Adventures in Magic
Disclaimer: I do not own Sofia the First or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.
A/N: Join Cedric and Sofia as they journey to their first stop: Helvetica. You know what that means! 😉 Onward we go to meet up with Sir Finlay, Gabriella, and Sapphire! (By the way, as we were never officially given Calista's age, I'm hypothesizing in this story. The last time we saw her, she appeared to be approximately nine years old, so I'm just upping her age two years. Lol. Oh, and for those who are familiar with the Helvetian family, you'll recall that their story tended to take place more in the future than the other stories I wrote. Everyone is now on the same timeline. :D)
Chapter 2
Helvetica or Bust
Summary: Cedric and Sofia start off their travels in the familiar Kingdom of Helvetica, where they encounter Sir Finlay, Gabriella, and a two-year-old Sapphire.
The next few days were a blur to Cedric and Sofia. While the princess spent her time packing and hanging out with her siblings those last precious hours (since she wouldn't see them for a few months), Cedric was determined to help his own sister prepare for her role as the temporary Royal Sorceress of Enchancia. To his annoyance, she was a little too enthusiastic about taking over his job.
"And you say you'll be gone a few months?" Cordelia clarified with a grin as she watched her brother toss a few more items into one of his bags.
"I know what you're thinking, Cordy," he responded pointedly as he turned and snapped the bag shut. "I will be returning after the summer is over, so don't get too comfortable in your temporary position."
"I wouldn't dream of it, Ceddy." She snickered as her daughter sat aside, looking rather glum. "My little Angel Face will miss you more than I will, though."
Calista, now eleven years old, had done some growing herself the last couple of years. Her hair had grown a bit, brushing along her back now. She had gotten slightly taller, but not enough to brag about yet. And she found herself being a bit more serious about things than she used to, especially about her studies. As she now was enrolled as a student at Hexley Hall for the upcoming term, she knew she had to stay on an educational track and not get distracted.
In addition, her best friend, a Native boy named Angel whom she'd met a few years ago, was starting to spend more and more time with her, helping her practice her spells and demonstrating some magical secrets of his own that might help influence her abilities. Similar to Amber's and Desmond's relationship, there had been a few whispers about Calista and Angel as well, though none so public as the royal teens. Of course, the friends were still young and had plenty of time to decide which direction they planned to take their relationship; however, they never corrected anyone who proclaimed, "Aww, you two make such a cute couple."
Still, her love and admiration for her uncle was one thing that hadn't changed. She sighed as she gave Cedric a sad look. "Are you really going to be gone for the whole summer?"
"I'm afraid so, Calista," he lamented with a dramatic sigh before sliding onto a stool next to her. "But I promise, you and I will spend some quality time together when I return. Just you and me."
She smiled thoughtfully. "Do you promise?"
"Sorcerer's Honor." He held out his pinky finger to her, chuckling as she linked her own with his. "There, now. It's a promise."
The young sorceress giggled before happily hugging her uncle. "I'll miss you."
Cedric exchanged glances with Cordelia, whose arms were folded and whose features were content, a small smile playing on her lips. Cedric kissed the crown of the girl's head before whispering to her, "I'll miss you too, Calista."
The day of departure came faster than they'd expected, and it was time to head out for their first assignment: the Kingdom of Helvetica. Meanwhile, Clover had been left in Calista's care for the duration of the summer, and Cedric had instructed Cordelia to keep an eye on Wormwood, who had not quite come around since being caged during the Vor incident a few years ago. While Cedric had allowed the raven to stay in the castle, they were certainly not on the best of terms, even a few years later. Cedric had once even tried to cast the bird into the wild if he was going to act so cold-hearted and rude (to both him and others), but Wormwood had opted to stay instead, insisting that he'd just keep to himself. And for two years, he'd done just that. They rarely spoke to one another, but Cedric couldn't help still having at least a small soft spot for the wretched raven, given all that they'd been through together. Perhaps one day, they would make amends. But he didn't see that day being any time soon.
"Have we got everything?" Cedric asked for quite possibly the fifteenth time the morning he and Sofia were set to leave. They were outside the castle beside his AutoCoach, several different pieces of luggage already stored and secured in the back. The AutoCoach was exactly as it sounded: a flying coach without a driver…or any flying horses. Enhanced by magic, it was able to fly anyone to any location, no matter the weather conditions or any other hazard that would normally deter any regular flying coach. It was, perhaps, his finest invention in a few years.
