Chapter 23: Treason

"You're doing it wrong, move your hands higher!"

"AAAHHHH!" With that Sofia went flying off into a bush. Westin had to grip his knees to stay upright from all the laughter, and Lucinda just stood there, shaking her head and grabbing the bridge of her nose in frustration.

"No offense Cousin, but I'd rather ride with Lucinda this time to, you know, stay alive." He said it between the chuckles. Sofia stood with consternation, small brambles stuck in her hair. "I know I can do this! I can do anything I set my mind too, and I'm going to learn to fly this broom!"

With that she mounted Lucinda's spare broom once more. They had to get to Maldonia somehow and all three of them couldn't fit on Lucinda's. Cedric had frightened Minimus within inches of his life the last time, charging at the poor animal corralled in his stable and casting a spell to make him pass out. The horse had awoken hungry and frightened, and it wouldn't do to try and coax him out into yet another rescue mission like this. Sofia had given her friend an extra helping of carrots, some soothing strokes and left him be this time as the group snuck out of the castle and into Dunwitty.

A few more tries, and the princess flopped on the ground just outside Lucinda's cottage. Westin came alongside her and patted her head in a rather paternalistic fashion. She returned a raised eyebrow, and the young man bobbed his head. "Well, maybe I can give it a go?"

"If she can't get it then there's no way someone with no magical training can do it." Lucinda chided.

Sofia lifted up her hand to pat Westin on the side of his leg, "It's okay. Go ahead, I believe in you and one of us needs to ride this thing."

"Right." He took the broom and very seriously focused on it with the girls watching. A slight bounce and he was off, hovering along the treetops.

"Weeeee!" Came from the distance.

"Well I'll be. I didn't expect to see him take to it so easily. Most people end up stuck in tree branches the first time, or in bushes..." Lucinda gave Sofia a quick smirk, then stared off into the distance looking for the wayward peasant.

"Well he's really interested in magic. Maybe all he needed was the opportunity." Sofia was a bit disappointed in herself, but this wasn't the time for self-deprecation. Lives were on the line.

"That makes sense. Not a lot of opportunity for learning magic as a slave, but I bet he's more keen on impressing a certain someone right now then just fancying a flight."

"Huh?"

Westin reappeared from the trees and swooped down. The landing was less than graceful, but after a small tumble he was up and about, dusting himself off.

"That was amazing Lucinda! The most fun I've ever had!"

"Alright, glad you liked it hot shot but we've got to get to Maldonia, stat."

Westin turned and extended a hand to his younger cousin sitting in the grass. "Come on Sofia, let's go!"

Lucinda seemed the safer option, but her cousin was so happy.

"Okay."

Westin proved to be a natural, and despite the extra baggage of a second human on board deftly followed Lucinda's navigation to Maldonia while Sofia gripped his sides. Once they'd steadied Sofia couldn't help but notice that he was still cloaked in the disguise she'd conjured for him, and it filled her with a sense of loss to be reminded her step father, and the relationship she'd somehow lost with him along this journey to complete the story. "Hey Wes, do you want me to change your hair back now?"

The young man blushed heavily, "Uh, no it's fine, but you might want to disguise yourself."

"Good idea." Sofia conjured her blonde disguise while Westin smiled.

"Besides, Rolland is pretty handsome, so it's a compliment that I look like him."

"I guess he is, Mom sure seems to think so."

"Yeah, he thinks he's handsome too…" came from the young man as they sailed off, but Sofia was busy trying to conjure a spell that would switch up her dress to look like the green ensemble she'd worn when freeing the other slaves.

Up and over hills they flew, Westin swooping them through the air with the occasion cry of joy, and even Lucinda seemed impressed.

"I can't get over how fast you learned to fly Westin!"

"It's nothing cousin." There was a long, seemingly pleasant pause while they sailed across grasslands before he let loose some awkward, halted words. "So… Um, I was wondering…"

"What?"

"Well, I was… Do you and Cedric fly around? I mean, I thought you'd be an expert on a broomstick like Lucinda is, but considering that bushes' branches flew farther than you I guess you two don't go flying together on brooms."

"Hey! That bush was in my way, and besides, sorcerers don't fly like that. Witches do."

"There's a difference?"

"Sort of. Lucinda could tell you about it more, but when Mr. Cedric and I fly together it's usually when I drag him on an adventure, and then we ride Minimus." Sofia's voice dropped a bit, remembering her upset horse. "I guess we won't be doing that for a while." She began to sigh. Things really were changing, and not all of it seemed for the better.

