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Disclaimer: I own nothing! Lol
A/N: Well, in honor of the one-year anniversary since "Forever Royal" as a finale, I figured it would be a good thing to go ahead and post this story. Haha. I've had a few who've helped provide input to this story, including MJ2X and Mr. Shortman92, so I've tried to incorporate their ideas. Hope y'all like it. It's just a piece of cute fluff after ALL the craziness with my other stories! :D
Why was he here? Oh, that's right. He was stressed and had made the mistake of complaining to Cordelia. Cedric sighed as he recalled his recent conversation with his sister.
"Ceddy, you've got a lot on your mind, and if you don't let all of that stress go, you're going to end up doing or saying something you don't mean to. Want my advice? Talk to someone."
"Who, Cordy? Who can I talk to who will listen and not interrupt me? Who can give me insight instead of judging every little thing I say?"
"I think I've got just the therapist…"
He looked around the stone room of the castle where he'd been directed to go. He was currently reclining against a plush sofa with several fluffy pillows, his hands folded over his stomach as he rested. There were a few purple and pink candles flickering nearby, creating a calming ambiance in the room. There were royal purple curtains draped over the double windows, each side drawn open with heavy golden cords (though a bit haphazardly, he noticed). On either side of the windows, there were short stone blocks for someone to sit. The one on the left contained some of the candles, while the one on the right had a plump red pillow with golden tassels hanging from it on all four corners, as well as a journal that was left open with some spectacles lying in the center.
This particular room was in one of the other towers, usually occupied by either storage or a lazy guard who just needed a place to nap for a while (hence the oh-so-cozy atmosphere, the sorcerer sarcastically reasoned in his mind). However, as of now, he was the only one there. His therapist had left to fetch something and would return soon enough.
Cedric sighed, raking his hands over his face. "Ugh… Is this even a good idea?" He frowned as he lowered his arms. "I don't usually talk about things like this, even to…" He shook his head. "Well… Best to just get it over with, I suppose." He closed his eyes just as the door opened and he heard a few footfalls nearby, followed by a soft grunt and a shuffle of papers. He cracked one eye open, glancing toward his therapist, who was currently sitting with a new quill and the journal opened to a blank page (and who was now wearing the spectacles). "I suppose it's safe to say you're ready?" Seeing a nod from his therapist, he sighed. "Very well… So, most of you begin with, 'What's on your mind?' I suppose my answer is, 'What isn't?'"
With a nod and a quick gesture from the therapist, who began scribbling something in the journal, Cedric began his list of concerns.
"I'll start off with something a bit light, I suppose," he said, rolling his eyes at the thought of the topic. "It's Baileywick. He retired this year, and while I am quite happy for him, I'm also a bit annoyed." He scoffed. "I thought he was insufferable when he actually worked as the royal steward, seeing to miniscule details with an obsessive interest. Now that he literally has nothing to do—no chores, no work, no schedules, nil to nada—he actually tries to busy himself so that he doesn't get bored. Or, how did he put it the other day?" He lifted his hands and made air quotes. "So that he wouldn't 'waste precious lifelong skills and the desire to assist.'" He lowered his hands, folding them over his stomach again. "Even Violet had to tell him that he was being a nuisance—in a much nicer way than I would, of course. And now he likes to randomly show up to my tower when I'm either not there or trying to relax and 'tidy up' the place, although both Sofia and I do that quite well without his assistance. But then he ends up just chatting with me about nothing, so I'm starting to wonder if he's actually there just for my company." He laughed wryly. "Ironic, isn't it? In the years I've known the man, he's gone out of his way to either avoid me or chastise me, and now he's finally interested in striking up a conversation."
The therapist hummed thoughtfully before gesturing the patient on, the quill busily working against the parchment of the journal again.
"And if Baileywick and his incessant preoccupation aren't enough, let's talk about his brother." He sighed heavily. "Since Nigel has moved into the castle, things have gotten weird. At first, he and Baileywick would spend lots of time together, which was great. It got Mr. Pocket Watch away from the castle for a while and kept him busy, but after about a month or so… They sort of started doing their own thing." He waved one hand thoughtfully. "I've already mentioned Baileywick's time-occupying activities. Nigel has his own: my sister."
The therapist gasped softly.
