Saving Prince James: A James and Sofia Love Story

Set in an alternate universe, James is now 20 and usurped his father as king and conquered every kingdom to create an empire, but he has lived his years as a lonely king with only power and wealth to keep him company. When Cedric summons a banished Sofia, 18, to the castle to secretly save the kingdoms and James, something stirs in James's heart the moment he sees a grown and blossomed Sofia. Can a banished princess save the kingdoms and can a ruthless prince find his way into the heart of a princess he once lost?

Chapter 1: Life After James's Betrayal

Sofia

"Mom, I'm going out to get some wood for the fire okay?" Sofia called out to her mom, the former queen of Enchancia, from the back door in the estate's kitchen.

Out of the kitchen's door that led out into the back of the small country estate, Sofia lets the cold autumn air hit her face before she begins her daily morning routine of fetching some wood for the fire and letting her mind wander. Just on the side of the estate was the small graves of the many animal friends Sofia made over the years and those dearest to her heart was the graves of Clover and the other palace animals that fled with her.

It has been nearly five years since her older stepbrother, Prince James, murdered her stepfather, King Roland II, at the age of 15 and took over the entire kingdom of Enchancia. Soon after he crowned himself king and took hold of all power, James set out to create his own empire. War after war, James used both brilliant and dirty military tactics to overtake all kingdoms and, in those long five years, James has managed to create a massive empire that consisted of all the near and far kingdoms. Many fear James and regard him now as monstrous because of how quickly he managed to defeat all opposing forces in and create his empire in such a short amount of time.

Since then, James has banished Sofia, Amber, and their mother into a small estate on the far end of the kingdom when he decided to spare mercy on the remaining family and left them only two maids. James kept Baileywick, the royal steward and caretaker, Cedric, the royal sorcerer, and all others he deemed necessary or loyal to him. He even now controls all magic within the world and had their school, Royal Prep Academy, converted into a large prison for all magical beings. If he decided they were useless to him or accused them of treason, James either had them killed or enslaved to the mines.

Life out in the countryside wasn't that much different to Sofia's life back in the village before she became a princess, a result from her mother's marriage to the late King Roland II when she was only 7. Sofia and her mother are still self-sufficient, despite their years as royals and being catered on or cared for. Although, the same cannot be said for her stepsister, Amber, it took Amber a long time before she could even manage to sew and repair her own clothing, nonetheless even garden or work with dirt. The three royal women now live a modest, commoner life.

"Sofia, where did you go?" Amber said to Sofia in the kitchen when she returned with a heavy large basket full of chopped wood. "You know, never mind that," she said with a wave of her hand, "Marie just can't braid my hair right, can you help me?"

Sofia looked over at her older sister as she ran her hands through her blonde hair and shaking out Marie's braid attempt, which Amber apparently deemed unfit for her hair.

Poor Marie, Sofia thought. Everyone in the house knows how hard it is to please Amber when it comes to styling her long thin hair. If not done the correct "Amber Way", things will not be pleasant for anyone.

"Of course, just give me one moment to get these pieces of wood into the fire for breakfast."

"Oh here, let me help. Marie! Can you come and help Sofia with the wood?!" she yelled. While their mother considers it a blessing to even have four extra hands to help around the small estate after James ascended the throne, Amber still considers it a scarcity.

Sofia gently shook her head at Amber, as she looked over at her older sister, dressed in her classic light green commoner's gown with a bit of Amber's flare, small tracings of lace and satin at the base and waistline of her gown.

"It's okay Amber, don't call Marie. I'm done already." Sofia said, taking off her work gloves and placing them into her white apron's pockets as she stood behind Amber, getting ready to braid. "Now, how would you like your braid done today?"

"Oh, you already know Sofia. Can you put in some of my gerbera daisies too? They're on the table in my basket." Sofia turned to where Amber was pointing and saw the big colorful orange, yellow, and red daisies that are in season right now.

"Do you plan on selling these daisies later today?" Sofia asked

It was only three years ago did Amber surprised everyone at dinner by announcing that she has started her own small business and began selling flowers from their home. Just last year, Amber became the local town's most popular florist because of her genius sense of color and knowing what flowers go great for what occasion. Everyone loves asking for her opinion and Amber was never a person to shy away from the attention.