"Oh." Was all the young man said. He seemed upset by her words.

"What's the matter Westin?"

"Is it that he doesn't like flying, or that he only wants to fly if you go with him?"

She hadn't really thought of that. "I know he likes to fly, and he's built a few flying machines over the years but usually crashes them somehow. But I've never seen him ride a broom."

There was a very long pause as they passed beyond Enchancia and over the sea. The wind blew about their shoulders as Westin kept hold of the broomstick. Sofia saw that he'd turn to be able to observe her over his shoulder. "Do you think he'd go flying with me?"

"Well not on a broomstick, but maybe in one of his flying machines if you asked him nicely. Why?" Her cousin went bashful and turned away. "What's the matter Westin? Why do you want to go flying with Mr. Cedric?"

"It's uh, nothing. Nothing cousin."

"But—"

"Hey look! I think this is it!" Lucinda called to them hurriedly. Night had recently descended, and over the ridge was a rapidly flowing stream. It had cut a deep ravine within the landscape and upon the steeply sloping hillside up from the river laid a fenced entrance. Beyond must be an entrance to the prison, but no structures were visible upon the hillside. The only man-made objects were the fence and a rather large sailing vessel anchored to the trees along the shoreline.

"Where is the prison?"

"It's underground." Westin said solemnly.

"Another mine?" Sofia couldn't believe it was mere coincidence all of the prisons had in fact been mines. There must have been significance to it, but what? Why would Maldonia need slaves to labor in the mines?

"They must be mining stones, just like we were." Westin's expression had grown hard. Remembering the whole of his youth suffering in the mines could not be a pleasant experience.

She absentmindedly drew Westin's stone from her pocket. She'd kept it there since that morning's incident on the balcony, and extended it toward her cousin. "Here, I should give this back to you."

"Nah, it's okay for you to keep it."
"But it's yours."

"Well first of all my hands are busy flying this thing."

"Oh."

"Second of all I can't do any magic with it, so you should hold on to it." Sofia retracted her hand and placed the stone back into her pocket as the brooms and their riders descended near the trees along the shoreline to which the boat was anchored.

"Okay." With that Sofia put the stone back into her pocket. Perhaps Cedric's book on magical stones held the answer to what power was contained within the stone, and why Maldonia was so intent on capturing the people of Friezenburg to mine it.

"That's pretty lucky!" Lucinda had inspected the boat, and it appeared to be empty. She volunteered to scout the perimeter, leaving Sofia and Westin to wait behind the trees. Sofia kept fondling the gem, an unsettling feeling gripping her with each turn of the stone in her pocket. "Wes, I was just thinking."

"Yeah?"

"I mean, if these stones are valuable, why don't the Maldonian's mine the stones themselves?"

"What?"

"I mean, if something is valuable then wouldn't the Maldonian people want to mine them, and share in the profits? That's what most people do."

"Well it's easier to have someone else do the heavy lifting. I bet the Maldonians are just lazy or frail, and Friezenburg men are known for being strong."

Sofia turned to stare at the rushing river flowing by their feet. "Maybe…but Hugo and Axel aren't what I'd call 'frail' and they're Maldonian, and King Victor went to war with Friezenburg over this, and now they're helping King Aaron despite all the risks, it just doesn't seem right somehow. There's something we're missing."

"Like what? I think they were just more interested in themselves. People die in the mines. I saw it all the time while I was growing up. Sometimes a man would fall, sometimes a cave would collapse, and every so often one of the men would get mine sickness and die."

"What's mine sickness Wes?"

"Okay so this is really weird." Lucinda had come back from scouting extremely concerned, interrupting the conversation.

Her serious face conveyed a sense of panicked unrest. Sofia gasped, "Oh no! We're too late."

"I don't think so. I could hear some commotion coming from inside, but the gate's been busted and there was a guard knocked unconscious near it. If they were in there killing prisoners the guard wouldn't be beaten up."

Sofia practically jumped, "Someone's already here to save them!"

Lucinda began nodding and Westin lunged forward, "Then come on! We've got to help them!" The girls agreed in an instant, and drew their wands.

Racing along the hillside they came upon the busted gate. The heavy metal door was slightly ajar, and the distant sound of metal clashing emanated from within.

Lucinda charged forward into the darkness without hesitation, but there at the entrance Sofia stood as a stone.

