AN: So I thought I'd try my hand at another Wassailia/Holiday themed story (one not so dreary as Christmas in Freezenberg turned out to be.)

This is a two-parter and chapter two will be posted tomorrow. Please enjoy and please let me know what you think by leaving me a review!

A gift should come from the heart...

It was a sappy, sentimental statement but it was one he had often heard Sofia mutter on the not so infrequent occasions when he would ask for her help in picking gifts for the members of his family, particularly for his niece who had become quite fickle in her late-teen years. The words now were playing over and over in his mind to the tune of the princess' voice as he sat in his workshop racking his brain for what he could possibly gift her for Wassalia.

He had been worrying himself for months over what to get for the young woman who could have literally anything she desired at the snap of a finger. He had been all over Enchancia, through stores and markets in search of something he could proudly present as a gift but everything seemed to pale in comparison to her wondrous self. Now he sat empty handed on the eve of Wassalia trying to think of what he could possibly offer that would be worthy of her. He had even gone so far as to ask her siblings for advice.

Prince James hadn't been terribly helpful; "Oh, you know Sofia. Any little trick is sure to charm her."

Princess Amber had been even less so; "Why don't you get her some jewelry? That's what I'm asking everyone for."

But Sofia was beyond being impressed by the parlor tricks he'd often gifted her with in her childhood and jewelry would be far too brazen of a gift, particularly in the face of his current feelings toward the young woman. That wasn't to say he didn't consider the jewelry option, it was just something he could only imagine as acceptable further down the road in some fantastical world where they were in love and happily spending their lives together as husband and wife.

He couldn't allow himself to be quite that optimistic.

So he sat on Wassalia Eve worrying himself near to death over what he could manage to produce for the young woman whom he had placed on such a high pedestal that he wasn't certain anything could reach her.

His thoughts were interrupted then by the sound of a knock on his workshop door. He recognized the knock immediately, rushed in nature as it always was. It was Sofia, knocking more out of courtesy than anything else. He called out that the door was open and no sooner had the words left his mouth, the princess entered the room looking terribly out of breath and even more out of sorts.

She was dressed in one of her lovelier gowns; fine golden silk embroidered with the festive colors of Wassalia. Her auburn curls were swept up upon her head and woven in place with several jeweled pieces that complemented her tiara rather nicely. She would have been the picture of perfection if her flesh didn't appear such an odd shade of pink.

He stood to greet her, concern coming over him instantly. "Princess Sofia, are you alright? You look terribly flushed. Are you falling ill?"

"No. I'm fine." Sofia said, her voice cracking rather embarrassingly. She took a few deep breaths in an effort to calm her pounding heart as she stepped further into the workshop. "I was... uhm... I was hoping we could exchange gifts tonight."

"T-tonight?" Cedric croaked in horror. His eyes darted over the room in a panic, searching for anything he could discretely package and pass off as a gift on such short notice. "But Princess, Wassalia is tomorrow and-"

"It's alright if you didn't get me anything." Sofia said quickly, producing a small box from behind her back. "I was actually just hoping to give you your gift now, in private."

Cedric cocked an eyebrow at the princess, her words breathy and full of jitters. He was uncertain why, though he supposed she might actually be coming down with an illness despite her insistence otherwise.

His eyes fell to the tiny package she held securely in her hands. He detected a slight tremble in her limbs which only caused him to worry for her even more. He opened his mouth to express his concern but before he could get a word out she thrust the present into his hands. He stared down at it, guilt filling him to the brim at the thought that he had nothing to give her in return. "Princess, I-"

"Just open it. Please." Sofia said, fidgeting nervously with her hands. She looked from the present to Cedric's face and back again, chewing at her bottom lip in an effort to alleviate her agitation. After what felt like an eternity he lifted one hand to tug at the purple ribbon she had meticulously tied over and over until it achieved perfection. His hand then lifted the lid and her heart was in her throat at that point. She watched, entirely on edge as he reached into the box to retrieve that which she had placed inside.

Cedric's brow furrowed as he withdrew a familiar looking plant with a bow tied around its stem. He had seen it on a handful of trees in his lifetime, though it was often considered a pest due to its parasitic nature and promptly removed for the protection of the tree. "Mistletoe?"

"It was really hard to find." Sofia said, tucking her hands behind her back.

"Yes, I suppose it would have been." Cedric replied, eyeing the flora in his hand. "Might I ask the purpose of it?"

"Oh... w-well, as you know I just recently returned from Zumaria. They have a very charming Christmas tradition and I thought it would be nice to bring it back to the castle and make it a part of our Wassalia tradition. They hang the mistletoe over doorways and archways all throughout their homes and whenever two people are standing under the mistletoe, they... kiss." Sofia said, blushing madly as she reached out to touch the sprig in Cedric's hand. "I thought maybe you could hang this above your doorway. I already had Baileywick cover the rest of the castle but I thought I should bring this piece to you myself."

"I see." Cedric said with a small nod. "Thank you, Princess."

Sofia stared at Cedric as he continued to eye the plant in his hand. Her stomach was in knots as he seemed uncertain what to do with it. She sucked in a quick breath and glanced at his doorway hopefully. "Are you going to hang it?"

"Oh. Yes, of course." Cedric replied, quickly taking up his wand. With a small wave he set the mistletoe into the air and magically bound it to the stone frame around the door. Sofia seemed satisfied with this, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. He didn't understand how the simple action could bring her such joy but if it made her happy then it made him happy as well. He stood staring at the decorative plant a moment until Sofia's trembling voice broke the silence in the room.

"I-I suppose I should be off to bed now." Sofia said as she moved slowly toward the door. "I've got a long day ahead of me tomorrow after all."

Cedric nodded, knowing all too well the princess' obligations to her citizens and her family on Wassalia day. "Indeed. You'll want to be well rested."

"I'll see you tomorrow, won't I?" Sofia asked, stopping at the doorway to look Cedric over. "You won't be too busy to come down and join the celebration?"

"I haven't a thing on my schedule." Cedric replied with a smile.

"Wonderful." Sofia chimed happily, reluctant to leave the spot in which she stood. "Well, I suppose I'll see you tomorrow evening then."

"Good night, Princess Sofia." Cedric said, offering the young woman a small wave.

"Good night, Mr. Cedric." Sofia replied as she turned hesitantly away.

Cedric watched as Sofia made a slow exit from his workshop, obviously disinclined to leave for some strange reason. He studied her posture briefly and came to a quick conclusion as to why she seemed so disheartened. He decided to call out to her before she could leave entirely disappointed. "Princess, wait..."

Sofia froze and whirled around expectantly, charging back to the doorway with her heart aflutter. "Yes?"

"I'll have your Wassalia present for you tomorrow." Cedric said, casting her a small smile. "I hope that's alright."

"Oh..." Sofia wrapped her arms around herself and gave Cedric a quick nod in response. "That's more than than alright. Thank you, Mr. Cedric. I-I'll see you tomorrow..."