A Breath of Magic

https://www.fanfiction.net/~cedfiafics

[cedfiafics]

CEDFIA FIC POLL TIME

Which do you prefer:

Angst with a happy ending?

or

A light hearted romp?

Please comment or message me with your preference!

[cedfiafics]

Merlin’s Mushrooms!

For nearly a decade Sofia had served as an ambassador to many of Enchancia's neighboring countries as well as their allies across the sea but after she became pregnant her duties were relegated to handling written correspondence. James stepped in and took over for his sister, traveling abroad when necessary to ensure relations between their kingdom and others remained peaceful and intact. It was boring work but he was happy to do it if it meant Sofia could rest and prepare for the birth of her first child; a baby that was hard fought for after years of difficulty conceiving.

But just a month before Sofia's due date an urgent letter arrived. There was a growing threat of conflict between the kingdoms of Khaldoun and Rudestan and if a treaty could not be brokered, all out war might erupt.

It was a dire circumstance that required more finesse and diplomacy than James could provide. Amber was all too eager to volunteer herself, eager to prove what she could accomplish as the future Enchancian Queen.

It was a risk Roland was initially unwilling to take. Both Sofia and James were quite capable of handling themselves in dangerous situations, at least in the king's eyes. Amber was different and Roland was concerned about his eldest daughter making the trip into an already unstable situation where the threat of violence on both sides could put her at real risk.

He agreed to let her intervene on one condition and one condition alone; she take Cedric with her to keep her safe with his magical prowess.

Cedric himself was furious with the idea. He and Sofia were expecting their first child in only a month's time and he knew just how long these political ordeals could draw themselves out. He didn't want to miss the birth of the baby he and his wife had tried so desperately, so long for.

Sofia put his mind at ease, however. She assured him that Amber was a strong negotiator and that if anyone could quell the rising tensions between Khaldoun and Rudestan, the future queen would do it and she would do it in record time.

With his wife's confidence in her sister, Cedric begrudgingly went along with the eldest princess to tackle the international issue between the two Enchancian allies. To her eternal credit, Amber was amazingly adept at bringing about a resolution to the issues between the kingdoms in a swift and cordial manner. In fact, to the royal sorcerer it felt as though they had spent more time traveling to the region than they had at the parley.

He was all too happy to be returning home with more than three weeks to spare before the expected birth of his child. Upon arrival he headed straight for the room he shared with his wife, eager to surprise her with his speedy return.

He was instead greeted with the soft sounds of cooing before his hand even met with the door. His heart dropped into his gut. It couldn't be, could it? Had he really missed the birth of his babe? He gripped the handle and pushed his way in to the dimly lit room to find his fear had been realized. Sofia was in their bed with their child in her arms looking absolutely radiant though clearly exhausted.

“Oh Sofia, if I had known...” Was all he could bring himself to say as he took in the beautiful sight before him.

“It's alright. We couldn't have known.” Sofia said with a tired smile. “The midwife said these early arrivals are actually common in multiple births and-”

“M-multiple births?” Cedric croaked in surprise. “Y-you mean like twins?”

Sofia laughed and tilted her head in the direction of the bassinet at their bedside. “Well yes, like twins. But it's really more like... triplets.”

“T-t-triplets!?” Cedric managed before his legs gave out beneath him. “Merlin's mushrooms!”

[cedfiafics]

The Princess in the Tower

For four long, blissful months Sofia had been so very cautious. Her clandestine romance with the royal sorcerer had gone more or less unnoticed, minus the occasional close call by the seemingly ever-present castle staff, but even those instances were easy enough to explain away as entirely innocuous encounters. Nobody truly knew the depths of their relationship or the level of intimacy the two shared behind closed doors. They had gone to great lengths to keep their nightly trysts hidden and they had been successful in doing so... until the night Sofia drifted off to sleep in his bed, in his arms.

The next morning the castle was abuzz with worry.

Where was the princess? Why was she not in her room when the chambermaids had come to wake her? Had something unspeakable happened to her? Was she in some sort of danger? It wasn't in her nature to be gone without notice, particularly so early in the morning. The entire staff was on high alert as they began searching every nook and cranny of the castle grounds in the hopes of finding the young woman safe and sound. No room was left unchecked, not a single one.

The sharp rapping at the door was enough to stir the couple from their slumber.

