The Queen and the Sorceress Princess

Chapter 36

The party was great. Tom and Maddie had their first dance, cut the cake, spoke with guests all the while Cedric was feeling sad. He wanted to do all that with Maddie again but he was too late and he knew that better than anyone. He was looking bored when Roland spoke up to the guests.

"Alright, alright. That's what I'm talkin' about! Now everyone give it up for the Best man; Cedric the Great!"

Cedric stood up and went to the center of the room, taking a champagne glass from the table.

'A toast to the groom!' Cedric said holding up his glass.

'To the groom! To the groom! To the groom!'

'To the bride!'

'To the bride! To the bride! To the bride!'

'From your teacher.'

'Cedric! Cedric! Cedric!'

'Who is always by your side.'

'By your side! By your side!'

'To your union.'

'To the union! To the revolution!'

'And the hope that you provide.'

'You provide! You provide!'

'May you always...'

'Always.'

'Be satisfied.'

'Rewind.'

We'll rewind to the day that Cedric and Maddie met. The way he remembered it. And the day he first fell for his future apprentice.

'I remember that day, I just might regret that day for the rest of my days. I remember those rich boys tripping over themselves to win her praise. I remember that dreamlike candlelight, like a dream that you can't quite place. But Maddie, I'll never forget the first time I saw your face. I have never been the same. Intelligent eyes in a hunger-pang frame and when you said "Hi," I forgot my dang name. Set my heart aflame, ev'ry part aflame, this is not a game...'

He was suddenly in his tower where they first talked to each other.

'You strike me as a man who has never been satisfied,' Maddie said smiling

'I'm sure I don't know what you mean. You forget yourself,' Cedric said with a small smile

'You're like me. I'm never satisfied.'

'Is that right?'

'I have never been satisfied.'

'My name is Cedric the Sorcerer.'

'Princess Maddie.'

'Where's your family from?'

'Unimportant. There's a million things I haven't done but just you wait, just you wait...'

Everything disappeared around him as he spoke more about the day they met and about Maddie.

'So so so- So this is what it feels like to match wits with someone at your level! What the hell is the catch? It's the feeling of freedom, of seein' the light, it's Ben Franklin with a key and a kite! You see it, right? The conversation lasted two minutes, maybe three minutes, everything we said in total agreement, it's a dream and it's a bit of a dance. A bit of a posture, it's a bit of a stance. She's a bit of a flirt, but I'm 'a give it a chance. I asked about her family, did you see her answer? Her hands started fidgeting, she looked askance? She's penniless, she's flying by the seat of her pants. Pretty, girl does she know it! Peach fuzz and she can't even grow it!' we transition to Maddie's sorceress ball, 'I wanna take her far away from this place then I turn and see Tom's face and he is...'

'Helpless...' Tom said

'And I know he is...'

'Helpless...'

'And his eyes are just...'

'Helpless...'

'And I realize three fundamental truths at the exact same time...'

Cedric took Maddie over to Tom's direction.

"Where are you taking me?" Maddie asked

"I'm about to change your life," Cedric said with a fake smile

'Then, by all means, lead the way.'

Pause as Cedric explains the first fundamental truth he realized

'Number one!'

'I'm a man in a world in which my only job is to serve the rich. I'm the only son so I'm the one who has to social climb for one. So I'm the youngest and the wittiest and the gossip in Enchancia is insidious and Maddie is penniless. Ha! That doesn't mean I want her any less.'

Back to Maddie meeting Tom again.

"Prince Tom. It's a pleasure to see you again," Tom said after speaking to Greylock

"Tom?" Maddie asked forgetting as she has spoken to a few Toms that evening

"Of Asgard," Cedric reminded Maddie

Pause again.

'Number two!'

'She's after me cuz I'm a sorcerer. That elevates her status, I'd have to be naïve to set that aside maybe that is why I introduce her to Tom now that's her man. Nice going, Cedric, she was right. You will never be satisfied.'

Back to that moment.

"Thank you for all your service," Maddie said as she had heard that Asgard was at war a few weeks before this ball.

"If it takes fighting a war for us to meet, it will have been worth it," Tom said kissing the back of her hand

"I'll leave you to it," Cedric said reluctantly leaving

The final truth as everything went to black around Cedric leaving him all alone.

'Number three!'

'I know my apprentice like I know my own mind. You will never find anyone as trusting or as kind. If I tell him that I love her he'd be silently resigned. She'd be mine. He would say, "I'm fine", he'd be lying. But when I fantasize at night, it's Maddie's eyes as I romanticize what might have been if I hadn't sized her up so quickly. At least my dear Maddie's his wife; At least I keep her eyes in my life...'

Cedric realized that he was back at the wedding and that this speech had done nothing to change Maddie's mind. He acted happy as he finished the toast to the newlyweds.

'To the groom!'

'To the groom! To the groom! To the groom!'

'To the bride!'

'To the bride! To the bride! To the bride!'

'From your teacher.'

'Cedric! Cedric! Cedric!'

'Who is always by your side.'

'By your side! By your side!'

'To your union.'

'To the union! To the revolution!'

'And the hope that you provide.'

'You provide! You provide!'

'May you always...'

'Always.'

'Be satisfied.'

'Be satisfied. Be satisfied. Be satisfied.'

Cedric left the part after that

'And I know...' Cedric looking up at the night sky

'Be satisfied. Be satisfied. Be satisfied.'

'She'll be happy as his bride.'

'Be satisfied. Be satisfied. Be satisfied. Be satisfied.'

'And I know.'

'Be satisfied. Be satisfied. Be satisfied. Be satisfied.'

'She will never be satisfied. I will never be satisfied.'