The whole kingdom rejoiced, in appreciation for every father in the village. Most especially the king himself, King Roland
Every Father must be appreciated, even at least once in a year. And in the kingdom of Enchancia, they really do value the sacrifices and hardships of men to make the kingdom a better place for everyone.
Inside the castle, the royal family ate joyously at the dinner table. James telling stories, Amber listening attentively, Queen Miranda on her husband's arms and King Roland enjoying the moment he's having with the family
And Sofia was… well she was smiling at least
King Roland deserves it, with everything that he's done for Enchancia and his family, King Roland never asked for anything in return. So it should be just normal that he would indulge
However, despite how happy everyone seemed to be, A certain girl was actually grieving deep inside. Longingness filled her heart despite having everything a girl could ever want, a nice family, a nice castle, shiny tiaras and nice dresses.
She was never for extortionate stuffs anyways. Sofia always had quite been the simple type of princess. Quite the opposite of her dear lovely sister, Amber
"Dad, do you remember when we went hiking on the mountains and you forgot your lantern?" James uttered with his mouth full
"James! At least chew and swallow first" Amber scorned, quite repulsed by her brother's barbaric behavior
King Roland laughed at this. James always was the type of kid who never cared about etiquettes and such
"Now Now, James make sure not to do it in front of company. They might have the wrong idea on how serious we take table manners"
"Aren't you quite similar as a boy, Rollie?" Queen Miranda cut in
"You mentioned being the troublemaker in the past as well"
King Roland got flustered upon hearing that, his cheeks turning red slightly which everyone found humor on. And so the dinner table was filled with laughter and joy as the family dined
xXx
"You expect me to do it again, Father?"
"No, I expect you to do better!"
"But – oh Merlyn's Mushrooms, nevermind"
Cedric was eating with his Father and Mother on the table. They would always come and visit him every time of the year to talk about things and to be with each other
"It's a shame that Cordelia couldn't come, eh?" Winifred the wise uttered
"She did say that Callista caught a cold and no one was available to take care of the poor child" Goodwyn responded
Suddenly, a series of knocks came from the door.
"Coming!" Cedric yelled, walking to the door as he did
Upon opening it, a certain king came into sight
"King Roland?"
"Cedric, I need you to do something for…"
King Roland was cut short upon seeing the two veteran sorcerers on the table.
"Goodwyn the Great! Winifred the Wise!" he stated in delight
"It's been too long!"
He came to them without hesitation, and gave them a nice embrace
"It's good to see you again, lad." Goodwyn stated
"Likewise, and Happy Father's Day" Winifred greeted
The king gave her a nod of respect
"And Happy Father's Day to you as well, Goodwyn the Great"
He then remembered something upon the topic of the occasion
"Speaking of Father's Day, we are gonna hold a party at the castle and everybody is invited. I would be so glad if the legendary sorcerers of Enchancia could come." King Roland uttered
The couple looked at each other for a few moments, wondering if they should
"Perhaps we should, King Roland." Winifred responded
"And while you're here, would you like some of my infamous cake?"
"Oh would I!" Roland uttered with excitement as he literally took a seat at the table with them
All of a sudden, a certain noise caught his attention. It was Cedric himself clearing his throat
"So, King Roland" he said
"You needed me for something?"
"Oh yes, I almost forgot" Roland answered
"It's about Sofia…"
"Sofia? What about her?"
"You see Sofia has been quite sad since this morning, and I was wondering if you could somehow talk to her. You two are good friends, right?"
"Well, she is my student, and apprentice, so I am inclined to be close to her"
"Oh shush Ceddykins, Sofia is the best girl friend you've ever had"
"See, even your mother agrees" Roland added with a wink
Cedric heaved out sigh of exasperation upon hearing this. As if things weren't as complicated already, her mother had to add fuel to the fire
"I'll see what I can do, King Roland" Cedric uttered
"Thank you, Cedric. She must be at the Garden right now with her pets. Go talk to her."