"Yes, Mr. Cedric," Sofia giggled with a grin. Her poor mentor was so worried that they had forgotten something, even though they'd both been over a heavily specified checklist three times now. They had their clothing, their personal essentials, their magical supplies, their emergency supplies, and their food. Anything they didn't have, one of them could easily conjure, so she wasn't sure why he was being so finicky. Actually… She had a very good idea why he was overcomplicating things. "You really think something is going to happen, don't you?"
"It's me, Sofia," he replied hastily as he checked every inch of the AutoCoach, searching for imperfections or troublesome areas. "I don't exactly have the best track record for everything going right, and you know it."
She shook her head and grabbed his hands, pulling him away from the coach. "Look, you've made this thing as safe as you possibly can. We've tested it all week now. It works great!" She then gestured toward the luggage. "And we have everything we could possibly need for our trip. It's all secure and ready to go." She then squeezed his hands and offered him a gentle smile. "I just wish I could say the same about you, Mr. Cedric."
Hearing those words, the sorcerer finally calmed down and sighed. "You're right, Sofia. I apologize for my anxious nature, especially now. I know very well that we are quite prepared for everything, but it's just…" He sighed and freed his hands from her grip, placing them instead on her shoulders. He had to stop himself from kneeling to speak with her—it wasn't necessary anymore. She'd grown quite a few inches in the last two years. A part of him was glad for that, but the side of him that longed for yesteryear could feel a piece of him growing sort of sad. It was still Sofia he had before him, but he'd yet to come to grips with the fact that he now had a teenager in his care rather than a young girl. "It's just… A summer-long quest is quite the extended length of time, you know? There is ample opportunity for me to mess something up."
Sofia gave him a knowing look and responded, "No, Mr. Cedric. There are plenty of opportunities for you to do something wonderful. Dad wouldn't have asked you to be the Magical Ambassador of Enchancia if he didn't believe in you."
Cedric looked away before sitting on the steps to the AutoCoach. "I don't know, Sofia…"
The princess would never understand her friend's inability to see how wonderful he was. He was a great sorcerer, and his mind was always filled with such impressive ideas. He was so willing to test new potions or spells, often for the betterment of a situation or to help others. How could he doubt himself when she'd seen so many good things come from him? She smiled softly and walked over to her friend, placing her left hand on his shoulder and using her right one to gently cup his cheek, encouraging him to look up at her. "Cheer up, Mr. Cedric. Life is so much brighter when you smile."
Finally, a soft smile formed on Cedric's face as he reached up and clasped the girl's hand. "Thank you, Sofia. You always know just what to say to cheer me up."
The girl winked playfully. "It's a gift!" She grabbed both of his hands and pulled him to his feet. "Ready?"
He chuckled, nodding. "As I'll ever be, I suppose."
The journey to Helvetica was a relatively smooth one, with the AutoCoach proving its resilience against random gusts of wind and demonstrating its more-than-capable navigating abilities. Cedric was impressed with his invention and relieved that it was working better than he'd hoped. Meanwhile, Sofia was in an "I-told-you-so mood," so when everything went according to plan, she'd just cheekily remark, "I told you it would be okay, Mr. Cedric."
Upon landing outside the Helvetian castle, the two Enchancian inhabitants exited the AutoCoach, only to be greeted by an overly-enthusiastic ball of energy.
"SOFIE! CEDDY!" a tiny toddler with her hair done up in silver ponytails called excitedly as she hurried over and immediately clamped onto Cedric's legs, presenting him with the tightest hug her little arms could muster.
Cedric chuckled at the little girl and lowered to pick her up, resting her against his side. "Hello to you too, little Sapphire."
Sapphire, the daughter of Sir Finlay and Gabriella of Helvetica, had certainly grown a great deal in the last couple of years. Now two years old, she was an average toddler height, her wavy silver hair was long enough to put into ponytails that brushed her shoulders, and her sapphire eyes glimmered in excitement whenever she saw something that fascinated her. Over the course of the past few years, Cedric and Sofia had met up with the family several times, and during those times the little girl's vocabulary had gotten a little more extensive. She loved seeing Cedric and Sofia so much, and she always lit up like a Wassailia tree when she encountered them.
Sir Finlay and Gabriella, looking much the same as always, approached the two Enchancian friends with amused smiles on their faces.
"I'm thrilled to see you both made it safely," Sir Finlay told them kindly. He reached out and grasped Sofia's hand, gently kissing it, causing her to laugh softly. He then reached out to Cedric's free hand and shook it. "I trust the journey here was smooth?"
"Like you wouldn't believe, Sir Finlay," Sofia gushed. "Mr. Cedric invented something called an AutoCoach, and it's probably going to be my new favorite way of traveling."