Hearts dropped into stomachs at the realization that the morning sun was pouring in through the window, that they were both in a state of undress, and that there would be absolutely no explaining away just what the princess was doing in the sorcerer's tower. They turned to each other with wide, horrified eyes as the voice of the castle steward chimed from the other side that he was barging in through the regretfully unlocked door...

[cedfiafics]

Taking a Sickday

“Cedric, you should be resting!” Sofia chided as she entered the sorcerer's workshop to find him swaying on his feet. “What are you doing out of bed!?”

“Too much work to do...” Cedric mumbled half-coherently. “No time to rest.”

Sofia let out an exasperated sigh and approached the sorcerer, snatching his family wand out of his reach before he could take it in hand. “Oh no you don't! No spell casting while you're ill.”

“But Sofia...” Cedric began to argue but he was met with the princess' index finger pressed forcefully against his lips.

“Your face is flushed and you can barely stand. I'm sure your fever has only gotten worse since this morning. Like it or not, you're going back to bed.” She returned the wand to its case before sliding her arm around the sorcerer's waist to lead him back to his bedroom. Once inside she pulled the covers back on his bed and reached to untie the belt around his robe. She was stopped, however, when his hands slid over hers.

“You're too good to me, Sofia.” Cedric muttered, leaning forward to rest his forehead against hers. “You always take such good care of me.”

“That's what f-friends are for.” Sofia replied in a small voice. She swallowed hard, fighting her growing blush at the close proximity of their faces. Had Cedric's flesh not burned like fire against hers, she might have been content to stand there a bit longer. Instead she continued to untie his robe and pushed it off of his body before easing him carefully into bed. Once she had him tucked in she reached for the cloth she'd left in a bowl of water at his bedside and began dabbing his forehead gently. “Please promise me you'll get some rest. I'm really worried about you.”

The sorcerer blinked up at the princess, a sense of shame coming over him for ignoring her earlier demands that he take a day off. “I'm sorry, Sofia. I promise, I'll get some rest.”

“Good.” Sofia sighed in relief and continued to pat his forehead with the damp cloth.  “I don't know what I'd do if anything bad were to happen to you.”

A small smile spread across Cedric's face at the princess' words and the emotion behind them. He reached up with a weak, trembling hand and took hold of hers once more. “Thank you for caring about me.”

Sofia's breath hitched when Cedric took hold of her hand a second time, unable to hide the blush now evident on her cheeks. “You don't have to thank me... I'll always care about you, Cedric.”

“I know.” Cedric muttered, with a contented smile on his lips. “I know.”

[cedfiafics]

Midsummer Nights

Summers in Enchancia had always been pleasant; sunny days with a warm, gentle breeze and mellow evenings filled with the glow of fireflies and a chorus of katydid hums. It was always a blissful time of year full of festivals and get togethers... long leisurely days and late languid nights. It was a beloved time of year for all the denizens of the kingdom but there was none who favored those nights more than the royal sorcerer.

Long after the duties of the day were complete and the inhabitants of the castle had drifted off to slumber he would sneak from his tower down the stairs and through the halls until he reached one of the many hidden passages littered throughout the structure. Down and down he would go, further underground until he reached the hidden lake beneath the castle.

It was there in the cavernous recess, tucked away from all the world, where she waited for him.

She smiled.

His heart fluttered.

Their bodies entwined.

[stacycpr-deactivated20210727]

Cedfia Week 2021: Storytime

Sofia was too emotional remembering eveyrthing and to tell her children, Cedric takes over lmao

Cedfia OCs child belongs to @cedfiafics's fic

Let's say I ain't two days late to post this qwq

[cedfiafics]

Aaaaah! I always love getting art based on my fics! 😍 This is amazing, Stacy!

[cedfiafics]

In the Palm of my Hand

He stood clutching the Amulet of Avalor, fury and despair coursing through him with the knowledge that he had failed so catastrophically to protect the woman he loved. His wife, the mother of his child was gone... sucked into the amulet as a safeguard against those who sought to harm her, only this time there would be no amalgamation of magic users to set her free from the crystalline prison. They had been destroyed along with the rest of the kingdom and from the looks of it, he would be joining them soon.

All he could do now was hold her remnants in the palm of his hand and hope for a miracle.

[cedfiafics]

Lavender Dreams

It was a long held belief among the sorcery coterie that practitioners blessed with an inherent gift for the craft often dreamt in color. These colors, it was touted, were something of a prophecy. A glimpse into one's deepest desires and potentially one's own future, should one's connection to the mystic arts be strong enough. Fame, fortune, immeasurable power; all within grasp of those fortunate enough to experience these vibrant dreams.