Roland stated as he shifts his attention back to the table where a nice hot cake is served in a round platter
"And as for me – I'm digging in!" he added, taking a bite of the cake when he did
"That's one lad right there!" Goodwyn cheered
And so the tower was filled with cheers and laughter from the three. Cedric couldn't believe it how he was practically kicked out of his tower to babysit a girl
Either ways, he needed to attend to Sofia.
xXx
It was getting deep in the afternoon, as the sunlight on the ground was starting to fade away. The clear skies made it seem like it was gonna be a good day, or what's remaining of it
Except for one girl sitting all alone in the Garden bench
Somehow despite the wondrous occasion, something was bothering Sofia deep inside. She hasn't told anyone yet, probably because no one noticed.
And so she decided to go out and breathe some fresh air, and for some alone time. She originally wanted to go to Cedric's workshop but figured that he might be too busy for the upcoming party later evening for Father's Day.
But for some strange reason, it seems to her that some commotion was going on inside there. Sofia noticed this when she heard voices from the tower earlier
And so she stared at the tall skyscraper with her chin leaning on her palm. Still quite melancholy about the day that everyone was supposed to be happy about
"You know, if you stare at it too much – the tower might get the wrong ideas…"
Sofia heard a familiar voice that immediately piqued her interest, it came from beside her. A smile forms on her face as she turned to the person
"Mr. Ceedric!"
"I know, I know. What are you doing here, leave me alone, I need some alone time, go away…" he muttered
Sofia grew confused over his statement
"What do you mean?" she asked
Cedric let out a slight scoff as he looked at her
"Don't you want some alone time here?" he asked
"Well I do but…"
"Yeah, don't answer that." Cedric interrupted
"Just pretend I'm not here."
The princess giggled when she heard that. Her favorite sorcerer can be quite comical at times
"I don't think that was meant to be funny, Princess Sofia-"
"Well, it was!" Sofia giggled, tears of joy starting to form on her eyes
"What are you doing here anyways?" she asked
"Oh you know – just some guy who got kicked out of his tower. I'm basically homeless now." He explained sarcastically
"Really, that's cool!" she uttered
Cedric turned to her with a look of disbelief
"I mean – that's awful what they did to you!" she stated nervously, clearly finding his situation amusing
The sorcerer then crossed him arms and looked away, keeping the distance from between them.
Sofia eventually took notice of this as a smile forms on her rosebud lips
"You can move closer if you like…" She stated sweetly
"No thanks."
"Well then if you won't~"
The young Princess then scooted over, moving closer to him from the side.
"Then I'll come close to you!" she giggled in addition
Cedric didn't respond, but he could feel the sudden warmth caused by the close proximity of Sofia. "How is she very comfortable with him anyways" is something that he would ask himself at times, he never really sees her being this chummy with her male classmates
Suddenly, he felt a sensation on his shoulder. He turned and saw Sofia lean against him with her eyes closed
"You came here to comfort me, didn't you…" She soothed softly
"No I didn't" Cedric blurted out
Sofia hummed in comfort as she snuggled in close to him
"Liar, your nose would twitch whenever you lie, Mr. Ceedric."
"Well, perhaps I was…"
Sofia opened her eyes with a smile painted on her lips. This made her very happy.
"Do you wanna know why I'm sad during Father's day?"
Cedric bowed down his head to look at the ground
"Is it about your Dear departed Father?"
Sofia was surprised there, not expecting the Sorcerer to know
"How did you come to know that, Mr. Ceedric?" she asked slowly
"Just a hunch really." He responded
"And you're not the type of girl who would be moody over anything, so that probably means it's something dear to you"
Her fingers danced around each other, and her sandals rubbing on her feet. Melancholy caught up on her again with the topic of the matter
"We don't really have to talk about it, I just have to be here for you – that's all…" Cedric professed with his eyes looking ahead
Sofia glanced at him, and for some reason, he seems different, and familiar at the same time. She knew about this feeling well
A smile returns on her lips as she uttered
"My Father was a good man, he loved me and mom so much than anything else in the world. We didn't have much but we were happy…" She uttered softly
Cedric noticed the grief in her voice, no doubt about it. No matter how good she tried to conceal it, he could sense how much she is hurting inside whenever the topic her father came up
"I'm pretty sure deep inside, Mom is hurting as much as I am…" she slowly muttered under her breath, not even bothering to hide the sadness anymore
"And I'm also pretty sure your Father wouldn't want his daughter to sulk here and cry while this wonderful day is ongoing"
His voice penetrated her very sorrows, as if it were a beacon of light. The feeling came back, and it came far stronger this time.