"Yeah, I'm hoping to sell them all by the end of the day and make enough so that we can all go buy new fabric so you can make us some dresses for the town festival later this week!" Amber said excitedly. Fashion and parties are still her favorite things and Amber may have grown out of her old childhood ways, but still retains bits of it either way.

Amber and Sofia simply sat comfortably in each other's silence as Sofia began braiding into her hair the many autumn colored daisies. Since James betrayed their family, Amber and Sofia grew closer as sisters and took to each other's presence in order for comfort and solidity as they watched their formerly beloved brother destroy their family and kingdom. Now, apart from all other friends back in Enchancia, Sofia and Amber have become each other's confidants and best friends.

Amber, now a 20 year old, also grew in beauty and grace normal for that of a royal princess. Her long thin blonde hair wasn't as long as Sofia's and her lips weren't as full but she was still considered beautiful and she also developed an hourglass figure any woman and man would die for. Over the years, as the two of them grew together on the small estate and with the lack of staff and pampering, Amber's personality has grown and matured. She became a little more hard working and selfless, but a little bit of "Classic Amber", as Sofia likes to put it, remained after all these years and it always cracks a smile onto Sofia's face.

Sofia, now 18 years old, has become a beautiful and enchanting young lady. Her brunette hair has grown long past her waist, her lips and eyes are even brighter and fuller, and she developed a petite womanly body. Despite all the tragedies of her young life, Sofia remained kind, smart, considerate, and caring to all who approach her. She is still one of the hardest working princess anyone has ever met and honest beyond all faults. The only thing that changed in her was her trust in people; James's betrayal has left Sofia unable to openly trust anyone and hardened her heart towards her brother James.

"Alright Amber, I'm finished. I'm going to call mom out of the workshop."

"Oh, thanks Sofia! You're such an angel!" Amber said while giving Sofia a small, tight hug before running off with her flower basket, her floral braid swinging behind her. "I'll be right back okay? I just need to return my basket back into my workroom."

Sofia was just finished with Amber's hair and went off to meet her mother in their shoemaker workshop room in their estate. Since James has decided to cut the women off from any royal money, they do not have enough money to purchase a shop in town and chose to work from their home. The small country estate, a two story building with more than enough room for the five women that live inside, and with so much room, Queen Miranda made use of them by making them into workshops for her and Sofia's shoemaker job and Amber's flower business. And everyone in the local town knows of who Sofia and her family are, and when they first arrived to their exiled town, the townspeople were all kind and welcoming; they are still called by their royal titles.

The former queen sat at her worktable, head down trying to repair the pair of small red slippers a young mother dropped off the other day. Beside her were two long rows of repaired shoes that Sofia has to drop off later in the day and pick up the payments. Sofia's mom did most of the repairs as that she was the more experienced in shoe repair while Sofia would take the small carriage led by the only surviving palace animal, Minimus, and cover the distances to each house and do the returns with their neighbor's teenage boy, Thomas. Over the years, when there weren't as many returns to do, Sofia would help out with the repairs since she did learn more skills as she got older.

"Mom, it's 7 o'clock. Time for breakfast," Sofia said while gently tapping her mother on the shoulder.

"Oh thanks dear," her mother said while stretching and yawning, and the two made their way to the dining room where their other maid, Abbey, had set up breakfast. "Where is Amber?" Miranda asked as she took a seat at their moderate white dining table.

Just as Sofia opened her mouth to explain to her mother that Amber was just putting away some of her belongings, she heard Amber call out, "Here I am," and rushed to her usual seat at the table.

"Why yes you are," Queen Miranda said with a gentle giggle.

Before they could begin their breakfast, they were all interrupted by their maid, Marie, baffled and confused. "My apologies Your Majesties, but it appears that Lord Cedric is here and requests a presence with the three of you."

CEDRIC?! they all thought and rushed out into the front of the estate.

James

James woke in his large, lonely bed and, like every morning, he surveyed his enormous royal suite. Even after all these years since he claimed the throne, he still hasn't moved out of his childhood room. Many expected him to move into his father's room, but he just didn't.

She was there again, he thought. Sofia….