Of course, this was all open for interpretation. Each hue tended to represent something different depending on the individual in question and it was up to the enchanter to discern just what these colors meant to him or her specifically.

Cedric didn't have to discern anything. He didn't even have to hazard a guess as to what his dreams were trying to tell him.

All of his somnial visions as of late had been tinged pastel.

Slender frame sprawled wantonly across plush, lilac printed bedding. Rich silk and lace brushed carefully aside to expose delicate, milky flesh beneath. Rosy petals flushed and quivering with anticipation. Heady desire looming heavy.

There was no doubt, those lavender dreams mirrored his deepest desires with frightening accuracy. Whether or not they would prove to be prophetic, however, remained to be seen.

[cedfiafics]

Storytime

“Quickly, dear. This way...” Tilly whispered to the child clutching her hand as they crept through the crumbling remnants of the duchess' childhood home. She led the young girl silently along until they came to the end of a long abandoned hall. The elderly woman cast a glance over her shoulder to ensure they hadn't been followed before pressing lightly upon a panel of wainscoting just beneath a tattered portrait of the Enchancian royal family. The panel swung open to reveal a passageway where she ushered the child through before crawling in herself.

Once they were safely concealed the duchess breathed a small sigh. She then took up the child's hand again, moving more swiftly in the direction of her goal. It was dark and it had been decades since she had last traversed the secret passages of the castle walls but she moved along confidently, feeling her way along the narrow corridor until her feet met with the first step downward. She kept count on the way down until they came about midway. There, beneath a loose stone on the twenty-first step was what she had come for.

Tilly knelt to slide the stone away and reached into the hollow to retrieve the item she had placed there nine years prior. She pulled out the small enchanted sack she had tucked away nearly a decade before and thrust her hand inside where her fingers met with the cool surface of the leather-bound book she sought. She pulled the tome from the pouch and handed it in the direction of the young girl beside her. “Take this.”

A bright blue light flooded the passage as the book entered the child's hands; illumination courtesy the amulet around her neck. Her eyes widened in surprise and her gaze flew from the book in her hands to the worn and weary face of her great-aunt. “Aunt Tilly, what's going on?”

Tilly let out a tired breath and took a seat on the stone staircase. “When Vor resurfaced I knew she would pose a greater threat to our realm than she ever had in the past. I got the idea to search the secret library, a place that once housed countless volumes of unfinished stories, just like the one you hold in your hands. My hope in going there was that I would be able find something... some sort of knowledge that might give us the upper hand and help to defeat Vor and her army a second time. Instead I ended up leading her underlings right to it. Vor destroyed library and I was powerless to stop her. This book is all that remains.”

“I don't understand.” The girl muttered, brow furrowing as her grip tightened around the book. “Why are you showing me this?”

Tilly reached up and tapped the book gently. “Your parents; this is their unfinished story.”

“My parents?” The child's attention snapped back to the embossed surface of the cover and she read the title aloud to herself. “The Princess, The Sorcerer, and The Amulet of Avalor?”

“You've always wondered what happened to them.” Tilly replied solemnly. “This book tells the story far better than I could ever hope to tell it. I think it's time you knew. Maybe then... we can give this story a happy ending.”

[cedfiafics]

Fairytale

“My life is like a Fairytale.”

That's what all her friends would say about their lives and truthfully, they weren't wrong. All of them were married now and on their second, third or even fourth child. Most of them were royalty to begin with but even those who hadn't been born with silver spoons in their mouths had managed to marry into nobility and settle down into comfy, contented lives. Their experiences weren't unlike those that she had grown up reading about in story books; beautiful maidens marrying handsome princes and living happily ever after in grand castles.

Her life wasn't like that.

She hadn't settled down, she hadn't gotten married and children were so far from her mind that the concept was inconceivable to her. Sure, she was a princess but she was also an explorer and a Protector and that grand castle she had once called home was now a place she only returned to for occasional visits. There was no handsome prince or knight in shining armor to ask for her hand, at least, not one that she was interested in.

What she did have was far better; her beloved royal sorcerer who served not only as her companion and confidant but as her lover and partner. He understood her need for freedom and adventure and he never once tried to hold her back or tie her down. Rather, he allowed her to chase her desires, uninhibited by traditional expectations the world attempted to force upon her. He was there to support her and accompany her and their globetrotting, free spirited lifestyle brought her more joy than any cookie-cutter life she could have ever hoped to have as a typical princess.

