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Disclaimer: I own Corban, Alamea, Dominic, Serena, Angel, Arnold, and the new baby you'll see in here! Tanya and Nana belong to MarionetteJ2X. Everyone/everything else originally from Sofia the First belongs to Craig Gerber.
A/N: This is my final story for a long time, though you can definitely expect stories for Cedfia Week 2021. ;) I hope you've enjoyed the journey, and for now, I bid you all farewell and wish you all happiness! Take care! ~Aqua
Late November provided Enchancia with a heavy snowfall, though that was somewhat expected at this time of the year. It had been a colder autumn than usual, and with winter just around the corner, the inhabitants pretty much saw this coming.
The royal family had been settled since returning from Roland's grand retirement adventure back in August, and Amber was already in her second month of rule. She was doing well, according to the feedback from her advisors and the community. In addition, both Calista and Angel were now instated as the royal sorceress and the royal shaman, respectively, and they both now took up residence in the tower. They had plans to marry some time next year, but they were content with their current situation for now. With the younger couple now living and working together in the tower, Cordelia and Nigel had returned to Cordelia's old bedchambers, and they couldn't be happier about it (more room, less work, and more fun, as they'd said).
All the kids were doing well. Little Arnold had just figured out he could crawl, and he often found himself crawling toward either Vivian, James, or (his personal favorite) Tanya, pausing before them to stare intensely while babbling incoherent conversations of his own little baby language. Dominic and Alamea would often play with Corban, Serena, and sometimes Nana and Tanya, if they were around and not busy with their Junior Protector duties. All of the kids were really close and very sweet to each other, which served as a positive and uplifting environment in the very active castle.
Miranda and Roland remained in their own bedchambers but had nothing to do with their daughter's and son-in-law's reign. They had every confidence that the duo could handle things on their own, and so far, they'd been absolutely correct. Instead, their time was spent with Corban and their grandchildren (and there were now plenty of little ones to spend time with).
Cedric spent a great deal of his time monitoring Sofia, as she neared the end of her pregnancy. This particular pregnancy had been very uneventful, unlike Serena's time. This little one hadn't had to deal with being extracted by an evil being or anything of that nature, either, so it probably contributed to the calmer experience. Also, unlike the first pregnancy, Cedric and Sofia had decided to hold off with finding out the gender of their child. Of course, they still had names in mind no matter what, but they felt they'd earned something of a surprise after everything they'd been through.
"Wouldn't it be funny if the baby was actually born on Wassailia?" Sofia giggled one evening as she snuggled closer to Cedric, a soft smile on her face as he brushed his gloveless hand against her bare skin, her shirt unbuttoned just enough for him to have access to the baby. "I mean, why not? Amber and Desmond married on Wassailia. We might as well have a baby on the holiday too. The more, the merrier, right?"
"Yes, but then you run into the whole holiday-versus-birthday thing, and I believe Serena already faces that struggle, though she doesn't seem to mind," he murmured, his lips caressing her neck as he spoke. He smiled as she sighed in delight. "Believe me… I know all about that too. Being born the same time as the new year tends to offer a sense of overshadowing that wasn't planned but is definitely annoying."
"I know," she acknowledged, tracing her own fingers over his wrist. "But I still try to make your birthday special…" She grinned at him as he hummed. "It's honestly amazing I wasn't pregnant before March…"
"S-Sofia!" He blushed as she snickered at his embarrassed reaction. "I-I guess our dear child had other plans…"
Sofia smiled teasingly as he lifted his head, only to stare down at her. "Aww, Cedric, I made you blush. I'm surprised I can still do that after all this time…" She reached up to him, gently guiding his head toward her, and whispered, "I remember when you made me blush. You probably still could, you know… It's just a matter of knowing…" She kissed him softly on the lips before whispering, "Sensitive spots…"
He cleared his throat as she gazed up at him lovingly. "My darling Sofia, you have plenty of those…" He allowed himself a small proud smile as she looked away with a shy smile. "But I think I recall one in particular... One that was more than just a sensual matter… It was meaningful, tender, and even innocent…" He lowered his lips to her throat, peppering the skin there with soft kisses, smiling as she moaned quietly, a gentle whimper escaping her lips as he offered more attention to her neck. He remembered her losing her voice a few years ago, courtesy of that wretched Zarova, and he feared he'd never hear her speak again. Now, he could hear her every single day: talking, singing, whispering, and even crying out for him in many different ways… He was lucky to hear her voice all the time now, and it was something he didn't take for granted.