The darkness of the caves.

Could she go back underground? The memory of being trapped in the pitch-blackness, fearing for her life and the lives of her friends, gripped her. Westin was behind her, and her sudden pause caused the much larger young man to bump into her. Her reticence was immediately noticed, and he put a solid hand on her shoulder.

"You don't have to go in there. No one is making you, and when the prisoners come out you can direct them to that abandoned boat and keep them safe in case reinforcements arrive."

A deep breath. Then another. She could no longer live her life in fear. She had to stand and face this challenge and see this tale through to the end, wherever that led her. Another deep breath and she stood confidently, gripping her wand tight.

"No, whoever is in there needs my magic."

Westin nodded, "It's probably Birk, and maybe my Dad too."

"You think so?"

"Well yeah, who besides us would risk their lives saving these prisoners? It has to be our fathers."

"Then I'm definitely going in there."

"But—"

"I'm okay Westin. I am in control this time." She held up her wand, "I'm going to live without fear, just like I'm supposed too."

She blew past Westin as the young man muttered, "Oh boy, Birk's gonna be cross with me that you're back into the fray". Sofia ignored his fears and ran along the wide tunnel that connected the entrance to the mineshafts. Up from the depths of the mine came frightened men. They were running for their lives, but seemed lost in the tunnels. Westin boomed, "Sons of Friezenburg?!"

To which many answered, "Yes!"

"Then your suffering is over! We're here to guide you home!"

A stout man screamed, "Please help us! There is supposed to be a boat but we can't get out!"

Lucinda caught the nearest man, perhaps 5 years older than herself, by the collar of a rag that was passing as a shirt. "Are there more of you?" The gaunt man nodded, eyes like saucers darting about frantically. "Where?!" Lucinda demanded.

He was too frantic to gesture properly, arms flailing about. All these men could think of was escape, and no one could blame them for it. Sofia caught Westin in her sights, and her cousin nodded. The men were drawn to him, and he ran, leading them out of the tunnels toward freedom.

Sofia grabbed Lucinda's hand, "They've got to be this way, come on!" and they barreled down the tunnel from which the frightened men came. The halls were illuminated with the oddly glowing stones, just as the prison where Birk spent so many years incarcerated had been. They blew past all the glowing stones as they ran toward the sound of clashing metal.

Into a clearing they descended, and Sofia never broke stride. "Sofia be careful! There might be some guard—"

No sooner had Lucinda yelled it a Maldonian prison guard came running at them with sword drawn. Sofia stood firm and blasted him backward with a forceful air current. It made her feel powerful and helped to regain some of the confidence she'd lost. Without further concern she took off down toward the sounds of clashing metal once more.

Lucinda had trouble keeping up, "Sofia slower, we need to be more cautious. I don't want to explain to King Rolland why his daughter was skewered in a Maldonian prison tunnel. SOFIA!"

"No! Papa is here, fighting for his life! I have to save him!"

They burst out of the tunnel into a central cavern. There were cells with iron bars dug into the sides of the cave walls three stories tall, and the entrance to two pits that split into opposite directions in the center of the cavern. To their side another guard had been knocked unconscious. Above on the second level walkway was a man fighting four guards simultaneously, and he was skilled enough with his sword that he was holding his own against them.

It wasn't her Papa.

The man was too tall, more svelte, and was wearing a Maldonian knight's armor. He was also wearing a mask the same shade of royal blue that matched his clothes. One of the guards charged forward and seemed about to catch the masked man off his guard. The momentary disappointment that it wasn't Birk slowed Sofia's step, and Lucinda sprung into action, hexing the guard into a rat. The creature went scurrying off and the other three guards leapt backward. Lucinda stood there, confidently waving her wand back and forth.

"Alright, whose the next member of rattus norivengus? Any takers?"

The guards took off down the hall, but the masked man just stood there, statuesquely stunned.

Lucinda grabbed Sofia's hand, "You open those" She gestured to the far side of the central cavern. "And I'll open these." Lucinda gestured up to the third floor cells above where the masked man stood. There was a string of opened iron bars already on the first level. That's where the fleeing prisoners must have come from, as those guards he'd been fighting must have interrupted the masked man.

Sofia ran to the far side and made the bars of each cell disappear, directing the harrowed men back up the tunnel entrance. Each freed man restored a little of her faith within herself that this was the right thing, the morally just thing, and that the end result of giving these men freedom justified the means by which she'd gotten here. After clearing the bottom and middle rows she glanced back to check on Lucinda.