Her life was its own kind of fairytale. Not in the traditional sense, of course... but that's what made it all the better.

[cedfiafics]

You, Me and the Sea

The sound of the waves crashing against the shore thundered over the thrilled cries of the carnival goers. Wind carried the salty sea air across the sand to the boardwalk where it mingled with the sugary sweet aroma of kettle corn and candied apples. Carnival barkers were shouting to patrons, “Step right up! Test your skills!” as the roller coaster whipped past with earth-rattling speed.

It was all so much to take in and Sofia was enjoying every moment of it.

Cedric, on the other hand, was miserable. Despite his brimmed hat he'd suffered a rather unpleasant burn upon his nose from over exposure to the sun. It was nothing a little magic couldn't cure but he'd left his wand back in his staying room, having nowhere to tuck it in his swimsuit.

Sand was clinging to every inch of him that was left exposed and the parts that weren't were quite chafed from walking around in the damp, cumbersome swimwear all day. Water was trapped in one ear which left him with an irritating sensation if he tilted his head just so. He was also not terribly fond of the lingering briny scent that seemed to permeate the entire shoreline.

Yes, Cedric was undoubtedly suffering.

But whenever he would look to his companion so as to suggest that they leave he would see the expression of absolute glee upon her face and he couldn't bring himself to end the joy she was experiencing. Instead he trudged on, stalwart and true as they made their way along the seaside carnival.

The games and rides and calliope music were sensory overload. The carousel had been far too fast for his liking and he'd humiliated himself at the strongman machine. He had all but fainted when Sofia dragged him onto the roller coaster and his stomach was too queasy to eat the ice cream the princess had bought for him immediately after, not that it mattered; two unruly children knocked it from his hand and onto the boardwalk as they rushed past.

Still, it was all worth it just to see her smile.

As the sun began to set Cedric was hopeful that Sofia would call an end to their day but as his luck would have it, she had her eyes fixated on another ride. She grabbed his hand and pulled him forward through the crowd of people to what looked to be the most horrifying piece of machinery he'd ever seen.

It was a giant wheel held upright and aloft by two supports on either side. The wheel itself was lined with seats and spun on its axis, lifting the passengers high into the air. The signage for the ride read “Pleasure Wheel” but Cedric was certain it would be anything but pleasurable. It looked terrifying.

Reluctantly he boarded the ride with the princess at his side and clenched his eyes shut as the ride started into motion. The revolutions were rapid initially and it was all Cedric could handle just to grip the seat on which he sat and hope silently that the craftsmanship of this accursed contraption was well above par. That was when he felt the wheel begin to slow. A tiny bit of relief crept in that the ride was coming to an end until he heard the young woman beside him let out an astonished gasp.

“Oh wow! Cedric, look!” Sofia exclaimed breathlessly.

The sorcerer was hesitant to peel his eyes. He didn't know if he could handle any more excitement in one day. But as he pried one eye open he saw what the princess had been so awestruck over. The sun was setting behind the ocean giving the waves a golden hue as they reflected the light from the celestial body. The sky was all manners of reddish, fading from pink into a warm violet color higher up. The few wisps of clouds appeared like cotton candy floating across the horizon. It was a truly breathtaking sight.

“It's beautiful, isn't it?” Sofia chimed happily.

Cedric turned his gaze from the sight before him to the young woman at his side. “Yes. Yes, it really is.”

Sofia glanced over at Cedric to find him looking at her. She smiled at him sweetly and placed her hand over his, gifting it with a gentle squeeze. “I'm so glad you came with me today. I had a wonderful time.”

“I'm glad.” Cedric replied, returning her smile with one of his own.

Sofia shifted to sit closer to the sorcerer. She let her head fall to his shoulder as their hands intertwined and fingers laced. A contented sigh fell from her lips. “Thank you for today, Cedric.”

Cedric let his head rest against hers, unable to fight the joyous grin that was spreading across his face. “Anything for you, my dear.”

[cedfiafics]

Wings

“I'm not quite certain about this now that we're up here.” Cedric gulped, clinging to Sofia's arm for dear life as they stood at the edge of a towering cliff. “Riding a flying horse or my flying machine is one thing. This is something else entirely! If something goes wrong-”

“Nothing is going to go wrong, Cedric.” Sofia assured. “But if for some reason something does happen, you've got your wand.”

