Chapter 2: Dreams
That night…
Cedric knew he had to be dreaming. There was simply no way he could have just appeared in this beautiful, sunlit meadow full of wildflowers and a blue lake to his left. He stood there just looking around. He wasn't in Enchancia or any other kingdom he knew. There was really nothing here but the lake, grass, and flowers.
"Mr. Cedric!"
He stared in amazement at the girl in the pink and purple dress as she seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Sofia smiled and waved to him from where she stood a few yards away. He immediately noticed that the amulet didn't adorn her neck, and it was strange seeing her without it.
"S–Sofia…" Cedric stumbled toward her, falling to his knees in front of the young girl. "I didn't take your amulet. I could never hurt you like that. Please believe me." he lowered his head, staring at his lap as his eyes welled with tears.
A finger slipped under his chin, gently coaxing him to look back up at her. "I believe you, Mr. Cedric," she smiled sadly and wiped the moisture from his cheeks. "I don't know who took my amulet, but I know it wasn't you."
She wrapped her arms around him in a warm embrace, which he reciprocated, burying his face in her hair. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Sofia released him. Taking his hands, she pulled him to his feet.
"Come on, Mr. Cedric," she said, urging him to take a few steps. "Let's take a walk. Maybe there's something exciting on the other side of that huge lake over there."
A chuckle escaped the sorcerer in spite of his situation. It was so good to be with Sofia, even if it was just a dream…
A month later…
He didn't think he would ever see her again. Yet, there she was, sitting on a swing that hung from a sturdy branch which belonged to a large tree. The tree was covered in purple blossoms that gently fell to the ground, some landing in Sofia's auburn locks. As with the first dream, they didn't seem to be in Enchancia or any other familiar kingdom. They were in the middle of a lush valley full of willows and oaks. A nearby waterfall descended into a clear, blue river. The place had an air of tranquility and peace
Cedric was so happy to see his dearest friend. He hurried the short distance over to the swing and knelt in front of her. "Sofia…"
The young princess stared at him for a minute before asking, "Mr. Cedric, is that you?"
"Of course it is," he replied. "Who else would I be?"
Sofia reached out a hand, gently touching the stubble on his cheek before moving on to his shaggy, unkempt hair. A frown crossed the girl's face as she took note of his clothes; his robe hung open, his bowtie dangled limply from its place around his neck, and his other clothes were wrinkled with a few dirty spots here and there. "You haven't been taking care of yourself," she said softly.
"No one cares about me," he murmured pitifully, lowering his head. It hurt to say this out loud, but he believed it. He remembered that horrible day not long after he arrived at the Tri–Kingdom Prison when his father had unexpectedly come to see him. Goodwyn seemed to be there just to tell Cedric he was no longer his son before he promptly left, ignoring Cedric's pleas to listen to his side of the story. Cedric and his father hadn't always seen things eye to eye, but being disowned was the worst thing Cedric could have imagined. He had given up on life as he sank into a deep depression. He stopped eating. He stopped minding his personal hygiene. Would anyone care if he just…
"That's not true." Sofia slipped of the swing and knelt in front of him, taking his hands in hers. "I care about you, Mr. Cedric. You're one of the dearest people in the world to me. I know things seem bad right now, but they will get better someday."
Her words touched him. How could she be so optimistic in this dire situation? Nevertheless, it gave him a little hope to hear her positive words, to hear her sweet voice and see her pretty face. Oh, he was aware this was a dream, but… "I've missed you so much, Sofia," he whispered. "You always brought sunshine into my world. Now everything is dark, and I feel so alone."
"Well, I can't come to you every day," the girl hummed thoughtfully. "But I think I can come once a month. Does that sound okay?" When he nodded she went on, "Please take care of yourself, Mr. Cedric. You don't look too good, and I'm worried about you."
He sighed heavily. "All right. I'll try."
"Yay!" The princess cheered, beaming almost as brightly as the sun. She jumped to her feet, pulling him up with her, and gestured to the swing she'd been sitting on a minute ago. "Will you swing with me?"
Cedric eyed the swing skeptically. It was a small seat, big enough for just one person. "Sofia, that swing is not big enough for–" His eyes widened in surprise as the swing shifted, growing into a bigger seat with purple cushions to make it more comfortable. "How…"
Sofia smirked. "This is a dream, Mr. Cedric. Anything is possible in a dream."
He laughed for the first in weeks. "Indeed."
They sat on the swing for quite a while as it gently swayed back and forth…
When Cedric awoke in the morning, he asked the guard who brought his breakfast if he could bathe. After breakfast, the former royal sorcerer was escorted to the prison's wash room. He took a quick bath, trimming his hair and shaving the stubble from his face. When he was done, he changed into some clothes that were provided for him; a plain white tunic and black trousers. When he was returned to his cell, he realized that he felt somewhat better. Granted, he was still in prison, but there was something about being clean that soothed him.
…
Time passed slowly. True to her word, Sofia appeared in Cedric's dreams once every month. Those nights were the highlights of his life, and he found himself looking forward to each one. As time went on, Cedric started noticing a few changes on his young friend. They were subtle changes that he didn't think much about.
The first change occurred about a year after he was sent to the Tri–Kingdom Prison. In one dream, the princess's tiara was missing. Cedric barely noticed this because the tiara would reappear and then vanish again some time later until it disappeared for good when Sofia was sixteen. Another change was in her clothes. Cedric couldn't quite pinpoint when it happened, but he was suddenly seeing a lovely young woman in a simple purple dress with a pink apron. Sofia's dresses had never been as fancy as Amber's, but they were fit for royalty. Looking at her now, in a commoner's dress without her tiara, he had to wonder what was happening outside of these dreams.