There on the opposite side of the cavern lit by glowing yellow stones the masked man stood mesmerized, watching her dear friend as she hexed the bars into water.

Once the last of the bars had been vaporized Sofia ran back to the cave entrance. Lucinda came running after her but the masked man caught her hand, halting her escape.

He stood there, gripping her tightly. She tugged, but he refused to let go.

"Come on! We've all got to get out of here, don't make me hex you too!"

It snapped the man's stunned silence, and he used his free hand to pull the mask up and over his face.

Lucinda's mouth gaped open, and wand dropped from her hand as tears welled in her eyes.

It was Axel.

Sofia's eyes bulged out as the trio stood in stunned silence. Axel bent down and retrieved Lucinda's wand for her, then slowly lifted up and stood there, leaning in a bit closer than would normally be acceptable and gently placed the wand back into her free hand. The witch was mesmerized as he did it, and once the invaluable magical item was firmly in her grasp she gazed upward at the prince, awash with relief, happiness and understanding.

The sound of shouting came from farther up the caves, snapping them all back to reality. Sofia took off up the tunnel, Lucinda and Axel running up behind her. "What are you doing here!" Lucinda shouted.

Axel still refused to let her hand go despite the running, "I couldn't just let this happen, I had to act!"

Lucinda couldn't help but smile brightly, and they burst upon a horrific scene. One of the guards had regained consciousness and stood at the entrance of the cave with sword swooping back and forth to stop the prisoners from fleeing to safety. Sofia held a hand up to stop Lucinda and Axel from advancing and bounced her way through the crowd. She was short even among Friezenburg men, and being solidly built had some advantages, especially when one needed to plow through a frightened crowd.

She finally burst through, and stood before the guard, wand held high. It was clear the guard was afraid for his life that the dozens of prisoners would end him. A confident "Dormintato!" and the guard stopped convulsing and swinging the sword wildly, dropping off to sleep.

The prisoners waited for her command, and Sofia spun. A confident smile was all she needed to give the men, "There's a boat waiting on the river to take us all to safety, but don't hurt him as you go past."

They barreled past this last barrier and out to the waiting boat and freedom, Lucinda and Axel bringing up the rear.

Once boarded the boat took off toward the sea. "Everybody lay low and be quiet until we're past the boarder patrol" boomed Axel. He went to the bow of the boat, steering it down the river and toward freedom. Lucinda just stood there, dumbstruck as the prisoners crouched on the deck to avoid detection.

Slowly she approached the crown prince. He seemed to be glowing, moonlight reflecting off his armor as he steered the ship. He looked quite the hero. Lucinda stood there for several minutes listing side to side, then noticed Sofia observing her and blushed profusely. Sofia shooed her toward Axel as Westin came and stood alongside the princess.

"So he's a good guy after all." Westin tried to whisper.

"Yeah, I've been telling her that he was, but I never expected he'd go against his father like this." Sofia quietly responded.

"I'm just glad for Lucinda. She's been really upset about it."

"But Axel's a traitor now, if anyone finds out about it—"

"They'll execute me." Axel replied as he stared ahead. Oops. They'd been caught. Lucinda had turned seven shades of crimson while listening to their not-so-quiet banter and begun tugging on her hair.

"Maybe you guys could hush up now, please."

"Oops. Sorry friend." Sofia pulled on Westin's arm, yanking him down to the deck. There was silence for a long while, and Lucinda finally narrowed in on the treasonous prince.

"Hey you."

"Didn't expect this of a, what was it you said, a slave owner."

Lucinda cringed, "Sorry, it's just that I thought there was no way you wouldn't know about it. You're the crown prince after all."

"Well I didn't, just like I told you, but how did you find out about it?"

"Well I…" Lucinda looked back at Sofia in disguise as the mystery mage. "I heard about it from a friend."

"A dear friend?" Asked Axel, looking back at Sofia. The disguised princess looked away and pretended she wasn't eavesdropping all over this intimate conversation.

"Well…" Lucinda shirked. She was trying to avoid outing Sofia as the mystery mage, but Axel was one step ahead.

"It's okay. I know Princess Sofia told you."

Lucinda's eyes bulged out. "H…How can you know that?"