"You think… so?" Sofia sniffled, her eyes were starting to show hints of tears
Cedric turned to her and couldn't help but feel bad. The poor girl had went through so much as a child. At least in his case, he still has his Father and Mother who supports him in every way.
He wanted to help her as much as he can, even though he might be not that much help in the long run
"I've never experienced losing a loved one before, it must've been hard. I'm not trying to replicate the love that your father had for you nor am I trying to take his place – but if I can help ease your loneliness at times like as this, then I'll gladly be here for you, Sofia." Cedric sincerely stated as he rests his hand on her head, gently caressing it as he did
"We have to keep moving forward no matter how hard it is to move on and those people that we leave behind us, but in the way, we also discover new things and new people who will make our lives more colorful"
Sofia was speechless. A rush of emotions came over her which she really can't explain. She's usually a girl who is quite composed over every situation
But now that she's looking at him like this – there's something more…
And so she leaned back on his shoulder, absorbing all the warmth that he had unto her. She loved it very much alongside with the soothing caress that he's doing with the top of her head
"You know… you kinda remind me of my Father." She uttered slowly
"Do I?"
"Yeah, he would say exactly what you said just now"
"Well I'm honored to be compared with your Father, Princess Sofia"
"That's probably why I feel so much comfortable around you, Mr. Ceedric!"
"Yeah, I'm sure it is…" Cedric muttered
She giggled, quite enjoying herself now. The aching wasn't as bad as it was before but it still was lingering in her heart
Sofia then leaned her head back on his shoulder as she buried her face on him
"Mr. Ceedric, thank you for being here. Truly…" Sofia uttered
Cedric felt his shoulder getting wet for some reason.
"Just this once – Let me cry…" she whispered softly
Upon uttering this, Sofia couldn't hold back anymore. Her eyes literally flooded with tears as it slowly flows down to her cheek and to his shoulder
There were no other words said that moment, it was peaceful and silent like how things should be, with the Princess crying on him
Sofia is a girl who is worth every gem in the world, every gold and every priced possession. The Amulet on her chest stood no importance to him at the moment, she was conflicted and he had to be there for her
Everything seemed irrelevant. It was only Sofia that mattered to him at that moment.
From afar, a certain Queen watches over them with a hurt smile on her face. It hurts her so to see her daughter in anguish and despair.
But luckily for her, she has found someone whom she can lean to in times of trouble, just as she found King Roland.
She has moved on already, and it didn't hurt that much already, but occasionally. She would remember him from time to time…
Queen Miranda didn't even notice that tears started to flow on her cheek as well.
xXx
It was finally evening, as the village hall was filled of people. Shiny decorations shimmered with the moonlight alongside with the light that a big fire radiated from the bonfire. Everything was prepared by no other than the legendary sorcerers themselves, Goodwyn the Great and Winifred the Wise
Everyone was having fun, which includes of course a certain blonde Prince who was literally doing all sorts of crazy dance moves in the center. Eventually, Amber took notice of this which caused her second-hand embarrassment
"James!" Amber called discreetly
"What are you doing? It's embarrassing!"
"Oh no, I know you're not talking with that dress of yours. What are you, a turtle fairy?"
"Excuse me, but you wouldn't know anything about fashion, dear brother." Amber replied with a regal tone
"This dress attracts attention, everyone would be looking at me"
"Hah, if that's what you call fashion, then I'd stick to my crazy dancing, at least it doesn't look as ridiculous as that!" James blurted back in response
"And this is about Father's Day, Amber, not 'Amber's' day – and you don't look like a father to me"
"Alright that's enough, James!" Amber yelled in anger
"I'm telling Daddy you're mocking me"
"Oh come on… give dad a break, not on Father's day!" James cried in desperation
Amber then drifted off into the crowd, looking for no other than her Father. Despite any occasion, the twins would always never disappoint to cause trouble
Meanwhile, in a certain table, there sat King Roland, Queen Miranda and Cedric. Roland was currently munching down Winifred's delicious cake
"I can't believe you've been keeping this to yourself, Cedric!" Roland stated as he stuffed another portion to his mouth
"Merlyn's Mushroom! You're still eating?" Cedric blurted out in surprise
"Now I see who James got his endless appetite from"
"Ow, Corm ohn, Cedwic. Girv mee a bweak heeree" Roland responded with his mouth full, his words barely audible
Queen Miranda couldn't help but laugh upon seeing this
"Like Father, Like son" she uttered, while pinching his husband's full cheeks.