“What if I drop it?” He pressed.

Sofia chuckled and shook her head with a sigh. “Cedric, just relax. I won't let anything happen to you. You said you wanted to know what it's like to fly... now is your chance.”

“But what if the amulet stops working?” Cedric protested further. “What if it deems me unworthy or-”

“Cedric, do you trust me?” Sofia countered with a cocked eyebrow and pursed lips.

The sorcerer swallowed hard and turned his gaze from the ground beneath them to the face of the young woman staring at him expectantly. Her confident features served to calm him somewhat and he managed to nod in response. “Y-yes. Yes, of course I do.”

“Then hold my hand.” She replied with a smile.

Cedric inhaled deeply, holding the breath a moment before letting it out in a slow, soothing sigh. He untangled himself from Sofia's arm and shifted to clasp her hand tightly. He laced their fingers together and clenched his eyes shut. “Alright. I'm ready.”

The princess expressed a soft laugh at the sorcerer's nervousness. Her free hand raised to take hold of the amulet around her neck and she spoke her command clearly. “I wish for us to have wings.”

Cedric kept his eyes closed as he felt the familiar tingle of magic working its way through his form toward a centralized location on his back. After a moment the icy-hot sensation fled him and he was left with a pair of coal black wings, fluttering against his control. His eyes flew open to find himself hovering above the cliff where his feet were once planted. “Ack! S-Sofia!”

“It's okay. I'm right here.” Sofia spoke softly, tightening her hold on Cedric's hand. “Come on... I'll show you how to use them.”

[cedfiafics]

Bittersweet

Cedric watched his wife from afar, the absolute sorrow in her form tugging at him and twisting his gut in knots. He hated to see her so downtrodden. She had been that way since it happened...

The death of her beloved friend, Clover.

Cedric had done all he could in the rabbit's twilight years, extending his life well beyond what one could expect of a common field rabbit. Though, Clover was anything but common to Sofia. He had been her first real friend at the castle and she loved him dearly over the decade and a half that they had spent together.

Try as he might, there was little the sorcerer could do in the rabbit's final days. Even magic had its limits and there was no spell that could keep the reaper at bay forever. Clover had died in Sofia's arms after months of fading health and although they'd had time to prepare, it stung just as fiercely as it would have if the death had been a sudden one.

Now, one week later, Sofia was still grieving immensely.

She barely ate and slept only when she could no longer keep her eyes open. It seemed there was little Cedric could offer to help ease her despair... at least until now.

He advanced slowly so that he did not startle her, across the castle garden to the tree under which they had lain the rabbit to rest. He touched her shoulder gently as he knelt beside her, hoping to gain her attention. “Sofia, my love.”

Sofia stirred to attention, teary eyes tearing from the small headstone marked with her dear friend's name. Her gaze floated over to her husband who was offering her something of a melancholy smile. “Cedric...”

The sorcerer inhaled deeply and clasped his wife's hand. “I have some news I was hoping would help alleviate this pain you're feeling.”

“News?” Sofia's brow furrowed, curious as to what her husband meant. “What-”

“Cordelia just sent word. Our results have finally came back.” Cedric gave his wife's hand a gentle squeeze and beamed with excitement. “Sweetheart, we're going to have a baby.”

Sofia's eyes popped wide and she looked down at her stomach in disbelief. The magical test Cordelia had administered to her some weeks prior had been shoved to the back of her mind, almost entirely forgotten in her stress and grief over having lost her beloved friend. Now with it at the forefront of her mind, fresh tears sprung to her face. “A-a baby? Really?”

Cedric smiled and placed his free hand against his wife's still flat stomach. “Yes, dear. Cordelia said it's likely to be a baby girl given how long it took for the test result to return.”

“A girl!” Sofia cried out as tears began overwhelming her face. “A baby girl!”

Cedric let out a soft laugh as his wife threw her arms around him. It was hard to tell, though her tears this time around seemed at least somewhat joyous. He pulled her against him and into his lap to cradle her. There was more he wanted to say, though he didn't know how she might take it in the moment. He wavered for some minutes until she pulled back to look up at him and he knew he couldn't keep the thought to himself.

“You know, I was thinking...” He began cautiously. “If you wanted to, and it's entirely up to you, but I do think that the name Clover would be lovely for a little girl. What do you think?”

