Baby Mine

Summary: "Every moment in my life has led me to this day, my little one… From now on, everything I do is for you, because I'm not just Princess Amber anymore… I'm also your mommy."

Disclaimer: I own nothing except any of my OCs mentioned; Nana and Tanya belong to MarionetteJ2X.

A/N: Happy Wassailia Season! Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad! Whatever else you celebrate (if you do) this time of year, I hope you have a great season! I'm posting this a bit earlier, because I've got a lot of things coming up this holiday season. The next story will be out in January, and it'll be another collab with my dear friend MarionetteJ2X! And I think you'll like it… Let's just say, it's necessary. 😊 Hope you enjoy!

Note: MASSIVE fluff alerts all throughout the story, including introducing some changes that will slowly occur over the course of the next several stories/few seasons I have planned. Also, pay attention to some of the things mentioned in here. They're sort of like Easter Eggs for the next season. 😉

*Story*

It was finally Wassailia Day. Although the entire kingdom was coated in previously fallen snow, no fresh precipitation had fallen in at least sixteen hours. Still, most were satisfied, regardless.

The entire castle was decorated elegantly, as always. Baileywick and Nigel had both stepped in to help Violet, who'd more than appreciated their assistance. For her, it felt like old times, working with her beloved friend (and his brother). Garland was strung across the hallways and throughout most of the rooms. Sprigs of holly lined most of the door frames. Any other variety of winter plants could be found throughout the castle, either in pots or as part of a centerpiece.

And the aroma of the castle was exquisite. Not only could the castle dwellers smell the holiday feast cooking, but also the fresh scent of pine mixed with seasonal spices permeated the area and wafted around the entire expanse of the building. It was glorious.

It was currently 3:30 PM. No one was allowed to touch any of the Wassailia gifts until that evening, after the 5:00 PM festive dinner (to which everyone was invited, including workers this year). Thanks to Cedric and Cordelia, the chefs' hard work could be distributed magically, and everyone could partake in a Wassailia meal before being dismissed for the holiday.

Cedric collapsed onto a sofa in a common room, and he smiled in amusement as Sofia followed suit, curling up next to him. He wrapped an arm around her and chuckled. "Tired already?" he joked lightly as she hummed distractedly in return. "We've not even begun the real festivities yet."

She laughed. "Yeah, well… While you and Cordelia were helping get the dining hall magically set up, I was dressing the girls…" She shook her head as he raised an eyebrow at her. "Dress drama… Nana was pretty easy. It's Tanya…"

The sorcerer's lips twitched into a curious grin. "What about her?"

Sofia rolled her eyes. "I love that girl. I really do. But… She is just a bit too picky about clothing for one day. I'd gotten her a festive green dress. Her reaction? It was apparently 'a bit striking, and not in a good way.'" She sighed heavily as he laughed gently and began caressing her side. "So…long story short, she's now wearing a simple black dress with white trim, and we're just going to have to be okay with it."

Cedric smiled. "Sofia, it doesn't matter what they wear for Wassailia. Wassailia is more than fancy dresses and color schemes… It's about family and love, right?" He blinked as she slowly smiled fondly at him. "What?"

The princess snickered. "You are such a sap sometimes." She grinned as he scoffed, and she then pressed a small kiss to his cheek. "But I wouldn't have it any other way."

He smirked, pulling her closer. "Now who's the sap?" He smiled again as she giggled. "Where are the girls, anyway?"

She yawned as she leaned against his shoulder. "With Calista and Angel… They offered to watch them since we've been working on other things to get ready for tonight." She sat up and glanced over at him. "Do you think they're going to like their gifts?"

Cedric nodded, brushing some of her hair out of her face. "I do. I think, based on what we discussed, each item will mean something special to both of them. Don't you worry about that, Sofia."

The princess smiled uncertainly. "It's just…it's our second Wassailia with Nana, and we generally know what she likes. But it's our first with Tanya, and we're still getting to know her, and—" She blinked as he placed a finger to her lips.

"Sofia…" He smiled at her as she sighed, and he lowered his hand to grasp hers instead. "I realize that you want everything to be perfect for both of the girls; as do I. But you needn't stress yourself over every single minute detail. Yes, we're still getting to know Tanya. Yes, she has terrible origins and experienced a lot of negativity. So did Nana, and look how settled and happy she is now." He gently squeezed her hand. "A great deal of that is because of you. You took the time to play with her, teach her things, nurture her like any child would want or need…" He chuckled as she blushed modestly. "And I've seen you doing the same for Tanya. It's a bit more challenging because she's older, and because her secondary self is, of course, an adult figure, but… You're doing fine. We're doing fine. I promise you. There's no book written on how to raise children from the Never Realm."

Sofia smiled wryly at his words. "Maybe if we successfully figure it out, we should write that book."

