The Queen and the Sorceress Princess

Chapter 29

It's the opening of the Dunwiddy Museum today and Roland is having me and Sofia look for his white necktie which he lost. Cedric came in as we were looking. He offered to let him or me conjure him a new necktie. But Roland said no and that I will never be allowed to use magic again. So, Roland just took a yellow one instead. Then Baileywick asked if Roland wanted to go over his speech. Then Cedric spoke up asking if he can use a spell so Roland can memorize it and asked if I could do it. Still a no. So, Cedric just left. I followed him.

"Cedric? Are you ok?" I asked

"Not really, Maddie. Roland wants nothing to do with me ever since I froze you and your family with the standstill stone. I'm glad that you are talking to me again at least," Cedric said

"Me too. And we tried to take over the kingdom."

"No need to remind me," Cedric sat down, "I shall never forget those shameful actions."

"It seems like Roland's having a hard time forgetting, too.," I sat with him

"Perhaps he shall never get over it. It makes me so sad. Not having you as my apprentice makes me sad, too. Roland and I shared a special bond when we were lads."

"You did?"

"Oh, yes. Growing up together in this castle in the shadows of our larger-than-life fathers. When the pressure became too great, we'd escape to the fields and play dazzle ball," Cedric said looking at a picture of the two when they were younger

"What are you two doing in this painting?"

"Oh, that's a special play he and I invented together. The royal ricochet. Oh, ever since that fateful day I let you and your family down, whatever trust Roland once had in me, I fear is gone forever."

"Then Sofia and I will help you get it back. Besides, I need to get his trust in me back again, so I can be your apprentice again. I miss learning magic. Come see the crown exhibit with Sofia, Roland, and me today."

"How would browsing jewels get me back in Roland's good graces?"

"It'll be like two friends spending a whole afternoon together."

"Mm. Lots of chances for him to disapprove of me and him saying that you can't be my apprentice."

"Lots of chances for you and I to show him that we can be trusted again, like when you were kids."

"I suppose it's worth a try plus our kids need their parents to be together again."

So, we went to the new museum with Wormwood and Abu tagging along. After Roland did his speech, he opened the museum and everyone came on to see the crown exhibit. So, now we need to gain Roland's trust again. Sofia suggested that Cedric talk to Roland about the crown he was looking at. Cedric asked Wormwood for facts about the crown. He gave him some facts and Cedric went to Roland. Cedric told Roland the fact he was given but got it wrong. Cedric said the crown was made of Phenox Gold when really it's made from Elven Gold.

Roland wasn't pleased that Cedric got the fact wrong and walked off. For goodness sake! Accept that the man made a mistake! We all make them! But I have another idea. I took him over to the pudding stand. Roland loves the pudding that they serve so this will hopefully win him over. Cedric got the hint and asked for a cup of pudding for Roland. But he was all out of pudding. So, I told Cedric to conjure some. He got the spell right and now Roland was starting to trust Cedric again. Until someone bumped into me making me bump into Cedric and he bumped into Roland who spilled the pudding on himself.

Oh, goodness. Roland just blamed Cedric for being clumsy. So, Cedric offered to clean him up. The spell went wrong and now Roland was in his underwear and shirt. I didn't need to see that. Cedric tried another spell that just gave Roland jester clothes. Cedric just explained that he was nervous. He wanted to use the spell again but Roland just took his wand and left to get changed into something else. This isn't going as well as I had hoped. After a while, Cedric went out to apologize to Roland but something was wrong