"C-Cedric…" Sofia felt a bit flushed, but she was pretty sure it wasn't just from his attention. She jolted upward after he'd softly nibbled on her skin, which was both pleasurable and surprising, as it had almost distracted her from another situation. "I… I think I'm in…" She groaned as she felt a sharp pang in her abdomen, and she looked toward her husband. "I think the baby is…"
"Now?" Cedric asked, flabbergasted. "But we're-I, I mean… Y-You're not due until next month!"
She smiled sheepishly, placing a hand over his as his expression grew worried. "I guess...this little one has different plans. Ow!" She doubled over in pain as Cedric hurriedly jumped up from the bed, pulling on his robe over his pajamas. "Don't worry, Cedric," she breathed before smiling knowingly at him as he paused to glance her way. "I'll make it up to you...when I can."
He laughed a bit, surprised that she was even joking about something like that at a time like this. "I...look forward to it, my love…" He then cleared his throat and pointed toward the door after he heard her take another sharp breath. "I'm just going to...go find the medic. Don't go anywhere!" Quickly, he hurried to the door, hearing her sarcastic, 'Oh, okay,' before he rushed from their bedroom.
Five hours passed, then six, then seven. It was already 3:00 AM, and Sofia was still in labor. Cedric was able to stay with her this time, along with Miranda and Amber. Everyone else was waiting outside to see what was going on.
"She's a month early," Calista lamented with a heavy frown as she leaned against Angel, who was trying very hard not to fall asleep.
"Serena was too, and she is all right," Angel whispered, trying to soothe the worried sorceress.
"And she's been in there for hours. You don't think something happened to the baby, do you?"
"Oh, darling, she's in labor," Cordelia assured her with a small smile. "It happens. Sometimes it's as short as she experienced with Serena, and sometimes, it can be hours—days even. You'll see."
The other sorceress flushed and shook her head. "I'm sorry. Days? Th-They didn't cover that at Hexley Hall."
"I bet a lot of people there probably think that a baby can just magically appear," James sleepily remarked with a yawn. He smiled as he noticed Arnold snuggling into Vivian's arms, fast asleep, his head resting on his mother's chest. "Mm, then again, their kids kind of are magic, so…"
"Afraid it doesn't work that way, James," Cordelia laughed. "Though I'm sure Sofia wishes it did right about now."
They all turned as the door to Cedric's and Sofia's bedroom opened, and Cedric stepped outside, leaning against the door, his head falling into his hands as he shuddered and allowed a few tears to fall from his eyes.
"Cedric?" Roland asked nervously, hurrying over to wrap an arm around his friend. "Cedric, talk to me. What's wrong?"
"Papa?" Tanya frowned as she led a sleepy Nana and Serena along with her, both girls clinging to her skirt. She reached out and touched his arm, sighing in relief as he glanced down at her, his shaking hand lifting to rest on her shoulder. "What is it?"
"It's… It's a boy…" He looked up at Roland, who gasped, and he smiled through his tears. "A boy…"
"Cedric, that's wonderful news!" Cordelia gushed with a bright smile. She chuckled softly as Roland and Cedric hugged, followed by the sorcerer and his daughters. "Wait, why are you crying?"
"Sofia…" He collected himself before saying, "Sofia suggested a very…beautiful name…" He inhaled slowly before releasing it. "Charlie… Charlie Camden Noel…"
"Camden…" Cordelia smiled knowingly. Cedric had told her the story of their little brother, and just hearing this bit of news touched her heart. Her sister-in-law was really thoughtful to include one of their own in her child's name, and for that, she couldn't have been more grateful. "That's a sweet name, Ceddy…"
"Charlie?" Serena asked sweetly, grinning up at her father. "My brother's name is Charlie? I'm a big sister!"