"You heard me right." Cedric turned slightly, facing his counselor better. "I saw both Nigel and Cordelia hanging out together quite a lot right when he first moved in, and while they insisted that they were just messing around to annoy both Baileywick and myself, I'm starting to think there's more to that than they're letting on." He shrugged a bit. "Unless dancing in the moonlight, taking midnight strolls around the garden, cozying up to a fire, feeding each other fruits from a platter at breakfast, and staring longingly into each other's eyes is now the norm for a standard 'friendship.'"
The therapist paused the quill before peering at Cedric somewhat pointedly over those spectacles.
Cedric blinked. "What?" He inhaled slowly before sighing. "I realize how hypocritical that sounds; I do. And I realize that Sofia and I don't have a 'typical friendship' either, as we both do partake in a few of those things together: dancing, going for walks, relaxing together… We're a great deal closer than most: we're partners, for goodness sakes, and guardians to an adorable little girl." He smiled pleasantly toward his therapist, who nodded in agreement. "But comparing Sofia and me to Nigel and Cordelia is like comparing apples to oranges. Sofia and I have been close for many years now, and we quite literally do just about everything together, given the nature of our relationship. That took a lot of work too, I might add, because now, we are both Magical Ambassadors, we're both magic wielders, we're both partners, we're both—" He cleared his throat, shaking his head as he lay flat on his back again. "Anyway, I'm getting off topic. All I'm saying is that I'm not entirely convinced that Nigel and Cordy are just friends—at least, not yet. I'm still observing them for now."
He heard the scratching of the pen on the paper as he closed his eyes, thinking about the slew of topics he'd had on his mind lately. A random one came to him, and he began laughing, clearly confusing his therapist. "Oh, I just had a thought…" He smirked toward the other room occupant. "Is it weird that I really sort of miss that blasted rugby ball from the island sometimes? And it's certainly strange, given that I don't really recall much of my experiences while marooned on the island anyway, save for before and after my memory loss…" He frowned, considering the situation. "It's a peculiar thing to admit, but since Sofia informed me of this 'Jess' even existing, I can't help but wonder how the ruddy little rugby ball is doing. I know it's creepy looking and just a ball, but…" He shrugged with his right shoulder as he stretched his left arm out, trying to get some decent blood flow going after having his arms in one position for so long.
Cedric's therapist didn't say anything, as usual, but instead flipped a page in the journal and went back to marking something down before nodding at the sorcerer to continue.
"At least both of my parents are doing well," he continued, yawning. "Father is especially happy, given that not only is he the new Master of Magic at Mystic Meadows, but he also has a completely successful lineage." He glanced down at his hands, flexing them a bit. "And…no disappointments between Cordelia and me now…" He nodded firmly, reminding himself that he was now successful and admired rather than the bungler he used to be (according to many). "And Mother…" He smiled thoughtfully. "I just love her. She's had some health issues here and there the last few years, but she always bounces back, sprightly as ever. And each month, she sends us all some fly cakes."
A small snicker came from the side as the therapist seemed to be amused.
"Oh, laugh all you want, but nothing beats my Mummy's fly cakes." He pulled on his robe sleeve a bit as he chuckled. "Now, Sofia makes some amazing treats though. Since I've known her, she's shared cookies, tarts, cakes, and several other things with me. The other night, she made a batch of cookies just for me." He frowned thoughtfully. "And for some reason, she used frosting to draw apples on them? I'm not sure if that's a concealed (or even blatant) message indicating that I need to eat healthier with fruits and vegetables, or if she was trying to make something else—like a heart, for example." He nodded. "Hmm, she's done that before, actually, with the rubies… Seems to be a recurring theme for us, the heart…"
He smiled tiredly as he heard the continued scratching of the quill to the journal paper. "I mentioned a few years ago to someone that Sofia has a good heart. She does… She's the very definition of being beautiful, both inside and out." He laughed softly as he remembered his interaction with her after she admitted that she'd overheard him talking to Dexter about her heart and kindness. "She does have a tendency to jump to conclusions though."
A soft snort came from the other side of the room, indicating a point of irony.