He gave a half chuckle as his attentions finally turned from the river ahead to the beautiful young witch alongside him. "I know Sofia's sympathetic to the cause, and she tried to tell me what was happening. It's actually thanks to her I found out about any of this. All I had to do was connect the dots she drew for me, and they led me straight to these horrific prisons, and the misdeeds of my father."

Lucinda was reeling back and forth, worry for her friend juxtaposed with her obvious need to hold this man she'd felt such a strong attraction too. She leaned in, perhaps a little too close to him, "You won't say anything, will you? Her father, King Rolland, he decreed that anyone involved with this will be executed."

Axel grew serious, and reached out, taking Lucinda's hand in his own.

"You have my word I'll never speak to your involvement in this, or Sofia's either." His declaration elicited sighs from the witch, her shoulders relaxing. Axel seemed to melt a bit, lost in her eyes. "You do believe me this time, don't you Lucinda?"

"Yea…." He'd been inching closer, and Sofia noticed Westin hovering over her shoulder exceptionally close. She eyed him oddly and noticed he was transfixed on the witch and prince's close proximity, then Westin broke out in a huge grin as the conversation seemed to stop. Sofia's head fell to the side, and Westin glanced down to see her confused expression. One finger directed her to look back at her friend, whose lips were now in the prince's possession. Sudden embarrassment washed over her that they were leering at what could very well be Lucinda's first kiss, and she smashed her hand into Westin's face, turning them both away from the romantic scene playing out in the moonlight as they sailed down the river toward Friezenburg and freedom.

"They're so cute together." Westin whispered in Sofia's ear. For her part the princess nodded. "I wish…" Westin stopped mid-sentence, which caught Sofia's attention.

"What do you wish Westin?"

"Well I… it's kind of embarrassing. I guess I'm a little… different, but I still want to kiss someone special in the moonlight like that." He'd turned away and started poking his finger at the deck below.

"Different how? You seem perfectly normal to me?"

Westin grew nervous, and started glancing around. There were several men strewn about on the deck around them, and most but not all had begun sleeping due to the late hour. Why would he care what they thought?

"You can tell me anything Westin. You know I won't judge you, but if you're uncomfortable I understand."

Sofia's smile seemed to soothe the worried young man, and he banked his lips straight up against her ear. The whispers this time were soft as the hum of a hummingbird's wings.

"I'm just really glad you're my cousin, and that I know such an open and supportive person. I know you'll accept me because, well, you already accepted him, despite his differences."

Sofia's eyes grew wide. This was obviously really important and hard for Westin, but what in the world was he talking about? "Who did I accept Westin?"

"Your mentor, Cedric." Westin whispered as soft as a mouse, "You didn't seem to mind at all that he… doesn't like girls."

It took more than a minute of Westin hovering there, his lips practically tickling her ear. Several introspective eye blinks and furrowed brows made the young man nervous, but finally the unmistakable conclusion struck her like a lightning bolt.

"Wait… you…" Her cousin proffered an awkward smile. "Wes do you… not like girls too?"

"SHHHHH!" Westin had flung his hand over Sofia's mouth, silencing the girl. "Please don't advertise that Sofia." Was whispered in her ear.

"I… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." floated quietly from her mouth. Her cousin smiled nervously, and Sofia flung her arms around the young man's neck. "Thank you so much for telling me Westin, I know that must have been hard."

"Not as hard as telling my Dad, or uncle Birk. I think that's one of the main reasons they're so protective of me. They're always worried people will find out and be unkind to me." He looked around the deck after he said it, but none of the men seemed to hear or care about what was being spoken. Sofia shook her head and whispered back. "I guess I'm worried about being rejected by everyone."

"No one is going to reject you Westin, you're my cousin and I love you, just like uncle Sal and Birk do. I'm sure they protect you because they love you." Westin let out a huge sigh of relief and flopped back a bit. As quickly as he flopped back he tensed and seemed excited. It was confusing, to say the very least.

"Then, if you're okay with it can you help me?"

Sofia's head flopped to the side. "Uh, with what?"

"Well, it's kind of… you see I really like magic and… well the thing is he's so talented and I don't know if I can impress him." Westin was confusing his words and extremely nervous. He reminded Sofia of the way Desmond had looked around Amber, well before his life came to an abrupt end all too soon. Westin noted her mood shift and grew sullen.

"Oh. I understand Sofia, and don't worry. I'm not upset."

"Huh? Wait, what? The way you were so excited and nervous just made me think of Desmond, and how my sister is devastated right now. That's all. If you have a problem I'll do anything I can to help you."

