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It had been years since Sofia had gotten the amulet of Avalor. Years of trial and error, win or lose, and the steaks rising at every turn. Truth be told, while Sofia had loved her childhood of adventure, and aid…it was exhausting.
Extremely exhausting.
There was almost no one she could trust. Every adventure, every life saved, or peril avoided, she had no one to tell. Of course, everyone had slowly come to gather that her amulet was special. The day Vor had attacked, she had to save her Kingdom, and essentially the world. She was even the official protector of the Everealm now. Yes, Amber, her beloved sister, had been by her side for many adventures. But when it had come down to it, she could only share with Clover, and the birds. With Amber…she didn’t want to share every adventure. With it came questions, far too many. Especially those little gasps of:
“Oh, Sofia, I would have helped!”
In which sometimes Amber got lost in her speech of their sisterly bond and love. That was a beautiful thing Sofia cherished. But sometimes it got..frustrating. So with this dilemma who could she possibly turn to?
She climbed the familiar winding stairs, and knocked on the door.
“Cedric?” Sofia called out softly. It was later in the evening, stars glimmering outside, as the tower was illuminated by the glow of the full moon. She was in her loungewear, a soft pink dress that resembled a nightgown, as her amulet hung from her neck as always.
There was shuffling from the other side of the door, and finally, it opened. Cedric wasn’t in his normal attire either. Clad in a soft pair of purple pants, and a casual, long sleeved shirt. “Good evening, Sofia.” He greeted, sounding a bit tired himself. “What can I assist you with at this hour?”
Sofia looked up at him, and sighed. She knew the face that she was making. He knew it too. They both knew what she was here for. “I was hoping I could…just keep you company for a little while?” It wasn’t a lie. The full truth was that Sofia wanted him to keep her company for a while. She just didn’t want to be alone right now.
Cedric smiled a kind, knowing smile. By the mercy of Enchancia he didn’t tease her about it this time. He just opened the door, just enough for her to fit through. “Your company is always welcome. I’m just re-organizing and getting rid of some old spellbooks. Maybe you can lend a hand…” He mused. Sofia nodded in return. Yes. Helping. That was something she was familiar with. It wasn’t even second nature at this point, it was always at the forefront. The books were scattered about, his workshop looking like a complete disaster. Wordlessly, Cedric grabbed his wand, and cast a quiet spell, making two large cups of hot chocolate. Cedric looked to her, and handed her one. She said a soft thank you, and took the purple cup from his hand. Taking a sip, she hummed softly. Something about Cedric’s magic hot chocolate always made everything a bit better. “Well now that we’re all settled, I have a…collection of books that I’d like to get rid of. If you wouldn’t mind stacking them all up, it would be much appreciated.”
“Sounds good.” She replies softly. Cedric is the greatest sorcerer she knows. Putting the books in a pile is essentially child’s play. She knows that Cedric left them for her to do. At least, he’s allowing her to fix them. He knows her too well. A part of her wants to be alarmed, and almost upset at the fact. But she just quietly gets to work. Having a task to do, even now, in the middle of the night and exhausted…it helps. “Do you not need these anymore?” She asks, starting to stack the large spellbooks.”
Cedric hums. “Some are irrelevant, while others have been modified, and placed in new editions of spellbooks. In which I already have in my collection. I promised myself I would clean out my library. And with your help, it’ll be done in no time.”
That makes her stop for a minute. She holds the old spellbook in her hand tightly. “Why? Why does everyone always say that?” She asks aloud. “I hear that, over, and over, and over again…” She places the book in the stack, as her vision gets blurry. “Why me?! What makes me so special that no one can do anything without me?!” Tears blur her vision out of nowhere, as she sobs, almost violently. It had been building, and building for so many years. These little moments tended to happen in the sanctity of her room, or perhaps a quick cry in the gardens, or her bathroom, even her closet. Never had it been in front of anyone else..at least this intensely.
Hands land on her shoulders. “I know, you poor thing.” Cedric says softly. He’s sitting on the floor next to her now, his hands a gentle weight. “It’s alright, sweet one. It’s okay. I know. I’ve seen how much you’ve done. How much you always do for everyone.”
Cedric is truly her best friend. Maybe not a best friend. Maybe more akin to an older brother, or even a father figure. Someone who protects her, teaches her, and guides her. She tries to speak. She tries to apologize for crying, and apologize for coming here so late at night. But she can’t. No words leave her lips, as she silently moves closer to Cedric. He wraps her in a gentle, but firm hug. And so Sofia cries. She cries into the shoulder of the one person who knows almost everything. Over the years she’s come to him to tell all her secrets. All the stories from the Secret Library, all the tales of adventure in the Mystic Isles. Even down to the little every day adventures. And what he doesn’t know, he will know soon.
“The weight of being so special doesn’t have a hold on you in here. It is just you and I. Cedric, and his friend Sofia. That is all.” Cedric soothes, which in turn, makes her cry even harder. “Oh, it’s okay, it’s alright dear. I’ll be here with you all night. Everything will be okay, Sofia.”
And in her heart, she believes it.