Dear Emilia, You Have No Idea

Cedric rested his chin on his palm and frowned deeply as he stared at the tired mess on his desk.

"She went and did it." He muttered irritably. "Wormy, what do you think? A frog or a toad?" He lifted his wand lazily and watched with a raised eyebrow as she shifted her arms. He sighed heavily and put the wand down on his desk with a loud clack.

He looked at his bird and watched him instead. "What did she do to you? You aren't even cawing in agreement to wicked fun."

"It's not like you would actually do anything." A white blob formed from the painting Emilia had previously taunted him for having.

"Believe me. If I could, I would have thrown it out a long time ago." He muttered in response to the imaginary her poking fun at it.

Goodwin stood in the middle of the room, looking around for good measure. "I remember the two of you were rather fond of each other for a while there."

"And we didn't get along at all for nearly as long as well." His son grumbled as he stood up and retrieved a threadbare blanket from the cupboard. He draped it over her shoulders, carelessly covering her head in the process.

"If you suffocate her I'm going to leave you to take all of the blame yourself." Goodwin warned.

"She's fine. She's full of hot air anyway."

The older wizard rolled his eyes at his son's immaturity.

"Well, what do you want?" Cedric asked begrudgingly.

"I heard from a little birdy that the Princess had returned and I had to see it for myself."

"Well, she's here." He agreed snappily. "Now what?"

"You know I still find it mind boggling with how comfortable you two are now with each other." Goodwin chuckled as his son's gaze sharpened. "I still remembered back when the little tyke was still despised by you." He frowned slightly. "What was your reasoning for it again? Wasn't it something like she's too loud? Or—?"

"Too honest." Cedric finished. "She said what she wanted. She rallied the words of others constantly and ridiculed openly. Still does."

"But only to you it seems." Goodwin laughed. "The manners the King forced upon her during his reign still have an impact everywhere else."

"It's no wonder why she always comes here to fall asleep." Cedric added.

"Indeed it's not." Goodwin smiled mischievously. "But it does seem to me that you have little complaint to her doing so. You've even altered your speech patterns around her so that you avoid activating the curse by even the smallest chance."

Cedric began stacking papers on his desk. "Not really. It just got annoying to have her complaining about it."

Goodwin smiled knowingly. Cedric refused to look at him as he shoved the papers into a book and slid the book onto a shelf among others.

"Well, I came to see the Princess again, but she's asleep." He paused, looking between the snoozing girl and his son trying to get the paper that was pinned by her elbow. "It seems as if I'll have to drop by again later and catch her awake."

"No you—!" Cedric began, turning to face his father with his arm extended exasperatedly, but stopped abruptly upon realizing that the wizard was no longer present.

"Don't."

The little girl that sat on the high stool turned to glance at the two older men working precariously.

The littler one was constantly on his toes and, whenever he was taking his turn with the potions or wands, he would get angry at his father's consistent prodding. The even littler girl had to agree, the elder's poking around when concentration was due was probably his only flaw when it came to magic. And it seemed to vex the younger magician greatly.

He was an apprentice or something of the like as she remembered them saying earlier on.

She sighed heavily as she turned back to the window and thought back to her horrific experience this morning. To put it briefly, she had been caught in the sights of Roland early that morning. Briefly frozen in fear, the metallic shiver that ran through her bones forced her to sprint to the nearest doorway and take a detour to her destination. She had ran all the way from her room to Goodwin's tower in fear. Running in terror so early in the morning can leave a lasting emotional and yet physical impact for the rest of the day for those who have never experienced it. Climbing to the upper veranda the instant she entered the lab, she hadn't come back down from the level ever since.

The littler one had looked up at her curiously when he receded from his bedroom to find her up in the rafters. But just narrowed his brow in satisfaction at the silence from her.

She didn't talk very much but, when she did, it somehow always made him mad.

When Goodwin walked out of his room he greeted her politely and she managed to tear her eyes away from the window long enough to stare him down aloofly albeit quite a bit awkwardly as well.

It was now noon, nearly four hours later, and she still hadn't said a word.

Usually she greeted them happily and then commenced with her own little tasks, adding a little comment every now and again when something unexpected happened. And there was always something, even if she caused it herself.

But she sat there for hours just staring broodingly between them and the window in rotating intervals.

Goodwin nudged his student with a knowing look.

Younger Cedric complained in a low whisper, a whisper that they all knew she could hear in the dead silence of the room.

The older sorcerer looked at his son scornfully.

Cedric stared back unwaveringly stubborn. Then caved.

He grabbed the pouch from the hook at the doorway, slid the rock he so adored into his pocket, and made his way up the little ladder.

Goodwin contemplated watching to make sure his son did as asked, watching just because he wanted to see how his son would do it, or dispersing his attention to another task to give them some space.

He bit his lip and he chose, surprisingly enough, the latter as he whipped out some potion bottles and oddly colored liquids from the nearest cabinet.