Cedric smiled sheepishly as Sapphire rested her head against his shoulder. "Sofia…"
"I'm glad to see her taking to you so well, Cedric," Gabriella chuckled. "You want to take her with you guys on your travels?"
"She'd probably enjoy that, wouldn't you, Nugget?" Sir Finlay smiled and caressed his daughter's cheek, eliciting a giggle from her. "Come, we have much to discuss. King Roland was in contact with King Cyprus and explained everything we needed to know. I was wondering when one or both of you would take on the roles of Magical Ambassadors."
"To be frank," Cedric began as he and Sofia followed the couple toward the castle entrance, "it's not exactly anything I saw coming. King Roland sort of blindsided me with this. Not that I'm not grateful, but…it was rather unexpected."
"Aren't kings just silly and unpredictable sometimes?" Gabriella quipped, smiling playfully toward Sofia. "No offense to your dad, Princess. Just saying."
Sofia laughed. "No, you're right. Dad can be kind of…interesting sometimes." She grinned as Cedric winced when Sapphire began tugging curiously on his bangs. "You want me to hold her for a while, Mr. Cedric?"
"Are you certain, Sofia? Your hair is much longer than mine, you know." He winced again as Sapphire tugged sharply on his hair once more.
"It's fine. I'm probably more used to it than you are." She smiled as he pried the little girl from his hair and handed her over to the princess, who gently cradled the spirited toddler. "Hi, Sapphire!"
Sapphire beamed and happily hugged the auburn-haired teen. "Sofie!" She was still having trouble saying their proper names, but neither really seemed to care. Even some denomination of their names suited them fine.
Sofia giggled at the reaction before looking up toward the little girl's parents. "So, what exactly did you guys have in mind for our first quest?"
"You'll see," Sir Finlay assured her with a mysterious smile.
The group of friends traipsed through the castle and toward the lower-level workshop, where Sir Finlay conducted all of his experiments and practiced his magic. The room itself hadn't really changed much over the years, though there were a few more baby toys scattered about the workshop. Cedric and Sofia assumed said toys belonged to Sapphire, of course.
"Gabby, would you take Sapphire, please?" Sir Finlay asked his wife, who nodded and scooped her daughter from Sofia's hold. "I'm quite sure it's time for her nap anyway."
"No sleepy," Sapphire argued tiredly with a yawn before resting her head against her mother's shoulder. "Papa…"
The silver-haired sorcerer chuckled and kissed his little girl's forehead. "You might have fooled me, little one. You need your rest. Say good night to Cedric and Princess Sofia."
The toddler grinned toward the Enchancian duo. "Night, Ceddy. Night, Sofie."
Gabriella rolled her eyes at the cute display before laughing. "All right, you little ham. Let's get you to bed. I'll see you guys later." With that, she turned and left through another door, leading to their adjoining bedrooms.
"What sort of 'Magical Ambassador' information are we supposed to obtain here?" Cedric wondered as he and Sofia sat down next to each other, across from the older sorcerer. "I know King Roland's list suggested beginning here, but I'm not certain just what all this entails, to be honest."
Sir Finlay chuckled. "So, you took on a quest without knowing all the details? Cedric…"
"You know I'm not going to say 'no' to King Roland. I'm trying not to get locked up again, thank you."
"That wouldn't happen, Mr. Cedric," Sofia assured him. "I'd make sure of that. Besides, he wouldn't lock you up for not wanting to be an ambassador. That would be stupid."
Cedric shrugged. "I'm just trying to be on the safe side, my dear."
Sir Finlay smiled patiently. "Well, regardless, I've got some information that will help you both out. I've been a Magical Ambassador myself for quite a number of years, and I feel it's best to start you both off with the essentials." He picked up his wand and waved it twice, once for each visitor, and watched as two leather-bound journals landed before them. "Unclasp the hold and open your journals to the first page," he instructed.
The friends did as told, surprised to see rather fancy lettering sparkling on the paper.
"I made these myself, as a way to help out all future ambassadors. As you'll see, on the first page is the table of contents."
Sir Finlay's Guide to Magical Ambassadors
Table of Contents
Definition of a Magical Ambassador
Expectations of a Magical Ambassador
Rules
Helpful Hints
Kingdoms Which Participate in the Magical Ambassador Program
Benefits of Being a Magical Ambassador
New Developments
Cedric flipped the page and read the definition of a Magical Ambassador out loud. "'A Magical Ambassador is a person who practices some form of light magic and has been hand-selected by a royal leader to positively represent his or her kingdom. The M.A. is generally sent on missions to other kingdoms to represent his or her home kingdom during magical events or for purposes of establishing stronger magical connections with other kingdoms.'" He looked toward Sir Finlay. "This just sounds like a fancy way of saying, 'This is a made-up title to impress upon a sorcerer to get him out of the kingdom and his tower for a while.'"