For the past few months now, his younger sister, Sofia, has been a recurring theme in his dreams. She would either appear as she would when she first arrived at the castle or when she was 13, the last time he saw her or his family.

Sofia…, James thought again as he sat up and buried his head in his hands. Why is she haunting me? But he knew the answer to that question, James knows as to why his precious little sister haunts him in his sleep. She was his punishment, the constant reminder as what he did those five years ago.

What he didn't understand was, why Sofia and not his father?

Not even Amber, his biological twin sister, have appeared in his dreams as much as Sofia has. Or the many number of other people he had killed or ruined their lives. James killed his father, not Sofia. He spared his two sisters and his stepmother five years ago; he didn't even lay a finger on any of them. So why is it that Sofia was haunting him?

Before he could delve deeper into that question, James heard his daily morning knock by Baileywick, his father's and his longtime royal steward and caretaker. The now elderly man walked poised into the room with two of James's personal butlers. Baileywick, a once chipper and upbeat man, now is solemn and stern because of the loss of the former great king and his family, and the whips and beatings Baileywick endured when he tried to escape his forced servitude to James.

"Good morning Your Majesty. Breakfast is now served in the royal dining room," Baileywick said and when James nodded, he promptly turned on his heal to leave.

Now 20 years old, James has grown tall and developed a larger build on his body. His blonde hair now cut short and close to his head so that it cannot fall in his eyes and easier to manage. Not too muscular looking but just enough as to that he is considered quite the handsome young king. He attributes his lean and toned muscular body to the few hours in his day where he simply exercises, the only thing he can do in his free time to keep his mind busy otherwise, if left to wander, his mind would be consumed by the darkness within him.

In the royal dining room, James sat alone at the head of the large table and read over his long schedule Baileywick handed to him moments before.

Although ruling and controlling his vast empire with an iron fist, not much has changed since his reign began. He didn't change the décor of the throne room after his father's death and even kept Amber's and Sofia's smaller thrones. James has left some things just the way they were before he gained control of throne, laws and regulations remained as they were and even his father's councilmen kept their positions, that is until they prove themselves to be against his rule. Many of the subjects didn't see much altered when James became king, no new taxes appeared or anything of that sort but many still fear the new ruthless king because of the many numbers of people he has sent to prison or ordered killed. James grew to be unpredictable when it came to who, when, and why he would punish or kill those who displeased him.

Now that he controlled all kingdoms under his rule, he had all princes and princesses return back to their kingdoms and stripped them most of their power. All of his former friends from Royal Prep Academy no longer speak to him unless it was about trade or politics. Royal Prep was also changed into a prison for all magical beings, all that is except for Cedric, the Royal Sorcerer. He had Cedric locked into his chambers and only associate with him for tasks.

Despite staring at his long schedule and attempting to concentrate as hard as he can, James was unable to get Sofia out of his mind. Normally, just one look at his agenda helped him remove her from his thoughts, but today, she remained and haunted him with her large blue eyes filled with the tears he caused. And those tears in her eyes brought him back to the night he banished them from the castle.

It was only a month after he crowned himself king, when the entire kingdom was in an uproar and disarray when news broke that King Roland II was found dead and it was James that had killed him, that James ordered for his mourning stepmother and two sisters into the throne room.

"James, what's going on? Why are there soldiers all around us?" Sofia asked, he remembered how small and fragile her voiced sounded then and how she looked up at him with wide, scared blue eyes.

"Sof," he began, "since you guys are innocents in all of this, I decided to grant mercy on you all and allow you to live. As of right now, you guys are exiled from Enchancia and will live in the small country estate in the town on the outskirts of the kingdom." His eyes never left Sofia's when he delivered the news to his remaining family.

"What?!" his sister, Amber, exclaimed. He then forced his eyes upon her and away from Sofia's. "Why are you doing this James?"

"Simply because you are all in my way, I plan on conquering the neighboring kingdoms and creating an empire. I cannot do that with you three in my way. So you must go."

"James…," his stepmother began, "please-"

"You. Must. Go." he said harshly and waved them off, signaling the soldiers to grab hold of them and sending them to the awaiting carriage where their luggage were being piled on.

They all cried out his name but the only voice he heard was Sofia's.

