Tales from the Castle - a Sofia the First fanfic

Chapter 2: Lesson Of Patience

Notes: Chapter 2 is a story suggested by retro mania, and takes place during the time Sofia, Amber, Hildegard, and Cleo are children. Chapter 2 is based on The Magic Thread segment from The Book Of Virtues episode Self Discipline.

A play date at the castle

Sofia, Amber, Hildegard, and Cleo were having a play date at Enchancia Castle. Soon, however, the four started to become bored, and decided to make up a game to pass the time. The game would be to have each girl imagine what it would be like to skip childhood, and immediately grow up.

Queen Miranda was walking by, and heard what the four girls were saying.

"Don't be in too much of a hurry to grow up, girls" Miranda smiled. "When you grow up, you'll long for those carefree days each of you had as a child". Miranda then walked into the castle.

"It would be interesting to experience life as a grown up" Hildegard commented. "Afterall, grown ups get to do whatever they please, where children are quite limited in what they are allowed to do".

At that point, a male merchant conducting business at the castle walked up to Sofia, Amber, Hildegard, and Cleo.

"Hello, young ladies" the merchant smiled. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. I might be able to help you".

"How?" Amber asked.

The merchant looked around to see if anybody else was around, then turned back to the girls. The merchant then pulled out a spool of thread, and handed it to the girls.

"This is just thread" Cleo observed. "How can this help us?".

"You see, young Princess" the merchant started, "this is magic thread. With each pull of the thread, the four of you will go into the future and be grown ups. Think of it. You'll instantly grow up, and be able to do whatever you please".

"I don't know about this" Sofia cautioned.

"What is the price?" Amber said.

"No cost to you, young Princess" the merchant answered. "This is something I received years ago, and I was told to pass it on when the time was right. I'd say the time is right".

"Then we'll take it" Amber smiled.

"Here you go" the merchant said as he handed the thread to Amber.

The four girls studied the spool of thread. When they looked up, the merchant was gone.

"Where did he go?" Sofia asked.

"Probably off to do some business" Amber answered. "Let's say we try this thread?"

"I don't know, Amber" Sofia said in an uneasy voice.

"Oh! Don't be so frightened, Sofia" Hildegard said. "It's probably just some common thread that the merchant gave us".

"... just for a game" Cleo added.

"Everybody, huddle together" Amber said. As everybody huddled together, Amber pulled on the thread. In a few moments, everything started going black, and the four passed out.

A shocking surprise

Sofia, Amber, Hildegard, and Cleo woke up a while later. They found themselves in the courtyard of Enchancia Castle. But it was a different Enchancia Castle. The castle walls were practically in ruins.

The four girls then looked at each other, and gasped. Each girl was now a woman in her 20's.

"How is this possible?" Hildegard asked, taken off guard.

"Oh my gosh!" Sofia exclaimed. "That thread is magic!".

Suddenly, some guards approached Sofia, Amber, Hildegard, and Cleo.

"Hold it right there!" one of the guards ordered.

"Oh my God!" another guard exclaimed. "It's the lost Princesses!"

"Queen Miranda will want to see them immediately!" another guard exclaimed.

As the guards took the four girls up to the throne room, Sofia started looking around.

"What has happened here?" Sofia asked one of the guards.

"We've better let your mother explain" the guard replied with a sad look.

The four girls and the guards entered the throne room.

"Queen Miranda!" one of the guards exclaimed. "The lost Princesses - they've returned!"

An older Miranda got up off of her throne. King Roland and Prince James were nowhere to be seen.

"Sofia? Amber? Hildegard? Cleo?" Miranda asked with tears of joy in her eyes. "Your back! Where have you been?"

"We were playing in the courtyard when we were kids" Amber started. "We blacked out, and when we woke up, we were here - as grown ups!"

"Then the four of you have no idea what has happened?" Miranda asked with sorrow in her face.

"What is it, Mom?" Sofia wanted to know, concerned.

"You see, sweetheart" Miranda sadly started, "Enchancia has come under attack by evil forces. These evil forces have all but destroyed the kingdom".

"What?!" the four girls exclaimed in shock.

"Sofia, Amber" Miranda started with tears in her eyes. "I have some very sad news for you. Your father, your brother, Baileywick, and Cedric, are dead - all killed in battle".

"No!" Sofia and Amber gasped in shock.

"It gets even worse" Miranda continued. "These same evil forces have expanded, and are now also targeting Corinthia and Friezenburg".

