Cedric's Giant Curse

Chapter 3: Giant Curse

Chapter 3: Giant Curse

The ride from the castle to the village of Dunwitty didn't take very long, but to Cedric it felt like an eternity. He couldn't wait to get this good deed over with so he could obtain a power from the amulet. He only hoped that giving away some apples would be a kind enough deed to grant him a power. He couldn't imagine what kind of power he would gain from that though.

He was very grateful when the coach finally came to a halt in a small park near the village. The trip there made him feel a little uncomfortable as he sat next to Sofia in silence the entire time, her amulet hidden behind his bowtie. But surprisingly enough, she remained unaware that the young sorcerer she called her friend possessed her magical amulet, and that the one she wore was a fake. He had always thought her to be a very clever girl, but apparently this time he got lucky enough to actually outsmart her.

Sofia and Cedric exited the carriage as the coachman came around the side and opened the door for them. He then proceeded to help them unload all the baskets of apples. "Shall I wait here until you are finished, miss?" he asked the little princess, setting the basket he was holding onto the grass.

"That would be great, thank you. It shouldn't take long," Sofia assured him as the man nodded.

"Certainly then, princess." As they continued to unload the carriage, some of the villagers passing by noticed the royal carriage and the princess with the baskets of apples. Some had already started to gather nearby, whispering amongst each other, curious as to what the youngest royal was doing in the village with an abundance of apples. Of course, no one seemed to pay Cedric any mind as he helped to unload the carriage as well. He grumbled under his breath as he lifted yet another heavy basket off the coach. Thankfully though they were almost done unloading all the baskets. The sooner I get this over with, the better! he thought. If obtaining a power from the amulet hadn't been his goal, then he would have thought this was a waste of his time. As he went to set the basket down, he accidentally tripped on the hem of his long robe, dropping the basket of apples on his foot. Sofia turned towards him as she heard him yelp in pain.

"Are you alright, Mr. Cedric?"

"Just fine, princess," he lied in a mock cheery tone. This had better grant me a power!

Once they finally had all the apple baskets piled nicely in the grass, the coachman drove the carriage over to the side of the park near one of the drab colored buildings, leaving the princess and sorcerer to their task. Being the afternoon, many of the villagers were now wandering throughout Dunwitty, performing their errands in the local shops or taking their children out to play. Some still lingered in the park, waiting to see what the young princess was up to. Seeing all the villagers nearby, Sofia picked up one of the apples and held it above her head.

"Apples! Who wants apples?" she called out to them.

"They're very sweet and....um, appley!" Cedric could have slapped himself for that last part. But he couldn't seem to come up with a better adjective, so he ignored his own stupid-sounding remark. The villagers seemed thrilled, however, to hear that the royals were giving away free apples. They all flocked around the pair, hands held out towards them to receive their produce. They thanked Sofia and Cedric graciously as apple after apple was handed to them.

"Oh, you're all so welcome!" beamed Cedric. When it appeared that none of the villagers, or the princess, was paying attention to him any longer, he slipped out of the crowd, walking a few paces away from them so they wouldn't notice him. Looking back once more to make sure no one was watching, he slipped out the amulet to check for any tell-tale signs that it had given him a power. But the purple jewel remained dim.