"James! Please!" Sofia cried, struggling against the hold on her, "Please don't do this to us!"

Sofia then managed to break free and runs towards to where he sat on father's throne, mother and Amber were already towards the door, and threw her arms around his neck and held him tightly against her. He would be lying of he said he didn't like it when she held him so close to her, of how she smelled of lavender and vanilla, and how soft her skin was exposed through her sleeveless nightgown.

"Please…James…," her voice broke, tears probably already falling. "Just tell me what's wrong and I'll try to fix it…. I-I-I promise."

Then, he would have held her too. He would've done nothing but press her against him and remain like that forever, to prevent all of the madness that would later consume him bit by bit.

But he didn't.

Instead, he pushed her away. He removed her arms from his neck and simply stared back at her as she was pulled away by the soldiers, never breaking eye contact.

"Leave," he said coldly, "now."

It was those words that he saw something in her eyes fade. Maybe it was her trust in him, maybe it was her love for him, or possibly the last of her hope for James.

Good, he thought then, leave. I don't need any of you.

Since then, he hasn't seen or thought of them until Sofia returned in his dreams last month and now she won't leave his thoughts.

"Your Majesty, your first appointment begins in 15 minutes," Baileywick said, just slightly bringing James back from his thoughts. "If you would, please follow me."

James didn't move from his seat though, he didn't hear Baileywick. His mind was preoccupied by Sofia. No matter how hard he tried, she wouldn't leave his thoughts; she possessed every spot, every corner of his mind. It was so early in the morning and yet, he was already immobilized by the many thoughts and haunting images of Sofia.

"Your majesty?" Baileywick asked, hesitatingly placing a hand on his broad shoulder.

James's head quickly turned to Baileywick, "oh, right, right," he said absentmindedly, his mind filled with only Sofia as he walked beside Baileywick down the hall.

I wonder how she's doing…, he thought. She should be around the age of 18 now, which means she's of age. Does that mean she has a suitor now? The moment that thought entered his mind, for some reason, it caused his stomach to sink.

She was one of the most beautiful and loved girls at Royal Prep, so it shouldn't surprise him if she already had a suitor at this age, but why did it bother him if she did?

James knew that he had no right to feel this way since he was the one who banished and pushed her away with the rest of his family and she was his stepsister, but he didn't enjoy theorizing that she might have a suitor. And without realizing it, James found himself absently walking towards Cedric's lair and opening the door.

Inside the lair, James saw the silver haired sorcerer hovering over a cauldron, stirring some magical mixture. The Royal Sorcerer looked up to see a confused young king.

"Your Majesty, how you honor me with your presence," Cedric said sarcastically. "May I ask as to why you're in my lair?"

Cedric was the only person James knew that remained hostile and cynical towards the self-crowned king. With a full head of white hair, Cedric looked just a bit younger than Baileywick and he always wore the same dark purple sorcerer's robe and dingy yellow bow.

Good question, James thought. Why am I here?

Not wanting to look like he's losing his mind, but still having Sofia on his mind and wanting so badly to know if she has a suitor or not, James thought of a quick and lame excuse, "I came here wanting to know how everyone is doing in the countryside. Show me Mom, Amber, and Sofia."

"You mean Queen Mother Miranda, Princess Amber, and Princess Sofia?" Cedric asked astonished by James's random request.

"Yes. Is there a problem with that, sorcerer?"

But before Cedric could respond, Baileywick walked into the lair, "Your Majesty! Why are you in Cedric's lair?"

Thinking quick on his feet, "I simply do not wish to go to the appointments today, Baileywick. As King, I can do what I wish, can't I?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, but–"

"But nothing, just go and postpone all of my appointments for now," James said, waving Baileywick off and out of the lair. "Now Cedric, show me Sof– err, I mean my family."

"As you wish," Cedric said, knowing that it would be useless to even counter his king's request and walked over to his crystal ball on his old wooden table, chanting a spell. He watched as his sister appeared, walking out of the front door of the small royal estate with various shoe boxes in her arms towards a shabby looking carriage with her old flying derby horse tied to the front of it. Her mother stood at the door with the other boxes while Amber was selling some bouquet of flowers to a passing couple.