Cedric laughed. "Perhaps." He glanced up at a clock on the mantle of the fireplace, noticing that it was now 3:45. He then looked back at his partner. "It's probably about time you get dressed for Wassailia dinner, eh?"

The princess rolled her eyes and smiled. She was currently dressed in one of her Protector outfits. This one was all black with small purple and pink designs throughout the patterns on both her tunic and pants, and she had matching boots as well. She typically wore this particular outfit for two reasons: one, an actual mission, or two, working on something while at the castle. Clearly, today was more of the latter. "I will when you do."

He shrugged. "I just need to freshen up and I'll be ready. I don't exactly spend much time or thought with Wassailia clothing, as you know by now." He smiled at her as she nodded. "It's more about the company I keep than the clothes I wear."

Sofia returned the smile. "I'll take that. But yeah…" She stood up and helped him to his feet as well. "I guess I'll go get ready. If you don't mind, can you get the girls after you freshen up?"

"Of course." He chuckled as she hugged him, and he returned the hug. "See you in a little while, my dear."

"I think another one on the doorframe over there will be good," Amber suggested with a sly smile as she watched one of the taller workers hanging a sprig of mistletoe from the entrance to the dining hall. "That's it! Thank you."

"Any time, Princess Amber," the man returned, smiling nervously before hurrying off to his usual duties.

Violet, who was standing next to Amber and Desmond outside the dining hall, shook her head. "Princess Amber, I know you are rather festive and like to stick to tradition…" She smiled playfully toward the blonde princess. "But you've already got the love of your life. Surely you don't need to lure him under all that mistletoe this year, right?"

Desmond laughed.

Amber grinned at her. "Who said it was just for Desmond and me, Violet?" She rubbed her hands together in a plotting way. "I have plans for a few victims this year…"

The stewardess folded her arms. "Victims, you say?"

The princess smiled innocently. "I'm just kidding, Violet. Really. Heh…" She then turned to look behind the older woman and waved. "Hey, Baileywick! You look great!"

Violet turned and blinked as she saw her former boss approaching. He was dressed classily as usual, though in a darker gray suit instead of his usual lighter scheme. His hair was perfect as always. His black shoes were shining and obviously new. And he wore the kindest expression she'd seen in a while. She smiled. "Good evening, Mr. Baileywick."

Baileywick smiled back at her, reaching out to clasp a hand on her shoulder. "You've done a beautiful job preparing the castle for Wassailia, Violet. This is far more elegant than anything I ever could have planned."

"Oh, I don't know about that… I learned from the best, after all." She grinned shyly as he laughed. "Oh, beggin' the prince's and princess's pardons, I had something to give you." She glanced back at the two royals, awaiting their permission to leave.

Desmond nodded with a smile. "Go on, Violet. We'll see you at dinner." He wrapped his arm around Amber's waist as the old friends left down the hallway. "It's good to see them together again, isn't it?"

"It is." She leaned her head against his shoulder. "Baileywick spends a lot of time with Nigel these days, or even with both Nigel and Cordelia… And sometimes even on his own, which he deserves, of course. He just never gets to see much of Violet anymore, and I know that's got to be hard for both of them."

The prince hummed. "Especially Violet, I think. She seems to think the world of him."

Amber looked up at him with a small smile. "She does. She always has."

"Well, maybe some time together on Wassailia is just what they need."

She grinned playfully, running her fingers through her husband's hair and laughing as he sighed in content. "Speaking of Wassailia, what did you get your heavily pregnant wife this year?"

Desmond scoffed, though he tried not to react as she continued gently massaging her fingers into his scalp. "That's…a secret until…we exchange gifts, Amber. You know that."

The princess smirked. "Oh, really? So you're not even going to give me a little hint, huh?"

He reached up and grasped her hand, smiling as he placed a kiss to it. "Just that I love you three times as much as I ever did, and that bond can't be broken."

Amber swooned softly before grinning at him. "Cryptic, huh? But a romantic cryptic hint. I'll take it…" She smirked. "Want a hint for your gift?"

Desmond laughed. "Unlike you, my beloved future queen, I can patiently await my surprise."

She rolled her eyes. "Sure… That's why I saw you snooping around under the tree the other day." She grinned as he blushed a bit. "You're brilliant, Desmond, but you're pretty bad at being stealthy."

He smiled sheepishly. "Guilty as charged, I guess… But I'll wait. I've waited this long, so I might as well wait just a little bit longer."

She shrugged. "Whatever you want to do." Seeing his contemplative look, she winked. "Your hint: you're going to love…them."

Desmond blinked as she began walking down the hall, and he hurried after her soon enough to take her arm and guide her somewhere to sit down (especially considering she was due in only a matter of days…maybe even sooner).