Sofia stared at her husband in silent awe. She couldn't bring herself to speak past the lump that had grown in her throat at his suggestion. She could only manage a nod as she buried her face in the crook of his neck.

[cedfiafics]

Flower

The Flower Festival was a relatively new tradition in Enchancia but it was one that Cedric was particularly looking forward to. It was an opportunity for men and women of marrying age to express their interest in one another by gifting a single flower to the object of one's affection. If a flower was gifted in return it was assumed that the amorous couple would be wed before a year's time.

Typically Cedric wasn't one for such lovey-dovey nonsense but this year was different. This year Sofia had expressed her interest in participating.

The young woman had been of marrying age for some time now but she tended to avoid the festival after her first experience there. She had been inundated with so many flowers by overeager suitors that it had caused her to shy away from involving herself for several subsequent years. Now she was ready to brave the event once again and Cedric would not miss his chance.

He'd spent months growing what he perceived as the perfect flower; a rare to their region calla lily known as the Night Cap. It was deep purple in color, regal in its appearance. It was far from flashy but it was also far from common. It was guaranteed to impress any maiden, though he was intent on impressing only one.

With the flower in hand, he made his way through the village dressed in his very best on the hunt for the youngest princess of the Enchancian royal family.

She wasn't hard to spot, even at a distance. How could he miss her with the crowd clamoring just to get near to her?

He watched from where he stood, disheartened. How would he ever get to her? He waited and waited for the group of men (and even a few women) to disperse but it seemed the longer he waited, the more people began to flood her.

Hours passed by as Cedric stood watching and it was becoming too much to bear. The princess was so kind and courteous, taking time to speak with each person who gifted her with a flower, making each one feel as special as she made him feel. At that rate he would be lucky to get to her by sundown. By then the festival would be over and his flower would be meaningless... assuming, of course, that she didn't meet someone to whom she would gift with the delicate pink orchid she had pinned to her collar.

Distraught and feeling defeated, he dropped his carefully crafted bloom to the ground and began the long trudge back to the castle.

…

There came a knock at his door some time around midnight. It was odd, though not too terribly late so he didn't think much of it. Likely castle staff come to ask for assistance with something they needed magic for.

He peeled himself from the seat where he'd planted himself earlier and stepped languidly toward the workshop door. When he pulled it open, however, he saw that there was nobody there. His brow crinkled in confusion until his gaze fell to the floor.

There on the landing lay his flower.

He bent over to pick it up, questioning for a moment how it had arrived back at his workshop. That was when he noticed the fair, pink orchid fastened carefully to the stem.

[cedfiafics]

Academia

Teaching was something that Sofia was quite fond of. It was, at least in her mind, an opportunity to take the knowledge and experience she had gained over the course of her life and pass it on to those who could expand upon it for the betterment of themselves as well as society. She had traveled to academies and universities around the globe, sharing her expertise on everything from befriending magical beasts to overcoming ancient curses. It had become something of a career for her between all of her royal duties and occasional Protector work and she loved every chance she got to impart her knowledge on inquisitive and eager minds.

It was one such teaching opportunity that brought her back home to Enchancia after nearly a year abroad; a lecture usually given by her Aunt Tilly to the students of Hexley Hall about enchanted literature and the many applications therein. It had been a last minute favor, a sudden case of the sniffles preventing the duchess from keeping her appointment. Thankfully Sofia was well versed in the subject after having spent nearly two decades as the keeper of the Enchanted Library.

There hadn't been time to inform the school of the change and that meant no one, not even the headmaster knew of her involvement.

When she arrived at the school for magically gifted children she was admittedly at a loss. She had never lectured there and with limited information from her aunt, she was unsure of where to go. Thankfully there were some helpful students happy to point her in the direction of the administrations hall. At the end of a long, winding corridor was a door marked for the headmaster.

'Headmaster Merlin' it read.

She smiled at the thought of seeing the elderly wizard. It had been years since they had seen one another but they had maintained a friendship through correspondence. She'd heard he'd taken on the headmaster's position at Hexley Hall a few years back. It would be nice to work with him once again.

She raised an eager hand to rap at the door, waiting with a sway for the door to open. After a moment the portal swung open but Merlin was nowhere in sight.

“S-Sofia!?”

“Cedric!”

The princess lurched forward, throwing her arms around the sorcerer without a thought. The small bag she carried clattered to the floor, forgotten.