"Really!" He looked so happy and hopeful; Sofia couldn't help but return the smile.

"Sure, now what do you need."

"Magic." Westin stated confidently.

"Okay, but why?"

"Well you said it makes him happy when you do magic, and I'm sure someone so talented would be keen on someone who also practices the craft. Please Sofia, I really need your help. You're so talented, I know you'll be able to teach me."

"Well I'm good because I had the world's best sorcery teacher."

"I know, and I've just got to impress him."

"Wait, him? Mr. Cedric? I thought you wanted to learn magic because it's interesting to you. Why do you need to impress Mr. Cedric?"

"Well I… that is… you've said such incredibly nice things about him, and he's so talented at magic, and then he's actually kind of… well I mean he could be really cute if he wasn't so angry at me all the time, and I even look like Rolland now, and you said he liked Rolland, so maybe, just maybe…"

WHAT.

No way. Did he just…

Sofia couldn't even muster the words to describe the sea of emotions swirling around inside her. Westin was watching the tempest brew, and extended a hand. "Oh please Sofia, I know he's a bit older than me but it's so rare for me to meet another man like me. Sofia, are you okay?"

She wasn't okay. It was fine for Westin to like men, on that she had no qualms, but… Cedric.

"No."

It drifted out imperceptibly quiet, with the distinct feelings of loss and desperation clinging to its utterance. If Westin fell in love with Cedric… what if Cedric started to like him too? What if Cedric started preferring Westin's company to hers? What if her sorcerer no longer made time for her?

What if…

Cedric fell in love with him?

He did look like Rolland now, a young Rolland, much as the man who Cedric had loved long ago must have looked.

Unbeknownst to her she'd started to hyperventilate. That distinct feeling of nausea rose up again, and the gasping started.

"Sofia." Westin had grabbed her by the arms, "hey there. I thought you said he likes men. You did say that, right?"

She nodded, but this couldn't be happening. This really wasn't happening, and she began to shake as if it would all just go away.

"No" came out a bit louder, and this time Westin heard her.

"What? Why are you… you won't teach me magic will you?" His hands had retracted and he begun to grow defensive. She'd never seen him this way, and it was incredibly unpleasant.

"No, that's not what I meant, I'll teach you magic, I will, but there has to be some other man you like? Uh… uh…" Sofia shuffled through every file in her mind, but no eligible bachelors with a penchant for the same sex and sorcery came to mind, save for her dearest mentor and best friend.

If Cedric fell for Westin he'd be gone. The worry for her well being, the attention, all of it would just fade away. Her sorcerer would have no time for her any longer. Westin was getting irritated, "I like magic, and well Sofia I would have never met him if not for you, and the way he froze that orchard was awe-inspiring. I'd love to spend time with him, really get to know him, and who knows? He is kind of… cute, and just what I was hoping to find someday."

Sofia started to grip at the sides of her head, pulling the hair away from her temples, making Westin more confused. "Are you worried about him? I promise I won't hurt him Sofia." She looked up and saw a sincere and kind man. Just the kind of person she should want for her dearest mentor. Why was this so hard for her to accept? Why was this ripping apart her psyche? Stabbing at her soul?

Westin took her hands and brought them to his chest. "I promise with every fiber in me I won't hurt him."

How could she be so selfish? To pigeon hole Cedric into the role as her mentor? He deserved happiness, and so did Westin. Her cousin was so sincere, and she shoved the misgivings she didn't understand deep down inside.

"Okay, I'll teach you magic to impress him."

Westin went giddy and let out a gleeful yelp. It startled Axel and Lucinda, snapping their grip on each other. Axel coughed nervously, then commands rang out worthy of a crown prince destined one day to lead his people.

"This is it. Everybody stay down and be silent until I give the word."

Lucinda hit the deck, and both she as Sofia drew their wands, just in case. There was the faint glow of a lamplight in the distance, but silence reigned. After a few minutes of nerve-wracking waiting Axel finally relaxed, "All clear."

Sofia stood to see they'd floated out to sea.

"That's all?" Lucinda spied the empty watch tower in the distance.

"Sad you didn't get to see me in action again dearest?" Axel joked, a gigantic smile across his lips. She punched him affectionately in the shoulder, then brushed her head along his chest in relief.

"I for one am glad there wasn't a fight." Westin sighed.