Dinner was now a mere few minutes away. Most of the family had already gathered in the dining hall. The table was filled with all sorts of food, overflowing with seasonal treats and traditional favorites. The children were at their own table aside, with Corban showing Nana and Tanya how to balance a spoon on his nose. While the girls didn't participate, they did giggle at his demonstration.

The only two who hadn't made it to the table yet were Cedric and Sofia.

"Where could they be?" Roland wondered as Miranda sat down next to him. "Surely they didn't forget."

"Knowing Cedric and Sofia and how often they get wrapped up in their own little magical world, I wouldn't be surprised, Dad," James joked with a grin. "But I can go get them if you want me to."

"Just give them a few more minutes, Rollie," Miranda suggested. "They'll be here soon."

The king smiled and nodded, murmuring his thanks as one of the workers set his plate of food before him. "All right."

Amber stared at her own plate, which was filled to the brim with all sorts of colorful mixtures. "Hmm…" She gently patted her stomach, sighing as she felt a slight kick. "Easy there, little bit. Mommy needs to eat." She glanced toward Desmond, who blinked. "So, just a little request: our next child? I'd rather not be pregnant during Wassailia, so we'll need to plan accordingly."

He blushed darkly. "Amber!"

She snickered. "Just saying."

Cedric had already vacated his tower, leaving Wormwood and Nina (who'd come to visit) behind with a tray of goodies for them to feast on for the holidays. He knew that Sofia would likely still be preoccupied in her own room, because she'd spent time carrying gifts down from her room to the tree. Armed with this knowledge, he made his way to her room and knocked on her door.

Sofia glanced up from her spot on her window seat, where she was brushing out her hair. "Come in!" She smiled excitedly as Cedric entered, looking at her expectantly. "I know, I know… I'm running behind." She grinned as he rolled his eyes and walked over to her. "Mind helping me?"

"Hmm… I suppose." He took the brush from her as she turned and faced the large window, her eyes scanning the skies expectantly. As he gathered her hair into his hands and began brushing through it, he smiled. "Still no fresh snow, hmm?" He had a feeling she was hoping for some new snowfall. It was, after all, her favorite Wassailia tradition. She'd be happy and satisfied with the current state of the land, with the beautiful snow-covered ground and buildings surrounding them, but he knew her well: she longed for that falling snow.

"Not yet," she lamented, folding her arms and leaning forward a bit. "But hopefully, it'll happen soon."

"Hmm." He handed her the brush before placing his hands on either side of her head. "Mind if I try something different?"

The princess laughed. "Go for it. I don't mind mixing it up a little bit."

"Good. Because I've been curious about this…" He took the top layer of her hair and separated it from the bottom, and he gently and precisely began French braiding his assembled layer into a half-up style. Once he reached the six-inch mark, he used his wand to tie her hair off with a black ribbon. Then, he gathered the rest of her hair into his hands, gently sifting through the waves before allowing them to cascade down her back again, just grazing the floor.

Sofia turned and faced him, smiling. "Curious, huh?" She giggled as he coughed before looking away. "I'm fine with that." She stood up and playfully patted his cheek, earning his attention again. "By all means, be 'curious' whenever you want."

Cedric blushed. "Would you stop that?" He smiled as she laughed. "Now, we've got a dinner to get to. Where's your outfit?"

"In my closet." She grabbed his hands and turned, guiding him to the window seat so that he could sit down. "Wait here. I'll be back." She hummed a festive tune as she hurried off to her closet, shutting the door behind her.

The sorcerer sighed, shaking his head. Sofia was usually on time, if not early, for events like this. Lately, though, she'd gotten a little…lost in her own thoughts. He truly wondered what was going on in her mind sometimes, but he figured she'd tell him if she wanted him to know. Maybe it was just a phase, and she'd move past it, like always. She was an enigma to him. Although, that was also what made her so interesting.

He glanced up as the door opened a few minutes later, and Sofia emerged wearing her Wassailia outfit. He blinked and gasped softly in surprise at her choice.

She was wearing a long-sleeved dark green velvet dress, which rested just above her knees. The fabric was gathered just a bit to cinch at her waist, allowing the rest of the fabric beneath to flow more freely. The neckline was a subtle 'V' shape, accented by her amulet. She wore black stockings beneath the dress and matching black boots with silver clasps. From her ears dangled some silver star earrings, which swayed with some of her curlier sections of hair. She wore her rings as usual, though her ES bracelet and Enchantlet were resting on her bedside table for a change, since she wouldn't be needing them that evening.

Cedric smiled as she approached him and held out her arms, as if asking, 'How do I look?' "You…and velvet…are a combination that I did not see coming." Seeing her confused expression, he chuckled lightly. "You look amazing, Sofia."

Sofia beamed, laughing as she took his arm. "Aw, Cedric, thank you… And thanks for fixing my hair…again." She winked at him. "Maybe that needs to become a daily thing."