Sir Finlay laughed. "You would think that, old friend. No, it's a legitimate role, given to only the highly-qualified. The fact that King Roland selected you to participate speaks highly of your status and abilities."
Sofia grinned and nudged him. "See? I told you."
He smiled toward her before turning to the next page: the expectations.
Expectations of a Magical Ambassador
Form connections with other magic wielders.
Encourage magical practices in other kingdoms.
Report any and all usage of dark magic to the Conjuror's Board.
Help establish new magic wielders in their own kingdoms.
Promote a positive image for one's kingdom and for magic in general.
Sofia laughed. "Mr. Cedric, you've kind of done all of these so far. With number four, remember? You helped establish Dante the Delightful and his workshop a few years ago."
"Ah, yes," he recalled. "I wonder whatever became of him."
"We'll find out eventually," the princess told him, demonstrating their agenda that her father had drawn up. "Namile is on our list."
"Wonderful." He looked back at the book, carrying on reading the rules and helpful hints.
Rules and Helpful Hints
No practicing or promoting of dark magic.
No engaging in political discussions with any magic wielder or non-magic wielder.
Never cast unapproved spells.
Do not discuss magical objects that are not well-known in all magical communities.
Remain positive, helpful, and teachable.
"I suppose these are simple enough to follow," Cedric admitted as he continued reading.
"You'd be surprised," Sir Finlay scoffed. "I ran into a magic wielder last year—Gareth the Gallant. I'm not quite sure who bestowed that title to him, but he certainly was the least 'gallant' sorcerer I've ever met. He was overly arrogant and always spoke his mind about how corrupt the magical world and the royal kingdoms were, which led to more than one confrontation. And, of course, he was always showing off his own magic, which was a horrid idea. He managed to send a little prince into a coma for a week. Needless to say, the Conjuror's Board stripped him of his title and magic and sent him off somewhere unknown."
"Wow," Sofia breathed, blinking. "Well, I promise we'll be careful, Sir Finlay. Mr. Cedric can handle all of those rules."
The Enchancian sorcerer smiled at his apprentice. "Thanks, Sofia."
Several kingdoms were mentioned as being participants in the MAP (Magical Ambassador Program): Helvetica, Namile, Enchancia, and many more. According to Sir Finlay's work, the benefits of being a Magical Ambassador included magic enhancement, networking connections, promotions, etc. And for the new developments, the journal simply stated that more kingdoms were being added into the program, and magic was getting a better recognition and reputation than ever before.
"When do you do your Magical Ambassador traveling, Sir Finlay?" Sofia asked curiously as she twirled some of her hair around her fingers.
"On and off throughout the year, Princess. I did a set of M.A. travels back in the spring, and I have my next one planned for late this winter. I plan to visit Khaldoun and Tangu for certain."
"Oh, I have a friend who lives in Tangu," Sofia informed him. "Prince Zandar. And three more of my friends live in Khaldoun: Princess Leena, Princess Maya, and Prince Khalid."
"I'll be certain to speak with them if I should happen to encounter them," the Helvetian sorcerer assured her with a chuckle. He turned his attention toward Cedric. "You now have the guidelines needed to be a successful Magical Ambassador. I'm honestly glad you're now a part of the team, Cedric. We could use all the help we can get." He then nodded toward the princess. "And I'm especially grateful to have a princess onboard."
She grinned at him. "Trust me, Sir Finlay… I'm much more than just a princess at this point."
"She's right," Cedric jested sardonically. "Princess, Magical Ambassador, Protector of the Ever Realm, Keeper of the Amulet of Avalor, Story Keeper, Buttercup Troop Member, Adventurer…" He smirked at the giggling girl beside him. "Did I miss anything?"
"Student at Ever Realm Academy," she added. She smiled toward a baffled Sir Finlay. "I…kind of do a lot of things now."
"I see!" He laughed. "There's certainly nothing wrong with being involved, dear girl, but I hope you aren't overwhelmed."
"I'm working on figuring out the best way to balance out everything, but it's much better now than it used to be. A few years ago, I nearly burned out from doing all of those different things."
"I'd find her passed out on her throne sometimes," Cedric added. "Since she's now a Protector—established by the Mystic Isles, no less—she is sometimes gone on missions more often than she is home."
