“The Sorcerer and The Gardener” is the love story Cedric deserves
While this does not contain spoilers for the story, I recommend that you read this before you hear my opinion. I'll be a bit unambiguous in my discussion of their delightful chemistry.
First thing's first, a big shoutout to the author bellechat. I haven't had the chance to post a comment because I don't have an account on fanfiction.net, but ever since the holiday update I can't hold my horses any longer. I'm going from anon to onymous.
Like many other Sofia the First fanfictions out there, this isn't an AU fic. It takes place after Cedric tries to overthrow the kingdom and only before Wormwood's betrayal. Sadly, it's still in progress, but it seems like the author knows where to lead the readers to.
Let's get to the story.
The gardener in question is an immigrant who decided to live in the outskirts of Enchancia in order to be away from the people. Her name is Lilah, and she's as much of an introvert as 50% of the population. Perhaps as much as a certain sorcerer we all know.
And I just love her!
She's a brutally practical adult who believes in hard work. Nothing comes from a snap of fingers or the flick of a wand. She likes shoveling dirt, watering dirt-covered seedlings, and reaping what she sows during the spring. She thinks magic is a farce, and is probably the only inhabitant in the realm who never knew Merlin existed.
Now, how could a magic-hating person possibly love a sorcerer?
As far as I have read, Lilah is very narrow-minded regarding the concept of magic. She hates the idea that other people get to fend off for themselves by merely conjuring things out of thin air. But it's not as simple as that; it's a painfully distorted view on the subject.
That's what Cedric is there for, to show her that magic plays more important roles than in the mundane activities of life. Meanwhile, as both unravel their pasts to the other, Lilah will be there to help him realize he's more than the sorcerer everyone deems him to be. And she's probably the moral support he's been waiting for all his life, but he's rather dim in identifying the signs that show someone cares for him (that's Cedric for you).
The intriguing thing about this pair is that they're both broken by their pasts. They partake in the same fraction of the spectrum; not overly villainous or heroic. At most, they can reach a level of understanding that is personal.
In this light, it's not difficult to see that they will develop trust in one another as their relationship develops. And while Cedric may have a special friendship with Sofia, a distinctive connection with an adult is different. Although he constantly interacts with adults throughout his lifetime, most of them are chest-thumping peacocks (pardon my French; and yes, including the King). Honestly, the guy needs some trustworthy friends his age.
I've probably said too much. It would fare a lot better if you let the author take you on the real ride. As for now, the story's only 10 chapters long and I don't know if the author updates regularly. But I hope this reaches them and makes them realize my appreciation for their work. Kudos and hearts to you. I should probably sleep now.
Check out the beautiful read below:
https://m.fanfiction.net/s/12730305/1/The-Sorcerer-and-The-Gardener