"That was the plan." Axel smiled somewhat wickedly, and Lucinda seemed rather keen on it. "I sent orders using my Dad's own stationary and seal to switch around the guard shifts at the prison and redeploy the watchmen at that checkpoint."

Sofia's mouth hung open, and Axel laughed, "What? Did you think I was really going to march into a prison without maximizing my chances of success? I'm not dumb you know." He turned back around to stare in the direction of Friezenburg. "I may be a traitor, but I'm definitely not dumb."

"You're NO traitor!" Lucinda boomed.

It evoked a smile from her prince, but he shook his head to contradict her all the same. "No, I am a traitor, and I deserve the hangman's noose for what I've done. Tomorrow I'll go to King Rolland and my father after the ceremony and tell him what's been happening, and what I did tonight."

"No!" Lucinda cried.

Sofia stepped forward, "If you're a traitor, then I'm one too and I won't let you shoulder this alone." She lifted her wand and melted away the mystery mage disguise.

Axel just smiled, "I had a feeling once I saw you in that prison with Lucinda that the mystery mage was you Sofia. Hugo is forever telling me about how good you are at magic and you were such good friends with Lucinda."

The secret was already out then, even before the magical disguise had been shed. Lucinda was panicked, "Axel wait, they could try to kill you, your Dad—"

"In all honesty I don't think my Dad would send me to the gallows, even though I betrayed him. I know he's not a good man, but still he'd never—"

"You don't KNOW that, and after what happened with your brother..." There was a long pause, but Sofia knew as Axel did that Victor had condemned Hugo to die in that cave, all to protect the slave trade.

There was simply too much at stake for Axel to come forward. "I don't think you should do it Axel." The prince's attentions turned from the distraught witch and he gazed solidly on the princess. "But surely your Dad would support me, support us Sofia. He seems so honorable."

"You thought YOUR dad was honorable till about a week ago Axel." The prince was visibly stung by the comment, but only truth was spoken. "Please don't do it. I don't trust him to do the right thing, PLEASE."

Outnumbered and defeated by the girls pleas, Axel acquiesced. He returned to steering the vessel while Westin wasted no time in making Sofia honor her word to teach him spells. He proved to be a natural at it, and mastered several basic wrist flicks and innocuous spells in the few hours it took to sail from Maldonia to Friezenburg across the great sea. All the while that unsettling feeling of nausea and suffering was gnawing at her stomach.

Why did she feel this way? She should be happy her cousin was good at magic? Not… jealous. Once she realized the green monster of envy had gripped her it was impossible to shake.

But why was she jealous? She convinced herself that it was because he learned spells faster than she had.

It was the middle of the night before they reached Friezenburg. Prisoners disembarked toward their villages with acute warnings about which roads were controlled by the royals and should be avoided at all costs. The war had left a patchwork of independent provinces loosely scattered across Friezenburg that Birk had been slowly aligning under the common banner of the PFU, but still it was a dangerous undertaking to travel. The freedmen didn't seem to care, and many kissed the native soil below their feet before setting off toward home.

Lucinda gazed up at Axel, watching him smile as the men he'd helped free walked off into the distance. "Feels good, doesn't it?"

He quickly spun and grabbed her into a hug, "Not as good as this does."

"Stop it you!" She coyly demanded. Instead of stopping he nuzzled into her hair.

"Time to go cousin" Westin tapped Sofia's shoulder, and she mounted the broom behind him. Lucinda managed to pull away, halting the joyous giggling; "I'll take Axel home." Then she turned so her nose was not an inch from his, "And you'd better behave or you're swimming Mr. Prince."

As they flew off Sofia couldn't help but feel a certain pang within her chest. She was so incredibly happy for Lucinda. The prince she'd fallen in love with not only loved her in return, but they believed in the same cause and were standing together on the side of righteousness.

But in that moment Sofia felt horribly alone. She'd been leaning on Cedric for comfort all this time, and it was all about to fall away. The attentions he'd been giving her were almost oppressive and she'd had to do the unthinkable just to get away, but Sofia the Second would be needed no longer. Westin would occupy his thoughts, steal away his time, and his love….

That word.

They landed, Westin bidding her good night as Sofia snuck back into her room. But her doppleganger wasn't there. There was only one place she could reasonably be, and so the princess tip toed up the tower steps, unlocking the latch with her wand and crept by Wormwood and her phoenix. There was a chill in the air from the open window, and the birds had curled up together in the little nest her phoenix had made with the sticks Wormwood gathered. It seemed like everyone had someone to console them in the dark of night, except Sofia.

