"Sofia! Uncle Ceddy!" Calista exclaimed entering through the door to the sorcerer's workshop and throwing herself to them in an effusive hug.

The child was going to expend the afternoon in the Castle under the watch of her uncle while his sister Cordelia was assisting a meeting with her old friends. As always, Calista was delighted to expend time with Cedric and Sofia, her two favourite persons in the world.

"Calista! How are you?" Sofia greeted.

"Very well" she answered. "I love to be here with you again!"

At that moment, Calista was hugging her uncle's neck in such a way that he couldn't breathe. When he finally was released, Cedric coughed and recovered the lost air before going back his attention to the big cauldron that was in front of his work table.

"Try to not kill me, Calista, I have a very important potion to finish today. You two go to play outside."

"But, Uncle Ceddy" she said, sadly "Can't we stay in here? I like very much to watch you brewing potions. Please!"

"Nonsenses, this is boring. I'm sure the princess and you would rather prefer to be in any other place playing than in here."

The two girls looked to each other for a while and then looked and him, grinning.

"The truth is, I like to see you working too, Mr Cedric. It's amazing to watch a professional like you making advanced potions." Sofia answered, giggling.

Cedric turned on his back to them to hide his blushing.

"A-as you wish. But don't distract me! This is an extremely complicated potion…" he said, picking up jars and flasks from his cabinet of ingredients.

During the brewing of the potion and from the red velvet stool, the girls watched the sorcerer with fascination, and talked in whispering to don't disturb him.

However, at the sound of their giggles and murmurs, Cedric was starting to feel curiosity about the nature of the conversation. Discreetly, the sorcerer waved his wand on an empty flask and pronounced the spell that would allow him to hear the chitchat the girls were sharing.

Pretending he was going for more ingredients, he moved away from them and, without being seen, he put the flask in his ear to listen the voices from inside.

"…will you wear a beautiful gown?" Calista asked.

"Sure" Sofia said.

"A white one. With a gorgeous long tail! And a veil!"

"I guess so."

"Will you wear a bouquet of flowers? Of what kind?"

"Hmmm… I'm not sure yet, but I will wear one, definitely."

Cedric took a hand to his mouth to mitigate his chuckle. They were talking about weddings, was there a more girlish subject than that?

"…Your dress is settle, but his'… I don't know…" commented the younger.

His?

"What's wrong with it?" Sofia asked.

"Well, it's just… I can't picture him wearing white…"

"But, if I'll going to wear white so is he, right?"

He? Was already a he? Was already a chosen one to take the role of the groom in the Princess' imaginary wedding? Who was he? A boy from her class, maybe? Did he know him? And WHY IN THE WORLD DID HE CARE SO MUCH?

"I don't think Uncle Ceddy would like to wear that colour, that's all…"

"Well, I think he would be very handsome." the princess opined.

The loud noise of crystals shattering in pieces on the floor took out the girls of their thoughts. Cedric had slipped the flask from the shock, but he faked normality the best he could before them.

"Oh… Oh my… M-my fault! I slipped it…" he stuttered.

Sofia reacted right away.

"Don't worry, Mr Cedric. I'll go to the floor below to get the broom. I'll be right back." she said and leaved quickly from the workshop.

Calista looked at her uncle; one elbow relied on the desk and her hand holding her face, thoughtful.

"Uncle Ceddy…"

"Y-yes…?" the man answered, avoiding her penetrating stare.

"When you get married with Sofia, what kind of flowers do you think should be in her wedding bouquet?"

The sorcerer almost fell on the floor with that question.

"WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU SAYING?" it was part a yell, part a whisper.

"Roses? Or maybe…?"

"CALISTA! Listen… W-w-why do y-you t-t-think I will m-m-marry Sofia?"

The child looked at him like he just asked an obvious question.

"Why? How why? Don't you love her?"

He was going to answer, but he hushed. Then he went to answer another thing and hushed again.

"SHE IS A CHILD!" he let out, finally.

Calista raised an eyebrow. Clearly she didn't understand the connexion of why one thing was related to the other.

"You didn't answer me, Uncle Ceddy."

"Don't you understand?" he asked, astonished "It's irrelevant if I love her or not. Regardless of that, she would never be within my reach. She is only four years older than you!" he took a hand to his forehead and sat on his chair "Is she a good friend of mine? Yes, she is. I don't displease her company, it's true. She surprises me with her cleverness and kindness, I love she prefers to expend time with me instead of do anything else, I miss her when she is not coming to me to ask me any silly thing…" he was shaking his hands restlessly while he spoke "IT DOESN'T MATTER. I COULD NEVER HAVE MORE THAN THAT WITH HER. Get that into you head and forget all those nonsenses about…"

"Uncle Ceddy. I mean you didn't answer me about the flowers thing." she interrupted, confused.

The sorcerer crashed his forehead into the work table.

"…Violets…" he responded, downhearted. "Pale violets."

Calista consider it for a moment and then made a glad noise of approval.

"Of course! How didn't I think of that? You know best, Uncle Ceddy!"

Sofia entered through the door with the broom and went to sweep the crystals, but the sorcerer took it off her hands.

"I will take care of it, Princess. Please, take Calista to play somewhere else, I need to be alone" he asked in a kind but serious tone "To… focus on the potion."

Sofia took the younger girl by the hand and both left the workshop, leaving Cedric sweeping.

The moment they left, the sorcerer threw the broom to the floor and sat on his chair again, burying his head in his hands and getting lost in his thoughts.