All Wrapped Up

Cedric yawned as he used his wand to levitate several pink and white streamers into the air. It was Sweethearts Day, and the teenage sorcerer had been tasked with helping his father decorate the ballroom for the evening's festivities, much to his displeasure. Goodwyn had found him moping in the library just a short while ago, and the royal sorcerer had decided that since his son clearly had nothing better to do, he might as well—as he put it—"prepare for future duties." Currently, Goodwyn had gone back to the tower to fetch some potions, leaving Cedric to hang the ridiculous heart–themed streamers throughout the room. It was a simple enough task, and Cedric allowed his mind to wonder as he vaguely waved his wand.

He had never been a huge fan of Sweethearts Day. What was the point? People expressed love to one another every day, so why did there need to be a holiday for it? It was just a waste of time. Of course, he probably wouldn't loath the holiday so much if he had a special girl. His thoughts turned to a certain princess, and smile found its way to his lips. Perhaps he could dance with her at the ball… Perhaps…

"Cedric!"

The young sorcerer gave a startled yelp, his eyes snapping open as he lost control of the streamers, causing them to wrap around him and…

"L–Lorelei," he gasped, blushing darkly when he realized how close he was to the princess. With the wretched streamers wrapped around them, she was so close that he could smell her berry shampoo. The sweet smell flooded his senses, causing his blush to deepen. "D–Don't you know never to sneak up on a sorcerer?" he asked, trying to sound stern but not quite succeeding.

She smiled sweetly. "I called you three times, but you didn't hear me. What were you thinking about?"

"Oh, um…" He tried to think of something to say. While he had been thinking about her, he certainly wasn't going to say it out loud. He tried to move, tried to raise his wand to get the streamers unwrapped, but his arms were pinned to his sides. Unable to think of a good answer for her, he asked instead, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for the ball, silly," she responded with a giggle. "My father wanted to discuss some things with King Roland, so we came early. Baileywick mentioned you were in here, so…"

He huffed. "Well, I wish he hadn't said anything. We're stuck in these blasted streamers. And if Father comes back—"

"I like this," she interrupted.

Taken aback, he stared at her. "Er, what?"

A rosy blush painted her cheeks as she smiled up at him. "I like being all wrapped up with you. It's kind of like a hug." She giggled and lay her head on his shoulder.

Unable to think of anything else to do, since he literally couldn't move, Cedric rested his head on top of hers.

"Will you dance with me tonight?" Lorelei asked softly.

"Of course, Lorelei," he whispered, his heart fluttering at the prospect of dancing with her.

"Ahem…"

The sorcerer and princess jumped, nearly falling over as they tried to separate. They looked toward the ballroom doors to find Cedric's mother walking toward them, a giddy smile on her face.

"I'm so happy to see my Ceddykins has a sweetheart," Winifred practically squealed in delight as soon as she reached them.

"M–Mother!" Cedric blushed profusely as Lorelei smiled shyly. He cleared his throat. "C–Could you help us out of this?"

"Why? You look so charming like that." She chuckled when her son gave her a pointed look. "Oh, relax, dear." She produced her wand and flicked it, causing the streamers to unravel and fly upward, hanging themselves throughout the room. "There you are. Don't tell your father I helped you." She gave him a playful wink.

Lorelei giggled as she stepped away from Cedric. "Thanks, Mrs. Winifred," she said, giving the older woman a smile. Turning back to her friend, she said, "I'll see you later, Cedric." She walked toward the room's entrance, pausing to smile over her shoulder before disappearing through the doors.

"She is such a sweet girl," Winifred sighed.

"Yeah…" Cedric agreed. He knew he had a silly grin on his face, but he didn't care.

"Are you going to dance with her tonight?"

"Yeah…"

"My grandchildren will be beautiful!"

"Y— Mother!" he exclaimed, blushing darkly as he glared at the snickering sorceress.

She gave him a cheeky grin. "I want at least four grandchildren. Now, I should be off before your father gets back." Before her son could say or do anything, she vanished in a puff of purple smoke.

A few seconds later, Goodwyn strode into the room carrying his bag of vials and jars. "Well, Cedric, I see you managed to hang those streamers," he said, looking around the room as he walked toward his son. He frowned curiously when he noticed the boy's flushed face. "What happened?" he asked, stopping beside him.

"N–Nothing, Father," he responded, laughing nervously.

Goodwyn raised a skeptical brow before shrugging. "Then let's get back to work, shall we? The king wants the floor enchanted, so…"

A/N: Aqua wanted Cedric and Lorelei getting stuck together in a situation when they confessed their feeling for each other. My mind went in a bit of a different direction from the scenario she gave me. I hope you like it.