Cedric grouchily marched over to her perch upon the high stool, one that actually put him a little lower than her much smaller frame, and extended his hand.

"We need some more silver ladles and wugmort root from the garden." He said tersely, his expression slightly disdainful.

Little Emilia slowly let her gaze travel from the window to his hand and then to his face. Her expression went from hard to hesitant in a few seconds. She slowly reached out and let her fingertips touch his lightly, she suddenly recoiled at how warm they were, surprising him greatly, and then let her much littler hand take his.

Cedric's expression had formed that of one of shock at her timorousness. He felt his heart thump loudly as her little ice-cold fingers grasped his and her sadness transferred from palm to palm.

His hard expression and resentment of the little girl melted a little bit as he dragged her behind him, guiding her down the ladder and out the door, out of the carefully watching eyes of his father, who just blinked in dumbfounded confusion at what had just taken place.

"What in Merlin's name did I just witness?"

"Cedric." He paid her low voice no mind, so she tried again. "You dropped something." She said a bit louder as she bent to pick it up.

He paused in his steps to turn and look back at the littlest princess inquisitively. When he saw the little stone in her fingers, his heart leapt at the sight. He reacted rashly and snatched it out of her observing fingers harshly.

"My robe must have a hole in its pocket." He muttered to no one in particular as he looked down at said coat.

"Is that your pet rock?" She asked blinking curiously as she crossed her hands in front of her lap in that obnoxious way that royals do.

He wanted to snap at her nosiness, but paused when he realized she was just making polite conversation. He hesitated and debated with the two ways in which he could react: harshly shoot her down, which was his favorite option, or humor her polite and possibly considerate attempt.

The former was hugely tempting.

"It is." He answered tersely as he turned his back to her and continued making his way to the gardens. A compromise of his options it seemed to be.

She skipped a little to match pace and walked alongside him craning her head around to continue the conversation. "What's its name?" She squeaked. Her eyes glistening with curious wonder.

Cedric cleared his throat awkwardly at her enamored expression before answering impulsively crude. "Not that it really matters what his name is…" He looked at her deflating expression, a small smile making its way to his lips. "But it's Wormwood."

Princess Emilia's little brow scrunched up horrendously pensive and, for a moment, Cedric childishly thought that he had broken her brain. "Isn't that the plant Artemisia… absinthium?" She tapped her chin as she stared off as if the book was plastered to the air directly in front of her. "A plant commonly used in medicine but can also be lethal in large quantities."

Cedric paused and blinked in surprise, considering her terminology for a moment before replying. "Indeed I believe it is. How'd you know that?"

Emilia smiled with pleasure and clasped her hands behind her back, straightening her posture with pride. "I do have studies of my own that I'm required to—" She stopped abruptly as she noticed a strange sensation. The sensation of being watched.

She spun on her heel and saw a blonde head peeking out and watching her and the teen she resided beside.

Her eyes went wide and Cedric grew alarmed at the amount of fear that seemed to strike her being. He spun on his heel as well, expecting to see some kind of beast watching them.

But he didn't.

Knowing something had to be there, he looked harder and spotted a head popping out from around a corner.

It was the Prince— KING.

He looked between the two and noticed that Emilia's breathing was getting out of control. "Emilia." He said lowly, shocking her attention back to him. Her eyes were wide and her breathing was picking up pace.

He looked back one last time and noticed the head had vanished.

That didn't mean her panic was.

He debated with himself one last time before remorsefully grabbing her shoulders and staring into her eyes with all seriousness, looking for the little girl he was just talking to. He stood firm before deciding that it wasn't going to happen naturally.

He slid out his wand and tapped his palm twice, making sure he knew what spell he was going to conduct and that he knew it well. Upon remembering the lesson specifically with his father. He waved the wand precisely and a bit awkwardly, muttering the words as best he could without looking at them directly in his spellbook.

A white smoky sensation clouded Emilia's vision briefly.

The little sorcerer pulled his wand away from her temple, spindly webs following carefully. He clutched Wormwood tightly in the fist down at his side. With one last glance at her fearful face, Cedric brought the tip of his wand to Wormwood, sealing up the memories for the day inside of him.

It was a difficult spell. It left him almost totally wiped of energy.

And he almost regretted it when she regained herself and went back to the way she was every other day.

Talkative. Reprimanding. Annoying.

But happy.

Cedric didn't completely understand the Princess's situation, he'd never bothered to ask his own father or anyone else for that matter. But this little taste of her fear was hypnotizing and made him dreadfully curious.

And so things were different from there on out.

Cedric allowed the thoughts to faze in and out of his conscious mind. Not bothering to banish them in his solitude.

He glanced back at the sleeping form across the room with a flick of his eyes.

Correction: His near solitude.

He still didn't quite understand the purpose of his father's visit. If he had really wanted to just see the princess again, he would have come earlier when she was still awake. He can snoop if he wants to, Cedric can't really stop him.