He sighed dramatically as he began leading her toward the door. "Alas, my dear, as riveting as that sounds… I still have work to do and won't always have time for that." He smirked as she rolled her eyes. "Let's just keep it as a special occasion, shall we? For now, at least."

"Hmm…" She opened the door and they exited, and she then shut the door behind them. "Yeah… For now…." She smiled thoughtfully.

"Sofi!" Corban called happily as the partners finally entered the dining hall, which was now filled with even more food and music from the string quartet playing lively tunes in the corner. He jumped up from his chair and hurried over to his sister, wrapping his arms around her legs. "Where you been? You're late!" He pouted as he gave Cedric a pointed stare. "You too, Ceddy!"

Cedric chuckled as Sofia picked up the little prince and gave him a hug. "Deepest apologies, Prince Corban. Your sister and I were a little busy."

Corban nodded with a sneaky grin. "I know why," he told them, his voice lilting in a sing-song manner that made the partners blink simultaneously. "You got me presents! And you hided them!"

Sofia laughed in mild relief but also amusement. She loved this kid. "Yeah, Corban… That's why."

"I knew it!" He giggled and hugged Sofia, squealing as she hugged him back and kissed his cheek multiple times.

"Finally decided to grace us with your presence, huh?" Amber teased as Sofia let Corban down, and she and Cedric walked over to sit down across from her and Desmond. "Dad was about to send out a search party."

"Where were you two anyway?" Miranda asked, scooping some gravy onto her plate.

Sofia shrugged. "I had to finish getting dressed, and Cedric helped me." She flushed darkly as a number of collective gasps could be heard across the table. She waved her hands as Cedric blushed bright red and tried to hide his head in his hands. "N-Not like that! I mean…" She noticed that Roland appeared to have lost all powers of speech. His mouth was just…hanging open. "I got dressed before Cedric came in…" Well, that was technically a lie, but… "But he did help me…fix my hair. That's…what I meant. Heh…"

"Oh," Cordelia laughed, shaking her head. "For a moment there, I was about to mercilessly tease the both of you." She smirked as Cedric groaned from his position next to Sofia. "Although now I have yet another thing to tease Ceddy about anyway… Misunderstandings are oh-so-fun!"

"Um…" Roland cleared his throat, waving one hand dismissively. "Well, as it appears it was just a…misunderstanding…" He laughed, smiling. "Carry on, everyone." He caught Sofia's eye, raising an eyebrow at her. He shook his head as she smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "Oh, Sofia…"

Miranda laughed. "Relax, Roland. It's fine."

He nodded and chuckled as she took his hand. "Yes, it is. By the way, is there any jiggly wiggly pudding?"

She shook her head with a grin. "That's for dessert, Rollie. But yes, of course. I wouldn't deny you your favorite dessert, especially on Wassailia."

He beamed excitedly.

Dinner continued for a while, the group happily chatting with each other as they enjoyed their meals. The kids were getting along great, as usual, and Corban even eventually talked Nana into hanging a spoon from her own nose. Tanya, however, just politely declined yet giggled at the little best friends' antics.

Soon, the workers were dismissed while the others gathered near the Wassailia tree to exchange gifts with each other. Some of the gifts included toys for Corban (some magically made, thanks to Cedric and Sofia), new clothes, jewelry, etc. Even Roland and Miranda exchanged similar items: she gave him hiking boots while he gave her a hiking outfit; evidently, they had plans for an upcoming trip early the next year, whereby they would go off exploring on their own.

While the big exchange was going on, a few specific exchanges also took place.

Cedric and Sofia smiled fondly as they watched the girls open their gifts. Tanya received a personalized journal, embroidered with her name etched in purple and black, while Nana received her very own art set. And they each got chocolate.

Nana clapped her hands excitedly, showing her delight, while Tanya sat there staring down at the journal in her hands, tears rolling down her face. The letter inside the cover read as follows:

Dear Tanya,

We hope you like this journal. It's a place where you can store all your thoughts and feelings. You can write about anything you want. It's a great outlet for anyone of any age.

Also, there is a charm attached to it that helps you lock it. Merely say 'Tanya Secreta' and it will seal away the pages of your journal until you're ready to show them again. We wish you the happiest Wassailia ever. And we hope you enjoy the chocolate! It's from Avalor. Maybe we'll be able to take you there one day…

Love,

Cedric and Sofia

Cedric instantly noticed Tanya's stunned reaction while Sofia was playing with Nana. He frowned and moved over next to the young girl, carefully placing a hand on her shoulder, which she didn't seem to mind. He smiled softly as she looked up at him. "What's wrong, Tanya?"

"Nothing…is wrong." She looked up at him with a watery smile. "I have never…had something of my own like this. Something to call my own, where I can…express my feelings. And…to have it charmed just for me…?" She dropped the book and dived into Cedric's arms, hugging him. "Thank you, Cedric…"

He was a bit caught off guard, especially since the white-haired girl wasn't always that affectionate, but he still smiled and hugged her back. "You're welcome, my dear."