Into Cedric's bedchambers she crept, and to no surprise her double was sleeping there quietly next to Cedric. He seemed so incredibly happy, and was snoozing contentedly right there beside her copy. A report from Clover on the events of the evening would have to wait until morning, but it couldn't have gone too badly if she was up here and Cedric seemed content. Sofia stood there, observing the scene. Flashes of jealousy streaked across her psyche. That her double got to spend what might have been the last night she could claim all of his attentions made her jaw clench and hands shake.

Why was she jealous? This was her copy after all? It was practically herself, and he was just her friend, right? RIGHT?

The stirring of her copy broke her train of thought. The girl awoke and had sat up in the bed, a sly grin spread across her lips. "Successful evening princess?"

Sofia nodded, "And you?"

The copy rolled her eyes, then looked down at Cedric snoozing away, "You could say it was… magical." The way in which she'd said it, and that glance toward Cedric grated on Sofia's heart. They must have been performing spells all night, or maybe she'd helped him with a potion. That must be it. But then why did she feel a certain compulsion to drag the copy out of Cedric's bed and beat her whilst weeping?

Instead her wand was raised, and a quick flash of panic crossed the copy. She extended a hand out but it was too late, Sofia had cast the counter spell and the copy melted away along with her copied dress along the foot of the bed, leaving the robe amongst the blankets.

The commotion woke Cedric, and he reached out to where her copy had been lying. The contented smile plastered on his face melted in an instant, and he sprung up. An instant later he realized the real Sofia was standing there at the foot of the bed. Rolling his eyes he flopped back down, "Ugh, Sofia what are you doing up at this hour… and dressed? Just where do you think you're going while I lie here unconscious?" The annoyance was replaced with suspicion, and she quickly tugged at her dress, letting it fall to the floor. That was more than enough to quell whatever inkling he'd started to form on her nightly activities, and she crawled over him to get at the robe, wrapping it casually about her frame. Wiggling herself into the covers, she curled up alongside him to avoid the chill in the air. That must have been why she felt so compelled to snuggle up in his arms. Yes, it must be the cold. Tiredness began to grip her, and heavy yawns escaped the girl.

"I suppose you'll have to pay for whatever transgression you were planning in the morning sweetheart, but for now just sleep."

"That sounds nice Mr. Cedric."

He nuzzled himself into her hair, and she found herself desperate to hold onto something. His undone robe was draped over his shoulders. She wound her hands under the covers and into the folds of his robe, pulling at it to draw him nearer.

It must be the cold. Yes, that must be it. Autumn was in full swing now, the snows of winter but a few weeks off. The Villagers Ball was less than a week away. It simply must have been the cold that compelled her to cuddle up with him. Cedric's hand timidly found it's way onto the dip just above her hips as it had the last time she'd slept in this bed, but this time it felt good, daresay exciting.

Contented again, Cedric began snoring once more, his nose a hair away from her face. Thoughts of Westin occupying this bed, laying alongside him, and snuggling with him in the night began to torture her mind. That's what Westin wanted. He wanted her place in Cedric's life.

"I don't want you to go Mr. Cedric. I don't want him to touch you. I don't want him to hold you. I don't want you to love anyone else. I love…"

The words startled even her. How could she have been so blind? She'd finally fallen in love with someone, and there was no hope of returned affections. Did she really… love him? Despite the late hour she couldn't help gazing at his sleeping face in the moonlight. Traditionally handsome he was not, but he was so incredibly dear to her. She felt an overwhelming compulsion to kiss the end of his nose once more, and did so gently so as not to wake him.

Her Cedric. His bangs flopped haphazardly on the pillow, mouth slightly askew and hands curled up around her as moonlight reflected off his pale skin. It made her want to wrap him in the tightest of embraces and weep simultaneously, for he could never return the feelings that were swirling around inside her, this strange aching need in the pit of her stomach was not one he could ever reciprocate. He simply wasn't wired that way. Maybe she was just tired? Could this all be a delusion in her mind from the late hour? She knew it wasn't true, but tried to push the revelation and the pain it brought from her mind. It resulted in an internal battle of wills, her reason warring with the emotions in her heart.

Kicking herself for her stupidity toward her own feelings the exhaustion of the nights' activities caught up with her, and she finally fell asleep in his arms, for what she worried might be the very last time.