"As do I—I'm well aware." He rolled his eyes. "But no, like recently this past summer, when we were traveling and completing our Magical Ambassador work, her obvious jealousy over my interaction with Queen Delora was surprising. I'm aware that we do just about everything together now, and I suppose we're used to working together as a team, but the way she overreacted and all but shunned the queen was unexpected, to say the least." He tapped his fingers against his wrist. "Granted, she apologized to her later, but… Oh, and then the fact that she seemed to think that I'd want to look for another 'partner' besides her…" He laughed. "I don't know where she got that. Surely, she realizes that she's the only one I need…" He smiled warmly as he brushed his fingers over his Berry Band, which he'd made as a match to both Nana's and Sofia's.
"She's the only one who truly understands me, you know… My ups and downs, my desperation to be the best I can possibly be to make others happy… She's always encouraging me, always helping me, always giving me hope and love, even if I don't deserve it." He hummed to himself before continuing, "She's the best thing that has ever happened to me. She came into my life so suddenly, and while I wanted nothing more than to rid myself of her at first, now I can't imagine my life without her…"
The therapist paused, placing down the pen and leaning forward, listening.
"She's not just my best friend and partner. She's my family. She's…" He clasped his hands together. "She's…everything to me…and…" He looked to his left as he heard sniffling and saw his therapist apparently wiping away some tears, her tiny spectacles and quill pen having clattered to the stone floor already. "Oh, Nana, darling, no…" He sat up and reached out to his charge, pulling her into his lap, along with her little journal that she'd been scribbling in as she listened to him. "Don't cry, sweetheart." He chuckled as he wiped away her tears, earning a few more sniffles and then a little smile from her. "You're just an emotional little thing, aren't you? I didn't mean to make you cry." He kissed her forehead and nose, causing her to giggle. "Thank you for listening to me… You're probably the best therapist I could have had, honestly. You actually listen."
She nodded and shrugged before holding up her journal to him.
"Ah, yes, I saw you taking notes…" He moved her to his left side as he wrapped one arm around her and opened the journal where they could both see it. "So, what exactly is your diagno…sis?"
There on the parchment was a very childish but endearing drawing of Cedric and Sofia standing next to each other, holding hands, and wearing happy smiles on their faces. There were little hearts scattered all around the page as well.
Cedric blinked at the drawing before raising his eyebrows as Nana flipped the page for him. He smiled fondly as he then saw another image of himself hugging both Sofia and Nana, with even more hearts scattered around. "So… Your recommendation for me is to…get more hugs, huh?"
Nana smiled lightly and half shrugged before pointing toward one of the hearts then back at the drawing of him and Sofia.
"And…hearts?" He saw her shake her head. "Oh, love?"
She nodded.
"Love…" He closed the journal and set it aside before wrapping his arms fully around the little strawberry girl. "They say love is all you need, right?" He chuckled as she giggled. "I love you, Nana." He smiled at her, glad to see her return the favor. "I know you're unable to say it back, but you've more than shown it. Just know that, no matter what happens, and no matter how complicated things get, Sofia and I will always love you…our little Strawbaby."
Nana beamed and scrambled upward, throwing her tiny arms around his neck, sighing happily as he returned her hug.
About half an hour later, Sofia looked up from the book she was reading after hearing a knock at her door. Realizing what time it was, she smiled and set the book aside before sliding to the floor and walking to the other side of the room, opening her door. She giggled as she saw Cedric there, holding a yawning Nana. "Hey, you two. I haven't seen you guys for a while now." She placed one hand on her hip. "What have you been up to?"
The little girl just smiled and shrugged as her other guardian gathered her into her arms. She leaned her head on Sofia's shoulder, sighing in content.
Cedric leaned toward Sofia and whispered to her, "After you put her to bed, may I speak with you for a moment?"
The princess blinked at his request before nodding. "O-Okay…" She walked over to the other side of her bed, gently placing her charge near her fluffy pillow. She pulled off her shoes and set them on the floor before using her wand to switch out her daily clothing for some warm red pajamas with a strawberry stitched on her tummy instead. Sofia pulled back the covers and let Nana crawl under them first, and she then tucked her in. "Night-night, Nana. Sleep well." She kissed her forehead before brushing her nose against the little girl's, causing her to giggle. "I love you."
Nana held her hands to her heart before extending them up to Sofia, and she gently caressed the princess's face with her fingers before yawning and turning over, closing her eyes.
Sofia's heart nearly burst at the innocent gesture. She giggled softly and glanced toward her door, blushing a bit as she noticed that Cedric seemed to be watching them with a warm smile on his face. She walked over to her partner and stopped next to him, a nervous feeling taking over her, though she wasn't sure why. "You…wanted to talk to me?"