Sofia smiled at the interaction and laughed as Tanya slid from the sorcerer's embrace and moved over to her instead, hugging her now. "Aw, Tanya… Happy Wassailia, sweetie."

Tanya laughed as she sat back on her heels, wiping the tears from her face. "Thank you so much, Sofia."

"James, come here," Roland announced as he held out a long and elegantly wrapped gift. He smiled as the prince stood before him, his stance just as giddy and excited as if he were eleven years old again. "I've kept this in our family all these years, but I think it's time that it's passed off to you. As a knight, I feel you could benefit from this."

James gasped at his father's words before carefully unwrapping his gift. He lifted the lid on a container and gingerly withdrew a beautiful sword. It still looked like new, though he could tell by the design that it was rather old now. The hilt was solid gold with emerald inlay, and the blade was sharp and pristine. If he had to guess, he'd wager it had never been used. But something caught his eye on that hilt: his name was engraved there. He gaped at the king. "Dad?"

"Your mother and I talked about it extensively, and…" Roland nodded. "That's your grandfather's sword, James. He would want you to have it for your duties, and so do we."

The blonde-haired prince grinned happily. "Aw, Dad! Mom! That's the best thing I've heard all week! Just ahead of the fact that there's a new bakery opening in Dunwiddie, and they've got a cookie called 'Prince James PB&J Cookie.' Heh."

"Just be careful, okay?" Miranda suggested with a smile. "We trust you, but we want you to be as safe as possible."

"I will, Mom. I promise." He slowly sheathed the sword again and used the strap on the container to drape it over his shoulder as he walked forward and hugged his parents. "Thanks, guys!"

"Oh, Nigel," Cordelia cooed as she pulled something out of a red bag. She grinned at the blue and pink scarf she withdrew, wrapping it around her neck and admiring the feel of it. "This is lovely! You didn't have to get me anything though."

"Oh, didn't I?" he joked, rolling his eyes. "You only fawned over it in the shop window sixteen times in the last four months whenever we went somewhere."

"You counted?" Baileywick asked, a bit disturbed by this information. The fact that his brother and Cedric's sister had gotten so close in such a short span of time shouldn't really surprise him at this point, but it still did. He copied his older brother's actions of rolling his eyes before turning back to Violet, who smiled upon holding up her arm, showing off the new bracelet he'd gotten her. "Oh, you like it?"

"It's the loveliest thing I've gotten in a long time, Mr. Baileywick!" She laughed as she trailed her fingers over the silver and blue chain with the violet flower charms. "Thank you so much."

He nodded. "Certainly."

"Here you go," Sofia told Cedric as she slid a box into his hands. It was silver with a purple bow, which made it both simple yet sophisticated, in her opinion. "Mom and I made this for you…with magic and these." She playfully wiggled her fingers.

"Ah. The best sorts of gifts have a little bit of both." Cedric untied the bow before setting it aside, and then he lifted the box lid. After pushing aside some of the inner fabrics, he finally pulled out his gift. "Oh, that's amazing, Sofia…"

He now possessed a new robe that was essentially an enhanced version of his typical one. It held the same color scheme that he was used to, but there seemed to be a bit of a shimmery tonality to the fabric. On the collar was a heart-shaped strawberry of pink and purple gradient coloring, and wrapped around that strawberry was what appeared to be a band that was similar to Tanya's anklets and bracelets.

Cedric finished looking over his new robe and sighed happily before shedding his current robe, sliding into his new one, and catching his partner off guard with a hug.

Sofia giggled and hugged him back. "You like it?"

"Understatement of the year, my dear," he murmured as he released her and smiled at her. "I love it. And now it's your turn."

"Oh?" She smiled excitedly. "Okay!" She turned as Nana tugged on her sleeve, getting her attention.

Cedric gathered a shimmery blue box in his hands, withdrawing it from underneath the Wassailia tree. He played with the silver ribbons for a few moments as Sofia fawned over Nana's drawing she'd just made. He cleared his throat, getting the princess's attention.

Sofia blinked as he slid the box into her hands. "For me?"

He smirked. "Unless there's another Sofia in the castle who also happens to be my partner."

She laughed before untying the ribbon. "Of course not. I doubt any other Sofia would be patient enough with you."

Cedric scoffed, causing her to snicker. "I resent that. I'll take my gift back." He reached out to grab the box, smiling playfully as she held it away from him.

"No! I'm sorry! Don't take my box!" She grinned as she began removing the paper. "Watch it literally be just a box—a pretty box, maybe, but a box. But I'm sure I'll love it anyway."

"That's our Sofia," Miranda laughed warmly from nearby as she and Roland paused to watch the rest of the gift exchanges. "Always looking on the bright side."