"You've been to the Mystic Isles?" Sir Finlay asked, awed. He nodded as Sofia offered her affirmation. "Wow. Even I have yet to travel there. Perhaps one of these days, when Sapphire is older." He smiled at the girl. "Do you enjoy being a Protector? I hear it's exceptionally hard work."
"It is, but it's so worth it." She folded her arms over the table and rested her head on them. "I like being able to keep my family and friends safe. I've always been like that in general, but now it's kind of like my job. And I have good people supporting me too."
"That's wonderful." Sir Finlay stood and stretched a bit before clearing his throat. "Well, then. You two must be starving by now. I've spoken with our chef and asked that he prepare some meals for us, and they should be ready any time now. We could even eat outdoors if you'd like, since it's such a nice day."
Sofia nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, to everything," she laughed.
"What of our luggage, Finlay?" Cedric wondered. "I forgot to unload it from the AutoCoach."
"Not to worry. Some of the workers have already put your luggage in your guestrooms. It will all be prepared for you when you retire for the evening."
The rest of the day went by quite normally, or as normally as can be expected for two travelers on a magical mission. They were able to spend time with Sir Finlay and his family, and they even got to meet some of the workers at the Helvetian castle. By the time night fell, the Enchancian friends were quite tired and were more than ready to get some sleep.
"I trust you will be heading out tomorrow," Sir Finlay stated before the two left. He gently rocked Sapphire, who was humming to herself and playing with his hair.
"Yes," Cedric responded with a nod. "Our next official order of business is the kingdom of Namile. It will take a while to get there though, I believe." He smiled down toward Sofia, who returned the gesture. "While we're traveling, there were a few places I'd like to show Sofia—some of the places I've seen in my travels, which I think she'll enjoy."
"Really, Mr. Cedric?" the princess asked curiously. "Like what?"
"You'll see."
"We'll see you both at breakfast in the morning then," Sir Finlay declared with a chuckle. "Do sleep well." He turned toward his daughter, who grinned at him. "Come along then, Nugget. Your mother is already in bed. It's time you do the same." He playfully kissed her nose, causing her to giggle. He smiled toward the other two. "Pleasant dreams, my friends." With that, he walked off.
Sofia glanced at the remaining sorcerer and smiled gently, reaching out a hand to him.
Cedric chuckled and took her hand, walking with her upstairs toward their guestrooms.
Once they arrived at their rooms, which were across the hallway from each other, Sofia gave her friend a hug. "Good night, Mr. Cedric. I'll see you in the morning."
He returned the hug and nodded. "Sleep well, Sofia." He turned and entered his room, shutting the door behind him.
Sofia gasped upon feeling a familiar sensation on her wrist, so she activated her Enchantlet, blinking as she saw Chrysta's face appear before her. "Chrysta? What's wrong?"
"Eh, just an investigation I'd like you to do for me," the other Protector said with a shrug. "But you look kind of tired right now, so it can wait for now. Can you come to the Mystic Isles tomorrow?"
"Um, well…" She glanced around before entering her room, shutting the door behind her. "I'm kind of on a trip with Mr. Cedric right now."
"Oh! Well, when will you be back?"
She grinned sheepishly. "Um… When school starts?"
"What?!" Chrysta gaped at her former trainee. "Sofia, what in the Ever Realm are you two doing?"
"We're Magical Ambassadors now… Well, technically, Mr. Cedric is. Dad sent me along to work with him and help him out. We travel around, helping other kingdoms with magic and forming networking connections for Mr. Cedric. All kinds of good stuff." She walked over and sat on the bed. "But you never did tell me what you needed."
She sighed. "Well, it kind of can't wait a few months, so I guess you're just going to have to bring the sorcerer with you." She frowned, growing more serious. "There's something weird going on in the Isle of Mermaids, and I'd like you to investigate. I'll explain more when you get here."
"But what about Mr. Cedric?"
She smirked. "Take him along for the ride. Maybe he'll be able to help."
"Oh, sure! Okay, I'll tell him tomorrow, and we can start heading that way. He invented something called an AutoCoach, which I'm pretty sure can be used to get up there."
"Sounds good. Get some sleep, Princess. See you tomorrow." With that, she shut off the connection.
Sofia sighed and collapsed onto the bed. She wasn't sure how Cedric would react to her sudden need to conduct a Protector quest. He'd gotten more used to the idea the last few years, but he still worried every bit about her on those trips as her own family did. Sometimes, she realized that he actually worried more. He really did look out for her… "Guess I'll have to tell him either way."
Pushing the thought aside, she got dressed for bed and braided her hair for the evening before sinking under the covers and falling asleep.
To be continued…
