling to himself as he closed the box and thoughtfully ran his fingers across the lid. Turning to face an empty patch of floor in the middle of his work shop, he began to wave his wand at it.
"Partum-" He began the incantation. Sofia spun to face him, eyes wide and mouth already open to protest.
"Not that one!" She shouted, but the next word was already leaving Cedric's lips.
"Procursus!" He stated, knowing immediately that it was the wrong word. Sofia, already aware that her warning had come too late, tapped into her years of athletics to dive for the raven perched a few feet away, scooping him up and rolling away, much to the bird's dismay. Behind them, at almost the exact same moment as she grabbed Cedric's familiar, magic arched off Cedric's wand, hitting the floor only to be reflected back up.
Wormwood gave several cries of protest as they tumbled, Sofia hitting her shoulder hard on the floor as she fell. As Sofia landed, the beam of light hit the top of the wooden perch, exploding it into millions of wood splinters on contact. Furious, Cedric was speaking before his brain had a chance to register the action, or the events that led up to it.
"You know better than to interrupt me in the middle of a sp-" He turned his gaze from Sofia to the destroyed perch and back again, mind finally picking up the pieces.
"You knew?" He asked in bewilderment. Sofia's shoulder was in so much agony, all she could do was grasp it and wince, sucking in air sharply. Wormwood pried himself from her tight grip and flew through the high window indignantly.
Cedric quickly closed the gap to the injured princess. He coaxed her up to inspect her bleeding shoulder, flesh peeled away where the stone floor had scraped her soft skin. He had a million questions to ask her, but first he knew he needed to act fast.
"Stay put. If it isn't treated soon it may scar." He stated, rushing to clear off his worktable to begin preparations. Grabbing the needed ingredients, he quickly went to work, frowning at himself and wishing he was as good with healing magic as his apprentice.
When he was finished, he returned to kneel by her side, tenderly applying the curative cream to her shoulder.
"Did you know what would happen because of your dream?" He asked, being direct with the girl about his suspicions. She let out a whimper as the cold cream stung her wound.
"I-I think so. It's still pretty blurry. I didn't remember anything but the very end at first, but when I heard you start the spell, I just knew something was wrong." She explained, squirming away from his hand until he gave her a stern glare, then doing her best to sit still and let him treat her injury.
"Was it the same dream you had in your bed last night?" He inquired, standing to grab a rag. He returned and wiped the ointment off, scowling when he saw that she wasn't completely healed.
"I don't know. I can't remember anything about that one. Does it mean something?" She wiggled again as he rubbed a second application into her skin, but it didn't hurt nearly as much.
"By itself, no. But be sure to let me know if it happens again." He answered. Deciding to let the cream sit this time in hopes that she would heal more, he reached a hand to assist Sofia to her feet.
"What does it mean if it happens again?" She asked. Cedric busied himself with work again, and Sofia quickly caught on that he had no intention of answering her question. Sofia rolled her eyes.
"Must you always be so cryptic?" She prodded. Cedric simply shrugged.
"You like it better this way." He answered in a teasing voice. Sofia opened her mouth to protest, but when she thought about it, he was absolutely right. Cedric made her figure things out for herself, usually through trial and error, and she loved a good puzzle. He was the only one in her life who would allow her to fail in order to learn a lesson, and it was refreshing, if not occasionally troublesome. Still, just this once she wished he would give her the answer.