There she is, James thought.

James just stood there, astonished by her beauty. She didn't look like the same young 13 year old he once knew, she was a young lady now and a beautiful one at that. For as long as he known her, she was always considered beautiful among all of their peers at Royal Prep. Her beauty even rivaled that of Amber's, the most beautiful girl on all of Enchancia.

Her wavy hair was still the same brunette color, but now, it looked lush and soft to the touch. Her lips didn't seem small anymore, instead it was full and pink and gave one of the most beautiful smiles he has ever seen. And her eyes…oh her big blue eyes. Though it was hard to fully see through the crystal ball, they still looked bright blue just like the sky she always looked up at.

Seeing her and her smile again, after all these years, even if he caused their separation, almost made him smile.

But his joy was short lived when he saw a boy approach her. The dark haired boy with brown eyes looked down at Sofia and smiled, easily taking the boxes from her hands and put it into the carriage. The mystery boy then took Sofia's hands and helped her up onto the front of the carriage and sat beside her.

Who. Is. That? James nearly screamed. And how dare he touch her!

James watched angrily as they sat very close to each other on the small front seat and laughed together as they dropped off the shoe boxes to various homes in the nearby town. He didn't know how long he just stood there watching the two of them as a raw angry rage built up within him. He didn't know why it bothered him, but at the moment he didn't care, he had to know who this boy was to Sofia and put a stop to whatever relationship the two have.

"Cedric! Save this image of the two! Now!" James yelled without thinking, "Baileywick!"

"Yes Your Majesty?" Baileywick asked moments after returning.

"Locate Sofia and the rest of my family, bring them back to the castle right now!"

I am going to demand right from the source who this boy is and what is he to you, Sofia.

Sofia

"Cedric! It is you!" Sofia exclaimed, the moment she, her mother, and sister entered the main room.

"Good morning to you Queen Mother Miranda, Princess Amber, Princess Sofia, but I am not actually Cedric," he said, bowing low to each respective royal. When James became king, Miranda lost the title of queen and instead was renamed Queen Mother.

"What do you mean you are not Cedric?" the Queen Mother asked as she and her daughters sat down on the cushioned couch.

"You sure do look like Cedric," Amber said.

"Your Majesty, I am merely a magical projection. My pet crow here is holding the crystal that is projecting this message." Cedric pointed over to the old, black crow beside him on the couch with a small clear gem in between his beak.

"Wormwood!" Sofia said as she was in the motion of smoothing out her faded purple working gown, astonished to finally notice the old crow.

"Good day to you, Princess Sofia," Wormwood cawed, her secret magical amulet allowing her to understand all animals around her. Sofia still had her Amulet of Avalor, the magical amulet her late father gifted to her when she first arrived to the castle.

"Queen Mother, Princesses," Cedric began, "the real Cedric, back at the castle, created this message as a way to ask for Princess Sofia's help."

"My help?"

"Yes," Cedric said, "As we all know, five years ago, James discovered a secret of King Roland's and sought revenge on him."

Yes, Sofia thought, I remember that day pretty well.

Sofia remembered it all, the day when James approached Sofia and told him of how he discovered some of their father's lost letters and how no light reached his eyes as he told her.

When James was only 15 years old, he stumbled upon old notes of King Roland's in the castle's attic one day. One note turned out to be an old love letter to a former mistress of the late king's, revealing that King Roland had been involved with another woman as his wife, Queen Anne, had been pregnant with James and Amber. Other notes disclose that he called off their relationship but when Queen Anne learned of their infidelity after the twin's fourth birthday, she grew depressed and later killed herself by stealing a poison from Cedric's lair. It was James who found her dead but when his father arrived to her room, he pulled James away and had Cedric alter the twin's memories to that she grew ill and died peacefully in her sleep.

When James confronted their father about the notes, his father first denied it but several days later, admitted to it all and later that same day, James cornered his father alone in his room and slashed him down. No one could've predicted that James would snap like that, to claim the throne, and to banish his family away from him when they wanted nothing but to help him.