"I assure you, it's far more than just a box." Cedric moved next to her as she started sifting through the protective layers of fabric. "Sort of like us. You're far more than just a princess, and there's much more to our relationship than meets the eye, eh?"

She giggled, tossing some of the fabric from the box toward him, causing him to sputter. "For someone who used to be so guarded with his feelings and inclined to stay away from 'emotions' or whatever, you sure are a far cry from the sorcerer I met all those years ago." She linked arms with him, causing him to blink. "I'm so glad for that too."

He slowly smiled, taking advantage of their position to slide his hand into hers. "Oh, Sofia…"

Amber rolled her eyes, smiling in amusement at the scene before them as she and Desmond watched them curiously. "You two done flirting so that Sofia can finally open her gift?"

At the playfully accusatory word aimed their way, the partners blushed and separated momentarily.

"Amber!" Sofia gave her sister a pointed look as the blonde princess snickered. "We're not flirting…"

"That's exactly what someone who actually is flirting would say," James teased as he sat down next to Desmond, holding up his hands as his younger sister offered him a wary look. "Just kidding, Sof. Relax!"

The auburn-haired princess brushed off their comments before finally reaching for the item inside. The moment her fingers brushed across the smooth surface, she knew instantly what it was. Her mouth fell open as she carefully reached deep into the box and withdrew her gift. "Cedric… I…" She laughed breathlessly, a small tear forming in the corner of her left eye as she beamed up at him. "It's beautiful…"

In her hands lay an intricately designed snow globe with a mahogany base, her name etched as a golden inlay on the side. Inside the glass globe itself was, of course, water with both glitter and "snow." But in the center of the snow stood small figurine versions of Cedric, Sofia, Nana, and Tanya, all huddled together and smiling while wearing winter versions of their normal clothing. And the best part was a figurine of Wormwood flying around them continuously.

"Cedric…"

"It has a song as well." He turned the globe over and twisted a mechanism on the side, smiling as it began playing the lullaby that he and Sofia had created for Nana last year. He watched her carefully as she stared at the snow globe, practically mesmerized by both its beauty and music. "And it will always snow, you know."

Sofia glanced up at him, speechless.

Cedric pointed toward the globe, drawing her attention back to it once again. "It was created to always have snow. That way, you get your Wassailia wish all year long."

"That is the most beautiful gift I think I've ever seen," Miranda said with a warm smile. "Cedric, it's amazing how much thought you always put into Sofia's gifts, especially."

"That's 'cause he loves her, Mama," Corban stated with a proud grin. "And Sofi loves Ceddy!"

Roland chuckled, pulling his son into his lap. "Is that so?"

Sofia wasn't paying her parents any mind. She'd torn her eyes from the snow globe long enough to smile up at her partner, who returned her smile fondly. "That is…so…so…"

Cedric gasped a bit as she enveloped him in a warm hug (after carefully setting the globe aside, of course), burying her face in his new robe and sighing happily. He laughed and wrapped his arms around her, breathing in deeply and delightedly realizing something. "Intriguing fragrance…" He offered her a sly smile as she broke the hug to look at him. "Like magic, winter, and sugar all combined…"

She grinned at him. "Amber gave it to me the other day as an early Wassailia gift. It's a new perfume called Sweet Snowfall."

"It suits you." He chuckled as she blushed and hugged him again.

Amber smiled and shook her head after watching them. They always had fascinated her with their bond and their interactions. And she could tell they were getting closer, if that was even possible. Maybe it was…

She pointed toward a large gift under the Wassailia tree as she glanced at her husband. "That one is to you from me, Desmond."

"Oh! O-Okay…" To be honest, Desmond hadn't been expecting a gift this year. For him, the fact that he was having a baby with his beloved princess was more than enough, and his heart was full. But he would, of course, gladly accept whatever she offered. He knelt next to the large and beautifully wrapped gift, scooping it up and nearly collapsing from the weight. "Uh, Amber?" He glanced over his shoulder, noticing his wife smirking at him with her arms folded. "What did you put in here? Boulders?"

"Of course not," she responded, rolling her eyes. "That's going to be your Valentine's gift." She grinned as he laughed sarcastically. "Scoot it over here and open it. I can't wait to see your expression."

"Hm… What did you do?" He smiled as he set it onto the ground, pushing it over to where the princess was sitting. He took in a deep breath before exhaling and carefully unwrapping the gift. Once the paper fell away, he was left in awe, his mouth agape as his hands carefully caressed…

"Books?" James asked, laughing. "Only Des would be speechless at the sight of books."

"Not just any books," Cedric countered, a look of wonder on his own face. "Those are the Lost Books of Morita Xerotes. She was said to be one of the most brilliant minds in all the realms, but no one knew much about her." He noticed that everyone had turned to him, listening curiously. "One day, she just…disappeared. No one ever heard from her again. The only things left were the seven books she'd written."