All of a sudden, a voice caught everyone's attention. It was Baileywick standing in the center
"Ladies and Gentleman, we are glad to have everyone here in our Father's Day Party. On behalf of the castle, we would like to show appreciation to every Fathers who are present tonight"
A large round of applause followed that which garnered from everyone who was present on that party.
"Now, a man's role is exemplified not by his works, or his achievements, not even by his power – but how he gives out to his community and his impact to the people as a whole. A man is formed not by words, but by actions. A real man is someone who will always take care of his family and his people" Baileywick spoke
"Tonight, we are joined by a man who had done nothing but give back to his people, and take care of the kingdom. A man who barely asks for anything in return from the people, as long as they are happy and in a good state" He added
The crowd was touched by his words. Something so special and noble should be appreciated indeed
"And this man, is no other than our King himself –
King Roland!"
Everyone stood up and clapped their hands, showing their dear respect for their beloved King. Something so beautiful touched Roland's heart verily
And so he stepped up to the stage, watching everyone appreciation is definitely heartwarming to him that he couldn't help but cry tears of joy. At first, he never really expected to be such a good of a king, there was even a time when he didn't want to. But as time went, he discovered the joy on making people happy with smiles on their faces. This is what drives him to be a better King for everyone
Not by power, not by Greed
But by love for his people
Wiping the tears from his eyes, Roland then stood firm and watched over his people, like a good leader would do. There are other Kings out there that are far greater than him but his heart is what differentiates him from them
"To the people of Enchancia, to our lovely guests, to my wonderful servants and my loving family. I humbly thank you for the trust that you have given me these past years. I will wholeheartedly cherish these moments – but for now, I must greet every Father tonight a very stupendous Happy Father's Day!"
The audience cheered, filling the entire village with praises. Queen Miranda and the kids went up to the stage to join their Father with the celebration
"Happy Father's Day, Dad" James uttered
"Happy Father's Day, Daddy" Amber uttered
"Happy Father's Day, Rollie" Queen Miranda greeted, kissing him on the cheek as she did
And lastly…
"Happy Father's Day… Dad" Sofia sincerely uttered which Roland really appreciated
Cedric was right, she didn't need to grieve over the past anymore, she had a bright future ahead of her. In life, people have to move on no matter what happens in the way, and so that includes her father
He may not be around anymore, but Sofia knows that he will forever live in her heart.
But for now, Sofia has such an amazing Step Father that any girl could ask for. And the fact that he entrusted the Amulet of Avalor to her proves how much special she is to King Roland.
And he is most especially special to her too, as her new Father
Such a wonderful evening it had become, but it needed something more, and Goodwyn knows what it is
Cedric, was then approached by his Father as he handed him his wand
"Do the honors son." He uttered, giving his full trust to Cedric
Cedric couldn't believe it, his own father entrusting a spell to him. Either ways, he knew he had to do this properly
"Enhancio Mundo!"
The wand flickered a series of colorful lights which flew to the air and scattered to the clouds. Making a nice combination of vibrant colors which illuminated the whole village.
Goodwyn gave his son a pat on the back as respect which Cedric readily accepted.
"They are very beautiful, Mr. Ceedric"
A sudden voice caught him off guard. It was no other than Sofia herself in her nice orange gown with her hair tied in an updo. She seemed more vibrant than the fireworks to him
"You really are a Great Sorcerer!"
Goodwyn turned to him again, and upon doing so, noticed the little girl beside him
"Lass, How the hell are ya!" he said
"Hello, Mr. Goodwyn. Happy Father's Day!" Sofia greeted with a curtsy
"Oh no need for that – I've heard that you are Cedric's apprentice of some sort"
"Yes, I've been taking lessons from him. He's a great teacher!"
"Of course, he learned from the best" Goodwyn jested as he bumped his son in his shoulder
And so that concluded the wonderful day in the Kingdom of Enchancia, on the day for Fathers. The colorful skies that seemed to spark in the sky represents the tranquility in the kingdom and all it stands for.
~The End~