Even when she ran to him on the night Sofia and her family was banished out of Enchancia, when she begged him to not exile them and told him that she wants to be there for him and to help her try to fix whatever it is that is bothering him, but he just stared at her with cold, emotionless eyes and demanded she leave. Right then and there when she stared into his eyes, she saw that the James she knew and loved was gone, and whatever hope she had for him diminished. The way he killed his father with no remorse, abandoned Sofia and everyone without looking back, and the stories she hears of James ordering many people killed or imprisoned caused her heart to harden and her faith in him to die.

"Well regarding you, Princess Sofia," Fake Cedric continued, "Baileywick, the real Cedric, and the former headmistresses at Royal Prep have been trying to come up with a plan to save James and the kingdoms, and the one they thought up with involves you because of the formerly close bond you and James had growing up."

"Hey!" Amber whined and pouted. "What do you mean close bond? I'm his twin sister."

"Amber…," their mother whispered and giving her a sympathetic yet stern look.

"No offense to you, Princess Amber, but looking over the facts, James and Sofia did spend more time together than you and James did. As well, Baileywick reports that lately he hears James calling out Princess Sofia's name during the night."

"My name? Why me?" Sofia said, taken back by the news.

"That is something they do not know, Your Highness, but hope to use it to their advantage. They believe that somehow the former bond you two shared may be causing something in him to shift because, as of late, he has been absentminded and he has not been as ruthless recently."

"That does not prove it is because of me."

"On the contrary, this change in him began around the time when Baileywick heard him calling your name, Princess Sofia. Before when you were by his side, they've always noticed how much calmer and at ease he was because you two contrast each other so well. They theorize that if you return back to the castle, maybe you can have that same effect on him and thus save him." Fake Cedric said with a pleading tone in his voice.

"But we are exiled from the castle and kingdom," their mother said what the three of them were all thinking, "we are forbidden to return, and if we do, we will be punished or killed."

"Yes they know, Your Majesty, but earlier this morning, James demanded that Cedric show him how you and your daughters are doing out here in the countryside. Since he did not want show you guys talking to me, he simply showed him a scene from yesterday when Sofia and this young boy was doing shoe returns and that got him to demand Baileywick to bring you all back to the castle."

"What?" Amber said, so shocked that her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Yes and by this time tomorrow, a palace guard will arrive to take you all to Enchancia. But Princess Sofia, they need to know. Will you return back to the castle and help us try to save James and the kingdoms?" he asked, looking at her with a hope she has never seen in Cedric before, fake or real. "Please Your Highness, we need you to bring James back. They are all certain that if you are by his side once more, you can bring him back from whatever dark abyss he is drowning in."

Sofia sat there not knowing what to do.

After James sent them into exile and she saw that there was no life in him anymore, she simply moved on with her life. She enjoyed it out in the countryside, where she no longer had royal duties or obligations. She just had her family and returned back to a commoner's lifestyle. She didn't have to worry about looking like a princess or having to wear so many gowns or pleasing everyone back at Royal Prep. That was all behind her now.

Sofia remembered how he easily left her and her family behind and how he killed their father with no mercy or remorse. All the good in him and all the hope she had for him died five years ago. She promised herself that since James doesn't love her or her family anymore, why should she even care about the boy who separated the two of them? That very same boy who was always beside her, who protected her from the bullies, who was one of her best friends and she trusted him, she loved him and he broke her heart and trust the moment he told her to leave.

So why should she even go back to a monster like him?

Her mind is telling her to remain here and to not pay him another thought, but her heart is telling her that maybe, just maybe, there is hope in him after all. That if her three former headmistresses, still sees the good in James, even after all that he has done, maybe she can too.

Then Sofia felt her amulet grow warm and reached for it. Looking at it in the center of her palm, she somehow felt like it was telling her to go… and save James.

Looking back at Fake Cedric, Sofia answered firm and strong, "Yes."


This was something I've been wanting to do for a while now and... well here it is! I watch the show and I just think it's adorable, but I wanted to take it down a more darker road and this was kinda where I ended up. I hope you like it. I own nothing, all Sofia The First rights belong to the Walt Disney Company. This is my first fan fic, so just comment and give me some MATURE and RESPECTFUL criticism about what you thought about my little fan fic, tell me what you'd like to see in the future chapters or if I should continue this story of mine. Chapter two will or should be up in a few days or so.

Thanks :)