"Seven?" Cordelia leaned forward, wrapping her new scarf around her neck as she did so, and counted the books. "I only see six."

"One was never located," Desmond finished. "No one knows what happened to it."

"So what are those books about?" Sofia asked, gesturing toward the books.

"Different levels of fundamental mysteries to the realms." The prince smiled happily, running his hand along the binding of the books. "I just…never thought I'd see them in person." He then frowned, glancing at Amber. "You actually paid attention to me when I was talking about that?"

She smiled lazily, giggling. "I'll admit, you almost lost me for a while when you were talking about all that scientific stuff, but I could tell it was important to you. You just lit up when you raved about it, so…" She shrugged. "I looked for them for a while with no luck. I finally decided to try someone our beloved royal sorcerer is oh-so-familiar with and got lucky." She winked toward Cedric. "Merlin knew just where to find them."

Cedric blinked, his eyes widening in surprise. "But…why would Merlin just…give them away like that…?" He hummed thoughtfully, growing ever more intrigued.

"I'm sure he had his reasons," Sofia suggested, smiling as she cradled her precious snow globe, tracing her fingers over the engraving of her name.

Desmond leaned forward, kissing Amber on the lips once. "I absolutely love it, Amber. Thank you so much…" He smiled gently, reaching into the pocket of his jacket. "And I have something for you." He passed a small wrapped gift to her. "Happy anniversary."

Amber smiled as she accepted it and unwrapped it, letting the ribbon and fabric fall to the floor as she unearthed a little box. She opened it and laughed in delight, a few tears threatening to spill. "Desmond…"

He reached forward and removed the ring from the box, allowing the others a glimpse at the golden band with three stones: peridot, amethyst, and turquoise. "One for you, one for me, and one for our baby." He withdrew her old ring, set it into the box, and then slid the new one onto her finger as she marveled at it. "Do you like it?"

She glanced up at him before grabbing his face and kissing him deeply.

"I think that's a 'yes,'" Roland laughed.

"Oh, Desmond…" Amber sighed, smiling with a flushed face. "I—ahh!" She nearly doubled over as she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. "Oh, wow, that hurt…"

"Amber, you okay?" James asked worriedly. He hated seeing his twin in any pain. Although he knew it was likely his nephew or niece causing the dilemma, he didn't want her hurting. "Is it time for the baby to be born?"

"I…don't think so," she panted. "Not yet. N-Not yet…" She nodded appreciatively as Desmond used a handkerchief to wipe her brow.

"Maybe we should call it a night," Roland suggested. "It's getting late, after all, and we still have many big festivities planned, especially with the upcoming new year. And of course…whenever our little prince or princess wants to make a debut."

"Excellent point, King Roland," Cedric said, standing and pulling Sofia to her feet, followed by Tanya and then Nana, who scurried up to sit on his shoulder. "It's probably best for us all to get some rest." He took Sofia's hand and ambled over to where Amber and Desmond were sitting on the floor. As everyone else vacated the room with their gifts in tow except the future king and queen, James, Cordelia, Nigel, Sofia, Tanya, Nana, and, naturally, himself, Cedric knelt next to the princess, offering her an imploring stare. "If you need anything, Amber…"

She smiled gently, glad to see he'd taken her request of using her name on its own to heart. "I'm fine, Cedric. I promise." She winked as he nodded. "But I would like to point something out…" She grinned as he stood up, gathering Nana more closely as she clung to his neck. She pointed upward. "You fell for one of my traps."

Cedric swallowed nervously, especially since he knew quite well what Amber was rather sneaky about doing this time of the year. "If I don't look up, it isn't there."

Amber smirked, noticing that the sorcerer was burning a bright red shade. She then grinned mischievously as Sofia caught on and looked up, gasping, her eyes widening. "Well, looks like you don't have to. Someone else already did."

The sorcerer groaned and looked toward his partner, who stared at him defenselessly, a clear look of apprehension on her visage. He finally glanced up, glaring blushingly at that innocent yet evil sprig of…mistletoe.

The princess waved one hand. "Go on, you two. You know the rules."

"I'd rather not abide by the rules of a parasitic plant," Cedric managed, trying to calm his nerves as he shook his head.

"Fine." Amber smiled. "What about the rules of the heart?"

"Amber's right, Cedric."

Cedric nearly froze upon hearing the other princess's voice. He slowly looked back at her, noticing her shy smile. "Sofia…?"

She shrugged. "Mistletoe is just a traditional way of showing someone you love them, right?" She smiled gently toward Nana, who giggled silently. "And we…do love each other, don't we?"

"I…suppose…" He then nodded. "I mean, yes, of course… It's just…" He couldn't have possibly flushed any darker at that point.