"Yes, yes, sweetheart," Cedric chuckled as he leaned down and scooped his youngest daughter into his arms. "Yes, you're a big sister."
"Why Charlie?" Calista asked curiously. "It's adorable, but I'm just curious."
Cedric nodded. "She said she'd been looking up names for a while, and that one stood out to her. Charlie means 'free.' She said she wanted our child—our children—to be free from all the danger, the evil… Plus, she thought it was a cute name. And Camden is an…old family name." He quickly brushed over that topic, as no one except a few knew the secret. "And Noel… Well, he was supposed to be born around the holidays, but he had other plans." He smiled. "But it was too late. Sofia had already fallen in love with the name."
"Our brother sounds ah-mazing," Serena gushed, giggling as Cedric hugged her to himself. "Can we see him?"
"Oh, um…" He glanced at the others. "I'm…sure she'd love to see all of you… But let me check first." He yelped as the door opened behind him, and he fell backwards into Amber, knocking her onto the floor, little Serena rolling out of his arms and giggling as she landed haphazardly onto the plush carpet. "S-Sorry, Amber…"
Amber laughed and shook her head before pulling herself up, then helping her friend up as well. "No big deal. Sofia said she wanted to see you guys though."
"All of us?" Roland asked hopefully.
"All of you," Sofia called tiredly, smiling as her mother finished wrapping the baby in a blanket and handed him back to her. "Thanks, Mom."
"No problem, sweetie." She moved over to Cedric and half-wrapped him in a warm hug before pressing a kiss to Serena's temple, causing her granddaughter to giggle. She then smiled at her friend. "You two definitely make some beautiful children."
Cedric blushed at the unexpected compliment from his friend, and he laughed quietly. "Um… Th-Thank you, Your M—"
"Miranda," she reminded him. "We've been working on this, Cedric. You can do it."
He nodded sheepishly. "Miranda… Thank you." For whatever reason, it had been much harder to drop her title than to drop Roland's, but he was determined to do it. If Sofia could drop his title, then he could drop Miranda's.
"He's so little," Calista cooed as she smiled down at her cousin. "And he's got your hair, Sofia."
Sofia giggled while looking down at Charlie, who indeed had her auburn hair. It was thick and somewhat messy (given the circumstances), but it was definitely her color. She smiled down at the small baby sleeping in her arms and sighed. "He is so tiny… But the medic said he is surprisingly healthy, even for being a few weeks early."
"I'm sure it's nothing a little love and magic can't help," Cordelia reminded her sister-in-law. "Oh, and lots of milk, of course."
Nigel glanced at his wife expectantly before shrugging. "I was half expecting an inappropriate joke, for whatever reason…"
"Nigel, there are children present," the sorceress chided before grinning. "We wait till they're in bed before making those jokes."
Cedric placed Serena onto the bed, watching fondly as his youngest daughter crawled over to cuddle with her mother. He then watched Tanya and Nana hurry over, peering down at the baby. He blinked when he felt a pair of arms wrap around him, and he turned, smiling as he saw Amber there. He turned to fully hug her. "I can't thank you enough for being there for her tonight, Amber. I know she's your sister, but I also know you have a kingdom to run."
She hummed softly before smiling up at her friend. "Cedric, I'd do anything for you guys. Family comes first."
"Mama," Serena began, blinking innocently at the princess as she glanced at her, "now that Charlie is here, and Auntie Amber is the queen, and Tanya and Nana are big-girl potatoes—"
"Protectors," Tanya corrected, giggling. Her little sister still couldn't say Protectors, and it was still adorable.
"Right…" She nodded to herself before twisting her fingers around one of her pigtails. "Well, since all that stuff has happened, does that mean this is the end of the story? Like that's it? No more stuff's gonna happen?"
Sofia shook her head as she shifted Charlie into her left arm, and then she reached down, brushing her fingers over her daughter's cheek. "No, Serena," she told her with a warm smile. "No…" Her gaze lifted to Cedric, and her smile widened as he nodded at her. "It's just the beginning."
The end