"Oh, no!" Cleo and Hildegard gasped in shock.

Suddenly, Lucinda, now a woman in her 20's, ran up.

"My Queen!" Lucinda reported. "We have intelligence that the evil forces are planning to attack Enchancia Castle once again!"

"What is our troop strength?" Miranda asked Lucinda.

"We have what is left of the palace guard, plus all the Witches and Warlocks I could gather" Lucinda answered. Lucinda then looked to her side, and saw Sofia, Amber, Hildegard, and Cleo. "Oh my God!" Lucinda exclaimed. "Your back!".

Lucinda and Sofia hugged each other.

"With the death of Cedric, I appointed Lucinda to take his place" Miranda reported. "She's now the royal sorceress".

At that moment, a powerful blast hit the castle. The walls of the throne room caved in as Sofia, Amber, Hildegard, and Cleo were thrown backwards away from the blast. When the four looked around, they saw Miranda and Lucinda in the rubble, dead.

"Mom!" Sofia cried out in despair.

"We never got a chance to say goodbye!" Amber said in anger. "And we missed all the happier moments we would have had as children! All because of that darned magic thread!".

"... it's our fault" Sofia sadly said. "If we had left well enough alone, and not played with that magic thread, we would have had those happier moments".

"What are we going to do?" Cleo cried out.

From behind them, the four heard a man's voice.

"I can help you get out of this" the man said. It was the merchant who have given them the magic string, and he had not aged a day.

"Yes! Anything!" Amber pleaded.

The merchant took the spool of magic thread from Amber, and turned it upside down.

"Now, pull on the string, and you will return to your childhood" the merchant directed the four Princesses.

The four huddled together as Amber pulled the string. Suddenly, everything started going black, and the four passed out.

Back to normal

Sofia awoke to find herself in her bedroom at Enchancia Castle. She raced over to a mirror, and looked at her reflection. She was a child again.

In a few moments, a knock came at Sofia's door.

"Come in" Sofia said.

Amber came rushing in.

"Sofia!" Amber exclaimed. "We're back!"

Sofia and Amber hugged for the longest time.

"What about Hildegard and Cleo?" Sofia wondered.

"Probably back at their homes" Amber suggested.

Sofia and Amber, after getting dressed for the day, went down to the castle dining room to have breakfast with the rest of the family. After breakfast, Sofia, Amber, and James took a flying carriage and went to school at Royal Prep for the day.

After arriving at Royal Prep, the three stepped down from their carriage. James went off with Zandar, while Sofia and Amber looked for Hildegard and Cleo. Soon, Sofia and Amber came across Hildegard and Cleo. The four hugged each other, happy to be reunited ... as children.

As the four hugged, Miss Merryweather flew up to them.

"Princesses" Merryweather started, "we would like to see you in our office".

"What have we done?" Sofia asked in shock.

"Nothing, dear" Merryweather smiled. "We just want to see you in our office".

As Merryweather led Sofia, Amber, Hildegard, and Cleo into the office, the four Princesses saw Miss Flora ... and the merchant.

"What is he doing here?" Amber asked about the merchant, taken off guard.

"No need to worry, dear" Flora smiled.

The merchant then waved a wand over his head, and transformed ... into Miss Fauna.

"Miss Fauna?!" the four Princess exclaimed in shock.

"Why?" Amber asked, confused.

"Not all lessons are confined to the classroom" Miss Flora started. "We overheard your conversation at Enchancia Castle about imagining what it would be like to skip childhood, and immediately grow up".

"You overheard that?" Hildegard asked, taken off guard.

"Yes, dears" Miss Fauna smiled. "We keep an eye on our students ... even when they are not in school".

"And we thought it would be a teachable moment" Miss Flora said. "We thought we would let the four of you experience what it would be like to immediately grow up, and experience things as grown ups. Life as grown ups can sometimes be complicated ... and sometimes frightening."

"We didn't do this to be mean" Miss Merryweather started. "We did this to show you that it's important to take the time every day to treasure the carefree days of childhood".

Sofia, Amber, Hildegard, and Cleo nodded in agreement.

"It's time for the four of you to get to class" Miss Flora smiled.

"Yes, Miss Flora" Sofia, Amber, Hildegard, and Cleo happily said.

As the four walked to class, each thought about what had happened. The lesson was clear - don't be in a hurry to grow up, because that will come soon enough. Enjoy the wonder and innocence of childhood while you have it.