Cordelia squealed a bit and shook Nigel's arm, causing the man to yelp a bit. "I cannot believe what I'm seeing!"

"Me neither," James admitted, a bit taken aback. "I mean… I guess it was sort of bound to happen…"

Sofia grasped his hand as Nana looked between them. "We'll just call it a…Wassailia gift…" She smiled sweetly at him.

Cedric gulped. "Sofia, you don't have to…" He noticed her leaning up, and he closed his eyes, waiting for…whatever was going to happen.

Nana giggled as both of her guardians both kissed…each of her cheeks. She beamed as they parted before smiling shyly at each other, then lovingly at her.

"Aww," Cordelia cooed, then sighed. "Well, it wasn't a typical Wassailia mistletoe kiss, but it was cute!"

"Love," Sofia declared, glancing toward the others, "comes in a lot of different forms, you guys… Some is old and familiar, some is new and exciting…" She then glanced back at Cedric, a knowing twinkle in her eye as he watched her curiously. "And some is changing…for the better."

He finally smiled in realization, nodding as he brushed some of her hair from her face, resting his hand on her cheek as she sighed softly. "Indeed, my dear… Indeed…"

The next few days went on like normal, though there was still that air of happy contentment that always lingered after Wassailia. And with the promise of exhilarating changes on the horizon, from many different angles, everyone was just waiting to see what happened next.

And then December 28 arrived, along with a new member of the royal family…

Amber had gone into labor about 4:00 AM. She'd spent the last six hours in continued labor, which had many on high alert. Although it was normal for some first-time mothers to have extended labor, the concern about Amber's health and survival weighed heavily on them, considering what had happened to Lorelei.

"She's going to be fine," Sofia told the others as they waited outside Amber's bedroom, Tanya sleeping against her chest while Nana lazed across Cedric's lap. "I can feel it."

"Dad?" James asked in a bit of a shaky voice, which didn't go unnoticed by the king as he pulled his son into a warm hug. "Is Sofia right? Is…Amber going to be okay?"

Roland nodded, humming softly. "She's going to be just fine, James. I know she will be."

Another hour passed, and they still heard nothing. Miranda was about to pass Corban off to Roland and get up to request the kitchen staff to prepare easy meals for them to eat when Desmond stepped into the hallway, a relieved expression on his face.

James hurried up to his friend, placing his hands on his shoulders. "Is Amber okay?"

The other prince smiled kindly, nodding. "She's fine…and so is…our daughter."

Sofia laughed in excitement, standing to her feet with Tanya wrapped in her arms. "It's a girl!"

"A beautiful, blonde, and very fussy baby girl." Desmond laughed.

James grinned. "That's Amber's kid, all right! Can we see her?"

"Yeah. But keep it down a bit."

Amber's parents and siblings, along with Cedric, Nana, Tanya, and now Baileywick (who'd only just arrived in the past hour), walked inside to see the more adorable sight: Amber looking exhausted yet elated, her hair all a mess, and a little baby girl wrapped in a blanket and sleeping against her mother, who was humming a soft song to her.

"Amber?"

The future queen smiled up at everyone, having heard her twin's voice first. "Hey, you guys…" She smiled. "Isn't she so pretty?"

"Like her mother," Roland assured her, kissing his daughter's forehead as she sighed. "What's her name?"

She nodded toward Desmond, allowing him to do the honors.

"Alamea Lorelei Safiya," he announced proudly. "Alamea was my grandmother's name. Lorelei, well…" He smiled as the others nodded, clearly emotional at that addition. "And Safiya, a variation of your name, Sofia… Because you helped Amber and me so much in the past, so it's one way we could return the favor."

Sofia couldn't help it. She sobbed, and happily for a change, as Cedric took Tanya into his arms while Desmond gently wrapped his sister-in-law in a loving hug. She sniffled and hugged him tighter. "Thank you," she whispered, smiling over his shoulder toward her sister, who returned the smile, though a bit tiredly. "I love you guys."

"We love you too, Sofia…" Amber laughed gently. "We love all of you." She cradled Alamea closer, stroking the sleeping girl's cheek with her finger. "Amazing how things can change so quickly, isn't it? But…this one time, I don't mind…" She smiled. "Every moment in my life has led me to this day, my little one… From now on, everything I do is for you, because I'm not just Princess Amber anymore… I'm also your mommy."

Alamea yawned once before the tiniest hint of a smile appeared on her lips.

"Look, you guys," James told the others quietly, pointing toward the window. "It's snowing." And indeed it was. He laughed at Sofia's immediately ecstatic reaction. "Now that's a perfect ending for a perfect holiday, don't you think?"

Sofia nodded, exchanging happy glances with Amber. "Absolutely…perfect."

Things had only just begun to change, and although challenges still loomed in the distance, the future couldn't have looked brighter if it tried.

The end