…
She looked wonderful in that white dress with her hair loose from its usual braid. They were in a meadow much like the one from the very first dream. A light breeze blew through her auburn tresses and the white fabric of her skirt. She looked like an angel without wings. Cedric smiled happily as he embraced her.
"I'm so happy you here," he muttered.
She hugged him briefly before gently pushing him back. "Cedric, there's something I need to tell you," she said softly.
"What is it?" he asked, noticing for the first time how sorrowful her eyes looked.
Sofia hesitated for a few seconds, then she took his hands and held them securely in her own. "This is the last time I can see you."
"Y–You mean…" Cedric swallowed hard, trying to grasp the meaning of her words. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, pulling his hands from hers in the process. He looked up at her with shimmering brown eyes. "Y–You're leaving me here… all alone…" His lips started to tremble as he struggled to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. "But… I need you. I'll never survive without you."
"Oh, Cedric…" Quickly, she knelt before him and cupped his face with her soft hands. "It's going to be okay. I probably shouldn't tell you this, but you're going to see the real me soon."
In spite of himself, Cedric laughed. "The 'real' you?" It occurred to him that this dream version of Sofia was just that, a dream–a reflection of his dearest friend. But she seemed so real to him that he found it difficult to think that she was merely a figure of his imagination. After all, she had grown from a young girl to a young woman. Cedric found himself wondering if all the changes he'd witnessed over the years had actually happened in reality. Did the real Sofia still wear her tiara? Probably. She was still a princess. And what about the commoner dresses she'd been appearing in as of late? He doubted her sister would allow her to wear those things for too long. Still, whether she was the 'real' Sofia or not, Cedric was not eager for the dreams to end. Those dreams had saved him from depression more times than he cared to count. One dream even saved his life once when he fell asleep before he could use the razor blade he snuck out of the wash room. He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around the girl, whispering, "I'll miss you so much. Must you really leave?"
"You're going to be okay," she told him soothingly, stroking his hair. "Everything will be all right."
Just then, a portal of light opened not far from where they were sitting. Sofia gently pulled herself out of the former sorcerer's embrace and stood up, taking his hand to pull him up with her. Then she kissed his cheek before giving him one last bright smile as she turned and headed toward the portal.
Cedric watched her go, feeling his heart drop to his feet. He now felt truly alone. But his moment of grief quickly changed to one of shock in a matter of a few seconds. As Sofia was about to step through the portal, he could have sworn he saw a pair of golden wings extend from her back. Then she was gone, leaving an utterly flabbergasted sorcerer staring after her for long minutes after the portal closed…
Cedric awoke to the sound of keys jiggling. He opened his eyes to see a guard opening the gate of his cell carrying a small tray that probably contained the apple, bread, and water that served as breakfast. Cedric would have liked to ignore the meager meal and go back to sleep. He honestly didn't see the point of getting out of bed anymore. But after setting the tray down on the cell's solitary table, the guard turned to address Enchancia's former royal sorcerer.
"The warden wants to see you in an hour," he said gruffly. "So I suggest you get your skinny behind up and be ready when I come back for you."
Cedric groaned and pulled the thin blanket over his head as the man left. This was the same insufferable guard who had come by on his rounds every morning for the last– How many years? Five? Merlin's mushrooms! Cedric shoved the blanket off of him and sat up. Ten years had passed since he arrived here at the Tri–Kingdom Prison. But his days were so similar that he had trouble remembering when new guards came. Besides, they all looked the same in their uniforms. But all this didn't seem to matter much when Cedric recalled what the guard said.
"The warden wants to see you."
Cedric stood and started pacing his cell. Captain Chen from Wei Ling was a stern but fair warden who made sure everything in the prison was in order. Cedric had met the stout man with the booming voice several times over the years. Thanks to Chen, all prisoners were provided with fresh food every day, even though meals were small. He made sure everyone went out to a walled in courtyard once a day, although Cedric refused to socialize with anyone. The sorcerer supposed he should be thankful to be in this particular prison. There were many other places he could have ended up that weren't supervised quite as well. Chen made sure guards didn't turn to violence and beat prisoners out of boredom. The place did have a torture chamber, but it was only used if torture was part of a sentencing, which was a rarity.
But why did Chen suddenly want to see him? Cedric ignored his food as he continued to pace, anxiously running his hands through his hair, which he had kept neatly trimmed. Had Roland decided to have him hanged after all this time? Was he going to be tortured? Was he going to have his magic extracted? At the thought of his magic, he gasped. Please, not that… He didn't have a wand, so he couldn't use magic. But what else would Chen want with him?
…
Chen looked up from the paperwork he was going over as a knock fell on his office door. "Enter," he commanded, returning his attention to the document in front of him. He signed it and laid his pen aside, looking up again to see Cedric being escorted into the room by a guard. "Ah, Sorcerer Cedric. I have news for you."
"Y–You do?" Cedric stammered, unable to keep his voice from squeaking. He nervously clasped his hands in front of him as he stood before the warden's desk.
"You're being released," Chen stated simply.
"I–I am?"
"Yes, you are," Chen nodded sharply. "The queen has ordered your return to Enchancia."
A/N: I'll just stop here and let you ponder over things…
I apologize if some parts of this chapter aren't that good. I had some trouble writing it. Family visit. Enough said.
Next chapter we'll catch up with Sofia and see what happened to her during the ten years Cedric was incarcerated.
Thanks again for your interest in this story.