Without responding, he took her hand and guided her out of her room, pulling her door shut behind them with his free hand. He then led her down the stairs and out the currently unguarded castle doors (which he made a snide remark about, causing the princess to smile and roll her eyes), before leading her down the steps and toward the bridge, where he finally paused.
The moon was already out, and there was a blanket of stars twinkling above them. The wind was smooth and gentle that September evening, rustling the leaves of the trees and rippling the water beneath them.
Sofia sat down on the narrow bridge, her feet dangling over the edge, as Cedric cautiously lowered next to her. She smiled to herself as she took hold of his arm, causing him to sigh in mild relief. She knew he wasn't a fan of heights in any capacity, and surely the distance from the bridge to the water below wasn't all that comforting to him, so she knew that having her hold to ground him in a way would probably help. "So… What's on your mind?"
He sighed heavily before admitting, "Everything…"
She nodded. "Do you…want to talk about it?"
Cedric smiled as he turned to her. "I sort of already did… I had a long talk with Nana, actually."
Sofia laughed gently. "Aw. Just to get things off your chest, huh?" Seeing him nod, she then asked, "So… Did you get any advice from her?"
"I did, actually…" He withdrew the small journal from his robe and passed it over to her, opening it to the drawings the little girl had done. "I've always been told that a picture can sometimes capture things that words simply cannot."
She observed the drawings with a calm sense of fondness, looking at the image of herself with Cedric as their hands were clasped. "Aw." When he reached over and turned the page, she smiled even more. This was the image of Cedric and Sofia hugging, with Nana in the middle and reciprocating the gesture. "So, her advice was more hugs, huh?" She nodded and closed the journal, passing it back to Cedric, who set it aside on the bridge. "Like mother, like daughter, right?" She laughed.
Cedric stared at her curiously for a few moments, causing Sofia to blink.
"What is it?"
"You…called her your daughter." He smiled softly as she blushed a bit. "You usually call her your charge, your Strawbaby… But… That's the first time I've heard you call her your daughter."
"I…" She sighed, glancing at him. "I know it's just a saying, and I'm obviously not her mother… I even have a lot more to learn before I'd ever fully understand what that means, but… I guess I just feel like she is my little one in a way."
"Not 'in a way,' Sofia." He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer. "She is your little one. She's our little one." It was his turn to blush as she looked toward him inquisitively. "I mean… We both…are responsible for her. For her wellbeing, for her life, for her safety… And we both love her."
Sofia slowly smiled, leaning against his shoulder. "We do…"
They stayed like that for a while, with the quiet breeze rustling around them again, as their eyes remained trained on the water.
"…That was her advice, you know."
Sofia blinked out of her reverie and looked back at him. "What was?"
"Love." He turned to her, smiling at her surprised expression. "Her advice was just love: pure and simple. No matter how crazy things get, how dangerous things are, how much things change…" He leaned down to whisper in her ear, "I'll always love you, Sofia…"
She felt her heartbeat speed up a bit, a look of wonder on her face as she stared at him in silence for a few moments. She then smiled with a few tears springing to her eyes as she leaned forward and hugged him tightly. "Cedric… I'll always love you too…" She pulled back and giggled softly as he brushed her tears away, his fingers trailing over the fading area where she'd recently been cut by Laukki.
"Inside and out," he murmured quietly to himself, his fingers tucking her long, loose tendrils of hair behind her ear. "Sofia… I-"
Before either could react, a frog croaked rather loudly from nearby, startling them and causing them both to jump. They then yelled and held onto each other as they fell off the ledge of the bridge and into the water below, splashing around as they broke the surface.
Sofia laughed as she saw Cedric's sopping bangs hanging down in front of his eyes, so she reached over and pushed them out of the way. "Well… That's one way to end the day."
"I'll say." He chuckled as she hugged him while they treaded the water. "Let's get inside before we catch cold… Or before one of the guards decides to do his job for a change and come investigate."
She grinned. "Right." Before she could move, she realized that he was still holding onto her, and she blinked up at him. "Cedric? Are you all right?"
Cedric nodded, smiling at her. "I think I just realized… Between you and Nana, I have all the therapeutic moments I need."
She smiled and kissed his cheek, giggling softly as he blushed a bit. "Glad to hear it."
The end