Instead, he had come to deliver some kind of uneasiness to his son. Cedric wasn't quite sure what it was exactly that his father said that set him so on edge. But, whatever it was…

It worked.

He watched said girl mumble something and adjust again, knocking the blanket back a little and revealing the golden locks that overtook her head. He sighed as he stared at the familiar color and texture.

What in the world was she been doing those years out of the castle for her hair to still look so royally kempt? He wondered idly.

He yawned and slumped heavily on his hand. He lethargically glance up to the sill that she sat at so many years ago and saw that it was indeed getting late in the afternoon. Given another few hours and the sun would be completely gone.

They'd been hard at work all morning.

Magic does take its toll.

Cedric and Emilia jolted awake as the door to the lair slammed open, a little Roland looking figure protruding through the entrance angrily.

"Roland?" Emilia asked sleepily as she rubbed her eyes, wiping the sleep from them.

"I do believe that we are a quite a few decades past King Roland looking like that." Cedric deadpanned as he stretched and stood up, moving to Wormwood's little area to make sure the bird had a sufficient supply of food and water, he had no real idea how long they slept but he knew that it was getting later into the night as per the darkness from the window above.

He didn't quite register that Prince James was yelling and fussing at Princess Emilia until Wormwood squawked at him, complaining about the noise. He blinked absentmindedly at his companion before allowing his eyes to drift over to where the bird was glaring. He saw the Prince's mouth open largely and move fast enough that it seemed that he was talking loudly, or yelling. Cedric wasn't quite sure yet. The sorcerer finally blinked away the last traces of sleep and looked at the two royals before him, one angry and the other quiet and guiltily sitting up straight.

"—promised! I can't believe you didn't come! Sofia and I were waiting for you for the majority of the practice!" He boomed.

"I know. I'm sorry. I lost track of time." She submissively reassured him that she would go to tomorrow.

"No! Don't talk to me anymore!" He shouted and Cedric cringed at the tenseness and fear that lit up Emilia's being at the command.

James paid no mind as he spun on his heel and marched away without even closing the door.

No respect, the royal sorcerer clucked his tongue as he walked over and closed his door. He not only meant the fact that the boy had barged in and left without even respecting another's things, but the way he had spoken to his aunt!

That reminded him. Once the door was closed, Cedric looked back at the royal still remaining.

She was sitting on the stool, her body rigid and her eyes massive with shock. Her expression was locked onto the doorway that the boy had previously occupied.

He huffed a tired breath and clucked his tongue again as he moved to stand in front of the girl, leaning into the frozen and fearful face that belonged and observing her eyes carefully with a hand to his jaw.

It was almost as if they were kids again. Cedric smiled faintly at the familiarity of the situation.

He sometimes liked to wonder if Wormwood still held those memories of hers and if they were in his conscious mind, haunted his dreams and subconscious, or were just imprisoned in his body and had no impact whatsoever.

What he wouldn't do to ask the bird.

It's been years since he last cast the spell. He faintly remembered his father approving of it on certain occasions when the curse became too much for her and a particularly damaging command was given.

It's not like she was going to resent him for doing it. She wouldn't even remember.

Plus, it's not medically safe for her to recoil so much with fear of reality.

He waved his wand sharply and said the spell confidently, dragging the spindles of threads from her temple and sending them flying at Wormwood before the bird could even process what was happening. It was only from the last few seconds of the Prince's angry rant, enough for her to remember the boy's ferocious anger and enough to leave her with the important parts.

Cedric prided himself on getting better at the spell, at only removing selective bits and leaving a good proportion. Not erasing her whole day like the first time. Good Merlin, that would be awful. He would have to go through her taunting greetings all over again.

And the Wormwood and pet rock thing!? No thanks.

She looked at him and her shoulders relaxed. He was curious as to how she would take it now.

She laughed. "Whoops." And she sent him a twisted smile.

He couldn't help the breathy chuckle that escaped him and shook his head as he moved towards the stairs leading to his bedroom.

She stood up and strolled over to the door. "Thanks Cedric for today!" She shouted happily.

He smile a bit sadly.

"You have no idea."

Sorry for the wait! School has been Hectic! Lawdy yes. I've been braindead for at least two weeks now. I miss summer greatly. This story would be pumping out faster that you could read it if it were summer, yes it would.

By the way, this chapter was not focused on Emilia this time around if you hadn't noticed and that's my reasoning for the title given. I absolutely loved it!Writing it was a blast, but it was hard getting some length. Ergo, this chapter is considerably short as compared to the previous chapters. I'll try to keep them longer from now on, but I'm still not sure how I'm going to do much of anything with school loading me down with busywork.

Just bear with me and review, favorite, and/or follow.

Btw, just pretend I put a Disclaimer in the first chapter. I always forget the disclaimer! I figure that it's obvious that I don't own Sofia the First or I would have included Emilia in at least one episode by now. A girl can only dream, right?