“What are you doing here!?” Cedric sputtered. “I thought you were mentoring young adventurers in Khaldoun!”

“Aunt Tilly needed me to fill in for her here. She's feeling under the weather so I'm giving the lecture in her place.” Sofia explained.

“Oh, yes! Merlin mentioned there was to be a special lecture in the grand hall. Something about enchanted literature, I believe. He's feeling a bit under the weather himself, you see. Asked me to fill in for him for the rest of the week.” Cedric pulled back from the princess' embrace to take in the sight of her. It had been far too long since he had last laid eyes on her. “How've you been, my dear?”

“I've been well. Traipsing around from place to place... wherever I'm needed.” She answered. “How about you? How have things been?”

“Well enough, I suppose.” Cedric replied with a shrug. “Its certainly not the same without you around.”

Sofia averted her eyes and bowed her head regretfully. “Cedric, I'm sorry. I know we-”

“You have nothing to apologize for. I understand that this is your calling and I don't mind waiting.” Cedric spoke softly. “I only wish you would come home for a visit more than once or twice a year. I didn't even know you were going to be back in Enchancia.”

“It was really last moment. I had no time to send word.” Sofia said with a sigh. “And I can't stay long. As soon as I'm finished here I have to return to Khaldoun. Then I'll be off to Freezenburg for about a month. I won't be home again until Wassalia.”

“O-oh.” Cedric lowered his gaze in disappointment. “I had hoped that we'd at least be able to have dinner and... well... i-it's been so long since we...”

Sofia blushed and turned her attention back to the sorcerer's disheartened face. Indeed, it had been so very, very long and she had missed him terribly. “Well, what about right now?”

“N-now!? Here!? I-in Merlin's office!?” Cedric croaked in surprise.

“I can't stay, Cedric, but I'm here right now.” She countered. “What time am I scheduled to give the lecture?”

Cedric cleared his throat and stepped over to Merlin's desk, flustered as he scanned the many notes the elderly wizard had left for him. He peered over the day's schedule and observed that the lecture was slotted for ten o'clock. Desperate eyes darted to the clock on the wall. Blessedly, it read 7:15.

His lips curled into a delighted, if not nervous smile and he turned his gaze back to the young woman who stared right back at him with an eager expression.

“It appears you do have some time before your lecture. Perhaps we should use the excess time to... catch up.” Cedric dribbled as he immediately took to clearing the paperwork from the surface of the desk.

Sofia grinned widely and closed the door to the office, finding the locking mechanism with ease. She advanced toward the sorcerer, unbuttoning her topcoat as she went. “So... do you want me to call you Headmaster?”

[cedfiafics]

Defender

Cedric heaved for a breath in an effort to calm himself. Instead he was met with a sharp, stabbing pain in his upper abdomen that nearly crippled him. Blood was gushing from his brow, obscuring the vision of his left eye almost entirely. The vision in his right was bleary at best and it was becoming increasingly hard to focus. His legs were weak and unsteady, ready to buckle beneath him at a moments notice. In one hand he clutched the remnants of a broken wand... in the other hand, the woman he loved.

He couldn't afford to relinquish either.

“Still struggling, sorcerer?” An odious voice oozed out from the thick, billowing smoke pouring into the room. “You look as though you barely have life left in you to fight. Why don't you just relent and give her to me?”

“Never!” Cedric spat, pulling the bloodied and beaten form of the youngest princess against him. “I will protect her with my dying breath!”

There came a dark chuckle in response as the air in the room grew deathly still.

Then, a loud crackle.

Then, silence.

[cedfiafics]

Sneak Peek

Coming soon to an incomplete fanfic...

“The sun is sinking below the horizon, mi amor.” Elena chimed playfully to her husband from where she stood just outside his workshop. “I'm sure any of your tamboritas will suit the task just fine.”

Mateo let out an exasperated grumble loud enough to carry itself out the passageway to the library where his wife was waiting for him. “Yes, of course any one of the other tamboritas will work but I'd really like to find my ceremonial tamborita. I've used it every year since you gave it to me and it just wouldn't feel right doing the show without it. Now if only I could remember where I placed it.”

Elena hummed in amusement at the wizard's insistence on using the tamborita she had commissioned as a gift for their fifth wedding anniversary. It was an endearing sentiment that he valued the instrument so dearly but she knew that if she didn't urge him to go without it, they might never get to the finale of the day long celebration. “Mateo, cariño...”